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Finger tethered toy assembly

Finger tethered toy assembly description/claims

1. Field of the Invention

In general, the present invention relates to finger tethered toys, such as yo-yos. More particularly, the present invention relates to finger tethered toys that rely upon elastic tethers to create a rebounding effect.

2. Prior Art Description

Yo-yos, in various forms, have been in existence for thousands of years. Yo-yos made from ivory disks and silk tethers are known to have existed in China since at least 1000 B.C. A classic yo-yo has a tether that is wound around a spool. The tether is tied to the finger. When the spool is dropped, the tether unwinds and causes the spool to spin. When the end of the tether is reached, the spool reaches its maximum spinning momentum. The impetus of the spinning momentum causes the tether to again wind around the spool. The spool, therefore, rewinds up the tether toward the user's hand.

For those who have tried a classic yo-yo, it quickly becomes clear that some skill is required to make the yo-yo consistently return to the user's hand. If the spool of the yo-yo is not released correctly, it may wobble. The wobble in the spool prevents the tether from unwinding and rewinding cleanly, therein preventing the yo-yo from rebounding. Considering the skill and the hand/eye coordination needed to successfully operate a yo-yo, yo-yos are seldom used by young children. Rather classic yo-yos tend to be used by older children who possess the physical skills needed to operate the yo-yo.

Recognizing the skill constraints of a classic yo-yo, toy manufacturers have developed elastic finger tethered toys. Elastic finger tethered toys use an elastic tether. A finger loop is provided at one end of the elastic tether, therein enabling the tether to dangle from a user's finger. A weighed object, such as a toy or a water balloon, is attached to the opposite side of the tether. As a user moves their hand up and down, the tether stretches and relaxes. Using the elastic properties of the tether, a user can drop the weighted object and cause the weighted object to return to the user's hand. Since the tether does not wind around any thing, little skill is required to cause the object to rebound back into the user's hand.

The present invention is a new type of finger tethered toy that uses an elastic tether. However, the present invention finger tethered toy has multiple objects that are tethered together. A more interesting and challenging game is therefore created as a user attempts to drop and recapture more than one object simultaneously. The details of the present invention finger tethered toy are described and claimed below.

The present invention is a finger tethered toy assembly that falls from and then rebounds into a user's hand in the manner of a yo-yo. The finger tethered toy assembly has a plurality of graspable objects that includes a first graspable object and a last graspable object. An elastic tether is provided in between each of the graspable objects that link the graspable objects together in a chain. The elastic tethers interconnect the graspable objects so that all the graspable objects and the elastic tethers lay along a common linear axis.

A finger loop is used to connect the chain of graspable objects and elastic tethers to a user's hand so that the graspable objects and elastic tethers dangle below the hand in the position traditionally used with a yo-yo.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 being used and shown in a fully extended position;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 being used and shown in a mostly retracted position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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