EP1369154A1 - Spinning top - Google Patents

Abstract

A spinning top is built up with rigid flat parts andincludes a central shaft extended through a horizontalbody having a pair of radially oppositely projectedfixed wings. A pair of movable wings are pivotallyconnected to an outer periphery of the horizontal bodyvia two fixing arms to move between a fully foldedposition concealed below the horizontal body and a fullyextended position projected from the outer peripheryof the horizontal body. When the central shaft istwisted to eject the spinning top, the movable wingsare pivotally thrown outward to serve as weaponsproviding enhanced attacking force in a fighting gameusing spinning tops and produce more fun.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION
• The present invention relates to a spinning top, andmore particularly to a spinning top adapted to produceenhanced attacking force in a fighting game usingspinning tops.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• A built-up toy is assembled from a plurality of flatparts detached from a flat board. A currently verypopular way of playing the built-up toys is to conducta fighting with two built-up toys, such as two built-upspinning tops. A built-up spinning top usuallyincludes a plurality of round flat parts having a shaftextended therethrough. Two spinning tops in thefighting game collide with each other and the one thatdoes not stop spinning wins the game. The conventionalbuilt-up spinning top does not include any specialstructural design to provide a strong attacking force.Moreover, the round flat parts have a fixed shape thatmakes the spinning top monotonous without too much fun.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• A primary object of the present invention is to providean improved built-up spinning top having a pair ofmovable wings that project outward when the top spins.When the projected movable wings contact with anopponent top or other articles, they would slightlymove backward to produce a buffer effect, enabling thetop to spin continuously without becoming tilted over.
• Another object of the present invention is to providea spinning top including a pair of movable wings servingas an interesting weapon. The movable wings arenormally at a folded position to conceal below ahorizontal body of the top, and adapted to swing outwardto an extended position when the top spins.
• A further object of the present invention is to providea spinning top that is easily assembled from a pluralityof differently shaped rigid flat parts, and these flatparts are detachably connected to the same one flatboard before the parts are used to build up the spinningtop. The inclusion of parts in the flat board enablesconvenient packing and transporting of the spinningtop alone or along with other products.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objectscan be best understood by referring to the followingdetailed description of the preferred embodiments andthe accompanying drawings, wherein
• Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a spinningtop according to a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;
• Fig. 2 is an assembled top perspective view of Fig.1;
• Fig. 3 is an assembled bottom perspective view of Fig.1 with two movable wings thereof at a fully extendedposition;
• Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 3 but with the two movablewings at a fully folded position;
• Fig. 5 shows the manner of turning the spinning topof the present invention;
• Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the present inventionshowing different positions of the movable wings whenthe spinning top is turned;
• Fig. 7 shows all parts forming the spinning top of the present invention are included in a flat board beforethey are used to build up the spinning top; and
• Fig. 8 is an assembled perspective view of a spinningtop according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• Please refer to Fig. 1 that is an exploded perspectiveview of a spinning top according to a preferredembodiment of the present invention. As shown, thespinning top mainly includes acentral shaft 10 formedfrom vertically intersected first andsecond shaftparts 11, 12, ahorizontal body 20, a pair ofmovablewings 30, a pair offixing arms 40, and anupper fixingdisc 50. All these components are flat parts.
• Thefirst shaft part 11 of thecentral shaft 10 includesan elongateupper shaft portion 111 having an upwardtapered head 114, and an expanded arrow-shapedlowerportion 112 having ashort slit 113 upward extendedfrom a bottom center thereof. Thesecond shaft part12 includes an elongateupper shaft portion 121 havingan upwardtapered head 124 and along slit 123 downwardextended from a top center of thetapered head 124,and an expanded arrow-shapedlower portion 122. The first and thesecond shaft part 11, 12 are connectedtogether through engagement of theshort slit 113 withthelong slit 123 to form thecentral shaft 10 thathas a cross-shaped cross section.
• Thehorizontal body 20 includes two radially oppositefixedwings 21. In the illustrated preferredembodiment, thefixed wings 21 are in the form of twoblades. Across-shaped hole 22 is provided at a centerof thehorizontal body 20. Two substantially radiallyopposite engagingslits 23 are provided at an outerperiphery of thehorizontal body 20 to extend indirections parallel with thefixed wings 21.
• Themovable wings 30 in the preferred embodiment arealso in the form of two blades. An inner end of eachmovable wing 30 is formed into around hole 31.
• Each of thefixing arms 40 is a generally L-shaped flatpart including avertical portion 42 and ahorizontalportion 43. Ahorizontal cut 41 is provided at a jointof the vertical and thehorizontal portion 42, 43 forengaging with theengaging slit 23 on thehorizontalbody 20, and ashort boss 44 is upward extended froman upper side of thehorizontal portion 43. Theboss44 has an overall width smaller than an inner diameterof theround hole 31 of themovable wing 30.
• Themovable wings 30 are rotatably located at a lowerside of thehorizontal body 20 by separately engagingtheround holes 31 of themovable wings 30 with thebosses 44 on thefixing arms 40, and then separatelyengaging thecuts 41 of the twofixing arms 40 withthe twoengaging slits 23 on thehorizontal body 20to locate thevertical portions 42 of thefixing arms40 above thehorizontal body 20 and thehorizontalportion 43 below thehorizontal body 20.
• Theupper fixing disc 50 has a diameter smaller thanthat of thehorizontal body 20 and is provided at acenter with across-shaped hole 51, via which thecentralshaft 10 is upward extended to fix thehorizontal body20 in place.
• To use the above components to build up the spinningtop of the present invention, first intersect the firstand thesecond shaft parts 11, 12 to form thecentralshaft 10, and then upward extend the elongateuppershaft portions 111, 121 of thecentral shaft 10 throughthecross-shaped hole 22 on thehorizontal body 20 andput thefixing disc 50 on the intersected elongateuppershaft portions 111, 121. Thetapered heads 114, 124of theelongate shaft portions 111, 121 enable easyextending of the latter through thecross-shaped holes 22 and 51.
• Thereafter, engage theround holes 31 of themovablewings 30 with thebosses 44 on thefixing arms 40, andengage thehorizontal cuts 41 on thefixing arms 40with theengaging slits 23 on thehorizontal body 20,so that themovable wings 30 are located below thehorizontal body 20. Figs. 2 and 3 are top and bottomperspective views, respectively, of an assembledspinning top of the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, wherein themovable wings 30 are at anextended position to project from thehorizontal body20. Fig. 4 is also a bottom perspective view of theassembled spinning top of the present invention butwith themovable wings 30 at a folded position concealedbelow thehorizontal body 20.
• Fig. 5 shows the manner of turning the spinning topof the present invention. As shown, first locate themovable wings 30 at the folded position, and a playermay eject the spinning top by twisting the elongateupper shaft portions 111, 121 of thecentral shaft 10with a thumb and an index finger. At this point, themovable wings 30 connected to thebosses 44 below thehorizontal body 20 are pivotally thrown outward fromthe foldedposition 30 to a half-extended position 30'and then the fully extendedposition 30", as shown in Fig. 6. The expanded arrow-shapedlower portions 112,122 of thecentral shaft 10 located below thehorizontalbody 20 enable the ejected spinning top to stably spinabout a bottom center of thecentral shaft 10.
• Please refer to Fig. 6. When the spinning top isspinning, and themovable wings 30 are thrown out tothe fullyextended positions 30", a relative diameterdefined by the two fully thrown-outmovable wings 30for a circle C3 is larger than a relative diameter definedby the twofixed wings 21 for a circle C2. When thespinning top collides with another top or other articles,the fully extendedmovable wings 30" would touch theother top or article first and are forced to move backwardto the positions 30'. The backward movement of thefully extendedmovable wings 30" produces a buffereffect so that the spinning top does not stop spinningat the moment touching with other top or article. Thisdesign provides the spinning top an increased stabilityand accordingly enhanced attacking force when thespinning top contacts with other top in a fighting gameusing tops.
• As mentioned above, all the components forming thespinning top of the present invention are flat partsthat are detachably set in aflat board 8 before theyare used to build up the spinning top, as shown in Fig. 7. Theflat board 8 enables the present invention tobe easily packed and transported alone or along withother products.
• It is appreciated the fixed and themovable wings 21,30 may be differently designed to show various kindsof shapes. Fig. 8 is an assembled perspective view ofa spinning top according to another embodiment of thepresent invention, in which the wings are in the shapeof a weapon used by Ninja Turtles, a group of famouscartoon figures.
• The present invention has been described with somepreferred embodiments thereof and it is understood thatmany changes and modifications in the describedembodiments can be carried out without departing fromthe scope and the spirit of the invention as definedby the appended claims.

Claims (7)

1. A spinning top, comprising:

   a central shaft including an elongate upper shaftportion and an expanded arrow-shaped lower portion;

   a horizontal body provided at a center with a centralhole for said central shaft to extend therethrough,and at an outer periphery with a pair of radiallyopposite fixed wings;

   a fixing disc having a central hole for said centralshaft to extend therethrough, in order to locateabove and hold down said horizontal body; and

   a pair of movable wings being pivotally connectedto a lower side of said horizontal body via a pairof fixing arms, in order to move between a fullyfolded position concealed below said horizontal bodyand a fully extended position projected from theouter periphery of said horizontal body; and

   said movable wings being adapted to pivotally swingout of the outer periphery of said horizontal bodywhen a player twists said elongate upper shaftportion of said central shaft to eject said spinning top.
2. The spinning top as claimed in claim 1, wherein eachof said movable wings is provided at an inner endwith a round hole, and each of said fixing armsincludes an upward short boss for engaging with saidround hole of said movable wing to pivotally connectsaid movable wing to the lower side of said horizontalbody.
3. The spinning top as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidcentral shaft is formed from intersected first andsecond shaft parts to have a cross-shaped crosssection.
4. The spinning top as claimed in claim 3, wherein saidcentral holes provided on said horizontal body andsaid fixing disc are cross-shaped holescorresponding to said cross-shaped cross sectionof said central shaft.
5. The spinning top as claimed in claim 3, wherein saidcentral shaft includes an upward tapered upper end.
6. The spinning top as claimed in claim 1 , wherein saidfixed and said movable wings are in the shape ofa blade, and said two movable wings together defines a relative diameter larger than that defined by saidtwo fixed wings.
7. The spinning top as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidcentral shaft, said horizontal body, said fixingdisc, said movable wings, and said fixing arms allare flat parts that are detachably connected to aflat board before being used to build up said spinningtop.

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