North bearing cap toy

Abstract

This North Bearing Cap Toy, also called MagSnap, is a miniature tethered projectile toy comprised of a cap and handle joined by an elongated cord. The cap and handle both contain magnets. The toy is approximately 7.5 millimeters in length. The symmetrical cap is made of a lightweight plastic that contains a ceramic magnet. The light plastic around the magnet and the power of the magnet allows for the magnet to carry and position itself with its magnetic force line to the Earth's north magnetic pole. Additionally, this lightness and power combine to make this magnetic positioning a quick one. For instance, if you were to place the cap at one inch above a surface and then release it, the cap would land on its southern edge and bounce towards the north. The energy that can be imparted on the symmetrical cap to get it airborne is constrained to that of an upward pull, diagonal upward pull, outward swing, and side circular swing. There is no direct energy force on the cap's horizontal or vertical axis such as that of the flipping of a coin. The player casts the cap upward, which will find its magnetic force line—direction alignment towards the Earth's north magnetic pole—when in free flight, and then attempts to align the handle with the cap so that the cap descends or ascends onto the handle and magnetism joins the cap and handle. This north facing angling of the cap piece during free flight adds another element to the objective of bringing the two pieces together. The variable of where you are geographically, with the cap's north angle being at its most horizontal at the equator, and what direction you then pull and/or swing the cap into the air is a factor to account for when the handle is being moved, with timing and dexterity, to the position for the alignment and attraction area of the two pieces.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.