Back to results
US 5,332,231 AGranted
Executive balance toy
OwnerElvin R. McIntoshinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The executive balance toy is a balancing game assembled from precisely-machined plates. The plates interconnect and pivot with respect to one another to form a structure that pivots about two axes and includes a play surface which does not pivot about its center of gravity. The executive toy challenges a player to place as many weighted play pieces as possible on the play surface without causing it to tilt.
Claims15
An executive balance toy comprising:
- a balance plate with an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface including a slot located an offset distance from a center of gravity of the balance plate;
- a base plate with a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface including an opening;
- a support plate with a top edge fitting within said balance plate slot and a bottom edge fitting within said base plate opening, the support plate supporting said balance plate above said base plate in a substantially horizontal position, said balance plate being rotated out of the substantially horizontal position by one of said balance plate pivoting about the top edge of the support plate or the support plate pivoting about said base plate opening, when a sufficient net force is applied to said balance plate upper surface;
- and
- a plurality of play pieces which a player strategically places on said balance plate upper surface in an effort to place as many of the play pieces on said balance plate as possible without said balance plate pivoting beyond said substantially horizontal position in response to said net force created by the plurality of play pieces placed upon said balance plate upper surface.
2 more elements
An executive balance toy comprising:
- a balance plate with an upper surface and a lower surface which are substantially planar and substantially parallel to each other, the balance plate including a slot beginning at the upper surface and continuing through the balance plate to end at the lower surface, the slot being located an offset distance from a center of gravity of the balance plate;
- a base plate with a top surface and a bottom surface which are substantially planar and substantially parallel to each other, the top surface including an opening beginning at the top surface and continuing through the base plate to end at the bottom surface;
- a support plate with a top edge fitting within said balance plate slot and a bottom edge fitting within said base plate opening, the support plate further including a front surface and a back surface, both surfaces being adjacent to the top edge and the bottom edge, the front surface and the back surface being substantially planar and substantially parallel to each other, the support plate supporting said balance plate above said base plate in a substantially horizontal position, said balance plate being rotated out of the substantially horizontal position by one of said balance plate pivoting about the top edge of the support plate or the support plate pivoting about said base plate opening, when a sufficient net force is applied to said balance plate upper surface, said balance plate lower surface and the support plate front surface defining a first angle and said base plate top surface and the support plate back surface defining a second angle which is substantially the same as the first angle when said balance plate is in said substantially horizontal position;
- and
- a plurality of play pieces which a player strategically places on said balance plate upper surface in an effort to place as many of the play pieces on said balance plate as possible without said balance plate pivoting beyond said substantially horizontal position in response to said net force created by the plurality of play pieces placed upon said balance plate upper surface.
2 more elements
An executive balance toy comprising:
- a balance plate with an upper surface and a lower surface which are substantially planar and substantially parallel to each other, the balance plate including a slot beginning at the upper surface and continuing through the balance plate to end at the lower surface, the slot being located an offset distance from a center of gravity of the balance plate, the slot being substantially rectangular in shape and having a slot length and a slot width;
- a base plate with a top surface and a bottom surface which are substantially planar and substantially parallel to each other, the base plate including an opening beginning at the top surface and continuing through the base plate to end at the bottom surface, the opening being substantially rectangular in shape and having an opening length and an opening width;
- a support plate with a top edge fitting within said balance plate slot and a bottom edge fitting within said base plate opening, the support plate further including a front surface and a back surface, both surfaces being adjacent to the top edge and the bottom edge, the front surface and the back surface being substantially planar and substantially parallel to each other, a shortest distance between the front surface and the back surface defining a support plate width which is smaller than said balancing plate slot width and smaller than said base plate opening width, said balance plate lower surface and the support plate front surface defining a first angle and said base plate top surface and the support plate back surface defining a second angle, the support plate width, said balancing plate slot width, and said base plate opening width being sized such that the support plate supports said balance plate above said base plate in a substantially horizontal position, the first angle being substantially the same as the second angle when said balance plate is in the substantially horizontal position, said balance plate being rotated out of the substantially horizontal position by one of said balance plate pivoting about the top edge of the support plate or the support plate pivoting about said base plate opening, when a sufficient net force is applied to said balance plate upper surface;
- and
- a plurality of play pieces which a player strategically places on said balance plate upper surface in an effort to place as many of the play pieces on said balance plate as possible without said balance plate pivoting beyond said substantially horizontal position in response to said net force created by the plurality of play pieces placed upon said balance plate upper surface.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.