Yo-yo having visual indication of response setting
OwnerHans W. Van Dan Elzen, Benjamin J. McPheeinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is a yo-yo that features a visual indication system capable of facilitating the setting of the yo-yo's variable response system and then providing an indication to the user of the yo-yo's responsiveness setting. Preferably, the yo-yo includes relatively rotatable sides, with each side having a number of identical visual indicators and a number of tether engagement ribs that are in registry with the indicators.
Claims20
A yo-yo comprising:
- first and second side members secured together in a spaced-apart relation by an axle structure;
- a tether secured to a portion of said axle structure;
- wherein each of said side members has a tether-facing surface;
- a plurality of tether engagement members located on the tether facing surface of each of said side members, wherein when said yo-yo is spinning at the end of said tether, a user can cause said tether to snag at least one of said tether engagement members and thereby cause said tether to wind about said axle structure;
- and
- wherein each of said side members includes a visual indicator in registry with its tether engagement members, wherein said visual indicator functions to indicate to a user the position of the associated side member's tether engagement members, wherein said side members can be positioned whereby both of said visual indicators are capable of being viewed simultaneously from a point exterior to the yo-yo, and wherein the registry between each side member's visual indicator and its tether engagement members is substantially identical for both side members whereby when said visible indicator of one side member is in direct alignment with said visual indicator of the other side member, the tether engagement members of one side member will be located at a predetermined position relative to the tether engagement members of the other side member.
A yo-yo comprising:
- first and second side members secured together in a spaced-apart and relatively rotatable relation by an axle structure;
- a tether secured to a portion of said axle structure;
- wherein each of said side members has a tether-facing surface;
- a tether engagement member located on the tether facing surface of each of said side members, wherein when said yo-yo is spinning at the end of said tether, a user can cause said tether to snag at least one of said tether engagement members and thereby cause said tether to wind about said axle structure;
- and
- wherein each of said side members includes at least one visual indicator in registry with said tether engagement member of the associated side member, wherein each of said visual indicators functions to provide an indication to a user of the location of the associated side member's tether engagement member, wherein the registry between each side member's visual indicator and its tether engagement member is substantially identical for both side members, wherein said side members can be rotated whereby a user, located at a point exterior to the yo-yo, can position the yo-yo's visual indicators to be in direct alignment so that said tether engagement member of one side member will be located at a predetermined position relative to said tether engagement member of the other side member.
A yo-yo comprising:
- first and second relatively rotatable side members connected together by an axle structure;
- a tether attached to said axle structure;
- wherein each of said side members has a tether-facing surface that includes a plurality of tether engagement members;
- and
- wherein each of said side members further includes a plurality of substantially identical visual indicators in registry with its tether engagement members, wherein said visual indicators are viewable from a point exterior to the yo-yo, wherein said side members can be positioned whereby a user can view, at the same time, at least one visual indicator of the first side member and at least one visual indicator of the second side member, and wherein the registry between each side member's visual indicators and its engagement members is substantially identical for both side members whereby a user can affect the yo-yo's ability to return on command in a predetermined manner by locating the visual indicators of one side member in a predetermined position relative to the visual indicators of the other side member.
A method of adjusting the response system of a yo-yo, wherein said yo-yo comprises first and second relatively rotatable side members connected together by an axle structure to which a tether may be attached, wherein each of said side members has an inwardly-facing surface that includes a plurality of tether engagement members, wherein each of said side members further includes a plurality of substantially identical visual indicators in registry with its tether engagement members, wherein said visual indicators are viewable from a point exterior to the yo-yo, wherein said side members can be positioned whereby a user can view, at the same time, at least one visual indicator of the first side member and at least one visual indicator of the second side member, and wherein the registry between each side member's visual indicators and its engagement members is substantially identical for both side members, said method comprising:
- holding the first side member in one hand while holding the second side member in the other hand;
- wherein if the visual indicators of the first side member are not aligned with the visual indicators of the second side member and one wish to increase the yo-yo's tendency to return on command, one then rotates the first side member relative to the second side member in a first direction until said at least on visual indicator of the first side member is aligned with at least one visual indicator of the second side member;
- and
- wherein if the visual indicators of the first side member are aligned with the visual indicators of the second side member and one wishes to lessen the yo-yo's tendency to return on command, one can then rotate the first side member relative to the second side member in said first direction until the visual indicators of the two side members are no longer aligned.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.