This invention relates to a toy.

Toys which involve controlling or manipulating objects and which require some degree of skill to achieve a desired result, but which use relatively simple equipment are attractive not only to children but also the adult population. These types of toys allow games to be played between people of different ages.

The present invention provides such a toy.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a drawing showing the system in use comprising a handset, balloon and docking station;

Figure 2 shows the physical principals involved in the operation of the toy;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the figure used for suspension from the balloon;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a vertical cross-section through the length of the handse ;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic representation of a vertical cross-section across the width of the handset as viewed from the rear;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of the handset showing the electrical circuit for supplying a variable voltage to the motor.

Figure 7 illustrates a mock power gauge used to gauge the airstream strength.

A hand-held battery operated handset 1 is used to generate a stable airstream 3, the strength of which can be varied. The airstream 3 supports and controls, both laterally and vertically, an inflated balloon 5. The balloon may be of the latex or mirror-film type commonly found in toyshops. Attached to the balloon 5 is a figure or other object 7, which is attached by

means of a clip 9. By moving the handset 1 and controlling the strength of the airstream 3, the balloon 5 can be manipulated with the aim being to cause the figure 7 to take off and to land from a predetermined position which may be provided by an additional docking station 11.

The handset will now be described in more detail.

The handset 1 comprises a body 15 comprising first and second barrels 14, 16, a circular cowling 17 extending

from the barrel 15 at an angle of approximately 40 , and a pistol grip 19 extending downwards from the body 15 which allows the handset 1 to be held in the hand by the grip 19 with the body 15 and cowling 17 extending forwardly, as can be seen in Figure 1.

The handset 1 is preferably made of injection moulded thermoplastics material, preferably styrene.

The airstream 3 is generated by a rotating propeller 21 driven through a reduction gear train 23,25 by a motor 27 which is a dc motor operating at a voltage of between 4.5 and 6 volts. The propeller 21, reduction

gear train 23,25 and motor 27 are housed in the cowling 17 which has twelve evenly spaced stators 29 running from the centre 31 to the outside edge 33 of the cowling 17. These stators 29 guard the propeller 21 and prevent objects being caught in the propeller when it is rotating. The power for the motor 27 is supplied by batteries 37A-D housed in the barrels 14, 16 connected via a variable rheostat 39 and connecting wires 35, 36. The connection between the batteries 37 A-D, the rheostat 39 and the motor 27 is illustated in Figure 6. The rheostat 39 is of a conventional type and comprises a coiled resistance wire 42 connected between two posts 44, 46 which are in turn supported on a shelf 47 connecting the two barrels 14, 16 and which is integral with the handset body 15. The resistance of the variable rheostat 39 is varied by sliding a conducting contact pin 48 along the length of the resistance wire 42, the pin 48 being connected at one end to the trigger 41 and having a laterally extending protrusion 50, with a slight curvature, extending at its other end. The contact pin 48 is biased towards "off" by means of a tension spring 43, such that in this position, the contact pin 48 is contacted with one of the posts 44, and as such, is not contacted with the resistance wire 42. The posts

44, 46 are non-conducting. The contact pin 48 is connected by means of wire 35 to the positive terminal of the motor 27. The negative end of the motor 27 is connected to one 37A of the batteries 37, which is in turn connected to the other batteries 37B-D. The batteries are connected in series, with two of the batteries 37A,B in one barrel 14 being connected by a wire 52 to the other two batteries 37C,D in the other barrel 16. The battery 37D is connected to the other end of the resistance wire 42 of the rheostat 39 via wire 36.

In the "off" position, because the contact pin 48 is in contact with the post 44, rather than the resistance wire 42, no current flows in the circuit, and the motor 27 does not, therefore, operate. Squeezing the trigger 41 causes the contact pin 48 to pivot around a point 54 so that it because contacted with the resistance wire 42, thus allowing current to flow and the motor 27 to operate. Squeezing the trigger 41 varies the position of the contact pin 48 along the resistance wire 42, thus varying the voltage supplied to the motor 27, which in turn varies the speed at which the propeller 21 rotates. In this manner, the strength of the airstream 3 is varied. The

rheostat 39 supplies a voltage varying between 4,5V and 6V.

The dimensions of the handset are preferably as followsr

Length - 280 mm

Cowling inner radius - 68 mm

Cowling outer radius - 75 mm Cowling depth - 45 mm

In order to achieve the best results, the balloon 5 should be blown up to an optimum diameter. This is achieved by using an inflation gauge (not shown) which is in the form of a circular ring which encloses the balloon 5 while it is being inflated. When the widest part of the balloon 5 reaches the internal diameter of the wire ring, which is preferably 200 mm, then the balloon 5 is the optimum size. The balloon 5 can then be tied. The optimum size is dependent upon the size and weight of the figure 7, and the possible strengths of the airstream 3 and should be chosen to provide sufficient lift of the balloon 5.

The figure 7 can then be attached to the balloon 5 by means of the clip 9 as can be seen in Figure 3. As well as providing a focus for operation of the toy in that the figure can be directed towards the point of landing, the figure 7 also serves to keep the balloon upright as it is manoeuvred by the handset 1. The clip 9 is in the form of a collar 52 with a keyhole shaped slot 53 adapted to receive the balloon between the knot 45 and the base of the inflated part of the balloon, so as to suspend the figure 7 from the balloon 5. The clip 9 is preferably made from a plastics material.

The handset has a small housing 56 located between the two barrels 14, 16 as can be seen in Figure 1 and

Figure 4. The housing has a curved upper surface 58 in which is located a longitudinal elongate window 60.

The housing 56 is such that it encloses the rheostat

39 and contact pin 48, the upper surface 58 having a radius of curvature essentially the same as the protrusion 50. As the contact pin 48 pivots around pin 54, which provides a pivotal connection for the trigger 49 and the contact pin 48, the protrusion 50 runs parallel to the upper surface 58 and a short distance from it. This can be seen by the dotted

lines in Figure 2. The window 60 is arranged to be directly above the protrusion 50 as it pivots around the pivot 54, and the position of the protrusion 50 can be used to indicate the strength of the airstream 3. The length of the protrusion 50 can be chosen such that when the contact pin 48 is at its furthermost point from the "off" position i.e. when delivering 6 volts to the motor, the length of the protrusion 50 covers the whole of the window 60. Figure 7 illustrates this point which shows a plan view of the upper surface 58 with the window 60 therein, the protrusion 50 is indicated by the shaded portion and is see to be approximately half way along the gauge, thus indicating that the airstream strength is approximately 50% of its maximum.

The control of the balloon 5 will now be explained with aid of Figure 2.

Consider an airstream 3 flowing in the direction of the arrows A. As the airstream 3 passes over the curved surface 13 of the balloon 5, low pressure is generated at the points B in accordance with Bernoulli's equation because the velocity of the airstream at these points is quicker than elsewhere.

Because the pressure is greater at C, lift is created, while the increased pressure at D combines to maintain the balloon in the airflow as shown in Figure 2. This is known as the "Bernoulli Effect". In the present invention, the airstream 3 is generated by the handset 1 in the direction indicated by the arrows D in Figure 1. As the airstream 3 is generated, as explained above, lift is created due to the flow over the curved surfaces of the balloon causing the balloon 5 to be suspended in the airstream 3 at a distances from the cowling 17 which varies with the strength of the airstream 3. It will be appreciated that because of the angle at which the circular cowling 17 is orientated the airflow will not be symmetrical around the balloon in Figure 2. However lift will still be generated according to the Bernoulli Effect. Increasing the strength of the airstream 3 over the balloon 5 causes it to be lifted further from the handset, while reducing the strength causes the balloon 5 to lower towards the handset 5. Moving the handset laterally in the direction of the arrows X will cause the balloon to move from side to side. Tilting the handset 1 away from the operator, that is orientating the cowling 17 at an angle greater than

approximately 40 to the horizontal, will cause

horizontal lift to be generated causing the balloon to move in a lateral direction as indicated by arrow C in Figure 1. Tilting the handset towards the operator will cause the airflow to be generated more from underneath the balloon, thus generating more vertical lift i.e. making the balloon fly higher, but the balloon may wobble because the figure is now suspended in the airstream.

Although in the embodiment described a balloon is used, any lightweight object capable of being suspended in a generated airstream as described above could be used.