CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This invention claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/788,355 filed March 7, 2013, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/647,910 filed May 16, 2012 and U.S. Design Patent

Application Serial No. 29/447,627 filed March 5, 2013. The entire disclosure of each of the applications listed in this paragraph are incorporated herein by specific reference thereto .

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to toys, and in particular to a toy surfboard devices, apparatus and methods of playing a game with a figurine mounted on a surfboard and a hydrofoil rudder underneath the board for allowing the surfboard to ride incoming waves back to a shoreline. BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART

Popular marketed water toys over the years have generally included balls and blow up toys which may be fun to some but would have limited fun to surfers. Traditional many toys such as dolls and the like, may also sink in the water or float out to sea, both of which would not be desirable. The inventor is not aware of any marketed surfboard toys that would be popular with surfers and beachgoers that is able to take advantage of the direction and power of incoming waves found along ocean and large lake shorelines.

A check of the U.S. Patent Office database has shown that some patents on toy type surfboards have been proposed in years past. See for example, U.S. Patents: Des . 312,491 to Roland; Des. 324,706 to Gibson, and 4,923,427 to Roland.

Although both Roland patents reference having heavy keels/fins, these toys are primarily for show. The

downwardly protruding keels/fins would have difficulty in balancing the toy surfboard and keeping the surfboard in an upright position in the water.

Gibson '706 shows a surfer doll on top of a toy

surfboard. The large mass of the doll compared to the thin toy board and single fin would not be able to balance in the water and would top be able to ride waves coming to shore at a beach. The top heavy doll would undoubtably cause the toy capsize if used in the water without someone's hand holding the toy upright.

Furthermore, there is a good chance that Gibson '706 and possibly the Roland products would end up floating away and not being able to return to the shoreline which could result in the loss of these toys. Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide toy surfboard devices, apparatus and methods of playing a game with a figurine mounted on a surfboard and a hydrofoil rudder underneath the board for allowing the surfboard to ride incoming waves back to a shoreline.

A secondary objective of the present invention is to provide toy surfboard devices, apparatus and methods of playing a game, having a buoyant surfboard with a weighted hydrofoil which offsets the weight of a figurine mounted on the board which is able to continuously float on water in an upright position.

A third objective of the present invention is to provide toy surfboard devices, apparatus and methods of playing a game, having figurines that can interchangeably be mounted to the top of the surfboard.

A fourth toy surfboard devices, apparatus and methods of playing a game with a figurine mounted on a surfboard and a hydrofoil rudder underneath the board, where players can simultaneously toss or throw respective surfboard toy devices, and determine a winner of the first surfboard toy to reach the shoreline. A fifth objective of the present invention is to provide toy surfboard devices, apparatus and methods, which turns right-side up, points toward the shore after being put into a incoming shore wave, and returns to the shore each time it is used where the toy surfs the wave to the shore.

A sixth objective of the present invention is to provide toy surfboard devices, apparatus and methods, which takes advantage of the waves at a beach, instead of being overwhelmed, where a figurine on the toy stays upright and surfs the waves all the wave to the shore.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments which are illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a top right perspective view of surfboard toy with mounted figurine and hydrofoil.

FIG. 2 is a top left perspective view of the surfboard toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom left perspective view of the surfboard toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a bottom right perspective view of the surfboard toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the surfboard toy of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a top view of the surfboard toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the surfboard toy of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a view of the surfboard toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the surfboard toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a top exploded perspective view of the surfboard toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a bottom exploded perspective view of the surfboard toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 shows a user on the back-swing of throwing a surfboard toy of FIG. 1 into the breaking surf from a shoreline .

FIG. 13 shows the person in FIG. 12 throwing a toy into the breaking surf .

FIG. 14 shows the toy of FIG. 13 just after landing upside- down in the breaking surf.

FIG. 15 shows the beginning the self righting ability of the toy in FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 shows the toy of FIG. 15 fully upright. Floatation zone in noted.

FIG. 17 shows the toy of FIG. 16 floating in the breaking surf with its side to the oncoming waves.

FIG. 18 shows the toy of FIG. 17 just being caught by a breaking wave. The front three quarters of the board float free of the water allowing the assembly to rotate about the floatation zone as the wave exerts its influence. This naturally points the nose of the floatation board in the direction of wave travel.

FIG. 19 shows the toy of FIG. 18 continuing to rotate influenced by the breaking wave.

FIG. 20 shows the toy of FIG. 19 has full oriented itself with its nose in the direction of wave travel and is

"surfing "on the breaking wave.

FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of an alternative figurine that can be mounted on the surfboard toy of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applications to the details of the particular arrangements shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of

limitation.

A list of the components referenced in the figures will now be described.

10 Surfboard toy.

20 Floatation board.

22 front upwardly curving end (nose)

24 top surface

26 bottom surface 28 rear end

30 Surfer figurine.

40 Hydrofoil -generally V or boomerang shape (weighted)

42 left wing/vane

44 apex

46 right wing/vane

48 stabilizing tail/rudder

50 wing end stabilizers/weights (curved portions or disc shapes) .

60 figurine mounting pegs.

70 figurine mounting holes in floatation board.

80 Keel/strut member

82. mount tenon (male member).

90 Keel mount mortise in bottom of surfboard.

100 Shore surf.

110 Small breaking shore wave.

120 Person.

130 Water line.

140 Floatation zone of surfboard toy.

150 Pivot point around which Surfer Dude assembly rotates when acted upon by a breaking wave

FIG. 1 is a top right perspective view of surfboard toy 10 having floatation board 20 with mounted figurine 30 and hydrofoil 40. FIG. 2 is a top left perspective view of the surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a bottom left

perspective view of the surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a bottom right perspective view of the surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1 with dimensions of a preferred embodiment. FIG. 6 is a top view of the surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1 with dimensions of a preferred embodiment. FIG. 8 is a view of the surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a front view of the surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is a top exploded perspective view of the surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a bottom

exploded perspective view of the surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1. SURFBOARD 20

Referring to FIGURES 1-11, the novel surfboard toy 10 can include a floatation board 20 having a front upwardly curving end 22 with rounded tip and a rear end 28 with rounded edge with a top side 24 and bottom side 26. The floatation board 20 can be formed from injection molded foam, or foam rubber cut into a selected shape, or other lightweight material impervious to water. Alternatively, the board 20 can be formed from in injection molded plastic hollow housing with rubber placed inside the plastic shell.. Referring to Figures 5-7, the surfboard 20 can have dimensions of approximately 10.23 inches in length from the front end 22 to the rear end 28, and have a width of

approximately 3.01 inches that tapers down at both the front end 22 and the rear end 29 to rounded tips. The thickness of the surfboard 20 can have a thickness of approximately 1.28 inches with the rear end 29 curving downward to an outer edge. The surfboard 20 has a generally flat bottom surface 26 that curves upward near the front end 22 in order to aid in lift of the surfboard when riding incoming waves.

FIGURINE 30

Referring to FIGURES 1-11 and mounted to the top surface 24 of the surfboard 20 adjacent to the rear end 28 can be surfer figurine 30 mounted thereon. The figurine 30 can have downwardly extending male members 60, such as pegs, that are insertable into figurine mounting holes (female receptacles) 70 on the top surface 24 of the surfboard 20 adjacent to the rear end 28 of the surfboard 20 as shown in FIGURES 10-11. The pegs 60 can be locked into the mounting holes 70 with waterproof glue or cement and the like.

Referring to FIG. 5, the figurine 30 can be formed from injection molded plastic and the like, and have a height from a foot portion mounted to the top surface 24 of the surfboard 20 to the top of the head portion to be approximately 4.62 inches and a width of approximately 3.72 inches between ends of the outstretched hands .

Additionally, the figurine 30 can be formed from a

lightweight foam so that it will stay upright easily while being pummeled by waves as the toy 10 is being used in the surf of incoming waves. The figurine can be narrow thin stick figure turned sideways so the plane of the planar shaped body is in the same plane as the keel/strut member 80 mounted underneath the board 20. The figurine 30 can be mounted almost directly above the keel/strut member 80.

HYDROFOIL 40 and KEEL/STRUT MEMBER 80

Referring to FIGURES 1-11, and mounted underneath the surfboard 20 adjacent to the rear end 28 can be a hydrofoil 40. A generally rectangular and narrow diameter keel type strut member 80 can be turned so that one side edge faces forward and the opposite side edge faces rearward. The keel/strut member can have a upper male member (tenon) that fits into a mateable slit 90 on the bottom surface 26 of the surfboard 20 adjacent to the rear end 28 of the surfboard 20 can be locked with waterproof glue or cement and the like.

Referring to FIG. 5, the keel/strut member 80 can have a height of approximately 1.59 inches between the bottom surface 26 of the surfboard and the top of the generally flat left wing/vane (not shown) and right wing/vane 47 of the hydrofoil 40.

Referring to FIGURES 1-11, the hydrofoil 40 can have a generally V or boomerang shape with a generally flat thin left wing/vane 42 connected to a generally flat thin right wing/vane 46 by a rounded/curved tip apex portion 44. The outer free ends of the left wing/vane 42 and right wing/vane 46 extend rearward from the apex portion and outward from the sides of the surfboard 20, and end in additional stabilizer/weighted curved portions 50. The wing end stabilizer/weighted portions 50 can be curve shaped and can include disc shapes and the like. The wing end

stabilizer/weighted portions 50 can be slightly thicker with a slightly rounded top surface to add additional stabilizing weight to the hydrofoil 40. Extending rearward from the apex portion 44 can be an optional generally flat

stabilizing tail rudder 46 located between the left

wing/vane 42 and the right wing/vane 46.

Referring to FIGURES 5 and 7, the hydrofoil 40 can have an overall length between outer ends of the of outer stabilizing weights to be approximately 6.03 inches, and a length from the apex portion outer edge 44 to the outer end of the tail/rudder member 48 to be approximately 3.25 inches. Each of the wings/vanes 42, 46 can have a width of approximately 0.61 inches, with a width of the tail/rudder member 48 being approximately 0.93 inches. Each of the wing end stabilizers/weights 50 can have a radius of

approximately R.74, and the distance between center points of each wing end stabilizers/weights 50 from one another can be approximately 4.55 inches.

The angle between the wings/vanes 42, 46 of the

generally V shape or generally boomerang shaped hydrofoil 40 can range between approximately 10 to approximately 120 degrees . A narrower range can be between approximately 22 to approximately 60 degrees, and a narrower range of a preferred embodiment can range between approximately 35 to approximately 5 degrees.

Both the keel/strut member 80 and the hydrofoil 40 can be formed from hardened plastic, that was injection molded, and can include metal layer imbedded within the plastic. The weight of the keel/strut 80 and hydrofoil 40 can be approximately 1.3 ounces, while the entire weight of the figurine 30, surfboard 20 and keel/strut member 80 with hydrofoil 40 can be approximately 2.2 ounces. As such, the weight of keel/strut member 80 and the hydrofoil 40 can easily counter-balance the lighter weight of the figurine 30 to counter balance the figurine 30 in order to keep the surfboard toy 10 in an upright floating position.

The plane of the wings 42, 46 of the hydrofoil to the generally flat bottom surface 26 of the surfboard can be slightly angled so that the bottom surface 26 of the surfboard 20 angles upward toward the front end 22

approximately 6 degrees .

The figurine 30 can be mounted to be approximately perpendicular to the top surface 24 of the surfboard 20. The generally flat top surface 24 of the surfboard 20 can have an angle of approximately 95 degrees relative to the flat wings 42, 46 of the hydrofoil 40. The dimensions referenced in a preferred embodiment shown and described in relation to FIGURES 5,7, 21 and 22 are approximate. The term "approximately" can be +/- 10% of the dimension numbers referenced for the preferred

embodiment. The dimensions come from a preferred embodiment that has been tested in the ocean by the inventor to an effective working embodiment.

While FIGURES 5, 7, 21 and 22 show a preferred

embodiment dimensions, the invention can use alternative dimensions when the toy is scaled up or scaled down to different sizes such as small as approximately 3 inches long as desired by the user.

METHOD OF PLAYING WITH THE SURFBOARD TOY

FIG. 12 shows a user 120 standing adjacent to a

shoreline near the shore surf 100 and on the back-swing of throwing a surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1 into the breaking surf 110. FIG. 13 shows the user 120 in FIG. 12 throwing the toy surfboard 10 into the breaking surf 110 .

FIG. 14 shows the toy 10 of FIG. 13 just after landing upside-down in the breaking surf and resting on the water line 130. FIG. 15 shows the beginning the self righting ability of the toy 10 in FIG. 14. The weighted keel 80 and hydrofoil 40 will always insure that the surfboard toy 10 stays upright. FIG. 16 shows the toy 10 of FIG. 15 fully upright. Floatation zone in noted where a rear portion of the bottom surface 26 of the surfboard 20 can float on the water line 130 with the weighted hydrofoil 40 below the waterline 130.

FIG. 17 shows the toy 10 of FIG. 16 floating in the breaking surf 100 with its side to the oncoming waves.110.

FIG. 18 shows the toy 10 of FIG. 17 just being caught by a breaking wave 110. The front three quarters of the board 20 float free of the water allowing the toy 10 to rotate about the floatation zone 140 as the wave exerts its influence. This naturally points the nose (front end) 22 of the floatation board 20 in the direction of wave travel and pivots at a pivot point 15. FIG. 19 shows the toy 10 of FIG. 18 continuing to rotate influenced by the breaking wave 110. FIG. 20 shows the toy 10 of FIG. 19 has full oriented itself with its nose 22 in the direction of wave travel and is "surfing "on the breaking wave 110.

FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of an alternative figurine 30F that can be mounted on the surfboard toy 10 of FIG. 1. The figurine 3OF can have similar dimensions to the

previously described figurine 30.

Additional games that can take place with the novel surfboard toys 10 can include two or more players tossing or throwing generally identical surfboard toys 10 into the surf and determining a winner when the first surfboard toy 10 reaches the shoreline.

While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain

embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended .