US5320369A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air bag toy
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1992-10-09
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Granted: 1994-06-14
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Expires: 2012-10-09
Abstract
Abstract A flexible, low friction, rideable sliding toy is disclosed that slides over relatively smooth, firm surfaces with very low friction. The toy is comprised of a bag of flexible, air impermeable material having one or more relatively large holes cut out of the bottom of the bag where the bag contacts the floor when in use. The bag is inflated by allowing it to drop onto the floor, trapping air inside it as it lands. The outer edges of the hole form a relatively air-tight seal allowing the bag to retain its inflated state when laid upon by a user, thus permitting a user to propel himself over flat surfaces in a low friction manner.
Inventors
- 👤 James A. Bears
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 01:12
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F9/00; A63F9/0079; B; B60; B60V; B60V3/00; B60V3/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
A toy for use by a person to allow a person to slide upon a relatively smooth firm underlying surface such as a floor, characterised by flexible bag means forming a relatively air tight enclosure when inflated and placed upon the underlying surface, a region defined by removing a substantial portion of a bottom of the flexible bag in contact with the surface, and a pair of fin means made of flexible air impermeable material symmetrically located on the top of the toy on opposite sides of an axis located over the centre of the region when the toy is in use, the fin means being sufficiently spaced apart to permit a person to lie therebetween, each fin means forming a relatively air tight cavity and having at least one air aperture between the interior of the enclosure and the cavity permitting the relatively free flow of air, whereby substantially lower friction between the surface and the bag is achieved.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
A toy for use by a person to allow a person to slide upon a relatively smooth firm underlying surface such as a floor, characterised by flexible bag means forming a relatively air tight enclosure when inflated and placed upon the underlying surface, a region defined by removing a substantial portion of a bottom of the flexible bag in contact with the surface, and a pair of fin means made of flexible air impermeable material symmetrically located on the top of the toy on opposite sides of an axis located over the centre of the region when the toy is in use, the fin means being sufficiently spaced apart to permit a person to lie therebetween, each fin means forming a relatively air tight cavity and having at least one air aperture between the interior of the enclosure and the cavity permitting the relatively free flow of air, whereby substantially lower friction between the surface and the bag is achieved.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
119 words
A toy for use by a person to allow a person to slide upon a relatively smooth firm underlying surface such as a floor, characterized by a flexible bag forming a relatively air tight enclosure when inflated and placed upon the surface, and having a region defined by removing a substantial portion of the bottom of said flexible bag in contact with the underlying surface, said region including at least one relatively large aperture defined by a plurality of cuts in the bottom of said flexible bag, said cuts being arranged so as to define flaps of material which may be pulled back to form the aperture, whereby substantially lower friction between the surface and the bag is achieved.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
119 words
A toy for use by a person to allow a person to slide upon a relatively smooth firm underlying surface such as a floor, characterized by a flexible bag forming a relatively air tight enclosure when inflated and placed upon the surface, and having a region defined by removing a substantial portion of the bottom of said flexible bag in contact with the underlying surface, said region including at least one relatively large aperture defined by a plurality of cuts in the bottom of said flexible bag, said cuts being arranged so as to define flaps of material which may be pulled back to form the aperture, whereby substantially lower friction between the surface and the bag is achieved.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The toy as claimed in claim 2 further including aperture size adjustment means permitting the aperture to be made smaller or larger, said aperture size adjustment means comprising means for removably securing the flaps in different positions so as to define larger or smaller sizes of aperture means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
126 words
A toy for use by a person to allow a person to slide upon a relatively smooth firm underlying surface such as a floor, characterized by a flexible bag forming a relatively air tight enclosure when inflated and placed upon the surface, and having a region defined by removing a substantial portion of the bottom of said flexible bag in contact with the underlying surface, whereby substantially lower friction between the surface and the bag is achieved, said toy including a closed loop of relatively stiff flexible air impermeable material having a relatively smooth inner surface, the loop having a width and a diameter sufficient to permit a person to operate the sliding toy upon the inner surface so as to cause the loop to roll.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
126 words
A toy for use by a person to allow a person to slide upon a relatively smooth firm underlying surface such as a floor, characterized by a flexible bag forming a relatively air tight enclosure when inflated and placed upon the surface, and having a region defined by removing a substantial portion of the bottom of said flexible bag in contact with the underlying surface, whereby substantially lower friction between the surface and the bag is achieved, said toy including a closed loop of relatively stiff flexible air impermeable material having a relatively smooth inner surface, the loop having a width and a diameter sufficient to permit a person to operate the sliding toy upon the inner surface so as to cause the loop to roll.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-06-13 | 1997-12-13 | 1998-06-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-06-13 | 2001-12-13 | 2002-06-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-06-13 | 2005-12-13 | 2006-06-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |