Toy yo-yo with selective enhanced rotation

Abstract

A yo-yo includes a toy body formed by a pair of housings connected by a rotatable connecting shaft. The toy body includes a detecting unit that automatically detects the rotation of the toy body and a motor that rotates the connecting shaft on the basis of the detection result of the detecting unit. The detecting unit detects the direction of rotation of the toy body and actuates the motor to rotatingly drive the connecting shaft in the same direction as the direction of rotation of the toy body.

1 . A yo-yo comprising: 
 a toy body including a pair of housings and a rotatable connecting shaft connecting said pair of housings at their respective central axis; and    a string connected to said connecting shaft and being windable around the connecting shaft, with one end of the string being fixed to said connecting shaft, wherein a reaction accompanying a rotation of said toy body is used to cause said toy body to move up and down, wherein    said toy body includes detecting unit that detects the rotation of said toy body, and a motor that rotates said connecting shaft on the basis of the detection result of the detecting unit.    
   
   
       2 . The yo-yo as claimed in  claim 1 , further including a transmission assembly that transmits the rotational force of said motor to said connecting shaft.  
   
   
       3 . The yo-yo as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said detecting unit detects the direction of rotation of said toy body and actuates said motor to rotatingly drive said connecting shaft in the same direction as the direction of rotation of said toy body.  
   
   
       4 . The yo-yo as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said detecting unit comprises fixed contacts disposed inside said toy body, two movable contacts that come into selective contact with the fixed contacts, and switch members that cause one of the two movable contacts to come into contact with the fixed contacts, the movable contacts being pivoted in the same direction as the direction of rotation of the toy body due to an inertial force of the switch members and a centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the toy body.  
   
   
       5 . The yo-yo as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said switch members comprise weight members, each of said weight members being made of a magnetic material.  
   
   
       6 . A hand held string activated toy comprising: 
 a rotable toy body;    an elongated string movably connected to the toy body and operative to enable the toy body to rotate at one end of the string;    a motor assembly operatively mounted to enable a selective rotation of the rotable toy body in one of a clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation; and    a detector unit connected to the toy body for determining one of a static position and a rotational movement of the rotating toy body and activating the motor assembly to rotate the toy body in the same rotational movement when the rotational movement is detected and stopping the motor assembly when the static position is detected.    
   
   
       7 . The hand held string activated toy of  claim 6  wherein the detector unit includes at least one actuator weight member pivotally mounted in the toy body and a pair of movable contacts operatively mounted for selective contact with the actuator weight member to enable one of a clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation of the toy body.  
   
   
       8 . The hand held string activated toy of  claim 6  wherein the toy body has a releasable catch assembly operatively positioned adjacent the attachment of the string to the toy body whereby flexure of the string by the user during rotation of the toy body at one end of the string will enable engagement of the string with the releasable catch assembly to wind the string within the toy body.  
   
   
       9 . A toy electromechanical yo-yo comprising: 
 a hand holdable body member with a first and second housing interconnected by a connecting shaft;    a reversible electric motor assembly operatively mounted within the body member for driving the connecting shaft;    an elongated flexible member connected to the connecting shaft and controllable by the user whereby the body member can rotate relative to the elongated flexible member; and    a detector unit mounted in the body member for automatically determining one of a static position and a rotational movement of the rotating body member and activating the motor assembly to rotate the connecting shaft in the same detected rotational movement when the rotational movement is detected and stopping the motor assembly when the static position is detected.    
   
   
       10 . The toy electromechanical yo-yo of  claim 9  wherein the detector unit includes at least one actuator weight member pivotally mounted in the body member and a pair of movable contacts operatively mounted for selective contact with the actuator weight member to enable one of a clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation of the body.  
   
   
       11 . The toy electromechanical yo-yo of  claim 10  wherein the body member has a releasable catch assembly operatively positioned adjacent the attachment of the string to the toy body whereby flexure of the elongated flexible member by a user during rotation of the body member at one end of the elongated flexible member will enable engagement of the elongated flexible member with the releasable catch assembly to wind the elongated flexible member within the body member.