Yo-yo bearing member

Abstract

The invention relates to yo-yos and in particular high-performance ball- or roller-bearing yo-yos capable of extremely wide string-gap settings suitable for “new school” yo-yo tricks. The present invention addresses the need to center the yo-yo string on the bearing or bearing sleeve along the axial extension of the outer surface of the yo-yo bearing or bearing sleeve or in relation to the effective “string gap” between the opposed inner faces of the two yo-yo halves. The present invention also provides an effective and economical string-bearing surface able to span the wider string gap required by “new school” styles and modes of play. The present invention enables the variable stacking of successive lays of string either side of the securing loop during complicated yo-yo string trick routines.

1 . A yo-yo comprising: 
 a pair of yo-yo halves;    a connector axially extending between said halves and connecting said halves at central portions thereof;    a roller bearing fixedly attached to the connector at a middle portion thereof;    a spool having a concave outer surface generally symmetric about an axial midpoint and an inner surface fixedly attached to said roller bearing, said inner and outer surfaces being radially spaced to define a thickness, said concave outer surface having an axial width greater than said thickness and having a profile defining a slope which urges an attached yo-yo string toward the axial midpoint of said concave outer surface as said string winds about said spool during yo-yo play.    
   
   
       2 . The yo-yo of  claim 1  wherein at least one yo-yo half has an inner cling surface adjacent said concave outer surface and wherein said cling surface presents a tackiness which facilitates engagement with a yo-yo string.  
   
   
       3 . The yo-yo of  claim 1  wherein said roller bearing has an outer cylindrical surface with an axial width and said concave outer surface width is greater than said roller bearing width.  
   
   
       4 . The yo-yo of  claim 3  wherein said concave outer surface width exceeds said roller bearing width by at least 10% of the roller bearing width.  
   
   
       5 . The yo-yo of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said yo-yo halves further defines central recess for receiving end portions of said spool.  
   
   
       6 . The yo-yo of  claim 1 , wherein the said spool further includes provision for a friction surface braking means.  
   
   
       7 . The yo-yo of  claim 6 , wherein the friction surface is at least one O-ring.  
   
   
       8 . The yo-yo of  claim 1 , wherein the effective outer race of the bearing has an effective outer race which comprises the major radial interval of the radius of the spool.  
   
   
       9 . The yo-yo of  claim 8 , wherein the effective outer race of the bearing comprises a radial interval of more than fifty percent of the radius of the spool.  
   
   
       10 . The yo-yo bearing member for a yo-yo comprising: 
 a spool symmetric about an axis of rotation and having an inner cylindrical surface of axial length C and an outer string bearing surface defined between a pair of axially spaced ends each having an axially extreme circular edge having a radius greater than the distance from said axis to said string bearing surface, the axial distance D between said extreme edges being greater than the length C, said string bearing surface defining a concave profile of a surface of revolution about said axis and having a variable radial thickness t, the thickness of said profile relative to said edges being greatest at an axial midpoint and being generally symmetric relative to said midpoint and said length D being greater than said thickness t.