Amusement device

Abstract

An amusement device has an elongate body that includes a front portion and a rear portion. An air-actuated sound emitting device is arranged on the elongate body and is configured to generate a whistling-type sound when the device travels through the air. A flight stabiliser is arranged on a rear portion of the body. The flight stabiliser includes a pair of vanes that extend from the rear portion of the body and are configured such that the device spins through the air while the device descends after having reached an apex after launch. The elongate body is configured so that a user can launch the device at a speed sufficient for the sound emitting device to generate the whistling-type sound.

1 . An amusement device which comprises
 an elongate body that includes a front portion and a rear portion;   an air-actuated sound emitting device arranged on the elongate body and configured to generate a whistling-type sound when the device travels through the air; and   a flight stabiliser arranged on a rear portion of the body, the flight stabiliser including a pair of vanes that extend from the rear portion of the body and are configured such that the device spins through the air while the device descends after having reached an apex after launch, the elongate body being configured so that a user can launch the device at a speed sufficient for the sound emitting device to generate the whistling-type sound.   
     
     
         2 . An amusement device as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the front portion is generally cylindrical in shape with a diameter of between about 10 mm and 30 mm, the front portion comprising a pair of part-cylindrical structures in the form of a whistle retainer and a battery retainer that are connected together with a longitudinal hinge that pivotally connects the whistle and battery retainers and with a fastening mechanism arranged on the structures to permit the retainers to be fastened together in a releasable manner. 
     
     
         3 . An amusement device as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the air-actuated sound emitting device may include a whistle component that is retained in the whistle retainer, the whistle component having a front wall, a floor, a rear wall, a pair of sidewalls and a roof that together define a whistle chamber in communication with a whistle opening, the whistle opening being defined by front and rear portions of the roof as a slot extending between the sidewalls of the whistle body with an edge of the front portion being a predetermined distance closer to a bottom wall of the whistle body than an edge of the rear portion, the slot and the chamber being configured so that the whistle component is capable of generating at least two different sounds at different respective velocities of the amusement device. 
     
     
         4 . An amusement device as claimed in  claim 3 , in which the edge of the front portion is between about 0.2 mm and 0.7 mm closer to the floor than the edge of the rear portion. 
     
     
         5 . An amusement device as claimed in  claim 3 , in which the volume of the whistle chamber  118  is between about 0.7 cm 3  and 1.8 cm 3 . 
     
     
         6 . An amusement device as claimed in  claim 3 , in which the overall height of the whistle chamber is between about 8 mm and 15 mm, the overall length of the whistle chamber  118  is between about 15 mm and 25 mm, a width of the whistle chamber is between about 5 mm and 13 mm, a radius defined by the floor and the front wall is between about 3 mm and 5 mm, a radius defined by the front wall and the front portion is between about 3 mm and 5 mm, the front wall is shaped so that a distance between the two radii is between about 1 mm and 3 mm, a radius defined by the floor and the rear wall is between about 2 mm and 4 mm and a radius defined by the rear wall and the rear portion is between about 2 mm and 4 mm. 
     
     
         7 . An amusement device as claimed in  claim 6 , in which the front portion of the roof has one of a flat and an arcuate convex profile with a radius of between about 8 mm and 18 mm, the rear portion of the roof has an arcuate convex profile with a radius of between about 40 mm and 45 mm, and the rear portion is angled generally with respect to the floor to define an included angle of between about 20° and 35°. 
     
     
         8 . An amusement device as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the whistle and battery retainers define complementary mounting formations to permit a shock absorbing member to be mounted on a leading end of the front portion, the shock absorbing member corresponding with the front portion and having a head and a stem extending from the head, the stem being configured to be secured between the whistle and battery retainers with the head projecting from the leading end. 
     
     
         9 . An amusement device as claimed in  claim 8 , in which the stem is configured to secure circuitry between the stem and the battery compartment when the whistle and battery retainers are fastened together. 
     
     
         10 . An amusement device as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the fastening mechanism includes a clipping member pivotally arranged on one of the whistle retainer and battery retainer, opposite the hinge, the other of the whistle retainer and battery retainer having a clipping formation configured to engage the clipping member in a releasable manner so that the whistle and battery retainers can be clipped together or unclipped from each other in two independent movements. 
     
     
         11 . An amusement device as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the vanes are defined by an elongate, substantially flat vane member comprised of a sheet-like material with a degree of malleability and having a central portion interposed between a pair of end portions, the end portions being angularly offset, in opposite directions in the plane of the vane member, at an angle of between approximately 3° and 7° relative to the central portion, the rear portion of the elongate body being configured so that the vane member can be folded on a transverse central line to engage the rear portion at the fold with the end portions capable of being bent back towards the rear portion so that the offset of the end portions are oriented to impart spin to the amusement device as it drops after having been launched upwardly. 
     
     
         12 . An amusement device as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the battery retainer may be configured for housing a power supply in the form of at least one battery cell and associated circuitry for an LED, a switch being operatively engaged with the circuitry so that the LED can be switched on and off and the battery retainer including an opening through which the switch can project so that the LED can be turned on and off when the cover is in its closed position.