Ball Launching, Hitting, and Catching Toy

Abstract

An active play toy shaped substantially like a baseball bat has a proximal handle section grippable by a user and a distal launching section rotatably attached to the handle section and rotatably movable with respect to the handle section from a first angled striking configuration to a second substantially straight configuration by swinging the toy. The angle between the handle section and the launching section in the striking configuration is substantially between 90° and 120° and preferably about 105°. One or more detent mechanisms keep the toy in at least one of the first or second configurations until moved by the user. One such detent mechanism keeps the toy in the first angled striking configuration until the toy is swung like a bat by the user. A scalloped ball holding region may be formed in a distal portion of the launching section for holding and/or catching a ball.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An active play toy shaped substantially like a baseball bat, comprising:
 a proximal handle section grippable by a user;   a distal launching section rotatably attached to said handle section and rotatably movable with respect to said handle section from a first angled striking configuration to a second substantially straight configuration by swinging said toy.   
     
     
         2 . An active play toy according to  claim 1 , wherein when said toy is in said first angled striking configuration, an angle between said handle section and said launching section is substantially between 90° and 120°. 
     
     
         3 . An active play toy according to  claim 2 , wherein said angle is approximately 105°. 
     
     
         4 . An active play toy according to  claim 1 , further comprising a detent mechanism keeping said toy in at least one of said first or second configurations until moved by the user. 
     
     
         5 . An active play toy according to  claim 4 , said detent mechanism keeping said toy in said first angled striking configuration until said toy is swung by the user. 
     
     
         6 . An active play toy according to  claim 1 , further comprising a scalloped ball holding region formed in a distal portion of said launching section. 
     
     
         7 . An active play toy according to  claim 2 , further comprising an angle delimiter preventing over-rotation of said launching section with respect to said handle section smaller than said angle in said first angled striking configuration. 
     
     
         8 . An active play toy according to  claim 7 , further comprising a second angle delimiter preventing over-rotation of said launching section with respect to said handle section greater than 180°.