Flying toys

Abstract

In one embodiment there is provided a flying toy having a figurine positioned on top of a housing with a two propeller sets and flybars rotating in directions to create stable flight. A controller is provided to control the motor and flight conditions, which may include predetermine flight instructions and lights based on IR detected signaling.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A flying toy comprising:
 a housing structure having an upper section, a mid-section and a base section;   wherein the mid-section is positioned between the upper section and the base section and is formed by a lower annular band and an upper annular band, which during operation rotate in opposite directions to each other, and further configured to rotate independently of the top portion and base section;   a pair of upper propeller blades secured to upper propeller mounts that extend through the housing structure and are configured for rotation;   a pair of flybars secured to upper flybar mounts configured to rotate and further configured to pivot along a vertical plane, and wherein the pair of flybars are configured to extend out of the housing structure;   a pair of lower propeller blades secured to the lower annular band, and wherein the lower annular band is configured to counter rotate to the upper propeller blades;   a power source, circuit board, motor, and gear train being entirely housed in the base section and configured for operation to rotate a hollow shaft, the hollow shaft being configured to rotate the pair of upper propeller blades and pair of flybars;   a main shaft is freely rotatably within the hollow shaft, the main shaft is rigidly mounted at one end to the top portion and at the other end to the base section such that the upper section and base section are substantially free from rotation when the hollow shaft rotates; and   a transmitter and receiver pair in communication with the circuit board and positioned against corresponding openings in the base section and configured to send and receive signals to the circuit board, and wherein the circuit board having programming instructions to control the motor in response to the signals to avoid surfaces and obstacles.   
     
     
         2 . The flying toy of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow shaft is press fitted into an upper rotor drive coupler component positioned in the upper annular band and upper section of the housing structure. 
     
     
         3 . The flying toy of  claim 2 , wherein the upper rotor drive coupler component includes:
 a central hub to press fit onto the hollow main shaft;   a base section having four arms radially extending from the base section to secure to flanges internally extending inwardly from the upper annular band;   a middle section having a pair of middle posts extending outwardly and configured to mount separately to an upper propeller blade mounting structure, and wherein each of the upper propeller blade mounting structures having an end secured to one of the pair of upper propeller blades and further having an aperture at another end to mount onto the middle post, each of the upper propeller blade mounting structures further has a body portion with a pair of legs extending of either side of the middle section of the upper rotor drive coupler component such that the pair of upper propeller blade mounting structures are configured to mate into each other around the middle section to permit a pivotal movement of the upper propeller blades about the middle posts; and   a top section having a pair of top posts extending outwardly and configured to pivotally secure to a flybar hub, and wherein the flybars extend from the flybar hub.   
     
     
         4 . The flying toy of  claim 3 , wherein a pair of the arms, of the four arms, on the base section of the upper rotor drive coupler component includes a channel to accommodate the legs extending from the body portion of the upper propeller blade mounting structures. 
     
     
         5 . The flying toy of  claim 4  further comprising pivot links, each link having an end secured to flybar mounting knobs extending from the flybar hub and having another end secured to upper blade mounting knobs extending from legs of the body portion from the upper propeller blade mounting structure, and wherein the pivot links are configured to limit pivotal movement to assist in stabilizing the flying toy. 
     
     
         6 . The flying toy of  claim 1  further comprising:
 magnets positioned on the lower annular band; 
 hail effect sensor configured to monitor the rotation of the lower annular band and further in communication with the circuit board; and 
 a programming set of instructions to control an RPM of the motor to cause the motor to produce a near constant RPM as the power source is depleted. 
 
     
     
         7 . The flying toy of  claim 1 , wherein the base section includes lower legs formed therein to support the flying toy on a surface. 
     
     
         8 . The flying toy of  claim 1 , wherein the upper section and upper annular band having a set of blade apertures and a set of flybar slotted apertures configured to permit the pair of upper propeller blades and the pair of flybars to secure through the housing to respective mounts. 
     
     
         9 . The flying toy of  8 , wherein the set of blade apertures are configured at diametrically opposite positions to one another and the set of flybar slotted apertures are offset from the blade apertures and diametrically opposed to one another. 
     
     
         10 . The flying toy of  claim 1 , wherein the signals received by the receiver are created from signals bounced from a hand gesture from a user. 
     
     
         11 . The flying toy of  claim 1  further comprising a three-dimensional object mounted to a top portion that is freely mounted on the upper section such that the three-dimensional object is substantially free from rotation when the hollow shaft rotates. 
     
     
         12 . The flying toy of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional object is removably attached to the upper section. 
     
     
         13 . The flying toy of  claim 12 , wherein the three-dimensional object is a figurine. 
     
     
         14 . The flying toy of  claim 1 , wherein the gear train includes a shaft gear for rotating the hollow main shaft, and the gear train further includes an end gear in a counter rotation direction to the shaft gear, the end gear being meshed to the lower annular band, such that during operating, the motor rotates the hollow main shaft in one direction while rotating the end gear in a counter rotating direction. 
     
     
         15 . The flying toy of  claim 1 , further comprising: landing gear secured to the lower legs further assisting with landing and takeoff from a surface. 
     
     
         16 . The flying toy of  claim 1 , wherein the housing structure is generally a hollow polyhedra or non-polyhedra shaped housing structure having at least vertical symmetry. 
     
     
         17 . The flying toy of  claim 16 , wherein the housing structure is generally a hollow spherical, elliptical, ovoid, or cylindrical shaped housing structure. 
     
     
         18 . The flying toy of  claim 1  further comprising safety arcs extending in front of the leading edge of the upper and lower propeller blades. 
     
     
         19 . A flying toy comprising:
 a housing structure having an upper section, a mid-section and a base section;   wherein the mid-section is positioned between the upper section and the base section and is formed by a lower annular band and an upper annular band, which during operation rotate in opposite directions to each other, and further configured to rotate independently of the top portion and base section;   a pair of upper propeller blades secured to upper propeller mounts extending through the housing, and configured for rotation;   a pair of flybars secured to upper flybar mounts extending through the housing, and configured for rotation and further configured to pivot along a vertical plane;   a pair of lower propeller blades secured to the lower annular band, and wherein the lower annular band is configured to counter rotate to the upper propeller blades;   a power source, circuit board, motor, and gear train being entirely housed in the base section and configured for operation to rotate a hollow shaft, the hollow shaft being configured to rotate the pair of upper propeller blades and pair of flybars and wherein the hollow shaft is press fitted into an upper rotor drive coupler component positioned in the upper annular band and upper section of the housing structure;   a main shaft is freely rotatably within the hollow shaft, the main shaft is rigidly mounted at one end to the top portion and at the other end to the base section such that the upper section and base section are substantially free from rotation when the hollow shaft rotates;   a transmitter and receiver pair in communication with the circuit board and positioned against corresponding openings in the base section and configured to send and receive signals to the circuit board, and wherein the circuit board having programming instructions to control the motor in response to the signals to avoid surfaces and obstacles; and   wherein the upper rotor drive coupler component includes: (i) a central hub to press fit onto the hollow main shaft; (ii) a base section having four arms radially extending from the base section to secure to flanges internally extending inwardly from the upper annular band; (iii) a middle section having a pair of middle posts extending outwardly and configured to mount separately to an upper propeller blade mounting structure; (iv) wherein each of the upper propeller blade mounting structures having an end secured to one of the pair of upper propeller blades and further having an aperture at another end to mount onto the middle post, each of the upper propeller blade mounting structures further has a body portion with a pair of legs extending of either side of the middle section of the upper rotor drive coupler component such that the pair of upper propeller blade mounting structures are configured to mate into each other around the middle section to permit a pivotal movement of the upper propeller blades about the middle posts; and (v) a top section having a pair of top posts extending outwardly and configured to pivotally secure to a flybar hub, and wherein the flybars extend from the flybar hub.   
     
     
         20 . The flying toy of  claim 19  further comprising
 a pair of the arms, of the four arms, on the base section of the upper rotor drive coupler component having a channel to accommodate the legs extending from the body portion of the upper propeller blade mounting structures; and 
 pivot links, each link having an end secured to flybar mounting knobs extending from the flybar hub and having another end secured to upper blade mounting knobs extending from legs of the body portion from the upper propeller blade mounting structure, and wherein the pivot links are configured to limit pivotal movement to assist in stabilizing the flying toy. 
 
     
     
         21 . The flying toy of  claim 20 , wherein the upper section and upper annular band having a set of blade apertures and a set of flybar slotted apertures configured to permit the pair of upper propeller blades and the pair of flybars to secure through the housing to respective mounts, and wherein the set of blade apertures are configured at diametrically opposite positions to one another and the set of flybar slotted apertures are offset from the blade apertures and diametrically opposed to one another. 
     
     
         22 . The flying toy of  claim 19  further comprising a removably three-dimensional object mounted to a top portion freely mounted on the upper section such that the three-dimensional object is substantially free from rotation when the hollow shaft rotates. 
     
     
         23 . The flying toy of  claim 19 , wherein the housing structure is generally a hollow polyhedra or non-polyhedra shaped housing structure having at least vertical symmetry.