Bucket

Abstract

A bucket with a closed bottom with one or more cutouts, indentations or spaces along the outside circumference (or perimeter) of the bottom of the bucket, configured to allow a user to insert his or her fingers therein while the bucket is sitting upright on a surface, such as the ground, a floor, a tabletop, a countertop, or the like. The user moves his or her hand in an upward direction, causing the bucket to rotate or flip in the air. By varying the speed, power, angle, and other factors, the user may cause the bucket to rotate 180 degrees and land on its top, 360 degrees and land on its bottom, or greater than 360 degrees to land on its top or bottom depending on the number of rotations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for a flipping game or contest, comprising:
 a bucket with a top and a bottom, wherein the bottom has an outer perimeter;   at least one cutout in the outer perimeter of the bottom, said at least one cutout having a depth extending a distance inward.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , where there are at least two cutouts. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , where there are at least four cutouts. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the cutouts are the same size, and are equally spaced around the outer perimeter. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cutout has a height and length sufficient to receive the ends of a user's fingers. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom is closed and the top is open. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one opening in a side of the bucket proximate the top. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the top is flat. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the top does not have a handle or tabs extending above the plane formed by the edge of the top. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the top is circular with a first diameter, and the bottom is circular with a second diameter. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , where the first diameter is greater than the second diameter. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10 , where the first diameter is equal to the second diameter. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 10 , where the first diameter is less than the second diameter. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the top is polygonal in shape, and the bottom is polygonal in shape. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more liquid level indicators on the inside and/or outside of the bucket. 
     
     
         16 . A method for playing a game with a bucket, comprising:
 providing a bucket according to  claim 1 ;   placing the bucket on a surface with the bottom in contact with the surface;   inserting, by a first user, one or more fingers on a hand of the first user into a cutout in the bottom of the bucket; and   moving, by the first user, his or her hand in an upward direction, causing the bucket to flip or rotate in the air.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of determining success if the bucket lands in a pre-determined position. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the pre-determined position is top-down. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the pre-determined position is bottom-down. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of filling the bucket with a liquid.