The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 07, 2003
Filed:
Mar. 24, 2000
Michael S. Caffrey, Kirkland, WA (US);
Other;
Abstract
An improved aerial top, or yo-yo, having a stepped axle and a varied diameter tether is disclosed. The stepped axle is coupled at distal ends to yo-yo body halves and maintains the yo-yo body halves in a space apart arrangement and defines a channel between the body halves. The stepped axle has distal end portions having relatively large diameters and a central axle portion having a relatively smaller diameter. The stepped axle may be provided with intermediate axle portions having intermediate sized diameters. Sidewalls separate the axle portions and the sidewalls may be orthogonal to surfaces of the axle portions, or oblique thereto. A tether is wound onto the stepped axle and a user uses a throwing motion while the tether is connected to the user's finger, to throw the yo-yo so that the yo-yo unwinds the tether. The tether is a cord having a varied diameter along its length. The cord may have distinct portions and each portion has a constant diameter along its length, or the cord may have a tapered diameter. The cord portion having the smallest diameter is coupled to the central axle portion.