Weighted flying disc attachment
View Patent ↗A flying disc attachment comprises an upper piece and a lower piece, with a hinge mechanism connecting the upper piece to the lower piece. The hinge mechanism is operable to facilitate movement of the upper piece with respect to the lower piece while biasing the upper piece with respect to the lower piece. One or more weights are attached to at least one of the upper piece and the lower piece, and a grip is coupled to at least one of the upper piece and the lower piece, the grip comprising a slip-resistant material and configured to engage a surface of a flying disc.
1 . A flying disc attachment for attachment to a flying disc having a flight plate and a depending rim, the flying disc attachment comprising:
a first clamp member;
a second clamp member;
a hinge mechanism connecting the first clamp member to the second clamp member, and operable to facilitate movement of the first clamp member with respect to the second clamp member while biasing the first clamp member with respect to the second clamp member;
one or more weights attached to at least one of the first clamp member and the second clamp member; and
a grip coupled to at least one of the first clamp member and the second clamp member, the grip comprising a slip-resistant material and configured to engage a surface of the flying disc; wherein:
the one or more weights are secured within a cavity formed in a grip head of the at least one of the first clamp member and the second clamp member.
2 . The flying disc attachment of claim 1 , wherein the one or more weights are interchangeable.
3 . The flying disc attachment of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first clamp member and the second clamp member are configured to avoid pinching the depending rim of the flying disc when the flying disc attachment is attached to the flying disc.
4 . The flying disc attachment of claim 1 , wherein the slip-resistant material of the grip comprises one or more of rubber, silicone, foam, cork, and a textured surface.
5 . The flying disc attachment of claim 1 wherein the first clamp member comprises a first grip head and a first neck connecting the first grip head to the hinge mechanism and the second clamp member comprises a second grip head and a second neck connecting the second grip head to the hinge mechanism and wherein at least one of the first neck and the second neck projects outward from a plane extending between the first grip head and the second grip head when biased together to form a relief space between the first neck and the second neck sized to receive the depending rim of the flying disc when the first grip head and the second grip head are clamped onto the flight plate of the flying disc.
6 . The flying disc attachment of claim 1 wherein the first clamp member comprises a first grip head and a first neck connecting the first grip head to the hinge mechanism and the second clamp member comprises a second grip head and a second neck connecting the second grip head to the hinge mechanism and wherein at least one of the first neck and the second neck are pivotably connected to the first grip head and the second grip head.
7 . The flying disc attachment of claim 1 wherein the hinge mechanism includes a spring operable to bias the first clamp member toward the second clamp member.
8 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 1 wherein a first flight plate engaging face of the first clamp member extends at an acute angle of between one and ten degrees relative to a second flight plate engaging face of the second clamp member when the first flight plate engaging face is biased into engagement with the second flight plate engaging face with the first flight plate engaging face and the second flight plate engaging face angling away from each other as they extend toward the hinge mechanism.
9 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 1 wherein:
the first clamp member comprises a first grip head connected to a first hinge portion of the hinge mechanism which is connected to a first handle;
the second clamp member comprises a second grip head connected to a second hinge portion of the hinge mechanism which is connected to a second handle; and
the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion are pivotally connected together and a spring, biasingly engaging the first clamp member and the second clamp member, normally biases the first grip head toward the second grip head and the first handle is manually pressable toward the second handle to overcome a biasing force of the spring to pivot the first grip head away from the second grip head; and wherein:
the flying disc attachment further comprises a latch member selectively positionable to engage the first handle and the second handle to prevent compression of the first handle toward the second handle and prevent the first grip head from pivoting away from the second grip head.
10 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 1 further comprising:
a first cavity formed in the at least one of the first clamp member and the second clamp member; and wherein
the one or more weights comprises at least a first weight secured within the first cavity.
11 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 10 wherein the first cavity is formed in an inwardly facing side of the at least one of the first clamp member and the second clamp member and a cover with the grip secured thereon is secured over the first cavity.
12 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 1 further comprising:
a first cavity formed in the first clamp member and a second cavity formed in the second clamp member; and
the one or more weights comprises at least a first weight secured within the first cavity and at least a second weight secured within the second cavity.
13 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 12 wherein the grip comprises a first grip and a second grip and the first cavity is formed in an inwardly facing side of the first clamp member and a first cover is secured over the first cavity and the first grip is secured on an outer surface of the first cover and the second cavity is formed in an inwardly facing side of the second clamp member and a second cover is secured over the second cavity and the second grip is secured on an outer surface the second cover.
14 . A method of using a flying disc attachment with a flying disc having a flight plate and a depending rim extending around an outer periphery of the flight plate, comprising:
attaching a removable flying disc attachment to the flying disc by causing an upper piece and a lower piece of the flying disc attachment to grip a portion of the flying disc, the flying disc attachment comprising one or more weights secured within a cavity formed in a grip head of at least one of the upper piece and the lower piece;
at least one of stretching or warming up a flying disc user's body by simulating a throwing motion using the flying disc with the removable flying disc attachment attached thereto; and
removing the removable flying disc attachment from the flying disc prior to throwing the flying disc.
15 . The method of using the flying disc attachment as in claim 14 wherein causing the upper piece and the lower piece of the flying disc attachment to grip the portion of the flying disc comprises causing the upper piece and the lower piece to clamp onto the flight plate of the flying disc.
16 . The method of using the flying disc attachment of claim 14 , wherein the one or more weights are removeable from the flying disc attachment and replaceable with one or more additional weights.
17 . The method of using the flying disc attachment of claim 14 , further comprising displaying one or more indications of position or motion of the flying disc attachment to a user with an indicator that provides an indication of level flight or other throwing dynamics.
18 . A flying disc attachment for attachment to a flying disc having a flight plate and a depending rim, the flying disc attachment comprising:
a first clamp member including a first grip head, a first neck portion, a first hinge portion and a first handle, the first neck portion connecting the first grip head to the first hinge portion;
a second clamp member including a second grip head, a second neck portion, a second hinge portion and a second handle, the second neck portion connecting the second grip head to the second hinge portion;
the first hinge portion pivotally connected to the second hinge portion such that the first grip head and the first neck portion connected thereto are pivotable about a hinge axis and relative to the second grip head and the second neck portion connected thereto;
a spring on the flying disc attachment biasing the first grip head toward the second grip head;
one or more weights secured within a first cavity formed in at least one of the first grip head of the first clamp member and the second grip head of the second clamp member; and
the first handle and the second handle are engageable by a user to pivot the first grip head and the first neck portion connected thereto against a biasing force of the spring, about the hinge axis and away from the second grip head and the second neck portion connected thereto; wherein:
at least the second neck portion projects outward from a plane extending between the first grip head and the second grip head when biased together to form a relief space between first and second neck portions, the relief space sized to receive the depending rim of the flying disc when the first grip head and the second grip head are clamped onto the flight plate of the flying disc, and
the first grip head includes a first flight plate engaging face and the second grip head includes a second flight plate engaging face, and the first flight plate engaging face and the second flight plate engaging face each engage an opposite surface of the flying disc when the first grip head and the second grip head are clamped onto the flight plate of the flying disc.
19 . The flying disc attachment of claim 18 wherein the first grip head and the second grip head are weighted.
20 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 18 wherein at least one first weight is secured to the first grip head.
21 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 20 wherein at least one second weight is secured to the second grip head.
22 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 18 wherein at least one of the first neck portion and the second neck portion are pivotably connected to the first grip head and the second grip head respectively.
23 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 18 further comprising a latch member selectively positionable to engage the first handle and the second handle to prevent pivoting of the first grip head away from the second grip head.
24 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 18 wherein:
the first neck portion and the second neck portion project outward from the plane extending between the first grip head and the second grip head when biased together to form the relief space between the first and second neck portions, the relief space sized to receive the depending rim of the flying disc when the first grip head and the second grip head are clamped onto the flight plate of the flying disc.
25 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 18 wherein the first flight plate engaging face of the first grip head extends at an acute angle of between one and ten degrees relative to the second flight plate engaging face of the second grip head when the first flight plate engaging face is biased into engagement with the second flight plate engaging face with the first flight plate engaging face and the second flight plate engaging face angling away from each other as they extend toward the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion.
26 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 18 wherein the one or more weights comprises at least a first weight secured within the first cavity.
27 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 26 wherein the first cavity is formed in an inwardly facing side of at least one of the first clamp member and the second clamp member and a cover with a grip secured thereon is secured over the first cavity, the grip comprising a slip-resistant material and configured to engage a surface of the flying disc.
28 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 18 further comprising:
a second cavity formed in the second clamp member; and
the one or more weights comprise at least a first weight secured within the first cavity and at least a second weight secured within the second cavity.
29 . The flying disc attachment as in claim 28 wherein the first cavity is formed in an inwardly facing side of the first clamp member and a first cover is secured over the first cavity and a first grip comprising a slip-resistant material configured to engage a surface of the flying disc is secured on an outer surface of the first cover and the second cavity is formed in an inwardly facing side of the second clamp member and a second cover is secured over the second cavity and a second grip comprising a slip-resistant material configured to engage a surface of the flying disc is secured on an outer surface the second cover.