Running head: TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION OF FIDGET SPINNER 1
Technical Description of the Hasbro Brand
Fidget Its Spinner
Dylan Greenstein
City College of New York
May 18, 2021
Author’s Note
This paper was prepared for English 21007, taught by Professor Susan Delamare.
Questions concerning this paper should be addressed to Dylan Greenstein, [email protected]
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Table of Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………………3
Introduction …………………………………………………………….4
Background……………………………………………………………..5
Parts & Function ……………………………………………………… 7
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………..9
List of Figures ………………………………………………………….10
References………………………………………………………………11
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Abstract
This description verbally and visually explains the design and usage of the popular fidget spinner toy. Fidget spinners are not patent-protected, so anyone can make and sell them. This paper focuses on the Hasbro brand, major spinner producers, under the model name Fidget Its. It explains the mechanics of the inner parts of the spinner, showing how it all works. It also explores the origin of the toy, the impact it had on toy sales, and how it evolved into what it is today.
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Introduction
Although the original creator of the fidget spinner (Fig.1) isn’t so clear, it still became one of the most popular and best selling toys in the world. This toy broke records for quickly becoming essentially a necessity for most children, teens, and even adults. At one point, fidget spinners accounted for 17% of all daily toy sales (Plewman, 2019). Although there’s no direct evidence of it, this toy has been promoted by the press to have been designed to help people with ADHD, autism, or even anxiety (Naftulin, 2017). Regardless, it still makes for an awesome and fun time amongst yourself and friends. This toy is extremely unique in that it became so unbelievably popular, yet is seems like one of the most simple designs to ever be created. Although it does seem simple, there’s still so much to learn about it.
Figure 1 Hasbro Fidget Its Spinner. Reprinted from Alamy Stock Photo (n.d.)
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Background
Parents have been buying presents and toys for their children since we as a society have been able to do so due to our advancements in modernity. The development of toys over the years has drastically changed from when they used to be just sticks and stones, or crudely carved wooden dolls. Since the Industrial Revolution, toys have evolved into a diverse range of shapes, sizes, and functions, made out of a wider and wider spectrum of materials, and utilizing technological innovations.
One particular type of toy that has been popular is the smaller, hand-held toy, such that can fit in one hand. A possible reason for this is that simple, smaller toys appeal to a large audience of people that either aren’t old enough or are physically unable to hold a toy with two hands. In modern times, the most known example of this would most definitely have to be the fidget spinner.
An early version of the fidget spinner was first invented by Catherine Hettinger in 1993 (Luscombe, 2017). Hettinger was tinkering with random household items, trying to design a toy she could use with her daughter, as she was too sick at the time to throw a ball, play board games, or do physical activities with her young daughter (Luscombe, 2017). Although Hettinger’s original design does not look like the current, popular three-armed model manufactured by Hasbro and others, its internal mechanism has the same basic engineering (Gonzales, 2017). Hettinger actually did patent her device in 1997, and several years later, was in talks with Hasbro to manufacture her invention (Luscombe 2017). But Hasbro passed at the time, and since Hettinger could not afford the $400 to renew her patent, it lapsed in 2005 (Luscombe, 2017).
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Several years later, in 2015, Scott McCoskery, an engineer and “physics buff,” also started tinkering with metals and ball bearings to create a toy for fidgeting that was less annoying to his co-workers than his pen-clicking habit (Gonzales, 2017). He marketed his high-end invention, which looks like the current version, but was originally was made out of either brass, titanium, or stainless steel, on Facebook Groups and due to an online community he was a part of, they demanded he start selling them (Gonzales, 2017).
As McCoskery’s spinners were selling for over $100, and were also becoming wildly popular, everyone from kid scientists using their school’s 3-D printer, to cheap Chinese manufacturers, to, you guessed it, Hasbro, started manufacturing much cheaper, plastic models with the same internal mechanism (Gonzales, 2017). There currently is no owner of a fidget spinner patent, so anyone can make one with no consequences.
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Parts and Functions
The fidget spinner uses key physic principles to keep the device spinning for a long time. Even the smallest of flicks to the spinner will have it spinning at least a few times. It is one of the first toys of its kind to have this function. This allows for incredible fun, especially for people that are easily entertained, a majority of those being children.
The fidget spinner includes many small parts, a majority of them being in the center of the device. The standard Hasbro Fidget Its spinner is 11mm high and has as 75mm span from arm to arm. The materials are very simple—just plastic and metal for the most part. The parts in the center ball-bearing mechanism include the outer race, retainer, balls, inner race, and the shield. All of these combine to give the fidget spinner its amazing spinning effect
Fig.2 Image of Center Ball-Bearing Mechanism of Fidget Its Spinner By Hasbro. Reprinted from spinnermint.com (2017).
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- OUTER RACE: This is the big metal ring that holds the cage and the balls from the outside. Its main function is to hold the bearing together while also keeping the balls on their path, together with the inner race. It has an indent in the outer race to help keep the balls in place. The outer race is purposely designed not to have a tight grip on the balls to allow for them to move easily and cause less friction for a longer spin.
- RETAINER: This metal piece is what holds the balls in place. This is so they do not fall out, and allows the balls to roll on the races. Some spinners contain lubricant in the retainer. The Hasbro Fidget Its model does not run on lubricant, because lubricant slows down the balls, which would make the spinner go slower.
- BALLS: This is the most important part of the device, because balls are what enable the Fidget Its to spin. The balls are positioned between the two rings or “races” (outer and inner race) and held in place by the retainer cage. Once they are in position, they bear the weight of the device while they roll, allowing for the spinning movement. The ball bearings give the spinner very low friction allowing the races to easily spin, and to spin for a while, even with minimal force exerted on the spinner.
- INNER RACE: This smaller metal ring holds the balls inside the retainer. It has a slight groove on the inside to hold the balls in place. The loose fit of the grooves around the ball, plus the steel material the race is made of allow for less friction and smoother, longer spinning.
- SHIELD: This is the flat outer ring that covers the entire ball bearing mechanism. The shield keeps our particles and debris that can impede the smooth operation of the ball bearing, causing friction and poor spinning performance (i. e. a jammed spinner), while also helping to keep the lubrication the Fidget Its was manufactured with inside the mechanism, also to optimize performance.
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Conclusion
The use of the Hasbro Fidget Its spinner is limited to essentially anyone with the brain of a caveman and at least three fingers. They can be used to entertain your children or even to be given as a gift to a friend. Although this toy was a wild fad when it debuted, eventually becoming a $50 billion business in 2017, its most popular year, the actual benefits of the spinners are still being debated (Plewman, 2019). Even recently, academic literature has different conclusions on whether or not spinners can improve issues like attention span, ADHD, or fine motor skills in children (Naftulin, 2017).
No matter the health benefits (if there even are any), the Hasbro Fidget Its spinner and other fidget toys like it are enjoyable toy to spin, play, and fidget around with. This simple yet effective technology that enabled the development of these toys has changed the toy industry forever. It shows that not every toy or form of entertainment has to be complex or incredibly detailed to make it big.
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List of Figures
Figure 1 – https://www.123rf.com/photo_117268662_blue-fidget-spinner-toy-isolated.html
Figure 2 – https://spinnermint.com/guides/75/bearing-basics-parts-of-a-bearing-explained/
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Sources.
Gonzales, G. (2017, June 8). The inside story behind the rapid rise of the fidget spinner trend. Inc. Blog.
Luscombe, R. (2017, May 5). As fidget spinner craze goes global, its inventor struggles to make ends meet. The Guardian.
Naftulin, J. (2017, May 8). Can fidget spinners really help anxiety and ADHD? An expert weighs in. Explore Health Blog.
https://www.health.com/condition/adhd/fidget-spinners-anxiety-adhd-autism
Plewman, R. (2019, June 26). In it to spin it. The Brief Blog.
