How the Hula Hoop Works
A 1963 patent for a lightweight, rigid plastic hoop designed to rotate around a human waist through rhythmic body movements.
Original patent title: “Hoop toy”
A 1963 patent for a lightweight, rigid plastic hoop designed to rotate around a human waist through rhythmic body movements. Granted to Individual in 1963 with 1 claim and 30 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a circular hoop made of rigid, hollow plastic tubing. It specifies a diameter of 30 to 40 inches and a weight between 6 and 12 ounces. The core mechanism relies on the hoop being stiff enough to maintain its circular shape while the user moves their body. This rigidity ensures that the side of the hoop opposite the user's body stays far enough away to create the necessary momentum for continuous rotation.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover hoops made of non-rigid or flexible materials like rope or fabric.
- Does not cover hoops with diameters significantly outside the 30 to 40-inch range.
- Does not cover weighted hoops designed for exercise that exceed the 12-ounce weight limit.
- Does not cover collapsible or segmented hoop designs.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The innovation lies in the specific balance of low weight and high rigidity; if the hoop were too heavy, it would be hard to start, and if it were too flexible, it would deform and lose the centrifugal force needed to stay up.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Classic Wham-O Hula Hoops
Standard plastic toy hoops found in school gym classes
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent formalized the design of the Hula Hoop, which became one of the most successful toy crazes of the 20th century. By defining the specific ratio of weight to rigidity, it established the physics required for a mass-produced toy to be easily kept in motion by a child or adult.
Filed
May 13, 1959
Granted
March 5, 1963
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The patent was assigned to Arthur K. Melin, a co-founder of Wham-O. Today, various toy manufacturers continue to produce variations of this design, though the basic physics defined in this patent remain the standard for the classic toy.
Market impact
This patent helped solidify the Hula Hoop as a mass-market consumer product. It allowed Wham-O to protect their specific design specifications during the height of the 1950s and 60s toy craze, setting a template for how simple, physics-based toys could be scaled for global distribution.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a circular hoop made of rigid, hollow plastic tubing. It specifies a diameter of 30 to 40 inches and a weight between 6 and 12 ounces. The core mechanism relies on the hoop being stiff enough to maintain its circular shape while the user moves their body. This rigidity ensures that the side of the hoop opposite the user's body stays far enough away to create the necessary momentum for continuous rotation.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in the specific balance of low weight and high rigidity; if the hoop were too heavy, it would be hard to start, and if it were too flexible, it would deform and lose the centrifugal force needed to stay up.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover hoops made of non-rigid or flexible materials like rope or fabric.
- Does not cover hoops with diameters significantly outside the 30 to 40-inch range.
- Does not cover weighted hoops designed for exercise that exceed the 12-ounce weight limit.
- Does not cover collapsible or segmented hoop designs.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
This patent is in the public domain
See the Freedom to Build guide — what is free to use, what is not, and how to cite this patent.
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
30/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
1/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$24K – $76K
Midpoint $48K · expired or expiring · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Patent Claims
1 independent claim · 0 dependent
Claims are the legal boundaries of the patent. An independent claim stands alone. A dependent claim adds limitations to its parent, narrowing — but not broadening — the scope.
The original legal language
Original claims
1 claim as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Melin, A. K. (1963). How the Hula Hoop Works (U.S. Patent No. 3,079,728). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3079728/hula-hoop-wham-o
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How the Hula Hoop Works cover?
A 1963 patent for a lightweight, rigid plastic hoop designed to rotate around a human waist through rhythmic body movements.
Who owns patent US 3079728?
Individual owns this patent, granted in 1963.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 3079728 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 30 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent formalized the design of the Hula Hoop, which became one of the most successful toy crazes of the 20th century. By defining the specific ratio of weight to rigidity, it established the physics required for a mass-produced toy to be easily kept in motion by a child or adult.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover hoops made of non-rigid or flexible materials like rope or fabric.
Same assignee
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