Foam dart having a safety cap
First Claim
1. A toy dart, comprising:
- an elongate dart body having an interior bore extending from a head end to a tail end of the elongate dart body in a first, longitudinal direction; and
a deformable dart cap affixed to the head end of the elongate dart body, the deformable dart cap having a top, a bottom that is affixed into the interior bore at the head end of the elongate dart body, and a substantially cylindrically-shaped outer surface extending from the top to the bottom of the deformable dart cap in the first, longitudinal direction;
wherein the substantially cylindrically-shaped outer surface of the deformable dart cap has two layers of hollow passages, each of the hollow passages extending from a respective first opening on the substantially cylindrically-shaped outer surface through the deformable dart cap in a second direction to a respective second opening on the substantially cylindrically-shaped outer surface, wherein the second direction is substantially orthogonal to the first, longitudinal direction of the elongate dart body, the two layers of hollow passages comprising;
(1) a lower layer, in proximity to the bottom of the deformable dart cap, comprising at least two of the hollow passages extending through the deformable dart cap and a lower layer interior boundary between the at least two hollow passages of the lower layer;
(2) an upper layer, above the lower layer and covered by the top of the deformable dart cap, comprising at least three of the hollow passages extending through the deformable dart cap, wherein upper layer interior boundaries between the at least three hollow passages of the upper layer are offset in position laterally from the lower layer interior boundary between the at least two hollow passages of the lower layer; and
(3) a substantially flat divider separating the upper and lower layers that is also substantially orthogonal to the first, longitudinal direction of the elongate dart body;
wherein the deformable dart cap is deformable so as to substantially prevent or limit injuries that may be caused by impact of the toy dart on a person or object.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A toy dart includes a deformable cap that safely impacts a target. The cap includes two layers of substantially parallel hollow passages that provide spaces that allow the cap to deform. The lower layer, having two hollow passages, is supported by exterior posts and an interior wall between the two hollow passages. The upper layer, having three hollow passages, is supported by exterior posts and interior walls that are laterally offset from the interior wall of the lower layer. The upper and lower layers are separated vertically by a substantially flat divider. Due to the difference in the number of hollow passages and interior walls in each layer, the upper layer is more rigid than the lower layer such that the lower layer of the cap deforms more than the upper layer of the cap upon initial impact with the target.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A toy dart, comprising:
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an elongate dart body having an interior bore extending from a head end to a tail end of the elongate dart body in a first, longitudinal direction; and a deformable dart cap affixed to the head end of the elongate dart body, the deformable dart cap having a top, a bottom that is affixed into the interior bore at the head end of the elongate dart body, and a substantially cylindrically-shaped outer surface extending from the top to the bottom of the deformable dart cap in the first, longitudinal direction; wherein the substantially cylindrically-shaped outer surface of the deformable dart cap has two layers of hollow passages, each of the hollow passages extending from a respective first opening on the substantially cylindrically-shaped outer surface through the deformable dart cap in a second direction to a respective second opening on the substantially cylindrically-shaped outer surface, wherein the second direction is substantially orthogonal to the first, longitudinal direction of the elongate dart body, the two layers of hollow passages comprising; (1) a lower layer, in proximity to the bottom of the deformable dart cap, comprising at least two of the hollow passages extending through the deformable dart cap and a lower layer interior boundary between the at least two hollow passages of the lower layer; (2) an upper layer, above the lower layer and covered by the top of the deformable dart cap, comprising at least three of the hollow passages extending through the deformable dart cap, wherein upper layer interior boundaries between the at least three hollow passages of the upper layer are offset in position laterally from the lower layer interior boundary between the at least two hollow passages of the lower layer; and (3) a substantially flat divider separating the upper and lower layers that is also substantially orthogonal to the first, longitudinal direction of the elongate dart body; wherein the deformable dart cap is deformable so as to substantially prevent or limit injuries that may be caused by impact of the toy dart on a person or object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A toy dart, comprising:
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an elongate dart body having an interior bore extending from a head end to a tail end of the elongate dart body in a first, longitudinal direction; and a deformable dart cap affixed to the head end of the elongate dart body, the deformable dart cap having three tiers, including a first tier, a substantially flat second tier, and a third tier, each of the three tiers being substantially circular in cross-section and substantially parallel to one another axially in the first, longitudinal direction; wherein the first tier is attached to the substantially flat second tier with a first set of at least two exterior posts and a first interior wall that form first and second hollow passages between the first tier and the substantially flat second tier, the first and second hollow passages each being substantially rectangular in cross-section and each extending substantially parallel to one another in a second direction of the deformable dart cap that is substantially orthogonal to the first, longitudinal direction, wherein the first set of at least, two exterior posts are spaced from one another by approximately 180°
;wherein the substantially flat second tier is attached to the third tier with a second set of at least two exterior posts, and second and third interior walls that form third, fourth, and fifth hollow passages positioned above the first and second hollow passages between the substantially flat second tier and the third tier, the third, fourth and fifth hollow passages each being substantially rectangular in cross-section and each extending substantially parallel to one another in the second direction, wherein the second set of at least two exterior posts are substantially in alignment with the first set of at least two exterior posts, and wherein the second and third interior walls are in respective positions that are offset laterally from a position of the first interior wall such that the first interior wall is not substantially in alignment with the second or third interior walls; and wherein the deformable dart cap is deformable so as to substantially prevent or limit injuries that may be caused by impact of the toy dart on a person or object. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification