Toy launcher for launching projectiles and methods thereof

• US 20120037138A1
• Filed: 08/11/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Easebon Services Limited
• Original Assignee: Easebon Services Limited
• Inventors: Huebl, Steven J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,353,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 124/56
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/26 using a revolving drum magazine
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/72 Tubular magazines, i.e. magazines containing the ammunition in lengthwise tandem sequence
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/54 the projectiles being stored in a rotating drum magazine
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/60 characterised by the supply of compressed gas
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/681 Pumping or compressor arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/89 for toys
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 4/00 Friction-wheel operated launchers

Abstract

A toy launcher that can house a substantially large amount (e.g., 40, 60, 100, 200, etc.) of projectiles along the length of a rotatable projectile feed assembly. During use, a user can cause rotatable projectile feed assembly to rotate about it own axis and can cause projectiles to advance from the rotatable projectile feed assembly to a projectile launch assembly. At the projectile launch assembly, projectiles interact with at least one accelerator launching the projectile out of the toy launcher. The accelerator can be at least one rotating body.

Claims

1. A toy launcher for launching projectiles, comprising:

a projectile feed assembly, including a plurality of receiving bodies having an opening extending a predetermined length from a proximal end to a distal end of the projectile feed assembly, the plurality of openings being designed to receive a plurality of projectiles housed sequentially along the length of the projectile feed assembly;

a projectile launching assembly, including at least one accelerator;

a user interface assembly, including at least one user interface capable of being activated by a user causing the projectile feed assembly to at least one of rotate and translate and causing at least one of the projectiles housed in at least one of the receiving bodies to advance toward the distal end of the receiving body and interact with the accelerator such that at least one projectile is launched from the toy launcher.

2. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the at least one accelerator is further comprising at least one rotating body;

and

wherein the projectile is a three dimensional object having a length, width, and depth such that the three dimensional object frictionally interacts with a rotating body.

3. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the at least one accelerator is further comprising at least one of compressed gas and a gas compressor.

4. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the projectile is a three dimensional object having a length, width, and depth and the dimensions for the projectiles are selected such that the projectile can substantially safely strike an individual.

5. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the projectile is at least one of a dart, a spheroid object, an ovoid object, a polygonal object, and an object with a suction cup or magnetic object.

6. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the projectile is a dart.

7. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the predetermined length of the receiving bodies is determined based on the length of the projectile and the desired number of projectiles received in the receiving body.

8. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the number of receiving bodies is determined based on the length of the projectile and the number of projectiles desired to have received in the projectile feed assembly.

9. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving bodies are a plurality of tubes.

10. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the projectile feed assembly is constructed from a plurality of projectile feed assemblies combined together.

11. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the projectile feed assembly is further comprising about 3 to about 36 receiving bodies.

12. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving bodies are arranged in a substantially circular pattern.

13. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 12, wherein the circular pattern has an exterior surface and an interior surface and a projectile interfacing region is located on at least one of the exterior surface and interior surface.

14. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving bodies are arranged in a substantially linear pattern.

15. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving bodies are arranged in a star-shaped pattern.

16. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving bodies are arranged such that more than one projectile housed in more than one receiving body is launched at least one of at substantially the same time and in rapid succession.

17. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving bodies are arranged such that more than one projectile housed in one receiving body is launched at least one of at substantially the same time and in rapid succession.

18. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the user interface is at least one of a handle and trigger.

19. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the receiving body is further comprising at least one projectile interfacing region that is a slot extending at least some length of the receiving body.

20. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 19, wherein the user interface assembly is further comprising:

a slide rack capable of translating in a direction substantially parallel to at least one receiving body;

at least one engagement mechanism coupled to the slide rack; and

wherein when the slide rack translates the at least one engagement mechanism engages at least one projectile via the at least one projectile interfacing region and advances at least one projectile toward the distal end of the receiving body such that the accelerator interfaces with at least one projectile causing it to propel from the toy launcher.

21. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 20, wherein the feed assembly rotates when the user interfaces translates the slide rack.

22. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 21, wherein the feed assembly rotates about 30 degrees.

23. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the accelerator is further comprising at least one rotating body.

24. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the accelerator is further comprising:

a first flywheel spaced a distance from a second flywheel;

the spaced being about the cross-sectional length of the projectile; and

wherein the projectile is accelerated out of the toy by interaction with the first and second flywheel.

25. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the accelerator is further comprising:

a first flywheel spaced a distance from a surface;

the spaced being about the cross-sectional length of the projectile; and

wherein the projectile is accelerated out of the toy by interaction with the first flywheel.

26. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the accelerator is a tread driven about a flywheel.

27. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the accelerator is flywheel powered by a motor.

28. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the at least one accelerator is substantially near the distal end of at least one of the receiving bodies.

29. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 28, wherein accelerator is located substantially near the distal most end of the toy launcher such that the projectile speed is not substantially reduced by friction.

30. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the projectile launch assembly is separable from the projectile feed assembly and user interface assembly, such that a user can access at least one accelerator and place projectiles in the receiving bodies.

31. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 1, wherein the projectile feed assembly is further comprising at least one projectile advancer located proximal to the most proximally located projectile;

and

wherein the projectile advancer substantially reduces stress concentration on an advancing projectile.

32. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 31, wherein at least one of

the engagement mechanism at least partially extends through the slot to engage at least one of the projectile and the projectile advancer, and

at least one of the projectile advancer and the projectile at least partially extends through a slot to engage the engagement mechanism.

55. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 32, wherein the accelerator is further comprising at least one rotating body.

33. A toy launcher for launching projectiles, comprising:

a projectile feed assembly, including at least one receiving body having an opening extending a predetermined length from a proximal end to a distal end of the projectile feed assembly, the opening being designed to receive a plurality of projectiles housed sequentially along the length of the projectile feed assembly;

a projectile launching assembly, including at least one accelerator;

a user interface assembly, including at least one user interface capable of being activated by a user causing at least some element of at least one of the projectile feed assembly and projectile launching assembly to at least one of rotate and translate and causing at least one of the projectiles housed in at least one receiving body to advance toward the distal end of the receiving body and interact with the accelerator such that at least one projectile is launched from the toy launcher.

34. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the at least one accelerator is further comprising at least one rotating body;

and

wherein the projectile is a three dimensional object having a length, width, and depth such that the three dimensional object frictionally interacts with a rotating body.

35. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the at least one accelerator is further comprising at least one of compressed gas and a gas compressor.

36. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the projectile is a three dimensional object having a length, width, and depth and the dimensions for the projectiles are selected such that the projectile can substantially safely strike an individual.

37. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the projectile is at least one of a dart, a spheroid object, an ovoid object, a polygonal object, and an object with a suction cup or magnetic object.

38. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the projectile is a dart.

39. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the predetermined length of the at least one receiving body is determined based on the length of the projectile and the desired number of projectiles received in the receiving body.

40. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the number of receiving bodies is determined based on the length of the projectile and the number of projectiles desired to have received in the projectile feed assembly.

41. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the at least one receiving body is at least one tube.

42. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the projectile feed assembly is constructed from a plurality of projectile feed assemblies combined together.

43. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the projectile feed assembly is further comprising about 2 to about 36 receiving bodies.

44. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 43, wherein the plurality of receiving bodies are arranged in a substantially circular pattern.

45. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 44, wherein the circular pattern has an exterior surface and an interior surface and a projectile interfacing region is located on at least one of the exterior surface and interior surface.

46. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 43, wherein the plurality of receiving bodies are arranged in a substantially linear pattern in the receiving bodies.

47. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 43, wherein the plurality of receiving bodies are arranged in a substantially star-shaped pattern.

48. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 43, wherein the plurality of receiving bodies are arranged such that more than one projectile housed in more than one receiving body is launched at least one of at substantially the same time and in rapid succession.

49. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 43, wherein the plurality of receiving bodies are arranged such that more than one projectile housed in one receiving body is launched at least one of at substantially the same time and in rapid succession.

50. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the user interface is at least one of a handle and trigger.

51. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the receiving body is further comprising at least one projectile interfacing region that is a slot extending at least some length of the receiving body.

52. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 50, wherein the user interface assembly is further comprising:

a slide rack capable of translating in a direction substantially parallel to at least one receiving body;

at least one engagement mechanism coupled to the slide rack; and

wherein when the slide rack translates the at least one engagement mechanism engages at least one projectile via the at least one projectile interfacing region and advances at least one projectile toward the distal end of the receiving body such that the accelerator interfaces with at least one projectile causing it to propel from the toy launcher.

53. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 52, wherein the feed assembly rotates when the user interfaces translates the slide rack.

54. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 53, wherein the feed assembly rotates about 30 degrees.

56. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the accelerator is further comprising:

a first flywheel spaced a distance from a second flywheel;

the spaced being about the cross-sectional length of the projectile; and

wherein the projectile is accelerated out of the toy by interaction with the first and second flywheel.

57. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the accelerator is further comprising:

a first flywheel spaced a distance from a surface;

the spaced being about the cross-sectional length of the projectile; and

wherein the projectile is accelerated out of the toy by interaction with the first flywheel.

58. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the accelerator is a tread driven about a flywheel.

59. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the accelerator is flywheel powered by a motor.

60. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the at least one accelerator is substantially near the distal end of at least one of the receiving bodies.

61. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 60, wherein accelerator is located substantially near the distal most end of the toy launcher such that the projectile speed is not substantially reduced by friction.

62. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the projectile launch assembly is separable from the projectile feed assembly and user interface assembly, such that a user can access at least one accelerator and place projectiles in the receiving bodies.

63. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the projectile feed assembly is further comprising at least one projectile advancer located proximal to the most proximally located projectile;

and

wherein the projectile advancer substantially reduces stress concentration on an advancing projectile.

64. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 63, wherein at least one of

the engagement mechanism at least partially extends through a slot to engage at least one of the projectile and the projectile advancer, and

at least one of the projectile advancer and the projectile at least partially extends through the slot to engage the engagement mechanism.

65. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the projectile feed assembly at least one of rotates and translates relative to the projectile launching assembly.

66. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the projectile launching assembly at least one of rotates and translates relative to the projectile feed assembly.

67. The toy launcher for launching projectiles of claim 33, wherein the projectile feed assembly is comprising a single receiving body.