Toy grenade with flashcube

• US 4,461,117 A
• Filed: 04/22/1982
• Issued: 07/24/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard J. Gott
• Original Assignee: Richard J. Gott
• Inventors: Gott, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US06/371,001
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 46/228, 46/226, 46/45, 46/200, 46/196
• US Class Current: 446/473
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 37/00 Jokes; Confetti, streamers, or other dance favours ; Cracker bonbons or the like

Abstract

A toy grenade utilizes a self-powered camera flashcube in which one of the flash bulbs is activated upon an impact of the grenade with a surface after being thrown. The grenade includes fins at one end and a weight at the other end for providing a stabilized flight with the weight being rubber or the like and is designed for impact with the ground or other surface. Supporting the weight is a flexible resilient member, such as a wire, which is fixably connected to the body of the grenade. An actuating member extends from the weight through a hole in the grenade body so that it will enter one of the peripheral slots on the flashcube so that upon impact of the grenade on a surface, the actuating member moves into contact with a peripheral contact on the flashcube so as to activate the associated bulb in the flashcube in exactly the same manner that the bulbs in the flashcube are activated when mounted on a camera. The flashcube is contained within a transparent cylindrical shield which may be tinted or colored for effect and which effectively permits an efficient dispersion of the light generated by the activated flashcube bulb so as to visually simulate a grenade explosion. A safety wedge is provided to retain the actuating member in a non-activating position when reloading the grenade with an unused flashcube or when handling the grenade.

Claims

1. A light-emitting toy, said toy comprising:

a body section;

light-emitting means for producing a "flash" visually simulative of an explosion associated with said body section and having activating contact means;

means engageable with said contact means operatively connected to said body section and serving to activate said light-emitting means in response to the toy being thrown and impacting in a manner simulative of a grenade so as to actuate said means engageable with said contact means to cause an emission of light from said light-emitting means visually simulative of a grenade explosion,

said light-emitting means comprising a camera flashbulb.

2. The light-emitting toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said body section includes impact means for controlling movement of said light-emitting toy so as to insure the operation of said means engageable with said contact means in a manner facilitating said emission of light.

3. The light-emitting toy as defined in claim 2, wherein said body section includes movement stabilizing fins for controlling the trajectory of said light-emitting toy.

4. The light-emitting toy as defined in claim 3, wherein said impact means comprises a weight member which is designed for contact with a surface when said aerial movement of said toy ceases, said weight member moving in response to said contact to operate said means engageable with said contact means thereby effecting said emission of light.

5. The light-emitting toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said flashbulb is self-powered flashcube so as to be activated upon the activating of said activating contact means therein.

6. The light-emitting toy as defined in claim 5, wherein said means engageable with said contact means comprises an actuating wire member to activate said activating contact means in said flashcube.

7. The light-emitting toy as defined in claim 6, wherein said means engageable with said contact engaging means includes a supporting wire member connected to the body section and impact means connected to said wire members.

8. The light-emitting toy as defined in claim 7, wherein said actuating wire member has a terminal end spaced from and aligned with the detonating contact means thereby activating said flashcube when said terminal end moves into contact with and actuates said activating contact means in the flashcube.

9. The light-emitting toy as defined in claim 8, wherein an engagement of said impact means with a surface after said toy completes an aerial movement results in said terminal end coming into contact with said activating contact means in said flashcube.

10. A light-emitting toy, said toy comprising:

a body section;

light-emitting means for producing a "flash" visually simulative of an explosion associated with said body section and having activating contact means;

means engageable with said contact means operatively connected to said body section and serving to activate said light-emitting means in response to the toy being thrown and impacting in a manner simulative of a grenade so as to actuate said means engageable with said contact means to cause an emission of light from said light-emitting means visually simulative of a grenade explosion, said body section including impact means for controlling movement of said light-emitting toy so as to insure the operation of said means engageable with said contact means in a manner facilitating said emission of light, said body section including movement stabilizing fins for controlling the trajectory of said light-emitting toy, said toy being an aerial movement toy with said aerial movement occurring as a result of said toy being thrown through the air, said impact means comprising a weight member which is designed for contact with a surface when said aerial movement of said toy ceases, said weight member moving in response to said contact to operate said means engageable with said contact means thereby effecting said emission of light, said stabilizing fins being movable so as to permit access to said light-emitting means, said light-emitting means being a camera flashcube.

11. A light-emitting toy, said toy comprising:

a body section;

light-emitting means for producing a "flash" visually simulative of an explosion associated with said body section and having activating contacting means;

means engageable with said contact means operatively connected to said body section and serving to activate said light-emitting means in response to the toy being thrown and impacting in a manner simulative of a grenade so as to actuate said means engageable with said contact means to cause an emission of light from said light-emitting means visually simulative of a grenade explosion, said body section including impact means for controlling movement of said light-emitting toy so as to insure the operation of said means engageable with said contact means in a manner facilitating said emission of light, said body section including movement stabilizing fins for controlling the trajectory of said light-emitting toy, said toy being an aerial movement toy with said aerial movement occurring as a result of said toy being thrown through the air, said impact means comprising a weight member which is designed for contact with a surface when said aerial movement of said toy ceases, said weight member moving in response to said contact to operate said means engageable with said contact means thereby effecting said emission of light, said stabilizing fins being movable so as to permit access to said light-emitting means, and safety means positionable to prevent activation of said light-emitting means when said stabilizing fins are moved into a position permitting access to said light-emitting means.