Toy light sword

• US 4,678,450 A
• Filed: 06/07/1984
• Issued: 07/07/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Life Light Systems
• Original Assignee: Life Light Systems
• Inventors: Scolari, John E., Warner, Robert T., Deavenport, Joe E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US06/618,316
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 446/485, 446/484, 446/473, 446/397, 446/405, 446/406, 446/407, 362/202, 362/102, 362/84, 315/241 P, 354/145.1, 340/321
• US Class Current: 446/405
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2444 Light detector
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/423 fluorescent
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/009 Toy swords or similar toy weapons; Toy shields

Abstract

A toy light sword including a hollow blade with a fluorescent coating on the inside, or it may be translucent and tend to glow when illuminated. A stroboscopic lamp unit is discharged by a switch to provide a burst of high intensity light and a glow on the sword blade. An inertial switch is provided in the blade in one optional embodiment whereby the high-intensity light is discharged when the sword is moved against an object to indicate that contact has been made. Also, a sound generator can be provided to emit a sound when the burst of light occurs. An exemplary circuit for use with the light sword is also part of the invention.

Claims

1. A toy light sword comprising:

an elongated, hollow, transparent blade;

a handle connected at one end of said blade;

flash lamp actuating means mounted to said handle;

a DC power source;

enabling switch means for selectively connecting said DC power source to said flash lamp actuating means for energization thereof;

high-intensity flash lamp means in said hollow blade for emitting a burst of high-intensity light when actuated by said flash lamp actuating means, said flash lamp means lighting the full length of said blade for a short duration, said blade appearing as a long, thin, short duration, glowing sword when viewed externally upon actuation of said flash lamp means; and

trigger switch means for selectively applying the energy in said flash lamp actuating means to said high-intensity flash lamp means to fire said lamp means;

said flash lamp actuating means comprising;

storage capacitor means connected across said flash lamp means;

means connected to said flash lamp means for triggering said flash lamp means into conduction;

oscillator means coupled to said source of DC power;

a DC/AC inverter connected to the output of said oscillator means;

an AC/DC converter and voltage multiplier connected between said DC/AC inverter and said storage capacitor means;

a feedback network;

comparator means connected between said feedback network and said oscillator; and

means for coupling the voltage output from said voltage multiplier to said feedback network, said comparator means actuating said oscillator means when a predetermined reduction in the voltage on said storage capacitor means is detected;

whereby said storage capacitor means is maintained at a desired voltage level sufficient to actuate said flash lamp means as desired.

2. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 wherein said enabling switch means is hand operated and is in said handle of said sword for selectively connecting said DC power source to said flash lamp actuating means.

3. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 and further comprising a light transmitting element positioned on the end of said handle opposite to said blade and lit by the light emanating from said high-intensity flash lamp means.

4. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 and further comprising inertial switch means in said hollow blade that closes upon interruption of movement of said blade to cause said flash lamp actuating means to fire said high intensity flash lamp means.

5. The toy light sword recited in claim 4 wherein said inertial switch means includes a movable, electrical conductor means surrounded by an electrically conductive ring, said conductor means moving to engage said ring and close the circuit for firing said high intensity lamp means.

6. The toy light sword recited in claim 5 wherein said movable electrical conductor means includes a free end with a mass thereon to increase the inertial effect.

7. The toy light sword recited in claim 6 wherein said mass is in the form of a ball.

8. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 and further comprising sound generating means electrically connected to said flash lamp actuating means for emitting a sound when said high intensity flash lamp means is fired.

9. The toy light sword recited in claim 8 wherein said sword further comprises a hand shield, said sound generating means is positioned in said hand shield.

10. The toy light sword recited in claim 1, wherein said blade has a fluorescent coating on the inside thereof.

11. The toy light sword recited in claim 10 wherein said fluorescent coating provides a retained glow after said flash lamp means has been fired.

12. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 wherein said triggering means comprises a trigger circuit connected between said flash lamp and said source of DC power.

13. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 wherein said oscillator operates at about 25 KHz.

14. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 wherein said DC/AC inverter has an AC output amplified 10 to 15 times above the voltage value of said DC power source input.

15. The toy light sword recited in claim 14 wherein said AC/DC converter converts said AC signal to DC and said voltage multiplier amplifies the voltage input to a level of about 450 volts.

16. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 wherein said feedback network comprises a variable resistor adapted to adjust the voltage level at which said comparator triggers said oscillator into oscillation.

17. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 wherein said comparator comprises a Schmitt trigger.

18. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 wherein said DC/AC inverter comprises a field effect transistor (FET), the conduction of which is controlled by the output of said oscillator.

19. The toy light sword recited in claim 18 wherein said DC power is applied to said DC/AC inverter through one end of a coil having a tap intermediate its ends, said FET being connected to said tap, the other end of said coil being connected to said AC/DC converter.

20. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 and further comprising a sound circuit adapted to emit a sound substantially simultaneously with the flash of said flash lamp.

21. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 and further comprising a trigger switch connected between said DC power source and said triggering means.

22. The toy light sword recited in claim 20 wherein said sound circuit comprises a speaker powered by an audio driver.

23. The toy light sword recited in claim 1 wherein the predetermined reduction in the level of the voltage on said storage capacitor is about 1% of the desired level.

24. The toy light sword recited in claim 1, wherein said trigger switch means is hand operated and is in said handle of said sword for selectively applying the energy in said flash lamp actuating means to said flash lamp.

25. The toy light sword recited in claim 1, wherein said flash lamp actuating means comprises a storage capacitor which is charged upon actuating said enabling switch means and is discharged through said flash lamp means upon actuating said trigger switch means.

26. The toy light sword recited in claim 1, wherein said flash lamp means is fired substantially simultaneously upon actuating said trigger switch means.

27. The toy light sword recited in claim 1, wherein said trigger switch means comprises an inertial switch in said hollow blade that closes upon interruption of movement of said blade to cause said flash lamp actuating means to fire said high-intensity flash lamp means.

28. A toy light sword comprising:

an elongated, hollow, transparent blade;

a handle connected at one end of said blade;

flash lamp actuating means mounted to said handle;

a DC power source;

enabling switch means for selectively connecting said DC power source to said flash lamp actuating means for energization thereof;

high-intensity flash lamp means mounted to said toy light sword for selective illumination of said blade, said flash lamp means emitting a burst of high-intensity light when actuated by said flash lamp actuating means; and

trigger switch means for selectively applying the energy in said energized flash lamp actuating means to said high intensity flash lamp means to fire said flash lamp means;

said flash lamp actuating means comprising;

storage capacitor means connected across said flash lamp means;

means connected to said flash lamp means for triggering said flash lamp means into conduction;

oscillator means coupled to said source of DC power;

a DC/AC inverter connected to the output of said oscillator means;

an AC/DC converter and voltage multiplier connected between said DC/AC inverter and said storage capacitor means;

a feedback network;

comparator means connected between said feedback network and said oscillator; and

means for coupling the voltage output from said voltage multiplier to said feedback network, said comparator means actuating said oscillator means when a predetermined reduction in the voltage on said storage capacitor means is detected;

whereby said storage capacitor means is maintained at a desired voltage level sufficient to actuate said flash lamp means as desired.