Toy flying disk and launcher system

• US 5,782,228 A
• Filed: 08/26/1997
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wen-Long Wu
• Original Assignee: Wen-Long Wu
• Inventors: Wu, Wen-Long
• Primary Examiner(s): Ricci, John A.
• Application Number:
  US08/917,357
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 124/1, 124/6, 124/8, 124/40, 124/78, 124/82
• US Class Current: 124/6
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 4/00 Friction-wheel operated launchers

Abstract

A toy flying disk and disk launcher system including a launching pad coupled to a handle, a disk feeder mounted in a vertical disk feed hole at the launching pad and holding a stack of flying disks, a disk launching control mechanism controlled to push the flying disks out of the disk feeder into the launching position one after another, a motor mounted on the launching pad, a ratchet wheel turned by the motor to send the flying disks one after another from the launching position into the air, a power switch for controlling power supply to the motor, and a safety control device mounted on the launching pad and adapted to switch on/off the power switch and to lock/unlock the disk launching control mechanism.

Claims

1. A toy flying disk and disk launcher system comprising:

a launcher base, said launcher base comprising a launching pad, a slot at said launching pad, a shield covered over said launching pad, a handle connected to one end of said launching pad, and a vertical disk feed hole at said launching pad in front of said slot;

a disk feeder mounted in said vertical disk feed hole at a bottom side and adapted to feed flying disks one after another into position for launching, said disk feeder comprised of a barrel adapted to hold flying disks and a disk pusher adapted to push loaded flying disks out of said barrel, said barrel comprising at least one stop block raised from a top side thereof and adapted to hold loaded flying disks in place;

a plurality of flying disks loaded in said barrel of said disk feeder and arranged in a stack stopped below the at least one stop block of said barrel and pushed into a launching position one after another by a disk launching control mechanism;

a motor mounted on said launching pad, said motor having a motor shaft fixedly mounted with a ratchet wheel, said ratchet wheel being turned to send said flying disks one after another from said launching position into the air by means of the control of a disk launching control mechanism;

a disk launching control mechanism controlled to push said flying disks out of said disk feeder into said launching position one after another for launching, and simultaneously to drive said motor and said ratchet wheel in sending said flying disks from said launching position into the air one after another, said disk launching control mechanism comprising a trigger mounted on said handle at an inner side, a push rod driven by said trigger to push said flying disks out of said disk feeder into said launching position, a link coupled between said trigger and said push rod, a return spring connected between said link and said launching pad, said push rod having a bevel bottom flange at a front side, said bevel bottom flange of said push rod being stopped above a second flying disk in said barrel of said disk feeder when a first flying disk is pushed out of said barrel into said launching position, permitting the first flying disk to be sent into the air by said ratchet wheel;

a power switch adapted to control electric power supply to said motor; and

a safety control device mounted on said launching pad and adapted to switch on/off said power switch and to lock/unlock said disk launching control mechanism, said safety control device comprising a sliding track fixedly mounted on said launching pad, a safety bar moved in said sliding track between a first position in which said power switch is switched on and said disk launching control mechanism is unlocked, and a second position in which said power switch is switched off and said disk launching control mechanism is locked, a retainer block moved up and down in said slot of said launching pad, said retainer block comprising an arched face, and a stop face which is forced into engagement with said push rod to stop it from forward movement when said bumper is pulled from said first position to said second position, a downward finger rod at a rear end of said safety bar through which said safety bar is moved between said first position and said second position by hand, a conical projection raised from a front end of said safety bar and adapted to act against the arched face of said retainer block, a holder frame fastened to said launching pad and suspended below said slot, and spring means mounted on said holder frame to impart an upward pressure to said retainer block, a first actuating rod and a second actuating rod respectively raised from a top side of said safety bar, said first actuating rod being moved with said safety bar to switch on said power switch when said safety bar is moved from said second position to said first position, said second actuating rod being moved with said safety bar to switch off said power switch when said safety bar is moved from said first position to said second position.

2. The toy flying disk and disk launcher system of claim 1, wherein said launching pad comprises a downwardly extended annular coupling flange raised from a bottom side thereof around said vertical disk feed hole, at least one sliding groove axially disposed inside said vertical disk feed hole, and a stop block raised from a top side thereof adjacent said sliding groove;

said barrel of said disk feeder comprises at least one substantially L-shaped locating rod respectively raised from its at least one stop block, said at least one L-shaped locating rod being respectively inserted through the at least one sliding groove of said launching pad and then forced into engagement with a top edge of said vertical disk feed hole upon a rotary motion of said barrel in said vertical disk feed hole.

3. The toy flying disk and disk launcher system of claim 1, wherein said disk pusher comprises a circular bottom block fixedly fastened to a bottom open end of said barrel, a circular push block axially moved in said barrel, and spring means connected between said circular bottom block and said circular push block and imparting an upward pressure to said circular push block.

4. The toy flying disk and disk launcher system of claim 1, wherein each of said flying disks comprises a flat disk body made from flexible material and having a center hole, and two end caps fastened to the center hole of said flat disk body at two opposite sides, said end caps having a respective smoothly curved outside wall.

5. The toy flying disk and disk launcher system of claim 1, further comprising a sound and light control unit mounted on said launching pad and controlled by the trigger of said disk launching control mechanism to produce sound and light effects.

6. The toy flying disk and disk launcher system of claim 1, wherein said safety control device further comprises a guide rod extended from a front end of said safety bar, said guide rod being forced by a bevel block at one of the at least one stop block of said barrel to push said push said safety bar backwards when said barrel is turned counter-clockwise and disengaged from said vertical disk feed hole, causing said power switch to be switched off and said retainer block to be released from said safety bar and forced into engagement with said push rod.