Toy for rotating and launching an object

• US 7,500,898 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jakks Pacific, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jakks Pacific, Inc.
• Inventors: Bui, Cuong Phu, Laurienzo, Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cegielnik; Urszula M
• Application Number:
  US11/183,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20060046610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 446/34, 446 36- 48, 446/429, 446/430, 74/891.7, 744/22, 744/115
• US Class Current: 446/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/008 Launching devices for motorless toy vehicles start mechanisms for trackways A63H18/026; for toy aircraft A63H27/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/14 Starting or launching devices for toy aircraft; Arrangements on toy aircraft for starting or launching for launching objects from an aircraft A63H27/004
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/24 Details or accessories for drive mechanisms, e.g. means for winding-up or starting toy engines

Abstract

A toy comprises a housing connected with a launcher to rotate and launch an object. The launcher comprises a driving element to form a drive connection with a receiving element on the object. The launcher is connected with a launcher rotating system, which imparts a rotary movement to the launcher. When the launcher ceases to accelerate the object, the receiving element disengages from the drive connection and launches the object. In one aspect, the launcher rotating system is a gear train capable of being rotated by a gear rack pulled by a user. The launcher is configured to release the object in only one direction, and a stopper prevents the launcher rotating system from rotating the object in an undesirable direction. The toy is also configured to launch multiple objects simultaneously or load multiple objects to launch in sequence.

Claims

1. A toy for rotating and launching an object, comprising:

a housing;

a launcher extending from the housing, the launcher configured to impart a rotary motion to an object, wherein the launcher comprises a driving element having an edge, the driving element configured to engage a receiving element having an edge, the edge of the driving element and the edge of the receiving element formed as hook shapes, such that when the edge of the driving element is matched up with the edge of the receiving element, an interlocking drive connection is formed, and the receiving element attached with an object to form a drive connection, such that when the driving element engages the receiving element, the object is rotationally accelerated in one direction, and wherein once the driving element ceases to accelerate the receiving element, the receiving element disengages from the driving element and releases the object from the drive connection;

a launcher rotating system mounted inside the housing and connected with the launcher, the launcher rotating system configured to impart a rotary motion to the launcher;

wherein the housing further comprises a detachably attachable clip for loading a plurality of objects in sequence, and wherein the clip is formed such that the objects are sequentially loaded into the launcher rotating system, such that as one object is rotated and launched, another object is loaded for into the launcher rotating system;

wherein the toy further includes an object, the object being rotationally connected with the receiving element to be rotationally accelerated by the driving element;

wherein the receiving element of the object is detachably attached with a receiving element adaptor;

said receiving element adaptor configured with a disc portion, a gear portion, and a driving element portion, the disc portion, gear portion, and driving element portion connected by a central shaft;

the disc portion configured to load into the central groove of the clip, the gear portion configured to interact with the launcher rotating system, and the driving element portion configured with a driving element to connect with the receiving element of the object and form a drive connection;

wherein the gear portion is connected with the driving element portion such that when the gear portion is rotated by the launcher rotating system, the driving element portion is simultaneously rotated;

wherein the launcher rotating system comprises an axle with an output portion and an input portion, the output portion comprising an output gear to interact with the gear portion of the receiving element adaptor, and wherein the input portion of the axle comprises an input pinion to interact with a gear rack;

wherein the gear rack is movably mounted in a guideway in the housing, the gear rack capable of moving to rotate the input pinion; and

wherein the housing further comprises an object loading system configured to activate a load lever to release the receiving element adaptor from the clip and load the receiving element adaptor into a driving connection with the launcher rotating system.

2. The toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein the object loading system is activated by the gear rack.

3. The toy as set forth in claim 2, wherein the object loading system is further configured to activate a release lever to release the receiving element adaptor from the launcher rotating system after the object has been released from the drive connection of the driving element and receiving element.

4. The toy as set forth in claim 3, wherein the housing further comprises a guide configured to receive the disc portion of the receiving element adaptor after the receiving element adaptor has been released from the launcher rotating system, and wherein the guide directs the element adaptor to a desired location.

5. The toy as set forth in claim 4, wherein the housing is formed in a race car shape, the race car shape substantially enclosing the launcher rotating system and gear rack, and wherein the housing comprises a pathway to allow the object to exit the housing once the object has been released from the receiving element adaptor.