Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TOY PROJECTILE LAUNCHER WITH HORIZONTAL DRUM
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application
No. 63/224,446, entitled TOY PROJECTILE LAUNCHER WITH HORIZONTAL DRUM and
filed July 22, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by
reference in their entirety.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure is generally related to a toy projectile
launcher, such as a
toy pistol, gun, and the like, for launching toy projectiles, such as foam
bullets, darts, balls, and
the like, with a simplified construction and improved performance.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Traditional toy projectile launchers have utilized various forms of
rifles, pistols,
blasters, machine guns, and the like, for launching toy projectiles, such as
foam balls, darts, to
name a few. Such toy launchers have varied in size, power, storage capacity,
to name a few.
More specifically, toy launchers of foam projectiles¨bullets (or "darts"),
balls, and the like¨
have become ubiquitous. One standard for foam bullets has been marketed under
the brand
name Ned with a rubber tip and a foam body that totals approximately 71.5 mm
in length.
Other high-performance darts may be shorter in length. There have been various
types of rifles,
machine guns, and the like, that have been marketed for launching such foam
projectiles.
[0004] The caps of the toy darts are generally made of a material other
than foam that al-
lows the dart to be shot from the launcher at a targeted person or object
and/or propelled over an
appropriate distance and/or at a relatively quick speed.
[0005] Some known toy projectile launchers include a vertically mounted
drum, such as
the launcher described in U.S. Patent Application No. 17/339,486, the contents
of which are in-
corporated herein by reference in their entirety. Such launchers are efficient
and effective, but
unfortunately exhibit some ergonomic and performance drawbacks. For example, a
vertical
drum protrudes under the blaster main body, and in particularly in the case of
a wide diameter,
large capacity vertical drum, the drum obstructs the user's arm holding the
front of the blaster.
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Also, the darts are loaded from the front of the drum, and as the user points
the blaster down-
wards while running around during a dart war game, for example, some of the
darts tend to drop
out of the drum.
[0006] Accordingly, there is a need to provide a toy launcher with a drum
that does not
obstruct a user's free hand/arm and which is aesthetically pleasing yet has
high capacity.
SUMMARY
[0007] To address the above, the present disclosure is generally related
to an improved
toy launcher for launching projectiles, such as foam darts. According to an
exemplary embodi-
ment of the present disclosure, a toy projectile launcher is equipped with a
horizontal drum that
feeds a continuous stream of projectiles to a position within the launcher
where the projectiles
are then launched in sequence in a seamless manner. The launcher may be
battery operated and
the horizontal drum may be a large capacity drum mounted on top of the
launcher.
[0008] A toy projectile launcher according to an exemplary embodiment of
the present
invention comprises: a main body comprising a launch barrel that has a central
longitudinal axis
that extends in a horizontal plane; a horizontal drum rotatably mounted on the
main body that
stores projectiles so that the projectiles extend longitudinally within the
horizontal plane; and
flywheels within the main body that launch the projectiles from the main body
as the projectiles
are continuously fed from the horizontal drum to the flywheels.
[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the horizontal drum comprises
compartments that
extend in a radial direction around a center of the drum.
[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the compartments are configured to hold
three or
more projectiles in a stacked configuration.
[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, the horizontal drum comprise a
plurality of teeth.
[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, upon rotation of the horizontal drum, a
pawl that is
pivotally attached to the main body engages with one of the plurality of teeth
in a sequential
manner, so that, with each engagement of one of the teeth with the pawl, the
pawl pivots from a
first position to a second position and a corresponding projectile is fed from
the drum to the fly-
wheels by the pivoting of the pawl.
[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the pawl is operatively connected with
a wheel that
that is rotatably mounted to the main body and which comprises a plurality of
protrusions, so
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that, when the pawl pivots from the first position to the second position, one
of the plurality of
protrusions is rotated into engagement with a corresponding one of the
projectiles to feed the
projectiles from the drum in sequence.
[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the pawl is operatively connected with
the wheel
by a first lever arm that reciprocates between first and second horizontal
positions due to the piv-
oting of the pawl.
[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, the pawl is further operatively
connected with the
wheel by a rotating gear connected to the wheel and which rotates with each
reciprocal move-
ment of the first lever arm between the first and second horizontal positions.
[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, the toy projectile launcher further
comprises a sec-
ond lever arm that pivots between a first position in which the second lever
arm prevents the ro-
tating gear from rotating and a second position to which the second lever arm
has been pushed
due to rotation of the rotating gear by the first lever arm.
[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the toy projectile launcher further
comprises a gear
that rotates the horizontal drum and a motor that actuates the gear.
[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, the toy projectile launcher further
comprises a trig-
ger assembly configured for operation by a user to activate the motor.
[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, the horizontal drum further comprises a
plurality of
top panels each disposed within a corresponding one of the compartments,
wherein the projec-
tiles are disposed below the plurality of top panels.
[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the horizontal drum further comprises a
plurality of
resilient arms that exert a downward force to the plurality of top panels so
that the plurality of
top panels are pushed downwards on top of the stacked configurations of
projectiles.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described
with refer-
ences to the accompanying figures, wherein:
[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy projectile launcher according
to an exem-
plary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0024] FIG. 2A is a schematic partial cross-sectional side view of key
elements of a toy
projectile launcher according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0025] FIG. 2B is a schematic partial cross-sectional top view of key
elements of a toy
projectile launcher according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective and partial cross-sectional view of a
horizontal drum ac-
cording to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0027] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a horizontal drum
according drum ac-
cording to an exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] The present disclosure is generally related to an improved toy
launcher that in-
cludes a horizontal drum. The horizontal drum is rotatably attached to the
main body of the
launcher so that the projectiles stored in the drum are sequentially fed from
the drum into a firing
position within the launcher as the drum rotates. The continuous feeding of
the projectiles from
the horizontal drum results in seamless and continuous firing of projectiles
from the launcher.
The placement and horizontal orientation of the drum does not obstruct the
user's free arm hold-
ing the front of the launcher and provides the launcher with an aesthetically
pleasing overall de-
sign.
[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy projectile launcher,
generally designated by
reference number 1, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention. As shown,
projectile launcher 1 is shaped to resemble a pistol. In exemplary
embodiments, launcher 1 may
be in various other shapes and arrangements without departing from the spirit
and the scope of
the disclosure. The launcher 1 includes a main body 10 to which is rotatably
attached a horizon-
tal drum 50. The main body 10 includes a handle 12, a launch barrel 14 and a
trigger assembly
16. As explained in further detail below, operation of the trigger assembly 16
results in rotation
of the horizontal drum 40 relative to the main body 10, which in turn results
in sequential firing
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of projectiles from the horizontal drum 40 through the launch barrel 14
towards a target. In ex-
emplary embodiments, the launcher 1 is configured to launch foam darts having
a substantially
cylindrical shape made up of a main body and cap. The cap may be made of a
rubber material,
or the like. In exemplary embodiments, the darts may have a total length,
e.g., within a range of
approximately 33 mm to 45 mm, such as 35 mm, 36 mm, 37 mm, or 40 mm, to name a
few. The
darts may have an outer cross-sectional diameter at its widest point of 12.9
mm. In alternative
exemplary embodiments, darts may have an outer cross-sectional diameter at
their widest point
of, for example, 12.5 mm, 13 mm, 14 mm, or 15 mm, to name a few. In exemplary
embodi-
ments, the darts may incorporate one or more recesses and corresponding ridges
on their foam
bodies¨for example, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 16/895,172
filed on June 8,
2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
[0030] FIG. 2A is a schematic partial cross-sectional side view and FIG.
2B is a sche-
matic partial cross-sectional top view of key elements of the toy projectile
launcher 1 according
to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For clarity and
simplicity in illustrating
the key elements and mechanisms of toy projectile launcher 1, portions that
are not necessary to
understand the scope and the spirit of the present disclosure are not shown.
One of ordinary skill
in the art would readily understand the supporting elements needed to house
and support the var-
ious illustrated elements with various design choices that would not depart
from the spirit and
scope of the present disclosure.
[0031] As illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the horizontal drum 50 is a
generally disk-
shaped member having a side wall 52 and a central opening 54. The drum 50 is
rotatably at-
tached to the main body 10 by a post 19 of the main body 10 that extends
upwards through the
central opening 54 of the drum 50. A gear ring 56 extends around the side wall
52 of the drum
50. The gear ring 56 is disposed on the side wall 52 at a height so as to be
in engagement with a
gear 18 that extends from the main body 10. A motor 20 within the main body is
mechanically
linked to the gear 18 by a set of secondary gears 22. Operation of the motor
20 results in rotation
of the gear 18 through the secondary gears 22, which in turn results in
rotation of the drum 50 via
the linkage between the gear 18 and the gear ring 56 of the drum 50. The motor
20 may be acti-
vated by a user pulling the trigger in the trigger assembly 16. In exemplary
embodiments, the
trigger assembly 16 may be configured so that the motor 20 operates only while
the trigger as-
sembly 16 is activated by a user, or the trigger assembly 16 may be configured
so that the motor
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operates upon a first activation of the trigger assembly 16 and then the motor
is turned off upon a
second activation of the trigger assembly 16.
[0032] The drum 50 includes a plurality of teeth 58 that are disposed
around and extend
into the central opening 54 of the drum 50. In the exemplary embodiment shown,
the drum 50 is
configured to store forty-five projectiles, with three projectiles stored one
on top of the other
within fifteen separate compartments 60 that extend outwards from the center
of the drum 50,
similar to spokes on a wheel. The number of teeth 58 is the same as the number
of compart-
ments 60, so that in this exemplary embodiment there are fifteen teeth 58
arranged around the
central opening 54. It should be appreciated that the number of compartments
60 is not limited
to fifteen, and other exemplary embodiments may involve the use of less or
more than fifteen
compartments 60 and therefore less or more than fifteen corresponding teeth
58. As the drum 50
rotates, the teeth 58 sequentially contact and therefore sequentially activate
a pawl 24 that ex-
tends upwards through an opening at the top of the main body 10, which, as
explained in more
detail below, results in continuous firing of projectiles from the drum 40.
[0033] The pawl 24 is pivotally attached to an inner wall of the main body
10 of the
launcher 1 at a pivot point located between an upper portion and a lower
portion of the pawl 24.
Thus, each time one of the teeth 58 contacts the upper portion of the pawl 24,
the upper portion
is pushed towards the front of the main body 10 and the lower portion pivots
backward towards
the back of the main body 10. The pawl 24 is pivotally linked with a first
lever arm 28, which is
in turn slidably engaged with a wall of the main body 10. In an exemplary
embodiment, the slid-
able engagement between the first lever arm 28 and the main body 10 is
achieved using one or
more pins that slide within corresponding grooves. The first lever arm 28 is
biased towards the
front of the main body 10 through operation of a first spring 29. Thus, with
each activation of
the pawl 24 by one of the teeth 58, the first lever arm 28 reciprocates
linearly from a first, for-
ward position to a second, backward position and then back to the first,
forward position. For the
purposes of this disclosure, movement of the first lever arm 28 from the
first, forward position to
the second, backward position and then back to the first, forward position may
be considered a
single "stroke".
[0034] The first lever arm 28 in turn has a camming surface 30 that
contacts and there-
fore actuates a rotating gear 32 in the counter-clockwise direction with each
stroke of the first
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lever arm 28. The rotating gear 32 is attached to a wheel 36 so that the wheel
36 rotates counter-
clockwise in correspondence with the rotation of the rotating gear 32.
[0035] The rotating gear 32 in turn is in contact with a second lever arm
34. The second
lever arm 34 is pivotally attached at its upper end portion to an inner wall
of the main body 10.
A second spring 35 biases a lower end portion of the second lever arm 34
towards the back of the
main body 10. With each stroke of the first lever arm 28 (and hence with each
actuation of the
rotating gear 32 by the first lever arm 28), the second lever arm 34 is
pivoted towards the front of
the main body 10 against the bias of the second spring 35 until one of the
arms on the rotating
gear 32 passes underneath the second lever arm 34, at which point the second
lever arm 32 is
pulled back by the second spring 35 into contact with the next arm of the
rotating gear 32. Thus,
the second lever arm 34 operates to momentarily prevent the rotating gear 32
from further rotat-
ing between each stroke of the first lever arm 28.
[0036] The wheel 36 includes protrusions 37 that extend outwardly around
the wheel 36.
As the wheel 36 is rotated, each protrusion 37 in turn approaches and extends
through a slot 38
(FIG. 2B) in the top of the main body 10. The protrusion 37 comes into contact
with the rear
portion of a projectile 100 (the lowest projectile in the stack of projectiles
within the correspond-
ing compartment 60) and as the protrusion 37 continues to rotate forward
through the slot 38, the
projectile 100 is pushed forward by the protrusion 37 towards two flywheels
40A, 40B. As
viewed from the top of the launcher 1, the flywheel 40A on the left side is
continuously rotated
in the counter-clockwise direction while the flywheel 40B on the right side is
continuously ro-
tated in the clockwise direction. In exemplary embodiments, the flywheels 40A,
40B may be op-
erated by the motor 20 or by a second, separate motor. The slot 38 is aligned
with the flywheels
40 such that the projectile 100 is pushed by the protrusion 37 into a position
between the fly-
wheels 40, at which point the flywheels 40 launch the projectile 100 through
the launch barrel
14. In this way, the launcher 1 seamlessly and continuously fires projectiles
to the extent there
are projectiles remaining in the drum 50.
[0037] As explained previously, the second lever arm 34 operates to
momentarily prevent
the rotating gear 32 from further rotating between each stroke of the first
lever arm 28. This in
turn also prevents the wheel 36, which is connected to the rotating gear 32,
from rotating be-
tween strokes of the first lever arm 28, which in turn prevents over or under
rotation of the wheel
36 between strokes, which might cause the gun to stutter versus firing
seamlessly.
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[0038] In exemplary embodiments, the wheel 36 turns 900 with each stroke
of the first
lever arm 28 so that the four protrusions 37 around the wheel 36 come into
contact and push a
corresponding projectile in sequence. It should be appreciated that in other
exemplary embodi-
ments, where the number of protrusions on the wheel are less or more than
four, appropriate an-
gular and/or size adjustments may be made as needed to ensure that the
protrusions push each
projectile out of the barrel 50 in sequence without over or under shooting.
For example, if the
wheel 36 includes six protrusions 37, the wheel 36 may be made to rotate 60
with each stroke of
the first lever arm 28.
[0039] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate further details of the drum 50 according
to exemplary em-
bodiment of the present invention. As mentioned previously, the drum 50
includes fifteen com-
partments 60, each housing three projectiles in a stacked configuration. As
shown in FIG. 4, the
open ends of each compartment 60 includes a lip 61 which allows for easy
insertion of a resilient
projectile, such as foam dart 100, while also preventing the projectile from
falling out of the
compartment 60. That is, a friction fit is formed between the projectile and
the lip 61 to secure
the projectile within the compartment 60.
[0040] As shown in the exploded view of FIG. 4, a top panel 62 is disposed
within each
compartment 60, and a resilient arm 64 extends downwards into engagement with
each top panel
62. The resilient arms 64 may be made of flexible material, such as, for
example, plastic or
metal. Each top panel 62 includes side walls 63 with protrusions 67 that
extend into correspond-
ing slots 65 within side walls of the compartments 60. The position and length
of the slots 65
within the side walls of the compartments 60 maintain the top panels 62 above
a certain height
within the corresponding compartment 60 to allow clearance for insertion of
the first projectile,
while also allowing the top panels 62 to slide upwards within the slots 65 as
further projectiles
are sequentially loaded into the compartment 60 below the first projectile. As
the top panels 62
slide upwards, the resilient arms 64 exert a downward force on the
corresponding top panels 62,
thereby maintaining the top panels 64 in position over the stack of
projectiles within each com-
partment 60. The drum 50 includes a cover 68 disposed over the internal
components of the
drum 50, including the resilient arms 64, top panels 62 and compartments 60.
[0041] Turning back to FIG. 2A, the front side of the drum 50 shows a
compartment 60
in which all but one projectile has been fired, so that the corresponding top
panel 62 is at its low-
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est position and the corresponding resilient arm 64 is at rest on top of the
top panel 62. Mean-
while, the back side of the drum 50 shows a compartment 60 in which none of
the projectiles
have yet been fired, so that the corresponding top panel 62 is at its highest
position and the corre-
sponding resilient arm 64 is flexed upwards into engagement with the top of
the top panel 62.
The side walls 63 of the top panels 62 create a groove in which the resilient
arms 64 are able to
freely slide as the resilient arms 64 flex to accommodate the loading and
firing of projectiles
from each compartment 60.
* * * * * * *
[0042] While particular embodiments of the present disclosure have been
shown and de-
scribed in detail, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that
various modifications and im-
provements thereon may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of
the disclosure.
It is therefore intended to cover all such modifications and improvements that
are within the
scope of this disclosure.
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