Patent Application
20230392908
The present invention relates to a material for use in toys. Specifically, the material is biodegradable. The material may be used in various forms, such as a toy foam dart.
In the toy industry, a large variety of toy launchers for projectiles such as bullets, darts, arrows or the like are available in the market. Among the various designs, a foam dart, which typically comprises a shaft or a body made of foam material connecting with a rigid head portion, has been gaining increasing popularity among both children and adult players because of their light weight and relatively low risk of injury. Particularly, toy foam darts have been designed with functional features in order to improve aerodynamic flight properties, safety, as well as to enhance user's experience during play.
A variety of different types of projectile launching toys are available. For example, HASBRO® makes an entire line of NERF® weaponry that fire NERF® projectiles. NERF® is a trademarked term well known in the toy industry and is associated with soft foam-like material. Other than weaponry, NERF® is also commonly associated with sports balls such as footballs, basketballs, and others. Over the years, a large number of NERF® foam-based weaponry products have been developed, including various blasters that launch various types of NERF® projectiles including darts, rockets, and balls.
NERF® foam is a spongy cellular material produced by the reaction of polyester with a diisocyanate. The polyester resin reacts with the diisocyanate while CO2 is simultaneously released by another reaction. The CO2 gas creates open pockets within the polyurethane that give the NERF® foam its soft and light properties.
Though the foam material may be biodegradable, it takes about 2 years to fully breakdown. When taking this long, the toy darts may be eaten by animals or decompose. Thus, there is a need for a material that could breakdown in less time.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a toy foam dart is provided. The toy foam day includes a biodegradable dart body including a foam material having a first starch and a biodegradable dart cap affixed to a longitudinal end of the biodegradable dart body, the biodegradable dart cap comprising the first starch or a second starch.
In an embodiment, the dart body of the toy foam dart may be cylindrical.
In an embodiment, the first starch may include cornstarch.
In some embodiments, the toy foam dart may have a length from about 55 mm to about 75 mm.
In some embodiments, the toy foam dart may have a cross-sectional diameter of about 10 mm.
In some embodiments of the toy foam dart, the dart cap may be integrally formed to the dart body.
In certain embodiments of the toy foam dart, the dart cap may be affixed to the dart body via an adhesive.
In some embodiments of the toy foam dart, the dart body may be hollow.
In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a toy foam dart may be provided.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with references to the accompanying figures.
The present invention advances the state of the art by developing a toy foam dart for use with a toy. The toy foam dart of the present disclosure may include a material that is biodegradable and that decomposes quickly.
As used herein, “about” refers to any values that are within a variation of ±10%, such that “about 10” would include from 9 to 11. As used herein, “a,” “an,” or “the” refers to one or more, unless otherwise specified. Thus, for example, reference to “an excipient” includes a single excipient as well as a mixture of two or more different excipients, and the like.
Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to illuminate certain materials and methods and does not pose a limitation on scope. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosed materials and methods.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a toy foam dart is presented. The toy foam dart may be biodegradable and may include a biodegradable dart body connectable to a biodegradable dart head. The dart body may be formed of a biodegradable, non-toxic, and optionally edible, foam material. The foam material may include a starch, such as wheat or cornstarch. In another embodiment, the toy foam dart may be water soluble and may include a water soluble dart body connectable to a water soluble dart head.
It has been found that the biodegradable foam material of the present disclosure may dissolve almost instantly (e.g., within a few seconds to a minute) when contacted with water. Thus, the biodegradable foam material of the present disclosure advantageously may be used outside with little to no concerns about environmental impact. The term biodegradable as used herein refers to materials that may be decomposed by the action of living organisms, for example, bacteria or fungi, and the material may decompose in about 10 minutes to about 2 hours, and other ranges.
In one embodiment, the toy foam dart may have a cylindrical shape. The cylindrical shape of the toy foam dart includes a length and cross-sectional diameter. The length of the toy foam dart may be from about 55 mm to about 75 mm, or from about 60 mm to about 70 mm in embodiments. Other lengths may also be used. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional diameter may be about 10 mm, about 11 mm, about 12 mm, about 13 mm, about 14 mm or about 15 mm. The toy foam dart may also have other diameters.
In some embodiments, the toy foam dart may include an elongated dart body that extends from a first end to a second end in a longitudinal direction. In certain embodiments, the toy foam dart may include a dart cap. In some embodiments, the dart cap may be affixed to the first end of the dart body.
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The toy foam dart 10 may include the foam material of the present disclosure. That is, the toy foam dart 10 may be made from a biodegradable, non-toxic and/or edible foam material that may include a starch, such as wheat, corn starch, or a combination of both. The foam material may be dissolved in water.
In some embodiments, both the dart body 20 and dart cap 30 may be made from the biodegradable foam material. In other embodiments of the toy foam dart, the dart body 20 or the dart cap 30 may be made from the biodegradable foam material.
In other embodiments, the dart cap 30 may be integrally formed to the dart body 20. In some embodiments, the cart cap 30 may be formed of one or more pieces.
In one embodiment, the dart cap 30 may have a Shore durometer measurement that is sufficiently rigid to maintain the integrity of the cap but relatively soft to lessen impact on a target. In some embodiments, the cap may have a Shore A durometer that is within a range of 15 to 80, or a range of 20 to 80, or a range of 20 to or a range of 40 to 70, or a range of 20 to 60, or a range of 30 to 60, or a range of 20 to 40, to name a few. In some embodiments, the cap may have a Shore A durometer that is about 30, or about 40, or about 50 or about 70, to name a few. In other embodiments, the cap may have a Shore A durometer that is at least 20, or at least 30, or at least 40, to name a few. In embodiments, the cap may have a Shore A durometer that is no more than 80, or no more than 70 or no more than 50, to name a few.
The top 40 of dart cap 30 may be substantially flat, may be tapered, may be curved, such as in the shape of a spherical segment, spherical frustum, or spherical dome, or may have some other shape. Providing a taper or curved top to the toy foam dart 10 may enhance the aerodynamic profile of the dart cap to improve the speed and accuracy of the dart and lengthen the distance over which the toy foam dart 10 can travel.
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In some embodiments, the dart cap 30 may be affixed to the dart body 20 with an adhesive, such as a glue.
In some embodiments, the dart cap 30 may be heavier than the dart body 20 such as by choosing a particular composition of material, so as to position the center of gravity of the toy foam dart 10 toward the first end of the toy foam dart 10. By doing this, the accuracy and aerodynamics of the dart 10 is improved.
In some embodiments, the dart body may have a first density and the dart cap may have a second density, wherein the first density is higher than the second density. If the dart cap is formed from the same foam material of the dart body, the density may be different to satisfy aerodynamics.
In some embodiments, the cap 30 may include a suction cap. The suction cup may be integrally formed with the cap 30, or may be attached thereto using an adhesive.
In some embodiments, the toy foam dart may include an additive. The additive may include food coloring, or other non-toxic additives.
In an embodiment, the dart cap and dart body are prepared according to methods as known to one of skill in the art.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements thereon may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and improvements that are within the scope of this invention.
