Motorized toy gun

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6564788
  • Patent Number
    6,564,788
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, November 29, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 20, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Poon; Peter M.
    • Piascik; Susan L.
Abstract
The present invention relates to a motorized toy gun including a bullet feeding device, a power set, and a trigger operation set. The power set includes a motor, a first drive gear, a second drive gear, and a force output gear. The trigger operation set includes a trigger, a connecting arm push plate, a trigger arm, a lift member, a connecting arm, a switch arm, a locking member, and a microswitch. Thus, forward movement of the piston cylinder may be accelerated by the restoring force of the piston spring and by a power provided by the force output gear and the rack, thereby increasing the pressure in the cylinder, so that the BB bullet may be ejected outward quickly.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a motorized toy gun, and more particularly to a motorized toy gun, wherein the horizontal forward movement of the piston cylinder may be accelerated by the restoring force of the piston spring and by the power provided by the force output gear co-operating with the rack, thereby greatly increasing the pressure in the cylinder, so that the BB bullet may be ejected outward quickly and conveniently.




2. Description of the Related Art




A conventional motorized toy gun in accordance with the prior art comprises a power set whose power is supplied by batteries. The power set includes a motor co-operating with multiple gears, and the power supplied by the motor may be transmitted by an output shaft, thereby ejecting the BB bullet outward. However, the gears of the power set will bear load at a normal state due to the torque of the output shaft, thereby decreasing the lifetime of gears of the power set during long-term utilization.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantage of the conventional motorized toy gun.




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a motorized toy gun, wherein the horizontal forward movement of the piston cylinder may be accelerated by the restoring force of the piston spring and by the power provided by the force output gear co-operating with the rack, thereby greatly increasing the pressure in the cylinder, so that the BB bullet may be ejected outward quickly and conveniently.




Another objective of the present invention is to provide a motorized toy gun, wherein the locking lug of the locking member may be locked with the locking recess of the piston cylinder, so that the force output gear and the rack will not bear any load at a normal state, thereby saving the power source.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a motorized toy gun, wherein the piston cylinder may be moved in the cylinder freely, the force output gear may mesh with and detach from the rack easily, and the microswitch may be opened by the switch arm.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a motorized toy gun, wherein the force output gear will not mesh with the rack in a normal state, thereby decreasing the load of the motor, and thereby increasing the lifetime of the toy gun.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a motorized toy gun, wherein the trigger may be pressed continuously, whereby the resting block insertion recess of the connecting arm is rested on the connecting arm resting block of the lift member, so that the switch arm may connect the electric power successively, so that the BB bullet may be ejected outward continuously.




In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a motorized toy gun, comprising:




a gun body provided with a barrel having an inner portion provided with a bullet feeding device that may be moved and operated horizontally, the barrel of the gun body having a lower portion provided with a power set and a trigger operation set, and having a front end provided with a BB bullet supply portion which has a center formed with a transverse hole, a cocking handle mounted on an upper portion of the BB bullet supply portion to move horizontally, the transverse hole of the BB bullet supply portion having a mediate section provided with a bullet feeding chamber whose inner portion is provided with a pressure applying portion, and a front section provided with a bullet outlet tube;




the bullet feeding device including a cylinder, a piston cylinder, a front spring guide tube, a piston spring, a rear spring guide tube, a nozzle, a sealing tube, and a bullet feeding spring;




the power set including a motor, a first drive gear, a second drive gear, and a force output gear, wherein:




the piston cylinder has an outer wall having a lower portion formed with a locking recess, an inclined path beside the locking recess, and a rack beside the inclined path;




the force output gear of the power set has multiple teeth arranged in a sector shape, and has a center provided with an idler which has an insertion recess;




the trigger operation set includes a trigger, a connecting arm push plate, a trigger arm, a lift member, a connecting arm, a switch arm, a locking member, and a microswitch;




the trigger has a top end having a first side pivoted with a front end of the trigger arm, and a second side formed with an arcuate recess, the trigger has a mediate section pivoted with a front end of the connecting arm push plate, the connecting arm push plate has a mediate section formed with a lug insertion hole, the trigger arm has a rear end pivoted with a lower end of the lift member, the lower end of the lift member has an arcuate portion received in the arcuate recess of the trigger, the lower end of the lift member has a wall protruded with a connecting arm resting block, the lift member has an upper end provided with an upper resting block and a side resting block, the connecting arm has a lower end pivoted above the connecting arm push plate, and provided with a lug that may be inserted into the lug insertion hole of the connecting arm push plate, the connecting arm has an upper end formed with a resting block insertion recess for receiving the connecting arm resting block of the lift member, the switch arm may be moved horizontally, and has a rear end provided with an idler push portion, a mediate section provided with a push action block, and a front end provided with an inclined press face, the microswitch is mounted under the front end of the switch arm, and includes a press button that may be pressed by the inclined press face of the switch arm, the locking member is pivoted above the push action block of the switch arm, and has an upper end provided with a locking lug, a side portion provided with a first driven portion and a second driven portion, and a lower end provided with a drive block.











Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a front plan cross-sectional assembly view of a motorized toy gun in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 1-1

is a plan view of a trigger operation set of the motorized toy gun in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a schematic operational view of the motorized toy gun as shown in

FIG. 1

in use;





FIG. 2-1

is a schematic operational view of the motorized toy gun as shown in

FIG. 1-1

in use;





FIG. 3

is a schematic operational view of the motorized toy gun as shown in

FIG. 2

in use;





FIG. 3-1

is a schematic operational view of the motorized toy gun as shown in

FIG. 2-1

in use;





FIG. 4

is a schematic operational view of the motorized toy gun as shown in

FIG. 3

in use;





FIG. 4-1

is a schematic operational view of the motorized toy gun as shown in

FIG. 3-1

in use;





FIG. 5

is a front plan cross-sectional assembly view of a motorized toy gun in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and





FIG. 6

is a cross-sectional view of the motorized toy gun taken along line


6





6


as shown in FIG.


5


.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Referring to the drawings and initially to

FIG. 1

, a motorized toy gun in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a gun body


10


provided with a barrel


101


having an inner portion provided with a bullet feeding device


1


that may be moved and operated horizontally. The barrel


101


of the gun body


10


has a lower portion provided with a power set


2


and a trigger operation set


3


, and has a front end provided with a BB bullet supply portion


102


which has a center formed with a transverse hole


104


. A cocking handle


103


is mounted on an upper portion of the BB bullet supply portion


102


to move horizontally. The BB bullets


108


may be pushed upward in the BB bullet supply portion


102


. The transverse hole


104


of the BB bullet supply portion


102


includes a mediate section provided with a bullet feeding chamber


105


whose inner portion is provided with a pressure applying portion


106


, and a front section provided with a bullet outlet tube


107


.




The bullet feeding device


1


includes a cylinder


11


, a piston cylinder


12


, a front spring guide tube


13


, a piston spring


14


, a rear spring guide tube


15


, a nozzle


16


, a sealing tube


17


, and a bullet feeding spring


18


.




The cylinder


11


is secured on a rear portion of the BB bullet supply portion


102


, and has an inner portion divided by a front section of the piston cylinder


12


into a left air chamber


111


and a right air chamber


112


.




The piston cylinder


12


is movable in the cylinder


11


, and has an inner portion formed with a U-shaped receiving chamber


121


. The piston cylinder


12


has a front end received in the cylinder


11


, and a rear end extended outward from a rear portion of the cylinder


11


and formed with a piston push portion


122


rested on a distal end of the cocking handle


103


. The piston cylinder


12


has an outer wall having a lower portion formed with a locking recess


123


, an inclined path


124


beside the locking recess


123


, and a rack


125


beside the inclined path


124


.




The front spring guide tube


13


is secured in a front end of the receiving chamber


121


of the piston cylinder


12


, to horizontally move with the piston cylinder


12


simultaneously.




The piston spring


14


may be compressed and extended, and has a front end mounted on an outer wall of the front spring guide tube


13


.




The rear spring guide tube


15


has a front end extended into a rear end of the receiving chamber


121


of the piston cylinder


12


, and has a rear end secured to a distal end of the barrel


101


. The piston spring


14


has a rear end mounted on an outer wall of the rear spring guide tube


15


. The rear spring guide tube


15


has an inner portion including a front section formed with a spring receiving chamber


151


and a rear section formed with a guide rod through hole


152


.




The nozzle


16


is a hollow cylinder, and has a front section received in a rear section of the transverse hole


104


of the BB bullet supply portion


102


, a mediate section formed with multiple air collection ports


161


, and a rear section formed with an insertion section


162


.




The sealing tube


17


is formed with a U-shaped receiving space


171


, and has a front section extended through a center of the front spring guide tube


13


and secured on the insertion section


162


of the nozzle


16


. The sealing tube


17


has a rear section received in the spring receiving chamber


151


of the rear spring guide tube


15


. The receiving space


171


of the sealing tube


17


has a front section that may receive and position the insertion section


162


of the nozzle


16


. The receiving space


171


of the sealing tube


17


has a mediate section having a lower portion formed with a through hole


173


. A locking hook


175


is pivoted in the receiving space


171


of the sealing tube


17


by a hook bolt


174


. A T-shaped guide rod


176


is received in a rear section of the receiving space


171


of the sealing tube


17


, and has an extension section


1761


extended outward from a through hole


177


formed in a rear end of the sealing tube


17


. The extension section


1761


has a rear end received in the guide rod through hole


152


of the rear spring guide tube


15


. The guide rod


176


has a front section formed with a spring receiving chamber


1762


for receiving a hook push spring


1763


, and a hook push member


1764


. The hook push member


1764


has a front end face rested on a rear end face of the locking hook


175


.




The bullet feeding spring


18


is mounted on an outer wall of the extension section


1761


of the sealing tube


17


, and received in the spring receiving chamber


151


of the rear spring guide tube


15


.




The power set


2


includes a motor


21


, a first drive gear


22


, a second drive gear


23


, and a force output gear


24


. The force output gear


24


has multiple teeth arranged in a sector shape, and has a center provided with an idler


242


which has an insertion recess


241


.




Referring to FIGS.


1


and


1


-


1


, the trigger operation set


3


includes a trigger


31


, a connecting arm push plate


32


, a trigger arm


33


, a lift member


34


, a connecting arm


35


, a switch arm


36


, a locking member


37


, and a microswitch


38


.




The trigger


31


has a top end having a first side pivoted with a front end of the trigger arm


33


by a pivot axle


311


, and a second side formed with an arcuate recess


310


. The trigger


31


has a mediate section pivoted with a front end of the connecting arm push plate


32


by a pivot axle


312


. The connecting arm push plate


32


has a mediate section formed with a lug insertion hole


321


. The trigger arm


33


has a rear end pivoted with a lower end of the lift member


34


by a pivot axle


331


. The lower end of the lift member


34


has an arcuate portion received in the arcuate recess


310


of the trigger


31


. The lower end of the lift member


34


has a wall protruded with a connecting arm resting block


341


. The lift member


34


has an upper end provided with an upper resting block


342


and a side resting block


343


. The connecting arm


35


has a lower end pivoted above the connecting arm push plate


32


by a pivot axle


351


, and provided with a lug


352


that may be inserted into the lug insertion hole


321


of the connecting arm push plate


32


. The connecting arm


35


has an upper end formed with a resting block insertion recess


353


for receiving the connecting arm resting block


341


of the lift member


34


.




The switch arm


36


may be moved horizontally, and has a rear end provided with an idler push portion


361


, a mediate section provided with a push action block


362


, and a front end provided with an inclined press face


363


. The microswitch


38


is mounted under the front end of the switch arm


36


, and includes a press button


381


that may be pressed by the inclined press face


363


of the switch arm


36


. The front end of the switch arm


36


is formed with a receiving recess


364


for receiving a push arm spring


365


and a mounting rod


366


.




The locking member


37


is pivoted above the push action block


362


of the switch arm


36


by a pivot axle


371


, and has an upper end provided with a locking lug


372


, a side portion provided with a first driven portion


373


and a second driven portion


374


, and a lower end provided with a drive block


375


.




In operation, the cocking handle


103


may be pushed toward the rear portion of the barrel


101


. The piston push portion


122


of the piston cylinder


12


of the bullet feeding device


1


is rested on the distal end of the cocking handle


103


so that the piston cylinder


12


may be moved rearward with the cocking handle


103


simultaneously, and the nozzle


16


and the sealing tube


17


may be moved rearward with the piston cylinder


12


simultaneously. Thus, the front end of the nozzle


16


is detached from the top of the BB bullet supply portion


102


, so that the BB bullet


108


may be pushed by an upward elastic force to enter the transverse hole


104


.




When the sealing tube


17


is moved rearward, the locking hook


175


of the sealing tube


17


is lifted by an inclined face of the rear spring guide tube


15


, to detach from the through hole


173


of the sealing tube


17


, so that the sealing tube


17


and the nozzle


16


may be pushed forward by the restoring force of the bullet feeding spring


18


, to push the BB bullet


108


in the transverse hole


104


to reach the position of the pressure applying portion


106


of the bullet feeding chamber


105


as shown in FIG.


2


.




Thus, the single-stroke horizontal movement of the piston cylinder


12


may force the BB bullet


108


to reach the position of the pressure applying portion


106


of the bullet feeding chamber


105


as shown in

FIG. 2

, to be ready for shooting. At this time, the locking lug


372


of the locking member


37


may enter the locking recess


123


of the piston cylinder


12


, and the drive block


375


is moved with the counterclockwise rotated locking member


37


to detach from the push action block


362


of the switch arm


36


as shown in

FIG. 2-1

, so that the switch arm


36


may be pushed rearward by the restoring force of the push arm spring


365


, and the idler push portion


361


of the switch arm


36


may be inserted into the insertion recess


241


of the idler


242


of the force output gear


24


. At this time, the press button


381


of the microswitch


38


is disposed at a closed state.




As shown in FIGS.


3


and


3


-


1


, when the trigger


31


is pressed, the upper resting block


342


and side resting block


343


of the lift member


34


may push the first driven portion


373


and second driven portion


374


of the locking member


37


upward, so that the locking member


37


may be rotated clockwise, thereby detaching the locking lug


372


of the locking member


37


from the locking recess


123


of the piston cylinder


12


.




At this time, the drive block


375


is moved with the clockwise rotated locking member


37


to push and move the push action block


362


of the switch arm


36


toward the front portion of the gun body


10


as shown in FIGS.


4


and


4


-


1


, so that the press button


381


of the microswitch


38


may be pressed by the inclined press face


363


of the switch arm


36


, thereby opening the microswitch


38


which may start and operate the motor


21


which may counterclockwise rotate the force output gear


24


which meshes with and moves the rack


125


of the piston cylinder


12


, so as to move the piston cylinder


12


forward, thereby increasing the pressure in the cylinder


12


. Thus, the forward movement of the piston cylinder


12


may be accelerated by the restoring force of the piston spring


14


and by the power provided by the force output gear


24


co-operating with the rack


125


, whereby the BB bullet


108


located in the bullet feeding chamber


105


may be pushed forward by the pressure caused by the forward movement of the piston cylinder


12


, so that the BB bullet


108


may be ejected outward.




Referring to

FIGS. 5 and 6

, the BB bullet supply portion


102


of the BB bullet feeding device


1


of a toy gun in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the top of the barrel


101


, and the cocking handle


103


is mounted on a side of the BB bullet supply portion


102


.




Accordingly, the BB bullet feeding device of a toy gun in accordance with the present invention has the following advantages.




1. The horizontal forward movement of the piston cylinder


12


may be accelerated by the restoring force of the piston spring


14


and by the power provided by the force output gear


24


co-operating with the rack


125


, thereby greatly increasing the pressure in the cylinder


11


, so that the BB bullet


108


may be ejected outward quickly and conveniently.




2. The locking lug


372


of the locking member


37


may be locked with the locking recess


123


of the piston cylinder


12


, so that the force output gear


24


and the rack


125


will not bear any load at a normal state, thereby saving the power source.




3. The piston cylinder


12


may be moved in the cylinder


11


freely, the force output gear


24


may mesh with and detach from the rack


125


easily, and the microswitch


38


may be opened by the switch arm


36


.




4. The force output gear


24


will not mesh with the rack


125


in a normal state, thereby decreasing the load of the motor


21


, and thereby increasing the lifetime of the toy gun.




5. As shown in

FIG. 4-1

, the trigger


31


may be pressed continuously, whereby the resting block insertion recess


353


of the connecting arm


35


is rested on the connecting arm resting block


341


of the lift member


34


, so that the switch arm


36


may connect the electric power successively, so that the BB bullet


108


may be ejected outward continuously.




Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A motorized toy gun, comprising: a gun body provided with a barrel having an inner portion provided with a bullet feeding device that may be moved and operated horizontally, the barrel of the gun body having a lower portion provided with a power set and a trigger operation set, and having a front end provided with a BB bullet supply portion which has a center formed with a transverse hole, a cocking handle mounted on an upper portion of the BB bullet supply portion to move horizontally, the transverse hole of the BB bullet supply portion having a mediate section provided with a bullet feeding chamber whose inner portion is provided with a pressure applying portion, and a front section provided with a bullet outlet tube;the bullet feeding device including a cylinder, a piston cylinder, a front spring guide tube, a piston spring, a rear spring guide tube, a nozzle, a sealing tube, and a bullet feeding spring; the power set including a motor, a first drive gear, a second drive gear, and a force output gear, wherein: the piston cylinder has an outer wall having a lower portion formed with a locking recess, an inclined path beside the locking recess, and a rack beside the inclined path; the force output gear of the power set has multiple teeth arranged in a sector shape, and has a center provided with an idler which has an insertion recess; the trigger operation set includes a trigger, a connecting arm push plate, a trigger arm, a lift member, a connecting arm, a switch arm, a locking member, and a microswitch; the trigger has a top end having a first side pivoted with a front end of the trigger arm, and a second side formed with an arcuate recess, the trigger has a mediate section pivoted with a front end of the connecting arm push plate, the connecting arm push plate has a mediate section formed with a lug insertion hole, the trigger arm has a rear end pivoted with a lower end of the lift member, the lower end of the lift member has an arcuate portion received in the arcuate recess of the trigger, the lower end of the lift member has a wall protruded with a connecting arm resting block, the lift member has an upper end provided with an upper resting block and a side resting block, the connecting arm has a lower end pivoted above the connecting arm push plate, and provided with a lug that may be inserted into the lug insertion hole of the connecting arm push plate, the connecting arm has an upper end formed with a resting block insertion recess for receiving the connecting arm resting block of the lift member, the switch arm may be moved horizontally, and has a rear end provided with an idler push portion, a mediate section provided with a push action block, and a front end provided with an inclined press face, the microswitch is mounted under the front end of the switch arm, and includes a press button that may be pressed by the inclined press face of the switch arm, the locking member is pivoted above the push action block of the switch arm, and has an upper end provided with a locking lug, a side portion provided with a first driven portion and a second driven portion, and a lower end provided with a drive block.
  • 2. The motorized toy gun in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first side of the top end of the trigger is pivoted with the front end of the trigger arm by a pivot axle.
  • 3. The motorized toy gun in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mediate section of the trigger is pivoted with the front end of the connecting arm push plate by a pivot axle.
  • 4. The motorized toy gun in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rear end of the trigger arm is pivoted with the lower end of the lift member by a pivot axle.
  • 5. The motorized toy gun in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lower end of the connecting arm is pivoted above the connecting arm push plate by a pivot axle.
  • 6. The motorized toy gun in accordance with claim 1, wherein the front end of the switch arm is formed with a receiving recess for receiving a push arm spring and a mounting rod.
  • 7. The motorized toy gun in accordance with claim 1, wherein the locking member is pivoted above the push action block of the switch arm by a pivot axle.
  • 8. The motorized toy gun in accordance with claim 1, wherein the BB bullet supply portion is mounted on a top of the barrel, and the cocking handle is mounted on a side of the BB bullet supply portion.
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