Patent Application
20180333617
This document relates to the technical field of (and is not limited to) (A) a toy apparatus including a magazine assembly (and method therefor).
A toy is an item that is generally used for play (children's play). For instance, playing with toys is supposed to be an enjoyable means of training young children for life in society. Toy weapons are toys which imitate real weapons, but are designed for play (for children to play with). Toy weapons are generally not meant to cause bodily harm.
It will be appreciated that there exists a need to mitigate (at least in part) at least one problem associated with the existing toys (also called the existing technology). After much study of the known systems and methods with experimentation, an understanding of the problem and its solution has been identified and is articulated as follows:
Launching a single foam ball along a launch path is challenging especially when a ball launcher interferes with the potential flight trajectory of the foam ball.
To mitigate, at least in part, at least one problem associated with the existing technology, there is provided (in accordance with a first major aspect) a toy apparatus. The toy apparatus includes and is not limited to (comprises) an archery assembly configured to launch a foam ball. The archery assembly includes a frame assembly providing (defining) a central opening. The central opening is configured to permit passage of the foam ball therethrough. A user handle extends from the frame assembly. Elongated opposed forks extend from opposite sides of the frame assembly 10. A longitudinal axis extends through the elongated opposed forks. An elastic assembly is configured to be attachable to respective ends of the elongated opposed forks. A ball-support device is configured to be attachable to the elastic assembly.
Launching multiple foam balls (one after the other in a rapid-fire manner) along a launch path is challenging especially when a ball launcher interferes with the potential flight trajectory of the foam balls.
To mitigate, at least in part, at least one problem associated with the existing technology, there is provided (in accordance with a second major aspect) a toy apparatus. The toy apparatus includes and is not limited to (comprises) a magazine assembly configured to be securely connectable to a barrel assembly of an air-pressurized toy gun. The magazine assembly includes an entrance portal configured to receive foam balls in a single file arrangement. An exit portal is spaced apart from the entrance portal. The exit portal is configured to be in fluid communication with a side wall of the barrel assembly of the air-pressurized toy gun. A back-and-forth pathway is configured to be in fluid communication with the entrance portal and the exit portal.
Other aspects are identified in the claims. Other aspects and features of the non-limiting embodiments may now become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description of the non-limiting embodiments with the accompanying drawings. This Summary is provided to introduce concepts in simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the disclosed subject matter, and is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or every implementation of the disclosed subject matter. Many other novel advantages, features, and relationships will become apparent as this description proceeds. The figures and the description that follow more particularly exemplify illustrative embodiments.
The non-limiting embodiments may be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of the non-limiting embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The drawings are not necessarily to scale and may be illustrated by phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details unnecessary for an understanding of the embodiments (and/or details that render other details difficult to perceive) may have been omitted. Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several figures of the drawings. Elements in the several figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not been drawn to scale. The dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be emphasized relative to other elements for facilitating an understanding of the various disclosed embodiments. In addition, common, but well-understood, elements that are useful or necessary in commercially feasible embodiments are often not depicted to provide a less obstructed view of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
The following detailed description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. The scope of the invention may be defined by the claims (in which the claims may be amended during patent examination after filing of this application). For the description, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “rear,” “right,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the examples as oriented in the drawings. There is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory in the preceding Technical Field, Background, Summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are exemplary embodiments (examples), aspects and/or concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. It is understood that the phrase “at least one” is equivalent to “a”. The aspects (examples, alterations, modifications, options, variations, embodiments and any equivalent thereof) are described regarding the drawings. It should be understood that the invention is limited to the subject matter provided by the claims, and that the invention is not limited to the particular aspects depicted and described. It will be appreciated that, for instance, the scope of the meaning of a device configured to be coupled (connected, interact with, etc.) to an item is to be interpreted as the device is configured to be coupled (connected, interact with, etc.), either directly or indirectly, to the item. Therefore, “configured to” may include the meaning “either directly or indirectly” unless specifically stated otherwise.
Referring to the embodiment as depicted in
The frame assembly 104 provides (defines) a central opening 106 configured to permit passage of the foam ball 900 therethrough.
Elongated opposed forks 110 extend from opposite sides of the frame assembly 104. A longitudinal axis 109 extends through the elongated opposed forks 110.
A user handle 108 radially extends from the frame assembly 104. Preferably, the user handle 108 extends from the frame assembly 104 from about midway between where the elongated opposed forks 110 extend from opposite sides of the frame assembly 104.
An elastic assembly 112 is configured to be attachable to respective ends of the elongated opposed forks 110. The elastic assembly 112 includes, for instance, an elastically deformable material (also called a resilient material). Preferably, the elastic assembly 112 includes a pair of elongated rubber bands or a pair of elastic members (elastic member) or rods (one for each of the elongated opposed forks 110). The elongated opposed forks 110, in use, maintain the elastic assembly 112 in a spaced apart relationship relative to the central opening 106. This is done in such a way that the elastic assembly 112 does not adversely interfere with a movement of the foam ball 900 that is made to travel or project from the ball-support device 114 through the central opening 106 of the frame assembly 104.
A ball-support device 114 is configured to be attachable to the elastic assembly 112. The ball-support device 114 is also configured to receive and support the foam ball 900. This is done in such a way that a user 902 (depicted in
A technical effect of the user handle 108 is that the user handle 108 permits relatively finer controlled adjustments for the relative spatial orientation of the frame assembly 104 prior to launching the foam ball 900 from the ball-support device 114.
Preferably, the frame assembly 104 is manufactured (in accordance with an embodiment) by utilizing an injection molding machine configured to inject a flowable plastic material into a mold assembly. Preferably, the combination of the frame assembly 104 and the user handle 108 are manufactured by utilizing the injection molding machine. Preferably, the combination of the frame assembly 104, the user handle 108 and the elongated opposed forks 110 may be manufactured by utilizing the injection molding machine. It will be appreciated that the frame assembly 104, the user handle 108 and the elongated opposed forks 110 may include any type of suitable material.
Referring to the embodiment as depicted in
Referring to the embodiments as depicted in
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, attachment devices 118 are positioned on opposite sides of the ball-support device 114. The elastic assembly 112 is configured to be fixedly attached to (coupled with, connected to) the attachment devices 118. A cup handle 120 extends from a rear portion of the ball-support device 114. The user 902 (as depicted in
Referring to the embodiments as depicted in
Referring to the embodiment as depicted in
Referring to the embodiment as depicted in
Referring to the embodiments as depicted in
The magazine assembly 202 includes (defines or provides) an exit portal 206 that is spaced apart from the entrance portal 204. The exit portal 206 is configured to be in fluid communication with the entrance portal 204 and with the barrel assembly 950 of the air-pressurized toy gun 952.
The magazine assembly 202 includes (defines or provides) a barrel portal 207 configured to be in fluid communication with the barrel assembly 950 of the air-pressurized toy gun 952. An elongated tubular extension 218 extends between the barrel portal 207 and the exit portal 206. Preferably, the barrel portal 207 is configured to be fluidly connectable (preferably, threadably connectable) with the barrel assembly 950 of the air-pressurized toy gun 952.
A back-and-forth pathway 208 is configured to be in fluid communication with the entrance portal 204 and the exit portal 206. The back-and-forth pathway 208 may be called a linear zig-zag pathway, a weaving pathway, a serpentine pathway, etc., and any equivalent thereof. The back-and-forth pathway 208 is formed once the halves of the magazine assembly 202 are securely mated with each other.
In accordance with an embodiment, the entrance portal 204, the exit portal 206 and the back-and-forth pathway 208 are configured, in combination, to permit movement of the foam balls 954 along a single-file arrangement (also called a queue or first-in-first-out queue) from the entrance portal 204 to, and along, the back-and-forth pathway 208, and then from the back-and-forth pathway 208 to the exit portal 206 via a portion of the elongated tubular extension 218 (in response to gravity pulling the foam balls 954 through the back-and-forth pathway 208). In this manner, the foam balls 954 are gravity fed through the back-and-forth pathway 208 (from the entrance portal 204 toward the exit portal 206).
A technical effect is that the back-and-forth pathway 208, in use, permits a relatively larger number of the foam balls 954 to be received and stored in the magazine assembly 202. This is done in such a way that the foam balls 954 do not adversely interfere with each other for contention once a foam ball 954 is positioned in the exit portal 206 (in the firing line of the barrel assembly 950 of the air-pressurized toy gun 952). In this manner, there is less opportunity for inadvertent jamming of the foam balls 954 along the back-and-forth pathway 208 while the foam balls 954, in use, move along the back-and-forth pathway 208 toward the exit portal 206.
In addition, once the magazine assembly 202 is connected to the barrel assembly 950, the back-and-forth pathway 208 provides a relatively smaller profile (side-to-side profile) that reduces, at least in part, interference with the side-to-side user sighting of a target via the barrel assembly 950.
In accordance with an embodiment, the magazine assembly 202 includes an elongated tubular extension 218 that is in fluid communication with the back-and-forth pathway 208 (and with the exit portal 206 and the magazine assembly 202). The elongated tubular extension 218 forms a linear (straight) section that extends from the barrel portal 207 (the location where the magazine assembly 202 is in fluid communication with the barrel assembly 950) to the exit portal 206. The magazine assembly 202 includes a stop assembly 220 positioned proximate to the location where the back-and-forth pathway 208 fluidly connects with the elongated tubular extension 218. The stop assembly 220 is configured to stop or prevent backward movement of the foam balls 954 toward the barrel portal 207.
In accordance with an embodiment, the back-and-forth pathway 208 is configured to stop (prevent or retard) backward movement of the foam balls 954 along the back-and-forth pathway 208 toward the entrance portal 204 once the foam balls 954 are urged to move toward the exit portal 206 (that is, when movement of the foam balls 954 is forced by the pressurization of the barrel assembly 950 of the air-pressurized toy gun 952).
In accordance with an embodiment, the interior of the back-and-forth pathway 208 (of the magazine assembly 202) is configured to be selectively internally pressurized, at least in part, (relative to atmosphere). The lid assembly 214 is configured to selectively frictionally fit with (snap fit with) the entrance portal 204 of the magazine assembly 202 in such a way that the lid assembly 214, in use, seals (as depicted in the embodiment of
The foam ball 954, which is positioned at the exit portal 206, is configured to selectively frictionally fit with (engage with) the exit portal 206 of the magazine assembly 202 in such a way that the foam ball 954, in use, seals (as depicted in the embodiment of
Preferably, the back-and-forth pathway 208 is sealed, at least in part, once (A) the lid assembly 214 is selectively frictionally fitted with the entrance portal 204, and (B) the foam ball 954 is selectively frictionally fitted with the exit portal 206. The back-and-forth pathway 208 includes side walls that are spatially oriented in such a way that the side walls, at least in part, prevent backward movement (flow) of the foam balls 954 toward the entrance portal 204 once the interior of the back-and-forth pathway 208 becomes pressurized by the activation of an air pressurization cylinder of the air-pressurized toy gun 952. The side walls of the back-and-forth pathway 208, in use, stop or retard the backward travel (movement) of the foam balls 954 (once the interior of the back-and-forth pathway 208 becomes pressurized by the activation of an air pressurization cylinder of the air-pressurized toy gun 952).
In accordance with an embodiment, the back-and-forth pathway 208 and the elongated tubular extension 218 are aligned one above another (stacked or positioned one above another). A technical effect for this arrangement is a relatively slimmer in-line arrangement that reduces, at least in part, line-of-sight distractions of the magazine assembly 202 (for user sighting of potential shooting targets).
In accordance with an embodiment, the back-and-forth pathway 208 and the elongated tubular extension 218 are substantially the same width. A technical effect for this arrangement is a relatively slimmer in-line arrangement that reduces, at least in part, line-of-sight distractions from the magazine assembly 202.
Referring to the embodiment as depicted in
The lid assembly 214 is configured to be prevented from accidentally opening. Preferably, the lid assembly 214 is configured to selectively snap fit (frictionally fit) with the magazine assembly 202 This is done in such a way that (A) the lid assembly 214 seals against the magazine assembly 202, and (B) the lid assembly 214, in use, blocks the flow of air from the interior of the back-and-forth pathway 208 toward the magazine assembly 202 and into the atmosphere (the exterior of the magazine assembly 202). The lid assembly 214 is configured to be snap fitted to the magazine assembly 202 to prevent the inadvertent opening of the magazine assembly 202 at the wrong time. In use, the air pressure flow is selectively forced through the magazine assembly 202 from the air-pressurized toy gun 952 and through the exit portal 206 (once the trigger of the air-pressurized toy gun 952 is activated accordingly).
Referring to the embodiment as depicted in
The magazine assembly 202 provides a barrel portal 207. The barrel portal 207 is configured to be threadably coupled (attachable) to the barrel assembly 950 of the air-pressurized toy gun 952. The barrel portal 207 is configured to be in fluid communication with the barrel assembly 950. The barrel portal 207 is positioned opposite from the exit portal 206. The elongated tubular extension 218 fluidly connects the exit portal 206 with the barrel portal 207. The air-pressurized toy gun 952 includes a canister (known and not depicted) of pressurized air. A stream of pressurized air is made to move along the direction 951 from the air-pressurized toy gun 952, via the barrel assembly 950, then into the barrel portal 207 and toward the foam balls 954 that are positioned at the stop assembly 220 in the elongated tubular extension 218. The stream of pressurized air, in use, urges the foam balls 954 to move from the stop assembly 220 and out from the exit portal 206 (to an exterior of the magazine assembly 202). Once the air-pressurized toy gun 952 departs from the stop assembly 220, another instance of the air-pressurized toy gun 952 falls into place proximate to the stop assembly 220 (so that the next shot may be set up and ready to go when needed).
The elongated tubular extension 218 is sloped in such a way that the elongated tubular extension 218 urges the foam balls 954 toward the stop assembly 220 (so that the foam balls 954 do not accidentally leave the interior of the magazine assembly 202).
The foam ball 954 is prevented from inadvertently rolling out of (dropping from) the magazine assembly 202 for the case where the magazine assembly 202 is pointed downwardly (toward the ground). The inner diameter of the exit portal 206 is sized slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the foam ball 954. In this way, the foam ball 954 is frictionally engaged (frictionally fitted) with the exit portal 206. In this way, that foam ball 954 may be prevented from inadvertently rolling out of (dropping from) the magazine assembly 202 for the case where the magazine assembly 202 is pointed downwardly (toward the ground) once the foam ball 954 is frictionally engaged (frictionally fitted) with the exit portal 206. In this way that foam ball 954 may assist in increasing the air pressure in the interior of the magazine assembly 202 while air pressure is applied (by the air-pressurized toy gun 952) to the interior of the magazine assembly 202 (this arrangement builds internal pressure in the magazine assembly 202). The internal build-up of air pressure urges the foam ball 954 to pop from the exit portal 206 like a cork from a champagne bottle. In this way, the foam ball 954 may pop (impulsively move) from the exit portal 206 once the air-pressurized toy gun 952 is activated to apply air pressure to the interior of the magazine assembly 202. In accordance with an embodiment, the magazine assembly 202 is configured to prevent the foam balls 954 from inadvertently rolling forward toward the exit portal 206.
The following is offered as further description of the embodiments, in which any one or more of any technical feature (described in the detailed description, the summary and the claims) may be combinable with any other one or more of any technical feature (described in the detailed description, the summary and the claims). It is understood that each claim in the claims section is an open ended claim unless stated otherwise. Unless otherwise specified, relational terms used in these specifications should be construed to include certain tolerances that the person skilled in the art would recognize as providing equivalent functionality. By way of example, the term perpendicular is not necessarily limited to 90.0 degrees, and may include a variation thereof that the person skilled in the art would recognize as providing equivalent functionality for the purposes described for the relevant member or element. Terms such as “about” and “substantially”, in the context of configuration, relate generally to disposition, location, or configuration that are either exact or sufficiently close to the location, disposition, or configuration of the relevant element to preserve operability of the element within the invention which does not materially modify the invention. Similarly, unless specifically made clear from its context, numerical values should be construed to include certain tolerances that the person skilled in the art would recognize as having negligible importance as they do not materially change the operability of the invention. It will be appreciated that the description and/or drawings identify and describe embodiments of the apparatus (either explicitly or inherently). The apparatus may include any suitable combination and/or permutation of the technical features as identified in the detailed description, as may be required and/or desired to suit a particular technical purpose and/or technical function. It will be appreciated that, where possible and suitable, any one or more of the technical features of the apparatus may be combined with any other one or more of the technical features of the apparatus (in any combination and/or permutation). It will be appreciated that persons skilled in the art would know that the technical features of each embodiment may be deployed (where possible) in other embodiments even if not expressly stated as such above. It will be appreciated that persons skilled in the art would know that other options would be possible for the configuration of the components of the apparatus to adjust to manufacturing requirements and still remain within the scope as described in at least one or more of the claims. This written description provides embodiments, including the best mode, and also enables the person skilled in the art to make and use the embodiments. The patentable scope may be defined by the claims. The written description and/or drawings may help to understand the scope of the claims. It is believed that all the crucial aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been provided in this document. It is understood, for this document, that the word “includes” is equivalent to the word “comprising” in that both words are used to signify an open-ended listing of assemblies, components, parts, etc. The term “comprising”, which is synonymous with the terms “including,” “containing,” or “characterized by,” is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. Comprising (comprised of) is an “open” phrase and allows coverage of technologies that employ additional, unrecited elements. When used in a claim, the word “comprising” is the transitory verb (transitional term) that separates the preamble of the claim from the technical features of the invention. The foregoing has outlined the non-limiting embodiments (examples). The description is made for particular non-limiting embodiments (examples). It is understood that the non-limiting embodiments are merely illustrative as examples.
