Patent Application
20210308558
The present disclosure relates generally to toy bow and arrow systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a toy bow assembly for launching toy arrow projectiles.
Toy bow and arrow sets designed for children's play are now being manufactured as rigid structures with fewer moving components to form safer assemblies. An elastic string is used to create the arrow launching force and prevent bending of the bow. Indeed, if the elastic string is overdrawn, there is no significant chance of the bow breaking. Rather, the elastic string will break and will most likely move in a direction away from the person drawing the bow. However, some dangers in the elastic string breaking are still present depending upon where the elastic string breaks and how much energy is stored in the elastic string at the time it breaks. Thus, to make these toy bow and arrow assemblies even safer, toy bow and arrows sets are employing two distinct elastic elements each terminating in a separate and distinct loop structure. The idea is that since there are two elastic loops, each elastic loop need only provide half the force needed to project the arrow projectile into flight, thereby making it more difficult to overstretch the elastic elements and reducing potential failure of the elastic elements.
However, there are drawbacks to the separate and distinct elastic loop structures in that they hinder the launch projection of the toy arrow projectile. Indeed, since there are two distinct elastic components as opposed to one, more rotational pull is created on the arrow projectile during launch, which thwarts its projection. Moreover, current toy bow and arrow sets provide no means for stabilizing the bow as the elastic element is drawn. Rather, they simply have a handle for grasping while drawing the elastic element, which creates tension in one direction and tension on the band in a separate direction. This tension impedes the launch of the arrow projectile, thereby thwarting its projection.
Accordingly, there is a need for a toy projectile launching assembly that eliminates rotational pull created by the elastic element and stabilizes the bow during launch of the arrow projectile, while still reducing the dangers to a child caused by the potential overdrawing of the bow to the point of breaking.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present disclosure as disclosed hereafter.
In the present disclosure, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed and it is contemplated that the claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
An aspect of an example embodiment in the present disclosure is to provide a toy projectile launching assembly that is capable of launching a toy projectile while minimizing the rotational pull created by the launch of the toy projectile. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a toy projectile launching assembly including a pair of continuously extending parallel elastic launching elements that are engageable by a toy projectile and move in concert over substantially linear trajectories or axes so as to prevent rotational pull during launch.
An aspect of an example embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a toy projectile launching assembly including a handle that is positioned outside of the launch area so as to prevent interference with the launch of the toy projectile by a hand grasping the handle. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a handle separated by a platform over which the toy projectile is launched, thereby creating a clear separating structure that separates a user's hand from the launch site.
An aspect of an example embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a toy projectile launching assembly that is better stabilized during operation. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides an arm support that is configured to engage the wrist or the forearm of a user's arm when the handle is grasped by the user's hand so as to stabilize the toy projectile assembly while drawing and releasing the pair of elastic launching elements.
The present disclosure addresses at least one of the foregoing disadvantages. However, it is contemplated that the present disclosure may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claims should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed hereinabove. To the accomplishment of the above, this disclosure may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the disclosure.
In the drawings, like elements are depicted by like reference numerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows.
The present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various example embodiments. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure is thorough, complete and fully conveys the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.
The left wing 12 defines a left body 12L including an outer end 28L, an inner end 30L, an upper surface 32L, a lower surface 34L opposite the upper surface 32L, a distal side 36L, a proximal side 38L, and an inner side 40L. The right wing 16 defines a right body 16R including an outer end 28R, an inner end 30R, an upper surface 32R, a lower surface 34R opposite the upper surface 32R, a distal side 36R, a proximal side 38R, and an inner side 40R. The central region 20 connects the left wing 12 to the right wing 16. The left wing 12 and the right wing 16 are symmetrical about the central region 20. The first elastic launching element 22 and the second elastic launching element 24 extend along the distal side 36L of the left body 12L and the distal side 36R of the right body 16R. In embodiments, the proximal side 38L of the left body 12L and the proximal side 38R of the right body 16R include one or more fasteners 39 for removably receiving toy arrow projectiles, as shown in
The left elastic support 14 comprises a left exterior post 14E disposed on the outer end 28L of left body 12L and a right interior post disposed 14I on the inner end 30L of the left body 12L. The left exterior post 14E and the left interior post 141 extend substantially orthogonally upwardly from the upper surface 32L of the left body 12L.
The right elastic support 18 comprises a right exterior post 18E disposed on the outer end 28R of right body 16R and a right interior post 18I disposed on the inner end 30R of the right body 16R. The right exterior post 18E and the right interior post 181 extend substantially orthogonally upwardly from the upper surface 32R of the right body 16R. The left exterior post 14E and the right exterior post 18E are symmetrical about the central region 20. The left interior post 141 and the right interior post 181 are symmetrical about the central region 20.
The first elastic launching element 22 and the second elastic launching element 24 are coplanar and extend substantially parallel relative to each other above the central region 20. In this way, the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24 may pivot and stretch in concert. The first elastic launching element 22 comprises a first end 22F and a second end 22S. The second elastic launching element 24 comprises a first end 24F and a second end 24S. The first elastic launching element 22 and the second elastic launching element 24 are anchored to the left exterior post 14E and the right exterior post 18E. In embodiments, the first end 22F of the first elastic launching element 22 and the first end 24F of the second elastic launching element 24 are attached within the left exterior post 14E. The second end 22S of the first elastic launching element 22 and the second end 24S of the second elastic launching element 24 are attached within the right exterior post 18E. In this way, the first ends 22F, 24F are anchored to the left exterior post 14E and the second ends 22S, 24S are anchored to the right exterior post 18E.
Referring back to
The first elastic launching element 22 and the second elastic launching element 24 each include a continuous midpoint region 22M, 24M spanning between the left interior post 141 and the right interior post 18I that is configured to stretch to launch the toy arrow projectile. The midpoint regions 22M, 24M move and/or stretch in concert when stretching to launch the toy arrow projectile and define the regions of the first and second launching elements 22, 24 that act on the toy projectile to launch the same. The midpoint regions 22M, 24M of the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24 define a gap 26 therebetween that is sized to allow movement of a toy arrow projectile therethrough.
The left interior post 141 and the right interior post 18I are proximate to the central region 20 and define a launch region 42 therebetween about which the first elastic launching element 22 and the second elastic launching element 24 are configured to stretch and launch the toy arrow projectile. The left interior post 14I and the right interior post 181 each define the pivot about which the first elastic launching element 22 and the second elastic launching elements 24 bend and/or pivot in concert when stretching.
The first elastic launching element 22 and the second elastic launching element 24 are biased towards the left interior post 141 and right interior post 181, such that the further the first elastic launching element 22 and the second elastic launching element 24 are stretched away from the left interior post 141 and right interior post 18I the more elastic potential energy is created in the first elastic launching element 22 and the second elastic launching element 24.
The central region 20 includes an upper surface 48 and a lower surface 50 (see
The central region 20 defines a platform 20P connecting the inner side 40L of the left body 12L to the inner side 40R of the right body 16R. The central region 20 forms a space 52 between the inner side 40L of the left body 12L and the inner side 40R of the right body 16R, such that the continuous midpoint regions 22M, 24M of the first elastic launching element 22 and the second elastic launching element 24 are disposed above the space 52. The space 52 formed by the central region 20 is for the purpose of creating a clearance between first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24 and the platform 20P to prevent obstruction or interference by the platform 20P during launch of the toy arrow projectile. The platform 20P provides an area where a user may rest a toy arrow projectile when operating the toy projectile launching assembly 10, for instance before or after engaging the first and second launching elements 22, 24.
Referring to
The arm support 58 extends away from the handle 56 so as to engage a user's arm 57 when the user is grasping the handle 56 with his or her hand 59. When engaging the user's arm 57, the arm support 58 stabilizes the toy projectile assembly 10 while the user is drawing or stretching and releasing the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24.
The arm support 58 comprises a pair of symmetrical arms 60 and an arm band 62 that connects the pair of arms 60 to each other. The arm band 62 extends substantially parallel relative to the left wing 12 and the right wing 16. The arm band 62 is configured to engage the user's arm 57 when the handle 56 is grasped. Each of the pair of arms 60 comprises a proximal end 64 and a distal end 66. In embodiments, the arm band 62 is arcuate to conform to the contours or the user's arm 57. The pair of arms 60 are connected to the central region 20 at the proximal ends 64. The pair of arms 60 converge at the proximal ends 64 and diverge towards the distal ends 66. The arm band 62 connects the distal ends 66 of the pair of arms 60 to define an opening 68 between the distal ends 66 and the proximal ends 64. The opening 68 is configured to accommodate at least a portion of the user's arm 57 therethrough when the arm band 62 is engaging the user's arm 57 and the user is grasping the handle 56. In this way, the arm support 58 does not interfere with the user's ability to grasp the handle 56. Each of the pair of arms 60 comprises a first region 60F adjacent the proximal end 64 and a second region 60S adjacent the distal end 66. The first region 60F bends into the second region 60S such that the first region 60F extends substantially parallel relative to the handle 56 and the second region 60S extends substantially orthogonal relative to the handle 56.
Referring to
As the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24 stretch, they gain potential energy. When the toy arrow projectile 70 is released, the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24 retract and the toy arrow projectile 70 is accelerated towards the launch region 42. At the launch region 42, the midpoint regions 22M, 24M of the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24 retracts through the launch region 42. The momentum in the toy arrow projectile 70 formed by the retraction of the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24 causes the toy arrow projectile 70 to continue forward through the launch region 42 and out of the gap 26. This launches the toy arrow projectile 70 into flight as the pair of hook elements 71, 72 disengage the midpoint regions 22M, 24M of the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24.
Referring to
When the toy arrow projectile 70 is loaded, the pair of hook elements 71, 72 vertically engage the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24, such that the pair of hook elements 71, 72 are aligned along a vertical axis. The distance between the pair of hook elements 71, 72 is substantially the same as the distance between the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24, such that when the pair of hooks 71, 72 engage the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24 they do not alter the position and/or distance between the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24. This enables the toy arrow projectile 70 to draw the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24 rearwardly along parallel axes.
When drawing the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24 with the toy arrow projectile 70 the toy arrow projectile exerts a force along a vertical axis 78 that is orthogonal to the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24 and a force along a horizontal axis 80 that is parallel to the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24. Accordingly, when the toy arrow projectile 70 is released, a reciprocal vertical and horizontal force is exerted onto the toy arrow projectile 70, which stabilizes the toy arrow projectile 70 along a linear trajectory, minimizing any rotational force or pull created thereby or exerted thereon by the first and second elastic launching elements 22, 24.
It is understood that when an element is referred hereinabove as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present.
Moreover, any components or materials can be formed from a same, structurally continuous piece or separately fabricated and connected.
It is further understood that, although ordinal terms, such as, “first,” “second,” “third,” are used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, “a first element,” “component,” “region,” “layer” or “section” discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings herein.
Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, are used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It is understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. The term “substantially” is defined as at least 95% of the term being described and/or within a tolerance level known in the art and/or within 5% thereof.
Example embodiments are described herein with reference to cross section illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, example embodiments described herein should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions as illustrated herein, but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated or described as flat may, typically, have rough and/or nonlinear features. Moreover, sharp angles that are illustrated may be rounded. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the present claims.
In conclusion, herein is presented a toy projectile launching assembly. The disclosure is illustrated by example in the drawing figures, and throughout the written description. It should be understood that numerous variations are possible, while adhering to the inventive concept. Such variations are contemplated as being a part of the present disclosure.
