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EP-3942244-B1 - TOY LAUNCHER APPARATUS WITH FEW PARTS AND QUICK AND EASY ASSEMBLY

EP3942244B1EP 3942244 B1EP3942244 B1EP 3942244B1EP-3942244-B1

Inventors

  • TINO, NICHOLAS ALEXANDER
  • SO, HO FAI

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20200318

Claims (15)

  1. A toy launcher apparatus (10) comprising: an outer body (12) having a barrel portion (18), the barrel portion (18) including a valve and mandrel support (112); an integral safety valve and spring (22) having an integral dart contacting portion, a valve plate portion (158), a spring portion (160) and a base portion (162), the safety valve and spring (22) being mounted in the barrel portion (18) of the outer body (12) and supported by the valve and mandrel support (112), the safety valve and spring (22) being movable by a dart loaded in the barrel portion (18); and a valve cap (26) secured to the barrel portion of the outer body (12).
  2. The toy launcher apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an integral cylinder portion (16) and a trigger mounting portion (20) of the outer body (12); a trigger (28) having an integral finger pad portion (220), a latch arm portion (224), a biasing spring portion (222), and opposing pivot shafts (234, 236) mounted on resilient legs (230, 232), the trigger (28) being pivotally connected to the trigger-mounting portion (20) of the outer body (12); a cylinder cap (34) having an opening (60) for a plunger rod (36) and a connector component (62, 64, 66) for engaging a connector component of the cylinder portion (16) of the outer body (12); a plunger rod (36) having a handle (50) at one end and a connector component (52) at an opposite end, the plunger rod (36) extending through the opening of the cylinder cap (34); a piston (30) with an opening (84) and a connector component (86, 88, 90) around the opening (84), the connector component of the piston (86, 88, 90) to enable the piston (30) to interlock with the connector component (52) of the plunger rod (36); and a launch spring (32) mounted around the plunger rod (36), the launch spring (32) being seated between the cylinder cap (34) and the piston (30).
  3. The toy launcher apparatus (10) claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: the dart contact portion of the safety valve and spring (22) includes an extender (150) supported by the valve and mandrel support (112?) of the barrel portion (18) of the outer body (12); the valve plate portion (158) is cup shaped; and the spring portion (160) is wave shaped with one end integral with the valve plate portion (158) and an opposite end integral with the base portion (162).
  4. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 3, wherein: the valve cap (26) includes a tab; and the base portion (162) of the safety valve and spring (22) includes a slot (164, 166) for receiving the tab of the valve cap (26).
  5. The toy launcher apparatus (10) claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: the dart contact portion of the safety valve and spring (22) includes an extender (150) supported by the valve and mandrel support (112) of the barrel portion (18) of the outer body (12); and the spring portion (160) of the safety valve and spring (22) includes a plurality of twisted strips (414, 416, 418), each strip having one end integral with the valve plate portion (158) and an opposite end integral with the base portion (162).
  6. The toy launcher apparatus (10) claimed in claim 5, wherein: the valve plate portion (158) is cup shaped; and the base portion (162) is ring shaped.
  7. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 2, wherein: the pivot shafts (234, 236) are integral with the legs (230, 232); the resilient legs (230, 232) on which the pivot shafts (234, 236) are mounted are spaced apart and flex toward each other during assembly of the launcher apparatus (10); and the pivot shafts (234, 236) move inward with the legs (230, 232).
  8. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 7, wherein: the trigger-mounting portion (20) of the outer body (12) includes two spaced-apart panels (100, 102); each panel (100, 102) includes an opening (104, 106) for receiving a pivot shaft (234, 236) of the trigger (28); and each panel (100, 102) includes a groove (103, 105) from a front edge of the arm panel (100, 102) to the opening (104, 106).
  9. The toy launcher apparatus (10) claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: the dart contact portion of safety valve and spring (22) includes an extender supported (150) by the valve and mandrel support (112) of the barrel portion (18) of the outer body (12); the valve plate portion (158) is cup shaped; and the spring portion (160) is integral at one end with the valve plate portion (158) and at an opposite end integral with the base portion (162).
  10. The toy launcher apparatus (10) claimed in claim 9, wherein: the valve cap (26) includes a tab; the base portion (162) includes a slot for receiving the tab of the valve cap (26); and the spring portion (160) includes a wave shaped spring.
  11. The toy launcher apparatus (10) claimed in claim 10, wherein: the spring portion (160) of the safety valve and spring (22) includes a plurality of twisted strips (414, 416, 418), the strips having one end integral with the valve plate portion (158) and an opposite end integral with the base portion (162); and the base portion (162) is ring shaped.
  12. The toy launcher apparatus (10) claimed in claim 11 when dependent on claim 2, wherein: the pivot shafts (234, 236) are integral with the legs (230, 232); the resilient legs (230, 232) on which the pivot shafts (234, 236) are mounted are spaced apart and flex toward each other during assembly of the launcher apparatus (10); and the pivot shafts (234, 236) move inward with the legs (230, 232).
  13. The toy launcher apparatus (10) claimed in claim 10 when dependent on claim 2, wherein: the trigger-mounting portion (20) of the outer body (12) includes two spaced-apart panels (100, 102); each panel (100, 102) includes an opening (104, 106) for receiving a pivot shaft (234, 236) of the trigger (28); and each panel (100, 102) includes a groove (103, 105) from a front edge of the arm panel (100, 102) to the opening (104, 106).
  14. The toy launcher apparatus (10) claimed in claim 2 or claim 11 when dependent on claim 2, wherein: the piston includes a recess (80) and a ledge (81) to enable engagement with the latch arm portion (224) of the trigger (28).
  15. A method for assembling a toy launcher apparatus (10) including the steps of: providing an outer body (12), an integral safety valve and spring (22), a valve cap (26), a trigger (28), a piston (30), a launch spring (32), a cylinder cap (34) and a plunger rod (36), wherein the outer body (12) includes an integral cylinder portion (16), a barrel portion (18) and a trigger-mounting portion (20), the trigger (28) includes an integral finger pad portion (220), a latch arm (224), a biasing portion (222) and resilient legs (230, 232), the plunger rod (36) includes a connector component (52), the piston (20) includes an opening (84) and a connector component (86, 88, 90) formed around the opening (84), the cylinder cap (34) includes an opening (60) and a connector component (62, 64, 66), the plunger rod (36) includes a connector component (52) at one end, the barrel portion (18) includes a valve and mandrel support (112), and each resilient leg (230, 232) includes an integral pivot shaft (234, 236); sliding the plunger rod (36) through the opening (60) in the cylinder cap (34); sliding the launch spring (32) over the plunger rod (36) to seat in the cylinder cap (34); connecting the piston connector component (86, 88, 90) and the plunger rod connector component (52); inserting a sub-assembly of the piston (30), the launch spring (32), and the plunger rod (34) into the cylinder portion (16) of the outer body (12); connecting the cylinder cap connector component (62, 64, 66) and the connector component of the cylinder portion (16); inserting the integral safety valve and spring (22) into the barrel portion (18) of the outer body (12); connecting the valve cap (26) to the barrel portion (18) of the outer body (12); flexing the legs (230, 232) of the trigger (28); and engaging the pivot shafts (234, 236) of the trigger (28) with the trigger-mounting portion (20) of the outer body (12).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to toy launcher apparatus and, more particularly, to toy dart launchers having few but integral parts and an assembly process that is quick and easy. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various toy and game launchers using high-pressure air are known in the art, as exemplified by US Patent 1,441,975 issued in 1923, US Patent 1,488,995 issued in 1924, and, more recently, US 8,397,705 and US 8,567,378, both issued in 2013, and US Patent 8,875,688 issued in 2014. Also, various valves and triggers are known in the art, including safety valves, exemplified by US Patent 3,054,536 issued in 1962, US Patent 3,420,133 issued in 1969, US Patent 5,529,050 issued in 1996, and Patent Application Publication 2010/0206281, published in 2010. US 2013/239939 A1 relates to a safety valve for a toy air gun apparatus in which the toy air gun includes a piston and a drive spring mounted in a grip portion of the air gun. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is a toy launcher apparatus according to claim 1, and a method according to claim 15. The inventive toy dart launcher is simply constructed with few and relatively inexpensive parts, and yet the toy launcher is structurally robust. Moreover, because of the few parts, the toy dart launcher may be easily snapped together. One of the integral parts is a trigger that includes a trigger pull, a return spring, a piston latch and snap-fit pivot shafts. Another part is an integral outer body that includes two parallel panels with openings for receiving the trigger, a cylinder and a barrel, and in the barrel, a Y-shaped element that mounts a mandrel. A safety valve and spring is another integral part of the toy dart launcher that includes a valve plate and three extending fingers, a spring and a base that is received into the barrel and may be restrained against rotation. Yet another part is a one-piece piston that includes an opening and resilient tabs around the opening to snap-fit with an upper end of a plunger rod. Another part of the launcher is a cylinder cap with an opening for the plunger rod and protrusions that are received by sockets molded with the cylinder of the outer body such that a slight twist or an inline snap-fit connects the cylinder cap to the outer body. Another snap-fit component on the outer body may be used to connect a decorative shell to the top of the outer body. The result of these arrangements is a very inexpensive toy with great play value. Briefly summarized, the invention relates to a toy dart launcher apparatus including an outer body having a barrel portion, the barrel portion including a valve and mandrel support, a safety valve and spring having an integral dart contacting portion, a valve plate portion, a spring portion and a base portion, the safety valve and spring being mounted in the barrel portion of the outer body and supported by the valve and mandrel support, the safety valve and spring being movable by a dart loaded in the barrel portion, and a valve cap secured to the barrel portion of the outer body. The launcher apparatus may further comprise an integral cylinder portion and a trigger mounting portion of the outer body, a trigger having an integral finger pad portion, a latch arm portion, a biasing spring portion, and opposing pivot shafts mounted on resilient legs, the trigger being pivotally connected to the trigger-mounting portion of the outer body, a cylinder cap having an opening for a plunger rod and a connector component for engaging a connector component of the cylinder portion of the outer body, a plunger rod having a handle at one end and a connector component at an opposite end, the plunger rod extending through the opening of the cylinder cap, a piston with an opening and a connector component around the opening, the connector component of the piston to enable the piston to interlock with the connector component of the plunger rod, and a launch spring mounted around the plunger rod, the launch spring being seated between the cylinder cap and the piston. The invention also relates to a method for assembling a toy dart launcher apparatus including the steps of providing an outer body, an integral safety valve and spring, a valve cap, a trigger, a piston, a launch spring, a cylinder cap and a plunger rod, wherein the outer body includes an integral cylinder portion, a barrel portion and a trigger-mounting portion, the trigger includes an integral finger pad portion, a latch arm, a biasing portion and resilient legs, the plunger rod includes a connector component, the piston includes an opening and a connector component formed around the opening, the cylinder cap includes an opening and a connector component, the plunger rod includes a connector component at one end, the barrel portion includes a valve and mandrel support, and each resilient leg includes an integral pivot shaft, sliding the plunger rod through the opening in the cylinder cap, sliding the launch spring o