Patent ID: 9134091
Filing Date: 2015-09-15
Classification: F41B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A toy launch apparatus comprising: a housing configured to receive one or more projectiles at the housing; a cylinder mounted to the housing; a piston mounted in the cylinder to enable relative movement between the cylinder and the piston; a launch spring connected to the piston and the cylinder for causing the relative movement of the cylinder and the piston, the launch spring being movable between a cocked configuration and a relaxed configuration; a variable volume air chamber formed in the cylinder between the cylinder and the piston, the air chamber having a predetermined first length when the launch spring is in the cocked configuration and a predetermined second length when the launch spring is in the relaxed configuration; air escape structure in communication with the air chamber for allowing air located in the air chamber to easily escape during relative movement of the cylinder and the piston when the length of the air chamber is between the first length and a third length that is shorter than the first length and greater than the second length, wherein the air escape structure includes the cylinder having a first inner diameter when the length of the air chamber is between the first length and the third length and the air escape structure includes the cylinder having a second smaller inner diameter when the length of the air chamber is between the third length and the second length, and wherein the air escape structure enables air forward of the piston to be easily expelled during the relative movement between the cylinder and the piston when the length of the air chamber is between the first length and the third length; and an air passageway for communicating air enabling the piston to expel air from the cylinder to launch the one or more projectiles from the housing during the relative movement between the cylinder and the piston when the length of the air chamber is between the third length and the second length with rapidly increasing pressure in the second portion of the cylinder.