Abstract:
An apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun is provided. The apparatus includes a dart sensor lever, a linkage, a transmission mechanism between the dart sensor lever and the linkage, and a pivot attached to the gun body. The dart sensor lever is linked with the pivot so that it will swing around the pivot. The transmission mechanism is linked with the linkage, which causes the linkage to move. Other modifications and features suitable for practice therewith, and methods and means of operating the device, are also disclosed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a), the instant application claims priority to prior Hong Kong application number 11104743.9, filed May 13, 2011; and People&#39;s Republic of China application number 201110124281.0, filed May 13, 2011. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a transmission apparatus and a transmission method, more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As toy guns loaded with foam darts are with fun and safety, they are popular with children. The foam darts usually have separate darts and barrels. After being loaded into the barrels, the darts together with the barrels are then loaded into the magazines. In the prior art, in order to re-load new darts, a player has to take out the magazine and release the barrel when all the darts have been fired. The solution has drawbacks that such cumbersome procedures may affect the game progress and emotion of the players when they are in the exciting game with the toy gun. However, since there are darts in the barrels or not, only barrels are not enough for the toy guns. If the barrels with darts are ejected, it will cost the waste of darts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun, which is capable of detecting whether or not there is a dart in the barrel, aiming at the drawbacks that darts can be wasted since a barrel with a dart may be ejected during the ejection of the barrel in the prior art. 
     An apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun is provided, which comprises a dart sensor lever, a linkage, a transmission mechanism between the dart sensor lever and the linkage, and a pivot attached to the gun body; wherein, the dart sensor lever is linked with the pivot to swing around it, and the transmission mechanism is linked with the linkage for driving the linkage to move. 
     In the apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun according to the embodiment of the present invention, a contacting end of the dart sensor lever is linked to the transmission mechanism while a free end of the dart sensor lever droops at the position where the head part of the dart in the barrel is located. 
     In the apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun according to the embodiment of the present invention, the contacting end of the dart sensor lever is provided with a hook and the transmission mechanism is provided with a corresponding groove coordinating with the hook. 
     In the apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun according to the embodiment of the present invention, the transmission mechanism is a connecting rod which is linked to the contacting end of the dart sensor lever. 
     In the apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun according to the embodiment of the present invention, the contacting end of the dart sensor lever leans to the transmission mechanism; and the contacting surface of the transmission mechanism is an inclined plane. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun, wherein, the above mentioned apparatus is utilized in the method; when a free end of a dart sensor lever is lapped with a dart, the method comprises the following steps: 
     the free end of the dart sensor lever is moved by the dart so that the dart sensor lever swings around a pivot; 
     a contacting end of the dart sensor lever presses a transmission mechanism linked therewith so as to move the transmission mechanism; 
     the transmission mechanism drives a linkage linked therewith to move so as to transmit the information whether or not there is a dart in the barrel. 
     The advantageous effects of the present invention are: with the apparatus and the method for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun according to the present invention, a barrel with a dart therein will not be ejected out by mistake, while just an empty barrel will be ejected out. 
     These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments in the following. In the Figures: 
         FIG. 1  is a structure diagram for an apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun and the toy gun with the apparatus thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  are structure diagrams for a transmission mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are structure diagrams for a transmission mechanism according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are structure diagrams for a transmission mechanism according to the third embodiment of the present invention; 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Hereinafter, in order to make the objectives, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments herein are only provided for explanation purpose instead of limiting the present invention. Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3B , only for illustrating purpose, an apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun and the toy gun with the apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , the apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun comprises a dart sensor lever  10 , a linkage  20 , a transmission mechanism  30  and a pivot  40 . Wherein, the pivot is fixed and attached to the gun body; the dart sensor lever  10  is linked with the pivot  40  to swing around it. The transmission mechanism  30  is arranged between the dart sensor lever  10  and the linkage  20  and is also linked with the linkage  20  for driving the linkage  20  to move. 
     The free end  120 , which is close to one side of the pivot  40 , of the dart sensor lever  10  droops freely at the position where the head part of the dart  3  in the barrel is located. The barrel  2  station in the magazine is located close to the barrel  2  station in the gun barrel  1  and is in front of the bullet station in the gun barrel  1  in the rotation direction of the magazine. 
     The contacting end  110 , which is corresponding to the free end  120  and close to the other side of the pivot  40 , of the dart sensor lever  10  is linked to the transmission mechanism  30 . The specific link type, which depends on the structures of both the transmission mechanism  30  and the corresponding contacting end  110 , can be contacting link, snap-fits or fixed connection, and so on. 
     In the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , a hook is provided at the tail end of the contacting end  110  of the dart sensor lever  10 , while a groove coordinating with the hook is provided in the transmission mechanism  30 . As the hook inserts into the corresponding groove, a snap-fits is formed between the contacting end  110  and the transmission mechanism  30 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , when the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  is not lapped with a dart  3 , the free end  120  droops freely without the effect of an external force. As shown in  FIG. 2B , when the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  is lapped with a dart  3 , the free end  120  may deviate from its original location and tilt upward with the dart  3  pressing against the free end  120 , so as to make the dart sensor lever  10  begin to swing around the pivot  40 . Then during the swing, the dart sensor lever  10  drives the contacting end  110  to press downward in order to make the hook arranged at the tail end of the contacting end  110  pull down the transmission mechanism  30  in the groove arranged in the transmission mechanism  30 . In the process of pulling down, the transmission mechanism  30  may move downward subsequently and its position may be lowered correspondingly, causing the linkage  20  linked therewith to move downward along with it finally. When the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  is not lapped with a dart  3  again, the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  may revert to the state of drooping freely, and the external force on the transmission mechanism  30  applied by the contacting end  110  has been removed. As a result, the transmission mechanism  30  may return to its original location; meanwhile, the linkage  20  may return to its original location as well. 
     In the second embodiment of the present invention, the transmission mechanism  30  is provided as a connecting rod, one end of which is linked with the contacting end  110  of the dart sensor lever  10  and the other end of which is linked with the linkage  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3A , when the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  is not lapped with a dart, the free end  120  droops freely. As shown in  FIG. 3B , when the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  is lapped with a dart, as described above, the pressure upward by the dart may be transmitted to the linkage  20  through the swing of the dart sensor lever  10  and the transmission of the transmission mechanism  30  as the connecting rod. 
     In the third embodiment of the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the contacting end  110  may be contacting linked with the transmission mechanism  30  and the contacting surface of the transmission mechanism  30  is an inclined plane. As shown in  FIG. 4A , when the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  is not lapped with a dart, the free end  120  droops freely and the contacting end  110  leans to the inclined plane of the transmission mechanism  30 . As shown in  FIG. 4B , when the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  110  is lapped with a dart, under the pressure upward by the dart, the free end  120  may deviate from its original location and tilt upward, so that the dart sensor lever  10  may begin to swing around the pivot  40 . Then during the swing, the contacting end  110  is driven to press against the inclined plane of the transmission mechanism  30 . As the contacting surface of the transmission mechanism  30  is an inclined plane, the pressure induced by pressing, which is perpendicular to the inclined plane, may have a component in the upward direction. Thus, under the pressure of the contacting end  110 , the transmission mechanism  30  along with the linkage  20  in fixed connection with it may move upward together. When the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  is not lapped with a dart, the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  droops freely, and the pressure on the transmission mechanism  30  applied by the contacting end  110  has been removed, so the transmission mechanism  30  and the linkage  20  may return to its original location, respectively. 
     Three kinds of exemplary structures of the transmission mechanism  30  have been illustrated above. Of course, other transmission mechanisms can be utilized for the apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun in the embodiment of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments described herein are provided for illustrative purpose, and not limiting. Other exemplary embodiments are possible, and modification may be made to the exemplary embodiments within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     In a method for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  is lapped with a dart  3 , the apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun as described above may be utilized to perform the following steps: 
     the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  is lifted upward by the dart  3 , so that the dart sensor lever  10  swings around a pivot  40 ; 
     a contacting end  110  of the dart sensor lever  10  is driven to press downward a transmission mechanism  30  linked therewith so as to move the transmission mechanism  30 ; 
     the transmission mechanism  30  begins to drive a linkage  20  linked therewith to move. 
     When the free end  120  of the dart sensor lever  10  is not lapped with a dart, each component may be in a free state without the effect an external force. As a result, no movements may occur. 
     It can be found from above that whether or not there is a dart  3  in a corresponding barrel  2  to be ejected can be detected by providing an apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun in the toy gun and utilizing the corresponding method for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun. Specifically, the dart  3  in the barrel  2  to be ejected may press against the dart sensor lever  10  so as to drive it to swing. After the effect of pressing has been transmitted to a transmission mechanism  30  linked with the dart sensor lever  10  through swinging, the transmission mechanism  30  may be driven to move correspondingly. During the moving, the transmission mechanism  30  may drive a linkage  20  linked therewith to move together with it. Finally, the information of which whether or not there is a dart in the barrel  2  to be ejected may be transmitted to other components in the toy gun, so that the ejection of the barrel  2  may be implemented. As a result, when the apparatus for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun has been provided in the toy gun and the corresponding method for detecting the dart in a barrel of a toy gun has been utilized as well, a barrel with a dart therein will not be ejected out by mistake.