Rapid fire air-powered toy gun and pliable projectiles for shooting therefrom

An air-powered toy gun is described. The toy gun includes a main housing with a barrel extending therefrom. The main housing is formed to accept a projectile cartridge and align a bullet chamber of the cartridge with the barrel. An air cylinder is attached with the main housing, with a two-way plunger positioned within the air cylinder. A forestock is slidably attached with the housing and attached with the two-way plunger to allow the two-way plunger to be forced fore and aft within the air cylinder. Conduits and valves are attached with the air cylinder to fluidly connect the air cylinder with the bullet chamber of the cartridge. Further, an indexing mechanism is attached with the main housing. The indexing mechanism is operably connected with the forsestock such that upon each fore and aft motion of the forestock, the indexing mechanism draws a cartridge through the main housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of Invention

The present invention relates to an air-powered toy gun and, more particularly, to an air-powered, machine-gun type toy gun that rapidly shoots pliable projectiles.

(2) Description of Related Art

Toy projectiles have long been known in the art. Toy projectiles are often expelled by toy guns to simulate the firing of a weapon. To reduce injury, several toy guns have been created to fire “soft” projectiles. The soft projectiles are presumably softer and less dangerous than their metallic counterparts. By way of example, several toy companies sell toy guns that shoot plastic or foam bullets. Both the plastic and foam bullets do not possess the mass of a real metallic bullet and, therefore, are less dangerous.

An advantage of plastic bullets is that they are solid and, as such, are less influenced by air currents than foam bullets. In other words, after being fired by a toy gun, a solid and plastic projectile is more likely than a porous projectile (i.e., the foam bullet) to shoot straight. A disadvantage to such plastic bullets is that they are solid and, although softer than metal, can still cause injury. Additionally, because they are typically solid, such plastic bullets do not stick to their target and readily “bounce off” of the target. Alternatively, a foam bullet is much softer than a plastic bullet which reduces the risk of injury from such a projectile. However, as noted above, the foam bullet is subject to being influenced by air currents and, as such, does not shoot straight (or as far) as a plastic bullet. As was the case with a plastic bullet, a foam bullet also does not stick to its target.

As noted above, both the plastic and foam bullets do not possess the mass of a real metallic bullet and, therefore, are typically less dangerous. While a manufacturer may sell a toy gun with such plastic or foam bullets, users often misuse the items and have been known to stick foreign objects into such toy guns. For example, a user may attempt to shoot a marble out of a toy gun instead of the plastic bullets included with the gun. While the marble could possibly shoot farther, it is considerably harder and more dangerous as a projectile than a plastic bullet. To prevent a user from shooting such foreign objects, projections or other markings are often included in the barrel of the toy gun. For example, the barrel may have protrusions, while the plastic bullet includes corresponding indentations. Thus, the plastic bullet is specifically formed to matingly engage with markings in the barrel. However, because of the protrusions (markings), foreign objects do not fit properly within the barrel and are less likely to be fired or expelled by the toy gun. As such, a toy gun requires such markings for safety reasons.

Thus, a continuing need exists for a soft projectile that is safer than a plastic bullet, that is less influenced by air current than a foam bullet, that is capable of sticking to its target, and that can conform to the safety markings of a corresponding toy gun to form an air tight seal for effective firing from the gun. Further, a need exists for a toy gun that is operable for rapidly shooting such projectiles. Thus, the present invention is directed to a rapid fire air-powered toy gun and pliable projectiles for shooting therefrom.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

While considering the failure of others to make use of all of the above components in this technology space, the inventor unexpectedly realized that a pliable projectile (e.g., dehydrated pulp-based projectile) would increase safety while being less influenced by air current. Also, it was unexpectedly realized that such a pulp-based projectile, when rehydrated, would be capable of making an air tight seal in a bullet chamber that includes safety projections and, when fired, sticking to a target. Further, it was unexpectedly realized that an air-powered gun could be used to safely shoot the projectiles at great distances without compromising safety.

Thus, the present invention is directed to an air-powered toy gun. The toy gun includes a main housing with a barrel extending therefrom. The main housing is formed to accept a projectile cartridge and align a bullet chamber of the cartridge with the barrel. An air cylinder is attached with the main housing, with a two-way plunger positioned within the air cylinder. A forestock is slidably attached with the housing and attached with the two-way plunger to allow the two-way plunger to be forced fore and aft within the air cylinder. Conduits and valves are attached with the air cylinder to fluidly connect the air cylinder with the bullet chamber of the cartridge. Further, an indexing mechanism is attached with the main housing. The indexing mechanism is operably connected with the forsestock such that upon each fore and aft motion of the forestock, the indexing mechanism draws a cartridge through the main housing.

In another aspect, an indexing blade is attached with the forestock. Additionally, the indexing mechanism includes an indexing arm and an indexing gear operably connected with the indexing arm. The indexing arm is attached with the main housing such that fore and aft motion of the forestock causes the indexing blade to engage with the indexing arm and, thereby, rotate the indexing gear to draw a cartridge through the main housing.

In yet another aspect, the present invention includes a cartridge with a plurality of bullet chambers for encasing a plurality of projectiles. Further, the cartridge includes projections formed through each bullet chamber. Pulpous projectiles can be included for positioning within the cartridge, the pulpous projectiles including a fluorescent material therein. Additionally, a glow-in-the-dark material or solution can also be added to the projectiles. Additionally, a UV light can be mounted to the main housing to illuminate (or fluoresce) the projectiles once fired from the toy gun.

Finally, as can be appreciated by one in the art, the present invention also comprises a method for forming and using the pliable projectile and toy gun described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As described above, toy projectiles have long been known in the art. However, toy projectiles of the prior art are known to bounce off of their target, are influenced by air currents, and/or can present a risk of injury. Thus, the present invention improves upon the prior art by providing a pliable projectile that is less prone to causing injury. Further, for rapid-fire actions, the present invention provides an air-powered, machine-gun type toy gun for rapidly shooting such projectiles.

FIG. 1Adepicts a pliable projectile100for use with the present invention. The pliable projectile100is any suitable projectile that is capable of conforming to the markings/shape of the bullet chamber (described below) and forming an air tight seal therein and being expelled from the bullet chamber, non-limiting examples of which include clay, Styrofoam, and a pulp-based material. For example, projectile100is formed of a dehydrated pulp material, a non-limiting example of which includes paper. Thus, in one aspect, the projectile100is formed of dehydrated paper-pulp, such that when rehydrated, projectile100is soft and capable of sticking to its target. Other non-limiting examples of suitable materials for forming the projectile include wood pulp, recycled or virgin pulp, bleached or natural pulp, colored pulp, a starch-based material (e.g., peanuts), or a fiber/filler with a binding material such as starch or water-based glue. Additional non-limiting examples include a rice-based material, dehydrated gels, a hydro-polymer (similar to the absorbent polymer material used in a diaper), and a sponge material that is compressed and dehydrated.

As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the projectile100can be formed in a variety of shapes, non-limiting examples of which include being round, or shaped as that depicted inFIG. 1A. As shown, the projectile can include a rounded tip portion102and a hollowed base104. The hollowed base104is a depression (i.e., concave) formed in the back end of the projectile100.

In operation, the pliable projectile100can be positioned within the bullet chamber (e.g., gun clip or cartridge) of the toy gun and then formed around the markings/shape of the bullet chamber. For example, the toy gun or bullet chamber can be dipped in water, which would cause the projectile to absorb the water (rehydrate) and soften. An advantage to being pulp based is that the projectile100is more solid than foam and, as such, generally shoots straighter and further than foam. However, when rehydrated, the projectile100has the propensity to stick to its target as it becomes pliable and sticky through rehydration.

The pliable projectile100is to be used with an air-powered toy gun. As a non-limiting example,FIG. 1Bdepicts an air-powered toy gun110according to the present invention. The toy gun110is capable of propelling the pliable projectile and includes the corresponding bullet chamber120(within the gun cartridge). The bullet chamber120is formed in any suitable manner such that it prevents foreign objects from forming an air tight seal therein, while allowing the pliable projectile to conform to the form of the bullet chamber120and form an air tight seal therebetween. Non-limiting examples of suitable forms include having markings (e.g., projections and/or depressions, as depicted inFIGS. 1C through 1G) and being shaped to prevent standard objects from sealing therein (as depicted inFIGS. 1H and 1I).

FIG. 1Cillustrates a close-up view of an example bullet chamber120that is capable of accommodating the pliable projectile. As shown, the bullet chamber120(i.e., as formed in a bullet clip) can be formed to include markings (i.e., projections122) running therethrough. The projections122are used as a safety mechanism to prevent a user from shooting unsafe projectiles. For example, it would be undesirable to allow a user to use a toy gun to shoot marbles or other hard items which could potentially cause harm. As such, in this case, the projections122prevent another round item from being positioned within the chamber120and creating an air tight seal. Because the toy gun is air powered, if an air seal is not maintained, it is unlikely that the toy gun can expel the projectile. However, as used with the present invention and because the pulp-based projectile is dehydrated and rehydratable, when the pulp-based projectile is positioned within the chamber120and dipped into water, the projectile becomes rehydrated, pliable, and expands. As such, in operation, the rehydrated pulp-based projectile expands around the projections122to create an air tight seal within the chamber120. Alternatively and as can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, instead of expanding, the now pliable projectile can be forced into the chamber120and around the projections122to create the air tight seal. In either event, the combination of a toy gun that includes a barrel chamber with projections122and a pulp-based projectile that is capable of conforming its shape to the barrel and projections122provides a unique feature not found in the prior art.

As noted above, the present invention includes both the combination of a pliable projectile and a toy gun having a bullet chamber that is formed to prevent a foreign projectile from forming an air tight seal within the bullet chamber. For example, preventing such an air tight seal can be accomplished with projections122(or depressions). It should be understood that although the present application may refer to projections, depressions can be similarly used to prevent a round object from forming an airtight seal within a chamber. For example, if a rut or channel is formed along the length of the bullet chamber, a round pellet would not be able to form an air tight seal within the chamber. However, using the pliable (e.g., pulp-based) projectiles of the present invention, the pulp-based projectile, when rehydrated, becomes pliable and can be pushed into or expanded into the depression, thereby forming an air tight seal. Thus, although the term projection may be used herein, the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto as the term projection and depression can be used interchangeably as markings. Additionally, it should also be understand that altering the shape of the bullet chamber can also be used to prevent a foreign projectile from forming an air tight seal within the bullet chamber.

As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, there are numerous shapes of markings (e.g., projections or depressions) that can be used to prevent a hardened, round object from forming an air tight seal within a chamber. As depicted inFIG. 1C, the projection122is a simple protrusion or ridge that runs along the inside of the barrel. However, the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto as it is generally directed to any bullet chamber that is formed to prevent a foreign projectile from forming an air tight seal therewith.

For example,FIGS. 1D through 1Idepict various bullet chamber shapes that are in accordance with the present invention. More specifically,FIG. 1D-1depicts a cross-section of an empty bullet chamber130with a projection132therein. Depicted inFIG. 1D-2is the bullet chamber130with a foreign projectile134positioned within the bullet chamber130, which illustrates the gap136between the chamber walls131and the foreign projectile134. The gap136prevents a foreign projectile134from forming an air tight seal within the bullet chamber130. Alternatively,FIG. 1D-3illustrates the bullet chamber130with a pliable projectile138, in which the pliable projectile138conforms to the chamber walls131to form an air tight seal within the bullet chamber130.

As another example,FIG. 1E-1depicts a cross-section of an empty bullet chamber140with multiple projections142therein. Depicted inFIG. 1E-2is the bullet chamber140with a foreign projectile144positioned within the bullet chamber140, which illustrates the gap146between the chamber walls141and the foreign projectile144. The gap146prevents a foreign projectile144from forming an air tight seal within the bullet chamber140. Alternatively,FIG. 1E-3illustrates the bullet chamber140with a pliable projectile148, in which the pliable projectile148conforms to the chamber walls141and projections142to form an air tight seal within the bullet chamber140.

As another Example,FIGS. 1F and 1Gdepict a bullet chamber150with various-shaped depressions152. Due to the depressions, gaps154remain when a foreign projectile156(e.g., hard, round object) is positioned within the bullet chamber150. The gap154exists at the location of the depression152between the chamber walls151and the foreign projectile156. Alternatively, the pliable projectile158conforms to the shape of the bullet chamber150and its chamber walls151to form an air tight seal therein.

As another example,FIGS. 1H and 1Idepict bullet chambers160′ and160″ that are formed in various shapes such that the shape alone prevents a foreign projectile162from forming an air tight seal therein. For example,FIG. 1His an oval-shaped bullet chamber160′ whileFIG. 1Idepicts a triangular-shaped bullet chamber160″. In both cases and as can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the inherent shape of the bullet chamber prevents the foreign projectile162from forming an air tight seal against all of the chamber walls161. Alternatively, the pliable projectile164is pliable and can conform to the shape of the bullet chambers160′ and160″ to form an air tight seal against the chamber walls161.

Thus, the air-powered toy gun of the present invention includes a bullet chamber that is shaped to prevent a foreign projectile (e.g., a hard, round object) from forming an air tight seal therein. This can be accomplished through any suitable manner, non-limiting examples of which include projections, depressions, or forming the bullet chamber such that it is a non-conforming shape to that of the foreign projectile. It should also be appreciated that the bullet chamber can be formed within the barrel of the toy gun itself or formed as a bullet clip that attaches with the toy gun.

As illustrated inFIG. 1Band mentioned above, the present invention is directed to an air-powered toy gun110. The air-powered toy gun110is operable for shooting the projectiles therefrom. As shown in the side, cross-sectional view depicted inFIG. 2, in order to pneumatically propel a projectile, the toy gun110includes a cartridge200for placement of the projectiles. The cartridge200includes the chamber120as described above and allows for rapid succession fire of multiple projectiles. The cartridge200, when positioned through the main housing202, aligns one of the chambers120with a barrel204. A forestock206is slideably attached with the main housing202to allow the user to repeatedly slide the forestock206fore and aft to create a repetitive pumping motion. The forestock206is connected with a two-way plunger208that is disposed within an air cylinder210. At each end of the air cylinder is an air cylinder cap212that allows air pumped toward the respect end to be channeled through a series of conduits211(e.g., piping) and air control valves so that it is directed to the chamber120when positioned in the main housing202.

Further, the toy gun110includes cartridge indexing mechanism214that pulls the cartridge200through the main housing202. Importantly, for each fore and aft motion of the forestock206, the indexing mechanism214pulls the cartridge200into the housing by a distance of one bullet chamber120to successively align each bullet chamber120with the barrel204. The indexing mechanism214is any suitable mechanism or device that is capable of drawing a cartridge through a housing, a non-limiting example of which includes a rotatable indexing gear215that engages with corresponding indentations within the cartridge200to pull the cartridge200through the main housing202. Further, the indexing mechanism214includes an indexing arm217and cam (shown inFIG. 3) that are operably connected with the indexing gear215and that are triggered by the sliding forestock206. An indexing blade219is attached with the forestock206such that in each fore and aft motion, the indexing blade219engages with indexing arm217to initiate and actuate the indexing mechanism214, thereby causing the indexing mechanism214to pull the cartridge200one bullet chamber120in each successive motion.

Thus, as the user moves the forestock206forward, the plunger208forces air through the air cylinder cap212and the conduits211and air control valves so that it is directed to the chamber120of the cartridge200, which forces the projectile from the chamber120and out of the barrel204. As the user pulls the forestock206backwards, it immediately causes indexing blade219to engage with the indexing arm217to activate the indexing mechanism214and load a new bullet chamber120within the main housing202. As the forestock206is moved further backwards, the plunger208forces air from the rear air cylinder cap212, which again forces air through the conduits211and air control valves, with the air ultimately directed to the chamber120of the cartridge200. This forces yet another projectile from the chamber120and out of the barrel204. As the user forces the forestock206forward again, it again causes the indexing blade219to engage with the indexing arm217to activate the indexing mechanism214and load a new projectile within the main housing202. Thus, for each fore motion and again for each aft motion, a projectile is propelled from the toy gun110. This enables a user to rapidly shoot a series of projectiles from the toy gun110while pumping the forestock206fore and aft.

As shown inFIG. 3, another unique aspect of the present invention is the inclusion of air-release slots300formed through the air cylinder27(element210inFIG. 2). The air-release slots300can be formed as slots (as depicted inFIG. 3) that are formed along the length of the top and bottom (not depicted) of the air cylinder27. The air-release slots300allow air to escape mid stroke, and then only generate a seal after the plunger is slid passed the slots300, thereby relieving pressure on the system until the point when the user has generated some amount of velocity after a period of acceleration, which give us a greater impact force and higher momentary pressure.

For further understanding,FIG. 3is an exploded-view illustration of the air-powered toy gun110according to the present invention. A key to the numerals depicted inFIG. 3is as follows:1. shoulder stock housing (right)2. shoulder stock housing (left)4. air cylinder cap (rear)6. 2-way plunger7. cylinder cover (rear)8. air control valve rear cap9. indexing blade10. side cartridge guide11. cartridge that includes the bullet chamber (magazine type)12. rear iron sight13. main housing (left)14. forestock (left)15. inner housing (left)16. rear air nozzle (left)17. 1-way air valve gasket18. 1-way air valve gasket19. air control valve20. inner housing (right)22. main housing (right)23. rear side panel (right)24. forestock (right)25. side cartridge guide26. front side panel (right)27. air cylinder29. rear air nozzle (right)31. rear side panel (left)32. front side panel (left)33. scope housing (left)34. scope body35. front muzzle (left)37. cartridge release button38. cartridge indexing clutch (rear)43. cartridge indexing clutch (front)46. indexing cam47. indexing arm49. indexing arm inner housing57. barrel o-ring58. barrel cap (rear)60. indexing gear62. front iron sight/rail63. barrel66. air cylinder cap (front)69. scope housing (right)70. front muzzle (right)

Therefore and repeated here for clarity, the present invention is directed to an air-powered toy gun110that can be used with a pliable projectile (or any other suitable projectile). By applying air pressure to the projectile, the projectile is expelled from the barrel and shot to a surface, such as a wall. Because the projectile can be soaked in water and pulpous, it maintains a sticky composition, allowing it to “splat” and stick to the wall.

It should be noted that additional features can be added to the present invention. For example, the invention can be formed to include a tracer function. In this aspect, a fluorescent material (a fluorescent dye) or solution can be added to the projectiles. Additionally, a glow-in-the-dark material or solution can also be added to the projectiles. Additionally and referring again toFIG. 2, the toy gun110can optionally have a UV light220mounted to it such that when a user shoots the projectile, the UV light220illuminates it, causing it to glow as it flies through the air. Finally, when the projectile “splats” against a surface, some of the fluorescent material may be expelled from the projectile which would illuminate the splat when exposed to the UV light220.