Abstract:
A toy gun capable of squirting liquid and launching projectiles, the toy gun comprising or including a liquid squirting mechanism actuatable to expel liquid in a squirting manner, a projectile launching mechanism actuatable to launch a projectile, a trigger moveable between two limits, wherein movement of the trigger between its two limits can actuate both the liquid squirting mechanism and the projectile launching mechanism.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to toy guns. 
       BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    There are many different types of toy guns. Water guns and guns that launch projectiles (such as foam darts) are two popular types of toy guns. 
         [0003]    A simple water gun normally includes a water reservoir, a trigger actuated pump, and a nozzle. Pulling and releasing the trigger can cause the pump to draw water from the reservoir and then expel it through the nozzle. 
         [0004]    A simple dart gun normally includes a dart chamber, trigger, and an air compressor. A trigger can be used to release compressed air into the dart chamber to launch the dart. 
         [0005]    It is uncommon to see a toy gun incorporating both water gun and dart gun functionality. 
         [0006]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved toy gun or to at least provide the public with a useful choice. 
         [0007]    It is a further or alternative object of the present invention to provide a toy gun with both water squirting and projectile launching functionality. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In a first aspect the present invention consists in a toy gun capable of squirting liquid and launching projectiles, the toy gun comprising or including: 
         [0009]    a liquid squirting mechanism actuatable to expel liquid in a squirting manner, 
         [0010]    a projectile launching mechanism actuatable to launch a projectile, 
         [0011]    a trigger moveable between two limits, wherein movement of the trigger between its two limits can actuate both the liquid squirting mechanism and the projectile launching mechanism. 
         [0012]    Preferably the trigger forms part of a trigger body, the trigger body comprising a liquid squirting mechanism actuating portion and a projectile launching mechanism trigger portion. 
         [0013]    Preferably the trigger and the trigger body are unitary. 
         [0014]    Preferably when the trigger is positioned at or proximate to the first of the two limits the projectile launching mechanism trigger portion can actuate the projectile launching mechanism. 
         [0015]    Preferably as the trigger is moved substantially between the two limits the liquid squirting mechanism actuating portion actuates the liquid squirting mechanism. 
         [0016]    Preferably the liquid squirting mechanism includes a pump for drawing water from a reservoir and expelling it through a nozzle. 
         [0017]    Preferably the pump is a piston pump, and wherein one stroke of the piston draws liquid into the pump from the reservoir and the other stroke of the piston expels liquid from the pump and out through the nozzle. 
         [0018]    Preferably an inlet check valve is located between the reservoir and the pump, and an outlet check valve is located between the pump and the nozzle, the inlet and outlet check valves ensuring liquid is only able to flow in one direction through the liquid squirting mechanism. 
         [0019]    Preferably the liquid squirting mechanism actuating portion includes a piston actuating member, and movement of the trigger between the two limits causes the piston actuating member to actuate the piston. 
         [0020]    Preferably the piston is biased to return to a neutral position after it has been actuated by the piston actuating member. 
         [0021]    Preferably the projectile launching mechanism includes a cylinder and a projectile mechanism piston. 
         [0022]    Preferably the cylinder and projectile mechanism piston are configured to generate compressed air to launch a projectile. 
         [0023]    Preferably the projectile mechanism piston is mounted to a cocking hammer, the cocking hammer being able to be move between a cocked position and an uncocked position. 
         [0024]    Preferably the cocking hammer is biased to the uncocked position. 
         [0025]    Preferably the cocking hammer can be urged to the cocked position by a user of the toy gun. 
         [0026]    Preferably the cocking hammer and the trigger body can interact in a manner so that the trigger body can at least release the cocking hammer from its cocked position to allow it to travel to the uncocked position. 
         [0027]    Preferably the interaction between the cocking hammer and the trigger body is via an intermediate release mechanism. 
         [0028]    Preferably the intermediate release mechanism can hold the cocking hammer in its cocked position. 
         [0029]    Preferably the intermediate release mechanism can be moved by the trigger body. 
         [0030]    Preferably movement of the intermediate release mechanism by the trigger body occurs at or near the first limit of the two limits of the trigger body. 
         [0031]    Preferably the intermediate release mechanism is a gate through which the cocking hammer can slide. 
         [0032]    Preferably the cocking hammer has a locking step located thereon, and wherein sliding the cocking hammer sufficiently to its cocked position will result in the engagement of the locking step with the gate to hold the cocking hammer in the cocked position. 
         [0033]    Preferably the gate is movable to release the locking step so that the cocking hammer can be released and urged to the uncocked position, thereby launching a projectile. 
         [0034]    Preferably movement of the trigger between the two limits causes a gate release structure to move the gate to release a cocked cocking hammer from the gate. 
         [0035]    Preferably the projectile is a dart. 
         [0036]    Other aspects of the invention may become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0037]    As used herein the term “and/or” means “and” or “or”, or both. 
         [0038]    As used herein “(s)” following a noun means the plural and/or singular forms of the noun. 
         [0039]    The term “comprising” as used in this specification and claims means “consisting at least in part of”. When interpreting statements in this specification and claims which include that term, the features, prefaced by that term in each statement, all need to be present but other features can also be present. Related terms such as “comprise” and “comprised” are to be interpreted in the same manner. 
         [0040]    The entire disclosures of all applications, patents and publications, cited above and below, if any, are hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0041]    To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0042]    The invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the drawings in which: 
           [0043]      FIG. 1  shows an exploded view of the toy gun of the present invention, 
           [0044]      FIG. 2   a  shows the mechanism used to launch a projectile in its cocked condition, 
           [0045]      FIG. 2   b  shows the mechanism of  FIG. 2   a  after the trigger is pulled and the projectile has been launched, 
           [0046]      FIG. 3   a  shows the water pump mechanism, 
           [0047]      FIG. 3   b  shows the water pump mechanism of  FIG. 3   a  after pulling the trigger, 
           [0048]      FIG. 3   c  shows the water pump mechanism of  FIG. 3   a  after releasing the trigger, 
           [0049]      FIG. 4   a  shows the toy gun of the present invention in its cocked condition, 
           [0050]      FIG. 4   b  shows the toy gun of  FIG. 4   a  after the trigger is pulled and the projectile has been launched. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0051]      FIG. 1  shows an exploded view of the toy gun of the present invention. The shell of the toy gun may comprise of a left shell component  1  and a right shell component  2 . The various components that enable the functionality of the gun can be assembled inside the shell components  1  and  2 . The shell components  1  and  2  may be screwed and/or glued together. The gun of the present invention has dual-functions; it is capable of squirting water and launching projectiles  3 . A trigger mechanism described in more detail can be used to actuate both functions. 
         [0052]    The water-squirting system includes a water reservoir  10 , an inlet check valve  19  through which water is drawn from the water reservoir  10 , a piston  18  for facilitating water intake and discharge, an outlet check valve  22  and a water nozzle  29 . 
         [0053]    In the preferred form of the invention the water reservoir  10  is a removable independent container, which can slot into the shell of the toy gun. The gun shell components  1  or  2  may have a latch  5  corresponding with a slot on the removable reservoir so the reservoir  10  can be locked in place when it is properly located in the shell. Alternatively, the reservoir may be integral with the shell. 
         [0054]    The water reservoir may resemble a “magazine” as would be used with a gun. The reservoir  10  has an inlet  101  and an outlet  102 . Inlet  101  has an inlet valve  13 , for letting air in to the reservoir to balance the pressure inside and outside of the reservoir  10 . Outlet  102  has a rubber connector  11 , which is dimensioned such that a substantially air tight seal can be formed between the rubber connector  11  and the inlet check valve  19 . The other end of the rubber connector  11  is connected to the water tube  21  which extends to the bottom of the water reservoir  11 . This configuration allows water to be drawn up through the tube  21  and rubber connector  11  and through the inlet check valve  19  into the cylinder  14 . 
         [0055]    The inlet check valve  19  may consist of a number of components as would be apparent to a person skilled in the art. Such components may include a check valve core  12 , O-ring  20  and an ABS connector for creating the air tight seal with the rubber connector  11 . The inlet check valve  19  may be connected to the cylinder  14  via a conduit. 
         [0056]    The inlet check valve  19  is a one-way valve that allows water to be drawn up from the reservoir and pass through it but also ensures water that the water only can flow in a single direction and not return back to the water reservoir  10 . 
         [0057]    The piston  18  is contained within the cylinder  14 . The cylinder  14  has an inlet conduit (connected to inlet check valve  19 ) and an outlet conduit (connected to outlet check valve  22 ). The piston functions as a pump to draw water from water reservoir and to eject water into the water outlet conduit. 
         [0058]    Water ejected from the cylinder  14  passes through the outlet conduit and then through the outlet check valve  22 . After passing through the check valve  22  it is expelled through the nozzle  29 . The outlet check valve  22  ensures water can pass through to the nozzle but not return back into the cylinder. 
         [0059]    The piston  18  is actuated by the liquid squirting mechanism actuating portion  41  of the trigger body  40 . A spring  15  may also be provided within the cylinder to “reset” the piston to its neutral position. 
         [0060]    The projectile launching system includes a cylinder  51 , projectile mechanism piston  57 , spring  55  and cocking hammer  60 . By pulling back the cocking hammer  60  against the bias of the spring, the projectile mechanism piston  57  is drawn back inside the cylinder  51 . Subsequently releasing the cocking hammer  60  causes the spring to force the projectile mechanism piston  57  back to its original position. As the projectile mechanism piston  57  moves back down the cylinder the air is compressed and forced out nozzle  54 . This is what launches the projectile  3 . Such a projectile launching system would be apparent to a person skilled in the art. 
         [0061]    At the rear of cylinder  51 , there is a gate  30  which is slidably mounted to the shell components  1  and  2 . The gate  30  has a rectangular hole in the middle through which the cocking hammer  60  passes. It also has a spring  31  that urges the gate  30  to its neutral position (i.e. the position shown in  FIG. 2   a ). The cocking hammer  60  includes a step  61  that interacts with the gate  30 . As the cocking hammer  60  is pulled back the gate  30  passes over step  61 . The step  61  causes the gate  30  to slide against the bias of spring  31  until the point at which the step  61  is pulled back a sufficient amount such that the step  61  passes completely through the opening in the middle of the gate  30 . At this point, the spring  31  may urge the gate  30  back to its neutral position and therefore prevent the cocking hammer  60  from moving forward due to the interference between the gate  30  and the step  61 . In this position the cocking hammer is cocked and ready to be released, and the spring  55  is under compression. 
         [0062]      FIG. 4   a  shows the gun “cocked” and ready to fire a projectile.  FIG. 4   b  shows the gun after the cocking hammer  60  has been released and the projectile has been launched. 
         [0063]    An intermediate release mechanism is provided so that movement of the trigger can cause a cocked cocking hammer to release. The trigger body  40  includes a projectile launching mechanism trigger portion for triggering the projectile launching mechanism. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the projectile launching mechanism trigger portion is a gate release structure  42  for lifting up the gate  30 . When puffing the trigger, the gate release structure  42  is moved rearward and bears against the bottom surface of the gate  30  to lift it up against its bias. When the gun has been cocked the step  61  of the cocking hammer  60  will be released from the gate  30  as the gate  30  is lifted up by the gate release structure  42 . This causes the cocking hammer  60  to move forward under the action of spring  55  and therefore pushes the piston forward which increases the pressure in the cylinder  51 . The high-pressure air is forced into the nozzle  54  to cause a projectile (such as a dart) to be launched, as shown in  FIG. 2   b.    
         [0064]    It should be appreciated that the trigger  40  can cause actuation of the water squirting system (via the liquid squirting mechanism actuating portion  41 ) and can simultaneously cause actuation of the projectile launching system (via the gate release structure  42 ). Therefore the gun of the present invention can be used to launch projectiles and squirt water simultaneously, by actuation of one trigger. 
         [0065]    It should also be appreciated that the trigger can be used to squirt water only (i.e. when the cocking hammer  60  hasn&#39;t been cocked). Likewise the trigger can be used to launch projectiles only (i.e. when the water reservoir is empty). 
         [0066]    The toy gun may be provided with a projectile holder  4  that can be supported by the shell components  1  and  2 . The bullet holder  4  may hold spare projectiles (e.g. foam darts). 
         [0067]    Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to elements or integers having known equivalents, then such equivalents are included as if they were individually set forth. 
         [0068]    Although the invention has been described by way of example and with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and/or improvements may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.