Patent Abstract:
A toy gun is provided with ejecting shells and a smoking chamber. Each ejecting shell has a spring and a recess and is placed into a barrel chamber. The chamber has a post, which compresses the spring when the shell is placed into the chamber. When the hinge is opened, the spring decompresses ejecting the shell from the chamber. The smoke generating assembly is provided with a pump, an oil tank, a heating element, a switch, a visual indicator, and an automatic shutoff. When the switch is actuated, the heating element heats the oil, such that it transforms into a smoke vapor. Upon opening the hinge, the hinge actuates the pump, connected to the tank, which pumps smoke vapor out of the tank through an opening in the post such that smoke appears in the chamber.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to toys designed to be carried and used by children engaged in action play. More particularly, this invention relates to a new toy weapon that imitates weapons from the Wild West. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Toy guns that simulate real guns have been available in the marketplace for years. These toys typically resemble actual guns and may simulate certain features of a real gun. The present invention is directed at simulating features of realistic guns. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A toy gun apparatus having a shell, a double barrel, a stock, and a hinge is provided. The toy gun assembly is provided with ejecting shells and a smoking chamber to simulate a realistic gun. 
     Shells eject when the hinge is opened. Each shell has a spring and a recess and is placed into a barrel chamber. The chamber has a post, which compresses the spring when the shell is placed into the chamber. A shell locking mechanism retains the shell in the chamber. When the hinge is opened, the spring decompresses ejecting the shell from the chamber. 
     Smoke, produced from a smoke generating assembly, also rises from the chamber when the hinge is opened. The post located in the chamber has openings for allowing smoke to flow into the chamber. The smoke generating assembly is provided with a pump, a tank having oil, a heating element, a switch, a visual indicator, and an automatic shutoff switch. When the switch is actuated, the visual indicator is illuminated, and the heating element heats the oil, such that the oil transforms into a smoke vapor. Upon opening the hinge, the hinge actuates the pump connected to the tank causing smoke vapor to leave the tank, through the opening in the post, into the chamber. The smoke generator assembly has an automatic shutoff, which after a predetermined amount of time, turns the heating element and the visual indicator to an off position. 
     To operate hinge, a first push button and a second push button are provided. The first push button and the second push button each have an associated first clip and second clip. The first clip and the second clip retain the stock and barrel together when the toy gun assembly is in a shooting position. The first clip and the second clip are released by the pressing of the first push button and the second push button. The hinge opens only by the simultaneous pressing of the first push button and the second push button. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like features. 
         FIG. 1  is a side view showing a toy gun according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a partial isometric view of the toy gun in an unlocked position. 
         FIG. 3  shoes a partial isometric view of the toy gun in a locked position. 
         FIG. 4  shows a partial side view of the toy gun in an unlocked position. 
         FIG. 5  shows a partial side view of the toy gun from a first perspective. 
         FIG. 6  shows a partial side view of the toy gun from a second perspective. 
         FIG. 7  shows a partial side view of the toy gun from a third perspective. 
         FIG. 8  shows a partial side view of the toy gun from a forth perspective. 
         FIG. 9  shows a partial side view of the toy gun from a fifth perspective. 
         FIG. 10  shows a partial side view of individual components housed within the barrel of the toy gun. 
         FIG. 11A  shows an isometric view of a shell used in connection with the toy gun. 
         FIG. 11B  shows an exploded view of a shell used in connection with the toy gun. 
         FIG. 12  shows a partial top view of the toy gun in an unlocked position. 
         FIG. 13  shows a side view of individual components housed within the barrel of the toy gun. 
         FIG. 14  shows a side view of individual components housed within the handle of the toy gun. 
         FIG. 15  shows a partial isometric view of the toy gun in the unlocked position. 
         FIG. 16  shows a side view of individual components housed within the handle and receiver of the toy gun. 
         FIG. 17  shows a top view of individual components housed within the handle and a top view of the receiver of the toy gun. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 5 , a toy gun  10  has a general shape of a shot gun having a stock  11 , a butt end  19 , a hinge  12 , a double barrel  13 , a sight  8 , a receiver  9 , a trigger  14 , and a trigger guard  18 . The gun is provided with first and second elongated members  16 A and  16 B, the hinge  12 , and a handle  15  to simulate a western style shot gun. When the trigger  14  is actuated, the toy gun  10  produces a shooting noise, which can be produced by a digital recording and a speaker operatively connected to the trigger  14  or various other ways. 
     To operate the hinge  12  of the toy gun  10 , a first push button  20 A located on a first side of the receiver  9  and a second push button  20 B located on a second side of the receiver  9  (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) are pushed inwardly, as shown by the arrows in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIGS. 12 and 16 , a face  17  of the receiver  9  is provided with a first clip  21  and a second clip  22 . When the toy gun  10  is in the locked position, the first and second clips  21  and  22  engage a first lip  23  and a second lip  24  respectively so as to lock the handle  15  and the receiver  9  in a shooting position. The pushing of the first and second push buttons  20 A and  20 B inwardly causes the first and second clips  21  and  22  to move outwardly away from each other so as to release the hinge  12 . The pressing of only one push button will not release the hinge, because both the first clip  21  and the second clip  22  retain the toy gun in the locked position. Once the toy gun is in the unlocked position as shown in  FIG. 12 , to lock the gun in the shooting position, the receiver  9  is mated with the handle  15 . A first lip  23  and a second lip  24  bias the first clip  21  and the second clip  22  outwardly such that the first and second clips  21  and  22  extend over and engage the first and second lips  23  and  24  respectively. Once the first and second clips  21  and  22  extend over and engage the first and second lips  23  and  24 , a spring (not shown) biases the first and second clips  21  and  22  inwardly such that the first and second clips  21  and  22  latch onto the first and second lips  23  and  24  to lock the receiver  9  to the handle  15 . 
     As depicted in  FIG. 4 , when the hinge  12  opens, a first shell  50 A and a second shell  50 B eject from the first and second chambers  30  and  31  respectively. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , a shell  50  is placed into the first chamber  30 . As depicted in  FIG. 15 , a first shell locking mechanism  32 A and a second shell locking mechanism  32 B project through the first and second chambers  30  and  31  respectively. Referring to  FIG. 14 , a first coil spring  34 A and a second coil spring  34 B respectively bias the first and second shell locking mechanisms  32 A and  32 B radially inward such that the first and second shell locking mechanisms  32 A and  32 B project into the first and second chambers  30  and  31  respectively. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 17 , the shell locking mechanism  32 A has an angled surface, such that as the shell  50  is placed into the chamber  30  the outer portion of the shell  50  pushes the shell locking mechanism  32 A radially outward. Once the shell  50  moves past the shell locking mechanism  32 A, the coil spring  34 A biases the shell locking mechanism radially inward over an end lip  51  of the shell  50  and holds the shell  50  in the first chamber  30 . The shell locking mechanism  32 B has the same structure and operates in identical fashion. 
     As depicted in  FIGS. 11A and 11B , the shell  50  is provided with a coil spring  52  and a cap  53 . The spring  52  is preferably made of metal. The cap  53  is allowed to move axially within a recess in the shell  50  as the coil spring  52  is compressed and is allowed to decompress. As shown in  FIG. 12 , the first and second chambers  30  and  31  are provided respectively with a first post  33 A and a second post  33 B. Each of the first and second posts  33 A and  33 B has a plus-shaped cross-section. One end of the shell  50  is also provided with a corresponding plus-shaped cross-section. As the shell  50  is placed in the first chamber  30 , the post  33 A pushes against the cap  53  such that the cap  53  moves axially downward in the shell  50  thereby compressing the coil spring  52 . The second chamber  31  and post  33 B function in an identical fashion. 
     Shown in  FIGS. 12 and 15 , the face  17  of the receiver  9  is provided with a first projection  35 A and a second projection  35 B for releasing the respective first and second shell locking mechanisms  32 A and  32 B. When the hinge  12  is in the closed position, the first projection  35 A and the second projection  35 B project into the respective first and second slots  36 A and  36 B so as to cause the shell locking mechanism  32  to move radially outward. Angled portions of the first projection  35 A and the second projection  35 B contact the angled portions of the first and second shell locking mechanisms  32 A and  32 B causing the first and second shell locking mechanisms  32 A and  32 B to move radially outward. As the first shell locking mechanism  32 A, shown in  FIG. 17 , is moved radially outward, the first shell locking mechanism  32 A releases the shell lip  51 . This allows the coil spring  52  to decompress slightly causing the shell  50  to move a small distance outward in first chamber  30 . When the toy gun is in the locked position, the face  17  acts as a stop for the shell  50 . Once the hinge  12  is opened, the coil spring  32  will decompress fully, thereby ejecting the shell  50  completely out of the first chamber  30 . The second chamber  31  and the second shell locking mechanism  32 B operate in identical fashion. 
     As depicted in  FIGS. 12 ,  14 , and  15 , the hinge  12  is provided with a first plate  120 A and a second plate  120 B. Each plate has a first hinge post  121  and a second hinge post  122 . Both the first and second plates  120 A and  120 B pivot about their respective hinge posts  122 . The first and second plates  120 A and  120 B mount to the handle  15  through their respective first posts  121  and mount to the receiver  9  through their respective second posts  122 . 
     The toy gun is also provided with a smoke generating assembly. As shown in  FIG. 4 , as the hinge  12  is opened, smoke  87  rises from the first and second chambers  31  and  32 . As depicted in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the barrel  16 A is provided with an oil inlet  70  and a removable cap  71 . Smoke oil stored in an oil container  88  is placed into an oil port  70 . As depicted in  FIG. 9 , after oil is placed in the oil port  70 , the oil container  88  can be stored in a recess  89 . The recess  89  has a removable cover  90 , which snap fits into the recess  89 , to prevent the oil container  88  from falling out of the recess  89 . To activate the smoke generator, a switch  72 , located on the handle  15 , shown in  FIG. 6 , is pressed inwardly. As depicted in  FIG. 13 , the double barrel  13  includes wiring  80 , a power source  73 , an automatic shutoff switch  78 , a light emitting diode (“LED”)  77 , and a tank  75 . When the switch  72  is activated, the LED  77  is turned on, and oil in the tank  75  is heated by a heating element  79 , shown in  FIG. 10 . The LED  77  provides a visual indication that the heating element  79  is activated. The temperature of the oil rises as a result of the heating element  79  heating the oil, and the oil is converted into a visible gas or vapor  87 . The smoke generating assembly includes a timer. The timer automatically shuts off the heating element  79  after a predetermined amount of time of nonuse, five minutes in one embodiment. After five minutes of nonuse, the automatic shutoff switch  78  cuts power to the LED  77 , causing the LED to no longer be lit, and the heating element  79 , causing it to no longer heat the oil. In one embodiment the smoke generating feature can be reset by pressing the switch  72  twice. 
     When the smoke generating assembly is activated, a pump  74  pushes smoke  87  out of openings  76  in the first and second posts  33 A and  33 B into the first and second chambers  30  and  31  as the hinge  12  is opened. As depicted in  FIG. 14 , the hinge  12  actuates the pump  74  causing the smoke  87  to flow from a tank  75  into the first and second chambers  30  and  31 . A gear  83  mounts on one of the hinge posts  122 , such that gear  83  rotates with the hinge  12 . A pinion gear  82  meshes with the gear  83  and a rack  81 . The pinion gear  82  allows the rack to move in a same translational direction of a rotational direction of hinge  12  such that the rack end  85  compresses the pump  74  when the hinge  12  is opened. A hose  86  connects the pump  74  to the tank  75 . As the rack end  85  compresses the pump  74 , compressed air created by the pump  74  pushes the smoke  87  produced by the heating element  79  out of the tank and into the first and second chambers  31  and  32  via the openings  76  in the posts  36 . 
     The smoke oil ingredients can be water, glycerin, and sodium bezenefulfonate. Any ingredients, however, can be used such that a visible vapor is produced when the oil is heated. 
     It should be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth herein. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. It is also being understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention. The embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention. The claims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art. Various features are set forth in the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0