Patent ID: 7726292

Claim:
A handheld balloon launching apparatus for assisting a user to propel a plurality of filled water balloons along a predetermined trajectory, said balloon launching apparatus comprising: a tubular housing having an axially offset chamber formed therein, said housing further having a vertically registered intake port defining a linear passageway in which the filled water balloons are vertically stacked; a launching plate selectively adaptable along a longitudinal length of said chamber; trigger means for activating said launching plate between a compressed position and a fully extended position; and means for returning said launching plate to the compressed position while simultaneously depositing a lowest one of said water balloons directly in front of and abutted distally to said launching plate such that an adjacent one of the water balloons seated on top of said lowest water balloon is prohibited from entering said chamber, wherein said returning means includes a deformably resilient spring member having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of said chamber and being anchored to a proximal end of said chamber, said spring member being extendable along the longitudinal length of said chamber; wherein said triggering means comprises: a primary trigger pivotally connected to said housing and partially exposed exterior thereof; a rectilinear rod having a distal end directly anchored to said primary trigger and having a proximal end horizontally offset and sloped downwardly towards a proximal end of said housing; and an auxiliary trigger pivotally connected to said housing and directly mated with said proximal end of said rod, wherein said auxiliary trigger is directly and releasably engaged with a bottom portion of said launching plate while said returning means is maintained at the compressed position, wherein said pimary trigger rotates along a first arcuate path when depressed by a user to thereby cause said rod to linearly displace distally and thereby rotate said auxiliary trigger along a second arcuate path defined opposite to said first arcuate path.