Patent ID: 8127753

Claim:
A toy projectile launcher for launching projectiles, comprising: a housing; a trigger mounted to the housing and movable between actuated and released positions; a motor mounted to the housing and being actuatable upon movement of the trigger to its actuated position; a cylinder and piston assembly having a piston and cylinder slidable relative to one another between a cocked position and an un-cocked position, with the cylinder and piston assembly generating a source of pressurized air upon movement of the piston and cylinder relative to one another from its cocked to its un-cocked position; a biasing member for biasing the cylinder and piston assembly to its un-cocked position; a mechanical linkage operatively interconnecting the motor with the cylinder and piston assembly to effect repeated sequential movement of the cylinder and piston assembly to its cocked position and release from its cocked position, whereby repeated intermittent sources of pressurized air are generated for sequential launching of the projectiles; a plurality of projectile holders for receiving respective projectiles therein; a projectile holder advancing mechanism for sequentially advancing the plurality of projectile holders into fluid communication with the pressurized air generated by the piston and cylinder assembly, the projectile holder advancing mechanism operatively engaged with the motor; and a retractable safety valve mechanism for preventing the launching of improvised projectiles, disposed between the cylinder and piston assembly and the projectile holders, with the retractable safety valve mechanism being movable between a retracted position in which it does not interfere with the projectile holders during their sequential advancement, and an extended position in which it extends into the projectile holders while they are in fluid communication with the pressurized air generated by the piston and cylinder assembly; the safety valve mechanism being moveable to its retracted position; and the safety valve mechanism being moveable to its extended position prior to each movement of the piston and cylinder assembly from its cocked to its un-cocked position.