Short projectile pistol with storage handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11243044-B2
Application number	US-202016906996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2020
Priority date	May 5, 2020
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A toy projectile launcher pistol having a handle with an internal projectile storage area; at least one pair of inwardly biased resilient flaps; an air piston assembly having a barrel and a plunger element; a sliding handle coupled to the barrel, the sliding handle and barrel being movable between a forward position and a backward position; a compression spring that biases the plunger element against a rear wall in the toy projectile launcher pistol; and a latching assembly that couples the plunger element to a trigger assembly when the sliding handle is moved to the backward position, and the trigger assembly, upon toggling, releasing the coupling of the latching assembly between the plunger element and the trigger assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toy projectile launcher, comprising:
a handle having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the handle defining an internal projectile storage area that extends from the proximal end portion of the handle to the distal end portion of the handle,
and wherein the internal projectile storage area is configured to store at least one foam dart therein;

at least one pair of resilient flaps, the at least one pair of resilient flaps being inwardly biased and disposed on respective first and second sides at a top opening of the internal projectile storage area;
an air piston assembly that comprises a barrel and a plunger element;
a sliding handle coupled to the barrel, the sliding handle being movable between a forward position and a backward position, thereby moving the barrel between corresponding forward and backward positions;
a compression spring that biases the plunger element against a rear wall in the toy projectile launcher; and
a latching assembly that couples the plunger element to a trigger assembly when the sliding handle is moved to the backward position and the barrel is moved to the corresponding backward position,
wherein the barrel covers at least a portion of the top opening when in the corresponding forward position and the one or more pairs of resilient flaps contact the respective first and second sides of the barrel,
the trigger assembly, upon toggling, releases the coupling of the latching assembly between the plunger element and the trigger assembly, and
the projectile storage area is disposed at a rearward position on the launcher relative to a position of at least a portion of the trigger assembly.

2. The toy projectile launcher of claim 1 , wherein the plunger element compresses the compression spring against the rear wall when the sliding handle is moved to the backward position.

3. The toy projectile launcher of claim 1 , wherein a projectile from the internal projectile storage area is held between the at least one pair of resilient flaps when the barrel is moved to the corresponding backward position.

4. The toy projectile launcher of claim 1 , wherein the sliding handle, when moved to the backward position, creates an opening in the toy projectile launcher for loading projectiles into the internal projectile storage area.

5. The toy projectile launcher of claim 1 , wherein, when the sliding handle is moved from the backward position to the forward position with the latching assembly coupling the plunger element to the trigger assembly, the barrel is moved to the corresponding forward position and forms an internal air chamber with the plunger element, the internal air chamber being filled with air drawn in from a front nozzle of the barrel.

6. The toy projectile launcher of claim 5 , wherein the plunger element is pushed forward by the compression spring to expel the air from the internal air chamber through the front nozzle of the barrel when the coupling of the latching assembly between the plunger element and the trigger assembly is released.

7. The toy projectile launcher of claim 5 , further comprising a projectile in the internal air chamber immediately adjacent the front nozzle of the barrel.

8. The toy projectile launcher of claim 7 , wherein the projectile has a firing position that is in front of the top opening of the storage area with the projectile forming a seal with the launch barrel.

9. The toy projectile launcher of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pair of resilient flaps comprises a front pair of resilient flaps and a back pair of resilient flaps disposed at respective front and back portions of the top opening of the internal projectile storage area.

10. The toy projectile launcher of claim 9 , wherein the barrel has an oval cross-section.

11. The toy projectile launcher of claim 10 , wherein the oval shape of the barrel incorporates about a 7:5 height-to-width ratio.

12. A toy projectile launcher, comprising:
a handle having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the handle defining a projectile storage area,
wherein the projectile storage area extends from the proximal end portion of the handle to the distal end portion of the handle, and
wherein the projectile storage area is configured to store at least one foam dart therein;

a front pair of inwardly-biased resilient flaps disposed on respective first and second sides at a front portion of a top opening of the projectile storage area;
a rear pair of inwardly-biased resilient flaps disposed on the respective first and second sides at a rear portion of the top opening of the projectile storage area;
an oval-shaped air piston assembly that comprises a barrel and a plunger element;
a sliding handle coupled to the barrel, the sliding handle being movable between a forward position and a backward position, thereby moving the barrel between corresponding forward and backward positions;
a compression spring that biases the plunger element against a rear wall in the toy projectile launcher; and
a latching assembly that couples the plunger element to a trigger assembly when the sliding handle is moved to the backward position and the barrel is moved to the corresponding backward position,
wherein the barrel covers the top opening when in the corresponding forward position and the front and rear pairs of the inwardly-biased resilient flaps contact the respective first and second sides of the barrel,
the trigger assembly, upon toggling, releases the coupling of the latching assembly between the plunger element and the trigger assembly, and
the projectile storage area is disposed at a rearward position on the launcher relative to a position of at least a portion of the trigger assembly.

13. A toy projectile launcher, comprising:
a body and a handle, the handle having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;
a projectile storage area defined by the handle,
wherein the projectile storage area extends from the proximal end portion of the handle to the distal end portion of the handle and is in communication with the body, and
wherein the projectile storage area is configured to store at least one foam dart therein;

an air piston assembly in the body, the air piston assembly comprising a barrel, a plunger element and a nozzle;
the barrel moveable relative to the plunger from an uncocked position to a cocked position wherein the nozzle is immediately adjacent the projectile storage area adjacent the body in the cocked position;
the projectile storage area is disposed at a rearward position on the launcher relative to a position of at least a portion of a trigger assembly of the launcher.

14. The toy projectile launcher of claim 13 , wherein the air piston assembly has an oval shaped cross-section with a narrower side extending across a width of the body of the launcher.

Assignees

• Easebon Services Ltd

Inventors

• Chia Francis See Chong

Classifications

• F41B11/89

  for toys · CPC title

• F41A9/66 Primary

  Arrangements thereon for charging, i.e. reloading (apparatus or tools for reloading of magazines F41A9/83) · CPC title

• A63H5/04

  Pistols or machine guns operated without detonators; Crackers {(cracker bonbons A63H37/00)} · CPC title

• F41B11/646

  Arrangements for putting the spring under tension · CPC title

• F41B11/643

  the piston being arranged concentrically with the barrel · CPC title