Toy copter ring launcher with axially stacked ring magazine and improved copter ring
OwnerRyan Wolfinbargerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toy launcher that can launch the flying rings over 100 feet with a more stable trajectory and more accurate trajectory based on the ring and blade configuration. The toy launcher includes a magazine assembly in which a plurality of the flying rings can be loaded in an axial direction, aligned with a launch direction. The rings are rotated up to speed and launched via movement of a sliding handle in a first direction, and the next ring in the magazine is advanced to the launch position by a return movement of the handle.
Claims33
A toy launcher for flying rings, each ring having a ring hub with a center opening, an outer ring body, and blades extending from the ring hub to the outer ring body, and the toy launcher comprising:
- a housing having a proximal end and a discharge end;
- a magazine assembly configured to receive a plurality of the rings axially aligned with one another for launching from the launcher, the magazine assembly comprising,
- a center tube extending along an axis that is adapted to slidably receive the rings,
- a spring that is configured to act on a first one of the rings inserted in the magazine and is supported against a part of the housing,
- a discharge catch located at the discharge end of the housing and configured to hold the ring located closest to a discharge end in a launch position, the discharge catch being movable between a holding position and a release position, and
- an advancing catch located at least about a ring width from the discharge catch toward the proximal end of the housing and configured to hold one or more of the rings on the center tube against a force of the spring, the advancing catch being movable between a holding position and a loading position;
- a launching mechanism connected to the housing, the launching mechanism comprising,
- a drive spindle extending through the center tube along the axis and having a drive hub that is configured to engage the ring hub of the ring held by the discharge catch,
- a drive assembly connected to the spindle that is activatable to rotate the spindle, and
- a discharge catch release that is activatable to move the discharge catch to the release position as the drive assembly is activated to rotate the spindle;
- and
- an advancing catch release that is activatable to move the advancing catch to a loading position in which a next one of the rings in the magazine assembly is moved to the launch position after a previous one of the rings is launched and the discharge catch has returned to the holding position.
A toy launcher for flying rings, each ring comprising a ring hub with a drive pin extending into a center opening, an outer ring body, and blades extending from the ring hub to the outer ring body, and the toy launcher comprising:
- a housing having a proximal end and a discharge end;
- a magazine assembly configured to receive a plurality of the rings axially aligned with one another for launching from the launcher, the magazine assembly comprising,
- a center tube extending along an axis that is adapted to slidably receive the rings,
- a spring that is configured to act on a first one of the rings inserted in the magazine and is supported against a part of the housing,
- a discharge catch located at the discharge end of the housing and configured to hold the ring located closest to a discharge end in a launch position, the discharge catch being movable between a holding position and a release position, and
- an advancing catch located at least about a ring width from the discharge catch toward the proximal end of the housing and configured to hold one or more of the rings on the center tube against a force of the spring, the advancing catch being movable between a holding position and a loading position;
- a launching mechanism connected to the housing, the launching mechanism comprising,
- a drive spindle extending through the center tube along the axis and having a drive hub that is configured to engage the ring hub of the ring held by the discharge catch,
- a drive assembly connected to the spindle that is activatable to rotate the spindle, and
- a discharge catch release that is activatable to move the discharge catch to the release position as the drive assembly is activated to rotate the spindle;
- an advancing catch release that is activatable to move the advancing catch to a loading position in which a next one of the rings in the magazine assembly is moved to the launch position after a previous one of the rings is launched and the discharge catch has returned to the holding position;
- and
- the center tube includes at least one axially extending groove that is adapted to receive the drive pin located on the ring hub.
A toy launcher for flying rings, each ring having a ring hub with a center opening, an outer ring body, and blades extending from the ring hub to the outer ring body, and the toy launcher comprising:
- a housing having a proximal end and a discharge end;
- a magazine configured to receive a plurality of the rings axially aligned with one another for launching from the launcher, the magazine assembly comprising,
- a support that is configured to slidably receive the rings,
- a ring holder located at a discharge end of the housing and configured to hold the ring located closest to a discharge end in a launch position, and
- a launching mechanism connected to the housing, the launching mechanism comprising a drive assembly having a drive spindle that extends axially through the support that is configured to slidably receive the rings, and a drive hub connected to the drive spindle that is configured to engage the ring hub of the ring held at the discharge end and rotate the ring.
A toy launcher for flying rings, each ring having a ring hub with a center opening, an outer ring body, and blades extending from the ring hub to the outer ring body, and the toy launcher comprising:
- a housing having a proximal end and a discharge end;
- a receiving area for a plurality of flying rings that is aligned with a rotation axis of the rings, the receiving area being loadable from a discharge end of the housing;
- a ring holder located at a discharge end of the housing and configured to hold one of the rings in a launch position;
- a launching mechanism connected to the housing, the launching mechanism comprising:
- a drive assembly having a drive hub that is configured to engage the ring hub of the ring held at the discharge end and rotate the ring, and
- the launching mechanism is adapted to launch the flying rings in a direction of the rotation axis.
A toy launcher for flying rings, each ring having a ring hub with a center opening, an outer ring body, and blades extending from the ring hub to the outer ring body, and the toy launcher comprising:
- a housing having a proximal end and a discharge end;
- a receiving area for a flying ring;
- a launching mechanism connected to the housing, the launching mechanism comprising:
- a drive assembly having a drive hub that is configured to engage the ring hub of the ring held at the discharge end and rotate the ring,
- a release that is activatable as the drive assembly is activated to rotate the ring to allow the ring to be launched, and
- a discharge catch configured to hold the ring located in the receiving area in a launch position, the discharge catch being movable between a holding position and a release position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.