# US 7,849,627 B2 · Foam projectile > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,849,627 B2 - Document ID: US7849627B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/167,304 - Filed: 2008-07-03 - Published: 2009-02-26 - Granted: 2010-12-14 - Earliest claimed: 2007-07-05 - Assignees: Blackpoint Engineering, LLC - Inventors: Steven J. Wygant - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7849627B2 ## CPC - F41B 11/89: for toys - F42B 6/00: Projectiles or missiles specially adapted for projection without use of explosive or combustible propellant charge, e.g. for blow guns, bows or crossbows, hand-held spring or air guns (for delivering hypodermic charges F42B12/54; projectiles or missiles incorporating springs as the projecting means F41B7/02; {Arrows or darts for dispensing materials, for producing chemical or physical reaction, or for signalling F42B12/362}) - F42B 12/34: expanding before or on impact, i.e. of dumdum or mushroom type - F41B: WEAPONS FOR PROJECTING MISSILES WITHOUT USE OF EXPLOSIVE OR COMBUSTIBLE PROPELLANT CHARGE; WEAPONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (projectiles for fishing, e.g. fish-spears, A01K81/00; sports implements for throwing A63B65/00, e.g. boomerangs A63B65/08; stationary apparatus for projecting sports balls, e.g. tennis balls, A63B69/40; throwing or slinging toys A63H33/18; knives, axes B26B; projectiles or missiles other than those incorporating springs as projecting means F42B6/00) - F42B: EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION (explosive compositions C06B; fuzes F42C; blasting F42D) ## Abstract A combat game weapon system includes a pneumatic launcher and an elastic projectile. The pneumatic launcher includes a barrel. The barrel includes a distal end and a bore with an inside diameter. The elastic projectile is configured for being expelled from the distal end of the barrel. The elastic projectile includes a cavity configured for expanding when the cavity receives a propellant from the pneumatic launcher and thereby for causing the elastic projectile to sealingly engage the inside diameter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A combat game weapon system, comprising: a pneumatic launcher including a barrel, said barrel including a distal end and a bore with an inside diameter; and an elastic projectile configured for being expelled from said distal end of said barrel, said elastic projectile consisting of a forward portion and a rear guidance portion, said forward portion and said rear guidance portion including a cavity that expands when said cavity receives a propellant from said pneumatic launcher and that thereby causes at least one of said forward portion and said rear guidance portion to sealingly engage said inside diameter, said elastic projectile being a monolithic structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The combat game weapon system of claim 1, wherein said elastic projectile includes a leading end and a trailing end, said cavity being a longitudinally extending blind bore in said elastic projectile such that said cavity includes an open end and a closed end, said open end formed in said trailing end, said elastic projectile being a foam projectile. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The combat game weapon system of claim 2, wherein said closed end is configured for expanding when said cavity receives said propellant from said launcher. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The combat game weapon system of claim 3, wherein said closed end is configured for expanding more than any other portion of said cavity when said cavity receives said propellant from said launcher. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The combat game weapon system of claim 2, wherein said elastic projectile has an outer surface, said closed end being configured for pressing radially outwardly towards said outer surface and thereby causing said outer surface to be pressed radially outwardly and to be constrained by said inside diameter so as to inhibit said propellant from flowing between said outer surface of said elastic projectile and said inside diameter when said closed end receives said propellant from said launcher. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The combat game weapon system of claim 2, wherein said rear guidance portion includes a fin portion and said forward portion includes a head portion, said fin portion including a plurality of fins and said trailing end of said elastic projectile, said head portion including said leading end of said elastic projectile, said closed end of said cavity, and an outer surface, said outer surface configured for being pressed against said inside diameter when said closed end expands for having received said propellant from said launcher. ### Claim 7 A combat game projectile for a combat game weapon system including a pneumatic launcher including a barrel having a distal end and a bore with an inside diameter, said combat game projectile comprising: an elastic projectile configured for being expelled from the distal end of the barrel of the pneumatic launcher, said elastic projectile consisting of a forward portion and a rear guidance portion, said forward portion and said rear guidance portion including a cavity that expands when said cavity receives a propellant from the pneumatic launcher and that thereby causes at least one of said forward portion and said rear guidance portion to sealingly engage the inside diameter, said elastic projectile being a monolithic structure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The combat game projectile of claim 7, wherein said elastic projectile includes a leading end and a trailing end, said cavity being a longitudinally extending blind bore in said elastic projectile such that said cavity includes an open end and a closed end, said open end formed in said trailing end, said elastic projectile being a foam projectile. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The combat game projectile of claim 8, wherein said closed end is configured for expanding when said cavity receives said propellant from the pneumatic launcher. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The combat game projectile of claim 9, wherein said closed end is configured for expanding more than any other portion of said cavity when said cavity receives said propellant from the pneumatic launcher. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The combat game projectile of claim 8, wherein said elastic projectile has an outer surface, said closed end being configured for pressing radially outwardly towards said outer surface and thereby causing said outer surface to be pressed radially outwardly and to be constrained by the inside diameter so as to inhibit said propellant from flowing between said outer surface of said elastic projectile and the inside diameter when said closed end receives said propellant from the pneumatic launcher. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The combat game projectile of claim 8, wherein said rear guidance portion includes a fin portion and said forward portion includes a head portion, said fin portion including a plurality of fins and said trailing end of said elastic projectile, said head portion including said leading end of said elastic projectile, said closed end of said cavity, and an outer surface, said outer surface configured for being pressed against the inside diameter when said closed end expands for having received said propellant from the pneumatic launcher. ### Claim 13 A method of operating a combat game weapon system, said method comprising the steps of: providing a pneumatic launcher including a barrel, said barrel including a distal end and a bore with an inside diameter; loading said pneumatic launcher with an elastic projectile, said elastic projectile consisting of a forward portion and a rear guidance portion, said forward portion and said rear guidance portion including a cavity, said elastic projectile being a monolithic structure; receiving in said cavity a propellant from said pneumatic launcher; expanding said cavity, when said cavity receives said propellant from said pneumatic launcher, and thereby causing at least one of said forward portion and said rear guidance portion to sealingly engage said inside diameter; and expelling said elastic projectile from said distal end of said barrel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein said elastic projectile includes a leading end and a trailing end, said cavity being a longitudinally extending blind bore in said elastic projectile such that said cavity includes an open end and a closed end, said open end formed in said trailing end, said elastic projectile being a foam projectile. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein said expanding step includes expanding said closed end when said cavity receives said propellant from said launcher. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein said expanding step includes expanding said closed end more than any other portion of said cavity when said cavity receives said propellant from said launcher. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of pressing said closed end radially outwardly towards an outer surface of said elastic projectile and thereby causing said outer surface to be pressed radially outwardly and to be constrained by said inside diameter so as to inhibit said propellant from flowing between said outer surface of said elastic projectile and said inside diameter when said closed end receives said propellant from said launcher. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein said rear guidance portion includes a fin portion and said forward portion includes a head portion, said fin portion including a plurality of fins and said trailing end of said elastic projectile, said head portion including said leading end of said elastic projectile, said closed end of said cavity, and an outer surface, the method further comprising the step of pressing said outer surface against said inside diameter when said closed end expands for having received said propellant from said launcher.