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US 9,958,230 B1Granted
Rapid fire toy launch apparatus
AssigneeHasbro, Inc.
InventorsDavid Michael Nugent, Tadeusz W Keska
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rapid fire toy dart launch apparatus employing a feeding/anti-jamming mechanism including a simply yet unique continuous belt that penetrates a dart magazine releasing each dart from the magazine and simultaneously employing protrusion elements at the belt advancing each released dart into an energy generating mechanism for rapidly firing darts from the toy apparatus without mis-fed darts jamming up in the launcher.
Claims23
A dart launch apparatus, comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a dart magazine inserted into the housing assembly and having an open end and including dart retaining lips at the open end;
- one or more darts loaded into the dart magazine, each dart including a rear advancing surface;
- a biased dart advancing mechanism at the dart magazine urging loaded darts toward the open end of the dart magazine;
- a continuous feeding/anti-jamming mechanism coupled to the housing adjacent the inserted magazine and penetrating the dart magazine at the open end;
- an energy generating mechanism in communication with the continuous feeding mechanism;
- and
- a motor driving rotation of the energy generating mechanism.
5 more elements
A dart launch apparatus, comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a dart magazine inserted into the housing assembly and having an open end and including dart retaining lips at the open end for retaining loaded darts that include a rear advancing surface;
- a biased dart advancing mechanism at the dart magazine urging loaded darts toward the open end of the dart magazine;
- a continuous feeding mechanism coupled to the housing adjacent the inserted magazine and penetrating the dart magazine at the open end;
- an energy generating mechanism in communication with the continuous feeding mechanism;
- first and second tooth pulleys positioned in parallel relationship to one another and each including a notched circumferential surface;
- and
- a continuous belt extending between first and second pulleys and having a first surface including teeth for engaging the notched circumferential surfaces for driving rotation of the belt with rotation of the pulleys, and a second surface of the belt riding along an uppermost dart disposed in the magazine at the open end urging the dart from contact with the retaining lips of the magazine and into a releasing position.
5 more elements
A dart launch method, comprising:
- inserting a dart magazine inserted into a housing assembly and having an open end and including dart retaining lips at the open end;
- loading one or more darts into the dart magazine, each dart including a rear advancing surface;
- biasing a dart advancing mechanism at the dart magazine urging loaded darts toward the open end of the dart magazine;
- coupling a continuous feeding mechanism to the housing adjacent the inserted magazine and penetrating the dart magazine at the open end;
- providing a motor for driving rotation of an energy generating mechanism in communication with the continuous feeding mechanism;
- positioning first and second tooth pulleys in parallel relationship to one another with each including a notched circumferential surface;
- providing a second motor at the housing for driving rotation of at least one of the first and second pulleys;
- and
- extending a continuous belt between first and second pulleys and having a first surface including teeth for engaging the notched circumferential surfaces for driving rotation of the belt with rotation of the pulleys, and a second surface of the belt riding along an uppermost dart disposed in the magazine at the open end urging the dart from contact with the retaining lips of the magazine and into a releasing position.
6 more elements
A dart launch apparatus, comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a slot at said housing assembly with structure to receive a dart magazine into the housing assembly, the dart magazine having an open end and including dart retaining lips at the open end;
- a biased dart advancing mechanism at the dart magazine urging loaded darts toward the open end of the dart magazine;
- a continuous feeding/anti-jamming mechanism coupled to the housing adjacent the dart magazine and penetrating the dart magazine at the open end;
- an energy generating mechanism in communication with the continuous feeding mechanism;
- and
- a motor driving rotation of the energy generating mechanism.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.