Abstract: An improved safety valve for a toy air gun apparatus in which the toy air gun includes a piston and a drive spring mounted in a grip portion of the air gun. A handle extends from the bottom of the grip portion and is manipulated by the user to cock the air gun by compressing the drive spring. When the user pull a trigger the piston is released and surges upward because of the expanding drive spring. A valve element located to the rear of a barrel section of the air gun receives a blast of compressed air in a direction lateral to the longitudinal axis of the valve element and lateral to valve element movement between an open, rearward position and a closed, forward position.

Abstract: A modeling compound and methods for making the same are described. The modeling compound, in some embodiments, comprises about 20% to about 40% by weight starch-based binder, and about 0.15% to about 1.2% by weight microspheres dispersed throughout the compound.

Abstract: Several variations of a toy projectile launcher apparatus for discharging EVA balls. The apparatus includes a housing, a barrel portion, a grip portion, a trigger, a ram movable in the housing, a carriage also movable in the housing, a negator spring, handles for cocking the apparatus, and a lever pivotally mounted to a shaft in the housing just behind a ball to be discharged. In operation, a user pulls a handle rearward to move the ram and carriage and extend the spring. Pulling the trigger disengages the ram to impact the lever causing the lever to slap the ball to cause discharge of the ball. The lever and the shaft may be moved from side to side to cause the ball to be discharged straight ahead or curved to the left or right.

Abstract: A toy figure assembly can be interconnected to construct a toy figure. The mating parts of the toy figure assembly are structured for friction fit attachment and include an upper body part including a neck portion and a trunk portion; a lower body part including a rod portion, a stud portion, a legs portion, and a feet portion; and arm parts having a hand portion, a forearm portion, an elbow portion, an upper arm portion, and a shoulder portion.

Abstract: Modular tracks for model vehicles comprising a plurality of interconnected track sections, and connectors for interconnecting the track sections and attaching the track to a support structure are disclosed. In some embodiments, a modular track for toy vehicles includes a track section having a top surface for supporting toy vehicles and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, a first end with recessed corners on the top surface, and a connection flange extending downward from the bottom surface at the first end. The modular track may also include a track section connector configured to connect and align adjacent track sections, the connector including a lower receptacle for receiving the connection flange and an upper receptacle for receiving the recessed corners.

Abstract: A toy projectile that has two parts, a cup shaped inner core having a top wall, an annular wall extending from the top wall to a bead adjacent to a bottom end, and an outer covering being somewhat donut shaped with a central opening, a top end, a bottom end, a lower recess, a curved exterior surface and a chamfer adjacent to the bottom end. The inner core is received in the central opening of the outer covering such that the top wall of the inner core is continuous with the top end of the outer covering. The bottom of the projectile may be open or covered. The projectile includes geometric aspect ratios that provide the projectile with excellent flight characteristics. The ratios are: projectile outer diameter to projectile height between 4:1 to 5.2:1; projectile outer diameter to core outer diameter between 1.20:1 to 1.45 to 1; projectile height to core bead height between 2.3:1 to 3.25:1; outer covering volume to inner core volume between 2.4:1 to 5.8:1; profile radius to projectile height between 0.

Abstract: An action figure game piece is disclosed. The game piece comprises a game figure character adapted for movement a distance over a surface and a mechanism for indicating the distance of movement over the surface. A method of playing an action figure game on the surface is also disclosed. The method comprises providing for each player a plurality of the game pieces, each game piece having an indicium indicating a point value, a mechanism for indicating a distance the game piece has moved over the surface, and a mechanism for attacking an opponent player's game pieces. The method also comprises selecting for each player a group of the game pieces having point values summing to a predetermined value and selecting a number of actions each player can take per player's turn. An action comprises either a move, comprising moving a game piece a distance up to the particular game piece's point value, or an attack, comprising actuation of the particular game piece's attacking mechanism.

Abstract: An electronic hand held puzzle game apparatus in which the apparatus includes a housing with left and right housing portions, a first array of lights connected to the left housing portion and a second array of lights fixedly connected to the right housing portion. The first array of lights and the left housing portion is translatable and rotatable relative to the right housing portion, and the first array of lights is movable around an axis extending perpendicular to a housing longitudinal axis. When a puzzle piece light pattern appears on the first array of lights, a player moves that array to align the light pattern with a non-illuminated space on the second array of lights. Closing a compression switch transfers the puzzle piece from the first array of lights to the second array of lights provided that the player's alignment is correct.

Abstract: An electronic hand held capture-the-light game apparatus in which the apparatus includes a controller, eleven light sources in a linear display and two oppositely disposed movable handles. One of the handles activates a compression switch when the handles are pressed together. The controller is programmed to include a series of games to be played on the apparatus that become progressively more difficult. The games provide that the light sources are momentarily illuminated in a predetermined sequence at a predetermined tempo, and object of the game for a player is to activate the compression switch when one of three light sources in a capture zone is illuminated. If successful, the player earns a reward, if not, the player loses one of a limited number of chances to continue the game.

Abstract: Toy and game methods and apparatus including rectangular block elements layered to form a tower with upper and lower layers held by frictional coupling between the layers. The tower height increases during game play by removing blocks from one or more lower layers to build up successive upper layers upon an assembly platform. An upsetting element at the base transforms the blocks by dislodging the block elements with respect to the assembly platform by moving or traversing the assembly platform. A shifting mechanism may be provided in mechanical communication with the assembly platform for moving the platform between positions. A timer element establishes a predetermined time period from which the upsetting element transforms the block elements assembled atop the platform at an expiration of the set period of play time.

Abstract: An action figure game piece is disclosed. The game piece comprises a game figure character adapted for movement a distance over a surface and a mechanism for indicating the distance of movement over the surface. A method of playing an action figure game on the surface is also disclosed. The method comprises providing for each player a plurality of the game pieces, each game piece having an indicium indicating a point value, a mechanism for indicating a distance the game piece has moved over the surface, and a mechanism for attacking an opponent player's game pieces. The method also comprises selecting for each player a group of the game pieces having point values summing to a predetermined value and selecting a number of actions each player can take per player's turn. An action comprises either a move, comprising moving a game piece a distance up to the particular game piece's point value, or an attack, comprising actuation of the particular game piece's attacking mechanism.

Abstract: An extendable display package shipping system including a display package having a slide wall able to be lowered for shipping and raised for display, a product mounted to the slide wall in the display package and able to move between a collapsed position when the slide wall is lowered and a display position when the slide is raised. Two display packages, with slide walls lowered, are placed in a shipping carton and an insert is placed over the display packages in the carton. Each slide wall includes a hand opening and the insert includes aligned hand openings. When the display packages reach a point of sale and are removed from the shipping carton, the hand openings of the slide walls and the insert are able to be gripped simultaneously, and when lifted, the slide walls first extend themselves and then the packages, already in display configurations, are removed from the carton, all in one continuous act.

Abstract: A toy assembly includes a projectile that includes a linear portion and an engagement portion. The toy assembly also includes a base that includes a pivot point and defines an opening that receives the linear portion of the projectile, and the base retains the projectile in a frictional engagement. The assembly also includes an actuator that includes a trigger portion. The actuator is coupled to the base at the pivot point. Applying force to the trigger portion of the actuator in a first direction causes movement of the engagement portion of the projectile in a second direction, distinct from the first direction, and releases the projectile from the frictional engagement.

Abstract: Modular tracks for model vehicles are disclosed. In some embodiments, a track of the present disclosure includes a plurality of track sections, each track section including at least one upper and lower surface and at least one end. In some embodiments, a first track section of the plurality of track sections includes a female connector and a male connector located in a first track section end region and a second track section of the plurality of track sections includes a male connector and a female connector located in a second track end region. In some embodiments, the female connector of the first track section correspondingly interconnects with the male connector of the second track section and the female connector of the second track section correspondingly interconnects with the male connector of the first track section to interconnect the first track section and the second track section.

Abstract: A toy launcher apparatus having inner and outer concentric tubes forming a chamber between the tubes. Within the inner tube in a piston and an attached rod, the piston being movable between front and rear positions by a user of the launcher apparatus. The other end of the rod is attached to a handle and upon being pulled rearward, compressed air causes discharge of a projectile. The inner tube has a closed front end portion and an open rear end portion with vents. An end cap is connected to the tubes to prevent relative movement between the tubes and to provide an air path from a region in the inner tube rearward of the piston, through the vents and into the chamber. A front cap is attached to the outer tube, a projectile restraining seal is mounted to the front cap, and a perforated cup is mounted rearward of the seal. A spring is positioned in the chamber between the inner tube and the perforated cup to bias the cup and a loaded ball toward the seal.

Abstract: A toy launcher apparatus for discharging soft foam projectiles, the apparatus having a housing, a projectile launching assembly including a launching tube and a launching spring, a trigger and a cocking assembly. The apparatus also includes a magazine container for storing a stack of projectiles and having a projectile receiving opening to enable loading of projectiles into the magazine container without removing the magazine container from the housing.

Abstract: A toy construction system includes a plurality of interconnectable building elements; a control system that generates an electromagnetic signal; a vibration speaker including a moveable permanent magnet; and a support building element mechanically linked to the permanent magnet of the vibration speaker. The vibration speaker includes a coil that is moveable relative to the permanent magnet. One or more of the coil and the permanent magnet vibrate in a manner that is based on the electromagnetic signal. The vibration speaker also includes a sound producer that is mechanically linked to the coil to vibrate with the coil as the coil vibrates. The coil vibrates relative to the permanent magnet to produce an audible sound, and the permanent magnet vibrates to cause the support building element to vibrate and animate interconnectable building elements linked to the support building element.

Abstract: A mechanical toy apparatus operated by a lever structure transforming a removable symbolic structure in a way that is simple yet unique and exciting for a user. A symbolic structure having a plurality of sections is configured to shift between a first collapsing position and a second rising position and is mounted at a base including a mounting portion for receiving the symbolic structure at the base. A support structure is mounted at the base for contacting and shifting the symbolic structure to the rising position and a lever structure is affixed to the base to traverse between an engaging position and a non-engaging position at the support structure. A guide structure including a cam and a slider linkage is mounted at the base with the symbolic structure contacting with the cam to move the slider linkage, the support structure is positioned into contact with the lever structure to shift the symbolic structure to the second rising position.

Abstract: An air gun toy which has a housing mounting a cylinder and a piston for compressing air to cause foam darts to be discharged. The air gun includes the piston, a first connector pivotally connecting a first link to the piston, a second connector pivotally connecting the first link to a second link, a third connector pivotally connecting the second link to housing, a main spring and a trigger. When the piston reaches its forward position, the first, second and third connectors align in a linear configuration, like a toggle joint, to brace the piston and prevent piston bounce back.

Abstract: Several variations of a toy projectile launcher apparatus for discharging EVA balls. The apparatus includes a housing, a ram movable in the housing, a carriage also movable in the housing, a negator spring, a handle for cocking the apparatus, and a lever pivotally mounted in the housing just behind a ball to be discharged. In operation, a user pulls the handle rearward and a connector engages the ram to pull the ram rearward. The ram abuts the carriage and when the ram moves rearward the carriage also moves rearward. The carriage is attached to the spring and extends the spring when the carriage moves rearward. At a predetermined location the connector disengages the ram.