Patents by Inventor Steven M. Menow

Steven M. Menow has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7163009
    Abstract: A toy gun for launching a foam projectile includes a housing having an outlet, an inlet, and a passage sized to receive the projectile. A launch station disposed in the housing and is arranged to receive the projectile, a crank rotates a resilient actuating paddle. The paddle is shiftable between an undeflected position and an energy storing deflected position, and moves along a path in response to rotation of the crank and extends into the launch station. A post is disposed in the path and is positioned to shift the paddle to the deflected position in response to rotation of the wheel, with the paddle arranged to disengage the post in response to continued rotation of the wheel thereby releasing stored energy as the paddle returns to the undeflected position and travels through the launch station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Brown, William Gajda, Jr., Steven M. Menow
  • Patent number: 6776679
    Abstract: A toy is described that, during play, is rotated in a horizontal circular path about a player's ankle and simultaneously provides illuminating and eye-catching reflections of ambient light. The toy includes a collar and a transparent housing connected to the collar by a tether. During play, the transparent housing rotates about the player's ankle, while the player simultaneously hops or skips the tether. The transparent housing contains a multi-faceted, reflective sphere. This multi-faceted, reflective sphere rotates or otherwise moves within the transparent housing so as to reflect ambient light in a sparkling manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven M. Menow
  • Publication number: 20040040551
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic toy gun which may include a cylinder having an open end and an outlet, a piston disposed within the open end of the cylinder, and a valve having a valve inlet and a discharge outlet. The valve may have a normal position wherein the discharge outlet is sealed to prevent the flow of air through the discharge outlet, and an open position wherein the discharge outlet is unsealed to permit the flow of air through the discharge outlet, with the outlet of the cylinder being in fluid communication with the valve inlet The pneumatic toy gun may further include a pressure gauge in fluid communication with the outlet of the cylinder and the valve inlet, with the pressure gauge having a cavity with a fluid disposed therein, and the cavity having a transparent portion through which the fluid is visible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventors: Steven M. Menow, Michael Waters, John Freitas
  • Patent number: 6698414
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic toy gun which may include a cylinder having an open end and an outlet, a piston disposed within the open end of the cylinder, and a valve having a valve inlet and a discharge outlet. The valve may have a normal position wherein the discharge outlet is sealed to prevent the flow of air through the discharge outlet, and an open position wherein the discharge outlet is unsealed to permit the flow of air through the discharge outlet, with the outlet of the cylinder being in fluid communication with the valve inlet. The pneumatic toy gun may further include a pressure gauge in fluid communication with the outlet of the cylinder and the valve inlet, with the pressure gauge having a cavity with a fluid disposed therein, and the cavity having a transparent portion through which the fluid is visible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Hasbro Inc
    Inventors: Steven M. Menow, Michael Waters, John Freitas
  • Patent number: 6273299
    Abstract: A breakfast cereal dispensing product may be provided with a product package, a breakfast cereal product attached to the product package, and a breakfast cereal dispenser attached to the product package. The breakfast cereal product may include a cereal box having breakfast cereal disposed therein. The breakfast cereal dispenser may include a container having a main chamber that is sized to hold a plurality of pieces of breakfast cereal and a dispensing structure having a dispensing chamber and a dispensing chamber opening. The dispensing structure may be provided with a movable member that is movable between a closed position in which the movable member closes the dispensing chamber opening and an open position in which the dispensing chamber opening is not closed by the movable member and a passageway that couples the main chamber to the dispensing chamber. The passageway may be sized to allow pieces of breakfast cereal to pass between the main chamber and the dispensing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: OddzOn, Inc.
    Inventors: Ira Hernowitz, Steven M. Menow, Charles Hartlaub
  • Patent number: 6267639
    Abstract: A candy container or dispenser having a sound generating device and having an oscillating member protruding from an aperture is disclosed. The candy dispenser comprises a housing adapted for attachment to a candy container, with the housing defining an internal cavity and including an aperture. A member is pivotally mounted to the housing and protrudes from the aperture. A gear mechanism is disposed within the housing cavity and includes a rotatable wheel having an irregular peripheral surface. The gear mechanism is operatively connected to the member and includes an actuating trigger. A reed is mounted within the cavity and has an end contacting the peripheral surface, so that upon actuation of the trigger the gear mechanism imparts rotational movement to the wheel thereby causing the reed to produce a sound in response to contact with the wheel peripheral surface. At the same time, the member oscillates about its pivot point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: OddzOn, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Menow, David A. Fuhrer
  • Patent number: 6024623
    Abstract: A bubble making toy includes a bubble making device having an impeller and a bubble wheel including a plurality of apertures. The bubble wheel rotates within a bubble making fluid reservoir for forming a film of bubble making fluid over the apertures. The impeller is arranged to rotate within an impeller housing and delivers a flow of air through the apertures for forming a substantially continuous stream of bubbles. Each of the impeller and the bubble wheel are driven from a drive axle to which at least one wheel is secured, and preferably, each are driven at a respective rotational velocity that is a respective multiple of the rotational velocity of the at least one wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: OddzOn, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Menow, Jeffery G. Rehkemper, Lewis Ray Dyson
  • Patent number: 5667420
    Abstract: A vehicle toy has two lateral sides, front and rear ends, an outer perimeter extending around the front and rear ends between the lateral sides, and three pairs of wheels, each pair having a common rotational axis. The wheels of each wheel pair are opposed to one another on the lateral sides. The wheels on each lateral side of the vehicle are arranged in a polygon at the outer perimeter, extending around the front and rear ends between the lateral sides such that adjoining pairs of the wheels define planes which are mutually transverse to one another and which entirely circumscribe the outer perimeter of the vehicle. Two wheel pairs are located proximal the rear end, with one of the two wheel pairs being oriented above the other, and the third wheel pair is located proximal the front end, so that the transverse planes form a triangle. The vehicle is driven by twin electric motors which are radio controlled for remote, independent and separate operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Tyco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Menow, Jonathan Adam Jaffe, Patrick J. Sannito, Warren E. Bosch
  • Patent number: D445309
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Oddzon, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Menow, Todd Hannon, Tom Chrisman