Rocket Launcher Toy
An air pressure powered toy rocket launcher is herein disclosed. The launcher is comprised of a flexible plastic vessel attached to an assembly of rigid plastic tubes. A vertical section of the tube assembly has an open end. When water is poured into the open end, a closed cell foam plastic rocket, having a center bore, can be fitted over the vertical tube. With the launcher containing a measured amount of water and the rocket in place, a child jumps onto the flexible vessel to both fire the rocket and send a plume of water high into the air. The invention provides a satisfying visual experience while showering water down upon nearby spectators.
This invention relates generally to projectile launching toys and more particularly to launched toy rockets, which can be used safely by children.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ARTToy rockets have been a familiar means of providing hours of visual entertainment, for children and adults alike for many years. However, several designs involving diverse mechanisms have revealed a need to provide children with a rocket launching system, which is safer and easier to use, but does not diminish the satisfaction of the toy by limiting the extent of the visual experience. U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,006 discloses a simple rocket launching toy, where the need for safety has been seriously compromised. The invention includes a rocket body comprised of soft open cell foam, such as urethane sponge material. A hard plastic tube insert is required to provide both mass to the rocket and an air tight seal between the rocket body and the launch mechanism. If the foam material were to tear, from repeated use or rough play, the hard plastic insert could become exposed posing a dangerous hazard to children, since the insert alone can be launched without the protective rocket shaped cover.
A similar rocket toy disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,297 reveals unique, but even more serious safety concerns than the previous example. By requiring the user to hold the launch tube during use, there is no way to insure that the rocket would not be fired into the face of a nearby child and cause serious eye injury.
Other types of rocket launching toys incorporate both air pressure and water in combination, to increase performance and visual excitement. The approaches disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,759,297 and 3,046,694 require that rockets containing water be pressurized before launching. These systems necessitate the need for rigid plastic rocket bodies, capable of withstanding high internal pressures without bursting. Such mechanisms are not easy for children to operate and pose a threat of injury to users and onlookers, when a hard plastic rocket returns to earth at high speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,472 discloses a more elaborate air pressure rocket launching system. This toy requires the user to pressurize a separate chamber and then release the pressure into the rocket body by opening a valve. While this item addresses the need to provide a safe rocket, the complexity of the launcher itself presents a number of potential problems. The item is large and expensive to manufacture. The safety of the launcher is dependent upon several glue joints and plastic parts remaining in sound condition. If a child were to accidentally step on one of several plastic parts, a simple crack may destroy the integrity of the unit and compromise its ability to withstand high pressures safely.
The need exists for a safer and less expensive, rocket launching toy. It is therefore one object of this invention to provide a rocket launching system, which is simple and safe for unsupervised children to operate.
Another object of this invention, is to provide a rocket launching system, which utilizes lightweight, soft, foam rockets, which cannot be launched in the direction of spectators.
A further object of this invention, is to provide a rocket launching toy combining air pressure and water, without the need for storing high fluid pressures within a vessel and thereby eliminate any potential bursting hazard.
It is still another object of this invention, to provide a rocket launching toy, which involves a more skillful participation on the part of the user, to achieve a successful launch of the rocket and a maximum delivery of water into the air.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe foregoing and other objects of this invention are accomplished, by providing a rocket launching toy comprising a very simple construction, thereby eliminating the need for any moving parts. A lightweight rocket, constructed from one to two pound per cubic foot extruded closed cell polyethylene plastic foam, provides a safe rocket, which can be propelled to impressive heights using little energy. Because of the flexible and lightweight character of the projectile, there is no danger posed to on looking children as the rocket returns to the ground. The foam rocket body has an axial bore of approximately five inches in depth and a cone shaped tip to reduce aerodynamic friction. At least two flat wings are attached to the rear of the rocket body for the purpose of controlling the flight path.
The rocket launching apparatus comprises a bladder, rotationally molded from soft durometer PVC or blow molded from EVA plastic, which functions as a pressure generating bellows when jumped upon by the user. This vessel has a domed top surface for trapping air above a measured amount of water and a shape which gradually tapers towards a single outlet, in order to more effectively channel fluid to the outlet. A hard plastic tube is permanently attached to the vessel outlet and runs horizontally for a distance adequate to provide safe physical separation between the user and the launch vehicle. A curved elbow section joins the horizontal tube with a vertical section of equivalent internal diameter. The vertical tube is clear and has a length slightly greater than the bore depth in the rocket. The outside diameter of the vertical tube is approximately equal to the bore diameter in the rocket body, so as to achieve an adequately snug friction fit, when the rocket is fully mounted over the vertical tube. A measured amount of water is introduced into the launching apparatus through an open end of the vertical tube section. When the proper amount of water is loaded into the launcher, the liquid level within the bladder will be slightly above the height of the horizontal tube. The final step of launch preparation involves mounting the rocket. This is accomplished by fully inserting the vertical tube of the launcher into the bore in the rocket body. To launch the rocket, a single person jumps onto the bladder so that one or both feet make contact with the apex of the vessel. This results in a compression of air trapped above the water in the bladder and within the vertical tube of the launch apparatus. Compressed air within the vertical tube quickly launches the rocket while the compressed air in the bladder together with elastic expansion of the vessel plastic, provide stored energy to aid in expelling the water from the launcher in a tall vertical plume.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the preferred embodiment,
In the preferred embodiment, rocket launcher toy 1 is constructed from different types of plastic materials. A hollow flexible vessel 3 as shown in
Referring to
Claims
1. An air pressure launched rocket toy comprising: an elongated soft foam rocket, said rocket having a cylindrical body composed of resilient closed cell foamed plastic material, said cylindrical body having a front portion and a rear portion, said rear portion having at least 2 lightweight foamed plastic wings for controlling the orientation of said rocket during flight, said cylindrical body having an axial bore in said rear portion; a flexible hollow vessel, said vessel attached to an assembly of tubes, said assembly of tubes having a means of viewing a space within said assembly of tubes, said assembly of tubes having a vertical section, said vertical section adapted at an open end for snugly inserting into said bore of said rocket, such that when a measured amount of a liquid is introduced into said assembly of tubes and said vessel, through said open end of said vertical section, and said vertical section has been wholly inserted into said bore of said rocket, and said vessel is acted upon by an external compressive force, said rocket and said liquid are propelled from said vertical section of said assembly of tubes.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 2, 2005
Publication Date: Oct 12, 2006
Inventor: Brian Lapointe (West Yarmouth, MA)
Application Number: 10/908,976
International Classification: F41B 11/00 (20060101);