Toy Gun

Abstract

The invention relates to a toy gun comprising a barrel movably connected at a body of the toy gun; a trigger; a recoil mechanism connecting the barrel with the trigger; wherein, when the trigger is actuated, the recoil mechanism is adapted to resiliently move the barrel between a first and a second positions to thereby simulate a recoil effect. The invention also relates to a toy gun comprising a barrel movably connected at a gun body, the barrel comprising an inner sleeve receivable by an outer sleeve, the outer sleeve being movable relative to the inner sleeve; a trigger; and a recoil mechanism adapted to move the outer sleeve of the barrel relative to the inner sleeve to thereby simulate a recoil effect in response to actuation of the trigger.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a toy and, particularly, but not exclusively, to a projectile launching toy such as a toy gun.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of projectile firing toys such as, but not limited to, toy guns of various types are available in the market. Particularly, toy guns have been designed with both decorative and functional features in order to mimic the appearance, operation as well as a user's experience of real guns. Various features have also been incorporated into traditional toy guns aiming to enhance the user's experience.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a toy gun which mimics a recoil effect at a barrel of a real gun.

Another object of the present invention is to mitigate or obviate to some degree one or more problems associated with known projectile emitting toys, or at least to provide a useful alternative.

The above objects are met by the combination of features of the main claim; the sub-claims disclose further advantageous embodiments of the invention.

One skilled in the art will derive from the following description other objects of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing statements of object are not exhaustive and serve merely to illustrate some of the many objects of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first main aspect, the invention provides a toy gun having a barrel movably connected at a body of the toy gun, a trigger, and a recoil mechanism connecting the barrel with the trigger; wherein when the trigger is actuated, the recoil mechanism is adapted to resiliently move the barrel between a first position and a second position to thereby simulate a recoil effect.

In a second main aspect, the invention provides a toy gun, comprising a barrel movably connected at a body of the toy gun, the barrel comprising an inner sleeve receivable by an outer sleeve, with the outer sleeve being movable relative to the inner sleeve, a trigger, and a recoil mechanism adapted to move the outer sleeve of the barrel relative to the inner sleeve to thereby simulate a recoil effect in response to actuation of the trigger.

The summary of the invention does not necessarily disclose all the features essential for defining the invention; the invention may reside in a sub-combination of the disclosed features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments which are provided by way of example only in connection with the accompanying figure, of which:

FIG. 1A is a side, external view showing an embodiment of a toy gun according to the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a side, internal view of the toy gun of FIG. 1A;

FIGS. 2A to 2E show the operating steps of the toy gun of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIG. 3A is a side, internal view showing a second embodiment of the toy gun according to the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a side, internal view showing a third embodiment of the toy gun according to the present invention;

FIG. 3C is a side, internal view showing a fourth embodiment of the toy gun according to the present invention;

FIGS. 4A to 4I show the operating steps of a recoil mechanism of the toy gun of FIG. 3A; and

FIGS. 5A to 5C show a further embodiment of the toy gun according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is of preferred embodiments by way of example only and without limitation to the combination of features necessary for carrying the invention into effect.

Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, shown is a projectile firing toy in the form of a toy gun 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The toy gun 10 comprises a gun body 12 having a hand grip or handle 14, a barrel 16, a muzzle 18 arranged at the end of the barrel 16, a trigger 20 adapted to actuate launching of a projectile, and a projectile launching mechanism 25 for launching the projectile via the barrel 16. In this embodiment, the barrel 16 is adapted to be movably connected at the gun body 12. Particularly, the toy gun 10 further comprises a recoil mechanism 30 adapted to connect the movable barrel 16 with the trigger 20. Upon actuating of the trigger 20, the recoil mechanism 30 is adapted to resiliently move the barrel 16 between a first position and a second position to thereby simulate a recoil effect of a barrel of real gun.

Preferably, the barrel 16 is movable reciprocally between the first position and the second position, which can be a forward position and a backward position relative to the gun body 12, respectively. For example, the barrel 16 can be arranged to move reciprocally along the longitudinal axis of the gun body 12. More preferably, when the trigger 20 is actuated, the barrel 16 is resiliently movable from the forward position to the backward position relative to the body, and subsequently, returns preferably under a biasing force from the backward position to the forward position, to thereby mimic the momentarily, recoil action of a barrel of a real gun.

Although in the present description, the first position has been referred to the forward position, and the second position has been referred to the backward position in some of the embodiments, it is understood that the first position and the second position shall not be restricted to a forward position and a backward position only. For example, in one embodiment, the first position can be referred to as the backward position relative to the gun body, i.e. spaced further from the gun muzzle, and the second position can be referred to as the forward position relative to the gun body, i.e. closer to the gun muzzle than the backward position.

In one embodiment, the barrel 16 may comprise an inner sleeve 15 receivable by an outer sleeve 17, with the outer sleeve 17 being movable relative to the inner sleeve 15 to provide the recoil effect of the barrel.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the recoil mechanism 30 may comprise a movable member 32 operably connected with the trigger 20 via one or more linkage means 22. Specifically, the movable member 32 is adapted to engage a locking member 34 of the recoil mechanism 30. The locking member 34 can be arranged to actuate movement of the barrel 16 between the first, forward position and the second, backward position via a series of resilient movement of a number of operably interconnected parts. The locking member 34 may comprise any commonly known locking configurations or arrangements which are considered suitable and applicable to be the recoil mechanism 30 of the toy gun 10. For example, in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1B, the locking member 34 comprises a protrusion or abutment 35 engageable with a corresponding raised part 36 of a block member 38.

FIGS. 2A to 2E further illustrate a typical operation of the recoil mechanism 30 of the toy gun of FIG. 1B. Specifically, when the locking member 34 of the movable member 32 is in abutment with the raised part 36 of the block member 38, as shown in FIG. 2A, movement of the movable member 32, which is caused by the triggering action of the trigger 20, will in turn set the block member 36 in motion. For example, triggering of the trigger 20 will cause the linkage means 22 and thus the movable member 32 to move backward, i.e. towards the direction of the trigger 20, which results in the block member 38 in moving along the same, backward direction to compress a resilient, biasing means 42, as shown in FIG. 2B. The same triggering action of the trigger 20 will simultaneously actuate the launching mechanism to launch a projectile.

Further backward movement of the block member 38 will allow the abutment to be pushed up along ramp 43, and the abutment 35 will eventually overcome the raised part 36 to continue its path along the ramp 43. The unlocking of the abutment 35 from the raised part 36 will thus release the block member 38 to resiliently slide forward under the restoring force of the biasing means 42, see FIG. 2C. The block member 38, which may comprise a weight-bearing mass in this embodiment, will then knock on a lever 46 connected with the block member 38 at one end, and the knocking pivots the other end of the lever 46 to press on a part of the movable barrel 16. The barrel 16 is thus moved from a forward position to a backward position, as shown in FIG. 2D. The backward movement of the barrel 16 momentarily compresses a biasing means 50 arranged at the end of the barrel 16, with the restoring force of the biasing means 50 subsequently pushing the barrel 16 to return from the backward position to the forward position, as shown in FIG. 2E. The reciprocal forward to backward movement, and the subsequent return of the barrel to its original position thus visually mimic a recoil action of a barrel of a real gun. In this embodiment, the launched projectile should be arranged to exit the muzzle 18 of the barrel 16 at the same or a similar time as the recoil action of the barrel 16.

Referring to FIGS. 3A to 3C, shown are a number of further embodiments of the toy gun 10 according to the present invention. Particularly, the toy guns of FIGS. 3A to 3C each comprise recoil mechanisms 30 which are of similar configurations. The toy guns of FIGS. 3B and 3C differ from that of FIG. 3A by each having a lever member 60 movably connected with the barrel 16 and the recoil mechanism 30 via one or more linkage means to thereby extend the distance between the first and the second positions, i.e. the movable distance during a recoil action of the barrel 16. For example, the lever member 60 of FIG. 3B is located near the recoil mechanism 30, while the lever member 60 of FIG. 3C is provided adjacent the barrel 16.

FIGS. 4A to 4I further illustrate a typical operation of the recoil mechanism 30 of the toy gun of FIG. 3A. In this embodiment, the movable member 32 is provided in the form of a gear wheel or a pinion 32 rotatably engageable with a lower block member 38 and an upper block member 48 via the respective sets of teeth arranged at the opposing sides of the block members 38, 48. Similar to the previous embodiments, the pinion 32 is connected with a trigger 20 via a linkage means 22, and the actuating of the trigger 20 causes the linkage means 22 to move backward and thus the pinion 32 to roll backward, i.e. towards the direction of the trigger 20. The upper block member 48 is connected with the barrel 16 by a linkage means 49.

The rolling movement of the pinion 32 will enable the engaged, lower block member 38 in moving backward, which compresses the biasing means 42 at the end of and behind the lower block member 38, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D. The upper block member 48 will remain stationary as movement of it is prevented by the locking member 34. The same actuating action of the trigger 20 will simultaneously actuate the launching mechanism to launch a projectile (not shown).

Further backward movement of the pinion 32 will allow a part of the pinion 32, such as its centre, to abut a ramp 35 of the locking member 34. The abutment presses the locking member 34 to pivot downward, as shown in FIG. 4E, and the downward movement of the locking member 34 thus releases or unlocks movement of the upper block member 48. Once the upper block member 48 is released, movement of both the lower and the upper block members 38, 48 will no longer be restricted by the positioning of the pinion 32. As a consequence, the lower block member 38 can be sprung forward, i.e. towards the direction of the barrel by the restoring force of the biasing means 42. The upper block member 48 will at the same time be pulled backward by the forward motion of the lower block member 38. As a result, the barrel 16 will be momentarily moved from a forward position to a backward position, as shown in FIG. 4F.

FIGS. 4G and 4H show the recoil mechanism 30 when the lower block member 38 is pushed to the front-most position under the action of the biasing means 42, and is disengaged from the pinion 32. The upper block member 48, and thus, the barrel 16 will also be momentarily returned from the backward position to the forward position under the action of the biasing means 50. The reciprocal movement of the barrel 16 between the forward and backward positions thus visually mimic a recoil action of a barrel real gun. In one embodiment, the biasing means 50 can be of a weaker elastic strength than the biasing means 42. FIG. 4I further shows the configuration of the recoil mechanism 30 when the trigger 20 is returned to its original, unactuated position. The locking member 34 will then pivot up again to block movement of the upper block member 48, and the play cycle repeats.

Referring to FIGS. 5A to 5C, shown is a further embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the toy gun 10 is similarly configured as the toy gun of FIG. 1B, but with the outer sleeve 17 of the barrel 16 being provided with one or more through holes 17a. The though holes 17a allow at least part of inner sleeve 15, which is received by the outer sleeve 17, to be visible from the exterior of the outer sleeve 17. Preferably, at least part of the inner sleeve 15 is provided with one or more visual indicators 18, such that the visual indicators are visible from the exterior of the outer sleeve 16 via the through holes 17a momentarily when the barrel 16 is arranged to move between the forward and the backward positions to thereby mimic a visual effect during the recoil action. In one embodiment, the visual indicators 18 may comprise one or more of a color, a sign and a pattern. For example, the visual indicators 18 can be provided in a color red to thereby simulate a firing effect to be visible during the recoil action.

The present description illustrates the principles of the present invention. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope.

Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only exemplary embodiments have been shown and described and do not limit the scope of the invention in any manner. It can be appreciated that any of the features described herein may be used with any embodiment. The illustrative embodiments are not exclusive of each other or of other embodiments not recited herein. Accordingly, the invention also provides embodiments that comprise combinations of one or more of the illustrative embodiments described above. Modifications and variations of the invention as herein set forth can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and, therefore, only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated by the appended claims.

In the claims hereof, any element expressed as a means for performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way of performing that function. The invention as defined by such claims resides in the fact that the functionalities provided by the various recited means are combined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for. It is thus regarded that any means that can provide those functionalities are equivalent to those shown herein.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art is referred to herein, such prior art does not constitute an admission that the prior art forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art.

Claims

1. A toy gun, comprising:

a barrel movably connected at a body of the toy gun;

a trigger;

a recoil mechanism connecting the barrel with the trigger;

wherein, when the trigger is actuated, the recoil mechanism is adapted to resiliently move the barrel between a first position and a second position to thereby simulate a recoil effect.

2. The toy gun according to claim 1, wherein the barrel is movable reciprocally between the first position and the second position.

3. The toy gun according to claim 1, wherein, when the trigger is actuated, the barrel is resiliently movable from a forward position to a backward position relative to the body, and subsequently, returns under a biasing force from the backward position to the forward position.

4. The toy gun according to claim 1, wherein the recoil mechanism comprises a movable member operably connected with the trigger, the movable member being engageable with a locking member of the recoil mechanism, with the locking member being adapted to actuate movement of the barrel between the first and the second positions.

5. The toy gun according to claim 4, wherein the locking member is actuatable to set one or more block members of the recoil mechanism in motion, with the one or more block members being operably connected with the barrel to thereby move the barrel between the first and the second positions.

6. The toy gun according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the one or more block members is connected with a resilient means.

7. The toy gun according to claim 1, further comprising at least one lever movably connected with the barrel and the recoil mechanism to thereby extend a distance between the first and the second position.

8. The toy gun according to claim 1, further comprising a projectile launching mechanism for launching the projectile.

9. The toy gun according to claim 1, wherein the barrel comprises an inner sleeve receivable by an outer sleeve, with the outer sleeve being movable relative to the inner sleeve.

10. The toy gun according to claim 9, wherein the outer sleeve is provided with one or more through holes, such that at least part of inner sleeve received therein is visible from an exterior of the outer sleeve.

11. The toy gun according to claim 10, wherein the at least part of the inner sleeve is provided with one or more visual indicators, such that at least one of the one or more visual indicators is visible from the external of the outer sleeve via at least one of the one or more through holes.

12. The toy gun according to claim 11, wherein the one or more visual indicators comprise one or more of a color, a sign and a pattern.

13. The toy gun according to claim 11, wherein the at least one of the one or more visual indicators is momentarily visible from the external of the outer sleeve via the at least one of the one or more through holes when the barrel is movable between the first and the second positions.

14. A toy gun, comprising:

a barrel movably connected at a body of the toy gun, the barrel comprising an inner sleeve receivable by an outer sleeve, with the outer sleeve being movable relative to the inner sleeve;

a trigger; and

a recoil mechanism adapted to move the outer sleeve of the barrel relative to the inner sleeve to thereby simulate a recoil effect in response to actuation of the trigger.

15. The toy gun according to claim 14, wherein the outer sleeve is provided with one or more through holes, such that at least part of inner sleeve received therein is visible from an exterior of the outer sleeve when the outer sleeve moves relative to the inner sleeve.

16. The toy gun according to claim 14, further comprising a projectile launching mechanism for launching the projectile.