Easy loading toy projectile launcher
A toy projectile launcher capable of launching a substantially large number of projectiles, for example, toy foam darts. To increase the number of projectiles that can be launched between reloadings, the projectiles are housed in a hopper. The hopper may include a movable rear wall which facilitates the loading of a large number of projectiles into the hopper at one time. A portion of a side wall of the hopper may be agitated to loosen the projectiles within the hopper so that they will drop into a firing chamber of the launcher more easily. A cover for the hopper may have a collapsible ceiling to prevent the projectiles from becoming improperly oriented in the hopper as they are being loosened by the agitated portion of the side wall of the hopper. A rotating track and a push rod may cooperate to advance projectiles from a firing chamber of the launcher.
1. A toy projectile launcher, comprising:
a housing defining an elongated interior recess; and
a hopper coupled to the elongated interior recess, the hopper configured to house one or more projectiles and to provide the one or more projectiles to the elongated interior recess from a bottom of the hopper so that they can be launched from the housing, wherein the hopper comprises:
a wall located to one side of the elongated interior recess when the elongated interior recess is viewed along its length in a direction of projectile launch, wherein the wall extends upwardly relative to the bottom of the hopper; and
an agitating member rotatably coupled to the wall and configured to loosen the one or more projectiles within the hopper, and
a wheel having a finger extending therefrom, wherein the agitating member is agitated by intermittent contact between the finger and the agitating member.
2. The toy projectile launcher of claim 1 , wherein the agitating member comprises an opening.
3. The toy projectile launcher of claim 2 , wherein the wheel protrudes through the opening in the agitating member.
4. The toy projectile launcher of claim 3 , wherein the agitating member is agitated as a result of contact between the finger and an edge of the opening in the agitating member.
5. The toy projectile launcher of claim 1 , wherein the agitating member slopes downwardly from the wall to the housing to guide the one or more projectiles into the housing.
6. The toy projectile launcher of claim 5 , wherein:
the interior recess of the housing includes a firing chamber; and
the agitating member guides the one or more projectiles into the firing chamber.
7. The toy projectile launcher of claim 6 , wherein the firing chamber comprises a rotating track to advance the one or more projectiles from the firing chamber.
8. The toy projectile launcher of claim 1 , wherein the one or more projectiles are provided to the interior recess of the housing one at a time.
9. The toy projectile launcher of claim 1 , wherein the agitating member is coupled to the wall by a hinge.
10. The toy projectile launcher of claim 1 , wherein the one or more projectiles comprise toy foam darts.
11. A toy projectile launcher, comprising:
a housing defining an elongated interior recess;
a hopper coupled to the elongated interior recess, the hopper configured to house one or more projectiles and to provide the one or more projectiles to the housing directly from a bottom of the hopper so that they can be launched from the housing, wherein the hopper comprises:
a wall located to one side of the elongated interior recess when the elongated interior recess is viewed along its length in a direction of projectile launch, wherein the wall extends upwardly relative to the bottom of the hopper; and
an agitating member rotatably coupled to the wall and configured to loosen the one or more projectiles within the hopper,
a wheel having a finger extending therefrom, wherein the agitating member is agitated by intermittent contact between the finger and the agitating member;
a cover having an underside which faces into the hopper; and
a ceiling collapsibly attached to the underside of the cover.
12. The toy projectile launcher of claim 11 , wherein the ceiling comprises a plurality of nested members attached to the underside of the cover.
13. The toy projectile launcher of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of nested members expands into the hopper when the cover is closed.
14. The toy projectile launcher of claim 13 , wherein the ceiling rests on top of the one or more projectiles housed in the hopper.
15. The toy projectile launcher of claim 11 , wherein the ceiling comprises a spring attached to the underside of the cover.
16. A toy projectile launcher, comprising:
a housing defining an elongated interior recess; and
a hopper coupled to the elongated interior recess, the hopper configured to house one or more projectiles and to provide the one or more projectiles to the housing from a bottom of the hopper so that they can be launched from the housing;
wherein the hopper comprises;
a first wall located to one side of the elongated interior recess when the elongated interior recess is viewed along its length in a direction of projectile launch, the wall extending upwardly relative to the bottom of the hopper;
an agitating member rotatably coupled to the first wall and configured to loosen the one or more projectiles within the hopper;
a wheel having a finger extending therefrom, wherein the agitating member is agitated by intermittent contact between the finger and the agitating member; and
a second wall that is rotatably coupled to the housing and is movable to a degree that accommodates entry of a partially closed fist of a user into the hopper to facilitate loading of the one or more projectiles into the hopper.
17. The toy projectile launcher of claim 16 , wherein the second wall is rotatable about the housing for a predetermined distance.
18. The toy projectile launcher of claim 16 , wherein the second wall comprises a rear wall of the hopper.
19. The toy projectile launcher of claim 18 , further comprising a cover for the hopper that is rotatably coupled to the rear wall.
20. A toy projectile launcher, comprising:
a housing;
a firing chamber disposed within the housing and configured to receive a projectile;
a rotating track defining a bottom of the firing chamber, the rotating track receiving the projectile thereon;
a launching mechanism disposed forward of the rotating track for launching the projectile; and
a push rod;
wherein the push rod and the rotating track cooperate to advance the projectile from the firing chamber to the launching mechanism.
21. The toy projectile launcher of claim 20 , wherein the push rod pushes the projectile as the projectile is being advanced from the firing chamber by the rotating track.
22. The toy projectile launcher of claim 21 , wherein a tip of the push rod extends into the firing chamber.
23. The toy projectile launcher of claim 22 , wherein a tip of the push rod extends halfway into the firing chamber.
24. The toy projectile launcher of claim 20 , wherein the push rod comprises a reciprocating push rod.
25. The toy projectile launcher of claim 24 , wherein the push rod reciprocates toward and away from the firing chamber.
26. The toy projectile launcher of claim 20 , wherein the firing chamber is configured to receive one projectile at a time.