Toy launcher apparatus with few parts and quick and easy assembly
A dart launcher having few but integral parts and an assembly process that is quick and easy for forming robust but inexpensive toys. The launcher may have an outer body, a safety valve and spring, a valve cap, a trigger, a piston, a launch spring, a cylinder cap and a plunger rod. The outer body includes an integral cylinder portion, a barrel portion and a trigger-mounting portion, the trigger includes an integral finger pad portion, a latch arm, a biasing portion and resilient legs. The piston includes an opening and a connector component formed around the opening to snap-fit with the piston, the cylinder cap includes an opening for the plunger rod and a connector component to connect with the cylinder portion, and the barrel portion includes a valve and mandrel support for supporting the safety valve and spring.
1. A toy launcher apparatus comprising:
an outer body having an integral cylinder portion, a barrel portion and a trigger-mounting portion, the barrel portion including a valve and mandrel support;
a safety valve and spring having an integral dart contacting portion, a valve plate portion, a spring portion and a base portion, the safety valve and spring being mounted in the barrel portion of the outer body and supported by the valve and mandrel support, the safety valve and spring being movable by a dart loaded in the barrel portion;
a valve cap secured to the barrel portion of the outer body;
a trigger having an integral finger pad portion, a latch arm portion, a biasing spring portion, and opposing pivot shafts mounted on resilient legs, the trigger being pivotally connected to the trigger-mounting portion of the outer body;
a cylinder cap having an opening for a plunger rod and a connector component for engaging a connector component of the cylinder portion of the outer body;
a plunger rod having a handle at one end and a connector component at an opposite end, the plunger rod extending through the opening of the cylinder cap;
a piston with an opening and a connector component around the opening, the connector component of the piston to enable the piston to interlock with the connector component of the plunger rod; and
a launch spring mounted around the plunger rod, the launch spring being seated between the cylinder cap and the piston.
2. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the dart contact portion of the safety valve and spring includes an extender supported by the valve and mandrel support of the barrel portion of the outer body;
the valve plate portion is cup shaped; and
the spring portion is wave shaped with one end integral with the valve plate portion and an opposite end integral with the base portion.
3. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
the valve cap includes a tab; and
the base portion of the safety valve and spring includes a slot for receiving the tab of the valve cap.
4. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the dart contact portion of the safety valve and spring includes an extender supported by the valve and mandrel support of the barrel portion of the outer body; and
the spring portion of the safety valve and spring includes a plurality of twisted strips, each strip having one end integral with the valve plate portion and an opposite end integral with the base portion.
5. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 4 , wherein:
the valve plate portion is cup shaped; and
the base portion is ring shaped.
6. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the pivot shafts are integral with the legs;
the resilient legs on which the pivot shafts are mounted are spaced apart and flex toward each other during assembly of the launcher apparatus; and
the pivot shafts move inward with the legs.
7. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 6 , wherein:
the trigger-mounting portion of the outer body includes two spaced-apart panels;
each panel includes an opening for receiving a pivot shaft of the trigger; and
each panel includes a groove from a front edge of the arm panel to the opening.
8. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the piston includes a recess and a ledge to enable engagement with the latch arm portion of the trigger.
9. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the dart contact portion of safety valve and spring includes an extender supported by the valve and mandrel support of the barrel portion of the outer body;
the valve plate portion is cup shaped; and
the spring portion is integral at one end with the valve plate portion and at an opposite end integral with the base portion.
10. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 9 , wherein:
the valve cap includes a tab;
the base portion include a slot for receiving the tab of the valve cap; and
the spring portion includes a wave shaped spring.
11. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 10 , wherein:
the spring portion of the safety valve and spring includes a plurality of twisted strips, the strips having one end integral with the valve plate portion and an opposite end integral with the base portion; and
the base portion is ring shaped.
12. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 11 , wherein:
the pivot shafts are integral with the legs;
the resilient legs on which the pivot shafts are mounted are spaced apart and flex toward each other during assembly of the launcher apparatus; and
the pivot shafts move inward with the legs.
13. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 10 , wherein:
the trigger-mounting portion of the outer body includes two spaced-apart panels;
each panel includes an opening for receiving a pivot shaft of the trigger; and
each panel includes a groove from a front edge of the arm panel to the opening.
14. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 11 , wherein:
the piston includes a recess and a ledge to enable engagement with the latch arm portion of the trigger.
15. A method for assembling a toy launcher apparatus including the steps of:
providing an outer body, an integral safety valve and spring, a valve cap, a trigger, a piston, a launch spring, a cylinder cap and a plunger rod, wherein the outer body includes an integral cylinder portion, a barrel portion and a trigger-mounting portion, the trigger includes an integral finger pad portion, a latch arm, a biasing portion and resilient legs, the plunger rod includes a connector component, the piston includes an opening and a connector component formed around the opening, the cylinder cap includes an opening and a connector component, the plunger rod includes a connector component at one end, the barrel portion includes a valve and mandrel support, and each resilient leg includes an integral pivot shaft;
sliding the plunger rod through the opening in the cylinder cap;
sliding the launch spring over the plunger rod to seat in the cylinder cap;
connecting the piston connector component and the plunger rod connector component;
inserting a sub-assembly of the piston, the launch spring, and the plunger rod into the cylinder portion of the outer body;
connecting the cylinder cap connector component and the connector component of the cylinder portion;
inserting the integral safety valve and spring into the barrel portion of the outer body;
connecting the valve cap to the barrel portion of the outer body;
flexing the legs of the trigger; and
engaging the pivot shafts of the trigger with the trigger-mounting portion of the outer body.
16. The method claimed in claim 15 wherein:
the safety valve and spring includes an integral dart contacting extender portion, a valve plate portion, a spring portion and a base portion; and
the spring portion includes a wave shaped spring with one end of the spring integral with the valve plate portion and an opposite end integral with the base portion; and including the step of:
supporting the extender portion of the safety valve and spring by the valve and mandrel support of the barrel portion.
17. The method claimed in claim 15 wherein:
the safety valve and spring includes an integral dart contacting extender portion in the form of three fingers, a cup-shaped valve plate portion, a spring portion and a base portion, the spring portion including a plurality of twisted strips with one end of each strip being integral with the valve plate portion and an opposite end of each strip being integral with the base portion; and including the step of:
supporting the extender portion by the valve and mandrel support of the barrel portion.
18. A toy launcher apparatus comprising:
an outer body having an integral cylinder portion, a barrel portion and a trigger-mounting portion, the barrel portion including a valve and mandrel support;
a safety valve and spring having an integral dart contact portion, a valve plate portion, a spring portion and a base portion, the spring portion being integral with the valve plate portion at one end and the base portion at an opposite end, the safety valve and spring being mounted in the barrel portion of the outer body and supported by the valve and mandrel support, the safety valve and spring for engaging a dart loaded in the barrel portion;
a valve cap secured to the barrel portion of the outer body;
a trigger having an integral finger pad portion, a latch arm portion, a biasing spring portion, and a pivotal mounting portion, the pivotal mounting including opposing pivot shafts, each pivot shaft mounted on a resilient leg, the trigger being pivotally connected to the trigger-mounting portion of the outer body;
a cylinder cap having an opening and a connector component, the opening for supporting a slideable plunger rod and the connector component for connecting to an connector component of the cylinder portion of the outer body;
a plunger rod having a handle at one end and a connector component at an opposite end, the plunger rod extending through the opening of the cylinder cap;
a piston with an opening and a connector component around the opening, the connector component of the piston to enable the piston to connect with the connector component of the plunger rod; and
a launch spring mounted around the plunger rod, the launch spring being seated between the cylinder cap and the piston.
19. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 18 , wherein:
the dart contact portion of the safety valve and spring includes a plurality of extending legs, the legs being supported by the valve and mandrel support of the barrel portion of the outer body;
the valve plate portion is cup shaped;
the spring portion includes a plurality of twisted strips with one end of each strip being integral with the valve plate portion and an opposite end of each strip being integral with the base portion; and
the base portion is a ring.
20. The toy launcher apparatus claimed in claim 19 , wherein:
the pivot shafts are integral with the legs;
the resilient legs on which the pivot shafts are mounted are spaced apart and flex toward each other during assembly of the launcher apparatus; and
the pivot shafts move inward with the legs.