EP1389485A1

EP1389485A1 - Safety ejector

Info

Publication number: EP1389485A1
Application number: EP02255662A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kuo-Ching Liu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-08-13
Filing date: 2002-08-14
Publication date: 2004-02-18
Also published as: US20040033754A1

Abstract

A safety ejector is formed from a flat base plate (10), which is stamped to provide an ejecting member (11) having a transverse top portion (111) and two longitudinal legs, two locating members (12) located at two outer sides of the ejecting member, and an actuating member (13) defined between the two legs of the ejecting member. After the ejecting and the actuating member are upward turned into a vertical position, the transverse portion of the ejecting member is flexibly bent downward to press at two outer ends against the two locating members (12) with a center thereof located on a lower hook portion of the actuating member (13). The upward turned ejecting and actuating members leave a space on the base plate to provide a runway. By lifting the actuating member, the bent transverse portion of the ejecting member is disengaged from the locating members to spring out and eject an article positioned on the runway.

Description

FILED OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a safety ejector, and more particularly to a safety ejector in the form of a built-up toy that includes parts initially stamped on a complete base plate to be easily turned into a vertical position for use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Built-up toys are various types of models, such as cars, animals, formed by assembling a plurality of flat parts or members in a predetermined manner. These toys have small volumes and are easily assembled, and could be initially supplied in the form of a flat plate. However, the built-up toys are immovable and therefore less interesting for play. It is therefore desirable to develop a movable built-up toy that is simple in structure and easy to assemble, and does not include small accessories and is, accordingly, safe for play.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a safety ejector that includes ejecting, actuating, and locating members, and a runway all included on a base plate for easily ejecting a built-up toy or other suitable items to create a lot of fun.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a safety ejector that includes a rectangular base plate, on which different members for forming an ejector are stamped. No separated small parts are needed for the ejector, so that the ejector is safe for play without the risk of being undesirably swallowed by a small child.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a safety ejector that includes a rectangular base plate, on which ejecting, actuating, and locating members for forming an ejector are previously stamped with dies, so that the present invention before being assembled is in the form of a flat plate that could be conveniently transported and be packed and sold along with other products, such as food staffs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a base plate from which a safety ejector according to the present invention is built up;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a partially built safety ejector of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a fully built safety ejector of the present invention;
Fig. 4 shows the safety ejector of the present invention is ready for use;
Fig. 5 is a sectioned side view showing the first step of actuating the safety ejector of the present invention; and
Fig. 6 is another sectioned side view showing the second step of actuating the safety ejector of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to Fig. 1 that is a perspective view of a substantially rectangular flat base plate 10, from which a safety ejector of the present invention is built up. The base plate 10 is stamped with dies to provide a substantially π-shaped ejecting member 11 having a transverse top portion 111 and two longitudinal legs integrally extended from the transverse top portion 111, two locating members 12 located at two outer sides of the ejecting member 11, and an actuating member 13 defined between the two legs of the ejecting member 11. These members 11, 12, and 13 are kept connected to the base plate 10 at folding lines S4, S3, and S1 respectively, so that they could be partially separated from the base plate 10 and folded and turned upward about these folding lines.
Please refer to Fig. 2. To build up the safety ejector of the present invention, first turn the ejecting member 11 about the folding lines S4 provided at distal ends of the two legs thereof, so that the transverse portion 111 of the ejecting member 11 is located at an inclined elevated position above the base plate 10. Then, upward turn the actuating member 13 about a folding line S2 provided near a lower portion thereof to a substantially vertical position, so that a hook portion 131 of the actuating member 13 is kept in a horizontal plane defined by the base plate 10. Finally, upward turn the two locating members 12 about the folding lines S3 to a vertical position.
The legs of the inclined elevated ejecting member 11 may be flexibly bent forward for two outmost ends of the transverse portion 111 to locate behind and press against the two locating members 12, as shown in Fig. 3. At this point, a center of the transverse portion 111 of the ejecting member 11 is closely located on the hook portion 131. With the ejecting member 11 and the actuating member 13 upward turned from the base plate 10, a space is left on the base plate 10 to provide a runway 14. A safety ejector according to the present invention is then completed.
Fig. 4 shows a built-up toy 2 in the form of a model racing car is positioned on the runway 14 with a tail of the racing car 2 closely located in front of the transverse portion 111 of the ejecting member 11. Please refer to Fig. 5. To eject the racing car 2, an operator may use fingers 9 to grip the actuating member 13 at an upper end thereof and pull the actuating member 13, so that the actuating member 13 is pivotally turned backward about the folding line S1 provided at a lower most end of the actuating member 13. At this point, the hook portion 131 is lifted to push the transverse portion 111 of the ejecting member 11 upward. When the transverse portion 111 is moved upward to separate the two outmost ends from the locating members 12 , it springs out as indicated by the curved arrow of Fig. 6. At this point, a restoring force of the flexibly bent ejecting member 11 forms an ejecting force acted on the tail of the built-up toy car 2, so that the toy car 2 is ejected forward as indicated by the arrow G1.
It is to be noted that the safety ejector of the present invention is initially included in a complete rectangular flat base plate. There are not separated small parts for building up the safety ejector. Either the flat base plate or the built ejector would not be undesirably swallowed by a small child, and is therefore very safe for play. In particular, the ejecting member 11 is so designed that it has only limited ejecting force without the risk of injuring any person with the toy ejected from the safety ejector. Therefore, the safety ejector of the present invention is safe and interesting for play.
While the present invention has been described with a built-up model racing car used as an ejected article, other differently shaped built-up toys or other suitable items may also be used as the ejected articles.
In brief, the safety ejector of the present invention has a novel structure that allows children to easily and safely eject built-up toys or other items in games to create a lot of fun.

Claims

A safety ejector comprising a base plate, said base plate being stamped with dies to provide a substantially π-shaped ejecting member having a transverse top portion and two longitudinal legs integrally extended from said transverse top portion, two locating members located at two outer sides of said ejecting member, and an actuating member defined between said two legs of said ejecting member and having a hook portion formed at a lower portion thereof; said ejecting, locating, and actuating members being kept connected to said base plate at predetermined locations, at where said ejecting, locating, and actuating members having been partially separated from said base plate are folded and turned upward into a vertical position; said legs of said ejecting member in the vertical position being adapted to flexibly bend for two outmost ends of said transverse portion to separately press against said two locating members with a center of said transverse portion closely located on said hook portion of said actuating member; and a runway being formed at a space that is left on said base plate after said ejecting and said actuating member are upward turned from said base plate; whereby when said actuating member is lifted to disengage said outmost ends of said transverse portion of said ejecting member from said two locating members, a restoring force of said ejecting member in a flexibly bent position springs said transverse portion outward to eject an article positioned on said runway closely in front of said ejecting member.
The safety ejector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ejecting, said actuating, and said locating members before being folded and turned into the vertical position are initially parts together filling up said base plate.
The safety ejector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined locations for folding and turning said ejecting, said actuating, and said locating members are previously stamped with folding lines.