US20110187053A1

US20110187053A1 - Toy blow gun, a projectile, a target and a set including same

Info

Publication number: US20110187053A1
Application number: US12/698,095
Authority: US
Inventors: Victor Mayorkis; Olga Ousherovitch
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-02-01
Filing date: 2010-02-01
Publication date: 2011-08-04

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a toy kit. The toy kit comprises a user-operatable blow gun; a projectile, the projectile being made from a first material; a target, the target being made from a second material; the first material and the second material being selected such that when the projectile is expelled from the user-operatable blow gun under a blow force applied by a user, it penetrates exclusively the target.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to, but is not limited to, toy kits and more specifically the present invention relates to, but is not limited to, a toy blow gun, a projectile, a target and a set including same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Projectile launchers, including blow guns for propelling projectiles, have been generally known in the art. The blow guns were initially used as weapons for haunting or otherwise. As the time progressed, blow guns also found applicability in a variety of industries. For example, blow guns have been used in the veterinary or timber industries. In the timber industry, blow guns have been used for firing marking projectiles. In veterinary, applications of the blow guns include use them as launchers for pill injectors for treating cattle, such as horses and cows.
Yet another area for using blow guns has included mock combat games, where the blow guns are used for amusement for firing projectiles without actually harming the target. As such, the blow guns have also been used as novelty items and as toys for amusement of kids and adults.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,578,290 issued to Mitchell on Aug. 25, 2009 teaches a blow gun for launching soft projectiles. The blow gun includes an action sleeve which is wrapped around and attached to a receiver. Soft projectiles, such as marshmallows, may be loaded into the breech of the blow gun by rotating the action sleeve approximately a quarter of a turn around the receiver. When rotated in this manner, a loading port in the action sleeve aligns with a corresponding loading port on the receiver, thus exposing the hollow interior of the receiver. A barrel is attached to one end of the receiver so that the hollow interior of the barrel and the hollow interior of the receiver are aligned. A muzzle brake extends beyond the barrel and has a plurality of brake vents to prevent the accidental inhalation of projectiles when inhaling on the muzzle end of the blow gun. The blow gun may be fired by blowing into a blow tube which is fluidly connected with the receiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,214 issued to Altman et al. on Feb. 17, 1998 discloses a blow dart gun and darts for use therewith, the blow dart gun having movable grips and a single-piece quiver attached to the outer surface of an elongated tube. Shims are used to secure the movable grips and the single-piece quiver to the outer surface of the blow dart gun tube. At one end of the elongated tube is a mouthpiece having an inner tapered portion to prevent a dart from coming in contact with the mouth of a user. At the other end of the elongated tube is a hinged tube cover to protect the inside surface of the elongated tube during periods of non-use. Darts for use in the blow dart gun have a dart tip groove for easier removal from a target, a non-flanged rear portion, and threads to securely attach the dart tip to the remainder of the dart.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,320 issued to Feiman on May 28, 2002 teaches a packaging device which allows for expulsion or delivery of its contents by means of the user's breath. The contents to be expelled are either pre-packaged, or else loaded from the front end (i.e., chewing gum, sugar sprinkles and other candy, confetti, beads, as well as fine powdered incense/fragrances and the like). The objects or contents may be launched into the air by blowing into the back of the tube, much like a pea-shooter. There are three primary features that distinguish it from a traditional pea-shooter. First, the objects are loaded from the front. Second, there is a barrier built in that prevents the contents from going the wrong way. Third, perforated sections are created at the “mouth” end, whereby the used end piece can be easily torn away by the previous user in order to create a fresh mouthpiece for the next user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,885 issued to Graham et al. on Jan. 7, 1997 discloses a safety dart game comprising a dart including an open leading end portion having a side wall that defines an interior cavity and a target including a base and a plurality of spaced, finger-like projections extending generally outwardly from the base, the projections having a diameter sized to frictionally engage the interior cavity of the dart when the dart is projected onto the target. The projections on the target may be arranged such that a plurality of the projections frictionally engage an external surface of the dart when the dart is projected onto the target.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,828 to Getgey et al. issued on Aug. 22, 1972 teaches a blow gun toy in which a projectile can be expelled and directed against a combined target and shield affixed to a portion of the toy. The toy includes a tubular barrel having a curved section which is movable with respect to the target in such a manner that the projectile can be aimed at different points on the target.
US patent application 2006/0223675 published to Lew on Oct. 5, 2006 discloses a blowing device useful for acquisition of blowing and/or aspiring abilities, wherein the user is directed to blow and/or aspire is a predetermined manner. This novel device comprising an envelope; at least one movable element located inside the inner portion of said envelope; a maneuverable tube of an open bore, having a proximal portion and a distal portion; said tube is protruded into said envelope at the proximal end and extended to a mouthpiece, adapted to be in communication with said user mouth; the distal portion of said tube is further extended into the inner portion of the envelope; wherein said movable element is directed to move in a predetermined course by a means of the blowing and/or aspiration characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,978 issued to Loftus on Dec. 13, 1983 teaches a blowgun assembly and associated darts capable of long range accurate target application, comprising an elongate launching tube of exceptionally light weight, high rigidity, and dimensional stability along with an associated mouthpiece and a dart quiver affixed to the tube. The darts comprise a metallic wire shaft with an affixed bulbous member at the rear end which serves as an air piston for dart propulsion and also as a stabilizing member during flight of the dart. The blowgun is proportioned so that the dart is propelled by a brief comfortable puff of air into the mouthpiece by the user, without significant strain. Therefore the blowgun assembly is extremely comfortable to use and very accurate so that its sporting use in very enjoyable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,902 issued to Repinski on Oct. 23, 1973 discloses a toy that includes a tube and a projectile. The projectile is lightweight, foamed, resilient member. The projectile is implemented as a cylindrical member.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,364,521 issued to Yang on Apr. 29, 2008 teaches a sucker and an adhesion arrow having the same. More particularly, the present invention provides a sucker that can be attached, instead of a needle, to an arrow for a toy arrow shooter. The sucker of the present invention is formed with an annular projection on an adhesion surface of the sucker. Thus, even when the sucker collides against a target at a high speed, the sucker can be prevented from bouncing back from the target due to a repulsive force generated from the collision and thus securely adhere to the target. Further, even though the sucker of the present invention flies and collides against the target at a certain angle, the sucker can easily adhere to the target. Further, the sucker is made of a soft material so that a repulsive force can be smaller than an adhesion force when the sucker collides against the target. When a user shoots the adhesion arrow of the present invention by blowing it received in a shooting tool, the sucker is not caught by an inner circumferential surface of the tubular shooting tool so that the adhesion arrow of the present invention can be easily shot.
US patent application 2009/0159062 published to Bohman et al. on Jun. 25, 2009 discloses a toy that functions to propel a projectile through a tube at someone or something by exerting sufficient air pressure from the user's lungs through the tube. This action has the effect of challenging and building the user's respiratory system, including the respiratory musculature and lung capacity, through the repeated use of the toy.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,512,313 issued to Dritz on Jun. 20, 1950 teaches a blowgun, which includes a combination of blow tube and a sounding device (such as whistle, for example).
U.S. Pat. No. 7,107,979 issued to Mitchell on Sep. 19, 2006 discloses a unique human powered weapon for hunting or target shooting combining a sling shot, an arrow shooting device and a blow gun with sights and collapsibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,901,922 issued to Ford et al. on Jun. 7, 2005 teaches a blowgun that has a movable mouthpiece coupled to a barrel, wherein a soft, and preferably fluid-soaked projectile is inserted into the barrel through the mouthpiece via a continuous channel that is formed by the mouthpiece and the barrel. After loading of the projectile, the channel is closed by moving the mouthpiece relative to the barrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,413 issued to Nagasue on Jul. 8, 2003 discloses a blowgun that comprises cylindrical front and rear blowpipes 2 and 4, which are connected with each other by a connection member 3, a handle member 5 attached to the rear blowpipe 4, a collimator composed of a front sight 6 and a rear sight 7, and a mouthpiece 8. The front sight 6 is provided on the front blowpipe 2 while the rear sight 7 is provided at the top of the handle member 5. The mouthpiece 8, which has a blow inlet 8 b, is connected to the rear opening of the rear blowpipe 4. The blow inlet of the mouthpiece is offset from the connection part of the mouthpiece that is attached to the rear opening of the blowpipe, so that a user, while he is collimating the blowpipe toward a target by looking through the collimator, can touch the blow inlet by the mouth and blow air to eject a dart, which is inserted and set in the blowpipe beforehand.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,482 issued to Di Pietro on May 6, 1986 teaches a toy blow gun comprising a barrel which includes a bore, a first end, a second end, a mechanism for allowing air to enter the bore with the mechanism for allowing air to enter being located on the barrel near each of the ends a greater distance from each of the ends than the maximum distance over which a human mouth is capable of extending over the ends of the barrel. The toy blow gun further comprises a blow tube which includes mechanism for sealing the mechanism for allowing air to enter the bore with the blow tube and the barrel forming a sealed blow path for blowing a projectile through the bore when the mechanism for sealing is attached to one of the ends of the barrel and sealing the mechanism for allowing air to enter the bore.
US patent application 2006/0042615 published to Gregory on Mar. 2, 2006 discloses a blow gun made of interconnected tubular members simulating the shape of a rifle that includes a first tubular member with a section being an open ended elongate barrel having a closed end chamber functioning also as a handle. A second tubular member is connected to the first member between the open and closed ends of the barrel providing an air input passage into the barrel and closed chamber at the intersection of the same. A fourth member may be connected to the first member projecting therefrom providing a second handle. The blow gun is capable of projecting compressible projectiles, preferably biodegradable projectiles, more preferably edible projectiles such as marshmallows.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,210 issued to Schnitz on Mar. 18, 1969 teaches blow a gun with a projectile which includes wings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,120 issued to Foley on Oct. 18, 1977 blow gun and projectile combination for use in connection with targets which provide safety, enjoyment, and fun without being hazardous. The blow guns are accurate with the projectiles used, and the projectiles are extremely lightweight and do not have sufficient mass to cause injury if fired so that they strike a person. In addition, the blow gun includes mouthpiece indentations. These indentations cooperate with a disc located on the forward end of each projectile to prevent the projectiles from being inhaled through the mouthpiece by a user of the blow gun.
PCT Patent application bearing a publication number WO84/01425 published on Apr. 12, 1984 discloses a sarbacane provided with a loading device for a plurality of projectiles. The sarbacane comprises a gun, a mouthpiece (2) for the admission of a pressure gas intended to propel a projectile (7), and a loading device wherein the projectiles (7) are arranged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toy kit. The toy kit comprises a user-operatable blow gun; a projectile, the projectile being made from a first material; a target, the target being made from a second material; the first material and the second material being selected such that when the projectile is expelled from the user-operatable blow gun under a blow force applied by a user, it penetrates exclusively the target.
According to a second broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a projectile for use with a blow gun and a target, the projectile being made of a first material and the target being made of a second material. The projectile comprises a projectile body having a conical shape, the first material being selected such that when the projectile is expelled from the blow gun under a blow force applied by a user, it penetrates exclusively the target made of the second material.
These and other aspects and features of non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will now become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific non-limiting embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the embodiments of the present invention (including alternatives and/or variations thereof) may be obtained with reference to the detailed description of the embodiments along with the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective exploded view of a toy kit including a blow gun, a projectile and a target; all implemented in accordance with non-limiting embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2A depicts an exploded view of the blow gun of FIG. 1 in an unassembled state and FIG. 2B depicts the blow gun of FIG. 1 in a partially assembled state.

FIG. 3 depicts a side view of the projectile of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of the projectile of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 depicts a projectile implemented in accordance with another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts a plain view of a back face of the target of FIG. 1 in a packaged configuration

FIG. 7 depicts a packaging that can be used for packaging the toy kit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 depicts nested projectiles of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 9A, 9B and 9C depict the blow gun and the projectile of FIG. 1 at different stages of the expelling of the projectile through the blow gun.

The drawings are not necessarily to scale and are may be illustrated by phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the embodiments or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

According to embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a toy kit, which will be described with specific reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 depicts a non-limiting embodiment of a toy kit 100. The toy kit 100 includes a blow gun 102, a projectile 104 and a target 106; all being implemented in accordance with non-limiting embodiments of the present invention. The blow gun 102 is operated by a user (not depicted) and, as such, can be thought of as a user-operatable blow gun.
It is noted that the toy kit 100 can be provided by the same entity as a set and can be sold to the end customer and used by such end customer as an amusement or novelty toy. According to other embodiments of the present invention, the components of the toy kit 100 can be sold separately. For example, it is contemplated, that one or a set of projectiles 104 can be sold separately from the blow gun 102. Also, it is contemplated that the target 106 in various shapes and forms contemplated herein can be sold separately from the blow gun 102 and/or the projectile 104.
The blow gun 102 comprises a generally tubular body 110, which is implemented in a form of a barrel. The generally tubular body 110 can be made of any suitable rigid material, such as for example, plastic or any other suitable material. In the illustrated embodiment, the generally tubular body 110 is made of a see-through material, but this does not need to be so in every embodiment of the present invention. The blow gun 102 can be made using any known commercially available or proprietary techniques, such as extrusion forming or thermal forming. It is noted that in alternative non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, the suitable rigid material can include any metal, any plastic, wood, bamboo or the like.
The generally tubular body 110 can be formed from one or more interconnected tubular members. In the specific non-limiting example illustrated in FIG. 1, the generally tubular body 110 is made of three instances of a blow gun body member 111, interconnected therebetween by a respective instance of an interconnecting member 113. This is depicted in more detail, in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in which FIG. 2A depicts an exploded view of the blow gun 102 of FIG. 1 in an dis-assembled state and FIG. 2B depicts an exploded view of the blow gun 102 in a partially assembled state.
A given one of the interconnecting members 113 is implemented as a tubular connector having an inner diameter that is configured to receive, in an interference fit, the respective instance of the blow gun body member 111 and hold it in place by means of such interference fit (as is best seen in FIG. 2B, for instance). The interconnecting members 113 can be made of any suitable material, such as plastic and the like. It should be noted that the number of the instances of the blow gun body member 111 is not limited and, as such, can be implemented in any number of selectable numbers. A specific technical advantage associated with implementing the generally tubular body 110 in a number of instances of the blow gun body member 111 is that it allows for compact packing of the blow gun 102. The reduced packaging size can result in more convenient transportation thereof, as well as on-shelf presentation in store. Also, it allows for easy transportation by the user, such as to take the toy kit 100 camping or while travelling.
However, it is contemplated that the generally tubular body 110 can be formed of a single member. Also, it is noted that in alternative embodiments of the present invention, the generally tubular body 110 can be formed of at least two instances of the blow gun body member 111 interconnected therebetween by various known means, such as snap fit, screw-in fit, interference fit or any other suitable means.
The blow gun 102 further comprises a mouth piece 116 coupled to one end of the generally tubular body 110. The mouth piece 116 is made out of any suitable material, such as plastic, and is configured to receive a mouth of a user (not depicted) when the user is using the blow gun 102. It should be noted that the mouth piece 116 is optional and, as such, it can be varied or omitted altogether in alternative embodiments of the present invention.
The blow gun 102 can comprise a number of additional components, which are not depicted in FIG. 1. These additional components can include optional scope, an optional magazine for feeding projectiles (such as, for example, the projectile 104), a removable quiver and the like. All these additional components are known in the art and, as such, do not need to be described here at any length.
It is noted that the generally tubular body 110 comprises an internal body diameter defined by the inner walls therefore (not separately numbered).
With reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, in which a non-limiting embodiment of the projectile 104 is depicted, the projectile 104 comprises a projectile body 112. It is noted that the projectile 104 is re-usable and can be used many times by the user. In the illustrated embodiment, the projectile body 112 is generally of a conical shape. The projectile body 112 comprises a first end 114 and the second end 115. The first end 114 is generally blunt. However, the exact shape of the first end 114 is not particularly limited and different a variation is depicted in FIG. 5, which depicts a first variation of a blunt end, which includes a round enlarged terminus point. Irrespective of which variation for the first end 114 is selected, it is selected such as to allow penetration of the target 106, as will be described in greater detail herein below. However, implementing the first end 114 as a blunt end irrespective of specific shape thereof, further contributes to making the overall use of the toy kit 100 safer.
Within the depicted embodiment, the projectile body 112 is hollow inside, as is best seen in FIG. 4. Within some of the embodiments of the present invention, the wall thickness of the projectile body 112 is selected as thin as possible (as dictated by the manufacturing process and the selection of the material) to keep the weight of the projectile 104 as low as possible, as will be described herein below.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the projectile 104 is made from a first material. According to embodiments of the present invention, the first material selected for the projectile 104 is selected such that it possesses certain functional characteristics. For example, the projectile 104 made of the first material has to generally maintain its shape. As another example, the projectile 104 made from the first material is bendable, yet it returns to its original shape either on its own or as fixed by the user. Finally, the first material is selected such as to keep the weight of the projectile 104 substantially low. As an example, the weight of the projectile 104 can be in the range of between approximately 0.2 grams and 2.2 grams. As another example, the weight of the projectile 104 can be selected to be under 1 gram. The example of the projectile 104 depicted in FIG. 1 has the weight of approximately 0.6 grams.
An example of the first material selected for the projectile 104, the first material can be implemented as soft plastic, such as HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic and the like. Within this implementation and since the soft plastic is a generally resilient material, the projectile 104 can be said to be implemented from a resilient material. This implementation of the projectile 104 from a resilient material ensures its certain mechanical properties, which will be described in greater detail herein below.
The projectile body 112 comprises a maximum projectile diameter, which is located proximate to the second end 115. In some embodiments of the present invention, the maximum projectile diameter is selected to be slightly larger than the internal body diameter defined by the inner walls of the generally tubular body 110. Recalling that the projectile 104 is made of the first material, which is generally soft (and therefore is generally resilient or in another words, the projectile 104 is being made of resilient material), this ensures that the projectile 104 can be inserted into the blow gun 102 (by squeezing the projectile 104), yet once inserted, to provide sealable contact between the projectile 104 and the inner walls of the blow gun 102. This sealing contact ensures that the full force of the pressure build up, when the user is using the blow gun 102, will act upon the projectile 104 and shall not escape around the edges thereof. Furthermore, the hollow closed end cavity presents greater surface area to the force of air blown by the user, which can be beneficial in certain embodiments of the present invention, as the greater surface area can assist in increasing the force which is exerted upon the projectile 104. Needless to say, that in alternative embodiments of the present invention, it is contemplated that the maximum diameter can be selected to be substantially the same as the internal body diameter. In yet further non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, it is contemplated that the maximum diameter can be selected to be slightly smaller than the internal body diameter.
As an example implementation of the projectile 104, the dimensions of the projectile body 112 can be implemented with length of 100 mm and with the maximum projectile diameter of 9.5 mm.
It is contemplated that a technical effect of the selection of the shape according to the non-limiting embodiments can include the ability to expel the projectile 104 with the maximum speed, when it exits the blow gun 102. However, it is expressly noted that the projectile 104 can be implemented in alternative shapes in accordance with other embodiments of the present invention. For example, the depth of the degree of hollowness is not particularly limited and, as such, in alternative embodiments of the present invention the projectile 104 does not need to be fully hollow. Also, even though the projectile 104 is depicted as having a constant wall thickness, this does not need to be so in every embodiment of the present invention. It is also contemplated that is some embodiments of the present invention, the projectile 104 can be implemented as a full-bodied member (i.e. not being hollow inside).
Returning to the description of FIG. 1, the target 106 comprises a target body 122. The target body 122 can be of any shape, such as a conventional “bulls eye” design depicted in FIG. 1. Other alternative shapes are possible of course and can include but are not limited to: a depiction of an animal, a depiction of a space ship, a depiction of a planet and the like. According to various non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, the target body 122 is made from a second material.
Generally speaking, according to embodiments of the present invention, the first and second materials are selected such that when the projectile 104 is expelled from the blow gun 102, operated by the user (not depicted), under a blow force applied by such user, the projectile 104 penetrates exclusively the target 106. For the avoidance of doubt, the term “exclusively” means that for the specific selection of the second material for the target 106, the projectile 104 made of the specific first material, will penetrate the target 106 and will not penetrate ambient environment where the target 106 is mounted. It is specifically noted that a given selection of the first material for the projectile 104 can penetrate a number of second materials potentially selectable for the target 106, the first and second materials being selectable based on the teachings provided herein.
The second material selected for the target 106 is selected from a range of low density materials or porous materials consisting of thin membranes trapping the air between them. Generally speaking, the second material is selected based on its impact strength. For the avoidance of doubt, the impact strength is the ability of a given material to withstand a striking force. What is applicable for the material selection is the amount of energy required to fracture the selected material (i.e. a measure of the material's resistance to mechanical shock). As a non-limiting embodiment, the second material can comprise plastic foam. In an example implementation, the plastic foam can comprise Styrofoam. Any other material with suitable impact strength can be used. As another example, an edible material (such as marshmallow) can be used. In additional embodiments of the present invention, the second material can be selected to be any membrane-like material, such as for example, a sheet of paper. In yet further embodiments of the present invention, the second material can be corrugated cardboard (the one that has hollow cavities surrounded by paper walls thus being thick and sturdy but still suitable to be selected as the second material for our purpose). It is also noted that the form factor for implementing the target 106 is not limited and, as such, target can be static or a moving object. In case of the moving object, proper motion means can be provided, as is known to those of skill in the art.
In the example provided in FIG. 1 and as an illustration only, the projectile 104 is implemented in soft HDPE plastic and the target 106 is implemented in Styrofoam. Within this example and as a technical effect of embodiments of the present invention, when the projectile 104 is expelled from the blow gun 102 under the force of air expelled by the user, the projectile 104 will exclusively penetrate the target 106. In other words, if the projectile 104 hits anything other than the target 106 (such as a human, an animal, a wall, a piece of furniture and the like), the projectile 104 will bend and/or fall down without causing any substantial damage to the item hit. As a technical effect of embodiments of the present invention, the toy kit 100 provides a safe, yet fun, novelty or toy item. The projectile 104 comes out with the maximum speed, with a “swoosh” sound, while providing for a safe operation thereof.
Generally speaking, the combination of the shape of the projectile 104, the maximum speed with which the projectile 104 is propelled (due to low weight selection thereof) ensures that the projectile 104 arrives at a destination (such as the target 106) and hits its with a certain force (defined by a mathematical formulae F=mV(2)). This certain force, combined with the second material selection, ensures that the projectile 104 exclusively penetrates the target 106 and is too low to penetrate and or harm other objects.
The toy kit 100 can be sold in a package 600, which is depicted in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. The package 600 can be implemented as a box and the target 106 can be placed in the package 600. A back wall of the target 106 (as is depicted in FIG. 6) can define one or more receptacles 612 for releasably accepting various other components of the toy kit 100 (such as, the blow gun 102 in a dis-assembled state and the projectile 104). Once the blow gun 102 and the projectile 104 (as well as other components of the toy kit 100 stored therein) are removed, the target 106 is reversed (to reveal the drawing on the operational face thereof) and is placed back into the box. A suction cup 614 can be provided and is attached to the back of the package 600 (as is best seen in FIG. 7) to attach it to any suitable surface (such as without limitation, a wall, a flat TV screen, a window, etc.). It is noted that the package 600 can include a plurality of projectiles 104. Recalling that projectiles 104 can be hollow at least in some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of projectiles 104 can be conveniently stacked within each other, as is depicted in FIG. 8.
Having described the toy kit 100, we will now turn our attention to the operation of the toy kit 100. For the description to follow, it is assumed that the user (not depicted) has assembled the blow gun 102 and has attached the target 106 to an appropriate surface.
With reference to FIGS. 9A, 9B and 9C, the user first loads the projectile 104 into the blow gun 102. This can be done by slight squeezing of the projectile 104. When the projectile 104 is loaded, it can tend to tilt to one side under the force of gravity, for example, as is best seen in FIG. 9A. Recalling that the projectile 104 is made of the soft material, the projectile 104 once loaded into the blow gun 102, “plugs” or seals with the internal surface of the blow gun 102. The user then applies a short puff into the mouth piece 116, at which point, the trapped air centers the projectile 104 (see FIG. 9B). It is noted that when the projectile 104 is centered, as has just been described, it only contacts the inner surface of the blow gun 102 at a point of the maximum diameter thereof (i.e. by the second end 115). In other words, the maximum projectile diameter is the only contact point between the projectile 104 and the inner surface of the blow gun 102.
This specific arrangement can have an additional technical effect of minimizing friction between the projectile 104 and the blow gun 102, when the projectile 104 travels through the blow gun 102, as depicted in FIG. 9C (as compared, for example, to traditional cylindrical projectiles). Needless to say, the lower friction can assist in the projectile 104 gaining more speed when travelling (due to lower de-acceleration attributable to lower friction).
The construction of the projectile 104 and selection of the first material allows for expulsion of the centered projectile 104, which ensures that the trajectory of the projectile 104 in a substantially straight line is maximized and the trajectory of the projectile is consistent for the projectiles expelled under the same conditions (wind, height, aiming point, force of expulsion, etc). This in turn can enable better chances for the projectile 104 to hit the target 106 and, therefore, allows training and competing for various users in a precision game manner (similar to an archery and a shooting competitions). Within embodiments, where the user propels the projectile 104 for about 15-20 meters from the target 106, the muzzle velocity of the projectile can be between 65 and 70 miles per hour (approximately 96 to 112 kilometers per hour). However, the shape of the projectile 104 and the selection of the first material also allow for safe operation thereof. The projectile 104 will only exclusively penetrate the target 106. If, by error, projectile 104 arrives anywhere other than the target 106, it will bend and fall without penetrating and/or damaging the alternative destination (i.e. wall, humans, animals or the like). Overall, this makes for a safe and fun operation of the toy kit 100.
The description of the embodiments of the present inventions provides examples of the present invention, and these examples do not limit the scope of the present invention. It is to be expressly understood that the scope of the present invention is limited by the claims only. The concepts described above may be adapted for specific conditions and/or functions, and may be further extended to a variety of other applications that are within the scope of the present invention. Having thus described the embodiments of the present invention, it will be apparent that modifications and enhancements are possible without departing from the concepts as described. Therefore, what is to be protected by way of letters patent are limited only by the scope of the following claims:

Claims

1. A toy set comprising:

a user-operatable blow gun;

a projectile, the projectile being made from a first material;

a target, the target being made from a second material;

the first material and the second material being selected such that when the projectile is expelled from the user-operatable blow gun under a blow force applied by a user, it penetrates exclusively the target.

2. The toy set of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises soft plastic.

3. The toy set of claim 2, wherein the soft plastic comprises high-density polyethylene.

4. The toy set of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises plastic foam.

5. The toy set of claim 4, wherein the plastic foam comprises Styrofoam.

6. The toy set of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises high-density polyethylene and the second material comprises Styrofoam.

7. The toy set of claim 1, wherein the projectile comprises a projectile body, and wherein the projectile body is generally conical.

8. The toy set of claim 7, wherein the projectile body is hollow inside.

9. The toy set of claim 7, wherein the projectile body comprises a first end and the first end is blunt.

10. The toy set of claim 7, wherein the projectile body comprises a second end and the second end defines a maximum projectile diameter; and wherein the user-operatable blow gun defines an internal body diameter; and wherein the projectile is made from a resilient material; and wherein the maximum projectile diameter is selected to be slightly larger than the internal body diameter.

11. The toy set of claim 10, wherein selection of the maximum projectile diameter allows, in use, when the projectile is placed within the user-operatable blow gun to provide a sealing contact between the second end and an inner surface of the user-operatable blow gun.

12. The toy set of claim 11, wherein the maximum projectile diameter is the only contact point between the projectile and the inner surface of the user-operatable blow gun, when being expelled therethough, thereby minimizing friction when the projectile travels through the user-operatable blow gun.

13. The toy set of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises corrugated cardboard.

14. The toy set of claim 1, wherein the target comprises a back wall and the back wall defines one or more receptacles to receive other components of the toy set.

15. The toy set of claim 1 wherein the user-operatable blow gun comprises at least two blow gun body members, interconnected therebetween by an interconnecting member.

16. A projectile for use with a blow gun and a target, the projectile being made of a first material and the target being made of a second material, the projectile comprising:

a projectile body having a conical shape,

the first material being selected such that when the projectile is expelled from the blow gun under a blow force applied by a user, it penetrates exclusively the target made of the second material.

17. The projectile of claim 16, wherein the projectile body is hollow inside.

18. The projectile of claim 16, wherein the projectile body comprises a first end and the first end is blunt.

19. The projectile of claim 16, wherein the projectile body comprises a second end and the second end defined a maximum projectile diameter; and wherein the blow gun defines an internal body diameter; and wherein the first material is a resilient material; and wherein the maximum projectile diameter is selected to be slightly larger than the internal body diameter.

20. The projectile of claim 19, wherein selection of the maximum projectile diameter allows, in use, when the projectile is placed within the blow gun to provide a sealing contact between the second end and an inner surface of the blow gun, when being expelled therethough.