Toy Projectile Launcher with Rotating Arm and Gravity Feed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toy projectile launchers are often difficult to use, dangerous, expensive, complicated, or insufficiently robust, failing to provide a superior marketable toy item with good flight characteristics and distance.
Innovation Solution
A toy projectile launcher apparatus that discharges a soft foam circular projectile, featuring a housing assembly, a platform assembly with a launch spring, a rotatable launch arm, and a catch structure, allowing for easy operation by pivoting a lever to cock the launcher and trigger to release the launch arm, providing a safe, fun, and compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional launching devices are designed with complex internal mechanisms and multiple components, then they may achieve functional capability, but they become difficult to use, dangerous for children, expensive, and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The launcher is divided into distinct functional modules: a housing assembly containing the launch mechanism, a separate projectile supply system with gravity-fed magazine, and individual launch arms for different projectile types. This segmentation allows each component to be simple and independent, reducing overall complexity while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The launcher employs passive gravity-fed projectile feeding that automatically supplies projectiles to the launch position without requiring manual intervention or complex mechanical feeders. The spring-loaded launch mechanism automatically propels projectiles without needing complex firing controls, making the device self-sufficient and easy to operate.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional launching devices use robust internal structures and multiple safety mechanisms, then they may achieve safety, but they become expensive and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The launcher is designed to fire soft, inexpensive foam projectiles that are disposable or easily replaceable. This eliminates the need for complex safety mechanisms to protect users, as the projectiles themselves are inherently safe. The housing uses simple, durable materials rather than expensive safety-certified components.
Solution Approach 2:
The launcher converts potential harm into benefit by using soft foam projectiles that cannot cause injury even if misfired, and by designing the launch arms to passively guide projectiles rather than actively propel them with high velocity. The gravity-fed magazine naturally limits projectile pressure, turning a simple mechanical feature into a safety mechanism.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional launching devices are designed with multiple components and mechanisms, then they may achieve functional capability, but they become too expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into single components: the housing assembly serves as both the structural frame and the containment for launch mechanisms, the gravity-fed magazine simultaneously stores and feeds projectiles, and the launch arms perform both guidance and propulsion functions. This merging reduces the total number of parts and assembly steps, lowering manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The launcher is designed with universal components that can handle different projectile types through the same basic mechanism. The housing and magazine system can accommodate various soft projectile shapes and sizes, and the launch arms are designed to work with multiple projectile configurations, eliminating the need for specialized components for each projectile type.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus is easy to operate, safe for young children, fun to use, and structurally robust, offering good flight characteristics and distance with a simple and cost-effective design.
Implementation Method 1
a spring and a rubber band biased trigger
Implementation Method 2
a spring and a rubber band biased trigger
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~7
AI summary
A toy launcher apparatus (10) for discharging circular projectiles (12), the apparatus (10) having a housing (14), lower and upper panels (40,44) mounted to the housing (14), supports (22,24) mounted to the housing, a cocking slide (18,120) and a slide spring (124) connected to the supports (22,24), a projectile receptacle (128) connected to the cocking slide (18,120), release levers (130,131) mounted to the housing (14), a guide wall (50) mounted to the lower panel (40), a positioning wheel (52) also mounted to the lower panel (40), and a trigger (20) mounted to the housing (14). The lower panel (40) includes a slot (60) positioned parallel to the guide wall (50) but off center relative to a center point of a loaded projectile (12). Beneath the lower panel (40) is a rotatable launch arm (100) connected to a torsion spring (108) and a catch structure (106). The upper and lower panels (40,44) are parallel to one another and spaced to receive a projectile (12). The projectile (12) is loaded into the projectile receptacle (128) when the receptacle (128) is exposed during the time the launch arm (100) and torsion spring (108) are cocked by a user pulling rearward on the cocking slide (18,120). The launch arm (100) is captured by the catch structure (106) and the cocking slide (18,120) and the receptacle (128) are also captured. After loading the projectile (12), the one of the release levers (130,131) is activated to snap the cocking slide (18,120), the carriage and the loaded projectile (12) to a predetermined launch position. When a user pulls the trigger (20) the launch arm (100) is rapidly rotated by the torsion spring (108) through the slot (60) where the launch arm (100) impacts the loaded and correctly positioned projectile (12) and causes the projectile (12) to be discharge with a spin.