US20070202468A1

US20070202468A1 - Combination power supply and light emission device for toy gun

Info

Publication number: US20070202468A1
Application number: US11/360,407
Authority: US
Inventors: Tatsuo Iwasawa
Original assignee: Tokyo Marui Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tokyo Marui Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-02-24
Filing date: 2006-02-24
Publication date: 2007-08-30

Abstract

Cost for electric power for operation of a light emission portion is restricted and electric power can be supplied also to a gun body. In a light emission device mounted to a gun body to emit light toward a target, a device body comprises a power supply composed of a light emission portion and a charging-type battery, and a control unit that controls emission of light, and the device body engages with option mount portions, which are provided on the gun body, to be fixed thereto by a fixation device with an optical axis of the light emission portion made substantially in agreement with a firing direction of the gun body. The device body comprises a connection terminal that can be connected to a terminal on a battery charger side, the connection terminal can serve also as a feeding terminal that supplies electric power to a toy gun from the charging-type battery, and the connection terminal can be provided in a male and female fitting type in a manner to enable the terminal on the battery charger side to be connected to an outer surface thereof.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a light emission device mounted on a gun body of a toy gun in use to emit light toward a target.
There exist toy guns called electrically-driven hand guns, the toy guns of this type housing a battery in a gun body and comprising a mechanism that drives a motor with the battery to fire a bullet. For example, JP-A-3-221793 describes an invention of a toy gun of this type. On the other hand, actual guns comprise a light emission portion called an illuminator to irradiate a target, and some toy guns modeled on an external shape of an actual gun simulate such actual guns.
For example, Japanese Utility Model No. 3023912 relates to a flash light device for air guns, and discloses a construction, in-which a lamp unit is mounted on a gun body with an optical axis thereof substantially in agreement with an axis of a gun barrel so as to facilitate sighting a gun to enable prevention of degradation in hitting accuracy. With the Utility Model, however, a battery is housed in the gun body, a motor is driven to enable firing a bullet, and a built-in power supply in the gun body is used as a power supply for the lamp unit, so that there is caused a problem that lighting has a great influence on consumption of the battery. Therefore, in the case where the Utility Model is applied to electrically-driven guns, there is caused a serious problem that early degradation in bullet firing performance is caused by lighting.
A light emission device of this type emits an intense flash having a short duration of light emission as suggested by the fact that the device is frequently called a flash light. However, a separate disadvantage of considerable cost is expressed since high-intensity irradiation lamps are especially large in power consumption, expensive lithium electric cell batteries have to be used as measures, and consumption of batteries is nevertheless accelerated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention has been thought of in view of the above, and has its object to restrict cost for electric power for operation of a light emission portion and to enable supplying electric power also to a gun body. It is a further object of the invention to provide a combination power supply and light emission device mounted on an electrically-driven gun to have a light emitting function and to be usable as an external power supply that drives a firing mechanism of a toy gun, or as an auxiliary, external power supply for other uses.
In order to solve the problem, the invention provides a combination power supply and light emission device for toy guns, mounted on a gun body to emit light toward a target, and including a device body comprising a power supply composed of a light emission portion and a charging-type battery, and a control unit that controls emission of light, and wherein the device body engages with an option mount portion, which is provided on the gun body, to be fixed thereto by fixation means with an optical axis of the light emission portion made substantially in agreement with a firing direction of the gun body.
The invention is directed to all types of toy guns. In toy guns of a type called electrically-driven hand guns and having an electrically-driven type firing mechanism, the device can serve also as an external power supply in place of a power supply battery originally housed in electrically-driven hand guns. In case of being used for toy guns of other types, a function as an auxiliary, external power supply is provided for along with the light emitting function.
The device body of the combination power supply and light emission device according to the invention houses therein a light emission portion, a power supply that supplies electric power to the light emission portion, and a control unit that controls light emission of the light emission portion. The light emission portion can use various lamps such as a flash light that emits an instantaneous flash, a spot light that emits beams continuously, or a lamp capable of emitting light continuously like flashlamps, a laser light that emits laser beams, LED emitters, or the like. Used as the power supply are lithium electric cell batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, etc., which are capable of charging and discharging. Thereby, even when unit cost is high, running cost becomes exceedingly low due to repeated usability and capacity can be set to be sufficiently large because of no restriction by an internal structure of a gun body. The control unit has a margin for change according to a kind of the light emission portion. While a simplest control unit comprises an ON/OFF switch, it is also possible to provide for an electronic circuit that controls duration and interval of light emission and further causes light emission related to firing of a bullet.
The device body is fixed to the gun body by fixation means. The fixation means functions to engage and fix the device body to the gun body in a state, in which an optical axis of the light emission portion is made substantially in agreement with a firing direction by the toy gun. While engagement is made by means of an option mount portion provided on the gun body, such option mount portion can make use of an exclusive one specifically provided on the gun body with a view to mounting of an accessory option, and other shapes and structures of the gun body.
The power supply in the invention uses a charging-type battery and comprises a connection terminal for connection to a terminal on a battery charger side, or other charging terminals. Accordingly, connection of the terminal on the battery charger side to the connection terminal brings about a state, in which the charging-type battery can be charged with electricity. Besides, the connection terminal serves also as a feeding terminal structured to be able to supply electric power of the power supply to the gun body. That is, electric power that operates the light emission portion is made use of to enable driving an electrically-driven mechanism provided on the gun body. In order to achieve this, it suffices that a terminal of the electrically-driven mechanism on the gun body and the feeding terminal on the device body be electrically connected to each other by an electric cord or other conduction means. In the case where a toy gun constructs a system that includes, as an option, the combination power supply and light emission device according to the invention, the light emitting function is provided for and a firing motion several times that possible with a built-in small capacity battery can be made. In the case where the device is mounted on other general electrically-driven guns, the light emitting function and the function as an auxiliary, external power supply are provided for. If used as other than the electrically driven gun, the device can be used as a light emission device equipped with a gun. In addition, the charging-type battery capable of charging and discharging may be of a type that is impossible to remove and incorporated in the device body, or of a type that is capable of mounting and dismounting.
Therefore, it is desired that the device body comprise a connection terminal of male and female fitting type capable of connection to the terminal on the battery charger side. In addition, since the combination power supply and light emission device according to the invention has a shape, by which it can be told on sight that the device has an external shape of a spot light, it is not required to be formed in such shape at all times but may have an external shape of, for example, a grip, a magazine, or the like.
Since the invention is constructed and operates as described, electric power that operates the light emission portion is obtained through charging to enable restricting cost, and by mounting the combination power supply and light emission-device according to the invention on an electrically-driven toy gun, it is possible to provide the light emitting function and an external power supply that drives a firing mechanism, so that there is produced a conspicuous effect that a firing motion several times that possible with a small capacity battery built in an electrically-driven toy gun can be made, or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a combination power supply and light emission device in a toy gun, according to the invention;
FIG. 2A is a front view showing an essential part in FIG. 1, FIG. 2B is a side view corresponding to FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2C is a rear view showing a device body;
FIG. 3 is five front views showing procedures 1 to 5, in which the device according to the invention is mounted to the toy gun;
FIGS. 4A to 4C show an internal construction of the device according to the invention, FIG. 4A being a longitudinal, cross sectional view showing a state, in which a main switch is made OFF, FIG. 4B being a longitudinal, cross sectional view showing a state, in which a sub-switch is made. ON, and FIG. 4C being a transverse, cross sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4A;
FIG. 5A is a longitudinal, cross sectional view showing a state, in which the main switch is made ON, and FIG. 5B is a longitudinal, cross sectional view showing a state, in which the sub-switch is made ON; and
FIG. 6 is a side view showing a further embodiment according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention will be described below in detail with reference to an embodiment shown. FIG. 1 illustrates a combination power supply and light emission device 20, according to the invention, applied to an electrically-driven hand gun 10 being a toy gun, the electrically-driven hand gun 10 having grooved portions 12, as option mount portions 11, 11, on both side lower portions of a gun body. The option mount portions 11, 11 comprise convex-shaped parallel portions 13, 14 adjacent to the grooved portions 12 and abutment walls 15 at the back of the grooved portions 12, and is opened at front end of a gun barrel, through which mounting and engagement of optional parts can be afforded. In FIG. 1, the reference numeral 16 denotes an electrically-driven mechanism, 17 a built-in battery, and 18 a bullet supply.
As shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, the combination power supply and light emission device 20 comprises a pair of engaging projections 21, 21′ engaged by and fixed to the option mount portions 11, 11 and making an optical axis of a light emission portion 26 in agreement with a firing direction of the gun body, and fixation means that fixes a device body 19 to the gun body in such state. The fixation means as shown is constructed such that one (21 in the illustrated case) of the pair of engaging projections 21, 21′ is provided to be able to open inward and outward, a cam lever 22 is pivotally mounted on an outside of the one 21 of the engaging projections to be able to turn, a cam portion 23 formed around a pivot of the cam lever 22 causes the one 21 of the engaging projections to be positioned to be pushed against the option mount portion 11 or not to be pushed against the option mount portion 11, according to a turning position of the cam lever 22. The illustrated example is constructed such that a shaft body 24 is mounted to extend through the pair of engaging projections 21, 21′, and has a tip end thereof projecting outside the one 21 of the engaging projections and mounting thereto the cam lever 22 with a spindle 25.
The combination power supply and light emission device 20 houses the light emission portion 26, a power supply 27 composed of a charging-type battery, and a control unit 28 in the device body 19. The illustrated light emission portion 26 comprises a high-intensity irradiation light source, for example, a xenon lamp, the power supply 27 comprises a charging-type battery, for example, a nickel-cadmium battery, and the control unit 28 comprises a main switch 29 that makes an original power supply ON or OFF, and a sub-switch 30 that controls switching of a circuit after makeup of the main switch. The main switch 29 is structured to be arranged on a side of the device body to hold an ON or OFF state, and the sub-switch 30 is structured to be arranged on a back surface of the device body to be made ON only in operation.
The charging-type battery of the power supply 27 is of an assembled type and comprises a connection terminal 32 at the back surface of the device body to be able to connect to a terminal 31 on a battery charger side. In addition, a exchangeable charging-type battery may be applied to the power supply 27. The illustrated connection terminal 32 is of a two pin type, and couples with the terminal 31 on the battery charger side to be put in an electrically connected state, which connected state is held by coupling with latch means, which is composed of a latch pawl 33 and a latching match 34. The connection terminal 32 serves also as a feeding terminal that supplies electric power to the toy gun from the charging-type battery, and a terminal 36 of a connection cord 35 extending from the electrically-driven mechanism 16 of the toy gun is also of the same structure as that of the female terminal 31 on the battery charger side to be put in a state of being electrically and mechanically connected to the connection terminal 32 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
With the combination power supply and light emission device 20, according to the invention, constructed in the above manner, as shown in FIG. 3-1, the engaging projections 21, 21′ are slid into the grooved portions 12 of the option mount portions 11, 11 (FIGS. 3-2 and 3-3), the cam lever 22 is then operatively turned to cause the engaging projection 21, which is somewhat opened outward, to push the engaging projections 21, 21′ against the gun body with the cam portion 23 (FIG. 3-4) to fix the same in a manner to eliminate any play (FIG. 3-5). In the fixed state, the shaft body 24 on a side of the device body is fitted into a recess 37 on a side of the gun body to be positioned in a state of being unable to move longitudinally. These operations put the combination power supply and light emission device 20 in a state, in which the optical axis of the light emission portion 26 is made substantially in agreement with the firing direction of the toy gun.
The combination power supply and light emission device 20 according to the invention is constructed such that while the main switch 29 is made OFF, a contact 38 is not reached even when the sub-switch 30 is manipulated (FIG. 4A), so that conduction is not achieved. FIGS. 4A to 4C show a state, in which the main switch is made OFF. The provision of the main switch 29 makes it possible to reduce wasteful consumption of electric power. When the main switch 29 is made ON, the contact 38 is moved (FIG. 5A), so that when the sub-switch 30 is manipulated, the contact 38 is made ON (FIG. 5B) and the light emission portion 26 is operated to emit light toward a target.
The illustrated power supply 27 comprising a charging-type battery is apparently larger in charging capacity than the battery 17 built in the toy gun and can supply electric power to the electrically-driven mechanism 16 of the toy gun anytime upon making-on of the main switch 29. Alternatively, instead of making the main switch 29 ON, connection of the terminal 36 of the connection cord 35 to the connection terminal 32 of the device body 19 can provide a construction affording supplying electric power to the electrically-driven mechanism 16 of the toy gun. Therefore, the electrically-driven gun can be greatly enhanced in firing capability and a difference becomes especially conspicuous with small-sized guns called a handgun. The combination power supply and light emission device 20 according to the invention can be of course applied not only to a pistol type hand gun but also to a large-sized electrically-driven gun shown in FIG. 6 whereby it exhibits the function as an electric supply that possesses the light emitting function and supplies electric power to an electrically-driven mechanism of a large-sized toy gun. While only reference numerals for a small number of parts are shown in FIG. 6 without a detailed description therefor, the respective reference numerals are the same as those in FIGS. 1 to 5C and comprise the same contents as those in the description therefor.

Claims

1. A combination power supply and light emission device for toy guns, mounted on a gun body to emit light toward a target, and including a device body comprising a power supply composed of a light emission portion and a charging-type battery, and a control unit that controls emission of light, and wherein the device body engages with an option mount portion, which is provided on the gun body, to be fixed thereto by fixation means with an optical axis of the light emission portion made substantially in agreement with a firing direction of the gun body.

2. The combination power supply and light emission device for toy guns, according to claim 1, wherein the device body comprises a connection terminal that can be connected to a terminal on a battery charger side, and the connection terminal serves also as a feeding terminal that supplies electric power to a toy gun from the charging-type battery.

3. The combination power supply and light emission device for toy guns, according to claim 2, wherein the device body comprises, on an outer surface thereof, a connection terminal of a male and female fitting type to enable the terminal on the battery charger side to be connected thereto.