Pneumatic toy gun for shooting soft balls and nozzle therefor

Abstract

The pneumatic toy gun has a nozzle through which a soft ball travels. At one end of the nozzle there is an outlet from which the ball is expelled and at the other end there is an inlet for receipt of a stream of gas under pressure. Four or more fins are mounted within the tube and function to inhibit the use of the gun to fire balls having a diameter smaller than that of balls which are intended to be shot from the gun.

1 . A pneumatic toy gun including: a nozzle having an outlet defined by an annular wall, said outlet being adapted to receive an impellable ball having a flexible outer wall and a diameter slightly greater than that of said outlet such that said impellable ball sealingly engages said annular wall when pressed into contact therewith; a conduit through which compressed gas flows, said conduit extending to an inlet of said nozzle, said inlet having a diameter less than that of said outlet; a valve for controlling the flow of compressed gas through said conduit; a trigger for causing said valve to open with resulting flow of said compressed gas to said nozzle for causing said impellable ball to be impelled from said outlet; and at least one fin disposed within said nozzle for both spacing a smaller ball than said impellable ball apart from said inlet and for diverting a substantial portion of compressed air issuing from said inlet away from said smaller ball. 
     
     
         2 . The pneumatic toy gun of  claim 1  further including a chamber for compressed gas, said conduit extending from said chamber to said nozzle. 
     
     
         3 . The pneumatic toy gun of  claim 1  wherein said one fin and a plurality of other like fins are arrayed around said inlet and converge downstream of said compressed gas flow within said nozzle, said fins terminating short of said outlet and remaining spaced apart from each other throughout their lengths such that a portion of compressed air issuing from said inlet flows between said fins. 
     
     
         4 . The combination of  claim 1  further including a vest adapted to be worn by a player of game played with said pneumatic toy gun, said vest being equipped with an impact detector. 
     
     
         5 . The combination of  claim 4  further including at least one light which illuminates when said impact detector detects an impact thereon by said impellable ball. 
     
     
         6 . In combination, a pneumatic toy gun and an impellable ball, said pneumatic toy gun including: a nozzle having an outlet defined by an annular wall, said outlet being adapted to receive said impellable ball, said impellable ball having a flexible outer wall and a diameter slightly greater than that of said outlet such that said impellable ball sealingly engages said annular wall when pressed into contact there—with; a conduit through which compressed gas flows, said conduit extending to an inlet of said nozzle, said inlet having a diameter less than that of said outlet; a valve for controlling the flow of compressed gas through said conduit; a trigger for causing said valve to open with resulting flow of said compressed gas to said nozzle for causing said impellable ball to be impelled from said outlet; and at least one fin disposed within said nozzle for both spacing a smaller ball than said impellable ball apart from said inlet and for diverting a substantial portion of compressed air issuing from said inlet away from said smaller ball. 
     
     
         7 . The pneumatic toy gun of  claim 6  further including a chamber for compressed gas, said conduit extending from said chamber to said nozzle. 
     
     
         8 . The pneumatic toy gun of  claim 6  wherein said one fin and a plurality of other like fins are arrayed around said inlet and converge downstream of said compressed gas flow within said nozzle, said fins terminating short of said outlet and remaining spaced apart from each other throughout their lengths such that a portion of compressed air issuing from said inlet flows between said fins. 
     
     
         9 . The combination of  claim 6  further including a vest adapted to be worn by a player of game played with said pneumatic toy gun, said vest being equipped with an impact detector. 
     
     
         10 . The combination of  claim 9  further including at least one light which illuminates when said impact detector detects an impact thereon by said impellable ball. 
     
     
         11 . For use in conjunction with a pneumatic toy gun, a nozzle comprising: an outlet defined by an annular wall, said outlet being adapted to receive an impellable ball having a flexible outer wall and a diameter slightly greater than that of said outlet such that said impellable ball sealingly engages said annular wall when pressed into contact therewith; an inlet through which compressed gas enters said nozzle; and at least one fin disposed within said nozzle for both spacing a smaller ball than said impellable ball apart from said inlet and for diverting a substantial portion of compressed air issuing from said inlet away from said smaller ball. 
     
     
         12 . The pneumatic toy gun of  claim 11  further including a chamber for compressed gas, said conduit extending from said chamber to said nozzle. 
     
     
         13 . The pneumatic toy gun of  claim 11  wherein said one fin and a plurality of other like fins are arrayed around said inlet and converge downstream of said compressed gas flow within said nozzle, said fins terminating short of said outlet and remaining spaced apart from each other throughout their lengths such that a portion of compressed air issuing from said inlet flows between said fins. 
     
     
         14 . The combination of  claim 11  further including a vest adapted to be worn by a player of game played with said pneumatic toy gun, said vest being equipped with an impact detector. 
     
     
         15 . The combination of  claim 14  further including at least one light which illuminates when said impact detector detects an impact thereon by said impellable ball.