Parachute rocket toy

Abstract

A parachute rocket toy in which the parachute is attached to the rocket by spars is provided. A preferred embodiment uses semi-rigid spars attached to a ring that surrounds the rocket body and may slide along the body. As a portion of the parachute deploys, it may pull on the closest spars, which in turn pull the connector ring to the top of the rocket. As the ring slides to the top of the rocket, it pushes the spars, and thus the parachute, outward. A tail may be wrapped around the parachute to hold it in place for launch and ascent. After the tail unwraps, it may facilitate deployment of the parachute.

1 . A toy rocket, comprising:
 an elongate body;   a connecting ring slidably disposed around the body;   a parachute reconfigurable between a collapsed condition and an open condition; and   a plurality of at least partially rigid spars connecting the parachute and the connecting ring.   
     
     
         2 . The toy rocket of  claim 1 , wherein one or more fins extend from the body. 
     
     
         3 . The toy rocket of  claim 1 , wherein a tail extends from the parachute. 
     
     
         4 . The toy rocket of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes an interior cavity for receiving fluids. 
     
     
         5 . The toy rocket of  claim 1 , wherein at least one spar of the plurality of at least partially rigid spars is connected to an edge portion of the parachute. 
     
     
         6 . The toy rocket of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of at least partially rigid spars are pivotably connected to the connecting ring. 
     
     
         7 . The toy rocket of  claim 6 , wherein each spar of the plurality of rigid spars includes a ball configured for insertion into a corresponding socket of the connecting ring. 
     
     
         8 . The toy rocket of  claim 1 , wherein the connecting ring includes at least one interior groove for mating with a rail disposed along the body. 
     
     
         9 . The toy rocket of  claim 1 , wherein a stopper member is affixed to an end of the body. 
     
     
         10 . The toy rocket of  claim 9 , wherein the stopper member restricts movement of the connecting ring past the stopper member. 
     
     
         11 . A method of using a toy rocket, comprising:
 providing a toy rocket comprising an elongate rocket body attached to a parachute;   sliding a connecting ring disposed around the body toward the tail end so that a plurality of at least partially rigid spars interconnecting the connecting ring and the parachute are disposed in a substantially vertical orientation;   folding the parachute into a collapsed configuration about the rocket body;   launching the toy rocket so that after reaching an apex of height, the rocket body slides downwardly through the connecting ring so that the plurality of at least partially rigid spars move the parachute in a radially outward direction.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising wrapping a tail of the parachute about the parachute in the collapsed condition. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein movement of the parachute in a radially outward direction causes the parachute to reconfigure from a collapsed configuration to an open configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of launching the toy rocket comprises providing pressurized fluid into an interior cavity of the body.