Magazine Assembly for a Projectile Launching Toy

Abstract

The invention relates to a magazine assembly for a projectile launching toy. The magazine assembly comprises a first magazine having a first housing for accommodating a plurality of projectiles and a second magazine having a second housing for accommodating a plurality of projectiles. A first connector is integrally formed in an exterior surface of said first housing and a second connector is provided on an exterior surface of said second housing. The first connector is configured to be directly connectable with the second connector to thereby fix the first magazine in a desired position and/or orientation with respect to the second magazine.

1 . A magazine assembly for a projectile launching toy, the magazine assembly comprising:
 a first magazine comprising a first housing for accommodating a plurality of projectiles;   a second magazine comprising a second housing for accommodating a plurality of projectiles;   a first connector provided on an exterior surface of said first housing;   a second connector provided on an exterior surface of said second housing;   wherein said first connector is configured to be connectable with the second connector to thereby fix the first magazine in a desired position and/or orientation with respect to the second magazine;   wherein said first connector is positioned on a side portion contiguous with a main flat central part of said exterior surface of said first housing such that said first connector extends upwardly from said side portion to a height above said main flat central part by an amount sufficient to enable said first connector to connect with said second connector on said exterior surface of said second housing.   
     
     
         2 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first connector is integrally formed with a wall of the first housing and the second connector is integrally formed with a wall of the second connector. 
     
     
         3 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second connector comprises a complementary connector to the first connector. 
     
     
         4 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first connector comprises a male connector and the second connector comprises a female connector. 
     
     
         5 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first connector and the second connector comprise a push-fit connection. 
     
     
         6 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first connector and the second connector comprise a latched connection. 
     
     
         7 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first magazine has at least one first connector and at least one second connector and the second magazine has at least one first connector and at least one second connector, the arrangement being such that the first connector of the first magazine is connectable to the second connector of the second magazine and the second connector of the first magazine is connectable to the first connector of the second magazine. 
     
     
         8 . The magazine assembly of  claim 7 , wherein first magazine is identical to the second magazine. 
     
     
         9 . The magazine assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second connectors of the first magazine and the first and second connectors of the second magazine are positioned on their respective magazines such that, when connected, the second magazine is orientated by 180 degrees with respect to the orientation of the first magazine. 
     
     
         10 . The magazine assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second connectors of the first magazine and the first and second connectors of the second magazine are positioned on a base portion of their respective magazines such that, when connected, the second magazine is orientated by 180 degrees with respect to the orientation of the first magazine, but the second magazine does not fully overlap the first magazine. 
     
     
         11 . The magazine assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the positioning of the first and second connectors on the respective first and second magazines is such that the second magazine overlaps the first magazine by a predetermined amount such that the second magazine does not hinder insertion of the first magazine into a projectile loading position on the projectile launching toy. 
     
     
         12 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first connector comprises a non-circular shaped male connector and the second connector comprises a complementary non-circular shaped female connector. 
     
     
         13 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first connector comprises a polygonal shaped male connector and the second connector comprises a polygonal shaped female connector. 
     
     
         14 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first magazine and the second magazine has at least two rows of connectors. 
     
     
         15 . The magazine assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the at least two rows of connectors comprise a plurality of first connectors and a plurality of second connectors. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A magazine for a magazine assembly comprising:
 a first magazine comprising a first housing for accommodating a plurality of projectiles;   a second magazine comprising a second housing for accommodating a plurality of projectiles;   a first connector provided on an exterior surface of said first housing;   a second connector provided on an exterior surface of said second housing;   
       wherein said first connector is configured to be connectable with the second connector to thereby fix the first magazine in a desired position and/or orientation with respect to the second magazine;
 wherein said first connector is positioned on a side portion contiguous with a main flat central part of said exterior surface of said first housing such that said first connector extends upwardly from said side portion to a height above said main flat central part by an amount sufficient to enable said first connector to connect with said second connector on said exterior surface of said second housing. 
 
     
     
         18 . A projectile launching toy having a magazine assembly comprising:
 a first magazine comprising a first housing for accommodating a plurality of projectiles;   a second magazine comprising a second housing for accommodating a plurality of projectiles;   a first connector provided on an exterior surface of said first housing;   a second connector provided on an exterior surface of said second;   wherein said first connector is configured to be directly connectable with the second connector to thereby fix the first magazine in a desired position and/or orientation with respect to the second magazine;   wherein said first connector is positioned on a side portion contiguous with a main flat central part of said exterior surface of said first housing such that said first connector extends upwardly from said side portion to a height above said main flat central part by an amount sufficient to enable said first connector to connect with said second connector on said exterior surface of said second housing.   
     
     
         19 . The projectile launching toy of  claim 18 , wherein the toy comprises a toy gun. 
     
     
         20 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first connector extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to said exterior surface of said first housing and the second connector extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to said exterior surface of said second housing. 
     
     
         21 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface of the first housing has a first side portion contiguous with said main flat central part of said exterior surface of said first housing and has, on an opposing side of said exterior surface of said first housing, a second side portion contiguous with said main flat central part of said exterior surface of said first housing, each of said first and second side portions carrying one or more of a first connector and/or a second connector. 
     
     
         22 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said first connector is positioned on a sloping or chamfered side portion contiguous with said main flat central part of said exterior surface of said first housing such that said first connector extends from its respective sloping or chamfered side portion to a height just above said main flat central part by an amount sufficient to enable said first connector to connect with said second connector on said exterior surface of said second housing. 
     
     
         23 . The magazine assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said second connector is positioned on a sloping or chamfered side portion contiguous with a main flat central part of said exterior surface of said second housing such that said second connector extends from its respective sloping or chamfered side portion to a height just above said main flat central part by an amount sufficient to enable said second connector to connect with said first connector on said exterior surface of said second housing and such that said main flat central part of said exterior surface of said first housing is in contact with said main flat central part of said exterior surface of said second housing. 
     
     
         24 . The magazine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface of the first housing has a first sloping or chamfered side portion contiguous with said main flat central part of said exterior surface of said first housing and has, on an opposing side of said exterior surface of said first housing, a second sloping or chamfered side portion contiguous with said main flat central part of said exterior surface of said first housing, each of said first and second sloping or chamfered side portions carrying one or more of a first connector and/or a second connector.