Fencing and missile shooting toy

Abstract

A toy fencing sword that is adapted to also fire its blade tip as a missile. The sword's launchable blade is comprised of a soft yet semi-rigid closed-cell foam material which makes it substantial enough for battering and poking as a sword, yet safe and painless enough to danger during missile-firing. The arrangement of the sword disguises its missile-firing capability from opponents.

1 . A fencing and missile-shooting toy having a rearward toy end to be held by a user and a forward toy end to be directed at an opponent and comprising:
 an elongate rigid housing comprising a tubular inner air chamber and a tubular blade support shaft having an air passageway there-through in communication with said air chamber, said air chamber and said shaft being substantially coaxially aligned, said shaft projecting coaxial with and longitudinally from said housing towards said forward toy end and said shaft having a forward shaft end;   a soft elongate blade portion adjacent to said forward toy end and comprising a forward blade tip at said forward toy end and a longitudinal body having a hollow interior rearward portion adapted to fit matingly and removably over said support shaft, said support shaft providing structural support to said blade portion and comprising means for removably fixing said blade portion to said housing such that said blade portion is coaxially aligned with said housing and such that said housing and blade portion form a toy sword for play fencing when said blade portion is so fixed to said shaft;   a piston, longitudinally movable within said air chamber to increase the air volume in said air chamber when said piston is moved rearwardly and to decrease the air volume therein when said piston is moved forwardly;   said air passage having an air exhaust opening adjacent said forward shaft end for directing air from said air chamber forwardly towards said blade portion such that air displaced by said decreasing air volume of said air chamber during said forward movement of said piston is forced from said air chamber through said exhaust opening and at said blade portion to expel said blade portion forwardly from said blade support shaft and from said sword as a missile from the user towards the opponent.   
   
   
       2 . The toy of  claim 1  further comprising a hilt adjacent said rearward toy end and coaxially aligned with said blade portion for holding by the user during fencing, said hilt having a hollow interior comprising a rearward portion of said air chamber, and wherein said piston has a rearward piston end comprising a pommel for grasping by the user for causing said movement of said piston, said piston being disposed and movable within said hollow interior of said hilt. 
   
   
       3 . The toy of  claim 2  further comprising a one-way valve for allowing air to enter said air chamber during said rearward movement of said piston. 
   
   
       4 . The toy of  claim 3  wherein said one-way valve is disposed in said pommel. 
   
   
       5 . The toy of  claim 4  wherein said one-way valve comprises a hole and a hole stopper, said hole stopper adapted to uncover said hole and allow the intake of air through said hole into said air chamber during said rearward movement of said piston and to cover said hole and deny the exhaust of air through said hole during said forward movement of said piston. 
   
   
       6 . The toy of  claim 5  wherein said soft elongate blade portion is comprised of a soft foam material. 
   
   
       7 . The toy of  claim 6  wherein said soft foam material is selected from the group comprising closed cell polypropylene foam, closed cell ethylene vinyl acetate foam, and neoprene foam. 
   
   
       8 . The toy of  claim 7  wherein said soft foam is closed cell polypropylene foam. 
   
   
       9 . The toy of  claim 8  wherein said longitudinal body of said soft elongate blade portion is solid and heavier than said hollow interior rearward portion so that the center of gravity of said blade portion is disposed substantially towards the forward tip of said blade portion for providing balance and stability during missile flight. 
   
   
       10 . The toy of  claim 9  wherein said forward blade tip is substantially conically shaped. 
   
   
       11 . A toy sword adapted for play fencing and comprising a hilt and an elongate blade, said hilt adapted to receive a piston being longitudinally movable relative to said hilt and slidable within an elongate cylindrical air chamber within said hilt, said air chamber being expanded during an expansion stroke by rearward movement of said piston and being compressed during a compression stroke by forward movement of said piston, said air chamber having an air outlet adapted to allow the rapid exhaustion of air from said chamber during said compression stroke, said blade further comprising a removable missile portion disposed longitudinally transverse from said hilt and adjacent to and in communication with said air outlet such that air exiting said chamber through said compression stroke forces said missile portion from said sword as a projectile. 
   
   
       12 . The toy sword of  claim 11  wherein said missile portion is comprised of a soft foam material. 
   
   
       13 . The toy sword of  claim 12  wherein said soft foam material is a closed-cell foam. 
   
   
       14 . The toy sword of  claim 13  wherein said closed-cell foam is selected from the group including polyethylene foam, polypropylene foam, ethylene vinyl acetate foam, or neoprene foam. 
   
   
       15 . The toy of  claim 14  wherein said missile portion has a bullet-shaped tip.