Toy launcher and system therefor

Abstract

A toy launching system for launching a toy projectile, the toy launching system having a hand portion shaped to fit over a user's hand with a palm side and an opposite back side corresponding to the user's hand, the hand portion further including a hand launch structure fixed relative to the back side of the hand portion and the hand launch structure having a forward side and a reward side wherein the forward side faces the associated user's knuckles, the forward side having a launch opening shaped to receive a rear end of a projectile, the launching system further including a fluid reservoir in fluid connection with the hand launch structure and a fluid actuator fixed relative to the palm side of the hand portion, the fluid actuator controlling a fluid flow between the fluid reservoir and the hand launch structure to launch the projectile.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . A toy hand launching system for launching a toy projectile, the toy launching system comprising a hand portion that is shaped to fit over at least a portion of an associated user's hand that includes an associated palm and back hand sections of the associated user's hand, the hand portion having a palm side positionable over the associated palm section and an opposite back side positionable over the associated back hand section of the associated user's hand, the hand portion further including a launch structure fixed relative to the back side of the hand portion, the launch structure having a forward side and a reward side, the forward side facing the associated user's knuckles and the rearward side facing the associated user's wrist, the forward side having a launch opening shaped to receive a rear end of an associated projectile such that that a forward side of the projectile faces toward the associated user's knuckles, the hand portion further including a fluid reservoir in fluid connection with the launch structure and a fluid reservoir actuator fixed relative to the palm side of the hand portion, the fluid actuator controlling a fluid flow between the fluid reservoir and the launch structure to launch the projectile when the associate user squeezed their hand closed. 
     
     
         2 . The toy launching system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid reservoir includes a bladder positioned relative to the palm side of the hand portion and the hand portion further includes a fluid line extending between the bladder and the launch structure for the fluid connection, and wherein the compression of the bladder directs the fluid flow into the launch structure to launch the projectile. 
     
     
         3 . The toy launching system of  claim 2 , wherein the fluid line includes an external line portion between the bladder and the launch structure, the hand portion further including at least one retention sleeve to at least partially secure the external line relative to the hand portion. 
     
     
         4 . The toy launching system of  claim 3 , wherein the hand portion is formed by at least one fabric section and the launcher is fixed relative to the at least one fabric sections, the launcher structure being a rigid structure. 
     
     
         5 . The toy launching system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one fabric section includes a palm patch, the bladder being positioned below the palm patch. 
     
     
         6 . The toy launching system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one fabric section includes elastic fabric sections such that the hand portion has a form fitting configuration about the associated user's hand. 
     
     
         7 . The toy launching system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one fabric section further includes a palm patch, the bladder being positioned below the palm patch. 
     
     
         8 . The toy launching system of  claim 7 , wherein the hand portion further includes at least one finger sheath corresponding to at least one finger of the associated user's hand. 
     
     
         9 . The toy launching system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one finger sheath includes a middle sheath and a ring finger sheath, the launch opening being near at least one of the middle finger and ring finger sheaths. 
     
     
         10 . The toy launching system of  claim 9 , wherein the launch opening is generally between the middle finger sheath and the ring finger sheath. 
     
     
         11 . The toy launching system of  claim 1 , wherein the hand portion further includes at least one finger sheath corresponding to at least one finger of the associated user's hand. 
     
     
         12 . The toy launching system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one finger sheath includes a middle sheath and a ring finger sheath, the launch opening being near at least one of the middle finger and ring finger sheaths. 
     
     
         13 . The toy launching system of  claim 12 , wherein the launch opening is generally between the middle finger sheath and the ring finger sheath. 
     
     
         14 . The toy launching system of  claim 1 , further comprising a separate pack portion and the pack portion being selectively securable to the associated user's body, the pack portion including the fluid reservoir, the pack portion further including a pump to pressurize the fluid reservoir, the fluid actuator including a trigger fixed relative to the hand portion. 
     
     
         15 . The toy launching system of  claim 14 , wherein the trigger is fixed relative to the palm side of the hand portion. 
     
     
         16 . The toy launching system of  claim 14 , wherein the separate pack portion is a separate back pack portion. 
     
     
         17 . The toy launching system of  claim 16 , wherein the launch structure is a hand launch structure, the separate back pack portion includes a pack launch structure in addition to the hand launch structure. 
     
     
         18 . The toy launching system of  claim 17 , wherein the back pack portion further includes a manifold having at least a first and a second outlet, the first outlet being in fluid connection with the hand launch structure and the second outlet being in fluid connection with the pack launch structure, the back pack portion further includes a pack trigger for the pack launch structure. 
     
     
         19 . The toy launching system of  claim 18 , wherein the associated projectile is a first projectile and the hand launch structure configured to launch the first projectile, the system further including a second projectile and the pack launch structure configured to launch the second projectile. 
     
     
         20 . The toy launching system of  claim 14 , further including a pack line creating a fluid connection between the fluid reservoir and the hand launch structure.