Toy vehicle launcher

Abstract

A toy vehicle launcher comprising a housing, a guide track connected to the housing, and a slidable member movably engaged with the guide track. The housing includes a lever mechanism, wherein actuation of the lever mechanism causes the slidable member to move along the length of the guide track in a forward direction. A plurality of projections are pivotally mounted to the slidable member and protrude upwardly from the guide track. The plurality of projections are configured to allow a toy vehicle to pass over the one or more projections only when the toy vehicle travels along the guide track in the forward direction.

1 . A toy vehicle launcher, comprising:
 a housing including a lever mechanism;   a straight, inclined guide track positioned beside the housing;   a slidable member movably engaged with the inclined guide track and operatively coupled to the lever mechanism, wherein actuation of the lever mechanism causes the slidable member to move along a length of the inclined guide track in a forward direction, up an incline defined by the inclined guide track; and   a plurality of projections pivotally mounted to the slidable member and protruding upwardly from the inclined guide track, the plurality of projections configured to allow a toy vehicle to pass over the plurality of projections when the toy vehicle travels along the inclined guide track in the forward direction;   wherein actuation of the lever mechanism causes the plurality of projections to move with the slidable member and propel a toy vehicle engaged by one of the plurality of projections in the forward direction.   
     
     
         2 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of projections comprises three projections positioned in a line parallel to the length of the inclined guide track. 
     
     
         3 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 1 , wherein each projection of the plurality of projections pivots between an upright position and a depressed position, and is biased to its upright position. 
     
     
         4 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 3 , wherein each projection of the plurality of projections has a front surface and a back surface, the back surface of a particular projection of the one or more projections being angled with respect to the inclined guide track when the particular projection is in the upright position and the back surface being coplanar with the inclined guide track when the particular projection is in the depressed position, and wherein the front surface of each projection of the plurality of projections is configured to engage a rear end of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 1 , wherein actuation of the lever mechanism causes the slidable member to move from a rearward position to a forward position, and the slidable member is biased to the rearward position. 
     
     
         7 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 1 , wherein the slidable member moves underneath a surface of the inclined guide track when a toy vehicle travels on the surface of the inclined guide track. 
     
     
         8 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 7 , wherein the surface of the inclined guide track has an elongate opening and the plurality of projections protrude through the elongate opening. 
     
     
         9 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 1 , wherein the lever mechanism comprises a lever and the lever mechanism is actuated by applying a downward force on the lever. 
     
     
         10 . A toy vehicle launcher, comprising:
 a housing including a lever mechanism;   an inclined guide track connected to the housing;   a slidable member movably engaged with the inclined guide track, wherein actuation of the lever mechanism causes the slidable member to move along a length of the inclined guide track in a forward direction, up an incline defined by the inclined guide track; and   one or more projections pivotally mounted to the slidable member and protruding upwardly from the inclined guide track, the one or more projections configured to allow a toy vehicle to pass over the one or more projections only when the toy vehicle travels along the inclined guide track in the forward direction.   
     
     
         11 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more projections comprise three projections positioned in a line parallel to the length of the inclined guide track. 
     
     
         12 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more projections each pivot between an upright position and a depressed position, and are biased to their upright positions. 
     
     
         13 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more projections each have a front surface and a back surface, the back surface being angled with respect to the inclined guide track when its projection is in the upright position and the back surface being coplanar with the inclined guide track when its projection is in the depressed position, and wherein the front surface of each of the one or more projections is configured to engage a rear end of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 10 , wherein actuation of the lever mechanism causes the slidable member to move from a rearward position to a forward position, and the slidable member is biased to the rearward position. 
     
     
         16 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 10 , wherein the slidable member moves underneath a surface of the inclined guide track when a toy vehicle travels on the surface of the inclined guide track. 
     
     
         17 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 16 , wherein the surface of the inclined guide track has an elongate opening and the one or more projections protrude through the elongate opening. 
     
     
         18 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 10 , wherein the lever mechanism comprises a lever and the lever mechanism is actuated by applying a downward force on the lever. 
     
     
         19 . A toy vehicle launcher, comprising:
 a housing including a lever mechanism;   a straight, inclined guide track positioned beside the housing, the inclined guide track having a track surface for a toy vehicle to travel along and an elongate opening positioned in a center of the track surface;   a slidable member movably positioned underneath the track surface and operatively coupled to the lever mechanism, wherein actuation of the lever mechanism causes the slidable member to move in a straight line in a forward direction along a length of the inclined guide track, up an incline defined by the inclined guide track; and   three or more projections pivotally mounted to the slidable member and protruding upwardly through the elongate opening of the inclined guide track, the three or more projections configured to allow a toy vehicle to pass over the three or more projections when the toy vehicle travels along the inclined guide track in the forward direction;   wherein actuation of the lever mechanism causes the three or more projections to move with the slidable member up the incline defined by the inclined guide track and propel a toy vehicle engaged by one of the three or more projections in the forward direction up the incline defined by the inclined guide track.   
     
     
         20 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the three or more projections each pivot between an upright position and a depressed position;   the three or more projections each have a front surface and a back surface;   the front surface of each of the three or more projections is configured to engage a rear end of the toy vehicle; and   the back surface of each of the three or more projections being angled with respect to the inclined guide track when its projection is in the upright position and the back surface being coplanar with the inclined guide track when its projection is in the depressed position.   
     
     
         21 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an inlet track positioned proximate to a forward end of the inclined guide track, forwardly of the plurality of projections, such that a toy vehicle bypasses, at least initially, the plurality of projections when entering the inclined guide track via the inlet track.   
     
     
         22 . The toy vehicle launcher of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an inlet track positioned proximate to a forward end of the inclined guide track, forwardly of the one or more projections, such that a toy vehicle bypasses, at least initially, the plurality of projections when entering the inclined guide track via the inlet track.