US12480750 - Foam dart having a safety cap with polygonal apertures

The patent describes a toy dart featuring a deformable cap with polygonal apertures that create hollow passages, allowing the cap to safely deform upon impact with a target. This design enhances safety while maintaining the dart’s functionality during play.

Claim 1

1 . A toy dart comprising: an elongate dart body having a head end and a tail end, the dart body extending in a longitudinal direction; and a solid cylindrical deformable dart cap, wherein the cylindrical deformable dart cap has an outer wall having a top edge and a bottom edge, the outer wall forming a circumference of the cylindrical deformable dart cap, a top surface adjoining the top edge of the outer wall, and a bottom surface adjoining the bottom edge of the outer wall, wherein the bottom surface is affixed to and abuts the head end of the elongate dart body, wherein the outer wall has formed thereon a plurality of polygonal aperture pairs, each polygonal aperture pair comprising a pair of apertures that are substantially the same size, shape, and orientation, wherein each polygonal aperture pair defines a first and second end of a corresponding hollow passage through the cylindrical deformable dart cap, and wherein each of the hollow passages has a plurality of interior walls that forms a cross section of the hollow passage, each cross section having substantially the same size, shape and orientation as the polygonal aperture pair corresponding to the respective hollow passage, wherein the plurality of polygonal aperture pairs comprises a first aperture pair that defines a first and second end of a first hollow passage, a second aperture pair that defines a first and second end of a second hollow passage, a third aperture pair that defines a first and second end of a third hollow passage, and a fourth aperture pair that defines a first and second end of a fourth hollow passage, wherein the respective first ends of the second and third hollow passages are located along a first minor arc of the circumference of the cylindrical deformable dart cap that extends between the respective first ends of the first and fourth hollow passages, and wherein the respective second ends of the second and third hollow passages are located along a second minor arc of the circumference of the cylindrical deformable dart cap that extends between the respective second ends of the first and fourth hollow passages. an elongate dart body having a head end and a tail end, the dart body extending in a longitudinal direction; and a solid cylindrical deformable dart cap, wherein the cylindrical deformable dart cap has an outer wall having a top edge and a bottom edge, the outer wall forming a circumference of the cylindrical deformable dart cap, a top surface adjoining the top edge of the outer wall, and a bottom surface adjoining the bottom edge of the outer wall, wherein the bottom surface is affixed to and abuts the head end of the elongate dart body, wherein the outer wall has formed thereon a plurality of polygonal aperture pairs, each polygonal aperture pair comprising a pair of apertures that are substantially the same size, shape, and orientation, wherein each polygonal aperture pair defines a first and second end of a corresponding hollow passage through the cylindrical deformable dart cap, and wherein each of the hollow passages has a plurality of interior walls that forms a cross section of the hollow passage, each cross section having substantially the same size, shape and orientation as the polygonal aperture pair corresponding to the respective hollow passage, wherein the plurality of polygonal aperture pairs comprises a first aperture pair that defines a first and second end of a first hollow passage, a second aperture pair that defines a first and second end of a second hollow passage, a third aperture pair that defines a first and second end of a third hollow passage, and a fourth aperture pair that defines a first and second end of a fourth hollow passage, wherein the respective first ends of the second and third hollow passages are located along a first minor arc of the circumference of the cylindrical deformable dart cap that extends between the respective first ends of the first and fourth hollow passages, and wherein the respective second ends of the second and third hollow passages are located along a second minor arc of the circumference of the cylindrical deformable dart cap that extends between the respective second ends of the first and fourth hollow passages.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12480750

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12480750