U.S. patent application number 10/785872 was filed with the patent office on 2005-08-25 for webbed swim glove with water squirting feature.
Invention is credited to Harwell, Samuel K..
Application Number | 20050186865 10/785872 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34861703 |
Filed Date | 2005-08-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050186865 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Harwell, Samuel K. |
August 25, 2005 |
Webbed swim glove with water squirting feature
Abstract
A child's webbed swim glove that has been adapted to add
significant play value by incorporating a built in water-squirting
feature.
Inventors: |
Harwell, Samuel K.;
(Nashville, TN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Samuel K. Harwell, IV
Second Floor
8005 Church Street East
Brentwood
TN
37027
US
|
Family ID: |
34861703 |
Appl. No.: |
10/785872 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
441/57 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 31/04 20130101;
A63B 31/02 20130101; A63B 2208/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
441/057 |
International
Class: |
A63B 031/02 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A flexible webbed swimming glove incorporating a water squirting
feature as an integral part of the glove structure, designed to be
worn on one hand of the user and has the squirt feature activated
with manual compression by the other hand of the bladder area to
create a flow of water that mimics the performance of a squirt gun
or other toy water squirting device.
2. A flexible webbed swimming glove as set forth in claim 1 wherein
there is a bladder reservoir for storing water that is to be
expelled by manual compression by the user.
3. A flexible webbed swimming squirt glove as in claim 1 with a one
way intake valve that allows the reservoir to fill with water as it
is compressed and released, and which prevents that water from
exiting the reservoir upon subsequent compressions through that
same valve.
4. A flexible webbed squirt glove as in claim 1 that has a tube
extending from within the reservoir and terminating in a nozzle at
the top area of the glove through which water that has entered the
reservoir chamber through the one way intake valve is expelled upon
manual compression and release of the flexible reservoir bladder
area by the user.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to webbed swim gloves worn by
children. More specifically, the invention pertains to a webbed
swim glove that improves play value by incorporating a built in
water squirt feature.
[0002] Swim masks, webbed gloves and swim fins are used by children
to improve their performance and comfort while swimming.
Specifically, webbed swim gloves aid in swimming by spanning the
area in between spread fingers and helping the child propel
him/herself more efficiently through the water.
[0003] To date, webbed glove design has lacked features beyond
improving said performance. Thus, it is highly desirable to provide
a webbed swim glove that also increases the enjoyment by adding the
water squirt feature that allows for more dynamic play.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The general purpose of the invention is to significantly
improve the play value of children's webbed swim gloves. It is a
still more particular object of the invention to incorporate a
built in water squirting features directly into the glove.
[0005] In one embodiment of the invention the glove and water
reservoir are styled like a shark to increase the dress-up play
value and to incorporate the water reservoir in a visually
appropriate manner.
[0006] The invention is a webbed squirt glove that is an integral
part of Swim Gear Set packaged either with a Swim Mask or with a
Swim Mask and Swim Fins. In addition to the performance enhancement
and dress-up/roll play aspects of the webbed glove for children, it
adds significant play value with a built in water squirt
feature.
[0007] The glove is made of injection molded PVC in a durometer
(hardness) of 60 degrees and is flexible to allow the user to
comfortably wear it as a performance enhancer in the pool or other
body of water.
[0008] The glove is designed with a squirting feature, which mimics
the performance of a squirt gun or other toy water-squirting device
by squirting water out of a valve near the fingertip and is built
into the glove. The design incorporates a bladder (water reservoir)
that is an integral part of the glove itself. The bladder is
constructed by extending the walls of the glove down along the
wrist area in the general shape of a shark's fin, or otherwise
incorporating it into a character appropriate design
configuration.
[0009] Squirt feature design includes a bladder that has a one-way
valve located at the bottom of tip (further from the body of the
glove) that allows water to be drawn into the reservoir when the
bladder area of the glove is compressed and released. As it is soft
and flexible, when compressed and released, the bladder area tends
to return to its natural shape thus creating a vacuum effect that
draws water into the reservoir.
[0010] The one way feature on the valve prevents water from being
expelled though this same opening when the bladder area is
compressed again. Pressure from the water that was already drawn
into the reservoir pushes against the door to the valve opening,
which forces it closed and prevents any water from being expelled
through the inlet valve.
[0011] Once there is water in the bladder and it is compressed
again, as it cannot be expelled through the inlet valve, the water
is forced through the only other exit-a narrow PVC tube that is
affixed to the glove vie solvent sealing around a specifically
sized hole in the PVC wall of the bladder.
[0012] The PVC wall is specifically made in a separate mold and
affixed to the main body of the glove via solvent sealing. To
accomplish this the wall is also manufactured from PVC material in
a slightly higher and specific durometer (hardness) of 80
degrees.
[0013] The water travels through the PVC tube and is expelled in a
stream from a small nozzle that is fixed in place on the topside of
the glove material.
[0014] The stream of water created can travel anywhere from 12 to
18 feet.
[0015] The glove is designed to give the user a built in squirting
device for added fun and play value. To use the squirt feature the
squirt glove is specifically designed for active "in-water" play as
the mechanism is meant to draw water directly from the swimming
pool or other body of water in which the user is playing.
[0016] The Webbed Squirt Glove, when properly worn on the hand, has
the elastic band fit snuggly around the wrist of the wearer's five
fingers inserted through the appropriate PVC finger rings as a
glove with a wrist area and finger holes.
[0017] With the users hand oriented parallel to the water surface,
palm facing down, the bladder (reservoir) area with one-way water
inlet valve on the underside of the glove is extended away from the
hand and wrist toward the outside of the user's body.
[0018] The gloved hand can then be rotated clockwise approximately
90 degrees or until the water inlet valve is completely submerged
in the water, while the user's thumb, and index finger, and as a
result the squirt nozzle remain out of the water.
[0019] The user can then reach down with their opposite hand and
grasp and compress the still submerged bladder. Two or three
compressions will fully fill the reservoir area.
[0020] Once the reservoir is full any subsequent compressions will
force water through the PVC tubing and out through the nozzle,
producing streams of water that can reach anywhere from 12 to 18
feet from the origin point (user's location).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a top view of a specific embodiment of the Webbed
Squirt Glove;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a bottom 3/4 view of a specific embodiment of the
Webbed Squirt Glove; and
[0023] FIG. 3: is a partial view with a cutaway view showing the
interior of the water reservoir area.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
[0024] The webbed glove 3 is made of injection molded PVC in a
durometer (hardness) of 60 degrees and is flexible to allow it to
be worn comfortably.
[0025] The webbed glove 3 is designed with a squirting feature by
incorporating a bladder 1 that is an integral part of the webbed
glove 3. The bladder 1 is constructed by extending the walls of the
glove 3 down along the wrist area in the general shape of a shark's
fin. To create the bladder area 1, a side plate cover 5 is added.
The side plate cover 5 is specifically made in a separate mold and
affixed to the main body of the glove 3 via solvent sealing. To
accomplish this the side plate cover 5 is also manufactured from
PVC material in a slightly higher and specific durometer (hardness)
of 80 degrees. The bladder 1 has a one-way valve 4 located at the
outer point of the bladder 1. The valve 4 allows water to be drawn
into the bladder 1 when the bladder 1 is compressed and released.
As it is soft and flexible, when compressed and released, the
bladder 1 tends to return to its natural shape thus creating a
vacuum effect that draws water into the bladder 1.
[0026] The one way feature on the valve 4 prevents water from being
expelled though this same opening when the bladder 1 is compressed
again. Pressure from the water that was already drawn into the
bladder 1 pushes against the valve opening 8 which forces the valve
4 into a closed state and prevents any water from being expelled
through the valve 4.
[0027] Once there is water in the bladder 1 and it is compressed
again, as it cannot be expelled through the valve 4, the water is
forced through the only other exit--a narrow PVC tube 6. The PVC
tube is affixed to the glove via solvent sealing around a hole in
the side plate cover 5 of the bladder 1. The PVC tube 6 is the
appropriate size to extend across the glove from the nozzle 2,
through the side plate cover 5 and to the bottom of the bladder 1.
When the bladder 1 is compressed, the water travels through the PVC
tube 6 and is expelled in a stream from a small nozzle 2 that is
fixed in place on the topside of the glove material. The stream of
water created from typical user applied pressure can travel
anywhere from 12 to 18 feet. The invention is specifically designed
for active "in-water" play as the mechanism is meant to draw water
directly from the swimming pool or other body of water in which the
user is playing.
[0028] The invention, when properly worn on the hand, has the
elastic band 7 fit snuggly around the wrist of the wearer and the
users five fingers inserted through the appropriate PVC finger
rings as a glove with a wrist area 14 and finger holes (9,
10,11,12,13). With the user's hand oriented parallel to the water
surface with the palm facing downwards at an approximate height of
25 mm to 50 mm, the bladder 1 area with one-way water inlet valve 4
on the underside of the glove 3 is extended away from the hand and
wrist toward the outside of the user's body. The gloved hand can
then be rotated clockwise approximately 90 degrees or until the
water inlet valve 4 is completely submerged in the water, while the
user's thumb, and index finger, and as a result the squirt nozzle 2
remain out of the water. The user can then reach down with their
opposite hand and compress and release the still submerged bladder
1. Two or three compressions is required before the bladder 1 is
filled with water. Once the bladder 1 is full, any subsequent
compressions of the bladder 1 will force water through the PVC
tubing 6 and out through the nozzle 2, producing streams of water
that can reach anywhere from 12 to 18 feet from the origin point
(user's location).
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