U.S. patent application number 15/890827 was filed with the patent office on 2018-08-16 for underwater toy.
This patent application is currently assigned to Aqua-Leisure Industries, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Aqua-Leisure Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Scott R. de Grasse, Jesse Kane.
Application Number | 20180229139 15/890827 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 63106591 |
Filed Date | 2018-08-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180229139 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
de Grasse; Scott R. ; et
al. |
August 16, 2018 |
UNDERWATER TOY
Abstract
A submersible toy whose density is less than water, and whose
design and construction allow the toy to glide forward, when
released underwater, at a slight upward angle as the toy rises to
the surface of the water. The toy includes a single wing, slidable
along a channel within the body, that produces variations in
movement of the toy depending on the selected position of the wing
relative to the body of the toy.
Inventors: |
de Grasse; Scott R.;
(Marshfield, MA) ; Kane; Jesse; (Mansfield,
MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Aqua-Leisure Industries, Inc. |
Avon |
MA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Aqua-Leisure Industries,
Inc.
Avon
MA
|
Family ID: |
63106591 |
Appl. No.: |
15/890827 |
Filed: |
February 7, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62458657 |
Feb 14, 2017 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 23/10 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63H 23/10 20060101
A63H023/10 |
Claims
1. An underwater toy having a density less than water, comprising:
a body having a left side and a right side and a flat channel
extending through the body between the two sides; a wing member
slidably disposed in said channel and extending out from said body
on both sides, said wing being selectively moveable away from the
body on either side.
2. The toy of claim 1, wherein the channel and the wing are of an
arcuate shape.
3. The toy of claim 2 wherein the toy further comprises a pin
member extending through the body and through the channel in a
direction perpendicular to the channel, and wherein the wing
includes an arcuate slot through which the pin member extends and
relative to which the wing may be moved to different positions
along the slot.
4. The toy of claim 4, wherein the slot further comprises a
plurality of paired notches spaced apart, one notch of each pair
being located opposite the other on the opposing sides of the slot,
each of which pairs of notches engages with the pin to temporarily
hold the wing in a selected position on the pin member.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. Section
119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/458,657 entitled
"UNDERWATER TOY," filed on Feb. 14, 2017, which application is
hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all
purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to beach and pool toys, and
particularly to a submersible toy whose density is less than that
of water, and whose design and construction allow the toy, upon
release under water, to glide forward underwater at a slight upward
angle as the toy rises to the surface of the water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,622 discloses an underwater toy that
includes a body and a pair of wings fixedly attached to the body
behind the center of gravity of the toy. The disclosure of that
patent is incorporated herein by reference. The wings of that
device are shaped and oriented to resist vertical movement while
providing little resistance to forward movement, thus allowing the
toy, once released under water, to rise gradually toward the
surface.
[0004] Another underwater toy allows each of a pair of wings to be
separately manipulated in order to change and control the direction
in which the toy travels once it is released under water.
[0005] The device of the instant invention provides a unique and
simple submersible toy construction that incorporates a single,
adjustable wing. Variations in movement of the toy may be selected
depending on the chosen positioning of the wing relative to the
body of the toy.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be
described by way of example with reference to the accompanying
figures, which are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to
scale. In the figure, each identical or nearly identical component
illustrated is typically represented by a single numeral. For
purposes of clarity, not every component is labeled in every
figure, nor is every component of each embodiment of the invention
shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of
ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention. In the
figures:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an underwater toy according to
the instant invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view.
[0009] FIG. 3 is an elevational view as seen from the right side of
the toy of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 4 depicts the single wing of the toy.
[0011] FIG. 5 illustrates the placement of the wing within the body
of the toy.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the toy taken along the
line 6-6 of FIG. 5.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of half of the toy, showing the
cross-section of FIG. 6.
[0014] FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C show the wing in three of the possible
positions that may be selected.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] An underwater toy 10 according to the instant invention is
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Wing 12 is slidably enclosed between the
top half 14 and bottom half 16 of body 18, as explained below, and
extends outwardly from each side of body 18. FIG. 3 provides a side
view of the underwater toy 10, showing wing 12 extending from the
body 18 and continuing beyond the rear of body 18.
[0016] Turning to FIG. 4, wing 12 has an arcuate slot 20
therethrough with a plurality of paired notches 22 therein, as
described below. FIG. 5 illustrates the position of wing 12 within
toy body 18, as well as the position of channel 19 within which
wing 12 may slide to various positions
[0017] FIG. 6 depicts in cross-section the top half 14 and bottom
half 16 of toy body 18. Pin member 24, comprised of bottom member
26 and cap 28, extends through the body of the toy perpendicular to
and through channel 19, and through slot 20 in wing 12. Cap 28 is
force-fit or otherwise affixed to bottom member 26 to form the pin
member 24 during assembly of the underwater toy. Pin member 24 is
slightly large in diameter than the width of slot 20 (except at the
pairs of notches 22).
[0018] FIG. 7 again depicts the wing 12 disposed between the top
half 14 and the bottom half 16 of body 18. As discussed above, the
wing 12 is confined within the body 18 by a flat, curved channel 19
formed between the two halves 14 and 16 and extending across body
18 (see FIG. 5). Pin member 24 extends perpendicularly through body
18 and wing 12.
[0019] As shown in FIGS. 8-A to 8-C, wing 12 may be slid to the
left or the right, as wing 12 and slot 20 are moved in relation to
pin member 24. As wing 12 slides past pin member 24, pairs of
notches 22 in slot 20 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) cooperate with pin 24 to
temporarily hold wing 12 in a fixed position (here any one of five
positions) corresponding to each pair of notches. Because wing 12
is made of somewhat flexible plastic, slot 20 may expand and
contract in width in order to slide along pin member 24 and engage
with the pin member at one of the pairs of notches 22.
[0020] When the wing 12 is positioned off-center with regard to pin
member 24, the toy will move to the right or left as it ascends in
the water, the amount of swerve being selectable by adjusting the
position of the wing within the toy body.
[0021] Body 18 of the underwater toy is preferably made of molded
foam. Wing 12 is made of die-cut plastic, and the bottom member 26
and cap 28 of pin member 24 preferable are made of molded
plastic.
[0022] Those skilled in the art may readily recognize various
alterations, modifications, and improvements. Such alterations,
modifications, and improvements are intended to be within the scope
and spirit of this disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing
description is by way of example only and is not intended to be
limiting.
[0023] From the description of at least one embodiment of the
present disclosure, various alterations, modifications, and
improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such
alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be
within the scope and spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, the
foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended
to be limiting.
[0024] While several embodiments of the present invention have been
described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the
art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or
structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the
results and/or one of more of the advantages described herein, and
each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within
the scope of the present invention. More generally, those skilled
in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions,
materials, and configurations described herein are mean to be
exemplary and the actual parameters, dimensions, materials and/or
configurations will depend upon the specific application or
applications for which the teachings of the present invention
is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to
ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many
equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described
herein. It is therefore to be understood that the foregoing
embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, with the
scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the invention
may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and
claimed. The present invention is directed to each individual
feature, system, article, material, and/or method described herein.
In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems,
articles, materials, and/or methods, if such features, systems,
articles, materials, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent,
is included within the scope of the present invention.
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