U.S. patent application number 16/386933 was filed with the patent office on 2019-10-17 for aquatic 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 Gregory J. Autore, Conor Newton Davies.
Application Number | 20190316870 16/386933 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 68160239 |
Filed Date | 2019-10-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190316870 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Autore; Gregory J. ; et
al. |
October 17, 2019 |
AQUATIC TOY
Abstract
An aquatic toy has a hollow body and a funnel or cone-shaped
interior, with a large opening at one end and a small aperture at
the other end of the body. When the large opening of the toy is
thrust forward in water, the water is forced into the funnel-shaped
interior and out of the small aperture, creating a stream or spray
of water ejected from the toy. The direction of the spray of water
from the small aperture may be chosen by appropriately selecting
the shape of the body and the location of the small aperture.
Inventors: |
Autore; Gregory J.; (Spring
Valley, OH) ; Davies; Conor Newton; (Norwell,
MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Aqua-Leisure Industries, Inc. |
Avon |
MA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Aqua-Leisure Industries,
Inc.
Avon
MA
|
Family ID: |
68160239 |
Appl. No.: |
16/386933 |
Filed: |
April 17, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62658874 |
Apr 17, 2018 |
|
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41B 9/0081
20130101 |
International
Class: |
F41B 9/00 20060101
F41B009/00 |
Claims
1. An aquatic toy comprising a hollow body having an internal
cavity that narrows in size between a first end and a second end,
the body having an opening into the first end of said cavity and an
aperture out of the second end of said he cavity, the opening being
relatively larger than the aperture, whereby when the first end of
said body is thrust into a body of water, water is forced into and
through said cavity and out of said small aperture.
2. The aquatic toy of claim 1, wherein the cavity of the hollow
body is arcuate in shape.
3. The aquatic toy of claim 2, wherein the arc from said first end
of the cavity to said second end extends approximately 160
degrees.
4. The aquatic toy of claim 1, wherein the small aperture is
located is such a position as to spray water in substantially the
same direction as the thrust of the toy.
5. The aquatic toy of claim 1, wherein the body is in the shape of
a sea creature.
6. The aquatic toy of claim 1, wherein the body is in the shape of
a whale, the opening is in the shape of the whale's mouth, and the
aperture is located in the whale's tail.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. Section
119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/658,874, filed
on Apr. 17, 2018, and entitled AQUATIC TOY, which application is
hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all
purposes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to beach and pool toys, and
particularly to a hand-held toy having a hollow body and a funnel
or cone-shaped interior, with a large opening at one end and a
small aperture at the other end of the body. When the large opening
of the toy is thrust forward in water, the water is forced into the
funnel-shaped interior and out of the small aperture, creating a
stream or spray of water ejected from the toy. The direction of the
spray of water from the small aperture may be chosen by
appropriately selecting the shape of the body and the location of
the small aperture.
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
[0003] Squirt guns and water shooters of various types are popular
beach and pool toys. Typically, such toys include a reservoir for
holding water and a pump mechanism for expelling the water from the
toy. The aquatic toy of the instant invention is of much simpler
construction; it incorporates neither a reservoir nor a pump
mechanism, yet it is capable of projecting a stream or spray of
water a considerable distance in a desired direction. Moreover it
may be easily used by young children who might have difficulty in
holding and operating a pump-type water gun.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] 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 figures, 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:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an AQUATIC TOY in accordance
with one aspect of the invention.
[0006] FIG. 2. is a right side elevational view.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line 4-4 of FIG.
3.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a top plan view.
[0010] FIG. 6 is bottom plan view.
[0011] FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view.
[0012] FIG. 8 illustrates the toy in use.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Beginning with FIG. 1, an aquatic toy 10 according to one
aspect of the instant invention is depicted The body 12 of toy 10
is formed in the shape of a whale, with the funnel-or cone-shaped
interior having a large opening 14 at one end of the body,
simulating the mouth of the whale, and a small opening 16 at the
other end, located in its upturned tail 18.
[0014] Toy 10 may be grasped by the hand at or just below the
vertical section of the upturned tail 18. When the large opening of
the toy is thrust forward in water--for example, in a pool, a
bathtub, or at the beach--with the small aperture 16 above the
surface of the water, water is scooped or forced into the toy 10
through large opening 14. (See FIG. 8). The curved shape of the
internal cavity (see element 20 in FIG. 4) in toy 10 works as a
Venturi tube, forcing water through the curved internal cavity
under pressure and out of small aperture 16. The faster and
stronger the toy is thrust forward, the longer and stronger the
spray of water from the small aperture.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the particular
embodiment of toy 10, showing its thin-walled structure and the
arcuate shape of the internal cavity.
[0016] FIG. 8 illustrates toy 10 being thrust forward in a body of
water, creating a spray shooting out from the small aperture 16 in
the tail 18 of the toy. In the particular embodiment of toy 10
depicted here, aperture 16 is located at tip of the upturned tail
in such a manner as to produce a spray of water substantially in
the same direction as the thrusting motion of the user. In other
embodiments, the toy may be shaped to send the spray in other
directions, or may even include means, such as an attachment at the
aperture in the tail, to selectively adjust the direction of the
spray.
[0017] In the particular embodiment described in detail here, the
body of the device forms an arcuate funnel or progressively
narrowing tube having an arc of about 160 degrees from the large
opening to the small aperture, so that it shoots the stream of
water forward, perhaps towards a play opponent or target.
[0018] To operate the toy, the user need only push the large
opening through the water, thereby forcing water into the toy and
out the far curved end, thus causing a spray of water in the
desired direction. The faster a user pushes the device through the
water, the stronger the pressure created within the toy and the
farther the water will be sprayed from the small aperture.
[0019] The toy of the instant invention may produce a ten- to
twenty-foot spray or splash of water across a pool with relatively
little effort. Moreover it projects more water with less effort
than most pump-type squirt guns. The simplicity of the instant
design allows even young children of age 2 or 3 to effectively
splash an older sibling armed with a more complex squirting
mechanism.
[0020] One particular embodiment of the toy 10 may be approximately
6.76 inches high and 3.375 inches in width, but of course the toy
could be made in other sizes and other shapes, as long as the
function here described is maintained. For example, it could be
shaped like a fish or a walrus, or a shark or a squid, or inanimate
shapes that may resemble a high tech piece of equipment or an
abstract shape. The toy may be used in a pool for medium range
sprays, in a bathtub for smaller splashes, and even in natural
bodies of water for sprays of greater distances.
[0021] Variations of the device of the instant invention could
include a handle or handles for easier gripping by smaller hands.
Additional apertures in the tail end of the toy could provide added
or different water sprays, in different directions.
[0022] The toy of the instant invention may, by known methods, be
constructed of blow-molded plastic, rotational molded plastic ,or
injection molded plastic shot in multiple parts that are assembled
into the basic curved-back funnel shape. Even some metals could be
used, such as brass, in the method used to produce musical
horns.
[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.
* * * * *