SELF-PROPELLED WATER TOY

Abstract

A water toy and method for its use includes providing a water toy comprising a body cavity having a variable volume defined by a resiliently biased wall, such as bellows arranged about a long axis of the cavity, and an aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity. The body cavity is then manually expanded from a rest state to an expanded state and allowed to be filled with water while in the expanded state. The water toy is then released in water so that the body cavity naturally contracts toward the rest state and thereby forces water from the contracting body cavity out the aperture to form a water jet that propels the water toy through the water.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a toy, and more particularly to a self-propelled water toy that moves under action of a naturally contracting volume that forces water out through an aperture within the toy to form a water jet that propels the toy through the water.

Self-propelled water toys typically include some type of mechanism to propel the toy through or under the water. Some use chemical agents, some electrical propulsion such as with batteries, and some convert potential energy to mechanical energy such as a wound rubber-band turning a propeller or impeller. Some examples of underwater toys include U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,023 to Warner titled “Hand Launchable Hydrodynamic Recreational Vehicle,” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,577 to Thorne, III titled “Underwater Device and Method of Play,” (hereinafter Thorne). Such devices have drawbacks such as increased weight due to neutral buoyancy, thus increasing shipping costs, or decreased ability to remain upright within the water so that the device moves unrealistically compared to underwater sea creatures and submarines.

Accordingly, the need arises for a water toy that takes a different approach to these problems and for overcoming the drawbacks of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A water toy and method for its use includes providing a water toy comprising a body cavity having a variable volume defined by a resiliently biased wall and an aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity. That is, the volume of the body cavity is capable of naturally contracting under action of the resiliently biased wall. The body cavity is then manually expanded from a rest state to an expanded state and allowed to be filled with water while in the expanded state. The water toy is then released in water so that the body cavity naturally contracts toward the rest state and thereby forces water from the contracting body cavity out the aperture to form a water jet that propels the water toy through the water. In a preferred embodiment, the body cavity is bounded by a bellows arranged circumferentially about a long axis of the body cavity and configured to expand and contract in a direction coaxial with the long axis.

The invention further includes a method for propelling a water toy of a type comprising a body cavity having a variable volume defined by a resiliently biased wall arranged circumferentially about a long axis of the body cavity and an aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity. The method includes first manually expanding the body cavity from a rest state to an expanded state and allowing the body cavity to be filled with water while in the expanded state so that the water is substantially captured within the resiliently biased wall. The water toy is then released in water so that the body cavity naturally contracts toward the rest state and thereby forcing water from the contracting body cavity out the aperture to form a water jet that propels the water toy through the water

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention that proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-propelled water toy constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view in section of the self-propelled water toy of FIG. 1 shown in a contracted or rest state.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view in section of the self-propelled water toy of FIG. 1 shown in water in a fully expanded state.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view in section of the self-propelled water toy of FIG. 1 shown naturally contracting through an intermediate expanded state with water being forced out a back end of the water toy as a toy-propelling water jet.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view in section of a front end of the self-propelled water toy of FIG. 1 showing a valve in an open state.

FIG. 6 is a schematic of the method for using the self-propelled water toy of FIG. 1 and its subsequent movement through time and space.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of an alternate embodiment of the invention shown in partial section and especially configured to travels near or at the surface of the water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention is a water toy that includes a rigid front and back end connected by a resilient bellows or other type of resiliently biasable material. When coupled together, the toy includes a hollow interior with a volume that can be manually expanded—this is accomplished by grabbing the rigid front and back ends of the toy and pulling them apart to therefore expand the bellows section.

In one embodiment described, the front end includes a one-way valve to let water in to the hollow interior. In a preferred embodiment, the valve can include among others a gravity valve, a valve with a slight bias against the sealing surface, or one that is forced open or closed by a pressure differential between the exterior of the toy and the hollow interior. The back end of the toy funnels to an opening.

In use, air is evacuated from the hollow interior by placing the toy in water and filling the interior with water. The bellows, formed of rubber, is then pulled apart to expand the interior and increase the amount of water in the toy. When filled, the toy is placed along the bottom of a bathtub and let go. The contracting action of the bellows forces the water out the back end as a jet, thus propelling the toy forward. Due to careful weighting, the toy remains upright and moves generally horizontally and does not tip or roll over. In particular, there is an air cavity or volume filled with impermeable material that is less dense than water (e.g. close-cell foam) formed at an upper end of the front and back that makes the bottom correspondingly heavier.

The fish is put under the water tail up. After it fills up one grabs the nose and tail and stretches the fish apart. The valve in the nose allows the water to fill the fish body more easily. Depending upon how it is released and how much air may be left in the fish, it will move along the top or along the bottom or in between.

FIG. 1 illustrates self-propelled water toy 10 in perspective view. Toy 10 includes front rigid portion 12 and back rigid portion 14 arranged about a long axis 16 of the toy 10 in spaced apart configuration. An elastic body 18, also arranged about long axis 16, spans between the spaced front and back rigid portions 12, 14 to form a water toy body having a substantially enclosed variable-volume cavity 20 [see, e.g., FIG. 2] adapted to admit a fluid therein. As will be appreciated further below, these portions are adapted to be grasped by a user and used to pull front and back portions 12, 14 further apart to thereby expand elastic body 18 coaxially with long axis 16 and thereby increase the volume of cavity 20.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show water toy 10, and particularly elastic body 20, in a contracted or rest state. In a preferred embodiment, elastic body is defined by a resiliently biased wall 22 arranged circumferentially about long axis 16 and configured to allow manual expansion of the cavity volume from a rest state (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) to an expanded state (as shown in FIG. 3) to admit more fluid—i.e. water—into the cavity. The resiliently biased wall includes bellows shown by folds in the resiliently biased wall 22. The bellows are preferably made of a rubber material. In a rest state, the peaks of the folds are arranged a distance D_R apart. In a fully expanded state, as shown in FIG. 3, the peaks of the bellow folds are arranged a distance D_E apart. In an intermediate expanded state, after the elastic body 20 has undergone some contraction as shown in FIG. 4, the peaks of the bellow folds are arranged a distance D_I apart, where D_R<D_I<D_E.

A front portion of water toy 10, such as front rigid portion 12, includes a hydrodynamically shaped outer shell 24 having curved surfaces that minimize drag while the toy 10 moves through the water. It is preferred that the water toy 10 remain upright while moving through water to better simulate a living object. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6 has the appearance of a fish, including eyes 26 and proximal fins 28 located on front end of the body and distal fins 30 and a tail section 32 located on a back end of the body. Fins 28, 30 and tail section 32 act as stabilizing foil surfaces that provide resistance to the water toy 10 rotating around its long axis 16 while underwater and assist in allowing the toy to move forward along a substantially straight path.

To further maintain the water toy 10 in an upright position within the water, front and back sections 12, 14 are weighted differently between upper and lower sections. In the embodiment shown, an upper section of rigid front portion 12 includes a sealed cavity or air chamber 34 within the upper section of the toy. As air chamber 34 is sealed, it does not form part of the fluid-admitting cavity 20 of the water toy 10. Furthermore, the air chamber's placement in an upper section of the toy gives lift to that front section so that, when submerged in water, the upper section remains above the water-filled lower section. In similar fashion, an upper section of the rigid rear portion 14 of the toy 10 may also include a sealed cavity or air chamber 36. Proper sizing of the front and rear air chambers 34, 36 allow the water toy 10 to be weighted properly from front to back so that the water toy 10 moves substantially level within the water.

Front section 12 further includes a fill aperture 38 located on a front end of the toy 10 through which water is admitted into the cavity 20. A sealing part 40 is moveable to uncover the fill aperture 38 when the water toy is immersed in water, thus creating a pressure differential between the water on the outside of the toy and the air on the inside of the toy. Expansion of cavity 20 via the resiliently biased wall 22 further creates a lower pressure on the inside of the toy which maintains the sealing part 40 in an open position. Contraction of the cavity, such as when the toy is released as described below, creates a higher pressure within the cavity than the outside which maintains the sealing part 40 in a closed position.

Alternately, in a gravity valve arrangement, the sealing part 40 falls open when toy 10 is tilted face-down, that is substantially perpendicular to a direction of travel of the water toy. Additionally, the sealing part 40 is moveable to cover the fill aperture when the water toy is tilted upright, that is substantially parallel to the direction of travel through the water. Sealing part 40 is formed of a sealing head 42, sized larger than fill aperture 38, which is coupled to outer shell 24 of the water toy 10 by a flexible arm 44. FIG. 2 shows sealing part 40 covering fill aperture 38 when the water toy 10 is in a horizontal orientation or otherwise situated in an environment where there is a pressure differential between the upper and lower surfaces of the sealing part 40 (e.g. FIG. 3). In a gravity valve arrangement, gravity acts on the sealing head 42 to force it downward and thereby bend flexible arm 44. In an alternate pressure valve arrangement, the pressure differential either sucks the valve down onto the valve seat or forces it open.

Turning next to a rear portion of the water toy 10, an exit aperture 46 is defined within the back rigid portion 14 in fluid communication with the cavity 20 of toy 10. Exit aperture 46 is defined along the long axis of the body cavity 20 through which fluid within the cavity is forced as the cavity volume contracts under action of the elastic body 20, as by contraction of the bellows of the resiliently biased wall 22. Water toy 10 preferable includes a funnel 48 interposed between the body cavity 20 and the exit aperture 46. The funnel includes an inner wall 50 having a continuously decreasing radius, as measured from long axis 16, from a first end adjacent the body cavity 20 to a second end adjacent the exit aperture 46.

FIG. 3 illustrates water toy 10 in a fully expanded condition within a tub of water 52 where a user had grasped front and back portions 12, 14 and pulled them further apart to thereby expand the bellows defining elastic body 18 and drawing water into the expanded cavity 20. Water may be drawn in through exit aperture 46, but its relatively small size makes the fill process slow. The relatively larger fill aperture 38 is more preferred for filling the expanded cavity. The process for filling cavity 20 with water through fill aperture 38 is explained more fully below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 4 illustrates water toy 10 in an intermediate expanded condition within a tub of water 52 where a user has released the toy from its expanded condition (FIG. 3) thus allowing the elastic body 18 and associated cavity 20 to contract toward their rest state. Note that when under contraction, the elastic body 18 forces water from within the cavity out open apertures. As the fill aperture 38 at the front of the water toy 10 has been closed by sealing part 40, water from within the cavity 20 can only move backward through exit aperture 46. Movement of the water through funnel 48 increases the speed at which the water exits aperture 46 so that the water forms a rearwardly directed water jet 54. Water exiting the water toy 10 in jet 54 forces the water toy forward opposite to the direction of the jet 54, e.g. in the direction shown by movement arrow 56.

FIG. 5 illustrates in section the front rigid portion 12 of a preferred embodiment of the self-propelled water toy 10. Sealing part 40 is shown in an unsealed position relative to fill aperture 38. Part 40 includes a sealing head 42 with a sealing expanse on a bottom portion thereof that is larger than the opening defined by the fill aperture 38. When seated against outer portions of the aperture 38, the sealing head prevents water within cavity 20 from escaping through the fill aperture. The fill aperture 38, and thus the sealing head 42, are configured at an angle to the front face of the outer shell 24 and to the direction of travel so that the flow of water into the aperture 38 and against the bottom portion of the sealing head 42 does not force the head open. It is understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the placement of the fill aperture 38 and sealing head 42, and that such elements may be placed on any portion of the toy or not be included at all without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A flexible arm 44 couples the sealing head 42 to a front portion of the outer shell 24. The arm 44 is configured to allow the sealing head to fall away from the fill aperture 38 opening when the front rigid portion 12 is tipped downward as shown by position A in FIG. 6. In the pressure valve arrangement, the flexible arm 44 allows the sealing head 42 to be sucked against the opening 38 when the pressure within the cavity 20 is greater than outside it (e.g. area 52 in FIG. 3) as when the bellows of the toy 10 are contracting and the toy moving through the water.

FIG. 6 illustrates a method for propelling water toy 10 through the water, where the water toy comprises a cavity 20 having a variable volume defined by a resiliently biased wall, such as wall 22, arranged circumferentially about a long axis 16 of the body cavity, and an aperture 46 defined at a rear portion 14 of the body cavity. At position A, the water toy 10 is positioned face down in the water and submerged to position B so that a closeable aperture, such as fill aperture 38, falls open as shown in FIG. 5 (gravity valve) or is forced open by the pressure differential between the water-filled tub 52 and the air of the cavity 20 (pressure valve). The body cavity is then manually expanded from a rest state to an expanded state as by grasping front and rear rigid portions 12, 14 and pulling them away from one another to thereby stretch out the bellows of the resiliently biased wall 22. As water is drawn into the cavity 20 through the open fill aperture 38, it displaces the air within the cavity that then leaves the cavity 20 out exit aperture 46 and rises to the surface of the water tub 52 via bubbles 58. The water is then substantially captured within the resiliently biased wall 22.

Once filled with water in an expanded state, the water toy 10 is positioned horizontally as shown in position C so that the sealing part falls against the outer surface of the fill aperture, thereby closing it, and the water toy released. The body cavity 20 naturally contracts under action of the resiliently biased wall 22 toward a rest state and thereby forces water from the contracting body cavity out the exit aperture 46 at the rear of the water toy body. Water exiting through the exit aperture 46 forms a water jet 54 that propels water toy 10 through the water 52, as through intermediate contracted position D (e.g. FIG. 4) and then fully contracted position E (e.g. FIG. 2).

Depending upon how the toy 10 is released and how much air may be left in the fish, it will move along the top or along the bottom or in between along many different trajectories 60.

FIG. 7 shows an alternate embodiment 110 of the self-propelled water toy invention. The embodiment 110 shown includes nearly identical elements to that of water toy 10, but includes larger front and rear air chambers 134, 136 so that the water toy moves substantially at a surface of the water 152. Water toy 110 includes front and back rigid portions 112, 114 arranged about a long axis 116 in spaced apart configuration with the portions being adapted to be grasped by a user. An elastic body 118 spans between the spaced front and back rigid portions 112, 114 and is also arranged about long axis 116 to form a water toy body having a substantially enclosed variable-volume cavity 120 adapted to admit fluid—e.g. water—therein.

An exit aperture 146 within the rigid back portion 114 is in fluid communication with the cavity 120 and is defined along the long axis 116 of the body cavity. Fluid within the cavity 120 forced in a direction opposite to that of a direction of travel of the water toy 110 as the cavity volume contracts under action of the elastic body 118. The elastic body includes a resiliently biased wall 122 including bellows arranged about a long axis that is coaxial with the aperture 146 defined at the rear portion 114 of the body cavity 120. Water toy 110 is weighted differently between upper and lower sections so that the toy remains upright within the water. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a specific gravity of the water toy 110 when filled with water is less than a specific gravity of water displaced by the water toy so that the water toy moves substantially at an upper surface of the water.

It is preferred that the body of the water toy, particularly the fish embodiment 10 shown in FIGS. 1-6, be made of material that is denser than water. Flotation is incorporated high in the fish body, via air chambers 34, 36, so that the toy 10 floats right side up. It is preferred that the floatation properly offset the denser material in order to make the toy 10 have neutral density with respect to the fluid it moves in. It is further preferred that the center of gravity be centered so that the fish will not go heads or tails up.

As with water toy 10, water toy 110 includes stabilizing foils surfaces 128, 130 and a sealing part 140, including a sealing head 142, moveable to uncover the fill aperture 138 when the water toy is tilted substantially parallel to a direction of gravity (as in FIG. 5) and cover the fill aperture when the water toy is tilted substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity (as in FIG. 7).

The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is similar to the Loch Ness Monster whereby the elongate head and tail stick up above the surface of the water. This compares with the fish embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6 whereby the specific gravity of the water toy 10 when filled with water is substantially similar to a specific gravity of water displaced by the water toy so that the water toy moves substantially submerged through the water as shown in FIG. 6. The Loch-Ness monster embodiment simply has larger air chambers, ones that are sufficient to keep the head and tail out of the water. The fish has air chambers that are just large enough to offset the higher than water density of the plastic and rubber material making its total density is as close to that of water as possible.

Yet another embodiment takes the form of a usable bottle such as for containing soap or shampoo. The plastic of water and other bottles is about 0.015 thick. It has a pretty high Q—very springy. With deep enough bellows it should stretch pretty much like the rubber model. The bottle embodiment could have fins that would tend to keep it level as it moves. It could also be molded with air chambers for surface moving toys.

In the simplest version the entire contents of the bottle are used for soap, bubble bath or whatever. When the bottle is empty a hole is poked in a designated spot on its end creating the exhaust port. A rotating cap on the bottle (not a screw top) is set to open position, as when using the shampoo. The rocket/submarine/fish is filled with water as with the first embodiment, the top is closed and the rocket/submarine released. The type of top used on thirst aid bottles twists to drink. A slightly fancier version could have a twist to dispense position and a twist to engage an intake valve position.

Having described and illustrated the principles of the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. I claim all modifications and variation coming within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A self-propelled water toy, comprising:

a body cavity having a variable volume defined by a resiliently biased wall arranged circumferentially about a long axis of the body cavity and configured to allow manual expansion of the volume from a rest state to an expanded state to admit more water into the cavity; and

an exit aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity through which water within the cavity is forced in a direction opposite to a direction of travel of the water toy as the cavity volume contracts under action of the resiliently biased wall, the resiliently biased wall including a bellows that is coaxial with the aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity and configured to collapse the variable volume to a rest state in a direction along the long axis.

2. The self-propelled water toy of claim 1, further including a funnel interposed between the body cavity and the aperture, wherein the funnel includes an inner wall having a continuously decreasing radius from a first end adjacent the body cavity to a second end adjacent the exit aperture.

3. The self-propelled water toy of claim 1, wherein the water toy is weighted differently between upper and lower sections so that the toy remains upright within the water.

4. The self-propelled water toy of claim 3, further including sealed air chambers formed within the upper section of the toy.

5. The self-propelled water toy of claim 4, further including a first air chamber within an upper front section of the toy and a second air chamber within an upper rear section of the toy.

6. The self-propelled water toy of claim 1, wherein a specific gravity of the water toy when filled with water is substantially similar to a specific gravity of water displaced by the water toy.

7. The self-propelled water toy of claim 1, further including a fill aperture located on a front end of the toy through which water is admitted into the cavity.

8. The self-propelled water toy of claim 8, further including a sealing part moveable to uncover the fill aperture when a pressure differential exists between an exterior surface of the sealing part and an interior surface of the sealing part.

9. A method for propelling a water toy, comprising:

providing a water toy comprising a body cavity having a variable volume defined by a resiliently biased wall arranged circumferentially about a long axis of the body cavity and an aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity;

manually expanding the body cavity from a rest state to an expanded state;

allowing the body cavity to be filled with water while in the expanded state so that the water is substantially captured within the resiliently biased wall; and

releasing the water toy in water so that the body cavity naturally contracts toward the rest state and thereby forcing water from the contracting body cavity out the aperture to form a water jet that propels the water toy through the water.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the water toy further includes a closable aperture defined at a front portion of the body cavity, the method further including admitting water through the closable aperture into the body cavity when the cavity is being filled.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the resiliently biased wall includes a bellows and the method further includes expanding the bellows to the expanded state while admitting water through the closable aperture.

12. The method of claim 11, further including unsealing the closable aperture when the water toy is tilted substantially parallel to a direction of gravity and sealing the closable aperture when the water toy is tilted substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

13. A self-propelled water toy comprising:

front and back rigid portions arranged about a long axis in spaced apart configuration with said portions being adapted to be grasped by a user;

an elastic body spanning between the spaced front and back rigid portions and arranged about the long axis to form a water toy body having a substantially enclosed variable-volume cavity adapted to admit a fluid therein;

an exit aperture within the back rigid portion in fluid communication with the cavity and defined along the long axis of the body cavity through which fluid within the cavity is forced in a direction opposite to that of a direction of travel of the water toy as the cavity volume contracts under action of the elastic body.

14. The self-propelled water toy of claim 13, wherein the elastic body includes a resiliently biased wall having a bellows arranged about a long axis that is coaxial with the aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity.

15. The self-propelled water toy of claim 13, further including a funnel interposed between the variable-volume cavity and the aperture, wherein the funnel includes an inner wall having a continuously decreasing radius from a first end adjacent the variable-volume cavity to a second end adjacent the exit aperture.

16. The self-propelled water toy of claim 13, wherein the water toy is weighted differently between upper and lower sections so that the toy remains upright within the water.

17. The self-propelled water toy of claim 13, wherein a specific gravity of the water toy when filled with water is substantially similar to a specific gravity of water displaced by the water toy so that the water toy moves substantially submerged through the water.

18. The self-propelled water toy of claim 13, wherein a specific gravity of the water toy when filled with water is less than a specific gravity of water displaced by the water toy so that the water toy moves substantially at an upper surface of the water.

19. The self-propelled water toy of claim 1, further including a fill aperture located on a front end of the toy through which water is admitted into the cavity.

20. The self-propelled water toy of claim 8, further including a sealing part moveable to uncover the fill aperture when the water toy is expanding and cover the fill aperture when the water toy is contracting.