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.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

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

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

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:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an AQUATIC TOY in accordance with one aspect of the invention.

FIG. 2. is a right side elevational view.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view.

FIG. 6 is bottom plan view.

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view.

FIG. 8 illustrates the toy in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.