Dispensing – Simulations – Firearms
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-02-27
Jacyna, J. Casimer (Department: 3751)
Dispensing
Simulations
Firearms
C222S212000, C417S474000, C092S090000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193107
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to bladders for use in toy guns wherein the bladders are expanded and filled with water and then the expanded bladder becomes the driving force for ejection of the water when the gun is “fired.” More specifically, the bladders of the present invention have specific features which permit controlled expansion and subsequent, predictable contraction and water ejection upon release.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following patents represent development in bladder-containing toy guns (air and water) as well as other water guns:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,833 to D'Andrade describes a projectile-shooting air gun. It includes a main housing which has a barrel adapted for receiving a projectile, a handle and a trigger, as well as a high pressure, inflatable bladder connected to the main housing, the bladder has a inlet and an outlet. There is also a pressurizing mechanism for providing air pressure to the bladder to inflate it. The pressurizing mechanism is physically connected to the housing and functionally connected to the bladder inlet. There is a bladder deflation valve having an upstream side and a downstream side, and it is connected to the bladder outlet at the valve's upstream side, and is connected to the trigger for opening and closing thereof, and is connected to a projectible launch tube at the valve's downstream side for launching a projectile upon deflation of at least a portion of the bladder when it has been inflated. The launch tube is located in the barrel of the main housing and connected to the downstream side of the bladder deflation valve, and adapted for receiving and shooting a projectile. In preferred embodiments, the bladder has a predetermined expansion size to which it is capable of being inflated, and an enclosure is provided around the bladder, which is a size less than the predetermined expansion size to enhance a controlled pressurization of the bladder during inflation and deflation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,991,847 and 4,890,838 to Rudell et al. both describe a timed water release toy. There is disclosed a ball having a foraminous outer shell with an inner membrane which forms an interior closure within the outer shell and with a timer and a release mechanism operative to open the inner membrane and release its contents after the time on the timer expires. The contents spill through the foraminous outer shell, wetting the player who is handling or catching the ball at the moment of release. The timer is activated and the ball is used in a game in which it is tossed between participants who seek to avoid becoming wet when the timer releases the water from the interior closure of the ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,081 Randall Morrmann sets forth a compressible ball launcher which relies upon a telescoping cylindrical gun to compress air to force a ball out of a nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,208 describes an apparatus capable of storing and expelling a large quantity of fluid, having an elastic hollow tube having an open end through which fluid may be inserted into and expelled out of the tube. There is a hollow elongate outer enclosure surrounding the tube, and a slidable inner sleeve located between the tube and the outer enclosure. The inner sleeve slides through the outer tube upon contact by the tube as the tube axially expands, thereby preventing crimping of the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,480 to Shindo describes a long range trigger-actuated squirt gun. The squirt gun includes a hollow housing in the form of a gun with a liquid dispensing assembly within the housing. The liquid dispensing assembly includes a rubber tube, expandable upon being filled with liquid, which is connected to a rigid tube with a nozzle at one end, and will dispense liquid from the rubber tube through the nozzle. A pivotable trigger is mounted with one end located to squeeze the rubber tube against the housing. A rigid coil around the rubber tube between the trigger and rigid tube restrains the rubber tube from expansion for the length of the coil. An adapter is provided which is threadable on a faucet, for filling the rubber tube in the squirt gun with water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,239 to Salmon et al. describes a liquid projecting device. The device uses an elastic tubular bladder for receiving liquid which is expandable radially generally spherically at a local segment until a fully-expanded cross-section is achieved at which time the expanded region begins to grow axially, thereby maintaining a relatively constant pressure independent of bladder volume. The device is provided with a nozzle and a valve for controlling and directing the flow of the projected liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,830 to Werding describes an appliance for discharging a non-compressible liquid, creamy or pasty product under pressure. The container of rigid material comprises an appliance which employs the contractional force of an expanded rubber hose and an expanded product container for the discharge of a medium stored therein. A hollow body of elastic material located in the axis of a product container is provided with a valve at on end through which it is inflated. The shape of the inner walls for the rigid container limits a radial, diagonal-radial and axial expansion of the appliance in a predetermined ratio, whereby the medium acts upon the inflated hollow body in such a way that the volume of the latter decreases, whereby its inner pressure increases and gives it a tendency to expand. If the squeezing pressure exerted by the rubber hose and the product container upon the medium decreases, the hollow body can expand accordingly and thus compensate the loss of contraction pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,460 to Paranay et al. describes a water gun. The novel water gun is disclosed herein having a body formed with a central bore opening at its opposite ends to provide a discharge nozzle at one end of the body and a storage compartment or reservoir end at the opposite end of the body. The storage compartment end is adapted to releasably hold the end of an inflatable member which when loaded with water under pressure, expands so as to stretch the membrane of the inflatable storage compartment. Upon termination of the loading pressure, the inflatable member collapses under its own elasticity to discharge the stored water via the nozzle end of the body. A clamping device is employed for detachable connection gate inflatable storage compartment to its respective end of the body and a trigger mechanism may be employed for selectively releasing the pressurized water within the storage compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,460 to Kraft describes a hollow water-filled game toy. The hollow body is provided having two complementary parts releasably joined about interfitting rim portions. When the parts are joined, the hollow body may be compressed to partially deform a portion of the rim structure into an opening thereby allowing the filling of water into the body interior. After deformation the parts resume their original shape. An effective hermetic seal to retain the water within the interior is formed by squeezing the body and purging air through the vents in the rim portions. The water-filled body may then be thrown against a stationary object whereby the force of impact will release the seal and allow the water to become suddenly released causing a splashing action. The complementary hollow parts may be subsequently rejoined and refilled with water to repeat the throwing and splashing action.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,559 to Barnby describes a water squirt toy and fill valve combination. The water squirt toy apparatus includes a combination of a water squirt toy and a special filling valve which function together cooperatively. The water squirt toy includes a resiliently expansible tubular member serving as a water reservoir and encased within a rigid tubular support member, and a manually operated, lever-type normally closed valve mechanism operatively associated with the expansible member for permitting or preventing fluid disch
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P.
Jacyna J. Casimer
Larami Limited
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