Bubble ring

Details Bubble ring Bubble ring

2002-02-05

2002-09-10

Banks, Derris H. (Department: 3712)

Amusement devices: toys

Aerodynamically supported or retarded

Including rotary wing

Reexamination Certificate

active

06447357

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to bubble wands and rings.
2. Prior Art
A bubble wand is a loop or ring attached to a handle for making bubble when the ring is blown by the mouth or moved quickly through the air. Closely spaced ridges are arranged on the ring for trapping a soapy bubble solution by surface tension and capillary action. The amount of bubble that can be produced each time depends on the amount of bubble solution which can be held on the ring, and the amount of bubble solution which can be discharged from the ring. However, a typical ring is disc shaped with a wall that is perpendicular to the axis of the ring, so that it impedes airflow and limits solution discharge.
Many other bubble wands are known among the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,064,387 to Campbell shows a coil spring positioned around a bubble ring. The spring is made of a wire which is very narrow relative to the diameter of the ring, and cannot hold much solution. U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,887 to Kort discloses a thin bubble ring with small arms projecting from the interior of the ring. Since the ring is comprised of a very narrow cylindrical rod formed into a loop, the arms are also very thin and thus cannot hold much solution. U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,017 to Stein discloses a long chain or cord with cups which are too far apart for capillary action to hold much solution between them. U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,382 to Sanford discloses a bubble ring with plates radiating from the outside of the ring. The plates are too far apart to hold solution with capillary action, and there are no plates on the inside of the ring. U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,564 to Hasegawa and U.K. patent 1,509,848 to Adachi each show corrugated bubble tubes. The adjacent pleats in the tubes define triangular spaces between them that cannot hold solution with capillary action at the outer ends where they are farthest apart. U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,764 to Thai discloses a bubble ring with ridges on the top and sides. The ridges are much thinner than the core of the ring, and are too far apart to hold much solution. Further, solution trapped between the ridges on top are perpendicular to the airflow and thus cannot be easily discharged. Prior art bubble wands also have fixed handles that require relatively large packaging.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objects of the present bubble ring are:
to hold more bubble solution;
to discharge the solution more effectively; and
to have a handle which is compacted for shipping and extendable for use.
The present bubble ring is comprised of a tubular wall with a height which is greater than its wall thickness. The wall is parallel to the axis of the ring for reducing resistance to airflow along the axis of the ring. Plates extend radially from the inside and outside surfaces of the ring for holding a bubble solution by surface tension and capillary action. The gaps between the plates are generally evenly wide throughout for evenly holding bubble solution. The gaps also have open front and rear ends aligned with the axis of the ring for better releasing solution. Through holes are arranged in the wall parallel to the axis of the ring for holding and releasing additional solution. A handle is hinged to the ring. The handle is pivoted across the ring for shipping, and pivoted outward for use.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2514009 (1950-07-01), Raspet
patent: 3064387 (1962-11-01), Campbell
patent: D235030 (1975-04-01), Ziff
patent: 3950887 (1976-04-01), Kort
patent: 4481731 (1984-11-01), La Fata et al.
patent: 4654017 (1987-03-01), Stein
patent: 5071382 (1991-12-01), Sanford
patent: 5080623 (1992-01-01), Stein
patent: 5156564 (1992-10-01), Hasegawa
patent: 5183428 (1993-02-01), Lin
patent: D335177 (1993-04-01), Jones et al.
patent: 6102764 (2000-08-01), Thai
patent: 1509848 (1978-05-01), None

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