Dispensing – Simulations – Firearms
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-29
2002-11-05
Yuen, Henry C. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Simulations
Firearms
C222S113000, C222S396000, C222S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06474507
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to amusement devices and, more particularly, to an amusement device in the general form of a water gun toy such as those commonly referred to as “squirt guns.”
Water and moving water is the source of much fascination and amusement, particularly when a person can actuate and control or manipulate a water source to provide a desired effect, including, as with the toy guns of the present invention, lighted and/or colored, long, powerful streams of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,129 discloses a toy water pistol with a reciprocal pump for building up pressure against a liquid for ejecting a stream thereof forwardly through a nozzle an appreciable distance, valve means for controlling the flow of the liquid, a source of electricity, light responsive means and lamps for constituting means for illuminating the stream, a buzzer and a switch for controlling the operation of the lamp and buzzer, and a trigger for simultaneously operating the valve means and switch. The water chamber or reservoir is mounted within an elongated barrel. A pump in the form of a piston, a piston rod, and rear handle is used to build air pressure within the reservoir or chamber. The air pressure from reciprocation of the piston within its cylinder forces air past a check valve and into the reservoir. The pressurized water is discharged from the reservoir through an outlet hose and it flows to a valve means. When the trigger is depressed to open the valve means against the biasing force of a spring, the pressurized water flows through an outlet hose to the nozzle at the front end of the gun. A lamp within a reflector is positioned immediately behind the nozzle to illuminate the stream of water. While the disclosed water pistol may be well-suited for its intended purpose, there is no disclosure or suggestion that the stream of liquid ejected by the pistol is coherent, or how to provide a lighted, coherent stream of liquid.
SUMMARY
In one embodiment, the present invention provides an amusement device in the general form of a water gun toy such as those commonly referred to as squirt guns, wherein, in use, the toy produces a lighted coherent “shot” or stream of liquid.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a squirt gun for shooting a stream or burst of liquid, wherein the gun comprises a generally elongated housing having a front end, a rear end, an internal chamber for containing a liquid and a portion for containing a source of electricity, a conduit connected to the chamber and to a nozzle at the front end, a pump for pressurizing the chamber for forcing a stream of liquid through the conduit and out of the nozzle, valve structures suitable for controlling the flow of liquid, including for making the stream of liquid coherent, at least one light source adjacent to the front end for illuminating a stream of liquid, means for coupling and operating the means for illuminating and the source of electricity, and a trigger mechanism connected to the housing for actuating a stream of liquid.
In one embodiment, a “smaller” water gun design comprises a housing defining a barrel, a water chamber within the housing, an orifice with a removable quick fill cap allowing access to the water chamber, a handle with a trigger, a coherent flow nozzle, and a double stroke pump. The water chamber is hollow and, in some embodiments, the quick fill cap covers an orifice located on the top or upper side of the gun housing. An air inlet port is associated with the water chamber to allow air to be added to the chamber when the pump is reciprocated or operated to pressurize the water chamber. The chamber includes a water outlet port for allowing water to flow from the chamber when the trigger is pulled or depressed. The trigger is connected to a trigger valve for allowing water in the chamber to flow, via suitable conduits, to the coherent flow nozzle. In one embodiment, the nozzle includes a PVC-coated, reticulated foam plug that provides that the water flow from the nozzle is a coherent flow. The nozzle also includes a brass or other suitable metal tip. In one embodiment, the double stroke pump is situated below the barrel defined by the housing and is connected to the air inlet port. The pump has a stationery plunger or piston, a floating O-ring, and a movable cylinder portion with a one-way flap valve or valves so that it delivers air to the water chamber when the cylinder portion is manually pushed and pulled. There is a one-way ball-type valve in the air inlet orifice that prevents water from entering the pump.
In use, the double stroke pump is manually operated, i.e., reciprocated to deliver air through the air inlet port into the water chamber. The addition of air increases the pressure in the water chamber so that, when the trigger is pulled, the pressurized water is expelled from the water chamber through the water outlet port, past the trigger valve, and up to the nozzle. The water is expelled from the tip of the nozzle in a coherent flow due to the foam plug. The water flow continues as long as the trigger is pulled the until the pressure is diminished in the water chamber.
In one embodiment, the water gun amusement device or squirt gun toy of the present invention comprises a “larger” toy water gun comprising a housing defining an elongated barrel, a light source within the housing, an on/off switch for the light source, a coherent flow nozzle, a secondary light source, a handle with a trigger, a dual action or double stroke pump with a depending handle, and a water and air inlet/outlet arrangement. Any embodiment of the present invention, but particularly the “larger” embodiments, may be connected or coupled to a water-receiving and containing tank carried on the hip or to a back pack with a dual function air/water hose, and/or embodiments may be provided with one or more “in-gun” water receiving and containing chambers. The housing is hollow and contains within it and/or supports a light source, a battery pack and a temporary on/off switch for the light source, which may be activated by the trigger. The coherent nozzle may be generally similar to the coherent nozzle in the embodiment described above and may include a rod or other suitable light transferring device extending through the reticulated foam plug. The rod or light transfer device transfers light from the light source into an exiting stream of water. The secondary light source may be adjacent to the end of the barrel and may be located generally below the end of the nozzle.
The handle and trigger of this “larger” embodiment may be generally similar to the handle and trigger in the embodiment described above. The trigger is connected to a trigger valve, although it may not be directly dependent from the trigger valve. In this embodiment, the trigger is connected to the trigger valve with a valve rod that pulls the valve to an open position. The trigger has an upper extension, connected to the valve rod, which extends into the housing and which contacts the off/on switch when the trigger is pulled, thereby activating the switch. The off/on switch is temporary in that it automatically returns to an off position when the trigger is released. The dual action pump is constructed generally similarly to the double stroke pump in the embodiment described above and it may be operated under similar principles. The dual action pump in the present embodiment may be connected to an air tube which outlets through the water/air inlet.
In this embodiment, the water/air inlet/outlet is coupled to the water tank in the hip or back pack via a dual function hose. The hose has separate tubes for air pumped out of the gun by the dual action pump and for the water pressurized out of the water tank. The water tube connects to another water tube, via the inlet/outlet in the gun that carries the water to the nozzle when the trigger is pulled. The water tank has an inlet/outlet, generally similar to the present embodiment's inlet/outlet, whereby the dual function hose may be coupled to the tank. The tank also may have a quick fill cap c
Benson Marcellus R.
Hornsby James R.
McGowan Joseph L.
Midgett David B.
Stuemke Chad P.
Cartagena Melvin
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Trendmasters Inc.
Yuen Henry C.
LandOfFree
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