Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
6468-47
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HAND PUMP WATER GUN WITH
REMOTE WATER SOURCE
BACKGROUND OF TH~ INVENTION
1. ~ield of the Invention
The present invention i5 directed to a toy water
squirt gun, and more particularly to such a toy water
squirt gun that uses a self~contained pumping means
to draw water from at least one remote water source
to compress an air cushion with the drawn water, and
store the water pressurized ~y the compressed air in
at least one pressurized reservoir. The water is
then released in a selective manne.r through a narrow
nozzle, causing the stored water to be propelled
forward in a narrow stream.
2. Prior Art Statement :
Water guns have for decades been a very popular
child's toy. Since the toy industry is very
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competitive, hundreds of different s-tyle water guns
have been developed in an attempt to profit from the
toy's inherent popularity. The most traditional
~orms of water guns are activated by a pumping
action, either manually through the trigger or
automatically through a battery operated motor. Such
pump action water guns work, but the guns are limited : :
in thé distance the water traveled, the amount of
water projected and the duration of the pumping
cycle. In an attempt to improve upon water guns, the
toy industry has developed pressure activated water
guns. Such pres~ure activated water guns work upon
the principle of pressure differelltials between the
water held within the toy and the atmosphere. The
water within the toy is subjected to a pressure
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higher than that of the ambient air. As a result,
when the water within the toy is given an avenue of
escape, the wat~r will stream out under the pressure.
Prior art that shows pressure di~ferential types of
water guns are exemplified by the following-
United States Patent Mumber 3,1~7,070 to Curtis
F. Pearl et al, shows a water gun activated by
trapping water in a collapsible area. As the device
is collapsed, the pressure of the water builds,
spraying the water out of the one small orifice left
within the pressured volume. Once the confined
volume is fully collapsed, the re-expansion of the
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volume draws ~orth more water from a reservoir, thus
priming the water gun for another cycle. The water
being pressurized is limited to the volume of the
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collapsible volume. The Pearl invention cannot store
pressurized water for use at a later ti~el nor can ~ :
the pressure of ~he water be increased by cycling the
pumping action of the invention while restraining
water discharge.
~nited States Patent Number 4,854,480 to Robert
S D Shindo and United States Ratent Number 4,735,239
to Michael E. Salmon et al, both show toy water
devices that use an elastic bladder to pre~urize
water. The bladders are filled with high pressure
water, and the bladders respond by elastically
deforming. The source of pressurized water i9 then
xemoved and the wat0r within the expanded bladder is
held in place by a clamping device activated hy
trigger. The water gun is used by selectively
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releasing the clamp, allowing the water to flow from
the expanded bladder.
~ater guns have also been developed that use air
pressure to pressurize water and force water through
squirt channels. Such toys that use air pumps to
pressurize water are exemplified by the following:
UO S. Patent Number 4,214,674 to Jones et al,
shows a two-piece apparatus consisting of a
pressurized water reservoir and a discharging gun.
,
Air is introduced into the water reservoir via a hand
operated pump. The air pressurizes the water,
forcing it up through the discharging gun, where the
rate of discharge can be regulated by a trigger.
United States Patent No. 4,239,129 to Gary F.
Espositc describes a water pistol andJor flashlight
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structure which includes a reciprocal pump withi.n the
gun housing. The pump is used to pressurize air
within the tank after water has been added, and a
trigger is used for subsequent release of the w~ter.
Battery operated lights and sound are also provided.
United States Patent No~ 3, 578, 789, issue~ to
Giampiero Ferri, describes a water pistol which
includes a main liquid reservoir and a pressurized
liquid reservoir co~tained within the main liquid
reservoir. A trigger-actuated pump is used with a
manually operated three way valve to selectively
supply liquid: (a) from the pump to the pressurized
reservoir; (b) from the pump to the nozzle and to the
pressurized liquid reservoir; or, (c) from the pump
to both the pressurized liquid reservoir and the
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nozzle~ The Ferri water gun is limited in many ways
as compared to the present invention. Ferri does not
have a ~eparate hand pump but relies only upon the
krigger as a pump (limited to finger pumping~. Ferri
requires manual val~e switching with complicated
steps not easily performed by young children. Ferri
has limited liquid capacity as the main liquid
reservoir is inside the housing (handle) and i~ very
limited in pressurized tank capacity as the ~erri
pressurized tank is within the main liquid reservoir.
Thus, although prior art does show toy water
guns that have collapsible water chambers and self-
contained pumping means, the prior art neith~r
teaches nor suggests a toy water gun that uses a
self contained, hand operated water pumping device to
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draw both water and air or either from at least one
remote source, to pressurize air with the water
dxawn, and to store the pressurized air and water in
at least one pressurized tank, where it can
accumulate until discharged. Additionally, the
safety of the invention is assured by a triggering
device that automatically and safely discharges
pressurized water when over pressurized, until the
maximum allowable pressure is reached.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present in~ention is a toy water gun having
a housing with extending handle, trigger and barrel.
The water gun is connected to at least one remote
water source external from and indirectly connected
to the housing. The indirect connection is by tubing
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or hosing external of said housing and having a vent ;~
to surrounding ambient atmosphere so air may enter
therethrough. Also included is a pressurized air and
water storage tank external from and connected to the
S housing. The pressurized tank has only one orifice
between said pressurized tank and said housing
through which all liquids and gasses pass. There i5
also a pumping means for withdrawing air or water
from the remote source or sources, and for depositing
the withdrawn air or water into the pressurized tank.
A plurality of one-way flow ~alves are included
wherein at least one one-way flow valve prohibits
water and air from flowing from the pressurized tank
to the pumping means, at lea5t one said one-way flow
valYe prohibits water and air from flowing from the
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pumping means to the remote source or sources of air
and water. There is a nozzle with a narrow orifice
therethrough, which affixed to the end of said barrel
and an avenue of release connecting the nozzle to the
pressuri~ed tank. There is also a controlling means
for regulating the flow of water and air through the
avenue of release, the controlling means being
actuatable by.the triyger.
~RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE R~WINGS
The invention will be more fully understood by
r~ferring to the following detailed specification t
the above speci~ication and the claims set forth
herein, when taken .in connection with the drawings
appended hereto, wherein:
Fiyure 1 shows a perspective view of one
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preferred embo~iment of the present invention; and,
Figure 2 shows a partially fxagmen~ed side view
of a different preferred embodiment of the pres~nt
invention, illustrating the ~laimed inner mechanisms.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTI3~1
The present invention is t as mentioned, directed ..
toward a toy water gun that uses a manually operated
pump to draw water and/or air, and then pressurize
the air to exert pressure on the water, storing the
water and air under pressure until selectively
discharged. The science of pressurized water toys is
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not new, and over the years many different designs
ha~e been developed utilizing a pumping action to
pressurize water. As applied to the art of toy water ` ~:
squirt guns, the most common type of deYice involves
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a two-stroke pump, wherein the pump draws water into
a chamber through a large orifice duriny the priming
stroke, and forces water out of the chamber through a
very narrow orifice during the compression stroke.
This simple system for~s the basis of thousands of
devlces in addition to water guns, such as non-
aerosol dispe~sing devices for hair spray, perfume,
window cleaner, and countless other products that are
dispensed in a narrow stream or mist.
The problem with simple two-stroke squirting
systems is that the amount of liquid that can be
expelled i~ limited to a single volume o~ the
compressible area; also, the pressure of the liquid
exiting the device is dependent directly upon the
force being applied dl~ring the time of expulsion.
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Consequently, when water is squirted in this manner,
only a small volume is released with each pumping
action. When ~ttempts are made to increase the
amount of water propelled by increasing the volume of
the compressible area, the pumping action cannot
displace the water at a high pressure, resulting in
expulsion of water at low pressures.
Water guns advantageously involve s~uirting
large volumes of water at high pressures. The higher
the pxessure, the longer the distance the water can
be propelled, thus increasing the range and power of
the water gun. The present invention water gun uses
a two-stroke pump to store and pressurize large
~'
amounts of water. The present invention draws air
from the surrounding ambient environment and a
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predetermined volume of water from a remote source,
pressurizes air with the drawn water and deposits the
pressurized air and water in at least one storage
tank, herein referred to as a ~'pressurized tank",
~.
where it remains under pressure. As more ~nd more
water and/or air are drawn, pressurized and deposited
within the pressuriæed tank, the volume and the
pressure on the stored water increases, compressing
the air withi.n the pressurized tank. The water
propelled by the compressed air can then be
selectively released through a narrow orifice,
creating a stre~m of propelled water. The
pressurized tank sy~tem of the present invention
allows the user of the invention to determine the
volume and pressure of the water to be discharged,
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and also allows a user to refill and replace the
~ater from a remote source without disabling the
water gun~s ability to discharge water. The
pressurized tank system gi~es the water guns of the
present invention a variety of firing characteristics
that are unique in the art of toy water guns,
allowing an operator to choose and adjust the range
and power of the water gun. By having at least one
pressurized tank, and possibly two or more of such ~ :
pressurized tanks, sufficient or increased storage
for more shots, and increased pressurized wate~ for
longer duration shots, are achie~ed.
The present in~ention also has other advanta~es
o~er many other pressurized container water guns, in
that, instead of pumping air into a chamber that
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already contains water~ the present invention pumps
water or air or water and air (hereinafter "water
and/or air"J into a chamber containing air. The
pumping of water is more efficient than the pumping
of air, thus less pumping strokes ar~ required and
higher pressures are easier to achieve.
When designing toys involving pressurized air
and water, one consideration i5 that of safety. Toys
are designed to be inexpensive so as to be widely
marketable. As such, most toys are made of plastics
or other inexpensive materials. Such materials do
not have large tensile strengths or fatigue
characteristics, and therefore do not lend themselves
well to containing pressurized fluids. Plastic
containments of pressuri~ed liquids, if not prQperly
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designed, can rupture and explode, causing injury.
The present invention has a unique design that allows
for both the use of high pressure air and the
elimination of potential rupturing hazards. The
present invention, in some preferred embodiments, has
one or more cylindrlcal pressurized tanks, each ~ith
a single orifice or opening between the pressurized
tanks and the housing of the water gun, through which
water and gasses pass. The single orifice, in
10 ~ conjunction with the generous xadii used at the
cylinder ends~, serve to maintain the integrity of the
water tank walls and minimize the stre~s points
throughout the material of the pressurized tank, :~:
thereby allowing fv= the saf~ use of pressures - :
generated by the present invention. Pressurized
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tanks having othe.r shapes, such as spheres~ with a
minimum, and preferably, no seams, may also be used
advantageously and safely with water guns of the
present invention.
The present invention is thus directed to a toy
water gun which is operated by drawing water from a
remote source and by selectively releasing water ~rom
at least one pressurized water tank. The present
invention has a manually operated pump incorporated
into the design~ As the pump is cycled, water and/or
air are drawn from at least one remote water source
and the ambient atmosphere, respectively. Once
drawn, the water and/or air are forced by the pump
through conduits or passages in the housing into at
least one pressurized tank. As the amount of water
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and/or air ~rced into the pressurized tank
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increases, the pressure of the air displaced by the
water within the pressurized tank increases. The
pressure of the air on the water within the
pressurized tank increases with each cycle ~f the
pump, until the pump can no longer overcome the
pressure of the air on the water within the
pressurized tank. The pressurized air an~ water
within the pressurized tank has an avenue of release
that is re~ulated by the trigger mechanism of the
invention which has a safety pressure release within
its designO When no force is applied to the trigger,
the pressurized water and air are held at bay with no
means o~ release. When ~orce is applied to the
trigger, the heavier water is first relea~ed rom the
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bottom of the pressurized tank and is channeled
through a narrow nozzle. The escape of the air-
pressurized water through the narrow noz21e ~reates a
plurality of sequential bursts or a continuous stream
of propelled water that last~ as long as the trig~er
is engaged or until the pressure within the
pressurized tank equals the ambient air pressure.
Ref~rring now to Figure 1, one preferred
embodiment of the present invention, water ~un 1~ is
shown. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the
present invention water gun 1 and a remote water ;~
source 148. Gun 1 .includes pre~urized tank 3
connected to main hou~ing 60 that is shaped generally
in the form of a gun having a handle 95, trigger 65
and barrel 81. There is a slider handle 73 which
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surrounds barxel 81 and is slidable toward and away
from nozæle encasement 77. Slider handie 73 is
connected to piston rod 31 (see Fiyure 2), which
itself constitutes a portion of a pumping means for
operation o~ toy gun 1. Outside conduit 138 has a
connection section 134 which includes optional
valving and vent means described below.
Outside conduit 138 has distal end 144 submerged
in or otherwise in fluid communication with remote
water source 148. In this illustration~ the remote
water source 148 is in the form of a pond with land
158, as shownu However, the water source remotely
located from the present invention water guns
i
otherwise may be lakes, swimming pools, tubs, spas,
sinks, or any other open water source9 ~7hereby the
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extended outside conduit is merely submerged or
dropped into the remote water source. ~'urther, the
present invention water gun could be used with or
include an enclosed remote water source, such as one
or more vats, large bottles or tank~ or other
container. These may be connected indirectly throu~h
coupling means ~via he outside conduit) to the water
gun or not conn~cted directly to the enclosed water
source by a coupling so long as there is a means of
causing water to communicate between the enclosed
water source and the water gun, such as a flexible
conduit immersed in the water in the enclosed water
source.
The internal functioning and operational aspects
of the toy water gun 1 shown in Figure 1 are the same
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as for the toy water gun 101 shown in Figure 2,
except that gun 1 is connected to an open water
source and gun 101 is indirectly attached to a closed
water source. Thus, the description below as to
Figure 2 applies to all aspects of the Figure 1 water
gun 1 except for the water source arrange~entO
Referring now to Figure 2~ there is shown a side
view partially in vertical cross section of water gun
101 with most parts the same as water gun 1 of Figure
1 with like parts like numbered. Thus, the inner ~:
workings of present invention water guns can best be
visualized and explained in discussing Pigure 2.
Water 35 is placed within water storage reservoix 38
~pre~erably as well as in a second water ~torage
reservoir not shown in this ~igure because it is
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behind reservoir 38 in this side ~iew). The water 35
is introduced by being poured through the filling
port and cap assembly 83. Alternatively, filling
port and cap assembly 83 could be eliminated and
reservoir 38 could be filled through the neck 28, by
immersion in a water source and removal of base cap
27.
The water storage reservoir 38 is shown in
Figure 2 as being bottle shaped, with a neck 28
having threads, as shown. ~o~ever, it should also be
understood that the storage reservoir 38 oan be
formed in any shape or size, as long as it is
designed to hold and store water5 Support strappings
96 and 98 hold reservoir 38 to plate 94 which is
attached to shoulder straps, a belt or clip 99.
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Thus, reservoir 38 may be clipped or strapped to a
belt or back or leg or arm of a user, or otherwise
attached to a user.
Water 35 and air from air ~pace 69 are drawn
from the storage reservoir 38 (and from the unseen
adjacent reservoir) through out~ide conduit 102,
which is connected to attachment 134 and then through
tube 29, tube 14, and to tube 47 that connects with
the pressurized tank 3. The present invention water
gun will draw either water 35 or air 69 from the
storage reservoir 38, depending on the orientation of
the invention when the operator draws materials from
the ~torage reservoir 38. A~ water 35 and/or air S9 .-
are drawn from the storage reservoir 38, a partial
vacuum is produced within reservoir 3~. The vacuum
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is ~liminated by a vent valve 84 located atop cap 83
of stora~e reservoir 38. Vent valve 84 may be a
simple flap or even a small orifice, as long as air
can enter the reservoir 38 and little or no water
spills out. Thus, a vent valve 84 may be located on
cap assembly 83 or could alternatively be located
directly on storage reservoir 38.
The force drawing the water 35 or air 69 from
the storage reservoir 38 is created by the mo~ement
of the pi.ston 33 within its cylinder 34. The
movement of the presently pref~rred piston 33 within
the cylinder 34 has two-cycle strokes, ~ priming
stroke where water 35 is drawn forth from the water
storage reservoir 33, and/or air is drawn from th~
: 15 water 6torage reservoix 3B or the ambient atmosphere
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through vent valve 19, and a compression stroke
wherein water 35 and/or air 69 ar~ displaced by the
piston 33. In one p.referred embodimentr ~he priming
stroke starts when the piston 33 is retreated within
its cylinder 34 (toward the front or left side, in
~igure 2), creating an expanding volume chamber 15.
The vacuum created by the expanding chamber 15, draws
water 35 and/or air 6~ through the conduit 102 and
tube 29 and into the chamber 15. The flow o~ water
35 and/or air 69 into the expanding chamber 15 opens
a one-way valve tha~ is normalIy biased in a closed
position~
The one-way valve that is shown in Figure 2
consists of a ball 30 that is biased against an
elastomeric seal 11 by a spring 13. As a ~acuum is
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created by the piston 33, the force of the spring 13
is overcome and the ball 30 drops away from the
elastomeric seal 11, allowing water and~or air to
pass. As the piston 33 is advanced within its
cylinder 34 (to the rear of the water gun or the
right in Figure 2), the compression stroke begins and
pressure is placed on the water or air now within the
chamber. The air i5 compressed, closing the one-way
valve by assisting the spring 13 to push the ball 30
against its seal 11. Although a ball and seal one-
way valve is illust:rated, it should be understood
thzt any type of a one-way valve would work within
the present invention as long as the valve made a
seal that i~ both airtight and watertight.
The compression stroke created by the `~
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advancement of the piston 33 within the cylinder 34
(to the rear or the right in Figure 2~ causes
pressure to he put on the water 35 and/or air 69
within the chamber 15. The pressuri2ed water and/or
air, as a result of the diminishing volume of the
compression stroke of the chamber 15, opens a second
one-~ay valve that leads to the pressurized tank 3
through tubes or conduits 47 and 4~. As the piston
33 is reciprocated within its cylinder 34, water 35
and/or air 69 is repeatedly drawn through the outside ;
conduit 102 from the storage reservoir 38 or other
remote source and deposited into the pressurized tank
3. As more and more water and/or air is drawn and
forced into the pressurized tank 3, the air pressure
within pre~urized tank 3 increases until the force
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used to drive the piston 33 can no longer overcome
~he stored pressure, or until thle pressure is
raleased through the safety valve 63, normally
actuated by the triqger 65.
The movement of the piston 33 within cylinder 34
draws wa~er and/or air from storage reservoir 38 and
the ~ent valve 19 into tube 29. However, when the
storage reservoir 38 is positioned so that the air
wikhin the storage reser~oir 38 is in contact with
the neck 28, the mo~ement of the piston 33 wil~ dr~w - .
air into the pumping chamber 15. When the pumping
chamber 15 is compressed, the air will become
pressurized and flow into the pressurized tank 3
increasing an air ~ushion in air space 92 in the
pressurized tank 3, while increasing the pressure on
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the water but not increasing the volume of any water
91 present within the pressurized tank 3. By having
a pumping action that can introduce both air and
water 91 into the pressurized tank 3, the pressure of
the air can be increased above that available by an
air pumping system alone bec~use of the relative
inefficiency of an air pump. The pumping of water is
more efficient than that of air because of the
incompressibility of liquids. Therefore the work
available from the pumping system is maximi~ed when
used to pump water against an air cushion.
The opeFakion of the pumping action is achieved
by the piston 33 being driven by a piston rod 31 that
i~ affixed to a handle 73. The handle 731 a~ shown
in this embodimentl is slidably attached to the
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barrel 81. As the handle 73 is manually reciprocated
along the barrel 81, the motion is transferred to the
piston 33, creating the desired pumping effect.
Although a linear pumping action is shown, it should
be understood that a variety of orientations and
mult.iple linkage configurations could be manipulated
by a user to create the desired pumping motion.
Once the desired pressure is obtained within the
pressurized tank 3, the water 91, pressuriæed by the
compressed air in space 92, is discharged by
selectively opening an exit orifice to the
surrounding ambient atmosphere. The pressure
differential between the ambient atmosph~re and the
air in space 92 causes the water 91 to stream out.
In the shown embodiment of the present inventiorl, the
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pathway connecting the pressurize!d tank 3 to the
ambient atmosphere is a series of tubes or conduits,
an exit tube 67, at least a porti.on o~ which LS
preferably flexible, pump connection tube 47 and
elbow tube 45. As water and/or air lea~es the
pumping chamber 15, it passes by a one-way valve 43
and into a T-shaped connection 53. The T-shaped
connection 53 on one side attaches to the flexible
exit tube 67, and on the other side attaches to
connection tube 47. As w~ter and/or air i~ forced
into the T-shaped connection 53, the water and/or air
tries to enter both the exit tube 67 and the
connection tube 47. However, the flexible portion of
the exit tube 67 is closed by the trigger actuated
pinch valve 63, leaving the connection tube 47 as the
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only pathway through which the water may pass. The
connection tube 47 leads to the pressuri~ed tank 3
through elbow 45, consequently all air and~or water
expelled by the pump is led into the pressurized tank
3. When pressurized water 91, stored within the
pressurized tank 3 is to be discharged, the trigger
65 is depressed. The trigger 65 may be formed with a
pinch bar 63 that is biased against the exit tube 67
by a spring 57, e.g. a leaf spring, a compression
spring, an extension spring or the like. As the
trigger 65 is depressed, the bias of the spring 57 is
overcome and the pinch bar 63 is lifted away from the
exit tuhe 67. With the exit tube 67 open, the
integrity of the pressurized tank 3 is now breached
and the pressurized water 91 is offered an avenue o~
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escape to the ambient atmosphere. The pressure
differential between the pressuriæed air within air ;
space 92 above water 91 in tank 3 and the ambient
atmosphere causes the water 91 to flow back out
through the elbow 45, through the connection tube 47,
through the T-shaped connection 53 and through the
exit tube 67, until the water 91 is discharged
through the exit orifice 75 formed at the end of the
exit tube 67~
The amount of pressurized water 91 being
discharged through exit orifice 75 is controlled by
the user in a variety of ways. A user can control
the amount of water discharged ~y controlling the
depression of the krigger 65. If the trigger 65 is
depressed and left in that position, the pressurized
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water 91 will be discharged until the pressurized
tank 3 is empty, or until the pressure of the
compressed air in air space 92 e~uals that o the
ambient air. The user may choose to discharge the
pressurized water 91 selectively, depressing the
trigger 65 for short periods o~ time, resultîng in
numerous shots being allowed before the pressurized
tank 3 needs to be refilled or repressurized. A user
may also choose to vary the pressure and amoun~ of
water being discharged by selectively adding the air
within pressurized tank 3. The more air is ad~ed,
the larger the air cushion the and longer the
invention may propel water. The use of two or more
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storage reservoirs, such as reservoir 38, permits the
user to carry at Ieast twice the Gapacity of a single
2 ~
rPservoir and thus longer opera~ion before going back
to the water source, such as a sink faucet, hose,
etc. When the Figure 1 embodiment, toy gun 1, is
used, an "infinite~ supply of water is drawn from the
remote source.
As m~ntioned, the present invention water gun
lO1 is operated by selectively releasing the
pressurized water 91 through a narrow nozzle 75. The
selective release of the pressurized water is
controlled by the trigger mechanism of the water gun.
Since the present invention has the ability to
operate at high pressures, the trigger release
mechanism performs two functions. First, it controls
the amount of water released, and second, the trigger
mechanism serves as a safety valve. The presently :
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preferred trigger 65 of the present invention has a
spring biased pinch bar valve 63 that pinches the ~ :
tube e~it 67 for the pressurizerl water 91 against a
stop 59 that is part of the maln housing.
The pinch bar 63 is biased against the stop S9
by a calibrated spring 57. The spring 57 is held at ~ :
one end by a formation 55 of the main housing.
The strength of the spring 57 in it3 biased
configuration is calibrated, so that when the
pressure of water 91 within the exit tube 67 reaches
a predetermlned maximum value, the spring 57 will
allow the pinch bar 63 to rise and water will be
released until a safe pressure is maintained~
Thus, th~ predetermined maximum value for the
yielding o~ the spring 57 ~r other release mean~ may
-39~
preferably be between about 50 pounds per square inch
and about 9 0 pounds per square inch. Other
predetenmined pressures o higher or lower value,
e.g. about 100 pounds per square inch, may be used
depending upon the particular components and specific
configuration of a particular embodiment.
The above Figures show only selected embodiments
of the present invention~ and although these figures
show preferred embodiments of the invention, it
should be und rstood that the present invention can
be practiced in many forms other than those ~hown.
The basis of the present invention is a remote .
container, reservoir or tank design with ex~ra tank
capacity (and an almost unlimited supply of water
where a pool, pond, lake, stream, etc, type of large
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2~7~
-40-
volume water source is used), that uses a manual
water pump and a series of one-way valves and tubes
to draw ambient water from at least one remote
s torage reservoir, pumping said water into at least
one pressurized tank, where it is pressurized against
an air cushion, and di~charge that water ~electively
to the ambisnt atmosphere. The illustrated
embodiments shown in the Figures are designs for the
present invention which are both efficient and
inexpensive to manufacture. It should therefore be
~.
understood that in light of the appended claims, that
the invention may be practiced other than as
specifically described, and individual parts may be
modified or connected in orientations other than
those shown.
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