Lawn water shower

• US 5,224,652 A
• Filed: 01/23/1992
• Issued: 07/06/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maui Toys, Inc. (Jakks Pacific, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Maui Toys, Inc. (Jakks Pacific, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kessler, Brian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOUNG, KAREN MERRITT
• Application Number:
  US07/824,926
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 239/211, 239/222.11, 239/22.17, 239/222.19, 239/276, 239/382, 239/498, 239/DIG. 1, 239/381, 428/690, 446/217, 446/218, 446/219, 273/DIG. 24
• US Class Current: 239/211
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/007 involving water
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/0486 the spray jet being generated by a rotary deflector rotated by liquid discharged onto it in a direction substantially parallel its rotation axis

Abstract

A water shower device for spraying water to entertain and amuse children has a device at its bottom end for receiving water from a garden hose and for anchoring a hollow tube in the vertical direction. The hollow tube contains one or more crinkle plastic strips exhibiting neon edge glow, and at its upper end has a nozzle which carries a pinwheel, the pinwheel also displaying neon edge glow. The nozzle is a one-piece structure having downwardly ad inwardly directed struts which meet at a central nose and define openings through which the water spurts so as to impinge upon and drive the pinwheel, the pinwheel in turn disbursing the water droplets over 360°.

Claims

1. A water shower device for amusement and play and for spraying water, comprising:

an elongated hollow tube for conveying water in an upward direction, wherein said tube is transparent and contains at least one crinkled strip of transparent plastic, said strip having major surfaces, edges and creases and containing a luminescent dye which causes the edges and creases of said strip to glow more brightly than the major surfaces of said strip;

means for feeding water to the interior bottom of said tube and means for fixing said tube in a vertical attitude;

a pinwheel disposed at an upper end of said vertical tube and adapted to spin about a vertical axis; and

means for discharging water from said upper end of said tube in streams so as to impinge upon said pinwheel and cause said pinwheel to turn and at the same time scatter water in a generally uniform manner over an angle of 360°

, said means comprising a water distributing nozzle affixed to the upper end of said tube below said pinwheel, said nozzle comprising an attachment means for fixedly attaching said nozzle to the upper end of said tube so that water pressure does not dislodge the nozzle from the tube, water guiding elements extending downwardly and inwardly from said attachment means and directed toward a central axis thereby defining circumferentially disposed openings, a nose at said central axis which divides the water flow and directs it toward the openings at a fixed angle with respect to the central axis, whereby water passing through said hollow tube is divided into a plurality of streams which strike said pinwheel and cause it to rotate.

2. The water shower device of claim 1 wherein said nose projects into said tube beyond said attachment means whereby the water flow is first contacted with said nose.

3. The water shower device of claim 1 wherein said attachment means comprises a downwardly depending ring wall which fits outside said tube.

4. The water shower device of claim 3 wherein said attachment means forms a friction bit and further comprises a second ring wall which fits inside said tube, said first and second walls in cross-section defining an inverted U.

5. The water shower device of claim 4 wherein said nose projects into said conduit beyond the attachment means whereby said fluid flow is first contacted with said nose.

6. The water shower device of claim 4, wherein said friction fit is augmented with adhesive.

7. The water shower device of claim 1 further comprising an integral central stem connected to said nose on an opposite side from the fluid flow, said pinwheel being mounted for spinning on said central stem.

8. A water shower device for amusement and play and for spraying water, comprising:

an elongated hollow tube for conveying water in an upward direction;

means for feeding water to the interior bottom of said tube and means for fixing said tube in a vertical attitude;

a pinwheel disposed at an upper end of said vertical tube and adapted to spin about a vertical axis, wherein said pinwheel is formed of transparent plastic, said pinwheel having major surfaces and edges and containing a luminescent dye which causes the edges of said pinwheel to glow more brightly than the major surfaces of said pinwheel; and

means for discharging water from said upper end of said tube in streams so as to impinge upon said pinwheel and cause said pinwheel to turn and at the same time scatter water in a generally uniform manner over an angle of 360°

, said means comprising a water distributing nozzle affixed to the upper end of said tube below said pinwheel, said nozzle comprising an attachment means for fixedly attaching said nozzle to the upper end of said tube so that water pressure does not dislodge the nozzle from the tube, water guiding elements extending downwardly and inwardly from said attachment means and directed toward a central axis thereby defining circumferentially disposed openings, a nose at said central axis which divides the water flow and directs it toward the openings at a fixed angle with respect to the central axis, whereby water passing through said hollow tube is divided into a plurality of streams which strike said pinwheel and cause it to rotate.

9. The water shower device of claim 8 wherein said tube is transparent and contains at least one decorative crinkled plastic strip with enhanced edge brightness.

10. The water shower device of claim 8 wherein said attachment means comprises a downwardly depending ring wall which fits outside said tube.

11. The water shower device of claim 10 wherein said attachment means forms a friction fit and further comprises a second ring wall which fits inside said tube, said first and second walls in cross-section defining an inverted U.

12. The water shower device of claim 11 wherein said nose projects into said conduit beyond the attachment means whereby said fluid flow is first contacted with said nose.

13. The water shower device of claim 8 further comprising an integral central stem connected to said nose on an opposite side from the fluid flow, said pinwheel being mounted for spinning on said central stem.