Pump ball

• US 5,238,244 A
• Filed: 03/20/1992
• Issued: 08/24/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Weiss Twice Toys, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Weiss Twice Toys, Inc.
• Inventors: Cotter, James E., Weiss, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US07/854,497
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 273/58 B, 273/58 R, 273/58 BA, 273/58 C, 273/65 R, 446/220, 446/224, 417/478, 417/479, 417/480
• US Class Current: 473/593
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2041/005 with counterweight for adjusting the centre of gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/12 Tools or devices for blowing up or closing balls for pricking-balls A63B39/04

Abstract

An inflatable throw toy having a flexible wall defining an enclosure adapted to be thrown when inflated. A manually operated pump is fixed to the flexible wall. The pump includes a flexible resilient pump wall defining a closed pump chamber. The pump wall includes an actuator surface having an inlet hole therethrough, the inlet hole communicating with the closed pump chamber. The actuator surface is exposed to an exterior of the flexible wall and is surrounded by the flexible wall. The pump includes a one-way outlet valve in the pump wall at a location spaced from the inlet hole and communicating with an interior of the enclosure whereby pressing the actuator surface while covering the inlet hole causes the pumping chamber to contract, discharging air from the pumping chamber through the one way valve into the flexible wall for inflating the toy.

Claims

1. An inflatable throw toy comprising:

a flexible wall defining an enclosure adapted to be thrown when inflated, said flexible wall including an opening therein; and

a manually operated pump fixed to the flexible wall, said pump comprising a flexible resilient pump wall defining a closed pump chamber, said pump wall including an outwardly dome-shaped actuator surface having an open valve-less inlet hole therethrough, said inlet hole communicating with said closed pump chamber, said actuator surface being exposed to an exterior of the flexible wall and being surrounded by the flexible wall, said pump including a one-way outlet valve in said pump wall at a location opposite from said inlet hole and communicating with an interior of said enclosure whereby pressing said actuator surface while covering said inlet hole causes said pump chamber to contract, discharging air from said pump chamber through said one way valve into said flexible wall for inflating said flexible wall, said pump wall including a wall portion opposite from said actuator surface and a groove around said pump wall between said actuator surface and said opposite wall portion, said one-way valve being in said opposite wall portion and said opening in said flexible wall being sealed around said pump wall in said groove.

2. A throw toy according to claim 1, wherein said pump wall includes thick wall portions adjacent outer peripheries of each of said actuator surface and said opposite wall portion, and on opposite sides of said groove, said groove having a thinner wall thickness.

3. A throw toy according to claim 2, wherein said opposite wall portion is concave in a direction into said pump chamber.

4. A throw toy according to claim 1, wherein said dome-shaped actuator surface includes a raised central portion through which said inlet hole extends, said raised central portion having a thicker wall thickness than a remainder of said actuator surface.

5. A throw toy according to claim 4, wherein said one-way valve comprises a resilient duck bill valve.

6. A throw toy according to claim 1, wherein said actuator surface includes a raised central projection having a thicker wall thickness than a remainder of said actuator surface.

7. A throw toy according to claim 6, wherein said pump wall includes thick wall portions adjacent outer peripheries of each of said actuator surface and said opposite wall portion, and on opposite sides of said groove, said groove having a thinner wall thickness.

8. A throw toy according to claim 7, wherein said one-way valve comprises a resilient duck bill valve.