Toy water gun

• US 5,878,914 A
• Filed: 01/02/1997
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnson Researach and Development Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Johnson Researach and Development Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Lonnie G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US08/778,865
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 222/207, 222/209, 222/212, 222/340, 222/79, 222/386.5, 222/387, 222/401, 222/386, 222/444, 446/473
• US Class Current: 222/79
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 9/0012 the gun having an unpressurised liquid reservoir

Abstract

A water gun (10) is provided having a storage tank (18), a expandable pressure tank (19) having an elastic bladder (30) encased within an outer shell (29), and a pump (32) for conveying liquid from the storage tank to the expandable pressure tank. The conveyance of liquid into the expandable pressure tank causes the liquid to be pressurized by the biasing force of the elastic bladder. The pressurized liquid is released through a nozzle (21) coupled to the expandable pressure tank by actuation of a trigger (17). The storage tank may be collapsible to prevent the storage of air therein or be coupled to a fluid selective check valve to prevent air from being pumped into the pressure tank.

Claims

1. A water gun comprising a storage reservoir adapted to expand to a size sufficient to hold a range of liquid quantities and configured to restrict air from being held therein;

an expandable pressure tank adapted to hold liquid and to expand under induced tension upon introducing liquid in excess of a selected volume therein and thereby exert a force upon the liquid;

a pump for drawing liquid from said storage reservoir and depositing the drawn liquid into said expandable pressure tank;

conduit means for conveying liquid from said expandable pressure tank to ambience; and

control means for controlling the flow of liquid through said conduit means.

2. The water gun of claim 1 wherein said expandable pressure tank comprises an elastic bladder.

3. The water gun of claim 1 wherein said storage reservoir comprises a collapsible bladder.

4. The water gun of claim 3 wherein said collapsible bladder is elastic.

5. The water gun of claim 2 wherein said expandable pressure tank further comprises a protective shell encasing said elastic bladder.

6. The water gun of claim 1 wherein said storage reservoir comprises a flexible liner and a shell encasing said flexible liner.

7. The water gun of claim 1 wherein said expandable pressure tank has a chamber, a movable plunger mounted within said chamber, and spring biasing means for biasing said plunger in a directing to exert force upon liquid contained within said chamber.

8. The water gun of claim 1 further comprising a check valve for preventing water within said expandable pressure tank from returning to said storage reservoir.

9. A water gun comprising

a liquid storage reservoir;

an elastic pressure tank adapted to be expanded and contracted upon changes in the volume of liquid pumped therein;

a pump;

first conduit means for conveying liquid contained within said storage reservoir to said pump, said first conduit means including fluid sensitive check valve means for restricting the flow of liquids from said pump to said liquid storage reservoir and allowing the flow of gases from said pump to said liquid storage reservoir upon actuation of said pump;

second conduit means for conveying liquid from said pump to said elastic pressure tank, said second conduit means including second check valve means for preventing the flow of liquids from said pressure tank to said pump;

third conduit means for conveying liquid from said elastic pressure tank to ambience; and

control means for controlling the flow of liquid through said third conduit means,

whereby liquid within the storage reservoir is pumped into the elastic pressure tank through the first and second conduits thereby forcing the elastic pressure tank to its second configuration so as to pressurize liquid therein which is controllably released from the elastic pressure tank through the third conduit means by actuation of the control means, and whereby the air within the storage reservoir is prevented from being pumped into the pressure tank by the operation of the fluid sensitive check valve means.

10. The water gun of claim 9 wherein said elastic pressure tank comprises an elastic bladder.

11. The water gun of claim 9 wherein said fluid sensitive check valve means comprises an annular seat through which liquids flow, a restrictor configured to be received within said seat, biasing means for biasing said restrictor in a direction away from said seat, and wherein said restrictor has a hydrodynamic drag sufficient to move said restrictor against the biasing force of said biasing means and an aerodynamic drag insufficient to move said restrictor against the biasing force of said biasing means.

12. The water gun of claim 10 elastic pressure tank further comprises a protective shell encasing said elastic bladder.

13. The water gun of claim 9 wherein said elastic pressure tank has a chamber, a movable plunger mounted within said chamber, and spring biasing means for biasing said plunger in a directing to exert force upon liquid contained within said chamber.

14. The water gun of claim 9 further comprising a limiting means for limiting pressure within said elastic pressure tank.

15. The water gun of claim 9 further comprising a check valve for preventing water within said elastic pressure tank from returning to said storage reservoir.

16. A water gun comprising a storage reservoir;

elastic pressure tank means for exerting pressure on a body of liquid therein;

means for preventing the flow of air from said storage reservoir to said pressure tank;

means for drawing liquid from said storage reservoir and depositing the drawn liquid into said elastic pressure tank means;

conduit means for conveying liquid from said elastic pressure tank means to ambience; and

control means for controlling the flow of liquid through said conduit means.

17. The water gun of claim 16 wherein said preventing means comprises the storage reservoir being formed of a flexible and collapsible material.

18. The water gun of claim 16 wherein said preventing means comprises fluid sensitive check valve means for restricting the flow of liquids from said pump to said liquid storage reservoir and allowing the flow of gases from said pump to said liquid storage reservoir, whereby actuation of the pump forces only liquids into said pressure tank means.

19. The water gun of claim 18 wherein said fluid sensitive check valve means comprises an annular seat through which liquids flow, a restrictor configured to be received within said seat, biasing means for biasing said restrictor in a direction away from said seat, and wherein said restrictor has a hydrodynamic drag sufficient to move said restrictor against the biasing force of said biasing means and an aerodynamic drag insufficient to move said restrictor against the biasing force of said biasing means.

20. The water gun of claim 16 wherein said elastic pressure tank means comprises an elastic bladder.

21. The water gun of claim 20 elastic pressure tank means further comprises a protective shell encasing said elastic bladder.

22. The water gun of claim 16 wherein said elastic pressure tank means has a chamber, a movable plunger mounted within said chamber, and spring biasing means for biasing said plunger in a directing to exert force upon liquid contained within said chamber.