US20040155058A1

US20040155058A1 - Foam shooting toy

Info

Publication number: US20040155058A1
Application number: US10/360,182
Authority: US
Inventors: Steven Dunham; Dean Robinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-02-07
Filing date: 2003-02-07
Publication date: 2004-08-12

Abstract

A foam shooting toy having a head containing a hand operated pump that compresses air into a container. When foaming solution is placed in the container, compressed air from the pump passes through a foamer, which foams the solution. The foam is released from the container through a nozzle by a trigger. The foam shooting toy may contain a valve permitting the alternative use of shooting water instead of foam.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field of this invention is foam shooting toys.

BACKGROUND

Toys that squirt or eject water, commonly known as water or squirt guns, have been well known for many years. Recently, manufacturers have made “string” shooters, with compressed air in a sealed metal can, which can not be replenished by the user, but rather must be replaced when the supply of “string” or air is exhausted. These string shooters are not reusable or refillable, are not combined with conventional water guns, and are relatively expensive to use on a frequent basis. Known water guns do not permit foam throwing.

What is needed is a foam throwing toy that is refillable and reusable, so users can continue to play with the toy over a period of time, and to do so on a relatively inexpensive basis. What also is needed is a foam throwing toy that can be converted easily to function as a foam throwing toy or as a water gun.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention uses a hand-operated pump to compress air into a container in which a foaming solution is contained. The user operates the pump to compress air, which air passes through a foamer. When sufficient foam is generated by the compressed air and foaming solution, the user can then operate a release mechanism to release the foam through a nozzle. The invention may include openings and a plug selectively operated by the user to permit bypassing the foamer and allowing the foam shooting toy to operate as a conventional water gun, ejecting water through the nozzle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: [0005]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the foam shooting toy; [0006]
FIG. 2 is a view of the head; [0007]
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container with head portions; [0008]
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the container with head portions and slideable plug; [0009]
FIG. 4A is an exploded view of the foam vent and the foam drying element; [0010]
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the pump base; and [0011]
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the foam release mechanism and nozzle.[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

As shown in FIGS. 1 & 2, the foam throwing toy [0013] 30 has a head 31 and a container 60. The container preferably is removably mounted to the head by threads 61, creating a seal between the container and head sufficient to prevent leakage of compressed air from the junction of the head and container. Bayonet or other removable fastener devices could be used instead of threaded attachment. In this embodiment the container is blow molded to provide an air tight fit, and allows the container to be made of a plastic that flexes with changes in air pressure.
As shown in FIG. 2, the [0014] head 31 in this embodiment includes a foam release mechanism, which includes a nozzle 33, a nozzle release shaft 34, a nozzle stopper 35, a nozzle chamber 36, a nozzle stopper spring 37, a nozzle trigger 38, and a trigger return spring 39. The nozzle trigger 38 operates the nozzle stopper 35 to permit the compressed air driven release of water or foam through the nozzle 33. The nozzle stopper spring 37 biases the nozzle stopper 35 against the chamber outlet 40 of the nozzle chamber 36 to prevent release of foam when the nozzle trigger 38 is not pressed, and the trigger return spring 39 biases the trigger to the unpressed position. In this embodiment, the nozzle trigger operates to permit intermittent release, and the foam release mechanism is located in the head. As shown in FIG. 6, the nozzle 33 has a slight taper to focus and improve the flow of the foam, the taper being approximately proportional to that shown in FIG. 6, and the nozzle having an opening where the foam exits the foam throwing toy of approximately {fraction (1/16)}.″
The head also contains a pump, which has a [0015] pump cylinder 41, a pump handle 42, a pump piston 43, pump valve 44 with pump valve spring 45, and a pump base 59. The pump handle 42 is operated by the user to move the pump piston in the pump cylinder to compress air, as in well known hand operated pumping devices. The pump valve 44 allows compressed air to travel into the container, but checks back flow out of the container by biasing the pump valve 44 against the container air pressure at normal operating pressure. At excessive pressure, the pump valve operates as a safety valve allowing compressed air to open the pump valve and release air from the container. This reduces problems arising from over pressurization of the container. Compressed air pumped out of the pump flows directly into the container 60, but is carried to the container bottom 62 by a compressed air tube 48.
As shown in FIG. 3, the [0016] compressed air tube 48 runs substantially the length of the container 60 to deliver the compressed air to the container bottom 62. The compressed air tube 48 is capped with a foamer housing 50 containing a foam check valve 49 and a roamer 51. The foamer housing in this embodiment is a plastic cylinder with spaced openings 52 on one end to permit compressed air to flow through the foamer 51. The foamer is held in the foamer housing, and the housing is sealed with glue or other common sealant so that substantially all of the compressed air passes through the roamer, which foams the solution as compressed air is passed through the foamer. The foam check valve 49 restricts compressed air from traveling back up the compressed air tube 48 to the pump. The foamer is made of porous stone, porous plastic or rubber aerators or similar aerators, such as are commonly used in aerators for small aquariums. An example of a plastic aerator is made by Lee's Aquarium and Pet Products, catalog number 12520, and is sold under the name “Discard-A-Stone.”
As compressed air is passed through the foamer and the foaming solution, foam is formed in the container, and it remains in the container until released through a container exit, which in this embodiment occurs when the [0017] nozzle stopper 35 is moved away from the chamber outlet 40 by operation of the nozzle trigger 38. A foam tube 55 carries the foam from the container to the nozzle chamber 36. The foam tube in this embodiment can be made in separate pieces, and, as with the compressed air tube, typically will be a flexible plastic, such as Tygon®, and in this embodiment are approximately {fraction (1/4)}″O.D. When the nozzle trigger 38 is pulled, and the nozzle stopper 35 is pulled away from the chamber outlet 40, foam travels through the chamber outlet and out the nozzle 33. There is a foam vent 67, a plastic cylinder in this embodiment, which holds a foam drying element 68, which reduces the amount of foaming solution in the foam permitted to enter the foam tube, as described more fully below.
The foam solution is preferably an easily foamable liquid water soluble soap, which preferably will not sting or burn if inadvertently foamed in a user's eye. Known baby shampoos work well for this purpose. The user pours the soap into the container and generally adds water to the solution. A [0018] soap fill line 72 and a water fill line 73 may be placed on the container to guide the user. The soap and water solution can be mixed to make the foaming solution.
The head components are preferably contained in a [0019] housing 32, which as shown in FIG. 5 can also hold the pump base 59, which has receiving threads 57 for the container threads 61. The housing may be molded in parts for ease of insertion of the head components in the head, and the two parts of the housing 32 may be joined by housing fasteners 58.
In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 4A, the [0020] foam tube 55 may be extended to or near the container bottom 62, and be fitted with a pluggable fitting 65, a slideable plug 66 and a foam vent 67 holding a foam drying element 68 near the container top 63. If the user wants to squirt water instead of foam, the pluggable fitting 65 is opened by removing the slideable plug, and the foam thrower will permit water to flow through the open pluggable fitting and out the nozzle when the trigger is released. The slideable plug 66 is slid up the foam tube 55 and inserted into the foam drying element to prevent entry of compressed air or residual foam into the foam tube. The slideable plug generally is friction fit into the pluggable fitting and foam vent hole 70. By unplugging the plug from the foam drying element and plugging the pluggable fitting with the plug, the user can simply and quickly convert the toy back to allow foam shooting. This permits the foam shooting toy to be operated as either a foam shooter, or as a water gun, and to easily switch between one function and the other. The foam tube pluggable fitting opens the foam tube near the container bottom when the water gun mode is used to allow entry of substantially all of the water in the container.
In the foam shooting mode, the pluggable fitting is closed with the plug, and foam, which is less dense than the foaming solution, collects near the [0021] container top 63, and is forced through the foam vent 67 and into the foam tube 55. The foaming vent in both alternatives includes an open cell foam drying element 68, made of common open cell foam, which further foams the foam, and dries the foam by decreasing the volume of unfoamed solution entering the foam tube 55 by filtering out unfoamed solution. The foam vent shown in FIGS. 4 and 4A also includes foam vent caps with fittings 74, to easily connect to tubes, and a foam vent hole 70, into which the slideable plug is inserted for operation as a water gun. The slideable plug is made of plastic and attached to the foam tube by a plug loop 71. The slideable plug does not need to be slideable or slideably attached to the foam tube to perform its function of alternatively plugging the pluggable fitting and foam vent hole, but it is more convenient for the user and reduces loss of the slideable plug.
When the pluggable fitting is unplugged for shooting water, the user preferably will not include a foaming solution in the container, since compressed air passes through the foamer in this embodiment, and will produce foam in the water shooting mode. A valve to divert compressed air to bypass the foamer could be incorporated, but would be more costly than this embodiment. [0022]
The embodiments shown in the drawings depict the pump near the container top, and the compressed air tube and foam tube are described based on that orientation. This foam thrower toy invention could have the pump connected to the container at the container bottom or sides. Gravity will pull the more dense foaming solution to one part of the container, the container bottom in this description, and foam will be forced away from that part of the container. The foamer and pluggable fitting should be located in the part of the container to which gravity pulls the foaming solution, and the foam drying element and foam vent should be located in the part of the container to which the foam will be forced. The compressed air tube and foam tube should be placed accordingly to connect the pump to the foamer, and the vent or pluggable fitting to the nozzle. The pump, compressed air tube, foamer, interior of the container, foam tube, foam vent, and nozzle chamber are in air communication with each other, meaning that air can pass through these components, but are not in communication with ambient air around the foam throwing toy, except as air is drawn into the pump, and as it leaves the nozzle chamber through the nozzle, and except when the container is unattached from the head, and is open to the ambient air, such as during refilling of foaming solution and water. [0023]

Claims

We claim:

1. A foam shooting toy comprising a pump, a container, a foamer, and a foam release mechanism, where the pump is operated to push air through the foamer, generating foam in the container, which foam can be released by the foam release mechanism.

2. The foam shooting toy of claim 1 having a nozzle through which foam is released.

3. The foam shooting toy of claim 2 in having a valve, which automatically reduces pressure if the container is over-pressurized.

4. The foam shooter toy of claim 1 in which the foamer is made of porous stone.

5. The foam shooter toy of claim 1 in which the roamer is made of plastic.

6. The foam shooter toy of claim 1 in which the roamer is made of rubber.

7. The foam shooter toy of claim 1 in which the container has a container top, a container bottom and a set of threads at the container top, and the container is connected to the pump by the set of threads.

8. The foam shooter toy of claim 7, in which the container has an interior location towards which gravity pulls foaming solution placed in the container, and further having a compressed air tube with two ends, one end of which is connected in air communication to the pump, and the other end of which is connected in air communication to the foamer, and the foamer is located in part near that interior location towards which gravity pulls foaming solution placed in the container.

9. The foam shooting toy of claim 8, in which the container has an interior location towards which foam is forced, and further having a nozzle and a foam drying element, so that the foam drying element is located substantially in the interior location towards which foam is forced, and the foam drying element is in air communication with the nozzle.

10. A foam shooting toy comprising a foam shooting toy having a plug, and a foam tube having two openings, which allow alternative operation as a water shooting toy by removing the plug from one of the openings and inserting it in the other of the openings.

11. The foam shooting toy of claim 10, having a pump, a foamer, a container and a foam release mechanism, so that the pump can be operated to move air through the foamer, generating foam in the container, which can be released from the container by the foam release mechanism.

12. The foam shooter toy of claim 11 in which the foamer is made of porous stone.

13. The foam shooter toy of claim 11 in which the foamer is made of plastic.

14. The foam shooter toy of claim 11 in which the foamer is made of rubber.

15. The foam shooter toy of claim 11 in which the container has a container top, a container bottom and a set of threads at the container top, and the container is connected to the pump by the set of threads.

16. The foam shooter toy of claim 11, in which the container has an interior location towards which gravity pulls foaming solution placed in the container, and further having a compressed air tube with two ends, one end of which is connected in air communication to the pump, and the other end of which is connected in air communication to the foamer, and the foamer is located in part near that interior location towards which gravity pulls foaming solution placed in the container.

17. The foam shooting toy of claim 16 in which the container has an interior location towards which foam is forced, and further having a foam drying element and a nozzle, so that the foam drying element is located substantially in the interior location towards which foam is forced, and the foam drying element is in air communication with the nozzle.