MXPA99001336A - Vacuum actuated replenishing water gun - Google Patents

Abstract

A water gun (10) is provided having a storage tank (18), a pressure tank (19), and a pump (32) for conveying liquid from the storage tank to the pressure tank. The conveyance of liquid from the storage tank creates a vacuum which is controlled through a control valve (43) to refill the storage tank with water in an efficient manner.

Description

VACUUM-OPERATED REPAIR WATER GUN FIELD OF INVENTION The invention relates to water guns for playing, and especially to water guns that are capable of conducting water to replenish a reservoir with water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The water guns that expel a stream of water are very popular toys for children. These guns are designed to expel a stream of water in a variety of ways. The most common method for the expulsion of water is by means of a manual pump coupled to the trigger of the gun. The pump is operated only with the pressure exerted by a user's finger on the trigger, in this way, typically the pump can not generate enough pressure to expel the water at a great distance. In addition, these kinds of pumps work with the drive of a compression piston that creates short, independent water jets. However, many children want the production of an extended stream of water. Also, guns have been developed that expel a current of water by exerting greater pressure on P1132 / 99MX the water inside the gun that the environmental and controls the release of water through a control valve. The water is ejected from the gun due to the pressure difference. Water pressurization is achieved in a variety of ways. U.S. Patent No. 3,197,070 illustrates a water gun wherein the pressure is applied to water by collapsing a water storage area. Similarly, U.S. Patent No. 4,854,480 illustrates a water gun where water is forced into an elastic flap that expands to keep the water under pressure. Lately, water guns have been designed with hand pumps that force water from a storage tank into a pressure tank, as shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,150,819. The water conduction inside the pressure tank compresses the air of the pressure tank, which exerts a pressure on the water inside the storage tank. In all the previously described embodiments, the guns include a reservoir containing a water supply. This reservoir typically includes a filler cap that is withdrawn from a fill opening to allow water to empty into the reservoir or fill opening submerged in the water to allow water to flow into the reservoir. However, with P1132 / 99MX Any method of filling the reservoir, the process is too slow since the openings are usually small and the water that flows inward through the opening is blocked by the air displaced by the water flowing out through the openings. The opening. In accordance with this, it is noted that there is still a need for a water gun that can be filled with water quickly and efficiently. This is why the present invention is mainly aimed at achieving the provision of the above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a preferred form of the invention, a water gun consists of a first conduit means with an open end towards the environment, a reservoir coupled to the first conduit means adapted to store a supply of liquid and maintain an environment of vacuum within it, and a control valve coupled to the first conduit means positioned between the reservoir and the open end. The control valve is movable between a closed position which prevents the flow of liquid through the first conduit means and an open position which allows the flow of liquid through the first conduit means. The water gun also includes a second conduit means for conducting the liquid and a pumping means in P1132 / 99MX fluid communication with the tank to extract the liquid from the tank and deposit it inside the second conduit medium. With this construction, and with the control valve in its closed position, the actuation of the pumping means causes the liquid to be extracted from the reservoir, which creates a vacuum therein, and then the open end of the first conduit means can be submerged with an additional supply of liquid and the control valve is operated in its open position to allow the vacuum within the reservoir to draw at least a portion of the additional supply of liquid through the first conduit means and into the reservoir.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a water gun incorporating the principles of the invention in a preferred form. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the water gun of Figure 1, shown with the pump that draws water from the water reservoir tank. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the water gun of Figure 1, shown with the pump that forces the water into the pressure tank. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment of the water gun shown in FIG.

P1132 / 99MX Figure 1, shown with the pump that forces water from a front portion of the pump chamber to a rear portion of the pump chamber. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the water gun of Figure 4, shown with the pump that draws water from the water tank and forces water into the pressure tank. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a pump piston portion of the water gun of Figure 4, shown in a configuration to allow water to pass therethrough. Figure 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the pump piston of the water gun of Figure 4, shown in a configuration that prevents the passage of water through it. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another alternative embodiment of the water gun shown in Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to the drawings, there is shown a water gun 10 with a housing 11 in the form of a gun with a barrel 13, a handle 14 and a store 15. The gun 10 has a conventional trigger 17, a tank or reservoir 18 removable liquid storage storage P1132 / 99MX to the store 15, a tank-mounted liquid pressure tank or reservoir 19 and a conventional nozzle-21 mounted at the end of the barrel 13. The storage tank 18 has a threaded neck 23 mounted by the threads inside the tank. a threaded receiver 24 within the housing and an opening or port 22 in which a fill cap 25 is removably mounted. The gun 10 has a liquid pump 32 with a handle 33 mounted on the barrel 13. The handle 33 is coupled to the piston 34 slidably mounted within a cylinder 35, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The piston has an enlarged head portion 37 with a seal 38 of the O-ring type in sealing contact with the cylinder 35. The cylinder 35 and the head portion 37 of the piston 34 define a pump chamber 40. A filling tube 41 extends from a water inlet 42 extended through the nozzle 21 to the reservoir 18. A manual control valve 43 is coupled to fill the tube 41 to control the flow of liquid through the filling tube . The control valve 4 is operated between a closed position which prevents fluids from passing through the filling tube and an open position allowing the passage of fluids through the filling tube to the reservoir 18. An inlet tube 44 extends from the storage tank 18 to an inlet of P1132 / 99MX the pump 32. A check valve 46 is coupled to the inlet tube 44 to prevent the flow of liquids from the pump 32 to the reservoir 18. An outlet tube 47 extends from an outlet of the pump 32 to the 19 pressure tank. The outlet tube 44 is coupled to the revision valve 48, which restricts the flow of liquid from the pressure tank 19 to the pump 32. A flexible distribution tube 45 extends from the pressure tank 19 to the nozzle 21 A conventional trigger 17 is coupled to the distribution tube 49 to control the release of liquid therethrough. During use, a liquid storage tank 18 is filled with a liquid, hereinafter referred to specifically as water W, either when removing it from the store 15 and filling it through the neck 23 or when removing the filling cover 25 and empty the water into the tank through the opening 22. If the tank is removed to fill, must be reassembled using the threads in the warehouse. With the control valve 43 in the closed position, the handle 33 of the pump reciprocates to drive the piston 34 through the cylinder 35. The movement of the piston 34 within the cylinder 35 has two-stroke strokes, a stroke of priming in P1132 / 99MX where the water is drawn forward from the storage tank 18, and a compression stroke where the water is moved by the piston 34. The priming stroke begins when the piston 34 is retracted inside its cylinder 35 to creating the elongated volume chamber 40, as shown in Figure 2. The vacuum created by the expanded chamber 40 draws water from the reservoir 18 through the inlet tube 44 and the revision valve 46 and into the chamber 40. The flow of water within the expanded chamber 40 opens the revision valve 46 which is normally pushed to the closed position. Removal of the water from the storage tank creates a vacuum within the reservoir 18. As shown in Figure 3, the compression stroke created by advancing the piston 34 within the cylinder 35, causes the water within the chamber 40 pressurize The water pressure opens the check valve 48, which allows water to flow through the outlet tube 47 and into the pressure tank 19. As the piston moves reciprocally inside its cylinder, water is repeatedly drawn from the reservoir and deposited into the pressure tank. As more water is drawn and forced into the pressure tank, the air displaced by the water inside the pressure tank is compressed, which pressurizes the water P1132 / 99MX inside it. This may occur until the force used to drive the piston can no longer withstand the pressures stored within the pressure tank, or the water pressure reaches a preselected level of pressure that exceeds the force exerted by the trigger 17 to allow the water is released through distribution pipe 49. It should be understood that an elastic pressure tank can be used as an alternative that does not require the compression of air within it. To release the pressurized water from the gun, the trigger 17 is operated manually to allow water to pass through the distribution tube 49 to be released as a stream from the nozzle 21. It should be understood that the water gun may emitting a stream of water while simultaneously pumping water by operating the handle 33. To refill the reservoir 18 with water, the inlet 42 of the inlet tube is immersed inside the nozzle in a water supply and the valve 43 control moves to its open position. The opening of the control valve 43 allows vacuum within the reservoir to draw at least a portion of the water within the water inlet 42, through the inlet tube 44 and P1132 / 99MX inside the reservoir 18. Once the reservoir has been replenished or the vacuum has been exhausted, "the control valve 43 returns to its closed position. Now, with reference to FIGS. 4-7, a water gun 60 in another preferred form, as an alternative to that shown in Figures 1 and 2. The basic construction of the water gun 60 is similar to that previously described, except for the position of the coupling between the inlet tube 44 and the pump 32, the removal of the check valve 46 and the construction of the pump piston head 34. Here, the inlet tube 44 is coupled to the pump adjacent to the front portion of the cylinder 35 of the pump, opposite to the coupling position of the outlet tube 47. The pump also has a closed front end 61 with an O-ring seal 62, in sealing contact with the arrow 63 of the piston 34 of the pump. camera 40 is now segmented by the head portion 37 in a front portion 65 of the chamber and a rear portion 66 of the chamber. The head portion 37 of the piston has a front flange 68, a rear flange 69 and a body 70 generally cylindrical in shape extending between the front and rear flanges. An annular array of passages 71 extends from the side wall of the adjacent body P1132 / 99MX to the rear flange 69 with the rear end of the piston head portion. A sealing ring 73 is mounted to the body 70 between the rear and front flanges. The sealing ring 73 is movable between a rear, open position adjacent the rear flange 69, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, which allows the flow of liquid through the passages 71 in the portion of the piston head, and a front position, sealed adjacent the front flange 68, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, which prevents the flow of liquid through the head portion 37 of the piston. In this way, the head portion generally acts as a piston head and as a control valve. It should be understood that the air can also be withdrawn from the reservoir and deposited within the pressure tank, thus, the term fluid can be used as a substitute for the term liquid as used herein. During use, the liquid storage tank 18 is filled with water as described above. Water flows from the storage tank to the front portion 65 of the pump chamber. With the control valve 43 in a closed position, the handle 33 of the pump reciprocates to drive the piston 34 through the cylinder 35. Again, the movement of the piston 34 within the cylinder 35 has two-stroke strokes. . However, here the race of priming or forward race, P1132 / 99MX shown in Figure 4, by the forward movement of the piston causes the sealing ring 73 to move towards its rear position adjacent the rear flange 69, to allow water to flow from the front chamber portion 65 to the portion 66 of rear chamber through the passages 71. As shown in Figure 5, the compression stroke created by the rear movement of the piston 34 inside the cylinder 35 causes the sealing ring 73 to move towards its forward position which prevents water from flowing from the head portion of the piston. This movement of the piston causes the water within the rear portion 66 of the chamber to be pressurized. The water pressure opens the check valve 48, which allows water to flow through the outlet tube 47 and into the pressure tank 19. This movement also creates a vacuum within the reservoir 18 and the front portion 65 of the chamber. As the piston moves reciprocally inside its cylinder, the water is repeatedly drawn from the reservoir and deposited into the pressure tank. As more water is drawn and forced into the pressure tank, the air displaced by the water inside the pressure tank is compressed, which pressurizes the water inside it. This can happen P1132 / 99MX until the force used to drive the piston can not withstand the pressures stored inside the pressure tank or the water pressure reaches a preselected level of pressure that exceeds the thrust forces exerted by the trigger 17 to allow the water is released through distribution tube 49. To release the pressurized water from the gun, the trigger 17 is operated manually to allow water to pass through the distribution tube 49 to be released as a stream from the nozzle 21. It should be understood that the water gun may emitting a stream of water while simultaneously pumping water by actuating the handle 33. Optionally, a check valve can be placed between the pump and the reservoir as previously described. In order to replenish the reservoir 18 with water, the inlet 42 of the inlet tube is submerged within a water supply and the control valve 43 moves to its open position. The opening of the control valve causes the vacuum within the reservoir to draw at least a portion of the water within the water inlet 42, through the inlet tube 44 and into the reservoir 18. Once the reservoir has been refilled or the vacuum is exhausted, the control valve is returned to its closed position.

P1132 / 99MX With reference to Figure 8, a water gun 80 in another preferred form is shown as another alternative. The basic construction of the water gun 80 is similar to that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, except that the pressure tank 19 and the trigger 17 have been removed. It should be understood that this mode can also use the pump shown in Figures 4-7. The use of this modality only differs in that the water is not stored inside a pressure tank before being released. Here, the compression stroke of the pump causes the water to pass directly through the check valve 48 and the distribution tube 49 and is expelled through the nozzle 21. It should be understood that the pump drive also causes a vacuum inside the tank that is used to drag the liquid inside it at another time. With reference to all the modalities described above, the pump 32 may be provided with a spiral spring 85 shown in phantom lines in Figure 2, around the arrow of the pump. The spring 85 is positioned between the end of the cylinder 35 of the pump and the portion 37 of the pump head. During use, the spring 85 is compressed with the first stroke of the piston to exert a pushing force on the piston in the piston.

P1132 / 99MX rear direction. In the embodiments of Figures 1-5, the force of the spring helps maintain a force on the water inside the pump that supplements the pressure tank with pressurized water as the pressure inside the pressure tank reaches the level below the pressure level. compressive force of the spring as the water is released. In the embodiment of Figure 8, there is also a trigger coupled with the distribution tube 49. The compressive force of the spring maintains the pressure on the water inside the pump and the distribution tube. As such, the pump can be extended and the trigger operated to release the water. Each time the trigger is activated, the pump piston is forced back by the force of the spring, in this way a constant force is maintained on the water inside it. It should be understood that the compression force of the spring aids in manually moving the pump piston in a rearward direction, i.e., which automatically operates the compression stroke of the pump. The trigger can be operated several times with each stroke of the piston. Therefore, it is observed that a toy water gun is provided which through its actuation creates an efficient way to replenish it with water. While the invention has been described in detail with particular references to the preferred embodiments of the P1132 / 99MX itself, it should be understood that many modifications, additions and omissions may be made, in addition to those expressly described, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

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Claims (16)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following CLAIMS is claimed as property: 1. A water pistol consisting of: a first conduit means with one end open towards the environment; a reservoir coupled to the first conduit means adapted to store a liquid supply and maintain a vacuum environment therein; a control valve coupled to the first conduit means between the reservoir and the open end, the control valve is movable between a closed position which prevents the flow of liquid through the first conduit means and an open position which allows the flow of liquid through the first conduit means; a second conduit means for conducting the liquid; and a pumping means in fluid communication with the reservoir for withdrawing the liquid from the reservoir and depositing the liquid within the second conduit means; whereby, with the control valve in its closed position, the actuation of the pumping means causes the liquid to be drawn from the tank, P1132 / 99MX that creates a vacuum inside it, then the open end of the first conduit means can be submerged in a supplementary supply of liquid and the control valve is operated in its open position to allow the vacuum inside the reservoir to extract by at least a portion of the supplemental supply of liquid through the first conduit means and into the reservoir.
2. 2. The water gun according to claim 1, further comprising a check valve means to prevent the flow of liquid from the pumping means into the reservoir.
3. 3. The water gun according to claim 1 further comprising a pressure tank coupled with the second conduit means and adapted to maintain a supply of liquid under pressure, the check valve means prevents liquid from flowing from the tank of pressure towards the pumping means, and a control means for controlling the flow of liquid through the second conduit means.
4. 4. The water gun according to claim 2, further comprising a pressure tank coupled with a second conduit means adapted to maintain a supply of liquid under pressure, the second means of check valve prevents liquid from flowing from the P1132 / 99MX pressure tank towards the pumping medium, and a control means to control the flow of liquid through the second conduit means. The water gun according to claim 1, wherein the pumping means includes a cylinder and a piston that can be manually operated for a reciprocating movement within the cylinder, between a priming stroke and a compression stroke. The water gun according to claim 5, wherein the pumping means also comprises a spring with a pushing force in the direction of the compression stroke. The water gun according to claim 5, wherein the piston has a head portion with a check valve that allows water to pass through the head portion, as the head portion moves in one direction, and which prevents the passage of water through the head portion, as the head portion moves in a direction generally opposite the first direction, and where the cylinder defines a pumping chamber that is divided by the head portion in a first portion in fluid communication with the reservoir and a second portion in fluid communication with the second conduit means. 8. The water gun according to the claim P1132 / 99MX 7, wherein the head portion and the check valve consist of a body with a first end, a second end, a side wall extending between the first end and the second end and at least one passage that it extends between the side wall and the second end; a seal movably mounted on the body portion in sealing contact with the pump cylinder, a first stop means for stopping movement of the seal on the body in one direction; second stop means for stopping the movement of the seal on the body in the other direction, opposite the first direction, whereby, with the seal placed adjacent the first stop means, liquid is prevented from flowing through the portion of head, and with the seal placed adjacent to the second stop means, the liquid flows through the head portion towards the passage. 9. A water gun that consists of: a tank adapted to maintain a vacuum inside it; a control means for controlling the fluid communication of the tank with the environment through the opening; a pumping means for withdrawing the liquid from the reservoir, the pumping means has an outlet through which the liquid is expelled; Y P1132 / 99MX a check valve means coupled to the outlet of the pump means, the check valve means is adapted to allow the flow of fluid from the pump means through the outlet and to prevent the flow of fluid inside of the pumping medium through the outlet; therefore, fluid communication is avoided with the control means. from the tank with the environment, the actuation of the pumping means causes the liquid to be extracted from the tank, which creates a vacuum, subsequently, with the opening in fluid communication with the ambient liquid, the control means can be operated to allow that the tank is in fluid communication with the liquid, in such a way that the created vacuum extracts the liquid and takes it into the tank. The water gun according to claim 9, consisting of a second check valve means to prevent the flow of liquid from the pump medium to the reservoir. 11. The water gun according to the claim 9, which also consists of a pressure tank in fluid communication with the outlet of the pumping medium to maintain a supply of liquid under pressure, and means of '' release to control the release of liquid from * the pressure tank. P1132 / 99MX 12. The water gun according to claim 10, further comprising a pressure tank in fluid communication with the outlet of the pumping means to maintain a supply of liquid under pressure, and release means to control the release of liquid. liquid from the pressure tank. The water gun according to claim 9, wherein the pumping means includes a manually operated cylinder and piston for a reciprocating movement within the cylinder between the priming stroke and the compression stroke. 14. The water gun according to claim 13, wherein the pumping means further comprises a spring having a pushing force in the direction of the compression stroke 15. The water gun according to claim 13, in wherein the piston has a head portion with a check valve that allows water to pass through the head portion, as the head portion moves in a direction that prevents water from passing through the head portion , as the head portion moves in another direction, generally opposite the first direction, and wherein the cylinder defines a pump chamber that is divided by the head portion in a first portion in fluid communication with the reservoir and P1132 / 99MX a second portion in fluid communication with the second conduit means. The water gun according to claim 15, wherein the head portion and the check valve consist of a body with a first end, a second end, a side wall extending between the first end and the second end, a seal mounted movably on the body portion in sealing contact with the pump cylinder; a first stop means for stopping the movement of the seal on the body in one direction; a second stop means for stopping the movement of the seal on the body in another direction opposite to the first direction, whereby, with the seal located adjacent the first stop means, liquid is prevented from flowing through the head portion , and with the seal located adjacent to the second stop means the liquid flows through the head portion through the passage. P1132 / 99 X