US20060060603A1

US20060060603A1 - Novelty squirting device

Info

Publication number: US20060060603A1
Application number: US10/711,468
Authority: US
Inventors: Gregory Firth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-09-20
Filing date: 2004-09-20
Publication date: 2006-03-23

Abstract

A promotional gimmick utilized in conjunction with other products to aid in an increased marketing ability where the other products include but are not limited to: garments, photographs, illustrated pictures, or paintings; and the gimmick utilized for increased marketability is a fluid emitting device comprising a hand held fluid reservoir containing a finger activated pump providing a burst of fluid which travels through flexible tubing with sufficient length to reach a desirable point; where a miniature low profile fluid dispensing nozzle is attached to a thin surface such as fabric, and a pin hole is made in the thin surface for dispensing the fluid.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

In the past, gimmicks have been utilized in conjunction with other products to aid in an increased marketing ability. In the area of promotions, or more specifically novelty t-shirts and the like, gimmicks have been typically added such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,927 where bladders are inserted under the fabric for a blow-up t-shirt. Some designs utilize holes in fabric such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,888 with a garment with fabric strips and U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,081 with a flesh exposure t-shirt. Still other innovative designs like U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,969 with a cookie shirt, and even a rubber shape shirt, RE35245, and also U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,848 with a lift up flap shirt add gimmicks to shirts. One particular design U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,053 is an object-dispensing shirt which ejects an object from an opening in a garment. This principle is applicable to the present invention in that water or fluid is ejected from a hidden nozzle which is attachable to a thin surface leaving only a small pin hole exposed to viewer.
In an exploration of gimmicks in conjunction with t-shirts, it is proposed to add a toy water gun to a t-shirt, but it is obvious that other configurations are possible. A miniature nozzle is inserted corresponding generally to a print which provides a squirt of water thereby implying a meaning. For example, a print of a fish with the nozzle located in the mouth portion will imply a water spitting fish. Once your imagination gets going, all sorts of hilarious implications can be made and are not the subject of this patent.
A typical toy squirt gun is similar to U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,587. Concealing a squirt nozzle has been accomplished before as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,318 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,253 where a swivel nozzle is included. A different approach has been explored in U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,485 where a squirt gun is concealed in a stuffed animal figure. A concealed squirt gun has also been strapped to an arm as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,110. The concealed squirt gun prank allows a close range surprise encounter. Concealing a squirt gun under a garment with a miniature nozzle attached to the fabric would certainly create a surprise squirt. The subject of this patent utilizes a t-shirt to conceal a squirt gun however, a miniature nozzle can be placed virtually anywhere.
An exploration of different nozzles as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,488 reveals many configurations of fluid ejection nozzles. Exhaustive exploration reveals that a nozzle attached to fabric or thin surfaces is a novel idea.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1. A cross sectional view of a hand held fluid burst device.
A hand held mechanism 1 for producing a burst of fluid such as water 2 is provided. Many different means for producing a burst 2 is possible. One such means includes a hand held reservoir 3 which contains a trigger 4 which activates a pump 5 resulting in a burst 2 suitable for squirting. The burst 2 is pumped through a tube attachment coupling 6 which exits the reservoir 3 in a location so as to be hidden from view or concealed. The coupling 6 is fitted with small diameter flexible tubing 7 which transfers the burst 2 to a remotely located miniature nozzle which is also hidden from view. 8 A fill plug 15 is provided in the case of the reservoir 3 for filling with fluid.
FIG. 2. An enlarged cross sectional view of a miniature fluid emitting nozzle.
A concealed miniature nozzle 8 is attached somewhere to the inside of a thin surface such as fabric 9 which acts as a visual barrier hiding the nozzle's location. A miniature nozzle 8 is also incorporated into buttons and other features. In fact, discrete nozzles 8 also make squirting photos, illustrated pictures, or even hanging wall paintings that squirt! (Not shown) A typical miniature nozzle 8 contains a flange 10 for receiving thin surfaces. 9 The flange 10 is part of a coupling 11 which is in connection to flexible tubing 7 which is oriented parallel to the thin surface. 9 A burst of water 2 traveling through the flexible tubing 7 feeds through the coupling 11 and into a water dispersal chamber 12 and thereafter through a pin hole 14 in the thin surface 9 and then into the air with a squirt 2 emitting from an unexpected location.
FIG. 3. A side view depicting fluid ejection from an attached nozzle.
A concealed miniature nozzle 8 is discreetly attached to a variety of thin surfaces 9 by several different means. One nozzle 8 attachment means is achieved through mechanical bonding which includes sewing and crimping with a fastener. (Not shown) Another type of nozzle attachment is achieved when a chemical means is implemented which would include gluing and heat setting techniques. (Not shown)

Claims

1. A concealed nozzle for ejecting fluids through thin flexible surfaces to which an attachment is made comprising a flange which contains a fluid dispersal chamber whereby only a pin hole is made in said thin surface to provide for fluid ejection, and a tube coupling which is oriented parallel to said surface and which is one part with said flange whereby a burst of fluid flows into said coupling from attached flexible tubing, and then feeds through said coupling into said water dispersal chamber and thereafter through said pin hole, ejecting fluid into the air from an unexpected location because the entire device is hidden from view.

2. A concealed fluid burst device for use with remotely located nozzles comprising a hand held fluid reservoir which contains a pump being activated by a trigger creates a fluid burst which travels through a tube attachment coupling which exits the reservoir for the purpose of fitting a length of flexible tubing which leads to a remotely located nozzle which is concealed behind a thin flexible surface, and with said fluid burst device being concealed in the hand thereby providing fluid ejection from an unexpected location.

3. A promotional gimmick utilized in conjunction with other products to aid in an increased marketing ability where said other products include but are not limited to: garments, photographs, illustrated pictures, or paintings; and the gimmick utilized for increased marketability is a fluid emitting device comprising a hand held fluid reservoir containing a finger activated pump providing a burst of fluid which travels through flexible tubing with sufficient length to reach a desirable point; where a miniature low profile fluid dispensing nozzle is attached to a thin surface such as fabric, and a pin hole is made in said thin surface for dispensing said fluid.

4. The concealed nozzle in claim 1 with an attachment means through mechanical bonding which includes sewing and crimping with a fastener.

5. The concealed nozzle in claim 1 with an attachment means whereby a chemical means is implemented which would include gluing and heat setting techniques.

6. The novelty squirting device in claims 1, 2 and 3 with the utilization of a garment to provide a thin surface to conceal said squirting device.

7. The novelty squirting device in claims 1, 2 and 3 with the utilization of photographs, paintings, and illustrated pictures to provide a thin surface to conceal said squirting device.