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US4563161A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Submersible toy

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1984-06-11
•
Granted: 1986-01-07
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Expires: 2004-06-11
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Abstract

Abstract This invention resides in improvements in a toy and particularly in a toy which may, in use, cyclically rise and sink in water due to the change of buoyancy caused by bubbles formed in a lower internal chamber in which moistened baking powder or the like may be placed. An upper section of the toy is fitted with one or more hollow tubular sections that serve to suspend the toy in a generally erect position when initially fully immersed in water and which tubular sections serve as a pivot about which the toy oscillates as it rises and sinks. The tubular sections are generally formed with a hollow interior section that communicates to an open mouth section of a size to retain air within the interior when the object is immersed in water. The toy may be employed out of the water to slide down an inclined ramp as formed bubbles momentarily lift the toy off an inclined surface of the ramp.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jack I. Zimmerman

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 23:11
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63H; A63H23/00; A63H23/08

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 306 words
A toy article which is fitted with means to submerge the said toy article in water and to cyclically rise to the surface and then submerge again, in which said means comprise an internal chamber communicating by a vent hole to a recess open to the exterior of the said article, so that a moistened powder may be located within said chamber so as to form a gas bubble which flows through said vent into said recess to displace water out of said recess of said article and so increase the buoyancy of the article causing it to initially rise when in water, with the article then losing this increase of buoyancy after the said bubble further enlarges and detaches from the said article resulting in the article then again submerging in the water, in which said article is fitted with air suspension means to provide further buoyant effect to said article, said air suspension means serving to assist in the orientation of the article in various positions during the cycle of rising and submerging and to enable the article to oscillate with a pendulum--type motion during said cycle, where said air suspension means comprises a projection extending from the article, which projection is formed with a recess open to the exterior through an open mouth section of the projection, in which said recess and said mouth section is of a size and shape with relation to surface tension of water to prevent captive air in the said recess from escaping from the said recess while said projection is immersed in water regardless of the orientation of the said open mouth section when said projection is immersed in water, such that said air is entrapped in the said recess of the projection and acts to furnish lift to the article when the projection is so immersed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 306 words
A toy article which is fitted with means to submerge the said toy article in water and to cyclically rise to the surface and then submerge again, in which said means comprise an internal chamber communicating by a vent hole to a recess open to the exterior of the said article, so that a moistened powder may be located within said chamber so as to form a gas bubble which flows through said vent into said recess to displace water out of said recess of said article and so increase the buoyancy of the article causing it to initially rise when in water, with the article then losing this increase of buoyancy after the said bubble further enlarges and detaches from the said article resulting in the article then again submerging in the water, in which said article is fitted with air suspension means to provide further buoyant effect to said article, said air suspension means serving to assist in the orientation of the article in various positions during the cycle of rising and submerging and to enable the article to oscillate with a pendulum--type motion during said cycle, where said air suspension means comprises a projection extending from the article, which projection is formed with a recess open to the exterior through an open mouth section of the projection, in which said recess and said mouth section is of a size and shape with relation to surface tension of water to prevent captive air in the said recess from escaping from the said recess while said projection is immersed in water regardless of the orientation of the said open mouth section when said projection is immersed in water, such that said air is entrapped in the said recess of the projection and acts to furnish lift to the article when the projection is so immersed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 44 words
The article of claim 1 in the shape of an animal, in which said air suspension means is mounted in a head section of the article, so as to maintain said head section in a generally erect position when the toy is fully immersed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 65 words
The article of claim 1 in the shape of a fish-like animal, in which said air suspension means is mounted in a head section of the article, so as to maintain said head section in a generally erect position when the toy is fully immersed, while serving as a pivot location for oscillation and to simulate the motion of a fish-like animal during the cycle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 21 words
The article of claim 1 in which a plurality of said projections are mounted to a common side of the article.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 22 words
The article of claim 1 in which at least one said projection extends from each of two opposed sides of said article.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 30 words
The article of claim 5 in which a said projection extends through the body section of said article to project from each of two opposed sides of said body section.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 65 words
The article of claim 6 in which a length of said projection that extends from one side of the body section is of greater length than said projection that extends from the other and opposed body section, so as to provide for a differential in buoyancy effect of the air entrapped in the interior section of said tube on each side of the body section.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1659129A Cited
US2708810A Cited
US2791062A Cited
US3104496A Cited
US3870309A Cited
US4199142A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1989-01-06 1989-07-08 1990-01-07 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1993-01-06 1993-07-08 1994-01-07 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1997-01-06 1997-07-08 1998-01-07 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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