초록 ▼

The invention is directed to a sprinkler toy and a method for producing a geyser-like burst of liquid supplied by a source of pressurized liquid. The sprinkler toy may include a reservoir in fluid communication with the pressurized liquid source, wherein the volume of the reservoir may increase as t

The invention is directed to a sprinkler toy and a method for producing a geyser-like burst of liquid supplied by a source of pressurized liquid. The sprinkler toy may include a reservoir in fluid communication with the pressurized liquid source, wherein the volume of the reservoir may increase as the liquid is supplied to the reservoir by the pressurized liquid source. The sprinkler toy may further include a valve in fluid communication with the reservoir and operatively coupled to the reservoir, wherein the valve may be moveable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the increase of the volume of the reservoir from a first volume to a second volume may cause the valve to move from the closed position to the open position, and wherein the pressure within the reservoir when the valve moves to the open position may cause a geyser-like burst of liquid stored in the reservoir to discharge through the valve. In alternate embodiments, the sprinkler toy may further include nozzles in fluid communication with the pressurized water source and providing a constant discharge of liquid, and a housing having moving components that move in response to the increase in volume of the reservoir.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A sprinkler toy for producing a geyser-like burst of liquid supplied by a source of pressurized liquid, comprising: a reservoir in fluid communication with the pressurized liquid source, wherein the volume of the reservoir increases as the liquid is supplied to the reservoir

What is claimed is: 1. A sprinkler toy for producing a geyser-like burst of liquid supplied by a source of pressurized liquid, comprising: a reservoir in fluid communication with the pressurized liquid source, wherein the volume of the reservoir increases as the liquid is supplied to the reservoir by the pressurized liquid source; and a valve in fluid communication with the reservoir, wherein the valve is moveable between a closed position and an open position; a link operatively coupled to the valve such that movement of the link causes the valve to move between the open and closed positions, and with the link operatively coupled to the reservoir with the entire link disposed external to the reservoir, wherein the movement of the reservoir during the increase of the volume of the reservoir from a first volume to a second volume causes the link to move the valve from the closed position to the open position, and wherein the pressure within the reservoir when the valve moves to the open position causes a geyser-like burst of liquid stored in the reservoir to discharge through the valve. 2. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 1, wherein the volume of the reservoir decreases from the second volume to the first volume when the geyser-like burst of liquid discharges through the valve, and wherein the valve moves from the open position to the closed position in response to the volume of the reservoir decreasing from the second volume to the first volume. 3. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises an elastomeric bladder. 4. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 1, comprising at least one nozzle in fluid communication with the source of pressurized liquid, wherein the nozzle constantly discharges liquid while pressurized liquid is provided by the source. 5. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 1, comprising a housing enclosing the reservoir and the valve, the housing including at least one moving component operatively coupled to the reservoir, where the moving component moves from a first position to a second position as the volume of the reservoir increases from the first volume to the second volume. 6. The sprinkler toy of claim 1, wherein the valve is disposed external to the reservoir. 7. A sprinkler toy for producing a geyser-like burst of liquid supplied by a source of pressurized liquid, comprising: a reservoir in fluid communication with the pressurized liquid source, wherein the volume of the reservoir increases as the liquid is supplied to the reservoir by the pressurized liquid source; a valve in fluid communication with the reservoir and operatively coupled to the reservoir, wherein the valve is a ball valve that rotates between a closed position and an open position with the rotation of the ball valve opening and closing the valve, wherein the increase of the volume of the reservoir from a first volume to a second volume causes the valve to move from the closed position to the open position, wherein the pressure within the reservoir when the valve moves to the open position causes a geyser-like burst of liquid stored in the reservoir to discharge through the valve; and an actuation mechanism operatively coupling the reservoir and the valve, wherein the reservoir engages the actuation mechanism as the reservoir expands from the first volume to the second volume, and wherein the actuation mechanism moves the valve from the closed position to the open position in response to the engagement by the reservoir. 8. A sprinkler toy for producing a geyser-like burst of liquid supplied by a source of pressurized liquid, comprising: a reservoir in fluid communication with the pressurized liquid source, wherein the volume of the reservoir increases as the liquid is supplied to the reservoir by the pressurized liquid source; a valve in fluid communication with the reservoir and operatively coupled to the reservoir, wherein the valve is moveable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the movement of the reservoir during the increase of the volume of the reservoir from a first volume to a second volume causes the valve to move from the closed position to the open position, and wherein the pressure within the reservoir when the valve moves to the open position causes a geyser-like burst of liquid stored in the reservoir to discharge through the valve; and an actuation mechanism operatively coupling the reservoir to the valve with the entire actuation mechanism disposed external to the reservoir, wherein the reservoir engages the actuation mechanism as the reservoir expands from the first volume to the second volume, and wherein the actuation mechanism moves the valve from the closed position to the open position in response to the engagement by the reservoir. 9. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 8, wherein the actuation mechanism comprises a quick-release trip assembly that rapidly moves the valve from the closed position to the open position when the reservoir expands to the second volume. 10. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 8, wherein the actuation mechanism is configured to move the valve from the open position to the closed position in response to the reservoir contracting from the second volume to the first volume. 11. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 8, comprising a housing enclosing the reservoir, the valve and the actuation mechanism, the housing including at least one moving component operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism, where the moving component moves from a first position to a second position as the actuation mechanism moves in response to the volume of the reservoir increasing from the first volume to the second volume. 12. The sprinkler toy of claim 8, wherein the valve is disposed external to the reservoir. 13. A sprinkler toy for producing a geyser-like burst of liquid supplied by a source of pressurized liquid, comprising: an elastomeric bladder in fluid communication with the pressurized liquid source, wherein the volume of the bladder increases as the liquid is supplied to the bladder by the pressurized liquid source; a valve in fluid communication with the bladder, wherein the valve is moveable between a closed position and an open position; and an actuation mechanism operatively coupling the bladder to the valve with the entire actuation mechanism disposed external to the bladder, wherein the bladder engages the actuation mechanism as the bladder expands from a first volume to a second volume, wherein the actuation mechanism moves the valve from the closed position to the open position in response to the engagement by the bladder as the bladder expands from the first volume to the second volume, and wherein the pressure within the bladder when the valve moves to the open position causes a geyser-like burst of liquid stored in the bladder to discharge through the valve. 14. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 13, wherein the volume of the bladder decreases from the second volume to the first volume when the geyser-like burst of liquid discharges through the valve, and wherein the valve moves from the open position to the closed position in response to the volume of the bladder decreasing from the second volume to the first volume. 15. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 13, wherein the valve is a ball valve that rotates between the open position and the closed position with the rotation of the ball valve opening and closing the valve. 16. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 13, wherein the actuation mechanism comprises a quick-release trip assembly that rapidly moves the valve from the closed position to the open position when the bladder expands to the second volume. 17. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 13, wherein the actuation mechanism is configured to move the valve from the open position to the closed position in response to the bladder contracting from the second volume to the first volume. 18. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 13, comprising a housing enclosing the bladder, the valve and the actuation mechanism, the housing including at least one moving component operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism, where the moving component moves from a first position to a second position as the actuation mechanism moves in response to the volume of the bladder increasing from the first volume to the second volume. 19. A sprinkler toy in accordance with claim 13, comprising at least one nozzle in fluid communication with the source of pressurized liquid, wherein the nozzle constantly discharges liquid while pressurized liquid is provided by the source. 20. The sprinkler toy of claim 13, wherein the valve is disposed external to the reservoir. 21. A method for producing a geyser-like burst of liquid from a sprinkler toy, comprising: operatively coupling a valve of the sprinkler toy to a reservoir of the sprinkler toy such that the valve and the reservoir are in fluid communication with each other, wherein a link is operatively coupled to the valve and to the reservoir such that movement of the link causes the valve to move between a closed position and an open position, and wherein the entire link is disposed external to the reservoir; connecting a pressurized liquid source to the reservoir such that the source and reservoir are in fluid communication, wherein the volume of the reservoir increases as the liquid is supplied to the reservoir by the pressurized liquid source; and providing pressurized liquid to the reservoir of the sprinkler toy to increase the volume of the reservoir from a first volume to a second volume, wherein movement of the reservoir during the increase from the first volume to the second volume causes the link to move the valve from the closed position to the open position, with the pressure within the reservoir when the valve moves to the open position causing a geyser-like burst of liquid stored in the reservoir to discharge through the valve. 22. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the volume of the reservoir decreases from the second volume to the first volume when the geyser-like burst of liquid discharges through the valve, the method comprising operatively connecting the link to the reservoir and to the valve such that the valve moves from the open position to the closed position in response to the volume of the reservoir decreasing from the second volume to the first volume. 23. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the reservoir is an elastomeric bladder. 24. A method in accordance with claim 21, comprising operatively connecting at least one nozzle in fluid communication with the source of pressurized liquid such that the nozzle constantly discharges liquid while pressurized liquid is provided by the source. 25. A method in accordance with claim 21, comprising: enclosing the reservoir and the valve in a housing including at least one moving component operatively coupled to the reservoir; and operatively connecting the moving components to the reservoir such that the moving component moves from a first position to a second position as the volume of the reservoir increases from the first volume to the second volume. 26. The method of claim 21, wherein the valve is disposed external to the reservoir. 27. A method for producing a geyser-like burst of liquid from a sprinkler toy, comprising: operatively coupling a valve of the sprinkler toy to a reservoir of the sprinkler toy such that the valve and the reservoir are in fluid communication with each other, wherein the valve is a ball valve that rotates between the open position and the closed position with the rotation of the ball valve opening and closing the valve; operatively coupling an actuation mechanism to the reservoir and to the valve such that the reservoir engages the actuation mechanism as the reservoir expands from a first volume to a second volume, and such that the actuation mechanism moves the valve from the closed position to the open position in response to the engagement by the reservoir; connecting a pressurized liquid source to the reservoir such that the source and reservoir are in fluid communication, wherein the volume of the reservoir increases as the liquid is supplied to the reservoir by the pressurized liquid source; and providing pressurized liquid to the reservoir of the sprinkler toy to increase the volume of the reservoir from a first volume to a second volume to cause the valve to move from the closed position to the open position, with the pressure within the reservoir when the valve moves to the open position causing a geyser-like burst of liquid stored in the reservoir to discharge through the valve. 28. A method for producing a geyser-like burst of liquid from a sprinkler toy, comprising: operatively coupling a valve of the sprinkler toy to a reservoir of the sprinkler toy such that the valve and the reservoir are in fluid communication with each other, wherein the valve is moveable between a closed position and an open position; operatively coupling an actuation mechanism to the reservoir and to the valve such that movement of the reservoir during expansion of the reservoir from a first volume to a second volume causes the reservoir to engage the actuation mechanism, such that the actuation mechanism moves the valve from the closed position to the open position in response to the engagement by the reservoir, wherein the entire actuation mechanism is disposed external to the reservoir; connecting a pressurized liquid source to the reservoir such that the source and reservoir are in fluid communication, wherein the volume of the reservoir increases as the liquid is supplied to the reservoir by the pressurized liquid source; and providing pressurized liquid to the reservoir of the sprinkler toy to increase the volume of the reservoir from the first volume to the second volume to cause the valve to move from the closed position to the open position, with the pressure within the reservoir when the valve moves to the open position causing a geyser-like burst of liquid stored in the reservoir to discharge through the valve. 29. A method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the actuation mechanism comprises a quick-release trip assembly that rapidly moves the valve from the closed position to the open position when the reservoir expands to the second volume. 30. A method in accordance with claim 28, comprising configuring the actuation mechanism to move the valve from the open position to the closed position in response to the reservoir contracting from the second volume to the first volume. 31. A method in accordance with claim 28, comprising: enclosing the reservoir, the valve and the actuation mechanism in a housing including at least one moving component operatively coupled to the actuation mechanism; and operatively connecting the moving components to the actuation mechanism such that the moving component moves from a first position to a second position as the actuation mechanism moves in response to the volume of the reservoir increasing from the first volume to the second volume. 32. The method of claim 28, wherein the valve is disposed external to the reservoir.