Self-propelled water toy

Abstract

A water toy and method for its use includes providing a water toy comprising a body cavity having a variable volume defined by a resiliently biased wall, such as bellows arranged about a long axis of the cavity, and an aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity. The body cavity is then manually expanded from a rest state to an expanded state and allowed to be filled with water while in the expanded state. The water toy is then released in water so that the body cavity naturally contracts toward the rest state and thereby forces water from the contracting body cavity out the aperture to form a water jet that propels the water toy through the water.

1 . A self-propelled water toy, comprising:
 a body cavity having a variable volume defined by a resiliently biased wall arranged circumferentially about a long axis of the body cavity and configured to allow manual expansion of the volume from a rest state to an expanded state to admit more water into the cavity; and   an exit aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity through which water within the cavity is forced in a direction opposite to a direction of travel of the water toy as the cavity volume contracts under action of the resiliently biased wall, the resiliently biased wall including a bellows that is coaxial with the aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity and configured to collapse the variable volume to a rest state in a direction along the long axis.   
   
   
       2 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 1 , further including a funnel interposed between the body cavity and the aperture, wherein the funnel includes an inner wall having a continuously decreasing radius from a first end adjacent the body cavity to a second end adjacent the exit aperture. 
   
   
       3 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 1 , wherein the water toy is weighted differently between upper and lower sections so that the toy remains upright within the water. 
   
   
       4 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 3 , further including sealed air chambers formed within the upper section of the toy. 
   
   
       5 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 4 , further including a first air chamber within an upper front section of the toy and a second air chamber within an upper rear section of the toy. 
   
   
       6 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 1 , wherein a specific gravity of the water toy when filled with water is substantially similar to a specific gravity of water displaced by the water toy. 
   
   
       7 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 1 , further including a fill aperture located on a front end of the toy through which water is admitted into the cavity. 
   
   
       8 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 8 , further including a sealing part moveable to uncover the fill aperture when a pressure differential exists between an exterior surface of the sealing part and an interior surface of the sealing part. 
   
   
       9 . A method for propelling a water toy, comprising:
 providing a water toy comprising a body cavity having a variable volume defined by a resiliently biased wall arranged circumferentially about a long axis of the body cavity and an aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity;   manually expanding the body cavity from a rest state to an expanded state;   allowing the body cavity to be filled with water while in the expanded state so that the water is substantially captured within the resiliently biased wall; and   releasing the water toy in water so that the body cavity naturally contracts toward the rest state and thereby forcing water from the contracting body cavity out the aperture to form a water jet that propels the water toy through the water.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the water toy further includes a closable aperture defined at a front portion of the body cavity, the method further including admitting water through the closable aperture into the body cavity when the cavity is being filled. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the resiliently biased wall includes a bellows and the method further includes expanding the bellows to the expanded state while admitting water through the closable aperture. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further including unsealing the closable aperture when the water toy is tilted substantially parallel to a direction of gravity and sealing the closable aperture when the water toy is tilted substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity. 
   
   
       13 . A self-propelled water toy comprising:
 front and back rigid portions arranged about a long axis in spaced apart configuration with said portions being adapted to be grasped by a user;   an elastic body spanning between the spaced front and back rigid portions and arranged about the long axis to form a water toy body having a substantially enclosed variable-volume cavity adapted to admit a fluid therein;   an exit aperture within the back rigid portion in fluid communication with the cavity and defined along the long axis of the body cavity through which fluid within the cavity is forced in a direction opposite to that of a direction of travel of the water toy as the cavity volume contracts under action of the elastic body.   
   
   
       14 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 13 , wherein the elastic body includes a resiliently biased wall having a bellows arranged about a long axis that is coaxial with the aperture defined at a rear portion of the body cavity. 
   
   
       15 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 13 , further including a funnel interposed between the variable-volume cavity and the aperture, wherein the funnel includes an inner wall having a continuously decreasing radius from a first end adjacent the variable-volume cavity to a second end adjacent the exit aperture. 
   
   
       16 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 13 , wherein the water toy is weighted differently between upper and lower sections so that the toy remains upright within the water. 
   
   
       17 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 13 , wherein a specific gravity of the water toy when filled with water is substantially similar to a specific gravity of water displaced by the water toy so that the water toy moves substantially submerged through the water. 
   
   
       18 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 13 , wherein a specific gravity of the water toy when filled with water is less than a specific gravity of water displaced by the water toy so that the water toy moves substantially at an upper surface of the water. 
   
   
       19 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 1 , further including a fill aperture located on a front end of the toy through which water is admitted into the cavity. 
   
   
       20 . The self-propelled water toy of  claim 8 , further including a sealing part moveable to uncover the fill aperture when the water toy is expanding and cover the fill aperture when the water toy is contracting.