GB2076301A - Toy shower unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A toy shower unit which comprises means for containing liquid, means 17 communicating therewith and comprising a pump 5 and changeover means 26, and a plurality of playthings including a shower, wherein during operation of the pump 5, liquid or air is pumped to a plaything which has been selected by means of the changeover means 26. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Toy shower unit This invention relates to a toy shower unit in which water is drawn from a bath tub and then sprayed from a shower so as to return it to the bath tub by manually pumping a bellows pump and, more particularly, to a toy shower unit of the above described type wherein the bellows pump may also activate rotation of a plaything, e.g. a doll, or the generation of bubbles in the bath tub, the three functions being alternatively selectable by means of a selection knob.

There have been many types of toy shower units operated variously by spiral springs, electrically or manually etc. However, they have been found to be lacking in variety. For example, a conventional toy shower unit has been known which sprays water from a shower, but, other than this can only offer simple variations such as the provision of a water tap from which water is poured into a bath tub. Thus, none of the heretobefore proposed toy shower units have been found sufficiently interesting to children.

It is therefore an object of this invention to enable the provision of a toy shower unit in which above disadvantages are overcome, or at least mitigated, which toy shower unit can be operated multi-functionally in response to operation of a selection knob.

Another object is to enable the provision of a mechanism which is simple to make and assembly and which makes possible the provision of a multi-functional toy shower unit according to this invention.

Accordingly, the present invention enables the provision of a toy shower unit which comprises means for containing liquid, means communicating therewith and comprising a pump and changeover means, and a plurality of piaythings including a shower, wherein during operation of the pump, liquid or air is pumped to a plaything which has been selected by means of the changeover means.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a toy shower unit comprises, a bath tub for containing water; reservoir means for communicating therewith and being disposed within a side portion of the bath tub, the reservoir means comprising pump means for pumping water or air, a changeover plate rotatably mounted within the reservoir means and having an air guide hole and a changeover hole each disposed equidistant from the centre thereof, an inlet port formed at the bottom of the reservoir means, and a plurality of ports including water outlet ports, at least one air outlet port, and an air suction port formed at the top of the water reservoir means, so disposed as to enable selective communication between the changeover hole and the plurality of ports, the at least one air outlet port communicating with the changeover hole only when the changeover plate is positioned to enable communication between the air guide hole and the air suction hole; a working table fixedly mounted on the bath tub to hold the reservoir means partially in the water and having disposed thereon a rotatable selection knob for rotating the changeover plate and a pump actuating means; and a plurality of playthings including a shower, a rotary member, and bubble generating means, each of the shower and rotary members being assembled to operatively associate with one of the plurality of water outlet ports, the bubble generating means being located within the bath tub and operatively associated with the at least one air outlet port.

Preferably the plurality of outlet ports comprise at least one air outlet port, a shower outlet port, and a rotary member outlet port thereby enabling the performance of three different functions.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same might be put into effect, reference will now be made by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a fully exploded view of a toy shower unit according to this invention, omitting therefrom a bath tub and a shower; and Figure 2 is a partially broken away perspective view of a bath tub with a shower which can be employed in accordance with the invention.

Referring first to Fig. 1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in a fully exploded view omitting therefrom a bath tub, shower, and some other minor elements.

The particular toy shower unit shown can be operated in three different ways: one is to spray water through a perforated head plate of a shower, another is to rotate a plaything, e.g. a doll provided on a body of the toy shower unit, and the other is to generate bubbles in the bath tub of the toy shower unit. According to this invention, the above three functions can be alternatively performed by selecting a suitable knob position and manually operating a bellows pump. A working table 1 has centrally disposed thereon a pump actuating disc 2, a selection knob 11 and a rotary member 1 5. The pump actuating disc 2 is fixed at one end of a pump shaft 3, from the other end of which extends a flange for pressing a bellows pump 5 which is accommodated within a pump chamber 4.

In use, the bellows pump 5 draws water from a bath tub 10 into a reservoir 1 7 through a check valve 7 which is secured within a collar 6 and positioned under an inlet port 8, and subsequently expels the water from reservoir 1 7 to be sprayed from a shower into the bath-tub, or to cause to rotate a rotary member, e.g. in this example a toy bear. A selection knob 11 and a rotary mem ber 1 5 are disposed on the working table 1, the knob 11 being fixed to a changeover shaft 40, to be described hereinafter, and the rotary member 1 5 being connected by a rotary shaft 14 to an annular member 13, a receiving ring 16 and a water wheel 12.

An air outlet port 19, a shower outlet port 20, a rotary member outlet port 21 and an air suction port 22, are formed in the top of the reservoir 17, each being equidistant from a changeover bearing 1 8. A circular changeover plate 26 is disposed rotatably within the reservoir 1 7 so as to operate to close or open the above described ports 19, 20, 21 and 22. A changeover hole 23 and an air guide hole 24 are formed in the changeover plate 26 at the same distance from the bearing 1 8 as the ports 19, 20, 21 and 22, at the centre of the plate 26 an opening 25 for fixing a changeover shaft 40 being formed.It should be noted that the air guide hole 24 is formed at such a position as to coincide with the air suction port 22 only when the changeover hole 23 coincides with the air outlet port 1 9. The reservoir 1 7 is provided with a bottom plate 29 wherein the inlet port 8 is formed adjacent to and below the bellows pump 5, and a changeover thrust bearing 30 is formed coaxially with the changeover bearing 1 8.

Further referring to Fig. 2, there is shown a bath tub for containing water. An L-shaped pole 9 for holding a shower 44 is fixed to one side of the bath tub 10. An auxiliary bath tub 31 is formed by dividing the bath tub 10 with a partition wall 32 which is slidably inserted between walls extending from both sides of the bath tub 10. The partition wall 32 has therein several apertures 33 and also a plurality of openings 34 from which air can be expelled into the water within the bath tub 10. A rectangular air delivering chamber 36 having a net 35 therein is provided behind the openings 34.

To assemble the elements described above, the bellows pump 5 is inserted within the pump chamber 4 formed in the reservoir 17, an air suction pipe 38 is inserted uprightly at the air suction port 22 by covering the port 22 with an air suction check valve 37, and a water jet pipe 39 of an inverted L shape is inserted uprightly at the rotary member outlet port 21, a jet of water being produced from the top end opening of the pipe 39 in order to rotate the water wheel 1 2. A flexible hose (not shown) is then used to join the shower outlet port 20 to the shower 44, and the air outlet port 1 9 to the air delivering chamber 36.

Next, the changeover shaft 40 is assembled, the corresponding portion to the changeover bearing 1 8 being cylindrical, whereas the corresponding portion to both the changeover knob 11 and the opening 25 is not cylindrical so that the changeover knob 11 and the changeover plate 26 rotate with the shaft 40.

The changeover shaft 40 is first inserted into the changeover bearing 1 8 and then the changeover plate 26 is engaged with the shaft 40, and also a spring 41 is inserted into the shaft 40 below the plate 26 to bias the changeover plate 26 towards the upper surface of the reservoir 1 7. Subsequentiy, the shaft 40 is inserted into the changeover thrust bearing 30, and the bottom plate 29 is rigidly connected to the main body of the reservoir 1 7. A packing 48, washer 49, and fastening means 50 are thereafter assembled.

Lastly, the pump shaft 3 is inserted through the boss 42 which is fixed on the working table 1 and the pump actuating disc 2 is attached thereto by means of ascrew. Similarly, a portion of the shaft 40 extending through a changeover boss 43 is attached to the changeover knob 11 and a label 46 is affixed adjacent to the boss 43 in order to clearly identify the selection position of the knob 11, which position represents the corresponding position of the changeover hole 23.

The rotary member 1 5 joined by the rotary shaft 1 4 to the water wheel 1 2 is located within the circular tube 1 3. Some screws 45 are also utilised where required as shown in the drawings.

When the toy shower unit thus constructed and assembled is in use, water is initially supplied to the bath tub 10 and hence the auxiliary bath tub 31.

To spray water from the shower, the selection knob 11 is turned to a position labelled e.g. "shower", so that the changeover hole 23 and the shower outlet port 20 come into communication with each other leaving other openings such as air outlet port 19, rotary member outlet port 21 and air suction port 22 closed.

On releasing the pump actuating disc 2 after depressing it, water within the auxiliary bath tub 31, which water is in communication with that within the bath tub 10 through the apertures 33, is drawn into the reservoir 1 7 through the check valve 7 by the suction force of the pump 5. The subsequent depression of the actuating disc 2 will cause the water within the reservoir 1 7 to spray from the shower 44 via the outlet check valve 28 housed in a collar 27, changeover hole 23, shower outlet port 20, and a hose. It is to be understood that water can only flow one way through the check valve 7, i.e. from the bath tub 10 to the reservoir 17.

In order to play with the rotary member, the selection knob 11 is turned to the appropriate' position on the label 46. The changeover hole 23 is thus moved to below the rotary member outlet port 21 leaving other openings closed, so that on depressing and releasing the actuating disc 2 similarly to the above case, the water within the reservoir 1 7 is delivered to vanes of the water wheel 1 2 through the rotary member outlet port 21 and the water jet pipe 39, causing the water wheel 1 2 to rotate about its axis and hence to rotate the rotary member 1 5.

To activate the bubble generating means 47 which comprises the air delivering chamber 36 and the air suction pipe 38, a similar operation is carried out. Thus, turning the knob 11 to a position labelled e.g. "bubble" will allow communication between the changeover hole 23 and the air suction port 22, as well as between the changeover hole 23 and the air outlet port 1 9. As a result, air is drawn from the air suction pipe 38 into the reservoir 1 7 after one depression and release operation of the bellows pump 5. On depression of the pump 5 following the first release thereof, air is then delivered through the outlet port 19, a hose, and the air delivering chamber 36 to the openings 34 to blow air bubbles into the water.It should be noted that though the check valve 7 is also opened on release of the bellows 5, suction of water through the valve 7 rarely occurs because of the difference in density between air and water, and moreover a small amount of water will not affect substantially the bubble generating function. The different operations can each be repeated by continuous actuating of the disc 2.

As seen from the foregoing description, a toy shower unit according to the invention'can be operated in three different ways using only a single bellows pump by simply selecting a suitable position for a selection knob and actuating a disc for operating of the pump.

The three different functions are embodied in this example as; spraying water from a shower, rotating a rotary pump member, and generating bubbles in the water of a bath tub.

However, in other possible embodiments it may be possible to operate a toy shower unit in more than three different ways by employing a multi-way changeover plate so long as space permits. It may also be possible to choose a suitably rotary member from among those toy animals in accordance with the market needs.

Claims (22)

1. A toy shower unit which comprises means for containing liquid, means communicating therewith and comprising a pump and changeover means, and a plurality of playthings including a shower, wherein during operation of the pump, liquid or air is pumped to a plaything which has been selected by means of the changeover means.

2. A toy shower unit according to claim 1, wherein the liquid containing means comprises a bath tub.

3. A toy shower unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pump is a bellows pump.

4. A toy shower unit according to claim 3, which comprises a vertically slidable pressing member for pressing and releasing the bellows pump.

5. A toy shower unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the communicating means comprises a liquid inlet port formed in the lower part thereof.

6. A toy shower unit according to claim 5, wherein the liquid inlet port is provided with a check valve.

7. A toy shower unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the communicating means comprises one or more liquid outlet ports formed in a flat upper surface portion thereof.

8. A toy shower unit according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the communicating means comprises one or more air outlet ports, and an air inlet port.

9. A toy shower unit according to claim 8, wherein the air inlet port is provided with a check valve.

10. A toy shower unit according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the changeover means comprises a rotatable plate having therein a changeover hole, the arrangement being such that the plate abuts the one or more outlet ports and the changeover hole communicates with one outlet port, the remainder being watertightly closed by the plate.

11. A toy shower unit according to claim 10, when dependent on claim 8 or 9 wherein the plate comprises therein an air inlet hole which communicates with the air inlet port when the changeover hole communicates with an air outlet port.

1 2. A toy shower unit according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the changeover hole is provided with a check valve.

1 3. A toy shower unit according to any one of claims 10 to 1 2 wherein the changeover means comprises means for rotating the changeover plate.

1 4. A toy shower unit according to any one of claims 10 to 1 3 wherein the plate is biased towards the outlet ports by a helical spring disposed within the communicating means.

1 5. A toy shower unit according to claim 7 or any claim dependent thereon, wherein the shower is joined to a liquid outlet port by a hose.

16. A toy shower unit according to claim 7 or any claim dependent thereon, wherein the toy shower unit comprises a rotary plaything rotatable when liquid is pumped thereto from the communicating means through a liquid outlet port.

1 7. A toy shower unit according to claim 16, wherein the rotary plaything comprises a doll.

1 8. A toy shower unit according to claim 1 6 or 1 7 wherein the rotary plaything comprises a water-wheel.

1 9. A toy shower unit according to claim 8 or any claims dependent thereon, wherein the toy shower unit comprises a means for generating bubbles.

20. A toy shower unit according to claim 19, wherein the bubble generating means comprises a pipe connecting an air outlet port and an air delivering chamber.

21. A toy shower unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

22. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.