Abstract:
Fun “noodles,” elongated flexible tubes formed of closed-cellular foam plastic used for play in water, are provided with decorative wiggly waggly tails at their ends, the tails being capable of new play patterns and water splashing effects.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to so-called “noodles” used for support and play particularly in water. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Such “noodles” are elongated flexible tubes formed of closed-cellular foam plastic used for play in water, e.g. swimming pools. Because of the closed cellular foam construction, these “noodles” float and can be used for support in the water. In general, these “noodles” are formed of closed cell polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene foam in tube shapes, commonly used as a toy in swimming pools and for types of water-oriented play. In general, these known “noodles” are tubular, i.e., they have an axial opening extending entirely therethrough, with the exterior being shaped in cross section as a circle, a star or a flower. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, “noodles” of the type described above are modified in the present invention by adding “wiggly tails” to one or preferably each end of the noodle, thus providing a “noodle” capable of new play patterns and a water splashing effect at a relatively low cost. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one end of a cylindrical noodle in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a stopper adapted for insertion in an end of the “noodle,” the stopper having the wiggly tails extending therefrom. 
         FIG. 3  is a partially broken away perspective view showing the wiggly tails protruding from the stopper; and 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a suitable stopper for use as part of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , one end of a cylindrical noodle  10  is shown having a plurality, e.g. 8 to 16, of wiggly tails or streamers  12  extending therefrom.  FIG. 2  shows a stopper  14  from which project the wiggly tails  12 . Such wiggly tails  12  are anchored within the stopper  14 , and the stopper  14  is then tightly fit within the axial opening  16  of the noodle  10 , it being understood that a stopper  14  and the wiggly tails  12  are desirably provided at each end of the noodle  10 . 
     As indicated above, the noodle  10 , by itself, may be conventional, i.e. in cross section it may take the form of a circle as shown in  FIG. 1  or may take the form of a flower, a star, etc, wherein practically any exterior configuration is permissible. The noodle is formed of a closed cellular foam, desirably PET or polyethylene, although other preferably soft and flexible plastics can be used. And, for use in water, the noodle must be capable of floating, i.e. have a density less than water due at least to the closed cellular nature of the plastic. 
     The wiggly tails  12  are desirably tubes or strips formed of a soft extruded polymer such as soft PVC, polyurethane or silicone rubber and these wiggly tails  12  are highly flexible. When the wiggly tails are dipped or splashed in and out of water, they tend to capture small water droplets and create exciting rain splashing effects and patterns. Such wiggly tails  12  are desirably extruded in different colors (e.g. orange, pink, yellow, blue, purple, etc). The wiggly tails also may be of different lengths. 
     The stopper  14  is desirably removable, and may have screw threads  18  which serve to both lock the stopper  14  within the hollow end  16  of the noodle  10 , and also permit is unscrewing therefrom. As illustrated, the stopper  14  is desirably at least slightly tapered to facilitate insertion into the open ends of the noodle  16 . It will be understood that the maximum diameter of the stopper  14  is approximately the same as the diameter of the hollow center  16  of the noodle  10 , but with the screw thread  18  being slightly greater than the diameter of the hollow center of the noodle  10 , so that the screw thread can tap a receiving female screw thread into the interior wall of the hollow center  16  of the noodle, as the stopper  14  is screwed in. 
     The wiggly tails  12  are attached to the stopper  14 , for example as shown in  FIG. 3 , or alternatively may simply be tightly inserted into the hollow end of the stopper  14  to be held by friction or with a suitable water resistant, flexible adhesive, e.g. an adhesive silicone resin. In such a case, the individual wiggly tails  12  are bunched up and glued, pressed into or more desirably inserted into a hollow (not shown) in the upstream end of the stopper plug  14 . The individual wiggly tails  12  are bunched up and glued, pressed into, and/or crimped or pinched into place within the upstream end of the stopper plug  14 . 
     The plug  14  is appropriately molded of a plastic, such as by rotational casting, injection molding or blow molding. The stopper plugs  14  are desirably of PVC or a similar plastic, or a soft semi-flexible material such as rubber or a polyurethane based polymer, but must be made sufficiently rigid so as to be able to screwed into and out of the ends of the noodle  10  without collapsing, and have sufficient rigidity to not collapse under pressure from the water. One particularly preferred form of the plug  14  is shown in  FIG. 4  and is made of two longitudinally extended halves which are joined together by interfitting and interlocking extensions  20 A and  20 B which, for at least one of these interlocking elements  20 , provides a post about which the wiggly tails  12  are wrapped as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The two piece plug  14  as shown in  FIG. 4  is desirable in that it facilitates attachment of the wiggly tails  12 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the tails  12  can be wrapped around the post  20 B prior to joining the second half of the plug  14  to the first half having the post  20 B, followed by joining the two halves as shown in  FIG. 4 , but with the wiggly tails  12  having been already attached. To better hold the wiggly tails  12  on the post  20 , a simple wire wrap  22  is desirably used, although other means such as adhesive can instead be used. 
     Although the stopper  14  could be eliminated by simply gluing the wiggly tails  12  within the hollow  16  of the noodle  10 , the stopper plug  14  provides advantages. Thus, use of the stopper plug  14 , desirably at both ends of the noodle  10 , permits removal and replacement of the wiggly tails  12 . The plug  14  also prevents water from entering the interior of the noodle  10 . In addition, use of the plug  14  permits a more reliable attachment of the wiggly tails  12  to the ends of the noodle  10 . 
     The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without undue experimentation and without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. The means, materials, and steps for carrying out various disclosed functions may take a variety of alternative forms without departing from the invention. 
     Thus the expressions “means to . . . ” and “means for . . . ”, or any method step language, as may be found in the specification above and/or in the claims below, followed by a functional statement, are intended to define and cover whatever structural, physical, chemical or electrical element or structure, or whatever method step, which may now or in the future exist which carries out the recited function, whether or not precisely equivalent to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed in the specification above, i.e., other means or steps for carrying out the same functions can be used; and it is intended that such expressions be given their broadest interpretation.