Patent Publication Number: US-2011076910-A1

Title: Water vessel using self-propelled water wheel

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to a toy, and more particularly to a water wheel-based toy that moves along the water surface by action of a self-contained water supply falling against and turning a water wheel. 
     Self-propelled water toys typically include some type of mechanism to propel the toy through or under the water. Some use chemical agents, some electrical propulsion such as with batteries, and some convert potential energy to mechanical energy such as a wound rubber-band turning a propeller or impeller. Some examples of underwater toys include U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,023 to Warner titled “Hand Launchable Hydrodynamic Recreational Vehicle,” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,577 to Thorne, III titled “Underwater Device and Method of Play,” (hereinafter Thorne). Such devices have drawbacks such as increased weight due to neutral buoyancy, thus increasing shipping costs, or decreased ability to remain upright within the water so that the device moves unrealistically compared to underwater sea creatures and submarines. 
     Water toys adapted to operate on the surface of the water also exist. Many of these operate by using gravity-fed jets of water that shoot out of the back of a floatable toy. One examples of these include U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,907 (Mumford), which teaches a double hulled water toy with a water container mounted between the hulls. A rearward-facing discharge tube from the water container imparts a forward reaction which drives the boat through the water. An improved design, U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,277, uses a similar propulsion system with a rearward-facing nozzle that can be rotated in a horizontal plane so that the toy may be propelled in any desired direction. It would be useful, however, to include motion elements within the toy as it moves through the water in order to make the toy more interesting to play with. 
     Accordingly, the need arises for a water toy that takes a different approach to these problems and for overcoming the drawbacks of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, the invention comprises a floatable toy having two hulls. A container for water mounted within the toy above the hulls and includes a discharge outlet at or near the bottom thereof. The container maintained at all times clear of the surface of water on which said toy floats even when said container is filled with water. A water wheel is rotatably positioned between the hulls on a rotating axis and below the water container. A lower portion of the water wheel extends below a water line when the toy is floated on the water, wherein water drops through the discharge outlet onto the water wheel and rotates the wheel through the water to thereby propel the body through the water. 
     In another aspect of the invention, the self-propelled water toy comprises a floatable vehicle body and propulsion means mounted to the vehicle body. The propulsion means are configured to propel the floatable vehicle body through water responsive to the physical flow under gravity of a fluid, stored within the floatable vehicle body, against the propulsion means and thence to the body of water. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention, the floatable water toy comprises a body having a lower portion configured to remain substantially submerged within water and an upper portion. A water wheel is installed along a rotating axis within the upper portion of the body such that at least a lower portion of the water wheel extends below a water line when the body is floated within water. A container of water is positioned within the upper portion of the body above at least an upper portion of the water wheel and having a discharge outlet defined at or near a bottom thereof such that water discharged from the outlet falls onto the water wheel and turns the water wheel about the rotating axis, wherein rotation of the water wheel causes propulsion of the body through the water in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotating axis. 
     The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention that proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a self-propelled water toy constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation view in section of the self-propelled water toy of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the water toy  10 , comprised generally of a floatable vehicle body  12  and a propulsion means  14  characterized by a water wheel  16  powered by a self-contained water source  18 . As will be appreciated from a description of the invention below, water from the water source  18  empties onto and thereby turns the water wheel to thereby propel the toy through a body of water. 
     The vehicle body  12  preferable includes a pair of floatable hulls  20   a ,  20   b  arranged in spaced apart orientation. The hulls  20   a ,  20   b  are further arranged in a general longitudinal direction relative to the toy  10  so that long axes of the hulls point forwardly  22  in the direction of travel. 
     Water wheel supports  24   a ,  24   b  are coupled to respective ones of the hulls  20   a ,  20   b  and are positioned on either side of the water wheel  16 . A water wheel axel  26  spans laterally between inner sides  28   a ,  28   b  of the supports  24   a ,  24   b  along a rotational axis  30 —that is, perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction  22  of which the hulls  20   a ,  20   b  are oriented. The axel  26  passes through the supports  24   a ,  24   b  and is fixed at each peripheral end to outsides of the supports using washers, nuts or the like  31 . 
     The water wheel  16  is mounted on the axel  26  and rotates forwardly  32  about the rotating axis  30  under action of water falling onto it as from the self-contained water source  18 . A plurality of paddles, such as paddle  34 , are spaced about a periphery of the water wheel  16  and rotate the wheel  16  by action of water pooling above the paddles and driving them downward under force of gravity. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a side section view of the water toy of  FIG. 1  in action within a body of water  33 . Water or other fluid  35  is maintained within a water source  18 , here shown as a container  36 . Container  36  is positioned within an upper portion of the vehicle body  12  above at least an upper portion of the water wheel  16 . A discharge outlet  38  is defined at or near a bottom of the container  36  such that water  35  discharged from the outlet falls onto the water wheel  16  and turns it about its rotating axis  30 . 
     Although the paddles  34  of the water wheel  16  can be formed of straight panels or bucket-shaped, the preferred implementation as shown includes both a planar peripheral portion  40  and a bucket portion  42 . Planar peripheral portion  40  provides a pushing surface adapted to impart a forward reaction to the water toy when the paddles enter the body of water  33 . Bucket portion  42  are asymmetrically shaped to retain water within the bucket as the paddles  34  of the water wheel  16  rotate forwardly  32  into the water  33  and shed water as the paddles exit the body of water. 
     As illustrated within  FIG. 2 , water  35  falling from container  36  pools against a solid inner wheel  41  and bucket portion  42 . The now-weighted bucket portion drives paddle  34  about the water wheel axel  26  under force of gravity. As the paddle  34  rotates downward, the bucket portion opens up to the body of water to thereby empty the contents of the bucket—e.g. paddle  34   a . The paddle  34   a  then drives backward through the water, causing a pushing action  44  that forces water backward and, conversely, moves the floating body  10  forward  22 . The paddle  34   b  then emerges from the water  33  as the water wheel  16  continues to rotate. As emerging paddles have shed all of their water, they are lighter than the filled paddles  34  and  34   a . This differential in weights causes the water wheel  16  to undergo continued rotation so long as water  35  remains within the container  36 . 
     The water toy  10  is weighted so that the water wheel axel  26  remains above the water line of body  33 , but that a lower portion extends below the water line when the toy is floated on the body of water  33 . It is understood that the water toy is heavier, and thus sits lower in the water, when the container  36  is completely filled with water. Conversely, it is understood that the water toy is lighter, and thus sits higher in the water, when the container  36  is empty. Appropriate materials can be selected, or the hulls  20   a ,  20   b  weighted, so that the toy  10  sits within the body of water  33  whereby (a) the container  36  is completely clear of the surface of the water and that (b) the lower portion of the water wheel—meaning at least one or more paddles  34  of the wheel—is able to enter the water when the container is substantially empty so that the paddles continue to propel the toy through the water. In this way, the propulsion means  14  is configured to propel the floatable vehicle body  12  through the water  33  responsive to the physical flow under gravity of a fluid (e.g. water), stored within the floatable vehicle body (as in container  36 ), against the propulsion means and thence to the body of water. 
     In use, one would simple need to dip the toy into the water in order to “recharge” it by filling the container  36 . Once set upright in the water, the toy  10  would propel itself through the water. Water used simply empties itself back in to the tub or water. Once empty, the container  36  can be easily refilled and the toy again released. 
     Having described and illustrated the principles of the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. I claim all modifications and variation coming within the spirit and scope of the following claims.