# US 8,465,375 B2 · Underwater device for generating or shooting a vortex ring

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- Number: US 8,465,375 B2
- Document ID: US8465375B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/929,439
- Filed: 2011-01-25
- Published: 2012-03-01
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2010-08-25
- Applicants: Eric W. Curry
- Inventors: Eric W. Curry
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465375B2

## CPC

- A63H 33/28: Soap-bubble toys; Smoke toys (blowing smoke rings A24F13/30)
- A63H: TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS

## Abstract

An underwater device for generating a vortex ring includes a liquid chamber, and a fluid or air chamber contiguous to the liquid chamber and separated by a partition wall. The liquid chamber includes a generally rigid section and a compressible or flexible section. The rigid section includes an opening for selectively loading the liquid chamber with a liquid and for discharging a vortex ring therefrom.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A manually-powered underwater device for generating a vortex ring, comprising:
a) a liquid chamber;
b) a fluid chamber contiguous to said liquid chamber and separated by a partition wall;
c) said liquid chamber comprising a generally rigid section and a compressible section; and
d) said rigid section including an opening for selectively loading said liquid chamber with a liquid and for discharging a vortex ring from the same opening.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein:
a) said fluid chamber supplies a fluid adjacent said opening to be entrained in the vortex ring.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein:
a) said liquid and fluid chambers comprise volume capacities to produce a plurality of consecutive vortex rings before reloading.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3, wherein:
a) said compressible section comprises a resilient diaphragm or bellows.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein:
a) said compressible section is movable relative to said rigid section to thereby create an internal pressure to force a slug of liquid out from said opening.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The device of claim 5, further comprising:
a) an actuator for manually moving said compressible section relative to said rigid section.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The device of claim 5, wherein:
a) said rigid section comprises a front shell attached to one side of said compressible section.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7, further comprising:
a) a rear shell attached to said compressible section at another side generally opposed to said one side thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein:
a) said front shell comprises a generally cone-shaped member; and
b) said rear shell comprises a generally dome-shaped member.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7, wherein:
a) said fluid chamber comprises an air chamber located in said rear shell.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein:
a) said liquid and air chambers are in fluid communication with each other via a port in said partition wall.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11, further comprising:
a) a tubular member including a first end portion in fluid communication with said air chamber and a second end portion lying adjacent said opening.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, further comprising:
a) a one-way valve operably connected to said tubular member.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7, wherein:
a) said fluid chamber comprises an air chamber located in said front shell.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The device of claim 14, wherein:
a) said air chamber comprises a generally ring-shaped recess in fluid communication with said liquid chamber via a port in said partition wall.

### Claim 16 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7, wherein:
a) said fluid chamber comprises an air chamber located externally of the device adjacent said opening.

### Claim 17

A manually-powered underwater device for generating a liquid vortex ring, comprising:
a) a liquid chamber;
b) an air chamber contiguous to said liquid chamber and separated by a partition wall;
c) said liquid chamber comprising a generally rigid section and a compressible section;
d) said rigid section including an opening for selectively loading said liquid chamber with a liquid and for discharging a vortex ring from the same opening; and
e) a conduit for supplying air from said air chamber to an area adjacent said opening to be entrained in the vortex ring.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The device of claim 17, wherein:
a) said compressible section comprises a resilient diaphragm or bellows for creating an internal pressure to force a slug of liquid out from said opening.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein:
a) said rigid section comprises a generally cone-shaped member attached to one end of said diaphragm or bellows; and
b) a shell member attached to an opposite end of said diaphragm or bellows.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein:
a) said rigid section comprises a generally dome-shaped shell member; and
b) said air chamber is located in said shell member.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The device of claim 19, wherein:
a) said air chamber is located in said shell member.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The device of claim 19, wherein:
a) said air chamber is located externally of the device adjacent said opening.

### Claim 23

A manually-powered underwater device for generating a vortex ring, comprising:
a) a liquid chamber;
b) a fluid chamber contiguous to said liquid chamber and separated by a partition wall;
c) a liquid propulsion member positioned within said liquid chamber; and
d) an opening for selectively loading said liquid chamber with a liquid and for discharging a vortex ring from the same opening.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The device of claim 23, wherein:
a) said fluid chamber supplies a fluid adjacent said opening to be entrained in the vortex ring.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein:
a) said liquid propulsion member comprises a flexible diaphragm.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The device of claim 24, wherein:
a) said liquid and fluid chambers comprise volume capacities to produce a plurality of consecutive vortex rings before reloading.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The device of claim 23, wherein:
a) said liquid and fluid chambers are in fluid communication with each other via a conduit.

### Claim 28 (depends on 23)

The device of claim 23, wherein:
a) the device includes front and rear sections; and
b) said fluid chamber is located in said front section.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The device of claim 28, wherein:
a) said liquid chamber includes a generally cone-shaped section located in said front section.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The device of claim 29, wherein:
a) said liquid propulsion member is located in said rear section.

### Claim 31 (depends on 23)

The device of claim 23, wherein:
a) the device is self-contained.

### Claim 32

A manually-powered underwater device for generating a vortex ring, comprising:
a) a liquid chamber;
b) a fluid chamber contiguous to said liquid chamber and separated by a partition wall;
c) said liquid chamber comprising a generally rigid section and a compressible section; and
d) said rigid section including a single opening for selectively loading said liquid chamber with a liquid and for discharging a vortex ring therefrom.