Soft Toy Grenade

Abstract

A soft toy grenade has an enclosure with a sealed interior containing a fluid, the enclosure having a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle having a retracted position and an extended position, each receptacle movable from the retracted position to the extended position upon sufficient compression of the fluid by impact of the enclosure with a hard surface.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A toy grenade comprising:
 (a) an enclosure having a substantially sealed interior containing a fluid, the enclosure having a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle having a retracted position and an extended position, each receptacle movable from the retracted position to the extended position upon sufficient compression of the fluid by impact of the enclosure with a hard surface; and   (b) a plurality of projectiles held in some or all of the retracted receptacles by press fit and being suitable for propulsion from the enclosure in multiple directions when the receptacles move from the retracted position to the extended position.   
     
     
         2 . The toy grenade of  claim 1  wherein the enclosure is generally spherical. 
     
     
         3 . The toy grenade of  claim 1  wherein the enclosure is made of an elastomeric material 
     
     
         4 . The toy grenade of  claim 1  additionally comprising a balloon communicating with the interior of the enclosure through a twistable tubular conduit. 
     
     
         5 . The toy grenade of  claim 1  additionally comprising a tail extending from the enclosure. 
     
     
         6 . The toy grenade of  claim 1  wherein the enclosure has non-receptacle body portions with a wall thickness of about 8 to 14 millimeters and has receptacles with a wall thickness of about 0.5 to 4 millimeters. 
     
     
         7 . The toy grenade of  claim 1  wherein the receptacles are in their retracted position at elastic rest. 
     
     
         8 . A toy grenade for propelling projectiles in multiple directions, the toy grenade comprising an enclosure having a substantially sealed interior containing a fluid, the enclosure having a plurality of receptacles for receiving projectiles, each receptacle having a retracted position and an extended position, each receptacle movable from the retracted position to the extended position to propel the projectile upon sufficient compression of the fluid by impact of the enclosure with a hard surface. 
     
     
         9 . The toy grenade of  claim 8  wherein the enclosure is generally spherical. 
     
     
         10 . The toy grenade of  claim 8  wherein the enclosure is made of an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         11 . The toy grenade of  claim 8  additionally comprising a balloon communicating with the interior of the enclosure through a twistable tubular conduit. 
     
     
         12 . The toy grenade of  claim 8  additionally comprising a tail extending from the enclosure. 
     
     
         13 . The toy grenade of  claim 8  wherein the enclosure has non-receptacle body portions with a wall thickness of about of about 8 to 14 millimeters and has receptacles with a wall thickness of about 1 to 5 millimeters. 
     
     
         14 . The toy grenade of  claim 5  wherein the receptacles are in their retracted position at elastic rest. 
     
     
         15 . A method for safely simulating an exploding grenade while playing, the method comprising:
 (a) providing an enclosure having a substantially sealed interior containing a fluid, the enclosure having a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle having a retracted position and an extended position, each receptacle movable from the retracted position to the extended position upon sufficient compression of the fluid by impact of the enclosure with a hard surface;   (b) placing a projectile in each of a plurality of the retracted receptacles; and   (c) throwing the enclosure against a hard surface with sufficient velocity to compress the fluid sufficiently to move the receptacles from the retracted position to the extended position and to thereby propel the projectiles in multiple directions.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the enclosure is generally spherical. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the enclosure is made of an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the enclosure additionally comprises a balloon communicating with the interior of the enclosure through a twistable tubular conduit. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the enclosure additionally comprises a tail extending from the enclosure. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the enclosure has non-receptacle body portions with a wall thickness of about of about 8 to 14 millimeters and has receptacles with a wall thickness of about 0.5 to 4 millimeters.