Water gun with lever arm firing mechanism

Abstract

A toy water gun includes a housing and a nozzle for discharging water, the nozzle being positioned adjacent a front end of the housing. A pump chamber and a piston located therein positioned at or in the housing, the pump chamber and the piston being translatable relative to one another. A lever arm coupled to the housing by a first pivot connection at a first end and including a handle at a second end. A drive arm pivotally connected at a drive arm first end to the lever arm and coupled at a drive arm second end to one of the housing, the pump chamber, or the piston. Upon actuation of the lever arm, the pump chamber and the piston translate relative to one another such that water is adapted to be discharged from the nozzle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A toy water gun comprising:
 a housing;   a nozzle for discharging water, the nozzle being positioned adjacent a front end of the housing;   a pump chamber and a piston located therein positioned at or in the housing, the pump chamber and the piston being translatable relative to one another;   a lever arm coupled to the housing by a first pivot connection at a first end and including a handle at a second end; and   a drive arm pivotally connected at a drive arm first end to the lever arm at a position closer to the first pivot connection than the handle, and coupled at a drive arm second end to one of the housing, the pump chamber, or the piston;   wherein, upon actuation of the lever arm, the pump chamber and the piston translate relative to one another such that water is adapted to be discharged from the nozzle.   
     
     
         2 . The toy water gun of  claim 1 , wherein actuation of the lever arm in a charging direction is adapted to draw water into the pump chamber, and actuation of the lever arm in an opposite, discharging direction is adapted to discharge the water from the nozzle. 
     
     
         3 . The toy water gun of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a supply tank within or connected to the housing, the supply tank being configured to store water; and   a one-way supply valve positioned between the supply tank and the pump chamber, wherein the supply valve is configured to allow water to flow from the supply tank to the pump chamber during actuation of the lever arm in the charging direction, and the supply valve is configured to prevent water from flowing from the pump chamber into the supply tank during actuation of the lever arm in the discharging direction.   
     
     
         4 . The toy water gun of  claim 2 , further comprising a one-way discharge valve positioned between the pump chamber and the nozzle, wherein the discharge valve is configured to allow water to flow from the pump chamber to the nozzle during actuation of the lever arm in the discharging direction, and the discharge valve is configured to prevent a fluid from flowing from the nozzle into the pump chamber during actuation of the lever arm in the charging direction. 
     
     
         5 . The toy water gun of  claim 2 , wherein actuation of the lever arm in the charging direction comprises actuating the lever arm about the first pivot connection in a direction towards the nozzle, and wherein actuation of the lever arm in the discharging direction comprises actuating the lever arm about the first pivot connection in a direction away the nozzle. 
     
     
         6 . The toy water gun of  claim 1 , further comprising a triggerless grip extending from the housing that is configured to be held by a user during actuation of the lever arm. 
     
     
         7 . The toy water gun of  claim 1 , wherein the drive arm is coupled at the drive arm second end to a linkage, and the linkage extends between and couples the drive arm second end to an end of the piston positioned closest the nozzle. 
     
     
         8 . The toy water gun of  claim 7 , wherein actuation of the lever arm in a charging direction causes the drive arm and the attached linkage and piston to translate towards the nozzle and is adapted to draw water from a supply tank within or connected to the housing into the pump chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The toy water gun of  claim 7 , wherein actuation of the lever arm in a discharging direction causes the drive arm and the attached linkage and piston to translate away from the nozzle and is adapted to force water from the pump chamber to the nozzle. 
     
     
         10 . The toy water gun of  claim 1 , wherein the pump chamber is fixedly coupled to the housing, and the piston is translatable within and relative to the fixed pump chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The toy water gun of  claim 1 , further comprising a discharge valve coupled adjacent an end of the pump chamber positioned furthest from the nozzle, and a discharge tube extending between and fluidly coupling the discharge valve to the nozzle. 
     
     
         12 . The toy water gun of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a slot extending through each side of the housing, and a first portion of the first end of the lever arm extends through the slots on each side of the housing and the first portion of the lever arm is coupled to the pump chamber to form the first pivot connection. 
     
     
         13 . The toy water gun of  claim 12 , wherein the first portion of the lever arm is coupled to an exterior surface of the pump chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The toy water gun of  claim 12 , wherein the piston is fixed to the housing, and actuation of the lever arm in a charging direction causes the pump chamber to translate away from the nozzle and is adapted to draw water from a supply tank within or connected to the housing into the pump chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The toy water gun of  claim 12 , wherein the piston is fixed to the housing, and actuation of the lever arm in a discharging direction causes the pump chamber to translate towards the nozzle and is adapted to force water from the pump chamber to the nozzle. 
     
     
         16 . The toy water gun of  claim 15 , wherein actuation of the lever arm in the discharging direction is adapted to cause the water within the pump chamber to flow from the pump chamber, through a hollow interior of the piston, and to the nozzle. 
     
     
         17 . The toy water gun of  claim 16 , wherein a discharge valve is fluidly coupled to an end of the piston positioned closest to the nozzle, and the discharge valve fluidly couples the hollow interior of the piston to the nozzle. 
     
     
         18 . The toy water gun of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one guide coupled to the housing, the at least one guide engaging an exterior surface of the pump chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The toy water gun of  claim 1 , wherein the drive arm second end is pivotally coupled to the housing such that the drive arm pivots about the drive arm second end during actuation of the lever arm. 
     
     
         20 . The toy water gun of  claim 1 , wherein the lever arm increases a mechanical advantage of a pumping force of the toy water gun by at least a factor of 2. 
     
     
         21 . The toy water gun of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a slot extending through each side of the housing, and a first portion of the first end of the lever arm extends through the slots on each side of the housing and the first portion of the lever arm is coupled to the piston to form the first pivot connection. 
     
     
         22 . The toy water gun of  claim 21 , wherein the pump chamber is fixed to the housing, and actuation of the lever arm in a charging direction causes the piston to translate away from the nozzle and is adapted to draw water through the nozzle into the pump chamber. 
     
     
         23 . The toy water gun of  claim 22 , wherein the nozzle is inserted into a water source to draw water through the nozzle during actuation of the lever arm in the charging direction. 
     
     
         24 . The toy water gun of  claim 21 , wherein the pump chamber is fixed to the housing, and actuation of the lever arm in a discharging direction causes the piston to translate towards the nozzle and is adapted to force water from the pump chamber to the nozzle. 
     
     
         25 . The toy water gun of  claim 24 , wherein the nozzle is directly coupled to an end of the pump chamber, and actuation of the lever arm in the discharging direction is adapted to cause the water within the pump chamber to flow from the pump chamber out through the nozzle.