US20080015092A1

US20080015092A1 - Bubble producing jump rope

Info

Publication number: US20080015092A1
Application number: US11/487,672
Authority: US
Inventors: Jose A. Montoya
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-07-14
Filing date: 2006-07-14
Publication date: 2008-01-17

Abstract

Bubble producing jump rope with a pair of hollow handles, a pair of standard liquid hand pump assemblies, a pair of hollow flexible tubes, a pair of cylindrical multi aperture bubble making tubes, a central jump rope member, the hollow handles having an integral bottom portion forming a vessel and each the vessel attached to each the liquid pump assemblies by a standard threaded screw type attachment, the hollow flexible tubes each attached at one end to the pump head and at the opposite end to the cylindrical bubble making tubes, and the central jump rope member attached at each end to the bubble making tubes. A preferred embodiment includes the pump can be activated during the act of jump roping by the user's hand or hands squeezing on one or both pump triggers thereby delivering a portioned amount of bubble making solution to the bubble making tubes.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of jump ropes and more specifically to a bubble producing jump rope.
The activity of jump roping is well known and practiced by children and adults in many countries. Generally, the user holds a handle in each hand and swings a rope that is attached to the end of each handle. The user then hops on one or both feet to allow the rope to pass under the feet and to continue swing in a rotary fashion. Another common play activity is the act of making bubbles by placing a bubble wand in a container of bubble solution and then blowing on the wand to cause bubbles to exit from the aperture or apertures the end of the wand.
The present invention combines a bubble making device with a jump rope so that as the user swings the rope, bubbles are generated.
An attempt to combine a bubble making device with a jump rope has been tried by Ann Danlelak in her patent 5102381, now in the public domain. In Danlelak's device, bubble solution is stored in hollow handles and travels down through a flexible tube by gravity and centrifugal force. A series of tubes and channels are meant to deliver bubble solution in a controlled manner to a space defined by inner and outer perforated tubes. However, my experiments have shown that it is not possible to deliver a really controlled amount of bubble solution without the use of a pump that more accurately releases a precise amount of bubble solution so that the solution can be temporarily stopped while the already released solution is producing bubbles. When the bubble tube no longer produces bubbles, the user can squeeze the pump trigger to again coat the bubble tube with bubble making solution. Additionally, I have found that when the solution is controlled by a hand trigger type pump, there is no need for an inner and outer perforated tube. Only one perforated tube is needed thereby forming simpler and less expensive assembly. Finally, by controlling the amount of bubble solution with the use of a hand pump, no excess solution leaks from the bubble making tubes thereby making more economical the use of bubble solution and making the solution less likely to leak onto the ground thereby reducing the chance of the user slipping as a result of stepping on the bubble solution.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a jump rope that includes a means to make bubbles while jumping rope.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bubble making means incorporated into a jump rope that allows the bubble making solution to be released in a controlled manner and stopped as needed by the user. Another object of the invention is to provide a combination of jump rope and bubble maker that is easy and economical to manufacture.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration an d example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a bubble producing jump rope comprising: a pair of hollow handles, a pair of standard liquid hand pump assemblies including a trigger activated pump head and a down tube, a pair of hollow flexible tubes, a pair of cylindrical multi aperture bubble making tubes, a central jump rope member, said hollow handles having an integral bottom portion forming a vessel and each said vessel attached to each said liquid pump assemblies by a standard threaded screw type attachment, said hollow flexible tubes each attached at one end to said pump head and at the opposite end to said cylindrical bubble making tubes, and said central jump rope member attached at each end to said bubble making tubes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention in use

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the components of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial section view of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.
Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a perspective view of the bubble producing jump rope invention in use. A user 2 is holding a identical handle portions 4 which are connected to a pair of identical flexible tubes 6, which are in turn connected to a pair of identical pair of bubble making tubes 10 via a pair of connector collars 8. a standard jump rope 12 is attached to each end of bubble making tubes 10. As the user 2 swings the jump rope 12, the wind created by the swinging causes bubbles 20 to be produced as will be described in greater detail below.
Referring to FIG. 2 we see a partial exploded view of the invention. the handle portion 4 is comprised of a hollow vessel 41 and a standard hand pump 46 which includes an activation lever 42 and barbed exit orifice 43. The pump head 46 and vessel 41 are attached by a standard screw thread shown as dotted line 45. A standard down tube shown as dotted line 44 allows the bubble making solution stored in vessel 41 to be drawn up to the pump head 46. The bubble solution then continues through flexible tube 6 and into bubble making tube 10. Tube 6 is approximately three quarters of an inch in diameter with a one sixteenth of an inch wall thickness and a length of approximately eighteen inches. This length allows sufficient distance for the swinging of the jump rope to cause enough wind to make bubbles yet not so long that the bubble making tube 10 may touch the ground. The bubble making tube 10 is approximately six inches long, approximately one inch in diameter with a one sixteenth of an inch wall thickness and includes a plurality of apertures that can vary between one quarter of an inch to one half of an inch in diameter. When the bubble making solution coats the inside of tube 10, the apertures become coated with bubble making solution. When the user swings the jump rope, the wind created by the swinging causes bubbles 20 to be made and distributed to the surrounding area. Jump rope 12 is attached to the end of bubble making tube 10 as it penetrates an integral collar at the end of tube 10. A cross pin 14 penetrates an aperture in the tube 10 collar and also penetrates through the jump rope 12 tip thereby causing the jump rope 12 to be fixed to the bubble tube 10. Because the pump handle 42 can be operated as needed by the user during the jump rope activity, the user can precisely control the amount of bubble making solution that flows towards the bubble making tube 10. In this way, the user can cause the walls of the bubble making tube to be coated with just enough solution to make bubbles but not so much that excess solution impedes bubble making, or not so much that excess solution spills out of tube 10 onto the ground. This feature helps insure that the ground is not made slippery by excessive bubble solution.
FIG. 3 shows a partial section view of the invention. Flexible tube 6 and bubble tube 10 are fixedly held by collar 8 by a standard adhesive in such a way that there is no physical interference as the bubble solution flows directly from tube 6 into bubble tube 10 thereby improving the process of coating the inside wall of bubble tube 10 with bubble making solution. The entire assembly of the bubble making jump rope invention is economical to produce and easy to assemble thereby making it affordable to jump rope enthusiasts.
While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Bubble producing jump rope comprising:

a pair of hollow handles;

a pair of standard liquid hand pump assemblies including a trigger activated pump head and a down tube;

a pair of hollow flexible tubes;

a pair of cylindrical multi aperture bubble making tubes;

a central jump rope member;

said hollow handles each having an integral bottom portion forming a vessel and each said vessel attached to each said liquid pump assemblies by a standard threaded screw type attachment;

said hollow flexible tubes each attached at one end to said pump head and at the opposite end to said cylindrical bubble making tubes; and

said central jump rope member attached at each end to said bubble making tubes.

2. Bubble producing jump rope as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pump can be activated or stopped during the act of jump roping by the user's hand or hands squeezing and releasing on one or both pump triggers thereby delivering a portioned amount of bubble making solution to said bubble making tubes so that said bubbles are made by the act of wind passing through said bubble making tubes during the act of swinging said jump rope during normal use.

3. Bubble producing jump rope as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hollow flexible tube is approximately three quarters of an inch in outside diameter and having approximately a sixteenth of an inch wall thickness and a length of approximately eighteen inches.

4. Bubble producing jump rope as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bubble making tubes are each approximately six inches long and one inch in diameter and have a plurality of bubble making apertures that are each between one quarter and one half of an inch in diameter.