Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Fountains or drinking tubes and straws – Ornamental
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-30
2001-03-06
Kashnikow, Andres (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Fountains or drinking tubes and straws
Ornamental
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196471
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for creating an illuminated waterfall.
2. Description of Related Art
Lighted water displays are very popular and generally known in the art. For example, illuminated water fountains are provided by means of light sources which are generally hidden from view and are projected onto a waterfall. However, the quality of the visual effects of such lighted displays, especially multi-colored displays, is diminished due to indirect lighting which impairs the view of the lighted waterfall. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,811 to Fraser et al. depicts a conical reflector to illuminate and create rainbows in a wall of falling water.
The above-related prior art do not provide a combination of a waterfall device with emitting and enhancing lighting means incorporating light emitting diode (LED) technology inside a waterfall vessel to illuminate the non-turbulent stream of water exiting the vessel to form an illuminated waterfall. Further, the present invention provides an apparatus which can sequentially change the color displayed. One prior art patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,429 to Yasuo, depicts an apparatus using combined LED technology, fiber optics, and sensors in a water discharge system wherein the water is illuminated by an LED whose color changes in accordance with values sensed by a sensor in the water stream. However, this prior art patent does not provide for an array of different color LED lights within the waterfall vessel which is controlled to sequentially light and thereby sequentially illuminate the water exiting a waterfall vessel with different colors so as to give the exiting water the appearance of changing colors at periodic intervals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an apparatus for creating a multi-colored illuminated waterfall. The apparatus includes means for changing a columnar flow of incoming water from a water inlet pipe into a shallow stream of water having a predetermined breadth greater than the breadth of the inlet pipe so that a waterfall effect is created. The waterfall vessel has a first end and a second end, each end having apertures therethrough axially aligned with each other.
A clear tube having a first end and a second end is longitudinally disposed between the first end aperture and the second end aperture of the waterfall vessel. The first and second ends of the tube are in leak tight engagement at the first end aperture and the second end aperture respectively.
An LED light emitting circuit board wafer strip with a plurality of different colored LED bulbs mounted to the wafer strip in a predetermined spaced-apart arrangement, is disposed through the first end aperture and inside the clear tube. A controller circuit is in electrically operative communication with predetermined arrays of the plurality of different colored LED bulbs wherein the predetermine arrays of the plurality of different colored LED bulbs activate at predetermined sequences and at predetermined time intervals.
The means for creating the waterfall effect is a waterfall vessel having a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall and the first and second ends. It has an inlet opening for incoming columnar water flow into the vessel, an outlet opening for water flow exiting in the form of a waterfall, and at least one baffle disposed in the vessel for suppressing turbulence of the incoming columnar water flow. An alternative embodiment for a waterfall vessel includes a plurality of longitudinally disposed baffles in the vessel for suppressing turbulence of the incoming columnar water flow, including baffles which intersect or interconnect with each other. These interconnecting baffles have a plurality of apertures for directing the flow of water from the inlet opening, through the baffles, to the outlet opening and for suppressing water turbulence.
An additional feature includes means for reflecting and enhancing emitted light. Preferably, the means include a reflective film adhesively secured to portions of inside surfaces of the baffles, front wall, back wall, and bottom wall juxtaposed to the clear tube.
A controller circuit supplies electrical power to the arrays of the plurality of different colored LED bulbs. The controller circuit includes a rectifier circuit for converting a 12 volt-ac source circuit to a 12 volt-dc circuit, which in turn supplies the electrical power to the arrays of the plurality of different colored LED bulbs.
In circuits where only 110volts-ac is available, a transformer circuit for reducing a voltage from the 110 volt-ac source circuit to a 12 volts-ac circuit is provided. The 12 volts-ac circuit is in electrically operative communication with the rectifier circuit.
In another embodiment of the invention, the present invention is an apparatus for creating a multi-colored illuminated water fountain such as those found in pools or fountain areas where water is discharge through an opening in a facade, for example, the mouth of a facade depicting the face of a lion.
The apparatus includes means for changing a columnar flow of incoming water from a water inlet pipe into a laminar stream of water to create a water fountain effect. The means includes a tee in fluid communication with the water inlet pipe. The tee has a first branch, a second branch and a third branch. The tee first branch further includes a clear lens disposed inside the first branch, the lens being in a leak tight engagement with an inside surface of the first branch.
The second branch is in fluid communication with the water inlet pipe and the third branch is in fluid communication with a tubular directing means for creating the laminar stream of water and for directing the water flow in a desired direction through an opening in a facade.
An LED light emitting circuit board wafer strip includes a plurality of different colored LED bulbs in a predetermined spaced-apart arrangement. The circuit board wafer strip is disposed juxtaposed the clear lens inside the first branch of the tee. A controller circuit is in electrically operative communication with the predetermined arrays of the plurality of different colored LED bulbs wherein the predetermine arrays of the plurality of different colored LED bulbs activate at predetermined sequences and at predetermined time intervals.
The tubular directing means for creating the laminar stream of water includes a plurality of longitudinal baffles disposed within the third branch of the tee. The baffles extend radially from a central axis of the third branch of the tee and interconnect with each other at the central axis. The baffles provide turbulence suppression of the incoming columnar flow of water. The tubular directing means also includes a discharge tube with a ball-type swivel connection at one end of the discharge tube for mechanically connecting the discharge tube to the third branch of the tee.
The apparatus optionally includes means for reflecting and enhancing emitted light with the use of a reflective film adhesively secured to portions of inside surfaces of the plurality of longitudinal baffles.
The controller circuit includes a rectifier circuit for converting a 12 volt-ac source circuit to a 12 volt-dc circuit for supplying electrical power to the arrays of the plurality of different colored LED bulbs. A transformer circuit for reducing a voltage from a 110 volt-ac source circuit to a 12 volts-ac circuit is optionally included where the power source is a 110 volt-ac circuit. The 12 volts-ac circuit is in electrically operative communication with the rectifier circuit.
In a typical application of this water fountain embodiment, the predetermined arrays of the plurality of multi-colored LED bulbs may include an array of three red LED bulbs, an array of two green LED bulbs, and an array of two blue LED bulbs, each of the arrays being electrically operative connected to each activate at predetermined sequences and at predetermined time intervals.
The invention is adapted such that it can be applied to beautify the waterfall effects and w
Hwu Davis
Kashnikow Andres
LaPointe Dennis G.
Mason & Associates, PA
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