Optical: systems and elements – Kaleidoscope – Including particles loosely housed for agitation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-14
2001-12-25
Mahoney, Christopher E. (Department: 2851)
Optical: systems and elements
Kaleidoscope
Including particles loosely housed for agitation
C446S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332686
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a kaleidoscope that allows the user to change, in various ways or manners, the forms of motion or movement of visual objects within the kaleidoscope, that is, small pieces such as pieces of colored paper, pieces of colored glass and the like, and to thereby enjoy looking at the complicately and variously changing patterns that can be perceived by reflection in the inner wall mirrors of the hollow cylinders forming the kaleidoscope, as well as to enjoy those complicately and variously changing patterns while listening to music and melody.
BACKGROUND ART
Typically, a kaleidoscope comprises a hollow box in which hollow cylinders of a triangle cross section having mirror surfaces on the inner sides thereof are disposed, wherein the hollow box has peepholes at one end thereof and contains visual objects such as small pieces of colored paper, small pieces of colored glass, and the like at the other end thereof The kaleidoscope allows the user to enjoy looking at the color patterns and the changes in the color patterns that appear by reflection in the mirrors and can be observed through the peepholes, by rotating the hollow cylinders to cause those small pieces of colored paper, small pieces of glass and the like to move around therein.
The kaleidoscope of the type described above that has improved its ornamental outlook is known, as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model patent now registered under
In the conventional kaleidoscope, most of the changing forms of the patterns produced by the motion or movement of the objects can only be provided by rotating the hollow cylinders. In addition, it allows the user only to observe those changing patterns through the peepholes visually. No kaleidoscope has yet been proposed that allows the user to satisfy the needs of listening to a particular sound like music and smelling the fragrance of a particular perfume as well, while observing the visual patterns.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The kaleidoscope proposed by the present invention includes a hollow box having peepholes on one lateral wall thereof, polygonal hollow cylinders each having first and second end sides whose inner surfaces form mirror surfaces, each of the polygonal hollow cylinders being disposed inside the hollow box so that it corresponds to each respective one of the peepholes and that the first end side faces opposite the associated peephole with a lens interposed there between, object cases in which objects are housed, each of the object cases being disposed rotatably at the position where its one lateral wall is located opposite the second end side of the corresponding polygonal hollow cylinder, light sources each of which is disposed on the inner side of the other lateral wall opposite the one lateral wall of the hollow box and located at the position where it faces opposite the other lateral wall of the associated object case, means provided inside the hollow box and operated to supply the rotary motion to the object cases, a sound source provided inside the hollow box, and a central controller means coupled with each of the rotary supply means, the light sources and the sound source for controlling the respective operation thereof. According to the kaleidoscope of the invention, the user can enjoy the continually changing patterns of the objects both visually and acoustically, by rotating the object cases to cause the rotary motion of the objects therein and to thereby cause those objects to move around therein, and by playing music in synchronism with the rotary motion of the object cases while the objects are moving around.
In the kaleidoscope described above, the means for supplying the rotary motion to the object cases may be operated electrically or manually.
In order to allow the user to enjoy the color patterns or the complicate and various changes in those color patterns that are produced by the variously changing motions or movements of the objects and can be perceived visually by reflecting those motions or movements in the mirrors, the method and means for supplying the motion to the objects may be implemented in various ways other than rotating the object cases as the before described, which will be described in the following section “Best Mode for carrying out the Invention”.
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Mahoney Christopher E.
Ochi International KabuShiki Kaisha
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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