Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Three dimension imitation or 'treated' natural product
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-18
2003-02-18
Hamilton, Cynthia (Department: 1752)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Three dimension imitation or 'treated' natural product
C362S034000, C446S219000, C446S202000, C446S405000, C446S473000, C222S001000, C222S079000, C222S394000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06521304
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to luminescent playthings which can be used preferably as candles, table lights, pen lights, illuminations, illuminating playthings for camps or night fishings, fish-gathering lamps, safety candles, neon lights, luminescent inks, luminescent pens, luminescent coatings or luminescent writing implements, in which a soft light with indescribable color tone not obtainable from flames of conventional candles is emitted via (or by adding) seawater, lake and marsh water, river water, ground water (including well water and hot-spring water), tap water, mineral drinking water, and the like (which are, in the present invention, referred to hereinafter as environmental water) by utilizing 3 components of luciferin, luciferase and ATP, or 4 components of these components plus a metal salt, out of components necessary for bioluminescence in fireflies or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, a table is decorated with candles in Christmas Eve or a birthday party, or in a wedding reception a candlelight service is conducted where the bride and groom light a candle in each table for invited guests, or in a coffee bar, people drink tea and have a meal in a table decorated with candles under a slightly different atmosphere in dark illumination in a coffee bar or the like. Under soft lights of these candles, foods and human faces look beautiful and the atmosphere becomes more enjoyable.
The object of the present invention is to provide a luminescent plaything for emitting a soft light with indescribable color tone not obtainable from conventional candles, to an ancillary material thereof, and to a method of storing a luminescent composition used therein.
The present inventors have now surprisingly found that the combination of luciferin, luciferase and ATP, substantially free of a metal salt, does not emit light even if dissolved in water such as distilled water (or pure water) or deionized water substantially free of a metal salt, but when dissolved in environmental water such as seawater and river water, it emits a soft light with indescribable color tone not obtainable from flames of conventional candles, presumably due to its reaction with a trace of a metal salt dissolved in such water, and luminescence utilizable as playthings can thereby be expected.
The present inventors have further found that a luminescent plaything comprising the combination consisting of 4 components of luciferin, luciferase, ATP and a metal salt, which emits light with a color tone not obtainable from conventional candles when these 4 components are divided into at least 2 groups and mixed so as to be contained simultaneously in the form of a liquid state in an objective place, and also that when a fifth component being a buffer is combined with the 4 components, the luminescence is sustained.
Still further, the present inventors have found that the concentrations of luciferin, luciferase, ATP and a metal salt can be selected from a wide range from low to high concentrations, and if their concentrations are low, luminescent playthings with commodity worthy cannot be obtained, that is, it cannot be expected that the luminescence is sufficiently satisfactory when observed with the naked eye and is worthy of appreciation, but if the 4 components of luciferin, luciferase, ATP and a metal salt are contained at concentrations of 0.01 mM or more, 0.015 mg/ml or more, 0.002 mM or more, and 0.02 mM or more respectively, it can be expected that the luminescence is sufficiently satisfactory when observed with the naked eye and is worthy of appreciation.
Further, the luminescent plaything might have the problem that it is poor in luminescent stability, and use of a large amount of ATP, luciferin and luciferase is inevitable to attain the long duration of luminescence.
As a result of the intensive study under these present circumstances, the present inventors have found that upon luminescence reaction proceeding by the action of pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase in the presence of phosphoenolpyruvic acid, pyrophosphoric acid, magnesium ions, luciferin, luciferase and ATP, the ATP consumed by the reaction is continuously regenerated, thereby providing a luminescent plaything with highly stable luminescence without increasing the amount of ATP, luciferin and luciferase added.
The shape of the luminous body of this luminescent plaything is subject to the shape of a container for accommodating the luminescent plaything, so there is the inconvenience that it cannot be enjoyed without considering the shape of the container. This can be solved by providing a container (glass container) of desired size and shape to meet various expected requests, but even if it is theoretically possible to provide a container of arbitrary shape, there is actually a limit to manufacturing techniques or costs, so there is a problem that it is not practical. Further, a luminescent plaything in the form of a solution or powder has the problem that the duration of its luminescence is poor.
As a result of the intensive study under these circumstances, the present inventors have found that in a luminescent plaything comprising the combination of 4 components of luciferin, luciferase, ATP and a metal salt, the 4 components being not simultaneously mixed in a liquid state, at least one of the 4 components is granulated so that beautiful luminescence of arbitrary shapes (e.g., circle-, star-, heart-, ball-, triangle-, and alphabet-shapes) is obtained in transparent water and the luminescence is sustained.
Further, the present inventors have found that the dissolution rate of the luminescent plaything in water can be arbitrarily controlled by changing the hardness of the granulated material and the bulk density of the texture, and thus the duration of luminescence can be controlled, and further the granulated material is structured in such a concentric circle that luminescent layers and non-luminescent layers are laminated alternately to form a multi-layer construction whereby the luminescence can be intermittently depressed as the granulated material is dissolved, or the shape and size of the granulated material are selected and its surface is sprayed with water or is brought into contact with a wet cloth whereby new types of luminescent playthings not known so far can be provided. Furthermore, luminescence generally utilizing a luciferase derived from an organism emits monochromatic (yellow or yellowish green) light, but this time, the present inventors developed luciferases emitting red light and orange light respectively, in addition to yellow light in the prior art. However, it is difficult that these 3 kinds of luciferases emit yellow, red and orange lights respectively in the same solution, and it is also difficult that these lights are enjoyed (because the lights are mixed), so it is strongly desired to solve this problem. The present inventors have found that the 3 lights (i.e., yellow, red and orange lights) are emitted in the same solution like a mirror ball by previously granulating these 3 kinds of luciferases and then mixing the granulated materials with other components necessary for luminescence.
Further, the resulting luminescent plaything in the form of a solution is mixed as such, or in the form of powder, is dissolved in water etc. in order to promote luminescence, but its luminous body does not have a shape, so there is the disadvantage that its luminescence cannot be enjoyed unless it is placed in a container. By making its granulated material, luminescence having a shape can be enjoyed, but as the granulated material is dissolved, the shape inconveniently collapses and disappears. Thus the granulated material cannot maintain luminescence having a specific shape, namely, luminescence having a three-dimensional structure.
As a result of the intensive study under these circumstances, the present inventors have found that of components necessary for bioluminescence, at least one or all components are adsorbed into, or allowed to adhere to, an arbitrary carrier, and the
Arai Ayumi
Eisaki Naoki
Kajiyama Naoki
Nakano Eiichi
Sakakibara Tatsuya
Hamilton Cynthia
Kikkoman Corporation
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