Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Display device with gas or liquid movement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-09
2001-11-20
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Display device with gas or liquid movement
C040S407000, C040S410000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318010
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ornamental crystal ball, and more particularly to an ornamental crystal ball that could be mass-produced through integral injection molding at reduced cost. The ornamental crystal ball includes a clear plastic spherical body that defines a generally cylindrical inner space in which liquids and floating articles are contained to achieve the same ornamental effect as that provided by a conventional ornamental crystal ball.
The ornamental crystal ball has been known for quiet a long time.
FIGS. 1 and 2
are perspective and sectional views, respectively, of a conventional ornamental crystal ball
1
. The conventional ornamental crystal ball
1
mainly includes a hollow ball-shaped container
11
in which clear liquids and various kinds of three-dimensional ornaments, such as antique dolls or currently popular dual-liquid floating ornaments
12
(that is, floating articles floating at joint of clear oil and colored water), are contained for ornamental purpose. A portion of the liquid container
11
outward extends by a short distance to form a tubular neck portion
13
. The neck portion
13
has a diameter smaller than that of the ball-shaped container
11
and is sealed at its outer opening by a plug
14
and bonding agent
15
applied around the plug
14
. A seat
16
is then connected to an outer periphery of the neck portion
13
to protectively shield the neck portion
13
and support the whole ball-shaped liquid container
11
. Although the ornamental crystal ball is actually a substantially four-fifths ball
11
supported on the seat
16
, it impresses consumers as a full ball. However, up to now, such hollow four-fifths ball could only be made of glass material through blow molding at considerably high cost. That is, the mass production such as injection molding could not be employed for such hollow four-fifths ball. Moreover, some types of liquid, such as kerosene oil and white wax oil, tend to have action on glass and produce white film on the glass. Therefore, the conventional ornamental crystal ball made of glass could not be used in the manner of a dual-liquid ornament.
FIG. 3
illustrates a product currently available in the market as a substitute for the ornamental crystal ball of
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The product of
FIG. 3
includes a hollow liquid container
2
that could be mass-produced through injection molding into only a semi-spherical shell. That is, the liquid container
2
has an opening
21
located at the widest part of the container
2
. The four-fifths ball shape and the reduced neck portion that are common on the conventional ornamental crystal ball are impossible on the liquid container
2
. That is, the liquid container
2
does not impress consumers as a lovely spherical ornament.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved ornamental crystal ball that could be mass-produced with plastic material through integral injection molding at lowered cost and provides the same ornamental effect as that could be provided by the conventional ornamental crystal ball made of glass.
The ornamental crystal ball of the present invention mainly includes a spherical liquid container and a seat for supporting the spherical liquid container thereon. The spherical liquid container is made of a clear plastic material through integral injection molding and defines a generally cylindrical inner space in which clear liquid or liquids and different three-dimensional floating ornaments are contained. A portion of the spherical liquid container surrounding an opening of the inner space extends outward to form a short tubular neck portion. The neck portion defines a bottom opening for the spherical liquid container and has an outer diameter smaller than that of the spherical liquid container and an inner diameter the same as that of the inner space. An innermost end of the inner space has a curved surface so that no sharp line or pointed angle would appear in the inner space. A bottom cap seals the bottom opening of the neck portion through supersonic welding. The seat is connected to an outer periphery of the neck portion to protectively shield the neck portion and stably support the whole spherical liquid container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the above ornamental crystal ball that further includes a bubble collector and a motor compartment at the bottom cap. The bubble collector collects bubbles possibly appearing in the inner space. The motor compartment has a battery-powered, low-current and watertight motor mounted therein, so that the motor drives blades connected thereto to rotate in the liquid filled in the inner space to create dynamic views in the ornamental crystal ball.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2072841 (1937-03-01), Tracey et al.
patent: 4771902 (1988-09-01), Teng
patent: 4817311 (1989-04-01), Ong
patent: 5396723 (1995-03-01), Liu
patent: 5442869 (1995-08-01), McDarren et al.
patent: 6027774 (2000-02-01), Fine et al.
Browne Lynne H.
Dougherty & Troxell
Hutton Doug
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