# US 10,309,599 B2 · Modulated resonator generating a simulated flame > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,599 B2 - Document ID: US10309599B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/122,748 - Filed: 2018-09-05 - Published: 2019-01-03 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-10 - Applicants: Philip Angelotti - Inventors: Philip Angelotti - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309599B2 ## CPC - F21S 10/04: simulating flames - B01F 23/2133: {using electric, sonic or ultrasonic energy} - B05B 17/0607: {generated by electrical means, e.g. piezoelectric transducers} - B05B 17/0615: {spray being produced at the free surface of the liquid or other fluent material in a container and subjected to the vibrations} - B05B 17/0646: {Vibrating plates, i.e. plates being directly subjected to the vibrations, e.g. having a piezoelectric transducer attached thereto} - B05B 17/0684: {Wicks or the like} - B05B 17/0676: {Feeding means} - F21S 10/002: {using liquids, e.g. water} - F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS - B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) ## Abstract An artificial flame apparatus produces a simulated flame using a plume of mist that is illuminated around, about, and through an artificial wick. A mist may be produced by a transducer, such as an ultrasonic transducer that is in contact with liquid from a liquid reservoir. The rate of mist exiting the housing may be modulated to produce a more realistic looking artificial flame. A light source is configured to illuminate the mist and/or the artificial wick. The artificial wick may be in the shape of a wick or flame and may include a light source. One or more light sources may be configured as the artificial wick. The light intensity, color and rate of change of light may be modulated to produce a more realistic looking artificial flame. A standing wave tube may vary the rate of mist exiting one or more enclosure openings in the tube enclosure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An artificial flame apparatus comprising: a) a housing; b) a liquid reservoir within said housing and containing a liquid; c) an artificial wick extending from said housing; d) a transducer having a transducer surface; wherein said liquid from the liquid reservoir contacts the transducer surface to produce a mist; e) a controller configured to generate a modulation signal, wherein the modulation signal is configured to drive the transducer to create said mist from said liquid in contact with the transducer surface; f) a housing opening in the housing that is proximal to the artificial wick; wherein said mist exits the housing through said housing opening and around said artificial wick; g) a light source configured to illuminate said mist exiting the housing; wherein the illuminated mist appears as an artificial flame; and h) a shaping nozzle configured to shape the mist as it exits the housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 1, wherein the artificial wick comprises said light source. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 2, wherein the artificial wick comprises a fiber optic light source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 2, wherein the artificial wick comprises a plurality of fiber optic light sources. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of fiber optic light sources are twisted about each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 2, wherein the light source is a light tube. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 1, comprising a plurality of light sources wherein the controller controls at least a portion of said plurality of light sources to produce a colored light that varies in intensity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller controls a first light source to produce first colored light, and wherein the controller controls a second light source to produce a second colored light, and wherein the first colored light and the second colored light are different colors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer is at least partially submerged in the liquid reservoir. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer is an ultrasonic resonator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer comprises a piezoelectric device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer comprises a surface acoustic device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wick structure configured between the liquid reservoir and the transducer surface; wherein said wick structure wicks liquid from the liquid reservoir to the transducer surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer has at least one transducer opening configured to pass the mist. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modulation signal comprises different waveforms such that the mist exiting the housing has a varying shape, size, and/or height. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modulation signal comprises varying power levels such that the mist has a varying shape, size and/or height as a function of the varying power levels. ### Claim 17 An artificial flame apparatus comprising: a) a housing; b) a liquid reservoir within said housing and containing a liquid; c) an artificial wick extending from said housing; d) a transducer having a transducer surface; wherein said liquid from the liquid reservoir contacts the transducer surface to produce a mist; e) a controller configured to generate a modulation signal, wherein the modulation signal is configured to drive the transducer to create said mist from said liquid in contact with the transducer surface; f) a housing opening in the housing that is proximal to the artificial wick; wherein said mist exits the housing through said housing opening and around said artificial wick; q) a light source configured to illuminate said mist exiting the housing; wherein the illuminated mist appears as an artificial flame; and h) an oscillator device that varies a flow of mist from the housing opening such that the mist exiting the housing has a varying shape, size, and/or height. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 17, wherein the oscillator device produces sound waves and resulting sound pressure that varies the flow of mist from the housing opening. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 17, wherein the oscillator device comprises air-moving device that varies the flow of mist from the housing opening. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 17, wherein the oscillator comprises a standing wave tube comprising: a) an enclosure for receiving the mist; wherein the enclosure has one or more enclosure openings for the mist exiting the enclosure; b) a sound-wave generator that emits sound waves having a sound wave frequency into the enclosure and produces sound pressure; wherein the sound pressure forces the mist from the one or more enclosure openings as a function of the sound wave frequency. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The artificial flame apparatus of claim 20, wherein the enclosure extends around a portion of the artificial wick. ### Claim 22 An artificial flame apparatus, comprising: a) a housing; b) a liquid reservoir within said housing and containing a liquid; c) an artificial wick extending from said housing; d) a transducer having a transducer surface; e) a wick structure configured between the liquid reservoir and the transducer surface; wherein said wick structure wicks liquid from the liquid reservoir to the transducer surface; and wherein the transducer creates mist from said liquid wicked to the transducer surface and wherein said mist creates a vapor plume as it exits the housing; f) a first light source configured with the artificial wick to illuminate said mist exiting the housing; g) a second light source coupled to the housing to illuminate said mist exiting the housing; h) an oscillator device comprising a sonic device that produces sound waves that pushes the mist from the housing such that the mist exiting the housing opening has a varying shape, size, and/or height; i) a controller configured to generate a modulation signal, wherein the modulation signal is configured to drive the transducer to create and vary said mist created by the transducer surface; such that the vapor plume changes shape as a function of the modulation signal; wherein the controller varies the first light source configured with the artificial wick to change color and intensity; wherein the controller varies the second light source coupled to the housing to change color and intensity; and wherein the controller controls the oscillator device that produces the sound waves; j) a mist reservoir within the housing that receives said mist generated by the transducer; k) a housing opening in the housing that is proximal to the artificial wick; wherein said mist from the mist reservoir exits the housing through said housing opening and around said artificial wick; wherein said illuminated mist appears as an artificial flame; and l) a shaping nozzle that shapes the mist as it exits the housing. ### Claim 23 An artificial flame apparatus comprising: a) a housing; b) a liquid reservoir within said housing and containing a liquid; c) a transducer having a transducer surface; wherein said liquid from the liquid reservoir contacts the transducer surface to produce a mist; d) a controller configured to generate a drive signal, wherein the drive signal is configured to drive the transducer to create said mist from said liquid in contact with the transducer surface; e) a shaping nozzle configured to pass and shape the mist through a housing opening in the housing; wherein said mist exits the housing through said housing opening; and f) a light source configured to illuminate said mist.