US 5,313,727 A · Decorative kinetic device

Abstract

A decorative kinetic device which includes a transparent hollow dome containing a fluid and a plurality of small particles. The dome is open on its bottom and is mounted on a base having a pumping chamber formed therein. The top of the pumping chamber, which serves as the bottom of the dome, includes an intake hole and an outlet hole to provide flow paths between the dome and the pumping chamber. A pump impeller is positioned within the pumping chamber to circulate the fluid and the particles, the impeller being rotated by a motor positioned in the base below the pumping chamber. An extension member is attached to and extends vertically upward from the pump impeller into the dome and is adapted to receive a decorative object. A transport tube having an intake port and an outlet port is positioned in the dome such that the intake port is connected to the outlet hole of the pumping chamber and the outlet port of the transporting tube is positioned near the top of the dome. Rotation of the impeller causes the fluid and the particles to be drawn through and out of the pumping chamber into and through the transport tube, out of the transport tube near the top of the dome and down through the dome to the pumping chamber again. Simultaneously, the rotating extension member is caused to rotate.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A decorative kinetic device, comprising:

a base having an internal pumping chamber;
a transparent dome mounted on the base above the pumping chamber, the dome containing a fluid and a plurality of small particles;
the pumping chamber having spaced inlet and outlet holes communicating with the dome;
an impeller mounted in the pumping chamber to circulate the fluid and the particles from the dome through the inlet hole through the pumping chamber and back to the dome through the outlet opening;
means for supporting a decorative object mounted for rotation in the dome;
and
means for simultaneously rotating the impeller and the supporting means.

4 more elements

A decorative kinetic device, comprising:

a transparent hollow dome containing a fluid and a plurality of small particles, the dome being open at the bottom and having an annular bottom edge;
a base positioned below the dome, the base having a horizontal annular first surface to which the annular bottom edge of the dome is sealingly joined, a substantially horizontal disk-shaped second surface extending inward from and joined to the first surface, and a plate having a substantially horizontal disk-like shape and positioned parallel to and above the second surface such that the bottom surface of the plate forms the top of a horizontal pumping chamber, and the top surface of the plate forms a bottom closure for the dome thereby forming a dome chamber, the plate further containing an intake hole near its center and an outlet hole near its edge, the intake and outlet holes providing flow paths between the dome chamber and the pumping chamber;
a pump impeller positioned within the pumping chamber to rotate in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis;
a transporting tube having an intake port and an outlet port and positioned such that the intake port is joined to the outlet hole of the plate, and the outlet port is positioned near the top of the dome chamber;
and
a motor positioned below the second surface of the base, the plate having a motor shaft hole and the motor being positioned such that the shaft of the motor extends through the motor shaft hole and engages the pump impeller to rotate the impeller upon rotation of the motor, rotation of the impeller causing the fluid to circulate around a fluid circulation path wherein the fluid is drawn into the intake hole, out the outlet hole, into the intake port, upward inside the transport tube, out the outlet port and down through the dome chamber to the intake hole again.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Decorative kinetic device

Life of this patent

Decorative kinetic device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19