Marine display device having a liquid vessel with a finished surface to eliminate focusing effect

Abstract

 The invention is directed to an apparatus for display of animated marine life comprising a housing and a liquid vessel (1) at least partially filled with liquid, said liquid vessel (1) being formed of a convex front member (1a) and a relatively flat rear panel member (1b) wherein said rear flat panel member has a matt finished surface, said matt finished surface having the property of refracting incident sun rays which impinge upon said matt finished surface.

Description

[0001] This invention relates generally to a display apparatus for animated marine life and is particularly related to a display device comprising a liquid vessel and one or more animated marine life species swimming therein, against a coral reef or the like underwater backgrounds in order to simulate an aquarium. More specifically, the present invention relates to an aquarium of the type herein described wherein the reflector surface of the liquid vessel of the aquarium has been specially treated or matt finished in order to eliminate the so-called "focusing effect" associated with such surface when such surface is not treated or not finished in accordance with this invention.

[0002] The focusing effect results from the concentration of sun rays upon striking such untreated or unfinished surfaces from a convex surface, i.e., a convex lens effect. The concentrated rays are reflected from the untreated surface and are concentrated on a relatively small area outside the aquarium, thus generating heat and smoke which can possibly cause fire hazard.

[0003] Several display devices for marine lives are known and described in the prior art. One such display device for example, is described in United States Patent No. 3,239,956. This patent describes a marine life display apparatus in which an animated toy fish having a magnet therein is freely suspended in a liquid medium and the fish is caused to move about therein in order to simulate the movements of a natural fish. Various other such display devices have been described and illustrated in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,223,471 and 5,050,876 and, more recently, in the application serial number 08/041,566. The marine display device described in said application comprises, as shown in figures 1 and 2 thereof, a liquid vessel made of a transparent rigid plastic material in the general form of a semi-spherical structure having a front convex surface and a generally flat rear surface. The liquid vessel is provided with an opening for the introduction of liquid into the vessel, and a closure cap to seal the vessel.

[0004] The display apparatus shown in figures 1 and 2 of the aforementioned application comprises a generally circular housing or casing to accommodate said liquid vessel. The casing has a base and a background plate disposed between the rear surface of the liquid vessel and the casing to provide a background view, such as a coral reef, a rock cave or some other underwater marine habitat. One or more magnetic marine objects such as a fish and the like are suspended freely in the liquid vessel and move about therein much in the same manner as a natural marine life moves about in the sea. Magnetic means are suitably located in said apparatus in order to impart movements to the magnetic fish in all different directions. The disclosure of said application serial number 08/041,566 is fully incorporated herein by reference.

[0005] It has been discovered by the inventor herein that care must be exercised in the design of the aquarium and the treatment of the background plate so as to avoid focusing effect and hot spot formation when the display device is placed in direct path of sun rays.

[0006] Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a marine display apparatus such as the aquarium described in the aforementioned application, but wherein prior measures have been taken to insure that no focusing effect is experienced when the display device is placed in the sun or in a place where the sun rays strike the surface of the display device.

[0007] It is also an object of this invention to provide a marine display device which is safe to use and which is free from possible smoke or fire hazards due to focusing effects.

[0008] The foregoing and other features and objects of this invention will now be described in the ensuing detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0009] An apparatus is provided for display of animated marine life, the apparatus having a liquid vessel at least partially filled with liquid. The liquid vessel is formed of a convex front member and a relatively flat rear panel member which is bonded to the rear peripheral edge of the convex member. The flat panel member is matt finished to insure that the finished surface refracts incident sun rays which impinge upon the finished surface. The matt finished surface of the rear flat plate is produced by injection molding of a thermoplastic material in a mold which has been etched to form an etched surface.

[0010] In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are employed to designate like parts:

Figure 1 (prior art) is a schematic side view illustrating how the sun rays are reflected from the surface of a prior art aquarium which has not been treated or finished according to the present invention, thus resulting in focusing effect;

Figure 2 is a perspective elevational view of the marine display device of the present invention with the liquid vessel installed in the housing;

Figure 3 is a perspective elevational view similar to Figure 2 wherein the liquid vessel has been removed in order to more clearly see the coral reef background;

Figure 4 is a side sectional view in elevation showing how the sun rays are reflected from the background back panel of the liquid vessel whose surface is treated in accordance with this invention, without any focusing effect;

Figure 5 is a side elevational schematic view of the semi-spherical surface of the vessel which contains the liquid medium and the marine objects, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the semi-spherical liquid vessel showing how the treated or finished background plate of the liquid vessel looks to an observer after its surface has been matt finished according to the present invention.

[0011] Referring now to the drawings, and first to Figures 1 - 4, the marine display device illustrated therein comprises a liquid-containing vessel 1 made of transparent rigid plastic material in the general form of a semi-spherical structure having a front convex surface 1a and a rear generally flat plate 1b. The liquid vessel 1 is provided with an opening 3 for introducing the liquid and the marine lives into the vessel, and a closure cap 2 seals the vessel after it has been filled with liquid. The lower portion of the front convex surface 1 converges toward the rear flat plate 1b as shown in Figures 1 and 4.

[0012] The marine display device of this invention comprises a housing or casing 5 formed to accommodate the liquid vessel 1. The casing 5 has a base 5a which supports the flange portion 1c which may be formed integrally with the liquid vessel 1. A background surface 6 is disposed intermediate the rear panel 1b of the liquid vessel and the casing 5 to provide a background view corresponding to the liquid habitat for the swimming toy fish.
Although in Figures 1 and 2 the background view depicts a rock cave, it may be designed to depict a coral reef or other marine habitats, if desired.

[0013] The panel 1b has a rear unfinished surface 1c and a front matt finished surface 1d which is treated as hereinafter described in order to eliminate any focusing effect when the display device is placed in the sun. The matt finished surface 1d of the panel 1b is formed by injection molding the panel 1b in a chemically etched mold. In accordance with the method contemplated herein for producing the matt finished surface 1d, the mold in which the panel 1b is formed is first etched by coating the mold surface with an acid-resistant film of a suitable wax such as, for example, hard paraffine wax, and the wax film is perforated forming channels therethrough across the surface of the wax film. An appropriate needle or other suitable sharp object is used to perforate the wax film thus providing random or irregularly distributed holes across the entire surface of the film. The mold is then dipped in a suitable acid such as nitric acid for a few minutes, usually for about 2 to about 3 minutes, at ambient conditions, and the acid is then rinsed away with water to wash the mold clean. Dipping the mold into the acid causes the acid to attack or "bite" the exposed portions of the mold surface, i.e., the perforated portions, thus etching the mold surface.

[0014] In order to form the rear panel 1b, a suitable amount of a thermoplastic resin, preferable reinforced polystrene, is injected molded in the etched mold and the matt finished panel 1b is formed therein. Thus, the surface of the panel 1b which conformally contacts the etched surface of the mold is formed with a matt finish and exhibits the property of refracting incident sun rays rather than concentrating these rays as is the case when the surface is not matt finished. The matt finished panel formed as hereinabove described is removed from the mold, cooled and then used in forming the liquid vessel 1 for the aquarium.

[0015] Preferably, the matt finished plate 1b is formed with an integral peripheral lip 1e which may be ¼ to ½ inch thick, and plate 1b is slightly tapered rearward so as to insure that opening 3 is wide enough to facilitate easy introduction of the marine objects into the liquid vessel. The plate 1b is bonded to the periphery of the semi-spherical member to define the liquid vessel, using a suitable adhesive or bonding agent.

[0016] The injection molding conditions per se are not critical as these may vary depending upon the thermoplastic material which is used. Similarly, the quantity of the thermoplastic material which is used is not critical and, as it may be appreciated by those skilled in the art, this quantity can vary depending on the desired size and thickness of the finished plate which is desired. For the purposes of the present invention, it is essential that plate 1b be formed with a matt finished surface which is capable of refracting the sun rays so as to avoid the possibility of hot spot formation and smoking due to focusing effect.

[0017] Figure 4 illustrates how the sun rays which impinge upon the finished surface of the rear panel of the liquid vessel is refracted in different directions, thus minimizing or eliminating focusing effect. By comparison, as shown in Figure 1, when the sun rays impinge upon the surface of an unfinished panel, the sun rays are not refracted in different directions, but rather they are concentrated or focused onto one small area, which can cause hot spot, smoke or even fire hazards. Thus, matt finishing the back panel of the aquarium as herein described insures safety of use and operation of the display device. Needless to say that elimination or prevention of focusing effect is a major factor in commercialization of these display devices.

[0018] While the invention has been described with certain degrees of particularity, it can be appreciated by the skilled artisans that several changes and modifications may be made which are obvious from the present description. Such changes and modifications are nevertheless within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for display of animated marine life comprising a housing and a liquid vessel at least partially filled with liquid, said liquid vessel being formed of a convex front member and a relatively flat rear panel member wherein said rear flat panel member has a matt finished surface, said matt finished surface having the property of refracting incident sun rays which impinge upon said matt finished surface.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said relatively flat rear panel member is an injection molded member molded in a mold having an etched surface corresponding to the matt finished surface of said panel.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said convex front member has a peripheral surface facing said relatively flat rear panel member and said relatively flat rear panel member has a peripheral lip portion which is sealed to said peripheral surface of said convex front member.

4. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said convex front member has a peripheral surface facing said relatively flat rear panel member and said relatively flat rear panel member has a peripheral flange portion which is sealed to said peripheral surface of said convex front member.

5. An apparatus as in any of the preceding claims wherein said relatively flat rear panel member having a matt finished surface is formed in a mold having an etched surface produced by coating the interior surface of said mold with an acid-resistant film, perforating said film to form holes therethrough, dipping said coated mold in an acid which attacks the mold, rinsing the mold free from said acid, and injection molding a thermoplastic resinous material in said mold to form said panel member with a matt finished surface corresponding to the etched surface of said mold.

6. An apparatus as in claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein said relatively flat rear panel member having a matt finished surface is formed in a mold having an etched surface produced by coating the interior surface of said mold with an acid-resistant film, perforating said film to form holes therethrough, dipping said coated mold in an acid which attacks the mold, rinsing the mold free from said acid and injection molding a thermoplastic resinous material in said mold to form said panel member with a matt finished surface corresponding to the etched surface of the mold.

7. An apparatus as in any of the preceding claims wherein said liquid vessel has an opening for introduction of liquid therein.

Drawing