Floating fountain device

• US 4,920,465 A
• Filed: 11/15/1988
• Issued: 04/24/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alopex Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alopex Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Sargent, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hagarman, Sue
• Application Number:
  US07/271,735
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 362/96, 362/192, 362/193, 464/29
• US Class Current: 362/96
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/08 Fountains drinking fountains E03B9/20; wash fountains E03C1/16
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/046 driven by hydropower, e.g. by water powered turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/02 for fountains
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools

Abstract

A floating fountain device for a swimming pool includes a fountainhead to create a water fountain and a lamp and generator to illuminate the fountain, the generator being sealed in an envelope and driven by a water turbine through a magnetic coupling.

Claims

1. A floating fountain device for use in a swimming pool comprising:

a central housing having a plurality of hollow, radially projecting arms thereon each having a pod-like float on its outer end, said housing and said arms being buoyant to float the device on the surface of a pool, and one of said floats having a separate bottom wall sealed to the underside of the float;

means defining an inlet for admitting water under pressure into a lower end of said housing and an outlet for water to flow out of the upper end of the housing;

a fountainhead connected to the central housing for receiving flowing pressurized water that passes through the housing and ejecting the water from the housing to form a fountain of water;

an electric lamp mounted in said one float on said bottom wall thereof, and positioned to direct a beam of light into the fountain of water;

a waterproof sealed envelope in said housing supported in spaced relation with the housing to form flow passages from the inlet toward the outlet;

an electricity generator sealed in said envelope and having wires for electrically connecting the generator to said lamp through one of said arms;

a water turbine mounted in said housing above said envelope and having inlet openings for receiving water under pressure from said flow passages and forming driving jets for the turbine, said turbine being positioned beneath said outlet to deliver the water from the turbine to the fountainhead;

and a magnetic coupling having a first coupling half carried by said turbine and a second coupling half spaced beneath said turbine within said envelope and coupled to said generator to drive the generator and thereby provide electricity to said lamp.

2. A floating fountain as defined in claim 1 wherein said envelope has a recessed top wall with said water turbine and first coupling half mounted therein.

3. A floating fountain as defined in claim 1 wherein said generator and said lamp are a bicycle generator and lamp assembly.

4. A floating fountain as defined in claim 3 wherein said housing has four arms, each having a bend adjacent the housing and upwardly inclined therefrom, said floats being substantially level with said fountainhead.

5. A fountain device for use in a swimming pool, comprising:

a central housing

means defining an inlet for admitting a flow of water into under pressure into said housing an outlet for water to flow out of the housing, and a flow path for the water through the housing between said inlet and said outlet;

a fountainhead carried on said housing for receiving the flow of water from said outlet and emitting the water upwardly from the housing as a fountain of water;

an electric lamp mounted on said housing and positioned to direct a beam of light into the fountain of water;

an electric generator connected to said lamp and mounted in said housing in a watertight sealed envelope and having a driven shaft;

a water turbine mounted in said housing outside said sealed envelope and positioned in the flow of water between the inlet and said fountainhead, said turbine having a drive shaft rotated by said turbine and generally coaxial with said driven shaft; and

a magnetic coupling between said shafts including a driven coupling half inside said envelope on said driven shaft and a driving coupling half outside said envelope on said driving shaft, to drive the generator in response to said water flow.

6. A fountain device as defined in claim 5 in which said envelope is mounted in said housing beneath said fountainhead in spaced relation with said housing to define water flow passages alongside the envelope, and said turbine is mounted above said envelope between the latter and said fountainhead, said inlet being in the bottom of the housing.

7. A floating fountain device as defined in claim 5 wherein said lamp is offset laterally to one side of the fountainhead.