Liquid-filled ornament

• US 6,508,022 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KIU Hung International Enterprises Limited
• Original Assignee: KIU Hung International Enterprises Limited
• Inventors: Huang, Jing Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hewitt, James M.
• Application Number:
  US09/794,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20010023547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 404/06, 404/09, 404/10, 404/26, 404/27, 404/07
• US Class Current: 40/426
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/08 Dolls, faces, or other representations of living forms with moving parts in the nature of toys A63H

Abstract

A liquid-filled ornament includes a body having a transparent casing having an opening and filled with liquid, a display object in the liquid, and a sealing wall extending across and sealing the opening. The ornament includes a driving mechanism having rotatable magnets and located on an outer side of the sealing wall, and a driven mechanism having rotatable magnets and located on an inner side of the sealing wall and immersed in the liquid. The magnets of the driven mechanism are rotated by the magnets of the driving mechanism through magnetic interaction. The driven mechanism includes a first stationary disc on which the display object is mounted and a second disc supported on the first disc and rotated by the magnetic interaction. A ball bearing is disposed between the two discs. The second disc includes paddles that stir bits of a solid material, resembling snow, dispersing the bits throughout the liquid.

Claims

1. A liquid-filled ornament comprising:

a base;

a transparent casing having an opening, filled with a liquid, and mounted on the base;

a sealing wall free of holes, extending across, and sealing the opening against loss of the liquid from the casing;

a driving mechanism located within the base and including;

a motor having a motor shaft;

a bar;

a gearing arrangement coupling the bar to the motor shaft so that the bar is rotated by operation of the motor; and

a pair of magnets mounted on opposite ends of the bar that are separated from the motor shaft;

a driven mechanism located entirely within the casing and including;

a stationary first member;

a rotatable second member rotatably supported on the first member and including a plurality of outwardly extending paddles for stirring the liquid upon rotation of the second member;

a pair of magnets positioned on the second member, alignable with the pair of magnets on the bar, for magnetic interaction with the pair of magnets mounted on the bar, so that the second member is rotated by rotation of the bar, and

a ball bearing interposed between the first member and the second member;

a display object mounted on the first member and visible in the liquid; and

bits of a solid material disposed in the liquid and disposed through the liquid by the paddles upon rotation of the second member.

2. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second members of the driven mechanism are first and second discs.

3. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of the first and second discs has a peripheral flange for positioning the ball bearing.

4. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first disc includes a shaft and the second disc includes a hole, through which the shaft extends, connecting the two discs together.

5. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ball bearing includes a plurality of roller balls and a ring having respective holes holding the balls.

6. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 1, wherein the paddles are arranged at a uniform pitch.

7. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving mechanism includes a spring motor.

8. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing wall is part of a cap-like stopper fitted within the opening of the casing.

9. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casing is substantially spherical.

10. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the stationary first member includes a platform on which the display object is mounted and a tubular portion extending transverse to the platform, and

the rotatable second member is annular and includes a central hole, the tubular portion of the first member being disposed within the central hole.

11. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 10, wherein the driven mechanism includes a base disposed on the sealing wall and a tubular portion receiving the tubular portion of the first member and disposed within the central opening of the second member.

12. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 11, wherein the base has a peripheral flange for positioning the ball bearing.

13. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 11, wherein the ball bearing includes a plurality of roller balls and a ring having respective holes holding the balls.

14. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 10, wherein the paddles are arranged at a uniform pitch.

15. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 10, wherein the driving mechanism includes a spring motor.

16. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sealing wall is part of a cap-like stopper fitted within the opening of the casing.

17. The liquid-filled ornament as claimed in claim 10, wherein the casing is substantially spherical.