Claims
- 1. A liquid display, comprising:
- at least one fluid filled tube that has a longitudinal axis;
- air means operatively connected to said tube for introducing air into said tube;
- first valve means operatively connected to said tube and said air means for introducing air into said tube such that said air forms a bubble in said tube;
- control means operatively connected to said valve means for controlling said bubble size and frequency of occurrence; and,
- accumulator means for receiving and supplying fluid to said tube in response to said introduction of said air into said tube and for bleeding said air from said tube into an ambient without exposing said tube to the ambient;
- whereby there is a pattern of bubbles created within said tube that float up said longitudinal axis of said tube.
- 2. The liquid display as recited in claim 1, wherein said air means includes an air tank in fluid communication with said tube such that said fluid can flow from said tube into said air tank, said air tank having sensor means operatively connected to a compressor for supplying pressurized air from said compressor to said air tank when said fluid reaches a predetermined level within said air tank.
- 3. The liquid display as recited in claim 2, further comprising a fluid reservoir connected to said tube.
- 4. The liquid display as recited in claim 3, wherein said tube and said reservoir are operatively connected to a pump that pumps said fluid through a filter and a heat exchanger to clean and keep said fluid temperature constant, respectively.
- 5. The liquid display as recited in claim 3, wherein said accumulator means is operatively connected to said tube, said reservoir and said compressor, said accumulator allows said air to flow from said tube to said compressor while allowing said fluid to flow from said reservoir to said tube, said air being recirculated through said air means and said tube in a closed system.
- 6. The liquid display as recited in claim 5, wherein said accumulator includes first and second tanks operatively connected to said tube and to an air chamber in communication with said compressor, said tanks contain fluid and have second valve means connected to an air line that switches said tanks between a condition wherein said tanks are in fluid communication with said tube or a condition wherein said tanks are exposed to said air chamber, said tanks being out of phase such that when said first tank is in fluid communication with said tube said second tank is in communication with said air chamber, said tanks being constructed such that said air can flow through said air line from said tube into said tank and said fluid can flow through fluid lines from said tank into said tube when said tanks are in fluid communication with said tube, said tanks further being connected to said reservoir such that said fluid can flow from said reservoir to said tanks and said air within said tanks can flow to said air chamber when said tanks are in communication with said air chamber.
- 7. The liquid display as recited in claim 6, wherein said second valve means are connected to a timer that switches said second valve means when one of said tanks is completely filled with said fluid.
- 8. The liquid display as recited in claim 7, wherein said accumulator has a plurality of check valves that allow said fluid to flow only from said reservoir to said tanks and from said tanks to said tube.
- 9. The liquid display as recited in claim 1, wherein said air is introduced into said tube at a predetermined location and said air has a pressure that is greater than a pressure of said liquid at said predetermined location by approximately 2 inches of water.
- 10. The liquid display as recited in claim 1, further comprising a source of light adjacent to said tube such that light is directed toward said tube, said fluid having a predetermined color such that said light of said light source is only transmitted through said bubble.
- 11. A liquid display, comprising:
- a plurality of adjacent fluid filled tubes that each have a longitudinal axis;
- air means operatively connected to said tubes for introducing air into said tubes;
- a plurality of air valves operatively connected to said tubes and said air means, each said tube having one said air valve that introduces air into said tube such that said air forms a bubble in said tube;
- control means operatively connected to said air valves for controlling said bubble size and frequency of occurrence; and,
- accumulator means for receiving and supplying fluid in said tube in response to said introduction of said air into said tube and for bleeding said air from said tube into an ambient without exposing said tube to the ambient;
- whereby there is a pattern of bubbles created in said tubes that float up said longitudinal axis of said tubes.
- 12. The liquid display as recited in claim 11, wherein said control means includes a computer with a computer program, connected to a controller to produce a predetermined pattern of bubbles that combine to create a visual display.
- 13. The liquid display as recited in claim 12, wherein said computer is connected to a scanner adapted to scan a document, wherein said scanner, said computer and said controller can display a visual image of bubbles corresponding to the document.
- 14. The liquid display as recited in claim 11, wherein said air means includes an air tank in fluid communication with said tubes such that said fluid can flow from said tubes into said air tank, said air tank having sensor means operatively connected to a compressor for supplying pressurized air from said compressor to said air tank when said fluid reaches a predetermined level within said air tank.
- 15. The liquid display as recited in claim 14, further comprising an accumulator operatively connected to said tubes, said reservoir and said compressor, said accumulator allows said air to flow from said tubes to said compressor while allowing said fluid to flow from said reservoir to said tubes, said air being recirculated through said air means and said tube in a closed system.
- 16. The liquid display as recited in claim 15, wherein said accumulator comprises having each said tube connected to a pair of tanks by a fluid line and an air line said tanks being operatively connected to an air chamber in communication with said compressor, said tanks contain fluid and have valve means connected to said air line that switches said tank between a condition wherein said tanks are in fluid communication with said tube or a condition wherein said tanks are exposed to said air chamber, said tanks being out of phase such that when one tank is in fluid communication with said tube said other tank is in communication with to said air chamber, said tanks being constructed such that said air can flow through said air line from said tube into said tank and said fluid can flow through said fluid line from said tank into said tube when said tanks are in fluid communication with said tube, said tanks further being connected to said reservoir such that said fluid can flow from said reservoir to said tanks and said air within said tanks can flow to said compressor when said tanks are in communication with said compressor.
- 17. The liquid display as recited in claim 16, wherein said valve means are connected to a timer that switches said valve means when on of said tanks is completely filled with said fluid.
- 18. The liquid display as recited in claim 17, wherein said accumulator has a plurality of check valves that allow said fluid to flow only from said reservoir to said tanks and from said tanks to said tube.
- 19. The liquid display as recited in claim 14, wherein said air is introduced into said tube at a predetermined location and said air has a pressure that is greater than a pressure of said liquid at said predetermined location by approximately 2 inches of water.
- 20. The liquid display as recited in claim 11, further comprising a fluid reservoir connected to said tubes.
- 21. The liquid display as recited in claim 20, wherein said tubes and said reservoir are operatively connected to a pump that pumps said fluid through a filter and a heat exchanger to clean and keep said fluid temperature constant, respectively.
- 22. The liquid display as recited in claim 11, further comprising a source of light adjacent to said tube such that light is directed toward said tube, said fluid having a predetermined color such that said light of said light source is only transmitted through said bubble.
- 23. A liquid display, comprising:
- a plurality of adjacent water filled tubes that are transparent and have a longitudinal axis;
- a fluid reservoir operatively connected to said tubes, said reservoir having an air chamber;
- an air tank operatively connected to said tubes to introduce air into said tubes, said air tank being in fluid communication with said tubes such that said fluid can flow from said tubes into said air tank, said air tank having sensor means operatively connected to a compressor for supplying pressurized air from said compressor to said air tank when said fluid reaches a predetermined level within said air tank;
- a plurality of air valves operatively connected to said tubes and said air tank, each said tube having one said air valve that introduces air into said tube such that said air forms a bubble in said tube;
- a plurality of first and second tanks operatively connected to said tubes and to said air chamber, each tube having a pair of said tanks that each contain fluid and have valve means connected to an air line that switches each said tank between a condition wherein said tank is in fluid communication with said tube, or a condition wherein said tank is in communication with said air chamber, said tanks of each said tube being out of phase such that when said first tank is in fluid communication with said tube said second tank is in communication with said air chamber, said tanks being constructed such that said air can flow through said air line from said tube into said tanks and said fluid can flow through fluid line from said tanks into said tube when said tanks are in fluid communication with said tube, said tanks further being connected to said reservoir such that said fluid can flow from said reservoir to said tanks and said air within said tanks can flow to said air chamber when said tanks are in communication with said air chamber;
- a timer operatively connected to said valve means for switching said valve means when one of said tanks is filled with said fluid; and,
- control means operatively connected to said air valves for controlling said bubble size and frequency of occurrence;
- whereby there is a pattern of bubbles created within said tubes that float up said longitudinal axis of said tubes.
- 24. The liquid display as recited in claim 23, wherein said control means includes a computer with a computer program, connected to a controller that produce a predetermined pattern of bubbles that combine to create a visual display.
- 25. The liquid display as recited in claim 24, wherein said tubes and said reservoir are operatively connected to a pump that pumps said fluid through a filter and a heat exchanger.
- 26. The liquid display as recited in claim 25, wherein said accumulator has a plurality of check valves that allow said fluid to flow only from said reservoir to said tanks and from said tanks to said tube.
- 27. The liquid display as recited in claim 26, wherein said air is introduced into said tube at a predetermined location and said air has a pressure that is greater than a pressure of said liquid at said predetermined location by approximately 2 inches of water.
- 28. The liquid display as recited in claim 27, further comprising a source of light adjacent to said tube such that light is directed toward said tube, said fluid having a predetermined color such that said light of said light source is only transmitted through said bubble.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/755,644 filed Sep. 6, 1991, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3973340 |
Khawand |
Aug 1976 |
|
4892250 |
Fuller et al. |
Jan 1990 |
|
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
755644 |
Sep 1991 |
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