Claims
- 1. A special effect device for utilizing theatrical smoke to create a simulated fire effect comprising:first means for generating a theatrical smoke curtain along a line that extends from a first location to a second location; second means for modulating the position of a theatrical smoke curtain produced by said first means; and third means for lighting a modulated theatrical smoke curtain produced by said first and second means.
- 2. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:said first means comprises a theatrical smoke emission manifold.
- 3. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 2, wherein:said first means comprises a gas emission manifold.
- 4. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 3, wherein:said first means comprises a housing that defines a slot and an outlet port for said slot; and said theatrical smoke emission manifold is located between said gas emission manifold and an outlet port of said slot.
- 5. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:said first means comprises a theatrical smoke emission manifold having a first terminal end, a second terminal end, and an inlet port located between said first and second terminal ends.
- 6. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:said first means comprises a theatrical smoke emission manifold that comprises an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports with said plurality of outlet ports presenting a profile for resistance to the flow of theatrical smoke that decreases with increasing distance from said inlet port.
- 7. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:said first means comprises a gas emission manifold having a first terminal end, a second terminal end, and an inlet port located between said first and second terminal ends.
- 8. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:said first means comprises a gas emission manifold that comprises an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports with said plurality of outlet ports presenting a profile for resistance to the flow of gas that decreases with increasing distance from said inlet port.
- 9. A special effect device for utilizing theatrical smoke to create a simulated fire effect comprising:a housing that defines an interior volume and an outlet port that communicates with the ambient atmosphere; means for establishing a gas flow within said interior volume that at least partially exhausts through said outlet port; a theatrical smoke emission manifold that is substantially located within said interior volume and so as to be located within a gas flow created by said means for establishing a gas flow; an air modulator for producing a flow of air for altering the position of a theatrical smoke curtain produced adjacent to said outlet port; and a lighting system for projecting light onto a modulated theatrical smoke curtain produced adjacent to said outlet port.
- 10. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 9, wherein:said housing comprises a first portion that defines a chamber and a second portion that defines a slot; and said slot extends between said chamber and said outlet port.
- 11. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 10, wherein:said first portion of said housing being a substantially closed surface.
- 12. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 10, wherein:said chamber having a lateral cross-sectional chamber width; said slot having a lateral cross-sectional slot width; said lateral cross sectional chamber width is greater than said lateral cross-sectional slot width.
- 13. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 9, wherein:said means for establishing a gas flow comprises a gas emission manifold.
- 14. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 13, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold is located between said gas emission manifold and said outlet port.
- 15. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 13, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold comprises first and second theatrical smoke emission manifold terminal ends and a theatrical smoke emission manifold inlet port that is located between said first and second theatrical smoke emission manifold terminal ends; and said gas emission manifold comprises first and second gas emission manifold terminal ends and a gas emission manifold inlet port that is located between said first and second gas emission manifold terminal ends.
- 16. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 13, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold comprises a theatrical smoke emission outlet structure that presents a desired profile for the resistance to the flow of theatrical smoke; and said gas emission manifold comprises a gas emission outlet structure that presents a desired profile for the resistance to the flow of gas.
- 17. A special effect device for utilizing theatrical smoke to create a simulated fire effect comprising:a housing that defines an interior volume, said interior volume comprising a chamber and a slot that extends between a slot/chamber junction and an outlet port that communicates with the ambient atmosphere; a theatrical smoke emission manifold that is substantially located within said interior volume; a gas emission manifold that is substantially located within said interior volume; an air modulator for producing a flow of air for altering the position of a theatrical smoke curtain produced adjacent to said outlet port; and a lighting system for projecting light onto a modulated theatrical smoke curtain produced adjacent to said outlet port.
- 18. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold is located between said gas emission manifold and said outlet port.
- 19. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold is located between said gas emission manifold and said slot/chamber junction.
- 20. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold is located adjacent to said slot chamber junction and at least a portion of said theatrical smoke emission manifold is spaced from said housing so as to define a passageway for gas provided by said gas emission manifold to enter said slot.
- 21. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold is located adjacent to said slot/chamber junction and at least a portion of said theatrical smoke emission manifold is spaced from said housing so as to define first and second passageways for gas provided by said gas emission manifold to enter said slot.
- 22. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold comprises an outlet structure for venting theatrical smoke and that substantially lies in a plane defined by said slot.
- 23. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:said gas emission manifold comprises an outlet structure for venting gas that directs gas into said interior volume in a direction away from said slot.
- 24. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold comprises first and second theatrical smoke emission manifold terminal ends and a theatrical smoke emission manifold inlet port that is located between said first and second theatrical smoke emission manifold terminal ends; and said gas emission manifold comprises first and second gas emission manifold terminal ends and a gas emission manifold inlet port that is located between said first and second gas emission manifold terminal ends.
- 25. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold comprises a theatrical smoke emission outlet structure that presents a desired profile for the resistance to the flow of theatrical smoke; and said gas emission manifold comprises a gas emission outlet structure that presents a desired profile for the resistance to the flow of gas.
- 26. A special effect device for utilizing theatrical smoke to create a simulated fire effect comprising:a housing that defines an interior volume, said interior volume comprising a chamber and a slot that extends between a slot/chamber junction and an outlet port that communicates with the ambient atmosphere; a theatrical smoke emission manifold substantially located within said interior volume and comprising a theatrical smoke emission manifold elongated hollow body having a first smoke emission manifold terminal end and a second smoke emission manifold terminal end, a theatrical smoke emission manifold inlet port for providing theatrical smoke to a theatrical smoke emission interior space of said theatrical smoke emission manifold elongated body, and a theatrical smoke emission manifold outlet structure for venting smoke from said theatrical smoke emission interior space; a gas emission manifold substantially located within said interior volume and comprising a gas emission manifold elongated hollow body having a first gas emission manifold terminal end and a second gas emission manifold terminal end, a gas emission manifold inlet port for providing gas to a gas emission manifold interior space of said gas emission manifold elongated hollow body, and a gas emission manifold outlet structure for venting gas from said gas emission manifold interior space; an air modulator for producing a flow of air for altering the position of a theatrical smoke curtain produced adjacent to said outlet port; and a lighting system for projecting light onto a theatrical smoke curtain produced adjacent to said outlet port.
- 27. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:said smoke emission manifold inlet port is located between said first and second smoke emission manifold terminal ends of said smoke emission manifold elongated hollow body; and said gas emission manifold inlet port is located between said first and second gas emission manifold terminal ends of said gas emission manifold elongated hollow body.
- 28. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:said smoke emission manifold inlet port is substantially located at a midpoint between said first and second smoke emission manifold terminal ends of said smoke emission manifold elongated hollow body; said gas emission manifold inlet port is substantially located at a midpoint between said first and second gas emission manifold terminal ends of said gas emission manifold elongated hollow body.
- 29. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold outlet structure is adapted to facilitate a desired theatrical smoke density profile; said theatrical smoke emission manifold inlet port is located to substantially avoid interfering with the production of said desired theatrical smoke density profile by said theatrical smoke emission manifold outlet structure; said gas emission manifold outlet structure is adapted to facilitate a desired theatrical smoke density profile; and said theatrical smoke emission manifold inlet port is located to substantially avoid interfering with the production of said desired theatrical smoke density profile by said theatrical smoke emission manifold outlet structure.
- 30. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold outlet structure presents a desired profile for resistance to the flow of theatrical smoke; and said gas emission manifold outlet structure presents a desired profile for resistance to the flow of gas.
- 31. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold outlet structure presents a profile for resistance to the flow of theatrical smoke that decreases with increasing distance from said theatrical smoke emission manifold inlet port; and said gas emission manifold outlet structure presents a profile for resistance to the flow of gas that decreases with increasing distance from said gas emission manifold inlet port.
- 32. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission outlet structure comprises one of: a slot and a plurality of holes; and said gas emission outlet structure comprises one of: a slot and a plurality of holes.
- 33. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 26, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold is substantially located in said chamber; and said gas emission manifold is substantially located in said chamber.
- 34. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 33, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold is located between said slot and said gas emission manifold.
- 35. A special effect device for utilizing theatrical smoke to create a simulated fire effect comprising:a housing that defines an interior volume, said interior volume comprising a chamber and a slot that extends between a slot/chamber junction and an outlet port that communicates with the ambient atmosphere; a theatrical smoke emission manifold substantially located within said interior volume and comprising a theatrical smoke emission manifold elongated hollow body having a first theatrical smoke emission manifold terminal end and a second theatrical smoke emission manifold terminal end, a theatrical smoke emission manifold inlet port for providing theatrical smoke to a theatrical smoke emission manifold interior space of said theatrical smoke emission manifold elongated body, and a theatrical smoke emission manifold plurality of outlet ports for venting theatrical smoke from said theatrical smoke emission manifold interior space and that presents a desired profile for the resistance to the flow of theatrical smoke; a gas emission manifold substantially located within said interior volume and comprising a gas emission manifold elongated hollow body having a first gas emission manifold terminal end and a second gas emission manifold terminal end, a gas emission manifold inlet port for providing gas to a gas emission manifold interior space of said gas emission manifold elongated body, and a gas emission manifold plurality of outlet ports for venting gas from said gas emission manifold interior space and that presents a desired profile for the resistance to the flow of gas; an air modulator for producing a flow of air for altering the position of a theatrical smoke curtain produced adjacent to said outlet port; and a lighting system for projecting light onto a theatrical smoke curtain produced adjacent to said outlet port.
- 36. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 35, wherein:at least one of said theatrical smoke emission manifold plurality of outlet ports and said gas emission manifold plurality of outlet ports comprises a first hole having a first diameter and a second hole having a second diameter that is greater than said first diameter.
- 37. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 35, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold plurality of outlet ports comprises a first outlet port and a second outlet port; wherein said first outlet port is located a first distance from said theatrical smoke emission manifold inlet port; wherein said second outlet port is located a second distance from said first outlet port; and wherein said second distance is less than said first distance.
- 38. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 35, wherein:said gas emission manifold plurality of outlet ports comprises a first outlet port and a second outlet port; wherein said first outlet port is located a first distance from said gas emission manifold inlet port; wherein said second outlet port is located a second distance from said first outlet port; and wherein said second distance is less than said first distance.
- 39. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 35, wherein:at least a portion of said theatrical smoke emission manifold plurality of outlet ports define a straight line.
- 40. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 35, wherein:at least a portion of said theatrical smoke emission manifold plurality of outlet ports define a curved line.
- 41. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 35, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold plurality of outlet ports define a line that lies in a plane defined by said slot.
- 42. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 41, wherein:at least a portion of said plane is one of the following: a flat plane and a curved plane.
- 43. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 35, wherein:said smoke emission manifold inlet port is located between said first and second theatrical smoke emission manifold terminal ends of said theatrical smoke emission manifold elongated hollow body; and said gas emission manifold inlet port is located between said first and second gas emission manifold terminal ends of said gas emission manifold elongated hollow body.
- 44. A special effect device, as claimed in claim 35, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold inlet port coincides with said first theatrical smoke emission manifold terminal end; said gas emission manifold inlet port coincides with said first gas emission manifold terminal end.
- 45. A special effect device, as claimed in 35, wherein:said theatrical smoke emission manifold is substantially located within said chamber and between said slot/chamber junction slot and said gas emission manifold.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/063,264, entitled “APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A FIRE SPECIAL EFFECT USING STEAM,” filed on Apr. 4, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,574, which application is incorporated by reference into this application in its entirety.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10/063264 |
Apr 2002 |
US |
Child |
10/249949 |
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US |