Floatable firework device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6561102
  • Patent Number
    6,561,102
  • Date Filed
    Monday, March 4, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 13, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Nelson; Peter A.
    Agents
    • Keefer; Timothy J.
    • Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon
Abstract
A floatable firework device includes a hollow base for fitting an explosive therein, a waterproof fuse, and a tubular buoyancy member sleeved fixedly around an upper portion of the base. The base has a center of gravity at a lower end portion thereof. As such, the firework device can float on a water surface, with a flame-spraying upper end slit in the base being disposed above the water surface.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




This invention relates to a firework device, and more particularly to a floatable firework device.




2. Description of the Related Art




Fireworks are used in the evening, and produce light, smoke, and noise for providing a festive mood. Conventional fireworks are hung or are placed on the ground, and are not designed to float on a water surface.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The object of this invention is to provide a floatable firework device.




According to this invention, a floatable firework device includes a hollow base for fitting an explosive therein, a waterproof fuse, and a tubular buoyancy member sleeved fixedly around an upper portion of the base. The base has a center of gravity at a lower end portion thereof. As such, the firework device can float on a water surface, with a flame-spraying upper end slit in the base being disposed above the water surface.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




These and other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

is an exploded perspective view showing the preferred embodiment of a floatable firework device according to this invention;





FIG. 2

is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating how the preferred embodiment is disposed within a launching tube; and





FIG. 3

is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating how the preferred embodiment floats on a water surface.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1

,


2


, and


3


, the preferred embodiment of a floatable firework device according to this invention is shown to include a hollow base


1


, an explosive unit


2


, a buoyancy member


3


, a waterproof film


4


, and a waterproof fuse


5


.




The hollow base


1


has a generally horizontal, circular bottom wall


11


and a conical surrounding wall


12


that are made of paperboards. The surrounding wall


12


has a lower end


121


that is adhered to an outer periphery of the bottom wall


11


, and an upper end tip


122


. An accommodation chamber


13


is defined between the bottom wall


1


and the surrounding wall


12


. A counterweight unit


14


is clamped between the bottom wall


11


and the explosive unit


2


so that the center of the gravity of the device is located adjacent to a lower end of the base


1


. The counterweight unit


14


is configured as a lump of iron powders, which can be replaced with a lump of sandy soil. Alternatively, the bottom wall


11


can be thickened so as to lower the center of gravity of the device, thereby serving as a counterweight unit. A flame-spraying upper end slit


15


is formed in an upper end of the base


1


, and is communicated with the accommodation chamber


13


.




The explosive unit


2


is fitted within the accommodation chamber


13


in the base


1


, and includes a plurality of explosive layers


21


, which are arranged on above another and which have different colors that are respectively red, yellow, blue, and green from the top to the bottom. The colors and the arrangement order thereof can be changed.




The buoyancy member


3


is tubular, and includes a ring-shaped top wall


31


that is adhered around the base


1


, and a surrounding wall


32


that is adhered to an outer periphery of the top wall


31


at an upper end


321


thereof and that reduces downwardly and gradually in diameter. The surrounding wall


32


has a lower end


322


that is adhered around the base


1


so as to define a sealed air chamber


33


between the buoyancy member


3


and the base


1


. As such, the base


1


can float on a water surface


7


(see

FIG. 3

) in such a manner that the upper end slit


15


is disposed above the water surface


7


. The top wall


31


and the bottom wall


11


have an outer diameter that is equal to the inner diameter of a launching tube


6


. That is to say, the base


1


has a maximum outer diameter which is equal to that of the buoyancy member


3


. Accordingly, the firework device can be positioned within the tube


6


such that the firework device can be launched from the tube


6


in a longitudinal direction of the tube


6


upon combustion of an explosive charge


61


in the tube


6


, as shown in FIG.


2


.




The fuse


5


has a lower end


51


that extends into and that is fixed within a hole in a bottom surface of the bottom wall


11


of the base


1


, and an upper end


52


that extends through the upper end slit


15


in the base


1


and into the accommodation chamber


13


and that is disposed adjacent to an upper end of the explosive unit


2


.




The film


4


is coated on an outer surface of an assembly of the base


1


and the buoyancy member


3


by spraying or immersion after assembling the buoyancy member


3


on the base


1


. Alternatively, the film


4


can be coated respectively on outer surfaces of the base


1


and the buoyancy member


3


prior to assembling the buoyancy member


3


on the base


1


.




With this invention thus explained, it is apparent that numerous modifications and variations can be made without departing the scope and spirit of this invention. It is therefore intended that this invention be limited only as indicated by the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A floatable firework device comprising:a hollow base defining an accommodation chamber therein and having a center of gravity at a lower end portion thereof, a closed lower end, and a flame-spraying upper end slit that is communicated with said accommodation chamber; an explosive unit fitted within said accommodation chamber; a tubular buoyancy member sleeved fixedly around an upper portion of said base so as to be adapted to permit floating of said base on a water surface; and a waterproof fuse having a lower end that is attached to said lower end of said base, and an upper end that extends through said upper end slit in said base and into said accommodation chamber in said base and that is disposed adjacent to said explosive unit.
  • 2. The floatable firework device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base includes a generally horizontal bottom wall, and a conical surrounding wall which has an upper end tip and a lower end that is connected fixedly to an outer periphery of said bottom wall.
  • 3. The floatable firework device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said buoyancy member includes a ring-shaped top wall that is sleeved fixedly on said base, and a surrounding wall that is connected fixedly to an outer periphery of said top wall at an upper end thereof and that reduces downwardly and gradually in diameter, said surrounding wall of said buoyancy member having a lower end that is sleeved fixedly on said base so as to define a sealed air chamber between said buoyancy member and said base.
  • 4. The floatable firework device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a counterweight unit, which is attached to said bottom wall of said base and which is disposed under said explosive unit so as to increase weight of said lower end portion of said base.
  • 5. The floatable firework device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a waterproof film coated on an outer surface of an assembly of said base and said buoyancy member.
  • 6. The floatable firework device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said explosive unit includes a plurality of explosive layers, which are arranged one above another and which have different colors.
  • 7. The floatable firework device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base has a maximum outer diameter which is approximate to that of said buoyancy member.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Number Name Date Kind
825419 Rose Jul 1906 A
2331439 Thiebault Oct 1943 A
2736044 Lewis Feb 1956 A
3060854 Maretti Oct 1962 A
3762327 Murray et al. Oct 1973 A
3954059 Langseth May 1976 A
4069762 Maury Jan 1978 A
6230629 Doctor et al. May 2001 B1
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
1121609 Jun 1980 CA