Glass water ball structure

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6374522
  • Patent Number
    6,374,522
  • Date Filed
    Monday, July 24, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, April 23, 2002
    22 years ago
Abstract
A glass water ball structure including a base seat having a receptacle in which a fixing seat of the glass water ball is received. A lower support cone is disposed on the fixing seat of the glass water ball to abut against an adjusting bolt screwed in the base seat. An upper support cone is disposed on the dome of the glass water ball to abut against a frame body upward extending from the base seat. The entire glass water ball is pivotally disposed in the base seat.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to an improved glass water ball structure, and more particularly to a glass water ball structure which has high safety and little frictional force against rotation and can be rotated for a long time.





FIG. 4

shows a conventional glass water ball


8


including a base seat


81


and a glass ball


82


fixed on the base seat


81


. When it is desired to watch the decorative articles disposed in the glass ball


82


from different angles, it is necessary to turn the entire base seat


81


. This is inconvenient to a user.




Moreover, in some products, numerous fine decorative chips are added into the glass ball


82


. When shaking the glass water ball


8


, the liquid contained therein will be disturbed and the decorative chips will be entrained by the liquid and finally slowly fall down as snow. With respect to a larger or a heavier glass water ball


8


, it is dangerous to shake the glass water ball


8


. In case the glass water ball


8


is incautiously dropped, the user may get hurt.




Although some kinds of articles such as terrestrial globes can be rotatably supported at two ends, it is impossible to insert a supporting pin or shaft into or pass the supporting pin or shaft through the glass water ball


8


. Therefore, such rotary measure cannot be transferred to the glass water ball


8


.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a glass water ball structure in which a fixing seat of the glass water ball is received in a receptacle of the base seat. An upper support cone of the dome of the glass water ball and a lower support cone of the bottom of the fixing seat respectively abut against a frame body and an adjusting bolt screwed in the base seat. Therefore, the entire glass water ball is firmly pivotally disposed in the base seat and can be rotated with safety ensured.




It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above glass water ball in which by means of adjusting the adjusting bolt screwed in the base seat, the frictional force against the rotation of the glass water ball between the upper and lower support cones and the bottom face of the frame body and the top face of the adjusting bolt can be minimized so that the glass water ball can be rotated for a long time.




According to the above objects, the glass water ball structure of the present invention includes a base seat having a receptacle with an opening facing upward. A fixing seat of a bottom of a transparent glass water ball is received in the receptacle. A liquid and decorative article are contained in the glass water ball. The bottom of the base seat is formed with a thread hole communicating with the receptacle. An adjusting bolt is screwed in the thread hole. The fixing seat of the glass water ball is disposed with a lower support cone. The lower support cone abuts against a top face of the adjusting bolt. A frame body is disposed on the base seat and extending to upper side of the glass water ball. An upper support cone is adhered to the dome of the glass water ball. The upper support cone abuts against the bottom face of the frame body.




The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a sectional view taken along line II—II of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of a conventional glass water ball.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Please refer to

FIGS. 1 and 2

. According to a first embodiment, the glass water ball structure of the present invention includes a base seat


11


having a receptacle


12


with an opening facing upward. A fixing seat


21


of the bottom of a transparent glass water ball


2


is received in the receptacle


12


. A liquid, decorative article


11


and numerous fine decorative chips


221


are contained in the glass water ball


2


. The bottom of the base seat


11


is formed with a thread hole


13


communicating with the receptacle


12


. An adjusting bolt


14


is screwed in the thread hole


13


. The fixing seat


21


of the glass water ball


2


is disposed with a lower support cone


23


. The top face of the adjusting bolt


14


is formed with a first locating hole


141


corresponding to the tip


231


of the lower support cone


23


in which the lower support cone


23


is retained. A frame body


15


is disposed on the base seat


11


, surrounding the upper side of the glass water ball


2


. An upper support cone


24


is adhered to the dome of the glass water ball


2


. The upper and lower support cones


24


,


23


are coaxially arranged. The bottom face of the frame body


15


is formed with a second locating hole


151


corresponding to the tip


241


of the upper support cone


24


in which the upper support cone


24


is retained. The decorative article


21


contained in the glass water ball


2


has an asymmetrical pattern with respect to the rotary axis of the glass water ball


2


.




When assembled, the fixing seat


21


of the glass water ball


2


is positioned in the receptacle


12


of the base seat


11


and then the adjusting bolt


14


is screwed to lift the lower support cone


23


and move the entire glass water ball


2


upward until the upper support cone


24


abuts against the frame body


15


. Therefore, the entire glass water ball


2


is safely and firmly pivotally disposed in the base seat


11


. Accordingly, the glass water ball


2


will not drop and damage during assembling procedure.




The lower support cone


23


of the fixing seat


21


of the glass water ball


2


is retained in the first locating hole


131


of the adjusting bolt


13


of the base seat


11


, while the upper support cone


24


of the glass water ball


2


is retained in the second locating hole


151


of the bottom face of the frame body


15


. Therefore, there are only two contact points between the glass water ball


2


and the frame body


15


and the adjusting bolt


13


. Moreover, by means of adjusting the adjusting bolt


13


, the contacting force between the upper and lower support cones


24


,


23


and the frame body


15


and the adjusting bolt


13


can be varied to minimize the frictional force against the rotation of the glass water ball


2


. Accordingly, a user only needs to apply little force for turning the glass water ball


2


. Furthermore, due to the little frictional force against the rotation, in case the user turns the glass water ball


2


with greater force, the glass water ball


2


will rotate for a long time. Therefore, the user can conveniently see the decorative article


22


from different angles. The decorative article


22


can be designed with different patterns in cooperation with the rotary glass water ball


2


to form a dynamic visual effect.




Moreover, prior to rotation, the liquid contained in the glass water ball


2


is inertially still. However, after the glass water ball


2


is rotated, the asymmetrical decorative article


21


will rotate along with the glass water ball


2


. As a result, the liquid in the glass water ball


2


will be disturbed to carry the decorative chips


221


to flow around. Finally, the decorative chips


221


will slowly fall down due to their own weight to achieve a visual effect as snowing in the rotary glass water ball


2


. Therefore, it is unnecessary to shake the entire glass water ball for disturbing the liquid as the conventional glass water ball so that the safety in use can be ensured.




In addition, in case the upper support cone


24


accidentally detach from the second locating hole


151


of the frame body


15


in use, the fixing seat


21


of the glass water ball


2


is still received in the receptacle


12


of the base seat


11


so that the glass water ball


2


will be still stably seated in the base seat


11


without dropping.





FIG. 3

shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the frame body


35


upward extends from the base seat


31


to the upper side of the glass water ball


4


for the upper support cone


44


of the glass water ball


4


to abut against. Such structure achieves the same effect as the first embodiment.




The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A glass water ball structure comprising a base seat having a receptacle with an opening facing upward, a fixing seat of a bottom of a transparent glass water ball being received in the receptacle, a liquid and decorative article being contained in the glass water ball, the bottom of the base seat being formed with a thread hole communicating with the receptacle, an adjusting bolt being screwed in the thread hole, the fixing seat of the glass water ball being disposed with a lower support cone, the lower support cone abutting against a top face of the adjusting bolt, a frame body being disposed on the base seat and extending to upper side of the glass water ball, an upper support cone being adhered to the dome of the glass water ball, the upper and lower support cones being coaxially arranged, the upper support cone abutting against the bottom face of the frame body.
  • 2. A glass water ball structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top face of the adjusting bolt is formed with a first locating hole corresponding to a tip of the lower support cone.
  • 3. A glass water ball structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom face of the frame body is formed with a second locating hole corresponding to a tip of the upper support cone.
  • 4. A glass water ball structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the decorative article contained in the glass water ball has an asymmetrical pattern with respect to the rotary axis of the glass water ball and numerous fine decorative chips are contained in the glass water ball.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number Name Date Kind
6027774 Fine Feb 2000 A