Ornament with a snowing-scape device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6735892
  • Patent Number
    6,735,892
  • Date Filed
    Friday, August 16, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 18, 2004
    21 years ago
Abstract
An ornament with a snowing-scape device including a rotary wheel loaded with water and snow-like flakes. The rotary wheel is mounted in the inner surface of a ring-shaped frame. An outer edge of the rotary wheel is furnished with a gear disc to engage with a transmission assembly so as to drive the rotary wheel to turn the snow-like flakes loaded in the rotary wheel are pushed with the fin plates to a high point, and then the snow-like flakes will fall down slowly to form into a snowing scape to be seen through a transparent window of the ornament.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




This invention relates to an ornament and particularly to an ornament with a snowing-scape device.




2. Description of the Prior Art




In a conventional water-ball ornament, the inner space of a water ball is loaded with a small ornament and filled with water; the opening at the bottom of the glass ball is sealed with a rubber plug; since the water in the glass ball can provide an amplification effect, the ornament in the glass ball can be enlarged considerably.




In a conventional water ball ornament, the glass ball is loaded with snow-like flakes, and then the bottom of the rubber plug is mounted with a transmission assembly, which is engaged with fin plates in the ball; when the fin plates are moving, the water behind the ornament will flow upwards to drive the snow-like flakes to flow upwards; then, the snow-like flakes will fall down slowly from the upper part of the ball so as to provide a snowing scape over the ornament in the ball.




In the aforesaid ball ornament, the transmission assembly inside and outside the ball has to pass through the rubber plug so as to have a motive power transmitted into the ball; in that case, a poor transmission condition would take place between the rubber plug and the transmission assembly; such ornament is merely good for an ornament mounted in a water ball.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The prime object of the present invention is to provide an ornament with a snowing-scape device, in which a rotary wheel loaded with water and snow-like flakes is mounted on the inner surface of a ring-shaped frame; the outer edge of the rotary wheel has a gear to engage with a transmission assembly so as to have the rotary wheel turned slowly; the snow-like flakes in the rotary wheel are carried to a higher point by means of the fin plates in the rotary wheel; then, they will fall slowly as a result of gravity to provide a snowing scape upon seeing through a transparent window of the ornament.




Another object of the present invention is to provide an ornament with a snowing-scape device, in which the outer edge of the snowing-scape device is covered with an ornament, of which the front side has a transparent window; behind the transparent window, there is a rotary wheel with a transparent window; the rotary member on the edge of the rotary wheel is covered with the ornament; after snow-like flakes are carried to the highest point with the fin plates, they will fall down slowly upon being seen through the transparent window of the ornament to show a snowing scape.




Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ornament with a snowing-scape device, in which the rotary wheel of the snowing-scape device includes a disc and a gear disc; the disc has a recess hollow space and a transparent plate on the bottom thereof; the inner surface of the disc is furnished with a plurality of fin plates arranged regularly; the recess hollow space of the disc is filled with water and snow-like flakes; the round surface of the disc and a gear disc are assembled together closely; the water and the snow-like flakes filled in the hollow space of the rotary wheel will move with the rotary wheel, and after the snow-like flakes are carried to the highest point, they would fall downwards slowly.




A further object of the present invention is to provide an ornament with a snowing-scape device, in which the rotary wheel of the snowing-scape device is mounted on a round bearing surface of a ring-shaped frame; the outer surface of the rotary wheel is supported with a plurality of fixed members so as to have the rotary wheel mounted in the ring-shaped frame; when the gear disc is driven with the transmission assembly, the gear disc will turn steadily.




A still further object of the present invention is to provide an ornament with a snowing-scape device, in which the rotary wheel of the snowing-scape device includes a gear and an idle gear to be engaged with a transmission assembly so as to have a motive power of the transmission assembly to drive the rotary wheel to turn; in that case, the snow-like flakes in the rotary wheel will be carried to the highest point, and then the snow-like flakes will fall downwards slowly as a result of gravity; such repeated turn and falling of the snow-like flakes can provide a snowing scape upon seeing through the transparent window of the ornament.




Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an ornament with a snowing-scape device, in which the outer surface of the disc of the rotary wheel in the snowing-scape device is furnished with a plurality of parallel threads, and then the disc is mounted in a manual ring-shaped frame; both sides of the ring-shaped frame are furnished with two hollow spaces respectively to facilitate a finger to extend therein; as soon as the snowing-scape device is driven with a finger, a snowing scape can be seen through the transparent window of the ornament.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a plan view of the present invention, showing the shape of the ornament.





FIG. 2

is a plan view of the present invention, showing the transmission structure of the snowing-scape device.





FIG. 3

is sectional view of the present invention, showing the assembled structure between the snowing-scape device and the ornament.





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of the present invention, showing the outer structure of the snowing-scape device.





FIG. 5

is a disassembled view of the present invention, showing the assemblies of the snowing-scape device.





FIG. 6

is a sectional view of the present invention, showing the water-refilling hole structure of the rotary wheel.





FIG. 7

is a disassembled view of the present invention, showing the relation among the assemblies of the snowing-scape device.





FIG. 8

is a sectional view of the present invention, showing the manual-operation snowing-scape device mounted in an ornament.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




This invention relates to an ornament with a snowing-scape device; as showing in

FIGS. 1

to


5


, the front of the ornament


11


is furnished with a transparent window


13


, of which the lower part has a hollow space


50


for mounting a snowing-scape device


12


; by means of a transmission assembly


15


, a rotary wheel


21


loaded with water and snow flakes


34


can be driven to turn slowly. After the snow flakes


34


are moved to the upper part thereof, they will fall downwards slowly as a result of gravity, and it looks like snow falling in front of the transparent window


13


before the ornament


11


.




The snowing-scape device


12


mounted in the hollow space


50


of the ornament


11


includes a transmission assembly


15


, a frame


18


and a rotary wheel


21


; the transmission assembly


15


includes a music drum


51


mounted on a base plate


14


. The bottom of the ornament


11


and the base plate


14


are fixed together; one end of the music drum


51


is connected with a transmission gear


16


, and an idle gear


17


so as to have a motive power transmitted to a gear


28


on the rotary wheel


21


, and then the rotary wheel


21


will turn slowly. The frame


18


is mounted on the base plate


14


; the top of the frame


18


is mounted with a ring-shaped frame


20


, of which the inner surface is mounted with a rotary wheel


21


; one side of the rotary wheel


21


has an idle gear


17


engaged with a gear


28


. When the music drum


51


turns, the transmission gear


16


can provide motive power via the idle gear


17


, and the gear


28


of the rotary wheel


21


; then, rotary wheel


21


will turn slowly along the inner surface of the ring-shaped frame


20


.




The base plate


14


and the frame


18


are assembled together, and the lower part of the ring-shaped frame


20


is furnished with two symmetrical and parallel plate members


55


, of which the lower ends are furnished with two hooks


53


respectively; the size of the hooks


53


is slightly smaller than that of the rectangular slots


45


in the base plate


14


. Both sides of each hook


53


are furnished with two symmetrical check plates


54


respectively. When the fixed plates


19


are mounted into the rectangular slots


45


of the base plate


14


, the hooks


53


can be plugged into the rectangular slots


45


to engage with the bottom surface of the base plate


14


flexibly; simultaneously, the check plates


54


will fix against the top surface of the bas plate


14


so as to have the frame


18


fastened to the base plate


14


.




Two symmetrical support plates


41


and


30


are mounted between the two fixed plates


19


of the frame


18


; both support plates


41


and


30


are furnished with two round holes


43


and


42


respectively for receiving the spindle


44


of the idle gear


17


, which is engaged with the rotary wheel


21


and the gear


28


; the idle gear


17


is engaged with the transmission assembly


15


so as to have the motive power of the transmission assembly


15


transmitted to the rotary wheel


21


.




The ring-shaped frame


20


on the frame


18


is substantially a ring-shaped plate, of which the height and diameter are so designed as to fit the thickness of the rotary wheel


21


and the diameter of the outer surface


36


. The inner surface


52


of the ring-shaped frame


20


has a round bearing surface


46


and a ring-shaped edge


37


. The diameter of the bearing surface


46


is designed to receive the outer surface


36


of the rotary wheel


21


only, and the play between them is merely to enable the rotary wheel


21


to rotate freely. The ring-shaped edge


37


inside the round bearing surface


46


is used for limiting the rotary wheel


21


to move within the round bearing surface


46


. The outer surface of the ring-shaped frame


20


is furnished with three screw bars


23


arranged at a symmetrical triangle position; each screw bar


23


is mounted with a fixed member


22


before a screw


24


being mounted thereto. The fixed member


22


should be mounted at one end of the screw bar


23


after the rotary wheel


21


being mounted in the inner surface


52


of the ring-shaped frame


20


; a salient point


56


on the tail end of the fixed member


22


is used for pushing against the rotary wheel


21


so as to reduce the resistance of the rotary wheel


21


and to prevent the rotary wheel


21


separating from the ring-shaped frame


20


.




The rotary wheel


21


mounted on the inner surface


52


of the ring-shaped frame


20


includes a disc


25


, a gear disc


27


, snow-like flakes


34


and water


33


. The outer surface


36


of the disc


25


is so designed as to fit with the diameter and height of the round bearing surface


46


of the ring-shaped frame


20


. The disc


25


has an open ring-shaped surface


38


and a close-transparent plate


31


; the open ring-shaped surface


38


and the gear disc


27


are in close and hermetic contact. The inner surface


49


of the rotary wheel


21


is furnished with a plurality of fin plates


32


arranged regularly; a suitable separation space


35


is set among snow-likes flakes


34


; every snow-like flake


34


has a given sloping angle in the rotation direction. A hollow space


26


is furnished between the inner surface


49


and the transparent panel


31


. Before the disc


25


and the gear disc


27


being assembled together, a plurality of snow-like flakes


34


and water


33


must be loaded in the hollow space


26


; the gear disc


27


is to be mounted over the disc


25


, and they are sealed together by means of supersonic wave; the snow-like flakes


34


and the water


33


are sealed inside the hollow space


26


of the disc


25


.




As shown in

FIG. 6

, the water


33


and the snow-like flakes


34


are sealed in the hollow space


26


in the disc


25


; a round hole


57


is furnished in the transparent panel


31


of the disc


25


, and it nears the fin plates


32


. The contact surfaces between the disc


25


and the gear discs


27


are first sealed together by means of supersonic wave to form into a rotary wheel


21


. The water


33


and the snow-like flakes


34


are to be filled into the hollow space


26


via a filling hose and the round hole


57


in the transparent panel


31


, and then the round hole


57


is closed with a plug


58


so as to prevent the water


33


and snow-like flakes


34


from leaking.




The gear disc


27


are assembled together with the disc


25


and the ring-shaped surface


38


, and the center thereof is furnished with a transparent panel


47


, of which the edge is furnished with a ring-shaped gear


28


. After the rotary wheel


21


is mounted on the ring-shaped frame


20


, the ring-shaped gear


28


of the rotary wheel


21


will engage with the idle gear


17


; then, the transparent panel


47


of the gear disc


27


has one side furnished with a seal ring


29


to face the disc


25


; the seal ring


29


is so designed as to fit with the inner size of the ring-shaped surface


38


; after the two parts are mounted together, they are welded together by means of supersonic wave.




The rotary wheel


21


filled with water


33


and snow-like flakes


34


is mounted in the round bearing surface


46


of the ring-shaped frame


20


; then, the screw bars


23


on the edge of the ring-shaped frame


20


are mounted with fixed members


22


and screws


24


respectively; the rotary wheel


21


is then fastened in place by means of the ring-shaped edge


37


of the ring-shaped frame


20


and the fixed members


22


. As soon as the motive power of the transmission assembly


15


is transmitted to the gear


28


of the rotary wheel


21


, the rotary wheel


21


will turn slowly along the round bearing surface


46


of the ring-shaped frame


20


.




The snow-like flakes


34


in the hollow space


26


of the rotary wheel


21


will be carried with the rotary wheel


21


to the highest point as a result of gravity; then, the snow-like flakes


34


will fall down as a result of the weight thereof being greater than the centrifugal force; in that case, the snow-like flakes


34


in the water of the hollow space


26


would fall down slowly like a real snowing-scape.




The snowing-scape device


12


is mounted in a hollow space


50


of the ornament


11


; the bottom of the ornament


11


is fastened on the base plate


14


. The transparent window


13


of the ornament


11


is mounted closely to the transparent panel


47


of the rotary wheel


21


. Since the size of the transparent window


13


of the ornament


11


is smaller than that of the rotary wheel


21


, the ornament on the outer edge of the transparent window


13


can cover the outer edge of the transparent panel


47


; since the transparent panel


47


is similar to an inner glass of the transparent window


13


, a person can see an ornament member or a cubic ornamental surface


59


.




When the transmission assembly


15


drives the rotary wheel


21


to turn slowly, the snow-like flakes


34


will fall into the separation space


35


among the fin plates


32


of the rotary wheel


21


as a result of gravity; after the snow-like flakes


34


are moved with the fin plates


32


to the highest point, the snow-like flakes


34


will fall down as a result of the gravity thereof; then, they are scattered in the hollow space


26


; such condition will occur repeatedly, and therefore it can be seen through the transparent window


13


of the ornament


11


a snowing scape.




As shown in

FIGS. 1

,


7


and


8


, the manual rotary wheel


21


mounted on the ring-shaped frame


20


is to be put in place through the window of the ornament


11


; the lower part of the ring-shaped frame


20


is furnished with two symmetrical frame plates


61


, which facilitate the ring-shaped frame


20


to be mounted on the platform


60


in the hollow space


50


. The outer surface of the disc


25


of the rotary wheel


21


is furnished with parallel threads


65


; a person's finger can extend into the window beside the ornament


11


to touch and push the parallel threads


65


so as to drive the rotary wheel


21


to turn; then, the fin plates


32


of the rotary wheel


21


will push the snow-like flakes to the highest point, and the snow-like flakes


34


with different weight will fall down at different positions as a result of the weight thereof, i.e., being scattered and falling slowly in the hollow space


26


; it looks like a real snowing-scape through the transparent window


13


of the ornament


11


.




The snowing-scape device


12


put in place through the window beside the ornament


11


includes a ring-shaped frame


20


and a rotary wheel


21


. The inner surface of the ring-shaped frame


20


is furnished with a round edge


68


and a round bearing surface


69


, which are designed to fit in the thickness of the rotary wheel


21


so as to have the rotary wheel


21


limited in the round bearing surface


69


upon turning. Both sides of the ring-shaped frame


20


are furnished with symmetrical hollow spaces


62


. The outer edge of the lower round surface


64


is furnished with two symmetrical check plates


63


. The outer edge of the upper round surface


71


is furnished with screw bars


23


; the round bearing surface


69


is used for mounting the rotary wheel


21


. The inner edge of the rotary wheel


21


is to be stopped with the round edge


68


, while the outer edge thereof is stopped with the check plates


63


and the fixed members


22


on the screw bars


23


arranged at a triangle position so as to limit the rotary wheel


21


within the hollow space of the ring-shaped frame


20


without becoming derailed.




The rotary wheel


21


mounted in the ring-shaped frame


20


includes a manual-operation disc


72


, a disc lid


73


, water


33


and snow-like flakes


34


; the outer edge of the manual-operation disc


72


is furnished with parallel threads


65


, of which the open ring surface is to be mounted with a disc lid


73


; the outer round edge


66


of the parallel threads


65


is slightly bigger than the diameter of the parallel threads


65


. After the rotary wheel


21


is mounted in the ring-shaped frame


20


, the surface of the round edge


66


will be in contact with the round bearing surface


69


. The inner surface of the manual-operation disc


72


is furnished with a plurality of fin plates


32


arranged regularly; a separation space


35


is furnished between two fin plates


32


for receiving snow-like flakes


34


. When the rotary wheel


21


turns, the snow-like flakes


34


will be carried with the fin plates


32


to the highest point, and then they would scatter and fall down slowly.




The disc lid


73


of the rotary wheel


21


is made of a transparent material, and it has a round edge


67


with a diameter equal to that of the round edge


66


. After the disc lid


73


and the manual-operation disc


72


are in contact with each other and welded together by means of supersonic wave, the outer surface of the rotary wheel


21


will have the round edges


66


and


67


with an equal diameter mounted on the round surface


64


of the ring-shaped frame


20


. The parallel threads


65


extend across both sides of the ornament


11


via the hollow space


62


of the ring-shaped frame


20


. The manual-operation disc


72


and the disc lid


73


are made of a transparent material; after the hollow space


26


is filled with water, the transparent panel


47


, the hollow space


26


and the transparent panel


31


are formed into one transparent panel, which is then mounted in the hollow space


50


of the ornament


11


; the assemblies outside the transparent panel are all covered with the ornament


11


if one watches through the front transparent window


13


.




The ornament


11


mounted with the snowing-scape device


12


would not move, when it is not operated with finger. As soon as a person's finger extends into the hollow space on both sides of the ornament


11


to push the parallel threads


65


of the rotary wheel


21


, the snow-like flakes


34


in the rotary wheel


21


will be carried upwards with the fin plates


32


. After the snow-like flakes


34


are elevated to the highest point, they will fall down slowly as a result gravity thereof; since the rotary wheel


21


is turned continuously, the snow-like flakes


34


will fall downwards continuously; therefore, it looks like a real snowing scape to be seen through the transparent window


13


of the ornament


11


.




According to the aforesaid description of the embodiment of the present invention, the features and structure of the present invention have been disclosed completely; it is apparent that the present invention has provided obvious improvement, which is never anticipated and achieved by any person in the field; therefore, the structure thereof is deemed unique.



Claims
  • 1. An ornament with a snowing-scape device comprising:an ornament furnished with a transparent window in front thereof, an inner hollow space of said transparent window mounted with a snowing-scape device; said snowing-scape device including: a transmission assembly mounted on a base plate of said ornament transmitting a motive power to gears of a rotary wheel via transmission gear; a rotary wheel; a frame, of which a lower part is connected with two parallel fixed plates and a base plate, while an upper part thereof has a ring-shaped frame receiving said rotary wheel in an inner space thereof; an outer surface of said rotary wheel being in contact with and limited on a round bearing surface of said ring-shaped frame; said rotary wheel mounted on said bearing surface of said ring-shaped frame having a rotary wheel gear on outer surface thereof, and said rotary wheel gear engaged with an idle gear on lower side thereof; said idle gear engaged with a gear of said transmission assembly; inner surface of said rotary wheel having a plurality of fin plates arranged regularly, and space between said fin plates filled with water and artificial snow flakes.
  • 2. The ornament with a snowing-scape device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said round bearing surface of said ring-shaped frame has a round edge, and outer edge of said ring-shaped frame furnished with symmetrical screw bars; after said rotary wheel being mounted on said round bearing surface, said round edge thereof being in contact with edge of said rotary wheel, while outer side thereof being fastened in place with a plurality of fixed members so as to limit said rotary wheel in a hollow space of said ring-shaped frame.
  • 3. The ornament with a snowing-scape device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said snowing-scape device includes a disc and a gear disc; center of said gear disc mounted with a transparent panel, and inner surface of said disc furnished with a plurality of fin plates arranged regularly; a center panel being substantially a transparent panel; water and artificial snow flakes filled in a hollow space between said two transparent panels.
  • 4. An ornament with a snowing-scape device comprising:an ornament having a transparent window in front thereof; inner hollow space of said transparent window mounted with a snowing-scape device; a snowing-scape device including: a frame mounted on a platform in an ornament by means of a frame plate; upper part of said frame plate furnished with a ring-shaped frame for mounting a rotary wheel therein; outer surface of said rotary wheel closely attached and limited on a bearing surface of said ring-shaped frame upon turning; a rotary wheel mounted on said bearing surface in said ring-shaped frame being furnished with parallel threads; both sides of said parallel threads furnished with round edges having a larger diameter; inner surface of said rotary wheel furnished with a plurality of fin plates arranged regularly; inner hollow space thereof filled with water and artificial snow flakes.
  • 5. The ornament with a snowing-scape device as claimed in claim 4, wherein snowing-scape device has a frame, and upper part of said frame plate mounted with a ring-shaped frame, of which both sides furnished with through separation spaces; both sides thereof furnished with two hollow spaces being opposite both sides of said ornament so as to facilitate a person finger to push said rotary wheel to turn.
  • 6. The ornament with a snowing-scape device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said rotary wheel of said snowing-scape device includes a manual-operation disc and a disc lid; outer surface of said manual-operation disc furnished with parallel threads, and outer edge thereof having a round edge with a larger diameter; outer edge of said disc lid also having said same diameter; said rotary wheel mounted on inner surface of said ring-shaped frame by means of said large-diameter edges of said parallel threads.
  • 7. The ornament with a snowing-scape device as claimed in claim 4, wherein inner surface of said manual-operation disc of said rotary wheel is furnished with a plurality of fin plates arranged regularly; said manual-operation disc and said disc lid forming said rotary wheel, of which the hollow space filled with water and a plurality of artificial snow flakes.