Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02430525 2003-05-30
Attorney's Docket. No.: PAT-1456
Inventor:
DOUGLAS THAI
1 S Field of he Invention
The present invention relates to bubble toys, and in particular, to a bubble
generating assembly which automatically forms a bubble film over a bubble ring
without the need to dip the bubble ring into a container or a dish of bubble
solution.
2o Bubble producing toys are very popular among children who enjoy producing
bubbles of different shapes and sizes. Many bubble producing toys have
previously
been provided. Perhaps the simplest example has a stick with a circular
opening or
ring at one end, resembling a wand. A bubble solution film is produced when
the
ring is dipped into a dish that holds bubble solution or bubble producing
fluid (such
25 as soap) and then removed therefrom. Bubbles are then formed by blowing
carefully
against the film. Such a toy requires dipping every time a bubble is to
created, and
the bubble solution must accompany the wand from one location to another.
Recently, the market has provided a number of different bubble generating
assemblies that are capable of producing a plurality of bubbles. Examples of
such
3 o assemblies are illustrated in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,149,486 (Thai), 6,331,130
(Thai) and
6,200,184 (Rich et a1.). The bubble rings in the bubble generating assemblies
in
U.S. Patent Nos. 6,149,486 (Thai), 6,331,130 (Thai) and 6,200,184 (Rich et
al.) need
to be dipped into a dish that holds bubble solution to produce films of bubble
solution
across the rings. The motors in these assemblies are then actuated to generate
air
5 against the films to produce bubbles.
All of these aforementioned bubble generating assemblies require that one or
more bubble rings be dipped into a dish of bubble solution. In particular, the
child
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must initially pour bubble solution into the dish, then replenish the solution
in the dish
as the solution is being used up. After play has been completed, the child
must then
pour the remaining solution from the dish back into the original bubble
solution
container. Unfortunately, this continuous pouring and re-pouring of bubble
solution
from the bottle to the dish, and from the dish back to the bottle, often
results in
unintended spillage, which can be messy, dirty, and a waste of bubble
solution.
Thus, there remains a need to provide an apparatus and method for forming a
film of bubble solution across a bubble ring without the need to dip the
bubble ring
into a dish of bubble solution.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method
for
effectively forming a film of bubble solution across a bubble ring.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and
method for effectively forming a film of bubble solution across a bubble ring
in a
manner which minimizes spillage of the bubble solution.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus
having
a simple construction that effectively forms a film of bubble solution across
a bubble
ring.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus
and
method for effectively forming films of bubble solution across a plurality of
bubble
rings.
The objectives of the present invention are accomplished by providing a
bubble generating assembly having a housing, a container coupled to the
housing
2 ~~ and retaining bubble solution, a trigger mechanism, a pair of bubble
generating rings,
a tubing that couples the interior of the container with the rings, and a link
assembly
that couples the trigger mechanism and the rings in a manner in which
actuation of
the trigger mechanism causes the rings to be pivoted. Each ring is pivotably
coupled
to each other in a manner such that the rings can be pivoted between a closed
3 o position Where the front surfaces of the rings contact each other, and an
opened
position where the rings are positioned side-by-side in the same plane.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bubble generating assembly according to one
embodiment of the present invention shown with the two bubble rings contacting
each other.
FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 1 shown with the
two bubble rings positioned side by side with each other. .
FIG. 3 is a front view of the assembly of FIG. 1 shown with the two bubble
rings positioned side by side with each other.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1 shown wii.h the two
l0 bubble rings contacting each other.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1 shown with the two
bubble rings positioned side by side with each other.
FIG. 6 is an exploded view illustrating the internal components of the
assembly of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a bubble ring that can be used with the
assembly of FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 is an isolated and enlarged perspective view of the link system of the
assembly of FIG. 1 shown with the two bubble rings contacting each other.
FIG. 9 is an isolated and enlarged perspective view of the link system of the
2 o assembly of FIG. 1 shown with the two bubble rings positioned side by side
with
each other.
F1G. 10 is an isolated and top plan view of the link system of the assembly of
FIG. 1 shown with the two bubble rings contacting each other.
FIG. 11 is an isolated and top plan view of the link system of the assembly of
2 5 FIG. 1 shown with the two bubble rings positioned side by side with each
other.
FIG. 12 is an isolated top plan view illustrating the relationship between the
pressure rollers and the tube when the assembly of FIG. 1 is in the normal non-
operational condition.
FIG. 13 is an isolated top plan view illustrating the relationship between the
3o pressure rollers and the tube when the assembly of FIG. 1 is in the bubble-
generating position.
FiG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a bubble generating assembly according
to another embodiment of the present invention shown with the two sets of
bubble
rings positioned side by side with each other.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes
of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a
limiting sense,
but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of
embodiments
of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended
claims.
In certain instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices and
mechanisms
are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with
unnecessary detail.
1o FIGS. 1-13 illustrate one embodiment of a bubble generating assembly 20
according to the present invention. The assembly 20 has a housing 22 that
includes
a bottom or handle section 24 and an upper or bubble generating section 26.
The
housing 22 can be provided in the form of two symmetrical outer shells that
are
connected together by, for example, screws or welding or glue. These outer
shells
1 r~ together define a hollow interior for housing the internal components of
the assembly
20, as described below. The handle section 24 has an opening 28 through which
a
user can extend his or her fingers to grip the handle section 24. The front
wall 30 of
the opening 28 defines a shielding wall against which a conventional bubble
solution
bottle 32 can be rested. The bubble solution bottle 32 can be provided in the
form of
20 any of the conventional bubble solution containers that are currently
available in the
marketplace. A connecting section 34, which resembles an annular wall, extends
from the front of the top of the front wall 30, and has internal threads 36
(see also
FIGS. 4 and 5) that are adapted to releasably engage the external threads 38
on the
neck of the solution bottle 32. A solution dish 40 is secured to the top of
the
2 'p connecting section 34, and has a first opening 42 that communicates with
the interior
of the connecting section 34. The dish 40 also has a second opening 44 that
communicates with the interior of the connecting section 34, and which
receives a
tube 46 that extends therethrough from the solution bottle 32 to the bubble
generating section 26.
30 The handle section 24 houses a power source 48 which can include at least
one conventional battery. The bubble generating section 26 has a motor housing
49
that houses a motor 50 that is electrically coupled to the power source 48 via
a first
wire 52 and a first electrical contact 54. A second wire 56 couples the motor
50 to a
first end 58 of a second electrical contact 60, whose second curved end 62 is
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adapted to releasably contact a third electrical contact 64 that is coupled to
the
power supply 48. The second contact 60 is attached to the bottom leg 72 of a
push
button 66, which operates as a trigger mechanism.
The push button 66 is positioned at a rear side of the housing 22 between the
handle section 24 and the bubble generating section 26, and extends through an
opening 68 in the housing 22. Referring also to FIG. 6, the push button 66 has
a
generally L-shaped configuation with a bottom leg 72 and an elongated leg 74.
A
stepped extension 76 extends from the inner side of the elongated leg 74, and
has a
lower edge 78 and an upper edge 80 that are connected by an angled edge 82.
The
top end of the elongated leg 74 has a pivot opening 84 that receives a pivot
shaft 86
(see FIGS. 4 and 5). A curved bar 88 extends from the top end of the elongated
leg
74, and has a pivot opening 90 at its terminal end that receives a sliding
shaft 92
(see FIGS. 4, 5, 8 and 9). The sliding shaft 92 is retained for reciprocating
sliding
movement inside a straight groove 94 of a locking piece 96 that is sleeved
over a
locking rack 98 (see also FIGS. 8-11). A shaft 99 (see FIG. 8) is attached to
the
locking piece 96 and extends in the interior of the locking rack 98, and a
resilient
element 70 (such as a spring) is retained aver the shaft 99. The resilient
element 70
normally biases the locking piece 96 towards a forward end 100 of the locking
rack
98. As the locking piece 96 moves back and forth along the outer surface of
the
2_ o locking rack 98, the sliding shaft 92 slides up and down along the groove
94
(compare FIGS. 8 and 9) in a direction perpendicular to the direction of
movement of
the locking piece 96. The push button 66 is normally biased outwardly away
from
the housing 22 by the resilient element 70 which biases the locking piece 96
towards
the forward end 100 of the locking rack 98. This causes the sliding shaft 92
to slide
~~ downwardly (see FIGS. 4 and 8) in the groove 94, which causes the bar 88
and the
push button 66 to pivot in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed from the
orientation of FIGS. 4 and 5) about the pivot shaft 86, biasing the push
button 66
outwardly away from the housing 22. As a result, the bias of the push button
66
means that the second contact 60 carried on the push button 66 is also
normally
3 o biased away from the third contact 64 so that the motor 50 is not powered
by the
power source 48 under normal (non-operation) circumstances.
A pair of bubble generating rings 110 and 112 are provided outside the
housing 22, and are adapted to be moved between a closed position (see FIGS.
1, 4
and 8), in which the front surfaces 126 of both rings 110, 112 contact each
other, to
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6
an opened position (see FIGS. 2, 5 and 9), in which the rings 110, 112 are
positioned
side-by-side in the same plane. Each ring 110 and 112 can be identical in
structure
and operation, so only one ring 110 is illustrated in FIG. 7. The ring 110 has
an
annular base piece 114 that has a cylindrical wall 116 extending therein to
define an
annular chamber 118 therein. An opening 120 is provided in the base piece 114.
The ring 110 also has an annular cover piece 122 that fits into the annular
chamber
118 of the base piece 114. A plurality of outlets 124 can be provided along
the inner
annular surface, and/or the front surface 126, of the cover piece 122.
Respective
tubings 131 and 133 (see FIG. 6) are attached to the opening 120 of each ring
110,
1 c~ 112, to deliver bubble solution from the solution bottle 32 via the tube
46 into the
chambers 118 of the respective rings 110, 112. The bubble solution from 'the
chambers 118 can then leak out of the outlets 124 onto the front surface 126
of the
rings 110, 112. When the bubble rings 110, 112 are in their normal non-
operating
(i.e., closed) position, the contact between the front surfaces 126 of the
bubble rings
110, 112 will cause a film of bubble solution to be formed across each bubble
ring
110, 112.
FIGS. 4-6 and 8-11 illustrate the link system that operatively couples the
push
button 66 to the bubble rings 110, 112. The link system includes the push
button 66,
the locking piece 96, the locking rack 98, a control bar 130, a generally U-
shaped
2 o pivoting bar 132, and a ring support 134 and 136 for each respective
bubble ring 110
and 112, respectively. The link system causes the bubble rings 110, 112 to
move
between the opened and closed positions when the push button 66 is pressed and
released, respectively. The pivoting bar 132, the ring supports 134 and 136,
and the
rings 110, 112 are positioned outside the housing 22, while the control bar
130 is
5 positioned partially outside the housing 22.
Referring to FIG. 6, the U-shaped pivoting bar 132 has a central secaion 142
that has an opening 144 through which the motor 50 can extend. A curved upper
section 146 extends from one end of the central section 142, and a curved
lower
section 148 extends from one end of the central section 142. The control bar
130 is
3 o a straight bar that extends from a location along the upper section 146.
The control
bar 130 has a groove 150 through which the curved bar 88 of the push button 66
extends. An upper U-shaped prong 156 extends from the top end of the upper
section 146, the upper U-shaped prong 156 having a first leg 158 and a second
leg
160. Each leg 158 and 160 has a rounded end that has a corresponding elongated
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opening 162 and 164, respectively. Similarly, a lower U-shaped prong 166
extends
from the bottom end of the lower section 148, the lower U-shaped prong 166
having
a first leg 168 and a second leg 170. Each leg 168 and 170 has a rounded end
that
has a corresponding elongated opening 172 and 174, respectively.
As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 6, the ring supports 134 and 136 are elongated
shafts that are positioned adjacent and parallel to each other along their
inner sides.
The ring 110 is attached to the center of, and along the outer side of, the
ring
support 134. Similarly, the ring 112 is attached to the center of, and along
the outer
side of, the ring support 136. Thus, the two rings 110, 112 extend away from
the ring
l0 supports 134, 136, but are essentially positioned side-by-side to each
other so that
one ring 110 can be pivoted to completely cover the other ring 112, and vice
versa.
An upper rounded opening 188 is provided in an extension 190 that extends from
the
top of the ring support 134 at an orientation that is perpendicular to the
rind support
134, and a lower rounded opening 192 is provided in another extension 194 that
extends from the bottom of the ring support 134 at an orientation that is
perpendicular to the ring support 134. Protrusions 196 and 198 are provided
adjacent the openings 188 and 192, respectively, in the extensions 190 and
194,
respectively, and extend towards each other in a direction parallel to the
ring support
134. Similarly, an upper rounded opening 200 is provided in an extension 202
that
2 o extends from the top of the ring support 136 at an orientation that is
perpendicular to
the ring support 136, and a lower rounded opening 204 is provided in another
extension 206 that extends from the bottom of the ring support 136 at an
orientation
that is perpendicular to the ring support 136. Protrusions 208 and 210 are
provided
adjacent the openings 200 and 204, respectively, in the extensions 202 and
206,
2 ~~ respectively, and extend towards each other in a direction parallel to
the ring support
136. An upper pivot shaft 216 extends through the upper openings 188 and 200
of
the ring supports 134 and 136, respectively, and a lower pivot shaft 218
extends
through the lower openings 192 and 204 of the ring supports 134 and 136,
respectively, so that the two ring supports 134 and 136 can pivot with respect
to each
30 other about a pivot axis defined by the pivot shafts 216 and 218. The pivot
shafts
216 and 218 are pivotably secured to fixed locations 240 and 242,
respectively, of
the housing 22. In addition, the protrusions 196 and 208 are retained in the
openings 162 and 164, respectively, so that the upper ends of the ring
supports 134
and 136 are coupled for pivoting movement with respect to the upper section
146 of
_ _ 1.~~~ ..~...~......~-..~.,-....~ _.....~.....~._....~..~ ...._
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the U-shaped bar 132. Similarly, the protrusions 198 and 210 are retained in
the
openings 172 and 174, respectively, so that the lower ends of the ring
supports 134
and 136 are coupled for pivoting movement with respect to the tower section
148 of
the U-shaped bar 132. The protrusions 196+208, the protrusions 198+210, and
the
pivot shafts 216, 218 experience independent circular motion with respect to
each
other.
Referring now to FIGS. 4-6 and 12-13, the assembly 20 includes a pump
system that functions to pump the bubble solution from the solution bottle 32
to the
bubble rings 110, 112. The pump system includes the motor 50, the tube 46, the
7. o tubings 131, 133, a guide wall 248, and a gear system that functions to
draw bubble
solution through the tube 46 and tubings 131, 133. The gear system includes a
motor gear 250 that is rotatably coupled to a shaft 252 of the motor 50, a
gear
housing plate 254, a first gear 256, a second gear 258, a resilient element
260 (such
as a spring), two pressure rollers 262, 264, and a shaft 266. The motor gear
250 has
teeth that are engaged with the teeth of the first gear 256. The first gear
256 is
rotatably coupled to the gear housing plate 254, and has teeth that are
engaged with
the teeth of the second gear 258. The second gear 258 rotates about an axis
defined by the shaft 266, and the resilient element 260 is carried on the
shaft 266
between the second gear 258 and an enlarged end of the shaft 266. The pressure
2 o rollers 262, 264 are spaced apart along the outer periphery of the second
gear 258
and positioned to face away from the gear housing plate 254. Referring also to
FIGS. 12 and 13, each pressure roller 262, 264 has a base section 280 and an
upper section 282 which has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the base
section 280. The gear housing plate 254 has an opening 268 along one side
through which a guide element 270 (e.g., a screw) is fitted. The second gear
258 is
positioned adjacent the push button 66, with a portion of the stepped
extension 76 of
the push button 66 extending into the path of the tube 46 between the second
gear
258 and the gear housing plate 254 (see FIGS. 12 and 13). In particular, the
tube 46
extends from the interior of the solution bottle 32, through the opening 44 in
the
3o solution dish 40, into the housing 22, and passes through a path (that is
defined by
the guide element 270, the pressure rollers 262, 264, and the guide wall 248)
that
leads to a branch 272 from where the tubings 131, 133 extend. At the location
of the
guide element 270, the pressure rollers 262, 264, and the guide wall 248, the
tube
46 is positioned between the second gear 258 and the guide wall 248.
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The pump system operates in the following manner. When the motor 50 is
actuated, the motor gear 250 will rotate, thereby causing the first and second
gears
256 and 258 to rotate as well. As the second gear 258 rotates, the pressure
rollers
262, 264 will rotate as well. As the pressure rollers 262, 264 rotate, they
will apply
selected pressure on different parts of the tube 46 in the manner described
below.
The assembly 20 operates in the following manner. In the normal non-
operational condition (i.e., when the rings 110, 112 are contacting each other
in the
closed position as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 8), the push button 66 is normally
biased
outwardly away from the housing 22 by the resilient element 70 (as explained
above}. When the user presses the push button 66 (see FIGS. 2, 5 and 9}, the
push
button 66 pivots clockwise about the shaft 86 (in the orientation shown in
FIGS. 4
and 5), which causes three sequences of events occur at about the same time.
First, the bubble rings 110, 112 are moved from their closed position to their
opened position. As best shown by comparing FIGS. 8 and 9, the bar 88 of the
push
button 66 is pivoted in a clockwise direction so that the sliding shaft 92 is
pushed
upwardly within the groove 94. The upward movement of the sliding shaft 92
pushes
the locking piece 96 rearwardly along the Pocking rack 98 in the direction of
arrow R,
thereby overcoming the normal bias of the resilient element 70. As the bar 88
is
pivoted in the clockwise direction, the bar 88 pulls the control bar 130
rearwardly in
?« the direction of arrow R because the bar 88 is seated inside the groove 150
of the
control bar 130. Rearward movement of the control bar 130 will pull the U-
shaped
pivoting bar 132 rearwardly in the direction of arrow R. Since the pivot axis
defined
by the pivot shafts 216 and 218 is fixed, rearward movement of the pivotin<1
bar 132
will cause the ring supports 134 and 136 to pivot about the pivot axis defined
by the
pivot shafts 216, 218 when the protrusions 196, 198, 208, 210 slide back and
forth
within the elongated openings 162, 172, 164, 174, respectively (see FIGS. 10
and
11), so as to pivot the ring supports 134, 136 (and their bubble rings 110,
112) from
the closed position to the opened position, where the openings of the bubble
rings
110, 112 (and the formed films of bubble solution) will be directly facing an
air
3 o generator 300.
The back and forth sliding motion of the protrusions 196, 198, 208, 210 within
the elongated openings 162, 172, 164, 174, respectively, can be described as
follows: when the two rings 110, 112 contact each other in the position shown
in
FIG. 10, the protrusions 196, 198, 208, 210 are positioned at the inner ends
of a
CA 02430525 2003-05-30
respective elongated opening 162, 172, 164, 174. As the pivoting bar 132
causes
the ring supports 134 and 136 to pivot about the pivot axis defined by the
pivot shafts
216, 218, the rings 110, 112 will move apart from each other. As the rings
110, 112
move apart from each other, the protrusions 196, 198, 208, 210 will slide from
the
5 inner ends to the outer ends of the respective elongated opening 162, 172,
164, 174.
When the protrusions 196, 198, 208, 210 reach the outer ends of the respective
elongated opening 162, 172, 164, 174, the rings 110, 112 will be about ninety
degrees apart from other, and further pivoting by the ring supports 134, 136
will
cause the protrusions 196, 198, 208, 210 will slide from the outer ends to the
inner
10 ends of the respective elongated opening 162, 172, 164, 174. When the
protrusions
196, 198, 208, 210 reach the inner ends of the respective elongated opening
162,
172, 164, 174 again, the rings 110, 112 will be about one hundred and eighty
degrees apart from other, as shown in FIG. 11.
Second, bubble solution is pumped to the bubble rings 110, 112. fn this
1 ~ regard, the clockwise pivot of the push button 66 causes the second
contact 60 to
engage the third contact 64, thereby forming a closed electrical circuit that
will deliver
power from the power source 48 to the motor 50. The motor 50 will turn on,
thereby
causing the motor gear 250 to drive and rotate the first and second gears ~?56
and
258. As the pressure rollers 262, 264 on the second gear 258 rotate, they will
apply
selected pressure on different parts of the tube 46. FIGS. 12 and 13
illustrate this in
greater detail. FIG. 12 illustrates the relationship between the pressure
rollers 262,
264 and the tube 46 when the assembly 20 is in the normal non-operation<~I
condition (i.e., when the rings 110, 112 are contacting each other in the
closed
position as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 8), and FIG. 13 illustrates the
relationship
? 5 between the pressure rollers 262, 264 and the tube 46 when the assembly 20
is in
the bubble-generating position (i.e., when the rings 110, 112 are side-by-side
in the
opened position as shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 9). As shown in FIG. 12, the tube
46 is
normally fitted between the smaller-diameter upper section 282 of the pressure
rollers 262, 264 and the guide wall 248, and the lower edge 78 of the stepped
o extension 76 of the push button 66 is fitted between the second gear 258 and
the
gear housing plate 254. The resilient element 260 normally biases the second
gear
258 towards the gear housing plate 254. When the push button 66 is pressed and
pivoted, the stepped extension 76 is pressed inside the space between they
second
gear 258 and the gear housing plate 254, overcoming the normal bias of the
resilient
CA 02430525 2003-05-30
11
element 260 and causing the second gear 258 to slide along the angled edge 82
to
increase the distance between the second gear 258 and the gear housing plate
254.
As the second gear 258 moves away from the gear housing plate 254 towards the
guide wall 248, the pressure rollers 262, 264 are pushed into the tube 46 so
that the
tube 46 is now positioned between the guide wall 248 and the larger-diameter
base
section 280 of the pressure rollers 262, 264, thereby compressing the tube 46
as
shown in FIG. 13. Thus, rotation of the pressure rollers 262, 264 will
compress
different portions of the tube 46, thereby creating air pressure to draw the
bubble
solution from the interior of the solution bottle 32 through the tube 46, on
to the
tubings 131 and 133, and then into the chambers 118 of the bubble rings '110,
112,
where the bubble solution will bleed out through the outlets 124 on to the
front
surfaces 126 of the bubble rings 110, 112.
This arrangement and structure of the pressure rollers 262, 264 is effective
in
prolonging the useful life of the tube 46 and the pump system. In particular,
the
1 ~~ pressure rollers 262, 264 only apply pressure against the tube 46 when
the push
button 66 is actuated (i.e., the larger-diameter base section 280 only
compresses the
tube 46 when the push button 66 is pressed), so that the tube 46 does not
experience any pressure when the push button 66 is not actuated (i.e., the
smaller-
diameter upper section 282 is positioned adjacent to, but does not compress,
the
2 0 tube 46 when the push button 66 is not pressed). This is to be contrasted
with
conventional pump systems used far pumping bubble solution to a bubble
producing
device, where pressure is always applied to the tube regardless of whether the
trigger or button is actuated. Over a long period of time, this constant
pressure will
deform the tube, making it difficult for bubble solution to be drawn through
the tube.
25 Third, the air generator 300 (such as a fan which extends outside the
housing
22) that is secured to the motor 50 is actuated when the motor 50 is turned
on. In
this regard, the clockwise pivot of the push button 66 causes the second
contact 60
to engage the third contact 64, thereby forming a closed electrical circuit
that will
deliver power from the power source 48 to the motor 50 to rotate the air
generator
30 300. The air generator 300 blows a stream of air towards the bubble rings
110, 112.
This stream of air will then travel through the film of bubble solution that
have been
formed over the bubble rings 110, 112, thereby creating bubbles.
Thus, pressing the push button 66 will actuate the air generator 300, and will
cause the bubble rings 110, 112 to be positioned side-by-side to face the air
CA 02430525 2003-05-30
:~ 2
generator 300 so that bubbles can be created. Pressing the push button 66 will
also
pump bubble solution from the solution bottle 32 to the bubble rings 110, 112.
When the user releases his or her pressing grip on the push button 66, the
resilient element 70 will normally bias the locking piece 96 towards the front
end 100
of the locking rack 98, thereby pivoting the push button 66 in a counter-
clockwise
direction (as viewed from the orientation of FIGS. 4 and 5) about the pivot
shaft 86,
biasing the push button 66 outwardly away from the housing 22. This will cause
the
second contact 60 carried on the push button 66 to be biased away from the
third
contact 64 so that power to the motor 50 is cut. As a result, the air
generator 300 will
stop producing streams of air, and the pump system will stop drawing bubble
solution
from the solution bottle 32 to the bubble rings 110, 112. In addition, the bar
88 wilt
push the control bar 130 in a forward direction (opposite to the direction of
arrow R),
thereby pushing the U-shaped pivoting bar 132 forwardly as well. Since the
pivot
axis defined by the pivot shafts 216 and 218 are fixed, forward movement of
the
pivoting bar 132 will cause the ring supports 134 and 136 to pivot about the
pivot
axes defined by the protrusions 196+198 and 208+210 (in a reverse manner from
that described above for the back and forth motion of the protrusions 196,
198, 208,
210 within the elongated openings 162, 172, 164, 174, respectively), so as to
pivot
the ring supports 134, 136 (and their bubble rings 110, 112) from the opened
2 o position of FIGS. 2, 5 and 9 to the closed position of FIGS. 1, 4 and 8.
In addition, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the solution dish 40 is
positioned
directly below the bubble rings 110, 112 to collect any stray droplets of
bubble
solution that drip from the bubble rings 110, 112. These stray droplets can
flow back
into the solution bottle 32 via the opening 42. In addition, the solution
bottle 32 can
2 ~ be removed from the housing 22 by threadably disengaging the neck of the
solution
bottle 32 from the connecting section 34.
FIG. 14 illustrates another bubble generating assembly 20a according to the
present invention. The assembly 20a differs from the assembly 20 of FIGS. 1-13
in
that two sets of two bubble rings 110a+110b and 112a+112b are provided instead
of
30 just two bubble rings 110, 112. For this reason, most of the elements in
the
assembly 20a of FIG. 14 are identical to the same elements in the assembly 20
of
FIGS. 1-13, and will not be described herein. The elements in the assemblies
20
and 20a that are identical will be designated by the same numeral
designations,
except that an "a" will be added to the designations in FIG. 14. The following
CA 02430525 2003-05-30
13
description will only highlight the differences between the assemblies 20 and
20a.
The assembly 20a differs from the assembly 20 of FIGS. 1-13 in that two sets
of two bubble rings 110a+110b and 112a+112b are provided instead of just two
bubble rings 110, 112. To facilitate this modification, two motors 50a and 50b
are
provided and are retained inside the opening 144a (which is now elongated to
accomodate the two motors 50a, 50b) in the pivoting bar 132a. In addition to
the
wires 52a and 56a (which are the same as the wires 52 and 56 in FIGS. 1-13),
an
additional wire 320 couples the two motors 50a and 50b. Each motor 50a and 50b
carries a separate air generator 300a and 300b, respectively. Each ring
support
134a and 136a now carries two bubble rings 110a+110b and 112a+112b,
respectively. The bubble rings 110a and 110b are bath attached to the outer
side of
the ring support 134a, and are spaced apart by a delivery tube 322. Each
opposing
end of the delivery tube 322 can be connected to a peripheral opening in the
annular
base piece (e.g., 114) of a separate bubble ring 110a and 110b. As a result,
the
bubble solution that has entered the annular chamber (e.g., 118) of the upper
bubble
ring 110a can flow through the delivery tube 322 into the annular chamber
(e.g., 118)
of the lower bubble ring 110b. Similarly, the bubble rings 112a and 112b are
both
attached to the outer side of the ring support 136a, and are spaced apart by
another
delivery tube 324. Each opposing end of the delivery tube 324 can be connected
to
r0 a peripheral opening in the annular base piece (e.g., 114) of a separate
bubble ring
112a and 112b. As a result, the bubble solution that has entered the annular
chamber (e.g., 118) of the upper bubble ring 112a can flow through the
delivery tube
324 into the annular chamber (e.g., 118) of the lower bubble ring 112b.
The assembly 20a operates in the same manner as the assembly 20. The
2 5 only difference is that the additional bubble rings 110b, 112b will
generate more
bubbles.
While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present
invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without
departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to
cover
3o such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the
present
invention.
