WO1991001100A1

WO1991001100A1 - Entertaining and decorative object comprising a mobile and a ventilating fan

Info

Publication number: WO1991001100A1
Application number: PCT/FR1990/000535
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jacek Zwodzijasz
Original assignee: Jacek Zwodzijasz
Priority date: 1989-07-21
Filing date: 1990-07-16
Publication date: 1991-02-07
Also published as: AU6060790A; FR2649874A1; FR2649874B1

Abstract

An object designed for entertainment and decoration, characterised in that the means for moving the fluid contain a surround (1) which has small inlets (9) and on the so-called upper side, small oulets (6, 6'), the surround containing a propeller (2) and its driving motor (3) to induce a flow of air (8, 8', 8''). The openings allow the air flows to be as laminar as possible with the speed of the air flow being reduced at the centre (8'). The mobile (20) has an aerofoil (12) which is shaped so that it spins by itself. As a result, an entertaining and decorative effect is created through the aerofoil's girating movement and the erratic movement of the mobile.

Description

"DISTRACTIVE AND DECORATIVE OBJECT INCORPORATING A MOBILE AND A BLOWER"

The present invention is in the field of decoration or even animation, and it relates to an object intended for the animation or decoration of private premises, shop windows, etc. We have already seen in fairgrounds, for example, rifle targets constituted by light bullets held in the air by a small jet of water giving the ball its lift and an erratic movement of small amplitude; there are also known multicolored ribbons agitated in a draft to for example catch the eyes of passers-by; there are also games known as tennis using balls with a tapered tail.

According to the present invention, an object intended for entertainment or for decoration, of the kind in which a so-called "movable" mobile body is supported by a stream of fluid above means for setting in motion the fluid is characterized in a way general in that the said means for setting the fluid in motion comprise an enclosure provided on at least one of its lateral faces with intake orifices and, on a so-called upper face, with expulsion orifices, said enclosure containing a propeller and its motor ¹ drive to induce an air flow towards the upper face, and in that the said expulsion orifices are arranged and shaped to give the flow of air passing on the one hand also a flow laminar as possible, and on the other hand a reduced speed as possible, and on the other hand a reduced speed at the center of the current with respect to its edge, in that the said mobile incorporates a bearing surface, called the airfoil, conform e so as to be autogiratoire. The result of this characteristic is a distracting and decorative effect consisting on the one hand of a movement of gyration of the bearing surface of the mobile, and an erratic movement in a defined space below the enclosure.

REPLACEMENT SHEET In a preferred embodiment, the mobile, in addition to its bearing surface, incorporates a body, known as a non-rotating "fuselage", on which the bearing surface is rotatably mounted, said fuselage being suspended from the bearing surface.

Preferably, the fuselage comprises a tail unit preventing it from rotating with said surface.

According to a particular characteristic, the expulsion orifices are constituted by a plurality of conduits with vertical and parallel axes.

These conduits are arranged contiguously in a sheet forming the upper face of the enclosure; this sheet may be circular, square, etc., and generally of any shape having rotational symmetry about the vertical axis passing through the center of the surface; this surface is the generating surface of the enclosure.

The present invention will be better understood and details will be apparent from the description which will be given of a preferred embodiment, in relation to the figures of the appended plates, in which:

- Fig.l is an axial schematic section of the device of the invention, - Fig.2 is a top view of the enclosure,

- Figs. 3a, 3b, 3c are three views of the helicopter-shaped mobile,

- Figs. 4a, 4b, and 4c illustrate some possible embodiments of

The enclosure.

In fig.l a device of the invention comprises on the one hand an enclosure 1 containing a propeller 2 supported by the shaft of an electric motor 3, the upper face of the enclosure being provided with a

REPLACEMENT SHEET plurality of conduits 6, and on the other hand a mobile 10 in the form of a helicopter.

It appears in fig.2 that each of the conduits 6 has a square section and that the sheet of juxtaposed conduits occupies the entire upper face of the enclosure; in the case of the figure this sheet is of square shape.

Returning to fig.l, it appears that due to the arrangement of the propeller 2 with respect to the conduits 6 the air flow 8 expelled by the propeller at an uneven speed 8 ', 8 "depending on the distance relative to the axis of a flow stream, in particular the speed is lower in the center (8 ') than at the edges (8 "). It will also be noted that the conduits have a certain length h_ defining the thickness of the ply of the conduits; advantageously h equal two to three times the transverse dimension a_ of each conduit; thanks to these arrangements and in the event of a reasonable speed of the propeller, the flow of the air current passing through the sheet is laminar, the streams of current are fairly parallel to each other and the distribution of velocities at each point of the current is reproduced up to a certain height above the enclosure. The air enters the enclosure below the propeller through orifices such as 9 from which the side walls of the enclosure can be. Still on FIG. 1, the mobile 10 comprises a bearing surface called a wing 12 and a fuselage 14.

In fig.3a, 3b, 3c, more particularly, it appears that the airfoil 12 has the shape of an openwork disc and rib. The ribs such as 14 have a fold line 15 with respect to which the edges of the rib are asymmetrical; this asymmetry is found on all the other ribs of the airfoil; asymmetry is the cause of the gyration of the airfoil in the air stream. The fuselage 13 is made up

REPLACEMENT SHEET of a ping-pong ball on which is attached a tail 17 supporting at its end a tail unit 13. A small axis for example, a pin with a cylindrical head, not shown, rotatably connects the fuselage to the wing. By a judicious choice of the inclination of the empennage 18 one succeeds in prohibiting the gyration of the fuselage, in spite of that of the wing.

Returning to fig.l we have in a central duct 6 ', a light source 20, which is on the one hand intended to continuously or intermittently light the mobile 10 and on the other hand to close the central duct to reduce the central air flow.

Provision may be made to incorporate a dispenser of volatile products such as perfumes or insecticides into the enclosure. The invention finds applications for example in the animation of shop windows, the creation of atmosphere, and premises.

Although a preferred embodiment has been described and shown, it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to this form but that it extends to any device forming a decorative or distracting object comprising the general characteristics stated above.

REPLACEMENT SHEET

Claims

1.- Object intended for entertainment or decoration, of the kind in which a so-called "movable" mobile body is supported by a stream of fluid above means for setting the fluid in motion, characterized: in that the said means fluid movement formatting comprises an enclosure (1) provided ^'on at least one of its lateral faces of orifices, admissions (9) and, on an upper said face, eviction orifices (6, 6 '), said enclosure containing a propeller (2) and its drive motor (3) for inducing a current of air (8.8', 8 ") towards the upper face, and in that the said discharge ports are arranged and shaped to give the air flow passing through the upper face, on the one hand, a flow as laminar as possible, and on the other hand a reduced speed at the center (8 ′) of the current by relative to its edge (8 "), in that the said mobile (20) incorporates a bearing surface, called the airfoil (12), shaped so as to be self gyratory, from which it results a distracting and decorative effect consisting on the one hand in a movement of gyration of the bearing surface of the mobile, and an erratic movement of the mobile in a defined space above the enclosure;

2.- Object according to claim 1, characterized: in that the mobile, in addition to its bearing surface, incorporates a body (13,17), said "non-rotating" fuselage ", on which the bearing surface is rotatably mounted, said fuselage ( 13) being suspended from the bearing surface (12);

REPLACEMENT SHEET

3.- Object according to claim 2, characterized: in that said fuselage comprises a tail (18) preventing it from rotating with said surface;

4.- Object according to claim 1, characterized: in that said expulsion orifices (6,6 ') are constituted by a plurality of conduits with vertical and parallel axes;

5.- Object according to claim 2, characterized: in that said wing has 1 shape of an openwork disc and rib rotatably connected;

6.- Object according to claim 5, characterized: in that the ribs (14) have a fold line (15) relative to which the edges of the rib are asymmetrical;

7. An article according to Claim 1, characterized: in ^'that said enclosure incorporates a dispenser of volatile oroduits.

REPLACEMENT SHEET