WO2022199860A1

WO2022199860A1 - Water fountain with sphere

Info

Publication number: WO2022199860A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/061103
Authority: WO
Inventors: John SCHWATSCHKE
Original assignee: Schwatschke John
Priority date: 2021-03-26
Filing date: 2021-04-28
Publication date: 2022-09-29

Abstract

A water fountain system (10) including a lightweight, airtight, and hollow sphere or ball (11) balancing upon a vertical jet water stream (12) emerging from a jet nozzle (13) of the fountain (10) due to an adequate density and consequently pressure difference between the ball and the water. The size and weight of the sphere or ball and the flow rate of the water stream are inter- dependant and adjusted with respect to each other to allow and maintain the balance of the sphere or ball over the water stream. If the sphere or ball (11), owing to high wind velocity at a particular place, falls out or deflects from the ambit of the water stream (12), the same is caught by the provision of a guard device (14) present around the water stream (12) as a part of the fountain (10) and shot up again over the water stream (12) due to the motion of the said guard device (14).

Description

WATER FOUNTAIN WITH SPHERE

Object of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a water fountain system and particularly to a jet spray fountain having an improved aesthetic appeal and unique decorative pattern.

Backaround to the Invention

Water fountains are well known in the art. Water fountains can be found indoors at schools, offices, shopping centres, as well as outdoors like amusement parks, community parks, city centres and pools, and at countless other places.

Recreational and decorative/aesthetic fountain installations at parks or other places consist of one or more raised structures upon which water nozzles are mounted, so as to emit a discharge stream of water. Such water fountain installations commonly utilize a jet spray nozzle system for this purpose.

Other types of fountain nozzles are crystalline fountain nozzles, rotating/dancing/dynamic fountain nozzles and spherical fountain nozzles. All the different types of nozzles generate water stream of different appearance, volume, turbulence flow velocity, height and dynamics.

Therefore, different types of water fountains have unique and distinct aesthetic appeal adhered to them. Besides the appearance and pattern of the water stream by itself, it is possible to include various decorative items as a part of the water stream to enhance the visual attraction of the water fountains.

Keeping into consideration the aforesaid requirement, the present invention provides a unique and novel way of achieving this aim by allowing one sphere or ball to integrate with the water fountain system and balance on top of the water flow. This naturally adds value to the product, i.e., the water fountain, and makes it technically as well as visibly distinct from the type of fountains known in the art. Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a novel water fountain system comprising: a jet spray mechanism operable to generate a water stream, one sphere or ball operable to balance and rotate upon the water stream generated via the jet spray mechanism, and a guard device around the said water stream for catching the said one sphere or ball if it falls out of the water stream ambit.

The jet spray of the fountain is vertical in orientation, i.e., emerges vertically from the fountain jet nozzle and generates a vertical water stream. Preferably, the force with which water streams out of the jet spray mechanism is proportional to the weight and size of the sphere or ball to be balanced over it.

Preferably, the sphere or ball used for balancing on the water stream can vary in size, ranging from a small-sized ball to a large-sized ball.

Preferably, the sphere or ball used for the invention is lightweight, hollow, and airtight so that it balances on top of the vertical jet spray.

Occasionally, if the water fountain is placed at a place where there is a high wind velocity, the sphere or ball may deflect from its balance and fall down due to the wind thrust. In that case, the deflected ball is caught by the guard device around the water stream, rolls back towards the jet spray mechanism and subsequently shot up again in the stream. Therefore, the technical features of the water fountain system according to the invention allow it to maintain its structure and function even in not so favourable wind conditions.

Preferably, the guard device used for the purpose of catching the deflected/fallen ball includes a wire mesh, such as but not limited to stainless steel wire, galvanized metal wire and copper wire. Preferably, but not limited to, the guard device has a circular profile with a plurality of arms radiating from a central area, the arms connected by stay pieces to prevent any fallen ball becoming stuck between the arms.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to just the preferred embodiments but includes all the plausible variants notably those concerning the type of nozzle used and resultant water stream generated for the fountain as well as the size and density of the sphere or ball balanced over the said water stream and the design and material of the guard device.

Detailed Description

The invention will hereafter be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying Figures, which show by way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the water fountain system according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 , an embodiment of the invention is shown where the water fountain system 10 comprises an airtight hollow sphere or ball 11 balancing on jet water stream 12 emerging from a jet nozzle 13. A guard device 14 surrounds the jet water stream 12.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of an isolated guard device 14 having a circular profile and comprising a central area 15 from where numerous arms 16 radiate outwards. Wire mesh not shown extend over the arms.

A water fountain system 10 according to the invention works as follows:

A lightweight, airtight, and hollow sphere or ball 11 balances upon a vertical jet water stream 12 emerging from a jet nozzle 13 of the fountain 10 due to an adequate density and consequently pressure difference between the ball and the water. The size and weight of the sphere or ball and the flow rate of the water stream are inter- dependant and adjusted with respect to each other to allow and maintain the balance of the sphere or ball over the water stream. If the sphere or ball 11 , owing to high wind velocity at a particular place, falls out or deflects from the ambit of the water stream 12, the same is caught by the provision of a guard device 14 present around the water stream 12 as a part of the fountain 10 and shot up again over the water stream 12 when the ball 11 rolls back towards the jet spray mechanism. In summary the invention provides a water fountain system 10 includes a lightweight, airtight, and hollow sphere or ball 11 balancing upon a vertical jet water stream 12 emerging from a jet nozzle 13 of the fountain 10 due to an adequate density and consequently pressure difference between the ball and the water. The size and weight of the sphere or ball and the flow rate of the water stream are inter- dependant and adjusted with respect to each other to allow and maintain the balance of the sphere or ball over the water stream. If the sphere or ball 11 , owing to high wind velocity at a particular place, falls out or deflects from the ambit of the water stream 12, the same is caught by the provision of a guard device 14 present around the water stream 12 as a part of the fountain 10 and shot up again over the water stream 12 due to the motion of the said guard device 14.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of examples only and various modifications and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1 . A water fountain system (10) comprising: a jet spray mechanism (13) operable to generate a water stream; one sphere or ball (11 ) operable to balance and rotate upon the water stream generated via the jet spray mechanism (13); and a guard device (14) around the said water stream for catching the said one sphere or ball (11 ) if it falls out of the water stream ambit.

2. The water fountain system (10) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the jet spray mechanism (13) is operable to be vertical in orientation and generate a vertical water stream.

3. The water fountain system (10) as claimed in any of the above claims, wherein the force with which water streams out of the jet spray mechanism (13) is proportional to the weight and density of the one sphere or ball (11) to be balanced over it.

4. The water fountain system (10) as claimed in any of the above claims, wherein the one sphere or ball (11 ) varies in size, ranging from a small-sized ball to a large-sized ball.

5. The water fountain system as claimed in any of the above claims, wherein the sphere or ball (11) is lightweight, hollow and airtight.

6. The water fountain system as claimed in any of the above claims, wherein the guard device (14) has a circular profile with a plurality of arms (16) radiating from a central area (15).

7. The water fountain system (10) as claimed in any of the above claims, wherein wire mesh is fitted over the guard device.