US3499238A - Bubbling display device - Google Patents

Description

March 10, 1970 s. PUBLICKER 3,499,238

BUBBLING DISPLAY DEVICE Filed June 9, 1967 FIG.2

IN VENTOR. f/o/vzy 1 1/51 //f/? United States Patent 3,499,238 BUBBLING DISPLAY DEVICE Sidney Publicker, 534 Alicia Drive, Westbury, N.Y. 11590 Filed June 9, 1967, Ser. No. 644,953 Int. Cl. G09f 13/24 U.S. Cl. 40-10621 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Bubbling display device of transparent material and shaped like a champagne glass or beer schooner containing a non-toxic, non-flammable liquid having a boiling point at approximately room temperature, preferably Freon 11, is provided with a chamber at the bottom of the column of liquid having a perforated upper wall or plate and housing solid particles which promote generation of bubbles and coalescence of small bubbles into larger ones which rise through the perforations in approximately uniform size. In the case of a champagne glass, a smaller liquid filled envelope is contained in a larger one which magnifies the smaller envelope.

The present invention relates to bubbling display and advertising devices for attracting the attention of passersby in store and shop windows, and of customers in stores, night clubs and the like, and particularly in the window displays of wine and beer retail stores.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a display device which will attract the eyes of passersby and immediately convey the idea of the nature of the store or shop and/ or advertise a particular brand of wine, beer, or the like.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a bubble display device which is completely sealed and contains a liquid which is non-toxic and nonflammable, so that in the event of breakage, no serious efiects can result either to the property or to the persons in the vicinity.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a de vice of the type indicated with a source of illumination which serves also to generate the bubbles Which rise in the column of liquid. T

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a display device suitable especially for stores selling alcoholic beverages wherein the casing or mantle or envelope of the device is transparent and is shaped so as to be suggestive of the type of beverage sold or advertised such as champagne or beer, the display device showing bubbles rising in a champagne glass having a hollow stem, or in a double-walled stein or schooner of beer or ale.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type indicated with a hollow, transparent, bowl-shaped envelope or mantle which operates to magnify the liquid-containing vessel within it, so that the appearance of a larger vessel is gained, while at the same time a smaller quantity of the bubble-generating liquid can be employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the type indicated, a chamber within the body of liquid and having a perforated top wall or plate enclosing particles of solid material which operate to facilitate generation of bubbles and aid in distributing the bub bles over the whole cross-sectional area of the column of liquid; such perforated plate serving also to cause bubbles to coalesce into a larger vapor bubble, and the size of the bubble emerging from the perforations being made uniform by such perforations, so that a steady stream of bubbles of substantially the same size rises continuously in the column of liquid.

3,499,238 Patented Mar. 10, 1970 Other objects and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a central vertical section through a champagne glass-shaped display device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a modification likewise in central vertical section and partly in elevation.

Referring to FIG. 1, the display device is generally in the shape of a hollow stem champagne glass, the hollow stern being indicated at 10 and the bowl section at 11. The base of the glass is indicated at 12.

The structure shown in FIG. 1 differs from a champagne glass in that the bowl portion 11 is not open to the atmosphere, but is in the form of a double-walled structure, the bowl portion 11 continuing into a re-entry section 13 which, with the bowl portion 11, forms an enclosed space 14. As can be readily seen from FIG. 1, the hollow stem and the space 14 are in communication with each other.

The parts 10, 11, 12 and 13 are made of clear transparent glass or plastic, and the bottom end of the stem 10 is sealed by a disc 15 which is cemented or fused thereto. Spaceda short distance above the disc 15 is a second disc 16 which is perforated a indicated at 17 to permit the passage of bubbles therethrough, as will be explained hereinafter. Within the space 18 between the discs 15 and 16 there are disposed a number of compressed carbon chip-s 19 or other inert particles (such as glass beads, glass wool and the like) of a size greater than the perforations 17.

While the space 10a, 14 may be filled with various kinds of volatile liquids heretofore employed in bubbling display devices, I have found that superior results are obtained with a non-flammable, non-toxic Freon type of liquid having a boiling point slightly above average room temperature. I have found Freon 11 (trichloromonofluoromethane) having a boiling point of 74.8 F. to be highly effective for the purposes of the present invention, and such liquid is poured into the spaces 10a and 14, by way of nipple 20; when the liquid has reached a level a short distance below the top 21 of the space 14, as indicated at 22, the nipple is sealed, as by fusion, as indicated at 23.

The display device is adapted to be placed over a source of heat, such as a 40 w. or 60 w. electric lamp 24 contained within a ventilated box 25 on which the base of the display device rests, the lamp being supplied with current by conductors 26. The top of the box 25 is apertured, as indicated at 27, the base being disposed over such aperture, so that the bottom of the display device is heated directly by radiation and convection.

In the operation of the display device shown in FIG. 1, the heat from the lamp or other source evaporates the trichloromonofluoromethane at the bottom of the stem 10, the formation of bubbles being promoted by the compressed carbon chips or other inert particles 19 which float haphazardly within the space 18 and act also to distribute the bubbles to the perforations 17 of disc 16. While four or more such perforations may be provided, I have found that two diametrically opposite openings are suificient.

The formed bubbles rise within the stem 10 and into the space 14 and give a highly realistic impression of champagne bubbles rising to the surface of the liquid in space 14. This liquid is preferably colored to resemble champagne.

The space above the surface 22 of the liquid is evacuated to the extent of about 3 to 5 cm. of vacuum, and the bubbles condense in said space and return to the body of liquid in the annular space 14.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 2, the construction is such as to require a smaller amount of the liquid, while at the same time a magnifying effect is produced which gives the impression of a champagne glass of larger size.

The device of FIG. 2 includes an outer jacket 28 which has the shape of a champagne glass with hollow stem 30, terminating in the enlarged base 29. The stem 30 of the outer jacket 28 receives the hollow stem 31 of a champagne glass-like structure 32 having a hollow bowl similar to that shown in FIG. 1, and composed of the bowl section 33 and the re-entry portion 34 which is spaced from the bowl section 33 to provide a hollow space 35 which is in communication with the space 36 within the stem 31. The stem is sealed at its bottom, as indicated at 37, and spaced from such bottom is a perforated disc 38 similar to the disc 16 of FIG. 1. As in the space 18, there are provided in the space between the parts 37 and 38 a number of chips of compressed carbon or other inert particles. The bottom of the stem 31 is seated in a cup shaped member 39 which is sealed to the stern.

The hollow glass structure 32 is filed with Freon 11 up to a short distance below the top of the glass, as indicated at 40, the space above the liquid surface 40 being under a vacuum as in FIG. 1. The hollow interior of structure 32 is filled by way of the nipple 20 which is sealed as shown at 23.

As indicated hereinabove, heat is supplied to the bot tom of the display device by the lamp 24 and the bubbles (produced by the boiling of the liquid at the bottom of the stem 31) rise within the stern, as shown at 19 and into the hollow bowl section 35. The bubbles condense within the space and against the walls of the upper portion of the bowl, and return to the body of liquid within the device.

As with'the construction of FIG. 1, the parts of FIG. 2 can be made of glass or of clear plastic. The outer jacket 28 can be filled with water as indicated at 28a, which acts to magnify the bowl section 33, so that the effect of a larger champagne glass is obtained with a smaller quantity of Freon 11. As will be seen from FIG. 2, the bowl section 33 is of considerably smaller diameter than the outer jacket 28, but despite this difference in size, the bowl section 33 appears to be almost the size of the jacket 28 when viewed from a short distance.

It will be understood that although I have described my invention in connection with a display device consisting of a transparent champagne glass-like structure, it will be evident thatthe principles of my invention can be applied to various other types of devices designed to attract the eye of passersby in a store window or in public places or the like. Thus, the display device can be in the form of 4 a hollow-walled beer schooner which includes a hollow stem, constructed similarly to the stems 10 and 31 and communicating with the interior of such walls.

I claim:

1. A bubbling display device comprising a sealed transparent hollow envelope including a stem portion and a bowl-like portion communicating interiorly with the stern portion and containing a liquid having a boiling point of approximately room temperature, and heating means located adjacent to the stern portion for promoting the formation of bubbles, said sealed envelope being contained within a similarly shaped but larger jacket which is open to the atmosphere, the space between the envelope and jacket being adapted to be filled with water.

2. A bubbling display device comprising a sealed transparent hollow envelope including a stem portion and a bowl-like portion communicating interiorly with the stem portion and containing a liquid having a boiling point of approximately room temperature, and heating means located adjacent to the stern portion for promoting the formation of bubbles, said bowl-like portion including a reentrant portion to form a hollow-walled bowl which is in communication with the interior of the stem portion.

3. A display device according to claim 2, wherein the bowl portion is shaped to resemble a champagne glass having a hollow stem.

4. A display device according to claim 2, including a chamber at the bottom of the stem and formed with a perforated top plate and containing particles of insoluble material to promote the formation of bubbles.

5. A display device according to claim 4, wherein the insoluble particles are composed of compressed charcoal.

6. A display device according to claim 2, wherein the level of the liquid is below the top of the bowl to provide a space, such space being at least partially evacuated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 233,435 10/1880 Ross et a1.

- 2,378,934 6/1945 Kloner 40-l06.2l 2,453,176 11/1948 Abramson 40l06.21 2,569,078 9/1951 Silver et al 40106.21 2,991,574 7/1961 Trame' 40106.2l 3,120,068 2/1964 Winther 40--106.2l 3,392,466 7/1968 Lo Giudice 40106.21

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner RICHARD CARTER, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 40-126

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