CA1112040A - Bubble display apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure This invention relates to an apparatus and method for preserving bubbles permitted prolonged observation of the bubble. The device comprises, a bubble on a support therefor and a housing around the support for isolating and protecting the bubble from the enviroment outside of the housing. Means are also provided for increasing the humidity and atmospheric pressure within the housing so as to provide an enviroment therein condusive to the preservation of the bubble. The housing includes a transparent dome member.
The invention disclosed by this application relates to a device for producing, preserving and displaying a bubble which comprises a casing which is at least partially transparent, a bubble forming conduit mounted within the casing and having an inlet and a bubble forming outlet, means for applying a bubble forming film to the outlet, and pressurizing means for increasing the pressure within the conduit to a point greater than the pressure within the casing, so that a bubble forms on the conduit outlet.

Description

1~1;2~40 Field of the Invention: This invention relates to an apparatus for producing and preserving bubbles within a closed system.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The prior art discloses amusement or ad-vertising devices for displaying bubbles. For example, Beeler U.S. Patent No. 1,550,057 discloses a glass jar retained within a cylindrical member containing bubble solution. In operation, bubbles are formed by forcing ; 10 air through the bubble solution. The bubbles formed fill the glass jar and overflow into a reservoir containing bubble solution and rapidly condense back into solution.
Stott, U.S. Patent No. 971,091 discloses an il 15 advertising or amusement device for blowing bubbles which . ~
comprises a cylinder containing bubble-forming solution through which air is forced. The bubbles formed by the passage of the air through the solution fill the cylinder and overflow onto a basin.
Steinhauser U.S. Patent No. 710,814 also dis-. j : : ;. -:

' - ~ .

o closes an advertising device for blowing bubbles which comprises a soap holder, above which a tube member, surrounded by a receiving pan is disposed. In operation, air is forced through the soapy liquid thereby forming bubbles which fill the tube and overflow onto the receiving plate. The bubbles rapidly burst on the re-ceiving plate and the soapy liquid of which the bubble was formed is channeled back into the soap holder.
Brief Description of the Invention It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for producing a display bubble for pro-longed observation within a casing, wherein the bubble is produced simply by the flow of bubble forming liquid ; within the internal structure of the apparatus.
In accordance with the foregoing objective, - the invention provides an apparatus for producing, ob-serving and preserving a bubble comprising:
(a) A casing which is at least partially transparent, having an upper portion ;;~ 20 and a lower portion, and - (b) a bubble forming conduit attached at one end to the upper portion of the ~ casing and having an inlet closest to said point of attachment and a bubble forming outlet furthest from said point of attachment, and (c) bubble forming liquid contained within the casing such that the bubble forming outlet of the conduit contacts the liquid;
and wherein the amount of liquid in the casing is adjusted so that when the casing is inverted, the conduit outlet is above the surface of the liquid, and the conduit inlet is below the surface of the liquid so that liquid will flow from the casing and into the conduit thereby causing a bubble to form on the bubble forming conduit outlet.
This invention also provides, in a second em-bodiment, an apparatus for producing, preserving and observing a bubble comprising:
.
~ (a) A casing which is at least partially : transparent, having an upper portion ~` and a lower portion, and ` 20 (b) a bubble forming conduit attached at one end to the upper portion of the casing such that the conduit extends generally vertically downwardly from the upper portion of the casing, and wherein the conduit includes an inlet ~ ' '' ~ `` ;
-:

S~`40 closest to said point of attachment and a bubble forming outlet furthest from said point of attachment and, (c) means for applying a film of bubble forming liquid to the bubble forming conduit outlet and, (d) bubble forming liquid contained within the casing so that when the casing is inverted the bubble forming conduit ; 10 outlet will be above the surface of the ~ liquid and the conduit outlet will be ;~ below the surface of the liquid so that liquid will flow from the casing and into : the conduit thereby causing a bubble to form on the bubble producing conduit outlet.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for preserving bubbles for prolonged observation. A further object of this invention is to provide a device and method for dis-playing bubbles and enhancing their beauty while on display.

In accordance with the foregoing objectives, this invention provides an apparatus for preserving bubbles comprising bubble supporting means, housing means for i40 encasing said bubble supporting means, thereby isolating a bubble supported on said bubble supporting means from the environment outside of said housing means, and means for maintaining humidity within the housing. Preferably, the bubble preserving device further includes means for elevating the atmospheric pressure within the housing.
This invention also provides a method for preserving a bubble for prolonged observation comprising maintaining the humidity within a housing containing a bubble supported on a bubble stand within a housing.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes the step of increasing the atmospheric pressure within the housing.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the Detailed Description of the Invention section of this application and the attached drawings wherein:
Figure 1: is a cross-sectional view re-presenting the apparatus in its rest position, showing the bubble - forming liquid just contacting the open end portion of the conduit, taken along line 2 of Figure 3.
Figure 2: is a vertical section view of the apparatus in its display position, ~- :
, .

:

~12OE4~

showing a partially formed bubble mounted on the conduit and bubble forming liquid partially filling the conduit.
Figure 3: is a top elevational view. .-Figure 4: is a vertical section of an alterna-tive embodiment of the apparatus in its rest position.
Figure 5: is a vertical section view repre-senting an alternative embodiment of the apparatus in its rest position.
Figure 6: is a vertical section view of the embodiment of Figure 5 in its display position.
Figure 7: is a cross-sectional view of the bubble preserving device taken along line 1-1 of Figure 8.
Figure 8: is a top elevational view.
Figure 9: is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the bubble stand.
Figure 10: is a perspective view of a bubble wand.

~Z~4~

Detailed Description of the Invention _ .
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for producing a bubble with a self-contained closed apparatus. Significantly, the display bubble is produced simply by the flow of bubble forming liquid within the internal structure of the apparatus and, hence, an external air supply is not required for the pro-duction of a bubble within the apparatus.
: The terms "upper" and "lower" employed by this description of the invention, are intended to refer to Figures 1 and 4 which, as will be discussed below, illustrate the device in its rest position.
The bubble producing apparatus of this in-vention indicated generally by reference number 6, com-prises in its preferred embodiment, a generally cylin-drical casing 7 having a lower base member 13 and a - detachable cap member 8 which forms the uppermost portion of the casing 7.
The cap member 8 is secured to the base member 13 to provide a liquid-tight seal between the base member 13 and the cap member 8. For example, in the embodiment represented by Figure 1, the cap member 8 is provided with a lip 10 having threads which cooperate with threads located on the outer surface of the upper-most end 12 of the casing base member 13, to provide à

.": ` ~ '- ~ ' ~ !

4~

liquid-tight seal between the casing base member 13 and cap member 8. As an alternative to the use of a -;
threaded cap, the cap member may comprise a cork or rubber plug which is adapted to frictionally engage the upper portion 8 of the casing 7.
The cap member 8 may also be permanently or hermetically sealed to the base member 13 to provide a permanently sealed liquid-tight closed system. The cap member 8 may be sealed to the base 13 with any glue or epoxy which is compatable with the bubble forming liquid contained with the casing. A sealed casing may be -~ desireable when employing the device as a child's toy since the apparatus could not be accidentally opened during use. However, a detachable cap would be pre-ferred where it is desired from time to time to drain and replace the bubble forming solution employed within the device -- as, for example where it is desired to vary the color of the bubble forming solution employed within the device.
The casing may be formed of transparent materials such as glass or clear plastics such as polymethyl-methacrylate. The casing may also be formed of non-transparent materials such as wood or a colored plastic, and a viewing window formed of a transparent material such as glass or cellophane may be provided in an 1~1;2q~4i~

appropriate position on the casing wall.
The internal structure of the apparatus is defined by the bubble forming conduit member 11 which is closed at one end and open at the opposite end 14.
The closed end of the conduit is secured to the upper portion 8 of the casing so that the conduit 11 extends vertically downwardly from the upper portion 8 of the casing toward the lower or convex portion of the casing.
The bubble forming conduit 11 includes an inlet port 15 which provides a means of communication between the interior area of the casing 17 and the in-terior area 16 of the conduit.
The bubble forming conduit 11 may be formed of wood, glass, plastic or ceramic and may be secured to the casing with any glue, epoxy or other adhesive material which is compatable with the bubble forming liquid. Alternatively, the casing 7 and conduit 11 may be cast, for example, from ceramics, plastic or glass in a one-piece or unitary construction.
The bubble is formed from a bubble forming liquid 18 which is contained with the casing 7. The length of the conduit 11 and the quantity of bubble form-ing liquid 18 contained within the casing 7 is adjusted in all embodiments of the invention so that when the apparatus is inverted from its rest position illustrated , ~ .. , ,: .

4~) by Figure 1, to its display position illustrated by Figure 2, the open end 14 of the conduit 11 is at all times above the surface of the liquid and the conduit inlet port 15 is below the surface of the liquid.
The term bubble forming liquid as employed herein, refers to a soap-water (or detergent-water, or other surfacta~t-water) solution, an oil, or other liquids from which a bubble may be produced, for example, low molecular weight film forming polymeric materials.
In order to prevent foaming, foam inhibiting agents such as calcium may be added to the bubble forming liquid.
As a precedent to the formation of a bubble within the apparatus, a film of bubble forming liquid must be applied to the open end 14 of the conduit 11.
The application of the bubble forming film to the open end 14 of the conduit is accomplished in the preferred embodiment of the apparatus, by adjusting the length of the conduit and the amount of bubble forming liquid contained within the casing so that when the apparatus is in its rest position, illustrated by Figure 1, the open end 14 of the conduit contacts the bubble forming liquid 18 contained within the casing 7. The extent to which the conduit penetrates the surface of the bubble forming liquid when the device is in its rest position may be adjusted as desired, so long as the contact is 4~) sufficient to apply a film of bubble forming liquid to the open end 14 of the conduit.
- In use, a bubble 19 is produced by inverting the device from its rest position, illustrated by Figure 1, to its display position, illustrated by Figure 2. As is apparent from Figure 2, when the device is in its display position the inlet port 15 will be below the surface of the bubble forming liquid 18 and, therefore, liquid will flow from the casing 8 and into the interior area 16 of the conduit 11 until the level of liquid within the casing 7 is equal to the level of liquid with-in the interior area 16 of the conduit 11. As the liquid fills the conduit, the pressure within the conduit is increased to a point greater than the pressure within the casing external to the film covering the open end 14 of the casing. Thus, a bubble 19 is formed on the open end 14 of the conduit. The gradual increase in pres~ure within the conduit produced by the flow of liquid into the conduit produces an amusing and gradual increase in the size of the bubble 19. Significantly, the bubble 19 is formed in the preferred embodiment merely by the inversion of the apparatus from the rest position (Figure 1) to the display position (Figure 2).
Moreover, the bubble is continuously produced and destroyed as the position of the apparatus is alternated : ' . .-~: ' between the rest and the display position.
In an alternative embodiment of the apparatus, the conduit 11 is secured to a plunger member 21. The plunger 21 cooperates with a sleeve 20 located on the uppermost wall 8 of the casing to provide a liquid tight seal between the plunger 21 and the upper wall 8 of the casing. The plunger 21 is secured at one end to the conduit 11, and extends outwardly through the sleeve 20 to the exterior of the casing. To apply a film of bubble forming liquid to the open end 14 of the conduit 11, the plunger is extended from its rest position illustrated by Figure 3 inwardly until the open end 14 of the conduit 11 contacts the bubble forming liquid 18. The plunger is then withdrawn from the casing until the conduit is returned to its rest position at the uppermost end of the casing. At this point, the apparatus is inverted to its display position where-upon a bubble is formed in the manner described above.
Liquid tight cooperating sleeve and plunger members are well-known to the art and any commercially available sleeve and plunger device may be employed in combination with this apparatus.
The plunger 21 and sleeve member 20 may both be formed of any liquid compatable material such as plastic, glass, or rubber -- or, the plunger and sleeve - ~ . , may be formed of different materials. For example, the sleeve may be formed of plastic or rubber and the plunger may be formed of wood, metal, or glass. The plunger 21 may be secured to the conduit with~any liquid compatable: glue, or epoxy, or the conduit 11 and plunger 21 may be cast in a one-piece construction --from, for example, plastic or glass.
In the preferred embodiment of the device, the lowermost portion 9 of the casing convexes inwardly so that the lowermost point 10 of the convex surface is approximately vertically aligned with the central vertical axis of the conduit 11.
In use, upon inversion of the apparatus from the rest position (Figure 1) to the display position (Figure 2), bubble forming liquid flows downwardly along the convex surface of the casing wall 9 and collects at the lowermost (Figure 2) point 10 on the convex surface. The liquid collected at point 10 drains down-wardly when the device is in the display position onto the surface of the display bubble 19 thereby replenishing the bubble with bubble forming liquid. Thus, a means for replenishing the bubble during display and aiding in the prolongation of the life of the bubble is accomplished simply by providing a vertically aligned convex surface on the casing wall 9 opposite the display bubble 19.

, '' 4~

A pin member 22 may be secured at one end to the point 10 of the casing wall 9 such that the central vertical axis of the pin 22 is in generally vertical alignment with the central vertical axis of the conduit member 11. As is illustrated by Figure 2, the length of the pin 22 is adjusted to that it penetrates the display bubble.
In use, upon inversion of the apparatus from the rest position (Figure 1) to the display position (Figure 2), bubble forming liquid flows downwardly along the convex surface of the casing wall 9 and collects at the lowermost (Figure 2) point 10 on the conve~
casing wall 9. The liquid then continues to slowly drain downwardly along the pin 22 and onto the surface of the bubble 19. Thus, the flow of bubble forming liquid from the pin 22 and onto the display bubble 19 serves to replenish the bubble with bubble forming liquid during display.
Although in the illustrated embodiment in Figure 2, the length of the pin 22 is adjusted so that it penetrates the bubble 19; the length of the pin 22 may be adjusted as desired. For example, the length of the pin may be adjusted so that it terminates above the uppermost surface of the inflated bubble. When the pin length is adjusted in this manner, the bubble forming ;40 liquid will slowly drip onto the surface of the bubble, whereas when the pin length is adjusted so that the pin penetrates the inflated display bubble, the bubble forming liquid will flow in a continuous stream down the pin and onto the surface of the bubble.
Although in its preferred embodiment the bubble replenishing pin 22 is employed in combination with a convex casing wall 9, the pin 22 may also be employed in combination with a flat casing surface, or, with a casing surface of any other desired shape. As is illustrated by Figure 1, when the apparatus is in its rest position, the pin 22 is submerged in bubble re-plenishing liquid 18. Thus, when employed in combination with, for example, a flat casing surface, the drainage of excess bubble forming liquid along the pin 22 upon inversion of the apparatus to the display position, provides a flow of bubble replenishing liquid onto the bubble surface.
In order to enhance the function of the bubble replenishing pin 22, circumferential ridges or grooves may be formed in the pin 22 surface. The pin ridges serve to enhance the liquid retaining capacity of the pin 22. Moreover, pins of various shapes may be employed as desired. The bubble replenishing pin 22 may be formed of a transparent glass, or a transparent . . ~: -:; ' ;

plastic such as polymethylmethacrylate. The pin 22may also be formed of a non-transparent or colored wood or plas~ic so that the pin contrasts with or accentuates the color of the bubble. The pin may be secured to the casing with glue, epoxy or other cementuous material. Or, the casing including the conduit and bubble replenishing pin may be cast in a unitary construction, for exam~le, from glass, or plastic.
The size of the bubble produced by any given conduit will increase as the internal pressure formed within the bubble forming conduit is increased. This may be accomplished by placing the conduit 11 in a casing 7 containing a sufficient amount of liquid so that when the apparatus is in the display position the conduit reservoir 16 will be filled with liquid to a maximum level. As mentioned above, the open end 14 of the conduit 11 must always exceed the level of liquid in the casing when the apparatus is in the display posltion (Figure 2). Moreover, in the display position the level of liquid in the conduit and the level of liquid in the casing come to an equilibrium position wherein the liquid in the casing reservoir 17 and the liquid in the conduit reservoir 16 are at the same level.
Thus, the level of liquid within the conduit reservoir 16 during display will be increased to a maximum and, . ~

4~

hence, the size of the bubble produced will be maxi-mized by first adjusting the level of liquid contained within the casing 7 so that it approaches the open end 14 of the conduit, and secondly by increasing the volume of liquid contained within the casing so that the displacement of the level of the liquid in the casing due to the flow of liquid into the conduit is mini-mized. Alternatively, the size of the bubble may be reduced by reducing the amount of liquid contained within the casing reservoir.
It is apparent that the conduit inlet port 15 may be placed at any point below the equilibrium level of the liquids in the conduit casing. So long as the inlet port is located below the equilibrium level, it will not be exposed at a point above the level of the liquid in the casing reservoir 17 during the transfer of liquid from the casing to the conduit.
In an alternative embodiment of the bubble forming conduit 11, a conduit cap member is secured to the open end 14 of the bubble forming conduit 11. The conduit cap is provided with a plurality of orifices.
In accordance with this embodiment of the conduit 11, a group of overlapping display bubbles may be formed.
Noreover, conduit cap members of various designs may be employed to produce a bubble having a desired shape.

.

4~) For example, a conduit cap having a single concentric orifice may be employed to produce a donut shaped display bubble.
In yet another embodiment of the bubble forming conduit a second concentrically disposed internal conduit 23 may be secured within the outer conduit 11. In accordance with this embodiment, an amusing bubble design may be produced comprising an outer bubble 19 formed by the flow of liquid into the first conduit, and an inner bubble 27 encompassed by the outer bubble, formed by the overflow of liquid from the first conduit and into the second conduit by means of a second inner conduit inlet 24 positioned at an appropriate point on the inner conduit. The inlet 24 of the inner conduit is located closer to the open end 14 of the conduit 11 than the inlet of the outer concentric conduit. Moreover, the length of the inner conduit may be reduced relative to the outer conduit so that the inner and outer bubbles contact each other and thereby replenish each other. Moreover, a plurality of concentric conduits or conduits of different shapes may be employed to produce a desired bubble configuration or shape.
The bubble forming conduit may be shaped so that the expansion of the bubble above it completes a desired overall scene or shape. For example, the conduit ' :
;, 1~12~40 may shaped in the form of a mountain range, such that the expansion of the bubble above it completes a scene corresponding to the sun rising over a mountain range.
The bubble forming conduit and bubble replenishing member may also be designed and shaped such that the expansion of the bubble within the area which separates them completes a desired overall design or scene. For example, the conduit 11 may be shaped to conform to the torso of a man, and the bubble replenishing member may be formed in the shape of a hat. Thus, upon the expansion of the bubble into the space which separates the hat from the torso conduit a head will be provided thereby completing the figure. Thus, for example the torso and hat member may be designed to correspond to a well-known comic character.
In still another embodiment of the apparatus the conduit may be secured to upper portion 8 of the - casing and the length of the conduit 11 and the level of the bubble forming liquid 18 contained within the casing adjusted so that the bubble forming conduit 11 does not contact the bubble forming liquid 18 within the casing 7. When this embodiment is employed the the bubble forming conduit outlet 14 is primed, for example, by dipping the conduit outlet 14 in a bath of bubble forming liquid prior to sealing the uppermost , portion 8 to be base member 13 of the casing. The term priming as employed herein is intended to refer to the application of a film of bubble forming liquid to the conduit outlet.
With time the surface of the bubble thins. If at any time before the bubble bursts and before the diaphram of bubble forming liquid covering the outlet 14 is dissipated, the apparatus is transferred from the display to the rest position, the flow of bubble forming liquid out through the outlet 14 of the conduit 11 operates to replenish the bubble forming film covering the conduit outlet 14. Moreover, for the embodiment wherein the conduit outlet 14 contacts the bubble forming liquid 18 in the casing (figures 1, 2) this contact further acts to replenish the bubble forming film. For the embodiments of this apparatus wherein the conduit outlet 14 does not contact the bubble forming liquid 18 in the casing, once the outlet 14 is primed, if the apparatus is transferred from the display position to the rest position at any time before the diaphram of bubble forming liquid covering the outlet 14 is destroyed, (i.e. at any time before the bubble bursts), the bubble forming diaphram will be replenished by placing the apparatus in the rest position, and the bubble will be reproduced by returning the apparatus to the display ' position. Thus, only a single priming of the apparatus is required, and the bubble may be reproduced as de-sired, so long as the apparatus is transferred to the rest position before the film covering the outlet 14 dissipates.
The bubble is displayed within the apparatus of this invention in an environment of high humidity, and is protected by the casing from stray air currents which might cause the bubble to prematurely burst. An ordinary soap bubble will only last for a matter of seconds in the open air before bursting. However, bubbles displayed within the protective environment of the apparatus of this invention may be preserved for display purposes for from six to 14 hours.
A highly attractive and aesthetically pleasing prismatic effect is produced on the surface of the bubble displayed with bubble producing apparatus. This invention, therefore, may be employed in connection with advertising matter, or as an amusement device for adults or children.
The application of heat to the casing will cause the bubble to expand and burst, and therefore, the apparatus may be employed as a fire alarm. For example, the bubble may be interconnected with motion detecting means such as a photoelectric cell, which would trigger .

. ~ ' 4~

an alarm when the bubble bursts. Moreover, since the life of the bubble preserved within the device is finite, the burst of the bubble may be employed as a time indicator. In addition, since the walls of the bubble are flexible, the observation of a displacement of the bubble within the apparatus from a known rest position may be employed as an indication of movement.
Electrolytic materials such as a chemical electrolyte, or a finely divided metallic powder may be added to the bubble forming liquid so that the surface of the bubble is conducting. Thus, the expansion of the bubble may be employed in combination with circuit forming contacts so that the expansion of the bubble completes a chemical, physical, mechanical or electrical circuit.
The present invention also relates to an apparatus and method for preserving a bubble for pro-longed observation, wherein the bubble is produced external to the apparatus, for example by forcing air through a conventional bubble wand which has been coated with a bubble forming liquid.
An ordinary soap bubble will survive for only a matter of seconds in the open air before bursting.
The instant invention however, provides an apparatus within which a bubble may be displayed in an environment :

4i~

of relatively high humidity and slightly elevated pressure. When bubbles are maintained in an environ-ment as hereinafter described, the life of the dis-play bubble is significantly prolonged and the beauty of the bubble is enhanced. The display of the bubble on its support and within its housing, especially when surrounded by a background, such as black material is particularly restful to the observer.
In accordance with this embodiment of the invention a bubble is supported on a stand and there-after encased within a housing which acts to isolate the bubble from the atmospheric environment. The environment within the housing is controlled to main-tain a relatively high humidity and slightly elevated atmospheric pressure. It has been found that under these conditions that an ordinary soap bubble can survive for up to about a median time of 235 to 355 minutes, and as long as for 10-12 hours. Devices as described herein are useful as providing a hitherto unavailable method for displaying a bubble for a prolonged period of time. Moreover, a highly attrac-tive prismatic effect is produced on the surface of the bubble displayed within the bubble preserving apparatus. Such devices may be used in connection with advertising matter, toys and games for children 4~

(and adults) and educational devices.
In accordance with this embodiment of the invention a bubble may be produced by forcing air through a conventional bubble wand depicted by Figure 10 which has been wetted with bubble-forming liquid.
The bubble is then carefully transferred from the bubble wand to the bubble stand 28.
In a preferred embodiment of the bubble preserving device, the bubble stand 28 comprises a tripodial mounting member 29 within which the bubble rests. The tripod 29 is in turn supported by a vertical support member 30 and base 31. Preferably, the arms 32, of the tripod are moistened with water, bubble solution or an oil such as mineral oil.
In another embodiment of the bubble pre-serving apparatus, the bubble stand 33 comprises a reservoir 34 and has an O-shaped mouth 35 upon which the display bubble 36 is mounted. The reservoir 33 contains a bubble replenishing liquid such as bubble solution or water. Preferably, the level of the liquid in the reservoir is adjusted so that the lowermost portion of the display bubble 36 supported by the O-shaped mouth 35 of the bubble stand contacts the bubble solution in the reservoir. The contact between the bubble and the liquid within the reservoir 33 pro-vides a means for replenishing the display bubble and '-:

~. '.

hence retards the deterioration of the bubble.
A bubble supported on a bubble stand as described above is then encased in a housing 37 to isolate the bubble from the atmospheric environment.
The housing comprises a base or plate 38 containing a liquid 39, and a cooperating transparent dome or bell jar 40. The plate 38 comprises sidewalls 38a and base member 38c which are joined at 38b. Preferably, base-liquid 39 is bubble forming liquid, such as soap solution or oil, although other liquids may also be employed.
As an alternative embodiment, the bubble stand may comprise two parallel walls or shafts of different lengths so that the upper-edge of one shaft is lower than the upper edge of the other shaft. When the stand is dipped in bubble forming liquid, a bubble film is formed across the upper edges of the stands parallel walls to produce, for example a rainbow shaped bubble. To accentuate the rainbow-like bubble film, a colored bubble forming liquid may be employed.
The dome 40 has a single opening at its lowermost end 41 of sufficient diameter to accept and encompass the bubble stand. When the dome is placed over the bubble stand, such that it is resting on the plate 38, the liquid 39 within the plate surrounds the ~; :

26 3L~ 4~

lowermost exterior wall 42 of the dome and forms an air-tight seal between the dome and the base. The atmospheric pressure within the dome becomes slightly elevated when the dome is set down on the base. The increase in atmospheric pressure occurs because the volume of air within the dome is reduced as a function of the height of watex in the base. In other words, at the point where the rim of the dome intersects the water level, the pressure inside and outside the dome are essentially the same. However, as the rim of the dome moves beneath the surface of the water, the gaseous volume within the dome is reduced thereby increasing the pressure therein. The increase in pressure tends to stabilize the bubble within the casing. Also, the slight increase in pressure tends to uniformly compress the walls of the bubble, which, it is believed, con-tributes to the increased stability of the bubble.
Evaporation of the liquid within the stand and base produces an environment of relatively high humidity within the limited interior volume of the dome.
It is believed that by mounting the bubble in an environment of high humidity, the bubble is further stabilized, thereby contributing to its prolonged life for viewing. In a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the humidity within the dome is further in-' .

11~;2~4~

creased by moistening the interior surface of thedome with water or bubble solution.
- As is evident from the above description, several factors contribute to the preservation of a bubble within the instant device; that is, the dome and base apparatus protect the bubble from stray air currents while providing an environment of increased pressure and humidity condusive to the preservation and stabilization of the bubble. In addition, the bubble is supported within the device by a bubble stand wherein the bubble contacts a source of bubble replenishing liquid such as water or bubble solution.
Preferably, the base and bubble stand are moistened with bubble solution and, the interior surface of the dome is likewise coated or moistened with bubble solution. However, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the base may contain other bubble replenishment liquids such as water, the bubble stand may also contain water or other bubble replenishing liquid, and the dome may be moistened with water rather than bubble solution. The following table summarizes the median lifetime in minutes observed for various water-bubble solution embodiments of the device. The median bubble lives* listed were calculated on the basis of 30 trials within each of the Systems I-V
listed below:

*The test bubbles were prepared from Chemtoy Corp. ~ bubble solution.

~ ' ,.

~2~go TABLE I
SYSTEM MEDIAN BUBBLE LIFE
I. Bubble stand reservoir 355 Minutes and base contain bubble solution, and interior surface of dome moistened with bubble solution.
249 Minutes II. Bubble stand reservoir contains bubble solution, water in base, and in-terior surface of dome moistened with water.
III. Bubble stand tripod O-ring 235 Minutes moistened with water, base contains water and dome interior moistened with water.
IV. Bubble stand reservoir 31 Minutes contains water, water in base, unmoistened dome.
V. Bubble stand contains 34.5 Seconds water, and bubble stand not encased in housing.

In System V summarized above, a median life-time of only about 35 seconds is observed for a bubble mounted in open air on a water containing bubble stand.
sy way of contrast, bubbles mounted in the device of this invention, namely, wherein the interior surface of the dome is moistened with either bubble solution or water and the base is wetted (Systems I-III) may be preserved for a period of hours. Even in the less humid environment produced within the housing of System IV in which the interior surface of the dome is not moistened, a median bubble life of 31 minutes is observed. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the housing wherein the bubble stand and base contain bubble solution and the interior sur-face of the dome is moistened with bubble solution(System I) a bubble may be preserved for as long as 10-12 hours, while the median bubble life in this system is 6 hours.
A highly attractive prismatic effect is pro-duced on the walls of the bubble when light strikes the bubble supported within the bubble preserving apparatus.
This effect is enhanced by placing a colored cloth or background 43 behind the dome. The appearance and visibility of the bubble may also be enhanced by em-ploying a bubble solution containing a dye to form the .

r 4~

bubble.
The bubble supports 28, 33 may be formed ofplastic, metal, wood and may be painted or varnished to contrast with the bubble. In addition, the bubble support may be formed of a clear plastic or glass and may contain a colored bubble replenishing liquid, such as bubble solution to which a dye has been added.
Bubble supporting devices in addition to those discussed in detail herein will occur to those skilled in the art. For example, the bubble stand may comprise an O-shaped ring laterally supported by a tri-pod or other supporting means.
The dome member 37 may be formed of transparent materials such as glass, clear plastics such as poly-methylmethacrylate, or clear flexible materials such ascellophane, which may be secured about the perimeter of the liquid containing base and inflated to increase the pressure within the casing.
Alternatively, the dome may be formed of non-transparent materials such as wood or a colored plastic,and a viewing window formed of a transparent material such as glass or cellophane may be provided in an appropriate position on the dome wall. In addition, the background member 43 may be placed within the dome be-hind the bubble. For example, a colored background , -~'`: ~:- ~ :

~L$1; :~40 formed of cloth or cardboard may be secured to the dome wall behind the bubble, or otherwise suspended from the dome walls. For example, hooks may be provided on the uppermost dome ceiling and a cloth background may be suspended from the hooks.
The base member 38 may be formed of wood, or a transparent material such as glass, or a clear plastic such as polymethylmethacrylate. The liquid within the transparent base may be colored to contrast with the bubble. For this purpose, bubble solution to which a dye has been added may be employed. The base may also be comprised of wood, a metal such as aluminum, or a ceramic material such as porcelain plaster. In addition, a groove or channel may be provided on the sidewall or base floor within which the lowermost rim of the dome is retained.
While specific embodiments of the bubble viewing and preserving device and method of this in-vention have been described with particularity herein, it will be understood that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the embodiments of the invention herein chosenfor purposes of illustration which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (19)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. Bubble producing, preserving and display apparatus comprising:
(a) a housing defining an interior space isolated from the outside atmosphere and for retaining humidity;
(b) a bubble stand mounted within said housing;
(c) means for forming a bubble on said stand; and (d) a liquid contained within said housing for maintaining humidity about said bubble.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
(a) said housing comprises casing having an upper portion and a lower portion;
(b) said bubble stand comprises a bubble forming conduit means attached at one end to said upper portion, said conduit means having inlet means and a bubble forming outlet means, wherein said outlet means is positioned further from said one end than said inlet means;
(c) said liquid comprises a bubble forming liquid contained within said casing; and (d) said bubble forming outlet means of the conduit is arranged to contact said liquid to comprise said means for forming a bubble, the amount of liquid in the casing being adjusted so that, when the casing is inverted, said conduit outlet means is above the surface of said liquid, and the conduit inlet means is below the surface of said liquid so that liquid will flow into said conduit means to cause a bubble to form on said outlet means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, including bubble replenishing means on said casing for applying bubble forming liquid on to said bubble when said casing is inverted.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the casing further includes port means for introducing bubble forming liquid into the casing and for discharging bubble forming liquid from the casing.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said conduit means comprises an inner conduit and an outer conduit, wherein said inner and outer conduit each include a bubble forming outlet and inlet, wherein said inlets are positioned closer to said one end than said outlets, and wherein said inner and outer conduits cooperate such that when the casing is inverted liquid flows into said outer conduit through the outer conduit inlet and from said outer conduit through the inner conduit inlet into the inner conduit thereby producing an outer bubble on the outer conduit bubble forming outlet and an inner bubble on the inner conduit bubble forming outlet.

6. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said conduit means further includes cap means for cooperating with said bubble forming outlet means to shape said bubble to a desired form.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
(a) said housing comprises a casing having an upper portion and a lower portion;
(b) said bubble stand comprises bubble forming conduit means attached at one end to said upper portion, said conduit means having inlet means and bubble forming outlet means, wherein said inlet means is positioned closer to said one end than said outlet means;

(c) bubble forming film means covers said outlet means; and (d) said liquid comprises a bubble forming liquid contained within the casing so that when said casing is inverted said outlet means is above the surface of said liquid and said inlet means is below the surface of said liquid so that liquid flows into said conduit means thereby causing a bubble to form on said outlet means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, comprising means for applying said bubble forming film to said bubble forming conduit outlet means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said means for applying bubble forming film to said conduit outlet means comprises:
(a) plunger means secured at one end to said conduit means; and (b) sleeve means on said casing for supporting said plunger means and for permitting movement of said plunger means and thereby said conduit outlet means toward said liquid to contact said liquid and away from said liquid to a position within the casing so that when the casing is inverted said outlet means is above the surface of said liquid and said conduit inlet means is below the surface of said liquid

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, including.
bubble replenishing means on said casing for applying bubble forming liquid on to said bubble when said casing is inverted.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said casing further includes port means for introducing bubble forming liquid into the casing and for discharging bubble forming liquid from the casing.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said conduit means comprises an inner conduit and an outer conduit wherein said inner conduit and outer conduit each includes a bubble forming outlet and inlet, wherein said inlet is posi-tioned closer to said one end than said outlet, and wherein said inner and outer conduits cooperate such that when the casing is inverted liquid flows into said outer conduit through the outer conduit inlet and from said outer conduit through the inner conduit inlet into the inner conduit thereby producing an outer bubble on the outer conduit bubble forming conduit outlet, and an inner bubble on the inner bubble forming conduit outlet.

13. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said conduit means further includes cap means for cooperating with said bubble forming outlet means to shape said bubble to a desired form.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
(a) said housing comprises a casing for con-taining said liquid; and (b) said bubble stand comprises bubble forming conduit means mounted within said casing having an outlet means and inlet means; and including:
(c) means for applying a film of conductive bubble forming liquid to said conduit outlet means;
(d) pressurizing means for cooperating with the conduit inlet means for increasing the pressure within said conduit means to a point greater than the pressure in the casing outside said conduit means so that a bubble forms on said conduit outlet means;
and (e) circuit forming means operatively connected across said bubble to complete a circuit.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein (a) said housing comprises a casing; and (b) said bubble stand comprises bubble forming conduit means mounted within said casing having outlet means and inlet means; and including:
(c) means for applying a film of bubble forming liquid to said conduit outlet; and (d) pressurizing means for cooperating with said conduit inlet means for increasing the pressure within said conduit means to a point greater than the pressure in said casing outside said conduit means so that a bubble forms on said conduit outlet means.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a bubble on said bubble stand, and wherein said housing comprises a base for containing said liquid and a transparent dome having an open end and a closed end, wherein said open end rests on said base and cooperates with the liquid contained within said base to produce an increase in pressure within said dome about said bubble, and wherein said dome and base cooperate to provide an air-tight seal between the dome and the base.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said bubble stand contains a second liquid such that the supported bubble contacts said second liquid.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said dome includes on the interior surface thereof a coating of a liquid selected from the group consisting of water and bubble forming liquid.

19. Apparatus according to claim 16, including background means for enhancing the appearance of the bubble.