US20040084845A1

US20040084845A1 - Calculator incorporating a liquid game

Info

Publication number: US20040084845A1
Application number: US10/283,051
Authority: US
Inventors: Vincent Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-10-30
Filing date: 2002-10-30
Publication date: 2004-05-06

Abstract

A calculator includes a base, on which a space with proper dimensions is provided for a liquid game to mount therein, so that the calculator provides not only functions of a general calculator but also the function of a liquid game, and is therefore novel and unique to have increased value.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a calculator incorporating a liquid game to provide not only functions of a calculator but also the function of a liquid game, so that the calculator has increased value and more practical for use.

With the prosperous and rapid developments in the industrial and commercial fields, people's living quality has been largely and constantly upgraded. As a result, most consumers have higher requirements for the products they intend to purchase. The products that meet consumers' requirements must economically provide good basic functions and have novel and unique designs. One of the ways to make an item that is displayed or arranged in the room and always appears before users more attractive and more useful is to add another new structure to the original product without adversely influencing its appearance and intended function. Desktop and palmtop calculators are examples of the above-mentioned item that are frequently used and usually have a monotonous appearance. These calculators may be improved to show a novel appearance to attract more consumers if another structure is incorporated with them.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a calculator to which a liquid game is incorporated to provide not only functions of a general calculator but also the function of a liquid game, so that the calculator has increased value and more practical for use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein [0004]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention; [0005]
FIG. 2 shows the structural relation between a push button, a bellow-type pumping means, and floating articles in an airflow path of the present invention; [0006]
FIG. 3 shows the state of the airflow path after the push button is pushed to squeeze the bellow-type pumping means; [0007]
FIGS. 4 and 5 show another embodiment of the pumping means made of a soft rubber material is employed to replace the bellow-type pumping means; [0008]
FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective views of another two embodiments of the present invention, in which one type of liquid is contained in the liquid game; and [0009]
FIG. 8 is a further embodiment of the present invention, in which two types of liquid are contained in the liquid game.[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 1 that shows a calculator incorporating a liquid game according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the calculator includes a [0011] base 1, to a suitably selected position thereof a liquid game is incorporated. The liquid game includes a transparent case 2, a push button 3 connected to a pumping means providing a predetermined flexibility and elasticity, and a plurality of floating articles 5 contained in the case 2. In an embodiment of the pumping means, it is a bellow-type pumping means 4 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3; and in another embodiment, the pumping means is a soft rubber pumping means 41 providing a good restoring force as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The pumping means may also be made of any other material or in any other shape providing equivalent flexibility and elasticity.
The [0012] push button 3, the bellow-type pumping means 4, and the floating articles 5 are provided in an airflow path 6 of the liquid game. The push button 3 is projected from a front surface of the base 1 of the calculator for a user to depress with a finger. The transparent case 2 is set in the base 1 of the calculator with a top of the case 2 raised from the front surface of the base 1 to form a screen. The transparent case 2 may be filled with one or two types of liquid. FIGS. 1, 6, and 7 illustrate some embodiments of the present invention having one type of liquid contained in the case 2, and FIG. 8 an embodiment having two types of liquid contained in the case 2.
The [0013] airflow path 6 is provided in a lower part of the case 2 and has an inward and downward inclined upper portion 61 to provide a predetermined gradient. Please refer to FIG. 2. The inclined upper portion 61 is connected at a bottom to an open end 62 of the airflow path 6, such that the floating articles 5 drifting in the case 2 may gradually fall along the inclined upper portion 61 to locate above the open end 62 of the airflow path 6. The bellow-type pumping means 4 is mounted below the push button 3 and is squeezed when the push button 3 is depressed. By pushing and releasing the push button 3 repeatedly, the pumping means 4 is continuously squeezed and released just like a pump to compress air in the airflow path 6. The compressed air in the airflow path 6 is forced into the case 2 via the open end 62, as shown in FIG. 3, and thereby produces upward flows in the liquid contained in the case 2 to push the floating articles 5 upward in different directions. The upward moved floating articles 5 would then gradually fall one by one. A user may use the push button 3 and the bellow-type pumping means 4 to control movements of the floating articles 5 in the liquid in the case 2 as playing a game.
In the calculator illustrated in FIG. 1, the floating [0014] articles 5 are a plurality of round bodies. A ring 7 and a basket 71 are provided in the case 2. A user may play a game of collecting the round bodies over the calculator by repeatedly depressing and releasing the push button 3 to produce liquid flows in the case 2 for the floating articles 5 to pass the ring 7 and fall into the basket 71 below the ring 7. When the game is over, the base 1 of the calculator may be turned or vibrated for the floating articles 5 to fall and be collected at the open end 62 of the airflow path 6. The floating articles 5 may have appearance, shape, and size designed in accordance with the nature of a game to be provided with the calculator. In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6, the floating articles 5 are some blocks with letters for spelling the word of “INTEL”. A corresponding number of platforms 21 are prepared in the transparent case 2 for carrying the blocks 5. And, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the floating articles 5 are some pieces forming a jigsaw puzzle.
FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the liquid game incorporated with the calculator. In this embodiment, a first type of [0015] liquid 51 and a second type of liquid 52 are contained in the transparent case 2.
It is understood there are still many other changes in the floating [0016] articles 5 and the liquid contained in the case 2 that may be made in implementing the present invention without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A calculator incorporating a liquid game, comprising a base, on a predetermined position of which said liquid game is set; said liquid game including a transparent case filled with at least one type of liquid and firmly connected to a top of said base at said predetermined position, a push button, a pumping means located below said push button and made of a material and having a shape to provide a predetermined elasticity, and a plurality of floating articles adapted to drift in said liquid in said case; said pumping means being squeezed when said push button is repeatedly depressed and released and thereby producing liquid flows in said case, such that said floating articles, in the case that only one type of liquid is contained in said case, and/or one type of said liquid, in the case that two types of liquid are contained in said transparent case, is upward moved by said liquid flows to a predetermined position before gradually falling again to be collected at an open end of an airflow passage that is provided at a lower part of said case to connect to said pumping means and said push button.