Abstract:
The present invention is to provide a color separation disc assembly combinable with both a lightning ball and an article formed of optical fibers having a color separation disc able to rotate along with a shaft of a motor for generating different colors on ends of optical fibers by separating light emitted from a light source therethrough, and a glass ball adjacent to the article electrically connected to a high voltage generation circuit for generating lightning therein, enabling the article to have a colorful appearance within a dazzling environment

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to color separation disc assemblies and more particularly to an improved color separation disc assembly adapted to combine with both a lightning ball and an article formed of optical fibers.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Due to the continued progress of science, lots of gift manufacturers are available to utilize modern technologies to manufacture a variety of articles as gifts having unique appearance and dazzling features attracting the customers to purchase. It is known that optical fibers are capable of transmitting light. As such, for example, some articles shaped as flowers, human beings, animals, or monsters are thus made of optical fibers and able to emit light. In a manufacturing process, one ends of a plurality of optical fibers are extended to different positions of the article. For example, ends of the optical fibers are extended to the extended wings of an article of angel or dragon. Opposite ends of the optical fibers are formed as a bundle extended to a bottom of the article. As such, in response to a light cast on the opposite ends of the optical fibers from a light source at the bottom of the article, light is then transmitted through the optical fibers to the ends of the wings to generate a dazzling effect on the article.  
           [0003]    In addition, a type of lightning ball is available on the market. The lightning ball comprises a glass ball and a base having a high voltage generation circuit. A high voltage cord in the high voltage generation circuit is extended to a center of the glass ball. In response to a conduction of the high voltage cord, a generated high voltage by the high voltage cord will ionize air in the glass ball. As a result, a phenomenon similar to lightning is generated within the glass ball. Hence, the lightning balls are becoming novel gifts for being visually attractive and having an educational purpose.  
           [0004]    People are more concerned about quality and design of a product as time evolves. Particularly, more people like products being artistic and visually attractive. Unfortunately, there are still some available articles being poor in quality, unsightly, monotonous in design, and inartistic. It is obvious that a person will buy an article being high in quality and visually attractive as compared with the other one if they are sold in the same price. Moreover, gift markets are very competitive nowadays, gift or artistic article manufacturers dedicate to develop products having a unique and dazzling appearance to visually attract the purchaser. Otherwise, the manufacturers will be eliminated from the gift markets due to inability of keeping up with the trend.  
           [0005]    Fortunately, the present inventor recognizes that a product combined with a lightning ball and an article formed of optical fibers will lead in the near future. Hence, a need for improvement of the above exists.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    A primary object of the present invention is to provide a color separation disc assembly combinable with both a lightning ball and an article formed of optical fibers. By utilizing this, the above drawback of being monotonous in design as experienced in the prior art of gifts can be overcome.  
           [0007]    In one aspect of the present invention, the color separation disc assembly on a base thereof comprises a motor, a color separation disc, a light source, a rectification circuit, and a high voltage generation circuit. A shaft of the motor and thus the color separation disc will rotate when an alternating current (ac) is fed to a power supply. Light emitted from the light source will generate different colors on ends of optical fibers by passing through the rotating color separation disc. Also, the rectification circuit is adapted to convert the fed ac into a direct current (dc) which is in turn used as a power source of the high voltage generation circuit.  
           [0008]    In another aspect of the present invention the color separation disc assembly of the invention is adapted to combine an article formed of optical fibers for generating a dazzling effect on the article. Moreover, there is further provided a glass ball adjacent to the article electrically connected to a high voltage generation circuit for generating lightning therein, enabling the article to have a colorful appearance within a dazzling environment. As an end, a value of the color separation disc assembly of the invention is greatly increased.  
           [0009]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a color separation disc assembly according to the invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a first preferred embodiment of the color separation disc assembly combined with a lightning ball and an article formed of optical fibers according to the invention; and  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a second preferred embodiment of the color separation disc assembly mounted in a table lamp according to the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]    Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a color separation disc assembly combinable with both a lightning ball and an article formed of optical fibers in accordance with the invention. On a base  1  of the color separation disc assembly, there are provided a motor  2 , a light source  3 , a circuit board  4 , and a power supply  5  comprising a plurality of wires  51  connected to the motor  2 , the light source  3 , and the circuit board  4  respectively. A shaft  21  is extended from the motor  2  distal from the base  1 . A color separation disc  6  is connected to the other end of the shaft  21  distal from the motor  2 . The light source  3  is adjacent the motor  2  so that the light source  3  is able to emit light toward the color separation disc  6 . The circuit board  4  comprises a rectification circuit  41  and a high voltage generation circuit  42  having a high voltage cord  43  extended therefrom.  
         [0014]    Referring to FIG. 1 again, the shaft  21  and thus the color separation disc  6  will rotate when an alternating current (ac) is fed to the power supply  5 . Next, light emitted from the light source  3  will generate different colors by passing through the rotating color separation disc  6 . The rectification circuit  41  is adapted to convert the fed ac into a direct current (dc) which is in turn used as a power source of the high voltage generation circuit  42 . Note that details about the rectification circuit  41  and rectification are well known. Thus a detailed description thereof is omitted herein for the sake of brevity.  
         [0015]    It is found that an electromagnetic wave will be generated by both the rotating motor  2  and the enabled high voltage generation circuit  42 . Such electromagnetic wave tends to interfere with the motor  2  or the high voltage generation circuit  42  for causing trouble to its normal operation. Hence, the circuit board  4  is formed upright on the base  1 . Also, the rectification circuit  41  and the high voltage generation circuit  42  are opposite to the motor  2  and separated from the motor  2  by the circuit board  4 . As such, an electric or magnetic field generated by the motor  2  will be greatly attenuated by the circuit board  4  and thus will not interfere with the high voltage generation circuit  42 . Likewise, an electric or magnetic field generated by the high voltage generation circuit  42  will be greatly attenuated by the circuit board  4  and thus will not interfere with the motor  2 .  
         [0016]    Referring to FIG. 1, in the invention there is further provided a housing  7  covered on the base  1 . The housing  7  comprises a cylindrical connector  71  on top adjacent the light source  3 . The connector  71  has a channel  711  in communication with inside of the housing  7  so that light emitted from the light source  3  will go through the housing  7  by passing the channel  711 .  
         [0017]    Referring to FIG. 1 again, in the invention the light source  3  comprises an electric bulb  31  and a socket  32  with the electric bulb  31  mounted thereon. The electric bulb  31  will emit light when a power is fed to the light source  3 .  
         [0018]    Referring to FIG. 1 again, the color separation disc  6  is transparent and comprises a plurality of sectors  61  of different colors so that light emitted from the electric bulb  31  will generate different colors by passing through the rotating color separation disc  6 .  
         [0019]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in a first preferred embodiment of the invention a glass ball is mounted on the housing  7 . The high voltage cord  43  is extended inside the glass ball so as to form a lightning ball  44 . It is known that an enabled high voltage generation circuit  42  will generate a high voltage. Thus, in response to a conduction of the high voltage cord  43  by the high voltage (i.e., electrically conducted), air in the lightning ball  44  will ionize. As a result, a phenomenon similar to lightning is generated within the lightning ball  44 . In detail, static electricity of high voltage inside the lightning ball  44  will be conducted when a user&#39;s hand is put on the lightning ball  44 . As a result, air of low pressure inside the lightning ball  44  will discharge to generate a plurality of flashes of light (i.e., a plurality of color lines). In view of the above, the lightning ball  44  incorporated by the invention will form a visually attractive device.  
         [0020]    Optical fibers are widely used in the art. For example, they are manufactured as artistic lamps, gifts, flowers, human beings, animals, monsters, etc. This is because optical fibers are capable of transmitting light. As such, light can be emitted from an article made of optical fibers by utilizing the above advantage of optical fibers. It is found hood of a typical table lamp  9  is poor in design and monotonous. This departs from the design trend of emphasizing personal fashion and quality. Hence, the invention mounts an article  8  or table lamp  9  on the housing  7  after having considered the above design concepts. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, light emitted from the light source  3  will generate different colors and create a dazzling effect on the article  8  or the table lamp  9  by passing through the rotating color separation disc  6 . Following is a detailed description of two preferred embodiments combining the article  8  and the table lamp  9  with the invention respectively.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the first preferred embodiment of the invention a predetermined component (e.g., wing) of an article (e.g., monster)  8  is formed of a transparent material (e.g., thin fabric or semi-transparent plastics). A plurality of optical fibers  81  are extended inside the article  8  in which on ends of the optical fibers  81  are extended to different positions of the wings and the other ends thereof are formed as a bundle  82 . In a case that the article  8  is mounted on the housing  7  the bundle  82  is inserted in the channel  711  of the connector  71 . Also, light emitted from the light source  3  will generate different colors by passing through the rotating color separation disc  6 . The different colors then transmit to the article  8  via the bundle  82 . As a result, a dazzling effect is generated on the article  8  (see FIG. 2).  
         [0022]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, in the second preferred embodiment of the invention the table lamp  9  comprises a stand  90  and a shade  91  including an inner layer  911  and an adhered outer layer  912  having the same shape as the inner layer  911 . At least one transparent crescent pattern  913  is formed on the outer layer  912 . A space  914  is formed inside the shade  91 . Top and bottom of the shade  91  are formed as a first opening  915  and a second opening (not numbered). One ends of a plurality of optical fibers  916  are distributed between the inner layer  911  and the outer layer  912  and the other ends thereof are extended toward the first opening  915  and then are deflected toward the second opening to form a bundle receptacle  917  for covering the first opening  915 . In a case that the shade  91  is mounted the bundle receptacle  917  is inserted in the channel  711  of the connector  71 . Also, light emitted from the light source  3  will transmit from the other ends of the optical fibers  916  to one ends thereof. Hence, colorful light will be generated on the shade  91  as the emitted light passes the crescent patterns  913 . As a result, a dazzling effect is generated on the table lamp  9  (see FIG. 3).  
         [0023]    Note that a length of one line of the optical fibers  916  extended in the shade  91  (or the article  8 ) may be different from any of the other lines thereof. Also, an effective distance of light transmitted through one line of the optical fibers  916  may be different from any of the other lines. In a case that light emitted from the light source  3  will sequentially generate different colors by passing through the rotating color separation disc  6  in which a longer one of the optical fibers  916  will show more colorful light while to the contrary a shorter one of the optical fibers  916  will show less colorful light. For example, the color separation disc  6  consists of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue sectors. As such, red, orange, yellow, green, and blue lights are sequentially generated by the color separation disc  6  as light is emitted from the electric bulb  31 . In a case that red, orange, yellow, green, and blue lights are transmitting through the optical fibers  916  previously transmitted orange, yellow, green lights and even red light still stay on a longer one of the optical fibers  916  when blue light starts to transmit through the longer one of the optical fibers  916 . Likewise, only previously transmitted green light still stays on a shorter one of the optical fibers, 916  when blue light starts to transmit through the shorter one of the optical fibers  916 . In other words, red, orange, and yellow lights had already transmitted through the shorter one of the optical fibers  916  into the air.  
         [0024]    Referring to FIG. 3 again, as stated above a length of one line of the optical fibers  916  extended in the shade  91  (or the article  8 ) may be different from any of the other lines thereof. For example, the optical fibers  916  are arranged as one longer line and one shorter one side by side continuously around an inner surface of the shade  91  (or the article  8 ). Alternatively, the optical fibers  916  are arranged either from a longest one to a shortest one or from a shortest one to a longest one side by side continuously around an inner surface of the shade  91  (or the article  8 ). Still alternatively, the optical fibers  916  may be formed as a pattern so that colorful light will be generated on the shade  91  (or the article  8 ) as light is transmitted through the optical fibers  916 .  
         [0025]    Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and  3  again, in the preferred embodiments the bundle  82  or the bundle receptacle  917  may have different diameters. As such, a bushing  712  is preferably placed in the channel  711  so that the bundle  82  or the bundle receptacle  917  can be fastened in the bushing  712  and thus in the connector  71 .  
         [0026]    While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.