Optical illusion beverage dispensing device

The invention relates to creating the illusion in a beverage dispensing device of liquid droplets that fill a drinking glass despite their appearance of rising from the drinking glass. The illusion is accomplished by oscillating the liquid and then applying a flashing light source whose frequency is slightly greater than the liquid oscillations. The enclosure and curtains of the invention allow the illusion to be viewed under certain conditions in room lighting. Also, under certain conditions an optical surface is attached to the enclosure which visually masks the ambient light.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to a beverage dispensing device which creates the 
illusion of liquid droplets which appear to rise despite the act of 
filling a drinking glass. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Flashing light sources and stroboscopic techniques have been used to create 
the illusion of stopped and reversed motion on apparatus moving or 
spinning at a high repetitive rate. A fan, for example, spinning at a high 
rate of speed which is invisible to the eye can be made to appear to be 
stopped or moving at a slow rate, backwards or forwards, by applying a 
flashing light source. A detailed explanation of these effects is 
disclosed in Electronic Flash, Strobe by Harold Edgerton, MIT Press, 
Cambridge, Mass., 1979. 
If the flashing light source is pulsed at a very high frequency, the eye 
may be tricked into perceiving a constantly illuminated source. A movie 
projector actually flashes at 24 frames per second although the eye only 
perceives a continuously lighted screen. As the intensity of the 
individual flash increases, the number of flashes per second necessary to 
give the illusion of constant illumination also increases in a nonlinear 
fashion. Information on the flicker-fusion phenomena is disclosed in 
Cornsweet, T. N., Visual Perception, Academic Press, N.Y., 1970, and 
Gregory, R. L., Eye and Brain, McGraw-Hill, N.Y., 1973. 
It is known in the prior art that the limitations of the electro-optical 
systems of stroboscopes dictate very low light levels as the frequency of 
pulsation increases. If a test engineer is studying the motion of a shaft 
turning at the high rate of 6000 revolutions per minute with the aid of a 
strobe flashing at nearly the same rate, he will be able to freeze the 
motion of the shaft only partly. Unless the environment is completely 
dark, the limited illumination available from the strobe at the high 
frequency will combine with the ambient light to present a combination of 
a blurred and nearly stationary shaft. 
In the prior art no method has been devised to allow viewing the illusion 
of pulsed liquid droplets frozen in motion by the illumination of a 
flashing light source in nearly ambient or even dim lighting situations. 
Even under completely dark conditions a fluorescent dye must be added to 
the liquid for the illusion to be seen clearly. 
SUMMARY 
The invention relates to a beverage dispensing device which produces liquid 
droplets that fill a drinking glass while creating the illusion of the 
liquid droplets rising from the drinking glass. The invention stores 
liquid in a reservoir which is piped to an oscillating pump which applies 
pulsations to the liquid. A nozzle receives the liquid from the 
oscillating pump and converts the pulsations of the liquid to liquid 
droplets. These liquid droplets are illuminated by a flashing light source 
operating above the flicker-fusion frequency. An enclosure houses the 
reservoir, pipes, pump, nozzle and flashing light source, and prevents 
ambient light from striking the liquid droplets directly. The middle 
section of the enclosure has an optical surface attached to it which 
reflects and disperses the illumination from the flashing light source 
back through the liquid droplets. The enclosure also adds an aesthetic 
appeal and permits the invention to be displayed in hotels and restaurants 
and used for dispensing all types of beverages--liquor to soft drinks. 
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a compact, 
quiet, lightweight, and portable beverage dispensing device which creates 
the illusion of rising liquid droplets which, however, fill a drinking 
glass. 
A further object of the invention is to provide an enclosure which allows 
the illusion to be viewed fully under dim and ambient light. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic system which 
can transport most liquids and produce the illusion without the aid of 
fluorescent dyes. 
A further object of the invention is to provide an enclosure which properly 
isolates the vibrations of the oscillating pump from the other parts of 
the invention so the liquid droplet rate is exactly repetitious. 
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from 
the study of the following portion of the specification, the claims, and 
the attached drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
In FIG. 2 container liquid 98a is pumped from container 32 through 
container pipe 36 when level detector 46 indicates reservoir liquid 98b is 
below a predetermined level. Oscillating pump 4 removes liquid 98b from 
reservoir 2 and adds oscillations to reservoir liquid 98b before vibrating 
liquid 99 travels in pipe 34 to nozzle 6. Rubber pad 5 prevents the 
mechanical oscillations of oscillating pump 4 from shaking enclosure 10. 
Pipe holders 38 strap pipe 34 to enclosure 10 securely so the vibrations 
of vibrating liquid 99 do not vibrate pipe 34. Pipe supports 42 also 
prevent pipe 34 from oscillating and provide precise orientation of nozzle 
6. Optical holders 26 attach to enclosure 10 and lock optical element 30, 
which may be a color filter or lens system which converge, diverge, or 
scatter the light, in place in front of flashing light source 8. The color 
filter can add an aesthetically pleasing color to the liquid droplets. The 
lens system which converges and disperses the light from the flashing 
light source can enhance the illusion by providing for a different 
scattering light pattern on the liquid droplets. 
As vibrating liquid 99 passes through nozzle 6 it is broken up due to 
increased vibrating liquid 99 velocity in the narrowed nozzle tip 7. The 
resulting liquid droplets 54 then pass to drinking glass 56 which is 
setting on structure 20. Structure 20, which consists of screen 24 (this 
screen 24 may be plastic or metallic--it must be porous) and rectangular 
members 22, also prevents splashing of liquid droplets when drinking glass 
56 is removed and prevents viewing of reservoir 2. 
Illumination from flashing light source 8 first passes through liquid 
droplets 54 and then hits optical surface 12 which disperses and reflects 
light back through liquid droplets 54. The light reflected from optical 
surface 12 greatly enhances the illumination of liquid droplets 54 and the 
illusion. Optical surface 12 may be a white flat or lightly colored board 
as to maximize reflection, diffusion, and scatter. Optical surface 12 can 
also be curved. 
In FIG. 1 sign holders 14 lock in sign 18 of the company ABCDE. Care should 
be taken to make sure that sign 18 is a light reflective and diffusive 
color or else is not too large in relation to optical surface 12. Power 
electronic unit 48 turns the power of the invention on and off; Pump 
electronic unit 50 adjusts the power and frequency of the oscillating pump 
4; and Illumination electronic unit 52 adjusts the flash rate of the 
flashing light source 8. The important consideration is that flashing 
light source 8 be operating above the flicker-fusion frequency and 
slightly greater than the oscillating pump 4 frequency. Power electronic 
unit 48 is connected to external power. Pump electronic unit 50 is hard 
wired to oscillating pump 4 and Illumination electronic unit 52 is 
connected to flashing light source 8. 
FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the invention that would be used under 
certain ambient lighting situations. When ambient light 71 is close and 
bright left curtain 83 which is supported by left curtain holder 81 is 
drawn to block direct illumination of ambient light 71. Right curtain 87, 
supported by right curtain holder 85, is drawn when bright light sources 
are on the right side of enclosure 10. Also, right inside curtain section 
86 and left inside curtain section 84 are colored white or a light color 
and act to reflect, disperse, and scatter the illumination from flashing 
light source 8. Right inside curtain section 86 and left inside curtain 84 
function in the same manner as optical surface 12, as explained below, to 
visually mask ambient light 71, thereby enhancing the illusion. 
In many situations where ambient light 71 is bright both curtains may not 
be needed. Top section 101 of enclosure 10 often casts a plurality of 
shadows on liquid droplets 54 which are sufficient to obtain an undegraded 
illusion. (Top section 101 is supported by middle section 103 which 
attaches to base 105 of enclosure.) The illumination from flashing light 
source 8 which is reflected off optical surface 12, which may be mounted 
on or in the proximity of middle section 103, seems to block or visually 
mask the perception of ambient light 71 that shines on liquid droplets 54. 
Also, if the ambient light is dim or far away optical surface 12 will not 
be necessary; enclosure 10 can often provide the proper environment for an 
undegraded illusion. 
Another example of visual masking occurs when one goes to a movie theatre 
and the house lights are turned on brightly while the film is still 
playing, resulting in a loss of visual perception of the movie. One other 
human information processing phenomenon, selective focusing, or more 
popularly known as the cocktail effect, is also enhancing the illusion. 
The cocktail effect occurs when one is at a party and can listen to a 
voice that is further away while at the same time excluding closer and 
louder voices. When the illusion is being perceived, one focuses on the 
effect of the liquid droplets rising and becomes less sensitive to the 
ambient light 71. 
The invention having been described in its preferred embodiments, it is 
clear that it is susceptible to numerous modifications and embodiments 
within the ability of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of 
the inventive faculty. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined 
by the scope of the following claims.