Abstract:
A waterfall system is provided. The waterfall system has a reservoir tank for holding water and a pump mechanism within the reservoir tank for pumping the water. A conduit cooperates with the pump means and has a first end and a second end for directing the pumped water from the first end of the conduit means to the second end of the conduit means with the first end of the conduit means being positioned within the reservoir tank. A spiral directional mechanism on the conduit means directs the pumped water substantially from the second end of the conduit means in a continuous spiral manner in a direction generally toward the first end.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to a decorative waterfall, and, more particularly, it relates to a decorative waterfall system which has the ability to alter the flow of the water down the waterfall for an unlimited aesthetic effect. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Table top fountains and larger monumental fountains are increasingly appearing in homes, offices, shopping malls, airports, public parks, and civic areas providing an aesthetically pleasing visual and audible effect to help people relax in the busy and high stress daily environment. Most waterfalls, however, are bulky, have a limited number of embodiments, have a large footprint with exposed bowl or pool, are expensive and have excessive amounts of splashing caused by the water failing outside the perimeter of the bowl or pool during the fall. Excessive splashing is a problem in both private and public applications because of large damage to indoor furniture and equipment and safety problems such as slip and fall accidents. 
     Furthermore, many waterfalls have a fixed water flow down the waterfall which can not be rearranged and/or otherwise altered by the user to change the visual or auditory effects of the water flow. For instance, the Hibben, U.S. Pat. No. D213,692, and the Hibben, U.S. Pat. No. D213,693, provide a fountain having a variety of water flow changing elements for providing a variety of water pools and an aesthetically pleasing waterfall effect. Unfortunately, however, the water flow changing elements of the Hibben patents can not be rearranged, removed, and/or otherwise altered to change the aesthetic effect of the water flow down the waterfall. After a certain amount of time, a user can become bored with the waterfall and the aesthetically pleasing and mood soothing effects on the user can be compromised. 
     Accordingly, there exists a need for a decorative waterfall system which provides an inexpensive waterfall system. Additionally, a need exists for a decorative waterfall system which provides a user the opportunity to alter the flow of water down the waterfall for an unlimited variety of visual and auditory effects. Additionally there exists a need for a decorative waterfall system which has a plurality of removable water flow changing elements which can be added and removed to alter the flow of water down the waterfall. Additionally there exists a need for a decorative waterfall which allows control on the size of the pool exposed to the surface. Furthermore there exists a need for a decorative waterfall system with an unlimited variety of embodiments. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is a waterfall system comprising a reservoir tank for holding water and pump means within the reservoir tank for pumping the water. Conduit means cooperates with the pump means and has a first end and a second end for directing the pumped water from the first end of the conduit means to the second end of the conduit means with the first end of the conduit means being positioned within the reservoir tank. At least one spiral directional means on the conduit means directs the pumped water from the second end of the conduit means in a continuous spiral manner in a direction generally toward the first end. 
     The present invention further includes a decorative water feature system having a water reservoir for holding water and a pump for pumping water from the water reservoir. The decorative water feature system comprises a conduit having a first end and a second end with the pump pumping the water from the first end to the second end. At least one continuous spiral vane extends substantially from the second end to the first end and at least one removable water diverting element releasably secured within the spiral vane for diverting water from the spiral vane as the water travels down the continuous spiral vane substantially toward the first end of the conduit. 
     The present invention still further includes a method for creating a decorative waterfall. The method comprises providing a reservoir tank, filling the reservoir tank with water, providing a pump, providing a conduit having at least one continuous spiral vane extending substantially along the length of the conduit, pumping the water from the reservoir tank and through the conduit with the water traveling along the spiral vane into the reservoir tank. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view illustrating a decorative waterfall system, constructed in accordance with the present invention, with removable elements releasably secured thereto for altering the flow of the water down the waterfall system; 
     FIG. 2 is another side elevational illustrating the decorative waterfall system, constructed in accordance with the present invention: and 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view illustrating another embodiment of the decorative waterfall system, constructed in accordance with the present invention; and illustrating the furcating spiral vanes. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 1,  2 , and  3 , the present invention is a decorative waterfall or fountain system, indicated generally at  10 , for creating a decorative water feature for use indoors and outdoors, depending on the desires of the user. The decorative waterfall system  10  of the present invention includes a water reservoir  12 , a pump  14 , and a hollow conduit  16 . The water reservoir  12  can be any type of basin or tank which allows a sufficient amount of water to pool within the water reservoir  12 . Furthermore, the pump  14  is preferably a small submersible pump typically of the type used for garden ponds and waterfalls and is positioned within the water reservoir  12  such that the pump  14  can pump and recirculate the water collected within the water reservoir  12 , as will be described in further detail below. 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conduit  16  can have a substantially cylindrical shape and configuration, or, as illustrated in FIGS. 3, the conduit can have other types of shapes and configurations. In both instances, the conduit has an outer surface  18 , an inner surface  20 , a first end  22 , and a second end  24  substantially opposite the first end  22 . 
     Additionally, the conduit  16  has at least one continuous, spaced spiral vane  26  fixed on the outer surface  18  of the conduit  16  forming in a continuously spiral configuration substantially from the second end  24  of the conduit  16  to substantially the first end  22  of the conduit  16 . Preferably, the spiral vane  26  has a depth of approximately 0.4 inch and a spacing of approximately 0.15 inch. It is within the scope of the present invention, however, to have a spiral vane  26  having a depth greater than or less than approximately 0.4 inch and a spacing of greater than or less than approximately 0.15 inch. The spacing and depth of the spiral vane  26  is dependent upon the desire of the user, the size and shape of the embodiments, the number of spiral vanes, and upon the size and shape of any removable elements inserted therein, as further discussed below. 
     The spiral vane  26  can be welded on the outer surface  18  of the conduit  16  or formed on the outer surface  18  of the conduit  16  during manufacturing and construction of the conduit  16 , such as with a heat exchange conduit. While certain methods of mounting and forming the spiral vane  26  on the outer surface  18  of the conduit  16  have been described, a person skilled in the art will understand that it is within the scope of the present invention to mount or form the spiral vane  26  on the outer surface  18  of the conduit  16  by any method or in any manner. 
     In use, the first end  22  of the conduit  16  is positioned in the water reservoir  12  in pumping cooperation with the pump  14  such that the pump  14  causes water within the water reservoir  12  to enter the first end  22  of the conduit  16  which is pumped in a generally upward direction through the conduit  16  toward the second end  24 , and flows substantially from the second end  24  of the conduit  16 . The water then flows down the outer surface  18  of the conduit  16  in a spiral manner on the spiral vane  26  mounted to the outer surface  18  of the conduit  16  and substantially into the water reservoir  12  for continual pumping of the water back through the conduit  16  by the pump  14 . 
     A briefly mentioned above, in an embodiment of the present invention, the decorative waterfall system  10  of the present invention further includes at least one removable element  28  releasably securable between the spiral vanes  26 . The removable elements  28  can include a variety of shapes and designs to cause the water traveling down the spiral vanes  26  to pool and/or exit the spiral vanes  26  in a desired, and sometimes unpredictable, manner. In an embodiment of the present invention, the removable elements  28  can include a variety of removable elements  28  including, but not limited to, concave removable elements  30  which cause the water to pool therein, rounded removable elements  32  which cause the water to exit the spiral vane  26  and fall toward the water reservoir  12  and removable riffle elements  34  which cause the water to begin turbulent flow. 
     In use of the decorative waterfall system  10  of the present invention, with the concave removable elements  30  releasably mounted with the spiral vanes  26 , for example, upon the water level within the concave removable element  30  reaching a predetermined level, the excess water will leave the concave removable element  30  to continue travel down the spiral vanes  26  or spill in a generally outward direction to fall into another concave removable element  30  located below (see FIG. 1) to create steady state flowing reservoirs, fall onto a different type of removable element  28  located below, or fall into the water reservoir  12  located below. In use of the decorative waterfall system  10  of the present invention, with the rounded removable elements  32  releasably mounted within the spiral vane  26 , water traveling down the spiral vane  26  substantially from the second end  24  of the conduit  16  will immediately exit the spiral vanes  26  and fall downward onto another removable element  28  and/or substantially into the water reservoir  12  located below. In use of the decorative waterfall system  10  of the present invention, with the removable riffle  34  releasably mounted with the spiral vanes  26 , water traveling down the spiral vane  26  substantially from the second end  24  of the conduit  16  will upon reaching the riffle  34  will become turbulent. 
     As mentioned briefly above the spiral vane  26  may furcate into a plurality of vanes  36  which may originate and terminate anywhere along the conduit  16  and/or exit the conduit  16  and terminate and/or continue as a spiral vane on a contiguous, adjacent, or distal embodiment. 
     It should be noted that the amount of water pumped through the conduit  16  by the pump  14  from the water within the water reservoir  12  can be adjusted such that the proper and desired amount of water exits the second end  24  of the conduit  16 . For instance, the user can adjust the amount of water such that only that amount of water sufficient to travel on top of the spiral vane  26  downward to the water reservoir  12  is released from the second end  24  of the conduit  16 . Likewise, to create both the spiral effect on top of the spiral vane  26  and a free flowing effect over the edge of the spiral vane  26  directly into the water reservoir  12  below, the amount of water can be adjusted to emit a larger volume of water from the second end  24  of the conduit  16 . 
     The decorative waterfall system  10  of the present invention provides a compact or larger, inexpensive waterfall system for use in the home, office and/or in other private and public environments. The decorative waterfall system  10  of the present invention further provides a user the opportunity to alter the flow of water down the waterfall for an unlimited variety of visual and sound effects by providing a plurality of removable water flow changing elements  28  which can be added and removed from between the spiral vane  26  to physically and visually alter the flow of water down the decorative waterfall system  10 . 
     The foregoing exemplary descriptions and the illustrative preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained in the drawings and described in detail, with varying modifications and alternative embodiments being taught. While the invention has been so shown, described and illustrated, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that equivalent changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention, and that the scope of the present invention is to be limited only to the claims except as precluded by the prior art. Moreover, the invention as disclosed herein, may be suitably practiced in the absence of the specific elements which are disclosed herein.