Abstract:
A kaleidoscope is made by installing a kit of parts within a beverage bottle that has been altered by cutting off the bottom of the bottle. The kit includes multiple lens systems and reflective tubes that are sized, shaped and arranged to create a dazzling composite image. In some examples, the composite image includes a multifaceted reflection of an assortment of viewable items plus a halo-distortion of the items encircling the multifaceted reflection. In addition to collecting ambient light directly from an axial direction, the kaleidoscope collects reflected light from multiple radial directions as directed by a multifaceted light-gathering reflector surrounding a transparent object container that contains the viewable items.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of both provisional patent application 62/230,474 filed on Jun. 8, 2015 and provisional patent application 62/283,966 filed on Sep. 17, 2015; both of which are specifically incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to optical devices and more specifically to kaleidoscopes. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A kaleidoscope is an optical instrument for viewing a repetitive geometric image created by multiple reflections of an assortment of viewable items, such as loose pieces of colorful glass, plastic, etc. The loose pieces are usually contained within a rotatable chamber while a user views the items through a triangular or other multifaceted tubular mirror. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional front view taken along a longitudinal axis of an example kaleidoscope constructed in accordance with the teachings disclosed herein. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 7  is a top view of an example image created by the kaleidoscope shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view illustrating an example kaleidoscope method for creating the kaleidoscope shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional front view of an alternate example lens housing constructed in accordance with the teachings disclosed herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1-6  show various views of an example kaleidoscope  10 ,  FIG. 7  shows an example composite image  12  created by kaleidoscope  10 , and  FIG. 8  shows an example method  14  of producing kaleidoscope  10 . In the illustrated example, kaleidoscope  10  is made by converting a conventional beverage bottle  16  (e.g., a bottle originally meant for wine, beer, champagne, other alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, etc.) to a partial beverage bottle  18  by cutting off and removing a lower end  20  of bottle  16 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . In some examples, a conventional known cutter  15  is used for cutting along a circumferential line  25  to separate lower end  20  from bottle  16 . A kit of parts  22 , also shown in  FIG. 8 , is then installed in a stacked arrangement within partial beverage  18  to create kaleidoscope  10 . 
     In the illustrated example, the kit of parts  22  includes a first reflective tube  24 , a second reflective tube  26 , a first lens system  28 , a second lens system  30 , and a third lens system  32 . Lens systems  28 ,  30  and  32  are made of any optically clear material, examples of which include, but are not limited to, glass, acrylic, polycarbonate, polystyrene, etc. Kit of parts  22  further includes an object container  34  (liquid or air filled), an assortment of viewable items  36  (e.g., small loose pieces of colorful glass, plastic, etc.) for installing inside an internal chamber  38  of object container  36 , an end cap  40  for closing object container  34  after the assortment of viewable items  36  have been installed within internal chamber  38 , a light-gathering reflector  42  for supporting first lens system  28  and for directing ambient light  44  into internal chamber  38 , a lens housing  46  comprising a first sub-housing  46   a  and a second sub-housing  46   b  for containing second lens system  30 , one or more rings  48  (e.g., a foam rubber washer) that are resiliently compressible for taking up any excess axial clearance of parts  22  within partial beverage bottle  18 , a cap  50  (an eyepiece) attachable to an open top  52  of partial beverage bottle  18  has an aperture  55  through which image  12  is viewed, and a collar  54  attachable to an open bottom  56  of partial beverage bottle  18 . 
     In some examples, at least some of viewable items  36 , beverage bottle  16 , and/or partial beverage bottle  18  are provided by a seller of the kit of parts  22 . In some examples, at least some of viewable items  36 , beverage bottle  16 , and/or partial beverage bottle  18  are provided a user or buyer of the kit of parts  22 , and the seller supplies the remaining parts needed for completing kaleidoscope  10 . In the illustrated example, the specific stacked arrangement of parts  22 , the geometric shapes of parts  22 , and spatial orientations of parts  22  provide a dazzling composite image  12  comprising an intriguing multifaceted reflection  58  of viewable items  36  encircled by a glowing halo-like distortion  60  of viewable items  22 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     When partial beverage bottle  18  and parts  22  are assembled as shown in  FIG. 1 , a reflected line-of-sight  62  extends between object container  34  and aperture  55 . In some examples, light-gathering reflector  42  has multiple reflective surfaces  64  and  66  lying at different angles (i.e., at different angles with reference to a longitudinal axis  78 ) to receive ambient light  44  approaching kaleidoscope  10  in a generally axial direction (generally parallel to axis  78 ) and reflecting the axially approaching light  44  in a radially inward direction through a radially outer wall  68  of object container  34 . At least a portion of wall  68  is light permeable, i.e., transparent or translucent. In this example, the object container&#39;s entire wall  68  is transparent and so is end cap  40 , so additional ambient light  44  can enter internal chamber  38  directly through wall  68  or end cap  40  without having to first reflect off of reflective surfaces  64  or  66 . So, in the illustrated example, ambient light  44  enters chamber  38  from multiple radial and axial directions for maximum illumination of the assortment of viewable items  36 . In some examples, end cap  40  is press-fitted, glued or otherwise fastened to a lower axial end of wall  68  after viewable items  36  are installed in chamber  38 . In some examples, an upper axial end of wall  68  is press-fitted, glued or otherwise attached to reflector  42 . 
     Light passing through and/or reflecting off of viewable items  36  passes through first lens system  28 . The term, “lens system” refers to at least one lens. In this example, first lens system  28  comprises a single semispherical lens set within a receptacle  70  of reflector  42 . A substantially flat surface  72  of first lens system  28  faces toward object container  34 . In some examples, receptacle  70  and the remainder of reflector  42  start as separate pieces that are subsequently joined or connected, whereby reflector  42  is an assembly. In other examples reflector  42 , including receptacle  70 , is a seamless unitary piece. 
     Light passing from viewable items  36  through first lens system  28  passes through first reflective tube  24 , which has a reflective inner surface  74 . In some examples, first reflective tube  24  is cylindrical. In some examples, first reflective tube  24  is multifaceted (e.g., triangular, four sides, five sides, or any number of sides). In the illustrated example, first reflective tube  24  has a first cross-sectional area  76  (perpendicular to the tube&#39;s longitudinal axis  78 ) that is triangular, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The lower end of first reflective tube  24  fits within a cylindrical bore  74  in the upper section of reflector  42 . As light reflects in a complicated pattern within first reflective tube  24 , the triangular, multi-faceted reflective inner surface  74  helps create the multifaceted reflection  58  of composite image  12 . 
     After passing through first reflective tube  24 , light passes through second lens system  30 . In this example, second lens system  30  comprises a first lens  80  and a second lens  82 . First lens  80  is substantially spherical, and second lens  82  is substantially semispherical. Second lens system  30  is contained within lens housing  46 . Lens housing  46  comprises sub-housings  46   a  and  46   b,  which are glued, fastened, taped or otherwise attached to each other after installing second lens system  30 . In some examples, sub-housings  46   a  and  46   b  are made of polyvinyl chloride. In the illustrated example, sub-housing  46   a  has a triangular opening  84  for receiving first reflective tube  24  and a cylindrical cavity  86  for receiving second lens  82 . Sub-housing  46   b  has a cylindrical cavity  90  for receiving first lens  80  and a cylindrical opening  88  for receiving second reflective tube  26 . 
     From second lens system  30 , light passes through second reflective tube  26 . In some examples, second reflective tube  26  is multifaceted (e.g., triangular, four sides, five sides, or any number of sides). In the illustrated example, second reflective tube  26  is cylindrical, as shown in  FIG. 2 . Second reflective tube  26  has an axial length  92  that is greater than the length of first reflective tube  24 . In some examples, second reflective tube&#39;s axial length  92  is at least four times greater than the tube&#39;s internal diameter  94  to create an angle of incidence that is sufficiently shallow to ensure multiple reflections within second reflective tube  26 . This helps create the glowing halo-like distortion  60  that surrounds the multifaceted reflection  58  of composite image  12 . 
     After passing through second reflective tube  26 , light passes through third lens system  32 . In some examples, third lens system  32  is a single lens having a concave surface  94  facing toward second lens system  30  and a convex surface  96  facing toward a person&#39;s eye viewing composite image  12 . Other example shapes of third lens system  32  include, but are not limited to, plano-convex, double-convex, etc. In the illustrated example, the shape of third lens system  32  has a focal length that terminates at its focal point  98  in second lens  82 . This provides clarity to the multifaceted reflection  58  without losing the visual impact of the halo-like distortion  60 . 
     To complete the assembly of kaleidoscope  10 , cap  50  is attached to the bottle&#39;s open top  52 , collar  54  is attached to the bottle&#39;s open bottom  56 , and the remainder of parts  22  are sandwiched between cap  50  and collar  54 . In some examples, cap  50  and collar  54  are made of a flexible vinyl material and have inner diameters that press fit and cling to bottle  18 . In other examples, cap  50  is made by drilling, punching or cutting aperture  55  into the bottle&#39;s original screw-on cap, and then screwing that cap onto the bottle&#39;s open top  52 . To take up any excess axial clearance of parts  22  within partial beverage bottle  18 , at least one ring  48  is held in compression somewhere between cap  50  and first reflective tube  24 . In the illustrated example, third lens system  32  is sandwiched between two resiliently compressible rings  48 . 
     In the illustrated example, partial bottle  18  comprises a relatively narrow neck  18   a  and a radially broader body  18   b.  In examples where a radial extension  35  of second reflective tube  26  is less than a radial extension  37  of first reflective tube  24 , second reflective tube  26  is situated within the relatively narrow neck  18   a  while the radially larger first reflective tube  24  is situated within the broader body  18   b.  The term, “reflective” as it pertains to a tube (e.g., tubes  24  and  26 ) means that the inner surface of the tube is of a quality such that an image projected onto the inner surface at some predetermined angle produces a reflected image (e.g., mirror image, distorted image, blurred image, or combination thereof) of the projected image, wherein the reflected image is not merely randomly diffused light. The term, “axial” refers to a direction generally parallel axis  78 . The term, “radial” refers to a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. 
     Various modifications and alterations to this invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention.  FIG. 9 , for instance, shows an alternate example lens housing  146  similar to lens housing  46 . Lens housing  146 , however, comprises an assembly of a first sub-housing  146   a  and a second sub-housing  146   b  for containing second lens system  30 . In some examples, after installing second lens system  30  within first sub-housing  146   a,  second sub-housing  146   b  is glued to first sub-housing  146   a.  It should be understood that this invention is not intended to be unduly limited by the illustrative embodiments and examples set forth herein and that such examples and embodiments are presented by way of example only with the scope of the invention intended to be limited only by the claims set forth herein as follows.