Patent Publication Number: US-9897307-B1

Title: Selectively illuminable decorative fixture assemblies for pools, spas and fountains

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This U.S. divisional patent application claims the benefit of co-pending U.S. non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/523,720, having a filing date of Oct. 24, 2014, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to decorative fixtures used with swimming pools, spas and fountains and, more particularly, is concerned with illuminable decorative fixture assemblies for pools, spas and fountains. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various types of decorative fixtures (alternatively referred to as “features” and “accents”) are currently used in the swimming pool, spa and fountain industry. These fixtures may come in any number of forms, shapes and sizes. For example, some common fixtures are in the form of a lion head, decorative rosettes, wall sconces, spill bowls, whimsical characters and the like. In many applications these fixtures interact with the water, for example, contained within a pool, spa or fountain. For instance, a continuous stream of water may be provided shooting out of the mouth of a lion head form, or a wall sconce or spill bowl may be continuously filled with water and, in turn, continuously flow/spill out of the fixture and into a body of water of a pool, spa or fountain. The water interaction with these decorative fixtures is usually accomplished through the plumbing of the pool, spa or fountain; such that while a water pump is running it also feeds water to the decorative fixture. 
     These decorative fixtures are normally constructed from a molded resin composition mixed with real metallic powder (e.g., copper, bronze, silver, brass, etc.) to create a faux finish having a realistic appearance, i.e., as if the fixture was actually constructed from the particular respective metal. In a preferred implementation, the mixed composition is formed as an outer layer of a translucent fixture base portion. A patina may also be applied to this finish to provide an aged or antiquated look. 
     These decorative fixtures usually look great during daytime hours, since they are clearly visible under sunlight. However, as nightfall approaches, these conventional fixtures are no longer visible without directing an artificial external beam of light on the feature. 
     Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an innovation that will overcome the deficiencies of these past approaches and the problems that remain unsolved. In particular, it would be highly desirable to provide such decorative water features that incorporate integral lighting features such that the decorative water features can be viewed, and thereby enjoyed, by individuals during both the daytime and evening. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an innovation in the form of decorative fixture assemblies for pools, spas and fountains that allow viewing the fixtures of the assemblies during both daytime and nighttime hours, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional water features. 
     In one implementation, a backlit decorative fixture assembly includes: 
     a base having at least one passageway therethrough with a front opening, wherein the base could comprise an individual component of the fixture or, alternatively, an existing surface of, for example, a side wall of a pool, spa or fountain; 
     a casing having a hollow socket mounted in the one passageway of the base, the hollow socket having a front opening at a front end thereof; 
     a light source received in and mounted to hollow socket of the casing and being configured to emit light through the front opening at the front end of the hollow socket of the casing; and 
     a fixture at least partially semi-transparent mounted to the base so as to overlie the front opening of the one passageway of the base, the front opening of the hollow socket of the casing in the one passageway of the base, and the light source in the hollow socket of the casing, so as to restrict the emission of light from the light source from passing therethrough and thereby illuminating the fixture. 
     In an aspect, the hollow socket of the casing may have a ledge recessed in the front end of the hollow socket so as to surround the front opening at the front end of the hollow socket. Also, the light source may include a front end and a front rim attached on the front end of the light source, so as to surround and extend outward from the front end of the light source such that the front rim is seated on the ledge recessed in the front end of the hollow socket of the casing. 
     In another aspect, the base may include spaced-apart front and rear surfaces, the one passageway being defined through the base between the front and rear surfaces. Also, the base may be a portion of a component of at least one of a swimming pool, a spa and a fountain. 
     In another implementation, a backlit decorative fixture assembly includes: 
     a base having a passageway therethrough with a front opening to the passageway, the base also having a front surface surrounding the front opening of the passageway; 
     a casing having a hollow socket mounted in the passageway of the base, the hollow socket having a front opening at a front end thereof; 
     a light source received in and mounted to the hollow socket of the casing and being configured to emit light through the front opening at the front end of the hollow socket of the casing; and 
     a fixture in the form of a hand grip constructed from a material at least partially semi-transparent attached to the front surface of the base so as to overlie the front opening of the passageway of the base, the front opening of the hollow socket of the casing in the passageway of the base and the light source in the hollow socket of the casing, so as to restrict the transmission of light emitted from the light source from passing therethrough and thereby illuminating the hand grip. 
     In another aspect, the front surface of the base has a recess formed therein so as to surround the front opening of the passageway. Also, the hollow socket of the casing is fitted through the front opening to within the passageway of the base. The casing may include a front face plate attached on the front end of the hollow socket so as to surround and extend outward from the front opening at the front end of the hollow socket such that the front face plate is seated in the recess in the front surface of the base. 
     In another aspect, the fixture may include a rear portion and a hand grip portion, wherein the hand grip is mounted to, or integral with, the front surface of the base so as to overlie the front opening of the passageway of the base, the front opening of the hollow socket of the casing in the passageway of the base, and the light source in the hollow socket of the casing, so as to restrict transmission of light emitted from the light source therethrough, thereby illuminating the hand grip. 
     In another implementation, a selectively-illuminable water feature is provided, including: 
     a bowl-shaped fixture adapted for being mounted upon a horizontally-oriented support surface over a niche extending into the support surface, the bowl being at least semi-translucent and generally defined by a contiguous sidewall terminating upwardly at an upper lip and extending downwardly toward, and transitioning into, a generally planar base portion, the upper lip having an integral recessed portion functioning as a spout, the planar base having a central aperture extending therethrough and an annular cavity provided in a lower surface thereof surrounding the central aperture; 
     an annular lighting source positioned beneath a lower surface of the bowl-shaped fixture, the lighting source sized and shaped to conform with and be seated within the annular cavity of the fixture base; 
     a niche having a base sized and shaped to conform with the support surface aperture, a top side of the niche extending outwardly slightly beyond the housing base to define a peripheral flange, a central aperture extending completely through the niche; and 
     a water communicating conduit extending upwardly through the support surface aperture, through the niche central aperture, through the annular lighting source, and through the central aperture of the bowl planar base, an upper end of the conduit terminating an upper edge within the bowl-shaped fixture; 
     wherein, a continuous flow of water introduced into said bowl fixture causes a continuous flow of water out of the bowl over the spout portion of the bowl lip, and light emitted from said light source effecting colored lighting of said bowl-shaped fixture, such that, in a semi-dark or dark environment selective flickering of the light source creates the effect of a flame about said bowl-shaped fixture. 
     In an aspect, an additional aperture is provided extending through the niche, and an electrical wire is provided having a first end in electrical communication with an electrical power source, the electrical wire extending completely through the niche and a second end of the electrical wire is in electrical communication with the annular light source. 
     In another aspect, the annular light source is fixedly integrated into the annular cavity provided in the lower surface of the planar base of the bowl-shaped fixture. 
     In another aspect, the annular light source is fixedly attached to an upper surface of the niche such that, upon positioning the bowl-shaped fixture upon the support surface, the light source snugly seats within the corresponding annular cavity provided in the lower surface of the planar base of the bowl-shaped fixture. 
     These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, in which: 
         FIG. 1  presents a top front isometric view of a fully-assembled backlit decorative fixture assembly in accordance with a first exemplary implementation of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  presents a top front isometric view of the fixture assembly shown in  FIG. 1  with the fixture separated from the mounting portion to expose the mounting structure; 
         FIG. 3  presents a top front isometric partially-exploded view of the fixture assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  presents a top front isometric fully-exploded view of the fixture assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  presents an enlarged vertical sectional view of the fixture assembly depicted in  FIGS. 1-4 , taken along line section line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  presents a top front isometric view of a fully-assembled backlit decorative fixture assembly in accordance with a second exemplary implementation of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  presents a fully-exploded top front isometric view of the fixture assembly of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  presents an enlarged vertical sectional view of the fixture assembly depicted in  FIGS. 6-7 , taken along line section line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 9  presents a top front isometric view of a fully-assembled selectively-illuminable fire bowl-type fixture in accordance with a third exemplary implementation of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  presents a fully-exploded top front isometric view of the assembly shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  presents a partially-exploded top front isometric view of the assembly shown in  FIG. 9  shown partially installed on to a support surface; and 
         FIG. 12  presents an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along section line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in  FIG. 1 . Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5 , there is illustrated a first exemplary implementation of a backlit decorative fixture assembly, generally designated  100 , in accordance with the present invention. The fixture assembly  100  includes a base  102 , a niche/casing  104 , a light source  106  and a fixture  108 . The base  102  of the fixture assembly  100  has spaced-apart opposite front and rear surfaces,  110  and  112 , respectively, and at least one passage, but preferably a pair of passageways  114 ,  116  extending through the base  102  from the front surface  110  to the rear surface  112 . The passageways  114 ,  116  are spaced apart from, but in close proximity or adjacent to, one another in a given spaced-apart relationship such as, by way of example but not of limitation, a center-to-center spacing of one-to-two inches. The passageways  114 ,  116  have opposite front and rear openings,  114 A and  114 B, and  116 A and  116 B, respectively, provided in the respective front and rear surfaces,  110  and  112 , respectively, of base  102 . The rear surface  112  of the base  102  may be configured to make contact with and attach, for example, adhesively, to a surface of a component (not shown), such as a wall. Again, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the base  102  could be an individual subcomponent of the assembly or, alternatively, the base  102  could actually comprise the wall of a pool, spa, fountain or the like. To reiterate, where the base is an individual component or portion of the fixture assembly, attachment to an existing surface, such as a pool wall, may be achieved by use of any suitable conventional adhesive. Or, the base  102  may actually comprise an existing component, such as a wall of a swimming pool, a spa, a fountain or the like. The base  102  may be fabricated from the same materials as the pool, spa and/or fountain wall. The base  102  may include a recess  118  provided in the front surface  110  so as to surround the front openings  114 A,  116 A of the respective passageways  114 ,  116 . 
     The casing  104  of the fixture assembly  100  includes a front face plate  120  and a hollow socket  122  and a hollow sleeve  124  attached to and extending rearwardly from the front face plate  120 . The hollow socket  122  and hollow sleeve  124  are spaced apart from, but in close proximity or adjacent to one another in a relationship that corresponds to the given spaced relationship of the passageways  114 ,  116 , and have sizes corresponding to sizes of the passageways  114 ,  116 , such that the hollow socket  122  and hollow sleeve  124  snugly fit in the passageways  114 ,  116 , as best seen in  FIG. 5 . The hollow socket  122  and hollow sleeve  124  have respective front ends,  122 A and  124 A, and respective rear ends  122 B and  124 B. The hollow socket  122  and hollow sleeve  124  have respective front openings  122 C and  124 C, and respective rear openings  122 D and  124 D. The front face plate  120  attaches to, or is integral with, the hollow socket and sleeve  122 ,  124  at the respective front ends  122 A,  124 A thereof so as to surround and extend outward from the respective front openings  122 C,  124 C of the hollow socket and sleeve  122 ,  124 , such that the front face plate  120  conforms with, and snugly seats within, the recess  118  in the front surface  110  of the base  102 . 
     The light source  106  is received in and mounted to the hollow socket  122  of the casing  104 . The light source  106  is configured to emit light through the front opening  122 C at the front end  122 A of the hollow socket  122  of the casing  102 . The light is emitted forwardly away from the front surface  110  of the base  102 , into and at least partially through, the fixture  108 . The hollow socket  122  of the casing  104  has a circumferential ledge  126  recessed in the front end  122 A of the hollow socket  122 , so as to surround the front opening  122 C at the front end  122 A of the hollow socket  122 . The light source  106  has a front end  106 A and a circumferential front rim  128  attached on or integrated with the front end  106 A so as to surround and extend outward from the front end  106 A of the light source  106 . The circumferential front rim  128  is seated on or engaged against the circumferential ledge  126  recessed in the front end  122 A. As shown, it is preferable that the exterior-facing surface of light source front rim  128  is planar to facilitate flush engagement against the rear surface  132 A of receptacle  108 . The light source  106  may be of any suitable conventional type, such as, by way of example but not of limitation, an incandescent lamp, LED and fiber optic type light source. 
     The fixture  108  is in the form of a decorative receptacle made of a semi-transparent or transparent material. The receptacle  108  defines an interior cavity  130  having an open top  130 A. Also, the receptacle  108  has a rear portion  132  with a rear surface  132 A configured to abut up against and attach to the front surface  110  of the base  102 . Attachment may be achieved, for example, by use of any suitable conventional adhesive. As can be readily understood from  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the rear surface  132 A of the rear portion  132  of the receptacle  108  surrounds and overlies the front openings  114 A,  116 A of the passageways  114 ,  116  of the base  102 , the front face plate  120  of the casing  104  in the recess  118  in the front surface  110  of the base  102 , the front openings  122 C,  124 C of the hollow socket and sleeve  122 ,  124  of the casing  104  in the respective passageways  114 ,  116  of the base  102 , and the light source  106  in the hollow socket  122  of the casing  104 . In such position, the rear portion  132  of the receptacle  108  restricts, at least to some degree, the transmission of light emitted from the light source  106  therethrough, thereby causing illumination of the decorative receptacle  108 . The rear portion  132  of the receptacle  108  may also include an aperture  134  extending therethrough, which opens into and communicates with the interior cavity  130  of the receptacle  108  such that at least one conduit, and preferably a pair of front and rear conduits,  136  and  138 , respective is/are received through the hollow sleeve  124  of the casing  104  and the aperture  134  in the rear portion  132  of the receptacle  108  for supplying a flow of liquid, such as water, into the interior cavity  130  of the receptacle  108 . The front and rear conduits,  136  and  138 , respectively, abut against opposite sides of a circumferential shoulder  140  formed about the interior of the hollow sleeve  124  at an intermediate location between the front and rear ends,  124 A and  124 B, respectively, thereof. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6-8 , there is illustrated a second exemplary implementation of a backlit decorative fixture assembly, generally designated  200 , in accordance with the present invention. Like features of the backlit decorative fixture assemblies,  100  and  200 , are numbered the same, except preceded by the numerals “1” and “2,” respectively. The fixture assembly  200  includes a base  202 , a casing/niche  242 , a light source  206  and a fixture  244 . 
     The base  202  of the fixture assembly  200  has spaced apart opposite front and rear surfaces,  210  and  212 , respectively, and a passageway  214  defined through the base  202  extending between the front surface  201  and the rear surface  212 . The passageway  214  has opposite front and rear openings,  214 A and  214 B, respectively, at the respective front  210  and rear  212  surfaces of the base  202 . The rear surface  212  of the base  202  is configured to make contact with and attach to a surface of a component (not shown), such as a wall. Attachment may be achieved by use of any suitable conventional adhesive. Alternatively, the base  202  may actually comprise a portion of an existing structure or component, such as an interior wall of a swimming pool, a spa and/or a fountain. The base  202  may be fabricated from the same materials as the pool, spa and/or fountain wall. The base  202  preferably includes a recess  246  provided in the front surface  210  so as to surround the front opening  214 A of the passageway  214 . 
     The casing  242  of the fixture assembly  200  includes a front face plate portion  248  and a hollow socket portion  250  attached to, or integral with, and extending rearwardly from the front face plate  248 . The hollow socket  250  has a size, or external diameter, corresponding to, or slightly less than the size, or diameter, of the passageway  214 , such that the hollow socket  250  fits snugly within the passageway  214 , as best seen in  FIG. 8 . The hollow socket  250  has front and rear ends,  250 A and  250 B, respectively, and front and rear openings,  250 C and  250 D, at the respective front and rear ends. The front face plate  248  attaches with, or is integral with, the hollow socket  250  at the front end  250 A thereof, so as to surround and extend outward from the front opening  250 C of the hollow socket  250 , such that the front face plate  248  snugly seats in the recess  246  in the front surface  210  of the base  202 . 
     The light source  206  is received into and mounted within the hollow socket  250  of the casing  242 . The light source  206  is configured to emit light through the front opening  250 C at the front end  250 A of the hollow socket  250  of the casing  242 . The light is emitted forwardly away from the front surface  210  of the base  202 , into and at least partially through the fixture  244 . The hollow socket  250  of the casing  242  has a circumferential ledge  252  recessed in the front end  250 A of the hollow socket  250  so as to surround the front opening  250 C at the front end  250 A of the hollow socket  250 . The light source  206  has a front end  206 A and a circumferential front rim  228  attached on, or integral with, the front end  206 A so as to surround and extend outward from the front end  206 A of the light source  206 . The circumferential front rim  228  is seated on the circumferential ledge  252  recessed in the front end  250 A of the hollow socket  250  of the casing  242 . The light source  206  may be of any suitable conventional type, such as, by way of example but not of limitation, an incandescent lamp, LED, and fiber optic light, to name just a few. 
     The fixture  244  is in the form of a hand grip constructed from a semi-transparent or transparent material. The hand grip  244  has a rear portion  254  with a rear surface  254 A configured to abut up again and attach to the front surface  210  of the base  202 . Attachment may be achieved by use of any suitable conventional adhesive. Again, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, base  202  may be an existing structure such as the wall of a pool, spa or fountain. Referring particularly to  FIGS. 6 and 8 , the rear surface  254 A of the rear portion  254  of the hand grip  244  surrounds and overlies the front opening  214 A of the passageway  214  of the base  202 , the front face plate  248  of the casing  242  in the recess  246  in the front surface  210  of the base  202 , the front opening  250 C of the hollow socket  250  of the casing  242  in the passageway  214  of the base  202 , and the light source  206  in the hollow socket  250  of the casing  242 . In this position and orientation, the rear portion  254  of the hand grip  244  at least partially restricts the transmission of light emitted from the light source  206  therethrough, thereby causing illumination of the hand grip  244 . The fixture  244  preferably includes an integral hand grip portion  256  integrally formed with, or attached to, and extending from the rear portion  254  so as to define a lateral channel  258  between the hand grip portion  256  and the rear portion  254 . The channel  258  is open along its top to facilitate gripping, for example, by the hand of an individual, for example, within a swimming pool. 
     As mentioned above with respect to fixtures  108 , fixture  244  is preferably constructed having a clear of transparent base having a semi-transparent outer layer, with an optional faux metal finish layer either formed thereon during a molding operation or applied thereto following molding of a transparent (clear) core. It is then possible to illuminate the fixture from behind and thereby allow the fixture to be viewed at night. The fixture now maintains a desired aesthetic appearance (e.g., metallic copper, bronze, silver or brass) during the daylight, while transforming at nighttime to glow any of a number of colors, selectively maintaining all the detail of the decorative fixture. It would also be possible for the decorative fixture to be “synced” with the pool, spa or fountain lights so that, for example, if the pool lights are white, blue, etc., the decorative fixture would be white, blue, etc. It is now also possible to illuminate the water stream coming from behind or inside the fixture assembly, such that it creates the effect of the water being the same color. 
     As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, any of a variety of well-known manufacturing processes, including, for example, injection molding, could be utilized in the construction of the fixtures exemplified herein by reference numerals  108 ,  244  and  302 . A preferred method of manufacturing the fixtures in the form of molded resin products incorporates a process including the steps of: (a) mixing a clear, or transparent, base resin with any one of several commercially available metal powders (e.g., copper powder, silver powder, brass powder and bronze powder), until a desired color is achieved, or, alternatively to the use of metal powder, a color pigment could be incorporated, either alone or in combination with the metal powder, to effectively tint the base resin; (b) depositing the mixture created in step (a) to an interior surface of a fixture mold to form an outer layer and, optionally, if necessary, curing or partially curing the deposited mixture layer; (c) filling the coated mold with a volume of a clear, or translucent, non-colored and non-tinted composition of the desired resin product and, optionally, if necessary, curing the translucent composition, thereby a clear solid fixture form having a tinted or colored exterior layer, or finish, which is at least semi-transparent to enable a back light to shine through the product that results in lighting of the fixture. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, this preferred method is merely an example of a manufacturing process. For instance, an alternative processes could initially mold the desired fixture form using a clear, or translucent, compositions, which, upon curing or semi-curing, could be removed from the mold and subsequently coated through application of, for example, a colored gel-coat finish, a painted finish, an air-brushed finish or any other available deposition method. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 9-12 , in a further implementation of the invention a so-called fire bowl fixture assembly  300  is provided for mounting upon a horizontal support surface  340 , preferably adjacent to a body of water such as a pool. Assembly  300  generally includes: a bowl  302 ; a lighting source  316 ; a niche  318  sized and shaped to conform to an opening or receiving cavity  342 , extending through the support surface  340 ; and a water conduit  330 . 
     As best shown in  FIG. 11 , translucent or semi-translucent bowl  302  includes a sidewall  304 , an upper lip  306 , and a base  308  having a central aperture  314  extending therethrough. A lower surface of base  308  has an annular cavity  312  surrounding central aperture  314  for receiving lighting source  316  therein. Lighting source  316  may be provided integrated into annular cavity  312 , for example, using an epoxy, silicone or other chemical adhesive. Alternatively, lighting source  316  may be provided independently mounted upon an upper surface of the niche  318  such that it becomes snugly seated within annular cavity  312  of bowl base  308  when the lower surface  310  of the bowl base is rested upon upper support surface  340 . Electrical power from an electrical power source (not shown) is transmitted to lighting source  316  via conventional electrical wiring  328  extending through a wire-receiving aperture  326  extending completely niche  318 , providing electrical communication between a remote electrical power source (not shown) and the lighting source  316 . 
     A water conduit  330  provides a flow of water from a water source (such as water from an adjacent pool circulated by a water pump) into the interior of bowl  302 . Water conduit  330  extends through support surface opening  342 , into and through a central aperture  324  extending through niche  318 , through a central opening  317  of lighting source  316 , and completely through central aperture  314  of bowl base  308 . In this manner, a continuous ingress of water into bowl  302  can be selectively maintained to create a corresponding continuous waterfall out of bowl  302  over bowl spout  307 . 
     The niche  318  preferably includes a base portion  320  and an upper flange portion  322  extending slightly outward therefrom, such that the flange portion rests upon the bowl support surface  340  when the assembly is completely assembled and installed against the support surface. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, as previously mentioned, the lighting source  316  may be integrated directly into the annular cavity  312  of the bowl  302  or installed upon the bowl support surface  340 , and the bowl subsequently positioned atop the lighting source such that the lighting source seats within the annular cavity. In either case, it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the light source can be selectively controlled via conventional well-known electrical circuitry to enable a user to create a flickering light effect. For instance, a flickering red light can be employed, wherein the transmission of the flickering red light through the translucent or semi-translucent bowl creates a flickering fire or flame visual effect. 
     The above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations, combinations, modifications or equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all the embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.