Patent Publication Number: US-2004043695-A1

Title: Toy aquarium and method of using the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention relates to a toy aquarium, and, in particular, to a toy aquarium and a method of using the toy aquarium.  
       [0002] Children enjoy conventional toys that have movable parts. In particular, children are typically interested in toys that include moving toy characters. Some conventional toys, such as toy aquriums, are related to aquatic environments.  
       [0003] A need exists for a new toy aquarium that simulates an aquatic environment. A need also exists for a toy aquarium that includes a drive mechanism that easily and simply imparts motion to a toy character.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004] A toy aquarium includes a housing with a tank and a toy character movably mounted proximate to the tank. In one embodiment, the tank is a container configured to contain a liquid. The toy aquarium includes a compartment located next to the tank. In one embodiment, the toy character is movably mounted in the compartment. In an alternative embodiment, multiple toy characters are movably mounted in the compartment.  
       [0005] The toy aquarium includes a drive mechanism that is operably coupled to the toy character to move the toy character. In one embodiment, the toy aquarium includes a bubble generating mechanism that is configured to generate bubbles in the liquid in the tank. In another embodiment, the toy aquarium includes a light generating mechanism that is configured to transmit light into the tank. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0006]FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of a toy aquarium in accordance with the present invention.  
     [0007]FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of the toy aquarium of FIG. 1.  
     [0008]FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of some of the components of the toy aquarium of FIG. 1.  
     [0009]FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of some of the components of the toy aquarium of FIG. 1, taken along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 1.  
     [0010]FIG. 5 illustrates an assembled perspective view of the operative relationship of toy characters, drive elements, and a drive mechanism of the toy aquarium of FIG. 1.  
     [0011]FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the components of FIG. 5.  
     [0012]FIG. 7 illustrates a rear view of some of the internal components of the toy aquarium of FIG  1 .  
     [0013]FIG. 8 illustrates an assembled perspective view of the operative relationship of an embodiment of a toy character and an embodiment of an actuator of the toy aquarium of FIG. 1.  
     [0014]FIG. 9 illustrates an assembled perspective view of the operative relationship of an embodiment of another toy character and an embodiment of another actuator of the toy aquarium of FIG  1 .  
     [0015]FIG. 10 illustrates several positions of toy characters of the toy aquarium of FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0016] A toy aquarium includes a housing with a tank and a toy character movably mounted proximate to the tank. In one embodiment, the tank is a container configured to contain a liquid. The toy aquarium includes a compartment located next to the tank. In one embodiment, the toy character is movably mounted in the compartment. In an alternative embodiment, multiple toy characters are movably mounted in the compartment.  
     [0017] The toy aquarium includes a drive mechanism that is operably coupled to the toy character to move the toy character. In one embodiment, the toy aquarium includes a bubble generating mechanism that is configured to generate bubbles in the liquid in the tank. In another embodiment, the toy aquarium includes a light generating mechanism that is configured to transmit light into the tank.  
     [0018] An embodiment of a toy aquarium in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 3 . In the illustrated embodiment, the toy aquarium  10  includes a housing  12  with a front portion  14  and a rear portion  16 . The front portion  14  and the rear portion  16  can be coupled together by any type of conventional fasteners, such as bolts or screws. The front portion  14  includes several walls that define an interior region therebetween. Similarly, the rear portion  16  includes several walls that define an interior region therebetween.  
     [0019] In the illustrated embodiment, the toy aquarium  10  includes a container  20  that includes several walls that form an interior cavity or area therebetween. The container  20  is configured to contain a fluid, which is illustrated as  86  in FIG. 1. The fluid in the container  20  can be any type of liquid, such as water or a mixture of water and propylene glycol. In the illustrated embodiment, the walls of the container  20  are formed of a transparent material, such as a transparent plastic. The container  20  is coupled to an interior surface of the housing  12  using conventional fasteners.  
     [0020] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the toy aquarium  10  includes several toy characters  26 ,  28 ,  30 , and  32 . In the illustrated embodiment, the toy characters  26 ,  28 ,  30 , and  32  are located within housing  12  and behind the container  20 . The placement of the toy characters  26 ,  28 ,  30 , and  32  behind the container  20  creates the appearance that the toy characters  26 ,  28 ,  30 , and  32  are disposed within the container  20  when the toy aquarium  10  is viewed from the front.  
     [0021] In the illustrated embodiment, toy characters  26 ,  28 ,  30 , and  32  resemble aquatic characters. Toy characters  26  and  28  resemble fish and toy character  32  resembles a starfish. Toy character  30  resembles a clam and includes a lower portion  46  and an upper portion  48  that resemble a lower shell and an upper shell of a clam, respectively.  
     [0022] Returning to the housing  12 , the front portion  14  of the housing  12  includes an opening  18 . When the components of the toy aquarium  10  are assembled, the container  20  is aligned with the opening  18  to allow a user to view the contents of the toy aquarium  10 .  
     [0023] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the housing  12  includes apertures  34  and  38  formed in the front portion  14 . The toy aquarium  10  includes actuators  40  and  44  operably disposed in the apertures  34  and  38 , respectively. The actuators  40  and  44  are operably coupled to toy characters  30  and  32 , respectively. When a user engages actuator  40  or  44 , the corresponding toy character  30  or  32  moves.  
     [0024] The front portion  14  of the housing  12  also includes an aperture  36  in which an activation button  42  is operably disposed. The operation of the actuators  40  and  44  and the activation button  42  is discussed in greater detail below.  
     [0025] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the rear portion  16  of the housing  12  includes apertures or recesses  50 ,  52 , and  54  in which a mode selection switch  56 , an audio selection button  58 , and a volume adjustment dial  60  are located. The operation of the mode selection switch  56 , the audio selection button  58 , and the volume adjustment dial  60  is discussed in greater detail below. The rear portion  16  also includes several openings  62  through which audio outputs from a transducer  118 , such as a speaker (see FIG. 3), can be heard.  
     [0026] In the illustrated embodiment, the toy aquarium  10  includes conventional straps  66  and  68  that are mounted to the housing  12  and configured to secure the toy aquarium  10  to a support structure, such as an infant crib. The rear portion  16  includes extensions  74  and  76  that can be inserted into openings  70  and  72  formed in straps  66  and  68 .  
     [0027] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the toy aquarium  10  includes a handle region  78 . The handle region  78  is configured to facilitate carrying of the toy aquarium  10  by a user. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle region  78  includes a recess  79  formed in the rear portion  16 . In an alternative embodiment, the handle region  78  may include a separate member that is spaced apart from and coupled to the housing  12 .  
     [0028] An embodiment of several components of the toy aquarium  10  is illustrated in FIG. 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the container  20  is coupled to the front portion  14  of the housing  12 . The container  20  includes a transparent front wall or region  22  and a transparent rear wall or region  24  that is coupled to the front wall  22  using conventional fasteners.  
     [0029] The front wall  22  is located next to the front portion  14 . The front wall  22  includes several transparent side walls  23  and the rear wall  24  includes several transparent side walls  25 . When the front wall  22  and the rear wall  24  are placed into contact with each other, walls  22 ,  23 ,  24 , and  25  collectively define a compartment therebetween (see FIG. 4).  
     [0030] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the toy aquarium  10  includes a plate  90  that is located proximate to the container  20  within the housing  12 . The plate  90  includes several side walls  91  extending from the plate  90  that define a compartment  132  between the plate  90  and the container  20 . In the illustrated embodiment, the plate  90  is coupled to the container  20  using conventional fasteners. In alternative embodiments, the plate  90  may be coupled to the housing  12  or formed integrally with the housing  12 .  
     [0031] The plate  90  has a front surface  112  and a rear surface  114 . Various types of indicia, such as indicia related to an aquatic environment, may be located on the front surface  112 . In an alternative embodiment, indicia may be formed on a display element (not shown), such as a sticker or a paper, and the display element may be disposed on the front surface  112 . As illustrated in FIG. 3, the plate  90  includes several apertures  92 ,  94 ,  96 ,  98 , and  100 , the operation of which is discussed in greater detail below.  
     [0032] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the toy characters  26 ,  28 ,  30 , and  32  are located proximate to the front surface  112  of the plate  90  and the rear wall  24  of the container  20 . In particular, toy characters  26 ,  28 ,  30 , and  32  are aligned with apertures  92 ,  94 ,  96 ,  98 , and  100  and movably mounted to the plate  90 .  
     [0033] In the illustrated embodiment, the toy aquarium  10  includes drive elements  106  and  108 , respectively, that are coupled to rear surfaces of toy characters  26  and  28 . The drive elements  106  and  108  extend through plate apertures  96  and  98 , respectively.  110341  Each of the drive elements  106  and  108  are coupled to a drive mechanism  140  (see FIG. 4). The drive mechanism  140  is located proximate to the rear surface  114  of the plate  90 . In the illustrated embodiment, the drive mechanism  140  is configured to impart rotational motion to drive elements  106  and  108 . The drive elements  106  and  108  are configured to impart motion to toy characters  26  and  28 . The operation of drive elements  106  and  108  and drive mechanism  140  is discussed in greater detail below with respect to FIGS.  4 - 6 .  
     [0034] Regarding the movement of toy character  30 , the lower portion  46  and the upper portion  48  of toy character  30  include rearwardly extending elements or extensions  102  and  104 , respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 3, extensions  102  and  104  extend through plate apertures  92  and  94 , respectively. Extension  102  is fixedly coupled to plate  90  and extension  104  is rotatably coupled to plate  90 . Extension  104  is operably coupled to actuator  40 , such that user engagement of actuator  40  causes movement of the upper portion  48 . The operation of actuator  40  is discussed in greater detail below with respect to FIG. 9.  
     [0035] Regarding the movement of toy character  32 , the toy aquarium  10  also includes a drive element  110  that is coupled to toy character  32 . The drive element  110  extends through aperture  100  of the plate  90  and is operably coupled to actuator  44 . User engagement of actuator  44  causes movement of toy character  32  via drive element  110 . The operation of actuator  44  and drive element  110  is discussed in greater detail below with respect to FIG. 8.  
     [0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the toy aquarium  10  includes a control unit  116  located in housing  12 . The control unit  116  is configured to receive various user inputs and to coordinate the generation of outputs in response to those inputs. Some of the inputs include actuation of activation button  42 , the mode selection switch  56 , the audio selection button  58 , and the volume adjustment dial  60 . In response to any of these inputs, the control unit  116  causes operation of the sound generating mechanism, the drive mechanism  140 , a bubble generating mechanism  340 , and/or a light generating mechanism  336 .  
     [0037] In the illustrated embodiment, the control unit  116  includes a memory and a processor (not shown). The memory can be, for example, any conventional memory, such as a disk drive, cartridge, or solid state memory, in which various audio outputs, such as music selections, sound effects, and speech, can be stored. The processor can be, for example, any conventional processor, such as a conventional integrated circuit.  
     [0038] The sound generating mechanism can include any conventional speaker or other suitable audio transducer. In the illustrated embodiment, the control unit  116  is connected to the various components of the toy aquarium by any conventional wired or wireless connections.  
     [0039] An embodiment of several components of the toy aquarium  10  is illustrated in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the toy aquarium  10 , taken along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 1.  
     [0040] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the toy aquarium  10  includes several compartments  130 ,  132 , and  134 . In the illustrated embodiment, compartments  130 ,  132 , and  134  are referred to as a drive compartment  130 , a character compartment  132 , and a liquid compartment  134 , respectively. The drive compartment  130  is formed by the inner surfaces of the rear portion  16 , the front portion  14 , and the internal components of the toy aquarium  10 . The character compartment  132  is formed by the front surface  112  of the plate  90  and the rear wall  24  of the container  20 . The liquid compartment  134  is also referred to as the container or tank  20 .  
     [0041] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the drive mechanism  140  is disposed in the drive compartment  130 . The drive mechanism  140  is mounted on the rear surface  114  of the plate  90  using conventional fasteners. The drive mechanism  140  is operatively coupled to the ends of the drive elements  106  and  108  that are disposed in the drive compartment  130 . The drive mechanism  140  is configured to rotate the drive elements  106  and  108  about their longitudinal axes.  
     [0042] In the illustrated embodiment, the character compartment  132  is located between the drive compartment  130  and the liquid compartment  134 . As illustrated in FIG. 4, toy characters  26  and  28  are disposed in the character compartment  132 . While not illustrated in FIG. 4, toy characters  30  and  32  are also located in character compartment  132 .  
     [0043] Toy characters  26  and  28  are rotatably coupled to the ends of the drive elements  106  and  108  that are located in the character compartment  132 . Rotation of drive elements  106  and  108  causes movement of toy characters  26  and  28 .  
     [0044] In the illustrated embodiment, toy characters  26  and  28  include weights  136  and  138 , respectively, coupled to the rear surfaces of the toy characters. The weights  136  and  138  cause the characters  26  and  28  to retain a substantially horizontal orientation as drive elements  106  and  108  rotate and toy characters  26  and  28  move.  
     [0045] The liquid compartment  134  is a tank that is configured to contain a liquid. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the liquid compartment  134  is substantially filled with the liquid  86 . The liquid compartment  134  also includes a fluid, such as air, in addition to the liquid  86 . The function of the air is discussed in greater detail below.  
     [0046] Next, the operative relationship of toy characters  26  and  28 , drive elements  106  and  108 , and the drive mechanism  140  is discussed with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIGS. 5 and 6 are rear perspective views of some of the internal components of the toy aquarium  10 .  
     [0047] In the illustrated embodiment, the drive mechanism  140  includes a motor  186  and a drive coupling  188  that is coupled to the motor  186 . The motor  186  is configured to rotate the drive coupling  188  along the direction of arrow “A” about axis  202  as illustrated in FIG. 5. The drive coupling  188  includes pulleys  190  and  192  that are coupled to a shaft  194  that is rotatably coupled to the motor  186 . In an alternative embodiment, the motor  186  can be a reversible motor that can rotate the drive coupling  188  in the opposite direction about axis  202 .  
     [0048] In the illustrated embodiment, drive element  106  includes a shaft  162  with a coupler  156  mounted on one end and a pulley  166  mounted on its opposite end. The shaft  162 , coupler  156 , and pulley  166  rotate simultaneously about axis  204  (see FIG. 5).  
     [0049] Similarly, drive element  108  includes a shaft  178  with a coupler  172  mounted on one end and a pulley  182  mounted on its opposite end. The shaft  178 , coupler  172 , and pulley  182  rotate simultaneously about axis  206  (see FIG. 5).  
     [0050] The toy aquarium  10  includes drive belts  196  and  198  that couple the drive coupling  188  to drive elements  106  and  108 , respectively. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, drive belt  196  operatively engages pulley  190  and pulley  166 . Similarly, drive belt  198  operatively engages pulley  192  and pulley  182 . As illustrated in FIG. 5, as the drive coupling  188  rotates along the direction of arrow “A,” drive element  106  rotates along the direction of arrow “B” about axis  204  and drive element  108  rotates along the direction of arrow “C” about axis  206 . In the illustrated embodiment, axes  204  and  206  are substantially parallel to axis  202 .  
     [0051] The coupler  156  of drive element  106  includes an arm  158  that extends perpendicularly from one end of shaft  162 . The coupler  156  and shaft  162  are coupled to the pulley  166  by inserting a fastener (not shown) through opening  164  in shaft  162  and opening  168  in pulley  166 .  
     [0052] The coupler  172  of drive element  108  includes an arm  174  that extends perpendicularly from one end of the shaft  178 . The coupler  172  and shaft  178  are coupled to the pulley  182  by inserting a fastener (not shown) through opening  180  in shaft  178  and the opening  184  in pulley  182 .  
     [0053] In the illustrated embodiment, toy character  26  includes a body  151  that resembles a fish. The body  151  includes a front surface  146  and a rear surface  148 . In the illustrated embodiment, toy character  26  includes an extension  154  that extends from the rear surface  148 .  
     [0054] Similarly, toy character  28  includes a body  153  that resembles a fish. The body  153  includes a front surface  142  and a rear surface  144 . The toy character  28  includes an extension  170  that extends from the rear surface  144 . Various types of indicia, such as aquatic related indicia, may be formed or located on the front surfaces  142  and  146  of characters  26  and  28 .  
     [0055] In the illustrated embodiment, toy character  26  includes a recess  150  formed in its rear surface  148 . The recess  150  is located proximate to the outer edge or near the perimeter of the body  151 . Similarly, the toy character  28  includes a recess  152  formed in its rear surface  144 . The recess  152  is located proximate to the outer edge or near the perimeter of the body  153 . Weights  136  and  138  are disposed in recesses  150  and  152 , respectively, and may be retained therein by friction or a fastening mechanism such as an adhesive.  
     [0056] As previously discussed, toy characters  26  and  28  are rotatably coupled to drive elements  106  and  108 , respectively. The extension  154  of toy character  26  is inserted into an opening  160  formed in arm  158 . Similarly, the extension  170  of toy character  28  is inserted into an opening  176  formed in arm  174 . The openings  160  and  176  are configured to allow rotation of the extensions  154  and  170  therein.  
     [0057] As drive elements  106  and  108  rotate, toy characters  26  and  28  simultaneously move about the axes  204  and  206 , respectively. The movement of toy characters  26  and  28  can be understood with reference to points  207  and  208  on toy characters  26  and  28 , respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Points  207  and  208  are disposed on the bottom surfaces of extensions  154  and  170 .  
     [0058] As previously discussed, extensions  154  and  170  are rotatably mounted in openings  160  and  176 . Rotation of drive element  106  causes point  207  to move in a substantially circular pattern about axis  204 . Regardless of the position of arm  158  during operation, point  207  is continuously aligned with the bottom of opening  160  because the weight  136  keeps character  30  in its substantially horizontal configuration. As drive element  106  rotates, arm  158  changes its orientation with respect to axis  204  and the distance between the lowest point of opening  160  and axis  204  changes. The distance is the shortest when arm  158  extends upwardly and the greatest when arm  158  extends downwardly. Rotation of drive element  108  causes point  208  to move in a substantially similar pattern about axis  206 .  
     [0059] As toy characters  26  and  28  move, weights  136  and  138  cause toy characters  26  and  28  to maintain their orientations with respect to a reference frame (x, y) (see FIG. 5). The reference frame (x, y) is a fixed frame of reference with respect to the toy aquarium  10 . In one embodiment, the horizontal orientation of the toy characters  26  and  28  with respect to the reference frame (x, y) may slightly vary, for example, due to the mechanical frictional forces.  
     [0060] Now the movement of toy character  32  is discussed with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is a rear view of some of the internal components of the toy aquarium  10  and FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of some of the internal components of the toy aquarium  10  related to toy character  32 .  
     [0061] In the illustrated embodiment, actuator  44  is slidably coupled to the front portion  14  of the housing  12 . The front portion  14  includes rails  212  and  214  (see FIG. 7). The rails  212  and  214  are configured to guide movement of actuator  44  relative to the front portion  14 . Actuator  44  includes a front surface  256  and a rear surface  258 . An extension  260  projects rearwardly from rear surface  258 .  
     [0062] A linkage  210  couples the actuator  44  to drive element  110 . Referring to FIG. 8, linkage  210  includes a body portion  240  and an elongate portion  242  extending from one end of the body portion  240 . The body portion  240  includes teeth  244 , a finger  246 , and a slot  252 . The elongated portion  242  includes an opening  254  into which the extension  260  of actuator  44  is inserted.  
     [0063] In the illustrated embodiment, a spring  218  is mounted at one end to the linkage  210  and at another end to the plate  90 . A first end  248  of the spring  218  includes a loop that is hooked onto finger  246  of linkage  210 . A second end  250  of spring  218  includes a loop that is coupled to an extension  220  on the rear surface  114  of plate  90 . In the illustrated embodiment, the plate  90  includes a post  216  that extends from rear surface  114 . Post  216  is disposed in slot  252  of linkage  210  to guide and limit movement of linkage  210  relative to the plate  90 .  
     [0064] In the illustrated embodiment, drive element  110  extends through opening  100  in the plate  90 . Drive element  110  includes a shaft  236  and a gear  238  mounted to one end of the shaft  236 . In one embodiment, the shaft  236  and the gear  238  may be formed integrally. During operation, gear  238  engages teeth  244  of linkage  210 .  
     [0065] Toy character  32  includes a front surface  230  and a rear surface  232 . In the illustrated embodiment, the toy character  32  includes an extension  234  that extends from rear surface  232 . The extension  234  is coupled to the shaft  236  of drive element  110 .  
     [0066] When a user presses downwardly on actuator  44  in the direction of arrow “D” in FIG. 8, linkage  210  moves in the same direction. Movement of linkage  210  moves the teeth  244  downwardly and rotates the gear  238  of drive element  110  and toy character  32  in the direction of arrow “E” about axis  262 . Simultaneously, the spring  218  is stretched downwardly in the direction of arrow “F.” 
     [0067] When the user releases actuator  44 , the spring  218  contracts upwardly along the direction of arrow “G.” Movement of the spring  218  in this direction pulls linkage  210  upwardly, thereby moving teeth  244  upwardly as well. As teeth  244  move upwardly, gear  238  and toy character  32  rotate in the direction of arrow “H” about axis  262 . When teeth  244  travel a sufficient distance, they disengage from gear  238  and drive element  110  and toy character  32  continue to rotate about axis  262  until the energy that was stored in spring  218  runs out.  
     [0068] Now the movement of toy character  30  is discussed with reference to FIGS. 7 and 9. FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of some of the internal components of the toy aquarium  10 .  
     [0069] In the illustrated embodiment, actuator  40  is rotatably coupled to the front portion  14  of the housing  12 . The front portion  14  includes securing members  272  and  274  formed on the rear surface of the front portion  14 . The securing members  272  and  274  are configured to support and to guide movement of actuator  40  relative to the front portion  14 .  
     [0070] Actuator  40  includes a body  312  and first and second extensions  290  and  292  extending from opposite sides of the body  312 . In the illustrated embodiment, body  312  is substantially spherical. The second extension  292  includes a post  294  that extends from the extension  292 .  
     [0071] In the illustrated embodiment, a linkage  270  couples actuator  40  to extension  104  of toy character  30 . Linkage  270  includes a body portion  296  and an elongate portion  298  extending from one end of the body portion  296 . The body portion  296  includes projections  304  and  306  and slots  308  and  310 . The elongate portion  298  includes projections  300  and  302 . In the illustrated embodiment, projections  300  and  302  are oriented substantially perpendicular to projections  304  and  306 . In the illustrated embodiment, post  294  of actuator  40  is inserted between projections  300  and  302 .  
     [0072] Plate  90  includes posts  276 ,  278 , and  280  that extend from the rear surface  114  of the plate  90 . The posts  276 ,  278 , and  280  are configured to guide movement of linkage  270  relative to the plate  90 . Posts  276  and  278  engage slot  308  and post  280  engages slot  310 .  
     [0073] Extension  104  of the upper portion  48  of toy character  30  extends through aperture  94  of plate  90 . Extension  104  is inserted between projections  304  and  306  of linkage  270 . Extension  102  of the lower portion  46  of toy character  30  extends through aperture  92  of plate  90 .  
     [0074] Linkage  270  moves in a reciprocatory motion in response to activation of actuator  40 . The direction in which linkage  270  moves initially depends on the position of post  294  with respect to the remainder of actuator  40 . When a user rotates actuator  40  in the direction of arrow “I” about axis  314  in the position illustrated in FIG. 9, linkage  270  moves in the direction of arrow “J.” Movement of linkage  270  in the direction of arrow “J” causes the upper portion  48  of toy character  30  to move in the direction of arrow “L.” 
     [0075] As the user continues to rotate actuator  40  in the direction of arrow “I,” linkage  270  reverses its direction of movement and moves in the direction of arrow “K.” Movement of linkage  270  in the direction of arrow “K” causes the upper portion  48  to move in the direction of arrow “M.” As the user continues to rotate actuator  40  along the direction of arrow “I,” the upper portion  48  continuously moves through cycles of reciprocatory movement along the directions of arrows “L” and “M.” 
     [0076] In the illustrated embodiment, the user can also rotate actuator  40  in the direction of arrow “N.” Rotation of actuator  40  in the direction of arrow “N” causes a similar sequence of movements of the upper portion  48  as discussed above.  
     [0077] Referring to FIG. 7, the toy aquarium  10  includes a conventional bubble generating mechanism  340 . The bubble generating mechanism  340  is configured to generate bubbles in the container  20  when the container  20  contains a liquid.  
     [0078] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the toy aquarium  10  also includes the light generating mechanism  336 . The light generating mechanism  336  is configured to transmit light into the container  20 . In the illustrated embodiment, the light generating mechanism  336  includes several light sources  344 ,  346 , and  348  that can be, for example, any conventional light source, such as a light bulb or a light emitting diode. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the light sources  344 ,  346 , and  348  is configured to transmit a colored light into the container  20 . In one embodiment, each of the light sources  344 ,  346 , and  348  may include a colored, transparent member in order to transmit a colored light. During operation, the light sources  344 ,  346 , and  348  may be illuminated intermittently or in a particular sequence to create a changing visual appearance.  
     [0079] Now, the overall operation of the toy aquarium  10  is described. In the illustrated embodiment, a user can turn on the toy aquarium  10  by pressing the activation button  42 . Once turned on, the toy aquarium  10  can operate in one of several modes depending on the particular operation mode selected by the user via the mode selection switch  56 .  
     [0080] In a first mode, the control unit  116  activates the sound generating mechanism and audio outputs are played. In a second mode, the control unit  116  activates both the sound generating mechanism and the light generating mechanism  336 . In this mode, audio outputs are played, and light is transmitted into the container  20 . In a third mode, the control unit  116  activates the sound generating mechanism, the light generating mechanism  336 , the bubble generating mechanism  340 , and the drive mechanism  140 . In this mode, audio outputs are played, light is transmitted into the container  20 , bubbles are generated in the container  20 , and toy characters  26  and  28  are moved.  
     [0081]FIG. 10 illustrates several positions of the toy characters  26  and  28  during operation of the toy aquarium  10 . During their movement, toy characters  26  and  28  substantially retain their horizontal orientation. While toy characters  26  and  28  are illustrated as facing to the left of the toy aquarium, the characters may have any orientation.  
     [0082] Toy character  26  continuously moves in a substantially circular pattern as represented by a first position  400 , a second position  402 , and a third position  404 . Similarly, toy character  28  continuously moves in a substantially circular pattern as represented by a first position  410 , a second position  412 , and a third position  414 .  
     [0083] In the illustrated embodiment, the toy aquarium  10  operates in a particular operation mode for a predetermined time period, such as ten minutes, after which the toy aquarium  10  automatically turns off In an alternative embodiment, the toy aquarium  10  may enter into a power down mode after operating for the predetermined time period. Once turned off, the user can turn on the toy aquarium  10  by pressing the activation button  42 . In an alternative embodiment, if the user presses the activation button  42  before the toy aquarium  10  turns off, the toy aquarium  10  operates for another predetermined time period before turning off.  
     [0084] The user can select a particular audio output to be played using the audio selection button  58 . Successive depressions of the audio selection button  58  result in scrolling through several audio outputs stored in the control unit  116 . The stored audio outputs correspond to various music selections and sound effects, such as sound effects related to water. The user can select the volume at which a particular audio output is played by adjusting the volume adjustment dial  60 .  
     [0085] The user can rotate actuator  40  to cause the upper portion  48  of toy character  30  to move, thereby providing the appearance of the opening and closing of a clam. The user can also press actuator  44  downwards to cause toy character  32  to move, thereby providing the appearance of a spinning starfish. The user can engage actuators  40  and  44  to move toy characters  30  and  32  when the toy aquarium  10  is turned on or off.  
     [0086] Many alternative embodiments are contemplated in accordance with the present invention. For example, in alternative embodiments, the toy characters  26 ,  28 ,  30 , and  32  can have any shape, size, or configuration. The toy characters  26 ,  28 ,  30 , and  32  can include various indicia or representations disposed thereon. In alternative embodiments, one or more of the toy characters  26 ,  28 ,  30 , and  32  may be disposed within the container  20 .  
     [0087] In alternative embodiments, drive elements  106  and  108  and drive coupling  188  can have various shapes, sizes, and configurations. In alternative embodiments, the drive mechanism  140  may be operably coupled to toy characters  26  and  28  via a gear arrangement.  
     [0088] In alternative embodiments, the bubble generating mechanism  340  may be manually operated in order to generate bubbles in the container  20 .  
     [0089] In an alternative embodiment, the front portion  14  and the rear portion  16  may be formed integrally. Similarly, the transparent front region  22  and the transparent rear region  24  may be formed integrally.  
     [0090] In an alternative embodiment, the opening  18  of the front portion  14  of the housing  12  may be covered with a transparent sheet or member that is coupled to or formed integrally with the front portion  14 .  
     [0091] In an alternative embodiment, the toy aquarium  10  randomly selects and plays an audio output as the audio selection button  58  is pressed.  
     [0092] In an alternative embodiment, the drive mechanism can be coupled to a drive element to move the drive element in a non-rotational path of movement. For example, the drive mechanism can be configured to impart translational or reciprocatory movement to a drive element.  
     [0093] While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.