Abstract:
A method and apparatus for promoting the sale of a good or service including a portion adapted to be elevated above the air/liquid interface of a body of liquid and which, in service, holds an elevated volume of the liquid from the body of liquid above the air/liquid interface of the body of liquid.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]     To the extent applicable, the present invention claims the benefit of the priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/619,508, filed Oct. 15, 2004, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to methods and devices for promoting the sale of goods or services.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Many sporting events take place in an area that has standing bodies of water. Examples of this are many car racing tracks such as Indianapolis that have ponds designed in their infields. Other examples are sporting stadiums that have built in water front locations. San Francisco&#39;s SBC stadium is a good example of just such a stadium.  
         [0004]     In locations where sporting events take place near water it is felt that an opportunity exists. Due to the large number of assembled fans and possible television coverage, an opportunity exists for an external event that will intermittently focus attention and bring widespread media and fan attention. If this event commanded significant fan or network attention then it could be used as a vehicle for advertising.  
         [0005]     It is recognized by its&#39; inventor that there exists very few new mediums for advertising that are not currently exploited. One only has to spend a few moments in a baseball park to notice that nearly every possible open space in the stadium is covered with company names and logos.  
         [0006]     It is therefore felt that a new form of advertisement with entertainment could potentially make a company name or logo stand out from the already crowded typical sports venue. It is further felt that a standing body of water presents an opportunity for a display or show that cannot take place on dry land.  
         [0007]     For instance, since human beings cannot breathe under water, an image or show with a human being under water will command much attention.  
         [0008]     This presentation of a human under water could represent a whimsical character such as a Mermaid! Beverage companies, especially makers of beer and wine often use sexy images to sell their products. It is thought that an underwater image of a sexy woman for instance would be in great demand from beverage companies looking for a new vehicle for advertising.  
         [0009]     An ideal use of the image of a human underwater would be in the form of a short skit or story. A good example would be to present an image of a fisherman. This fisherman would try many different things for bait but gets a mermaid when he uses a certain brand of beer. When the mermaid is presented underwater, she gets excited and removes her top. Once removed, it becomes obvious that the mermaid is a man and the fisherman has been tricked.  
         [0010]     The apparatus employed to display a human underwater includes a tube full of water that rises above the surface of the body of water. People such as a mermaid, enter the tube from below and swim up into the tube for easy viewing by sporting fans. The apparatus is of course strategically marked with the logo or image of the company that has paid for such advertising and can be further enhanced with strategic lighting. The tube full of water can also be made to look like a beverage container such as a beer bottle to enhance its&#39; image.  
         [0011]     This utility patent describes the design of the apparatus that enables a show with a human being underwater for the form of advertising, attention, and fun. It is intended to rent or sell this apparatus for use at sporting events such as baseball games and NASCAR races.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     The present invention is predicated on a method and apparatus for promoting the sale of a good or service. In one configuration, the present invention includes a method for promoting a good or service in a body of liquid. The method includes providing an apparatus that is positioned on a body of liquid and which includes a portion that is elevated above the air/liquid interface of the body of liquid, and which, in service, holds an elevated volume of the liquid from the body of liquid above the air/liquid interface of the body of liquid, wherein the elevated portion is open at its bottom to the body of liquid. The method further includes promoting the sale of a good, service or both, using the elevated portion while the elevated volume of liquid is present in the elevated portion. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a tube assembly according to the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates the tube assembly shown in  FIG. 1  in various stages of operation according to one aspect of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates an articulating floating outrigger assembly according to the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate another articulating floating outrigger assembly according to the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate yet another articulating floating outrigger assembly according to the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate still another articulating floating outrigger assembly according to the teachings of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Reference herein to “water tube” is for illustration only and is not intended as limiting. The subject matter herein need not be used only with water, nor is the geometry confined to tubular structures.  
         [0020]     The water tube includes a clear container that is allowed to fill up with water while under the surface of a body of water and then lifted above the surface of the water. With the bottom of the container open under the surface of the water, swimmers are allowed to enter and exit from below.  
         [0021]     The water tube is adjustable and has 2 positions. The first position is the travel position. In the travel position the complete apparatus is small, much like a closed umbrella, so that it can be easily transported by truck to sporting events around the country. The second position is the extended position. The extended position moves the floats radially outboard away from each other such that the entire apparatus has a diameter of approximately 60′. In the full extended position the floats are at maximum distance from one another and the tube assembly is in its&#39; full up position. The movement of the outriggers and the tube assembly from the travel position to the extended position is simultaneous and resembles opening an umbrella upside down.  
         [0022]     An optional arrangement not explored in this document has down standing legs to support the tube assembly in a pool where there is not enough room for the articulating floating outrigger assembly. This design would have legs resting on the bottom of the pool sufficient to support the entire water tube apparatus.  
         [0023]     In one configuration, the entire promotional apparatus  10  includes a plurality of sub-assemblies:  
         [0024]     A. Tube assembly  12 —The tube assembly provides a water filled aquarium like viewing stage. It is raised from the initial position (primarily submerged) to a position mostly above the surface of the surrounding body of water. It is lifted to the full up position by the lifting mechanism assembly. Once raised to the full up position stability is provided by the articulating floating outrigger assembly.  
         [0025]     B. Articulating floating outrigger assembly  14 —The articulating floating outrigger assembly provides support and stability for the tube assembly in the full up position. It includes, for example, 6 sets of 3 arms which are connected by a pins allowing the floats to move outward from their initial position while the lifting mechanism lifts the water tube assembly to the full up position.  
         [0026]     C. Lifting mechanism assembly  16 —The lifting mechanism has 2 purposes. It raises and lowers the tube assembly and it provides the means to move the articulating floating outrigger assembly to the full outboard position.  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , one tube assembly  12  of the present invention is shown. The tube assembly includes a main tube  18  which may be a cylindrical, at least partially transparent (e.g., acrylic) chamber having a length of approximately 7.5′ and a diameter of 42-44″ with its&#39; bottom end completely open. The size of the main tube  18  is dictated by the need to display a swimmer above the water for easy viewing by sport fans and television cameras. The upper end of the main tube  18  also has a circular opening that it used to connect it to the air chamber  20 .  
         [0028]     Mounted above the main tube  18  is secondary chamber called the air chamber  20 . The air chamber  20  is also a cylindrical chamber with its&#39; bottom end open. This bottom end is connected and sealed to the main tube  18  such that a swimming person can fit their head fully inside the air chamber  20 . The purpose of the air chamber is to provide an air cavity for the swimming person.  
         [0029]     On the top surface of the air chamber  20  is an emergency water drain valve  22 . The emergency water drain valve  22  can be pushed by a swimming person to vent the entire tube assembly to the atmosphere thereby draining the water from the tube to the level of the surrounding body of water.  
         [0030]     Also mounted on the top surface of the air chamber  20  is an oxygen inlet  24  and a vacuum outlet  26 . The function of the vacuum outlet  26  is to maintain a negative pressure adequate to support the weight of the water inside the tube assembly. The function of the oxygen inlet  24  is to provide an oxygen source for respiration of the swimming person. As a system the oxygen inlet  24  and the vacuum outlet  26  must be pressure regulated such that the proper vacuum is maintained to support the weight of the water inside the tube assembly and to provide sufficient oxygen for respiration of the swimming person.  
         [0031]     An option to the swimmer breathing in the air chamber is a breathing mouthpiece. This would be a mouthpiece that the swimmer inserts into their mouth and breathes in fresh air and exhausts breaths.  
         [0032]     The main tube  18  &amp; air chamber  20  can be made in whole or in part from any clear material such as, without limitation, an acrylic polymer, a polycarbonate polymer or an amorphous glass. The most desirable properties are that it is very transparent and light weight.  
         [0033]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , one sequence of operation of the present invention is shown in four stages. It should be appreciated that these stages are for illustrative purposes only and more or less stage may be utilized. The initial position of the tube assembly is such that when placed into the water  28 , only the air chamber  20  is sticking up above the waters&#39; surface. Opening of the emergency water drain valve  22  allows the water level inside the tube to equalize with the water level of the surrounding body of water thus filling the tube assembly up to the bottom edge of the air chamber  20 .  
         [0034]     When raised above the surface of the surrounding body of water by the lifting mechanism assembly the tube assembly is now full of water except for the air chamber and gives the appearance of an aquarium. The water tube assembly aquarium like viewing stage is now ready for a show by a swimming person or a mermaid  30 ! 
         [0035]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , one articulating floating outrigger assembly  14  of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the articulating floating outrigger assembly consists of 7 unique components. Starting from the outer most components there are 6 floats  32 . The floats  32  are a low density volume that displaces a volume of water to produce a buoyant force. The sum of 6 floats  32  produces enough buoyant force to float the entire water tube apparatus on the surface of the body of water. The floats  32  can be an inflatable body such as a rubber tire inner tube, a low density or foamed plastic material or even a lightweight wood. So long as the density is significantly lower than that of water it may be a suitable material for the floats  32 .  
         [0036]     The floats  32  are pivotally connected to the outrigger long pivot arm  34 . To allow the outrigger long pivot arm  34  to articulate from the travel position to the extended position, it is pivotally connected to the outrigger short pivot arm  36  and the outrigger upper arm  38 . The inner most end of the outrigger short pivot arm  36  is rigidly connected to the tube base  44 . The tube base  44  is shaped such that an opening exists in the center large enough for a swimmer to pass through when entering the tube. The inner most end of the outrigger upper arm  34  is pivotally connected to the outrigger connecting ring  40 . Each outrigger long pivot arm  34  is connected to 2 adjacent outrigger long pivot arms  34  by an outrigger support cable  42 .  
         [0037]     The material of choice for the outrigger long pivot arm  34 , outrigger short pivot arm  36  &amp; outrigger upper arm  38  is any high strength lightweight such as aluminum, wood, composite polymers such as fiberglass or carbon fiber. Additionally each of these members could be made hollow to further reduce weight and increase buoyancy. The outrigger connecting ring  40  and tube base  44  can be made from any metal such as aluminum or steel, any number of polymers such as nylon or wood with the desired properties of high strength and light weight. Other materials may also be used. The outrigger cable support  42  can be made from any stranded metal cable such as steel or aluminum or any woven fiberous material such as nylon, cotton or hemp. The desired properties of the outrigger cable support  42  are high tensile strength, low weight and water resistance.  
         [0038]     In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the present invention includes an articulating floating outrigger assembly  14 . In the embodiment shown, the tube assembly  12 , connected rigidly to the tube base  44 , is initially in the low or travel position. Since each outrigger short pivot arm  36  is optionally rigidly connected to the tube base  44  and each outrigger long pivot arm  34  is connected as a linkage through the outrigger upper arm  38  to the outrigger connecting ring  40 , movement of all floats  32  and all outrigger long pivot arms  34  radially away from the center produces upward movement of the tube assembly as it travels inside the outrigger connecting ring  40 .  
         [0039]     Movement of the water tube apparatus from the travel position to the extended position can be compared to opening an upside down umbrella as follows. The tube assembly is analogous to an umbrella shaft. Movement of the tube assembly upward from the travel position to the extended position is analogous to the upward movement of an umbrella shaft while opening it upside down. The 6 outrigger long pivot arms  34 , 6 outrigger short pivot arms  36  and the 6 outrigger upper arms  38  are analogous to the many sets of 3 arms that move radially away from main shaft of an umbrella while it is being opened. The 6 outrigger cable supports  42 , while loose and under no tension in the travel position, are analogous to the fabric of an umbrella and are pulled taught in tension in the extended position.  
         [0040]     The present invention also provides a lifting mechanism assembly  16 . Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , one example of a lifting mechanism assembly is shown. The lifting mechanism in an inflatable buoyant float  46  having a hollow body, such as elastomeric, which is capable of being filled with a preferably non-flammable gas from a compressed source like a tank or compressor to produce a buoyant lifting force. The inflatable buoyant float  46  is at least semi-rigidly connected to the tube base  44 . The buoyant force produced is equal to the weight of the water that the body displaces.  
         [0041]     In operation, the buoyant lifting force is used to raise the tube assembly up from the travel position to the extended position. Likewise, releasing the gas from the inflatable buoyant float  46  will allow the tube assembly to go from the extended position from the travel position for removal from the water and transport. Advantages of this system to lift the tube assembly are that it is simple, has few moving parts, is light weight and requires no power source. The potential energy required to lift the tube assembly is stored in the compressed gas. Compressed gas is directed into the inflatable buoyant float  46  by the fill valve  48  to adjust the water tube apparatus from the travel position to the extended position. Releasing of the compressed gas from the inflatable buoyant float  46  returns the apparatus from the extended position to the travel position.  
         [0042]     The inflatable buoyant float  46  can be made from an elastomeric material like rubber or a flexible polymeric material. Other materials may be used as well.  
         [0043]     Referring to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , another example of a lifting mechanism assembly  16  is shown. In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism includes an electric winch  52  having either 2 or 3 electric winch  52  mounted rigidly to the tube base  44 . Through a cable  54 , the electric winch  52  produces a tensile force between the outrigger connecting ring  40  and the tube base  44  through the base connecting bracket  56 .  
         [0044]     Through the motion of the electric winch  52  shortening the cable  54 , the distance between the outrigger connecting ring  40  and the tube base  44  is also shortened causing the tube assembly to go from the travel position to the extended position.  
         [0045]     The cable  54  may be woven strand material such as steel, aluminum or a natural fiber such as hemp or nylon. Other materials may also be used. The electric winch  52  is an off the shelf item that will be purchased. Usually they are motor, gear and pulley assemblies contained inside of a metal case.  
         [0046]     The present invention provides a method and apparatus for promoting the sale of goods or services. In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, it should be appreciated that one or more of the assemblies or components of the present invention may include advertising. Such advertisement may be in the form of a visual representation (e.g., graphic, decal, painting, embossment, sculpture, or other two or three dimensional representation) of a product, service or provider thereof (e.g., design, emblem, insignia, trademark, copyright, or otherwise). The visual representations (particularly decals, painting or the like) may be partially transparent or opaque and may be advantageously placed at a frequently observed location of the apparatus. Preferably, the visual representations do not substantially interfere with the image or show attracting attention.  
         [0047]     For example, it is contemplated that the floats  32  may include a graphical representation of a product or service or otherwise be shaped to correspond to the product or service being advertised. In another example, the tube assembly  12  (e.g., main tube, air chamber, or otherwise) may also include a partially transparent or opaque representation of a product or service. Other configurations are available.  
         [0048]     In another configuration, the apparatus may also include a sound system configured to provide a sound representation of the product or service to be promoted. The sound representation may be included as a component of the apparatus or may be a separate. In either configuration the sound system may be configured to provide sound corresponding to the movement or visual representation of the apparatus.  
         [0049]     While a feature of the present invention may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0050]     It is understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments as well as many applications besides the examples provided will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. The disclosures of any articles and references, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated by reference for all purposes.