Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/315,325 filed on Jun. 25, 2014, which is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2013/079669 filed on Jul. 19, 2013, which claims priority of Chinese Patent Application 201310042433.9 filed on Feb. 4, 2013. The entireties of the above-mentioned patent application are hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of water jet, and more particularly to a water jet device and a water dance speaker. 
     2. The Related Arts 
     A fountain speaker creates water dance effect varied with the melody of music or with the rhythm of an external sound. A user can enjoy at the same time the water dance and the varying colorful lights. However, the conventional fountain speakers suffer from many drawbacks, such as water leak that burns a circuit or undesirable water jet effect. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide a water jet device, which produces desirable water jet effect, and meanwhile is safe in use and recycles water resources. 
     To fulfill the aforesaid object, the present invention proposes a water jet device, comprising: a base container, a drive unit and fans driven by the drive unit. The drive unit is mounted externally to a bottom of the base container, while the fans are mounted internally to the bottom of the base container. A cover plate, disposed on the base container to engage therewith, comprises via holes thereon and coordinates with the base container to form a chamber to contain liquids. On the side of the cover plate away from the base container are formed protrusions vertical to the cover plate, a first via hole penetrating each of the protrusions. 
     Preferably, the drive unit comprises a body and a first fixing plate driven by the body, a first magnetic body being disposed on the first fixing plate. A fixing pole is internally formed on the bottom of the base container and mounted to the fans, a second magnetic body being disposed on the fans. 
     Preferably, the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body are aligned with each other. 
     Preferably, a light emitting component is externally mounted to the bottom of the base container, aligned with the first via holes penetrating the protrusions. 
     Preferably, the device further comprises a first housing, which coordinates with the base container to form an airtight room. 
     Preferably, a baffle is provided between the first housing and the base container, a second via hole being disposed on the baffle to running fit with the protrusions and penetrate the baffle. 
     Preferably, a protective sheet is retained between the baffle and the cover plate, with support legs being disposed on both sides of the protective sheet. 
     Disclosed in the present invention is also a water dance speaker, comprising a water jet device, and a second housing adapted for accommodating the water jet device, the second housing comprising a power source interface and a speaker. The water jet device comprises a base container, a drive unit and fans driven by the drive unit. The drive unit is mounted externally to a bottom of the base container, while the fans are mounted internally to the bottom of the base container. A cover plate, disposed on the base container to engage therewith, comprises via holes thereon and coordinates with the base container to form a chamber to contain liquids. On the side of the cover plate away from the base container are formed protrusions vertical to the cover plate, a first via hole penetrating each of the protrusions. 
     Preferably, the second housing comprises a control circuit module adapted for controlling operations of the water jet device and the speaker, the control circuit module comprising a power source input end connected with the power source interface. 
     As is disclosed herein above, a water jet device is provided in the present disclosure, which comprises a base container, a drive unit and fans driven by the drive unit. The drive unit is mounted externally to a bottom of the base container, while the fans are mounted internally to the bottom of the base container. A cover plate, disposed on the base container to engage therewith, comprises via holes thereon and coordinates with the base container to form a chamber to contain liquids. On the side of the cover plate away from the base container are formed protrusions vertical to the cover plate, a first via hole penetrating each of the protrusions. This water jet device is capable of performing a water dance show while recycling used water resources and perfectly avoiding water leaks. Therefore, the water jet device of the present disclosure is safe in use and possesses practice applicability. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a water jet device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of a water jet device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded view of a water dance speaker according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial perspective exploded view of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is an overall view of the water dance speaker according to the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The realization, function and merits of the invention will be more apparent from the following descriptions to the embodiments with reference to the drawings. 
     The technical solutions employed in the present disclosure will be set forth hereunder in greater details by referencing to particular embodiments accompanied by the drawings. These embodiments should be construed to serve the purpose of illustrating the invention only, rather than limiting the scope of the invention. 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , which respectively show a water jet device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and breakdown of a water jet device according to another embodiment. A water jet device is provided, which comprises: a base container  10 , a drive unit  11 , a fans  12  driven by the drive unit  11 . The drive unit  11  is mounted externally to the bottom of the base container  10 , while the fans  12  are mounted internally to the bottom of the base container  10 . A cover plate  13  is disposed on the base container  10  to engage therewith. The cover plate  13  comprises via holes  14  thereon and coordinates with the base container  10  to form a chamber  15  to contain liquids. On the side of the cover plate  13  away from the base container  10  are formed protrusions  16  vertical to the cover plate. A first via hole  17  is formed to penetrate each of the protrusions  16 . In this embodiment, the base container  10  is made of a transparent material. The chamber  15  formed by the base container  10  contains a cylindrical spacer plate, which divides the chamber  15  into an inner chamber and an outer chamber. The inner chamber is designed to accommodate the fans  12  and liquids, which are preferably water according to this embodiment of the invention. Of course, it would be understood that other liquids, such as oil, may also be used. A number of water jet holes are formed on the spacer plate to guide water from the inner chamber to the outer chamber when the fans  12  are rotating. The exterior walls of the outer chamber extend upward from the bottom of the chamber  15  in an inclined pathway, which reduce the resistance exerted on the upflowing water and save spaces as well. The cover plate  13  fits perfectly with the opening of the chamber  15  on the bottom to form an airtight room, which facilitates retaining pressure in the chamber. The protrusions  16  formed on the cover plate  13  serve as nozzles disposed on the very front of the outer chamber. The drive unit  11 , which is externally mounted to the bottom of the base container  11 , is pivoted to the fans  12  situated within the base container. The drive unit is preferably a motor according to this embodiment. The fans  12  may be sized and shaped according to circumstances. When electrified, the motor rotates the fans  12  to drive water from the inner chamber to the outer chamber, where water climbs along the inclined exterior walls to be ejected from the first via holes  17  of the protrusions  16 . The exterior walls are designed such that they not only have an inclined profile to reduce resistance on the flowing water and make it easier for the water to be ejected, thereby reducing the motor power and saving resources, but also expand the area of protrusions  16  to the most degree, so that the smaller motor could provide water supply to the protrusions  16  with larger area. In addition, the water jet holes  14  facilitate the ejected water returning to the chamber  15 , thereby recycling water resources. 
     A water jet device is provided in the present disclosure, which comprises: a base container  10 , a drive unit  11 , fans  12  driven by the drive unit  11 . The drive unit  11  is mounted externally to the bottom of the base container  10 , while the fans  12  are mounted internally to the bottom of the base container  10 . A cover plate  13  is disposed on the base container  10  to engage therewith. The cover plate  13  comprises via holes  14  thereon, and coordinates with the base container  10  to form a chamber  15  to contain liquids. On the side of the cover plate  13  away from the base container  10  are formed protrusions  16  vertical to the cover plate  13 . A first via hole  17  is formed to penetrate each of the protrusions  16 . The present disclosure provides a water jet device capable of recycling used water, and avoiding water leak, which is therefore safe in use and possesses practical applicability. 
     The drive unit  11  referred to hereinabove comprises a body  11   a  and a first fixing plate  11   b  driven by the body  11   a , the first fixing plate  11   b  having a first magnetic body  18  mounted thereon. A fixing pole  13   a  is internally formed on the bottom of the base container  10 , to which fans  12  are mounted. A second magnetic body  19  is disposed on the fans  12 . The body  11   a  referred to in this embodiment is preferably a motor, which may be secured to the bottom of the base container  10  via a motor shell  11   c . The first fixing plate  11   b  is pivoted to a rotation shaft of the motor. Mounted on the first fixing plate  11   b  are a number of first magnetic bodies  18 , which may be a magnet, and preferably a permanent magnet. On one side of the fans  12  is provided with a second fixing board, with a second magnetic body  19  being disposed thereon. The second magnetic body  19  may be more easily assembled via the second fixing board. When electrified, the motor rotates the first fixing plate  11  busing the rotation shaft. As a result of the varied magnetic forces of the rotating first fixing plate  11   b , the second magnetic body  19  on the fans  12  starts to rotate, and in turn, causes the second fixing plate to rotate with the fans  12 . The thrust and pressure generated by the rotating fans  12  drive water from the inner chamber to the outer chamber where the water is ejected from the nozzle. The faster the motor rotates, the faster the fans rotate. Consequently, the chamber  15  will retain a higher pressure, and thus water will be rejected higher upward. 
     Further, the first magnetic body  18  and the second magnetic body  19  are disposed to be aligned with each other. If the first magnetic body on the fans  12  is not aligned with the second magnetic body in the drive unit  11 , the magnetic forces are likely to confuse each other, which prevent the fans  12  from rotating. 
     Also externally disposed on the bottom of the base container  10  are light emitting components  20 , which are aligned with the first holes  17  on the protrusions  16 . In this embodiment, the light emitting component  20  is a colored LED lamp. Each LED lamp is aligned with a via hole penetrating the protrusion  16 . When the LED lamps are on, colored beams of light are projected from the first via holes  17 , which, together with the water jet, create a water dance in the background of colorful lights. This significantly increases the entertainment effect of the fountain. 
     The aforesaid device further comprises a first housing  21 , which coordinates with the base container  10  to form an airtight room. Preferably, the first housing  21  is buckled together with the base container  10 . In this embodiment, the first housing  21  is designed to be the body of a sealed transparent bottle, such that the ejected water will not scatter around and may be recycled for further use to avoid waste of resources. Moreover, this design enables the device to be disposed indoors, making it more useful in practical use. Furthermore, the end of the first housing  21  is detachable such that liquids may be easily introduced into the base container  10 . 
     A baffle  22  is disposed between the first housing  21  and the base container  10 , with second via holes  23  being arranged thereon. The second via holes  23  fit with the protrusions, and penetrate the baffle  22 . The baffle  22  is disposed to prevent the light emitted by the light emitting component  20  from scattering to the first housing  21  and compromising the water-light show. A space is provided between the protrusions  16  and the second via holes  23 , such that the water in the first housing  21  may return to the base container  10 . 
     A protective sheet  24  is retained between the baffle  22  and the cover plate  13 . On both sides of the protective sheet  24  are arranged support legs  25 . The upper support leg  25  is used for supporting the baffle  22 , while the lower support leg  25  keeps contact with the cover plate  13 . The relative position between the baffle  22  and the cover plate  13  is fixed by the protective sheet  24 . In this embodiment, the protective sheet  24  is preferably shaped like a triangle. Of course, the other shapes may also be applied to the protective sheet. In the present embodiment, the baffle  22  and the cover plate  13  are provided with the protective sheet  24  disposed therebetween. Owing to the protective sheet  24 , the pressurized gas generated within the chamber  15  while the fans  12  are rotating do not rush into the first housing  21  through the water jet holes  14 . Consequently, it is possible to maintain a proper level of pressure within the chamber  15 , and the returning water can pass through the holes  14 , and meanwhile reduce resistance on the returning water flow. 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 .  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a water jet device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;  FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of a water jet device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;  FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded view of a water dance speaker according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;  FIG. 4  is a partial perspective exploded view of  FIG. 3 ; and  FIG. 5  is an overall view of the water dance speaker according to the present disclosure. Also provided in the present disclosure is a water dance speaker, which comprises a water jet device, and a second housing  26  for accommodating the water jet device. In a preferred embodiment, the second housing  26  is divided into two parts connected mutually via clamping structure or buckle configuration. And, a plurality of accommodating holes for accommodating the operation buttons (not shown) are arranged in the connection interface thereof. Of course, the structure of the second housing  26  is not limited to the form of two-part, integral structure or other forms of multi-part may be applied. The second housing  26  comprises a power source interface and a sound hole of a speaker  27 . Opposite the sound hole, the speaker  27  is disposed fixedly in the second housing  26  The water jet device is as set forth hereinbefore, so details are omitted. The power source interface may be a USB interface whereby it may be powered by a computer via a data line. Of course, the interface may be a DC interface, and powered via a DC transformer. Alternatively, a rechargeable battery component may be provided such that the water dance speaker is powered by battery. 
     In particular, the second housing  26  comprises a control circuit module  28  for controlling operations of the water jet device and the speaker  27 . The control circuit module  28  has a power input end connected with the power source interface. According to this embodiment, the control circuit module  28  comprises an audio receiving unit, which controls, upon receiving an external audio signal, operations of the drive unit  11  in the water jet device and the operations of the light emitting component  20 . This audio receiving unit may be a voice-controlled component or a Bluetooth component. The control circuit module  28  may further comprise an audio reading unit for reading and outputting audio data recorded in a memory card, such as an SM card, TF card, and U disk. Consequently, the water-light dance show may be activated by simply reading a card or inserting a U disk. The voice-controlled component may receive external sounds and, based on the volume of the received sounds, output corresponding control signals to control the drive unit. As a result, the speaker can create water dance effect varied to the melody of an external music or the rhythm of an external sound without connecting to an external sound source, or inserting a card or a U disk. Moreover, the control circuit module  28  may control the light emitting module  20  to flicker based on the melody of an external music or the rhythm of an external sound, and thus create, together with the ejected water, a harmonized and enjoyable water-light show. Of course, the control circuit module  28  may determine, according to circumstances, to simply put on a water show or a light show, or both in an alternating manner. Furthermore, it is possible to enjoy music and the water show over a Bluetooth connection to an external device. A power On/Off button or a volume adjusting button may be configured to control the volume of the water dance to enhance the practical use of the speaker. 
     By using the water jet device proposed above, the water dance speaker in the present disclosure reduces waste in resources, and prevents water leak, improving the security in use. Besides, the present invention varies the height of the water jet and the light beams emitted from the light emitting module  21  with the rhythm of a music, thereby producing a water dance show in varying and flickering lights. This makes the show more enjoyable and pleasant to the eyes, thus making the present invention more practical in use. 
     Illustrated above are the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, which should not be considered limitative to the scope of the invention. Therefore, any equivalent substitutions or variations to the structures or processes disclosed in the specification and the drawing of the present disclosure, or a direct or indirect application of the invention to the other technical fields should be considered as part of the present disclosure.

Technology Category: 2