US3695607A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fluid driven pneumatic displays
Assignee: Bowles Fluidics Corp
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Filing: 1970-05-07
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Granted: 1972-10-03
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Expires: 1990-05-07
Abstract
Abstract The apparatus comprises a display device comprising a hollow body having an air bubble trapped therein. The body is located in a tank substantially filled with liquid. Apparatus is provided for selectively pressurizing the tank to force water into the body through a flap valve to increase its weight and cause it to sink. Release of pressure permits the pressurized water in the body to bleed out through a rear vent pipe permitting the body to rise. By fluctuating the pressure, water exiting through the vent pipe propels the body at a speed determined by the rate of fluctuations. The level of the body is determined by the average pressure maintained in the tank and steering is effected by the duty cycle of the pressure fluctuations, a rudder tending to produce rotation of the body in one direction and water being expelled through the vent pipe tending to produce rotation of the body in the opposite direction.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald Stouffer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:52
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63H; A63H23/00; A63H23/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
388 words
A pneumatic device comprising: a closed tank containing an incompressible liquid; a body adapted to be immersed in said tank and having a predetermined axis, an interior cavity in said body containing a compressible fluid, a one-way valve for admitting said liquid into said cavity when the pressure of said liquid in the vicinity of said body is greater than the pressure in said cavity, a fluid passage communicating between said cavity and the exterior of said body, said fluid passage having an impedance to flow therethrough which is large relative to the impedance of said one-way valve to inflow of said liquid when the pressure of said liquid in the vicinity of said body exceeds the pressure in said cavity, whereby substantially all liquid inflow to said cavity is via said one-way valve and substantially all liquid outflow from said cavity is via said fluid passage, said fluid passage being oriented such that liquid outflow from said cavity has flow components parallel and perpendicular to said predetermined axis, and a rudder member extending from said body for producing a turning force to turn said body relative to said predetermined axis whenever said body has a component of momentum along said axis and no liquid is flowing out of said cavity via said fluid passage; said valve and said fluid passage being located below the top of said cavity; control means for cyclically varying the pressure of said liquid in said tank at a frequency which is sufficiently great to propel said body in a direction opposite the direction of outflow through said fluid passage; wherein said perpendicular flow component from said fluid passage is oriented to provide a turning force on said body which is directed oppositely to the turning force produced by said rudder member; and additional means for selectively varying the duty cycle of the cyclically varying liquid pressure variations provided by said control means; wherein said control means comprises a fluidic oscillator for providing a train of fluid pulses and additional means for selectively varying the frequency of said fluid pulses, and wherein said additional means comprises a fluidic pulse width modulator responsive to said fluid pulses from said fluidic oscillator for selectively varying the duration of said pulses and applying said pulses to said tank to cyclically vary the pressure of said liquid.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
388 words
A pneumatic device comprising: a closed tank containing an incompressible liquid; a body adapted to be immersed in said tank and having a predetermined axis, an interior cavity in said body containing a compressible fluid, a one-way valve for admitting said liquid into said cavity when the pressure of said liquid in the vicinity of said body is greater than the pressure in said cavity, a fluid passage communicating between said cavity and the exterior of said body, said fluid passage having an impedance to flow therethrough which is large relative to the impedance of said one-way valve to inflow of said liquid when the pressure of said liquid in the vicinity of said body exceeds the pressure in said cavity, whereby substantially all liquid inflow to said cavity is via said one-way valve and substantially all liquid outflow from said cavity is via said fluid passage, said fluid passage being oriented such that liquid outflow from said cavity has flow components parallel and perpendicular to said predetermined axis, and a rudder member extending from said body for producing a turning force to turn said body relative to said predetermined axis whenever said body has a component of momentum along said axis and no liquid is flowing out of said cavity via said fluid passage; said valve and said fluid passage being located below the top of said cavity; control means for cyclically varying the pressure of said liquid in said tank at a frequency which is sufficiently great to propel said body in a direction opposite the direction of outflow through said fluid passage; wherein said perpendicular flow component from said fluid passage is oriented to provide a turning force on said body which is directed oppositely to the turning force produced by said rudder member; and additional means for selectively varying the duty cycle of the cyclically varying liquid pressure variations provided by said control means; wherein said control means comprises a fluidic oscillator for providing a train of fluid pulses and additional means for selectively varying the frequency of said fluid pulses, and wherein said additional means comprises a fluidic pulse width modulator responsive to said fluid pulses from said fluidic oscillator for selectively varying the duration of said pulses and applying said pulses to said tank to cyclically vary the pressure of said liquid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
177 words
A pneumatic display device comprising: a tank adapted to be closed and to contain an incompressible liquid; a body adapted to be immersed in said tank and having an interior cavity; means for dividing said interior cavity into first and second fluid-isolated sub-cavities each adapted to contain a compressible fluid; first and second fluid passages extending into said tank from said first and second sub-cavities, respectively; said first sub-cavity being substantially larger than said second sub-cavity, whereby said first sub-cavity has a first resonant frequency different from a second resonant frequency possessed by said second sub-cavity, said fluid passages being located below the top of said sub-cavities; and control means for cyclically varying the pressure in said tank over a range of frequencies including the resonant frequencies of said sub-cavities, wherein said control means comprises a fluidic oscillator of the type wherein a stream of pressurized fluid is cyclically deflected relative to at least one outlet passage by at least one relatively low pressure fluid stream, said outlet passage being arranged to issue stream into said tank.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
177 words
A pneumatic display device comprising: a tank adapted to be closed and to contain an incompressible liquid; a body adapted to be immersed in said tank and having an interior cavity; means for dividing said interior cavity into first and second fluid-isolated sub-cavities each adapted to contain a compressible fluid; first and second fluid passages extending into said tank from said first and second sub-cavities, respectively; said first sub-cavity being substantially larger than said second sub-cavity, whereby said first sub-cavity has a first resonant frequency different from a second resonant frequency possessed by said second sub-cavity, said fluid passages being located below the top of said sub-cavities; and control means for cyclically varying the pressure in said tank over a range of frequencies including the resonant frequencies of said sub-cavities, wherein said control means comprises a fluidic oscillator of the type wherein a stream of pressurized fluid is cyclically deflected relative to at least one outlet passage by at least one relatively low pressure fluid stream, said outlet passage being arranged to issue stream into said tank.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The device according to claim 2 wherein said first and second fluid passages comprise first and second tubes, respectively, extending from said first and second sub-cavities, respectively, and wherein said control means further includes: means for at will varying the duty cycle of said cyclically varying pressure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
143 words
A pneumatic display device, comprising: a tank adapted to be closed and to contain an incompressible liquid; a body adapted to be immersed in said tank, said body having first and second interior cavities each adapted to contain a compressible fluid, means for permitting entry of said liquid into said cavities in response to increasing pressure in said tank, and for expelling said liquid from said cavities in a predetermined direction in response to decreasing pressure in said tank; and control means for translating said body through said liquid in a direction generally opposite said predetermined direction by cyclically varying the pressure in said tank, said control means including: a fluid passage in pressure communication with said tank; means for issuing a stream of pressurized fluid generally toward said fluid passage; and means for cyclically deflecting said stream relative to said fluid passage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
143 words
A pneumatic display device, comprising: a tank adapted to be closed and to contain an incompressible liquid; a body adapted to be immersed in said tank, said body having first and second interior cavities each adapted to contain a compressible fluid, means for permitting entry of said liquid into said cavities in response to increasing pressure in said tank, and for expelling said liquid from said cavities in a predetermined direction in response to decreasing pressure in said tank; and control means for translating said body through said liquid in a direction generally opposite said predetermined direction by cyclically varying the pressure in said tank, said control means including: a fluid passage in pressure communication with said tank; means for issuing a stream of pressurized fluid generally toward said fluid passage; and means for cyclically deflecting said stream relative to said fluid passage.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
The device according to claim 4 wherein said cavities have different volumes and different resonant frequencies, and wherein said control means includes means for at will varying the frequency of said cyclically varying pressure, said frequency being variable over a continuous frequency range which includes the resonant frequencies of said cavities.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
154 words
A pneumatic device comprising: a tank adapted to be closed for containing an incompressible liquid; control means for cyclically varying the pressure of said liquid in said tank; and a body adapted for insertion into said tank and having an internal cavity adapted to contain a compressible fluid and means for admitting said liquid into said cavity when the liquid surrounding said body is at a pressure in excess of the pressure in said cavity and expelling said liquid from said cavity when the pressure of said liquid in the vicinity of said body exceeds the pressure in said cavity, wherein said controL means comprises a fluidic oscillator including: a fluid passage; means for issuing a fluid stream generally toward said fluid passage; means for cyclically deflecting said fluid stream relative to said fluid passage; and means for pressurizing the liquid in said tank as a function of the pressure in said fluid passage.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
154 words
A pneumatic device comprising: a tank adapted to be closed for containing an incompressible liquid; control means for cyclically varying the pressure of said liquid in said tank; and a body adapted for insertion into said tank and having an internal cavity adapted to contain a compressible fluid and means for admitting said liquid into said cavity when the liquid surrounding said body is at a pressure in excess of the pressure in said cavity and expelling said liquid from said cavity when the pressure of said liquid in the vicinity of said body exceeds the pressure in said cavity, wherein said controL means comprises a fluidic oscillator including: a fluid passage; means for issuing a fluid stream generally toward said fluid passage; means for cyclically deflecting said fluid stream relative to said fluid passage; and means for pressurizing the liquid in said tank as a function of the pressure in said fluid passage.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-10-03 | 1976-04-03 | 1976-10-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-10-03 | 1980-04-03 | 1980-10-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-10-03 | 1984-04-03 | 1984-10-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |