Corrugated projection device

Abstract

To prevent condensation from forming on the lid of a liquid storage case and thus avoid adverse effects on the ripple projection when light is transmitted upwards while ripples are formed on the liquid surface inside the liquid storage case. [Solution] The ripple projection device is composed of a substantially closed liquid storage case 14 in which at least the bottom wall 20 and lid 22 are light-transmitting, a wave-making device 15 that disturbs the surface of the liquid W inside the liquid storage case 14, an illumination device 16 that transmits light from below the liquid storage case 14 onto the liquid W and projects ripples onto the liquid surface, and a condensation prevention means consisting of a transparent planar heating element 35 provided on the lid 22. Condensation on the glass plate 32 is prevented by making the glass plate 32 that constitutes the lid 22 two thicknesses apart and sandwiching the planar heating element between the glass plate 32.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a ripple projection device, and more particularly to a ripple projection device that can transmit light from below through a liquid such as water contained in a liquid storage case and project ripples onto a ceiling, wall surface, or the like.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a ripple projection device including a liquid storage case disposed on a ceiling wall or the like, a wave generating device that shakes the liquid surface in the liquid storage case, and an illumination device that irradiates downward light toward the liquid surface, and capable of projecting ripples onto a wall surface, a floor surface, or the like by the light transmitted through the liquid. According to such a ripple projection device, it is possible to perform a space production that induces healing of viewers using water without touching the water. However, in the ripple projection device described in Patent Document 1, since the liquid storage case is of an upper open type, dust easily enters, which becomes a factor causing an adverse effect on ripple projection. Further, due to the upper open type, it is impossible to achieve maintenance-free, such as the liquid decreasing over time. Therefore, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, a ripple projection device adopting a substantially sealed liquid storage case provided with a lid has also been proposed, by which it is possible to prevent dust from entering from above and avoid a decrease in the liquid.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the cases described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the projection surface is the floor or other surface below the ripple projection device. Therefore, for example, it is not possible to project ripples onto the ceiling. Moreover, since the ripple projection device is installed on the ceiling or other surface, installation work is unavoidable, which increases the introduction cost, and there is also the inconvenience that the installation location cannot be easily changed. Therefore, the inventors have prototyped a device that includes a liquid storage case with a lid, and an illumination device placed below it, which can project ripples onto surfaces such as the ceiling or the upper part of a wall. However, with such devices, depending on the installation environment, there were times when the desired ripple projection could not be achieved. Specifically, it was found that the liquid storage case is nearly sealed, and the light from the illumination device causes the internal temperature of the liquid storage case to rise, creating a temperature difference between the inside and outside of the case, which in turn causes condensation to form on the surface of the lid. In such cases, measures such as providing ventilation channels in part of the liquid storage case to reduce the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the case can be considered. However, in this case, the airtightness or blockage of the liquid storage case is lost, causing the liquid volume to decrease over time, making liquid replenishment unavoidable and thus preventing maintenance-free operation.

[0005] [Purpose of the invention] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a ripple projection device that, even when employing a substantially sealed housing case with a lid, prevents condensation that may occur on the lid and does not adversely affect the ripple projection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention adopts the configuration described in the claims. Specifically, the ripple projection device comprises a substantially closed liquid storage case having a liquid storage space inside and at least the bottom wall and lid being translucent, a wave-making device for disturbing the surface of the liquid, an illumination device for transmitting light from below the liquid storage case onto the liquid to project ripples on the liquid surface, and a condensation prevention means provided on the lid.

[0007] In the present invention, the condensation prevention means can be composed of a planar heating element.

[0008] Furthermore, it is preferable that the lid is composed of two translucent plate-like members, with the condensation prevention means positioned between these plate-like members.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention further includes a means for detecting the temperature of the lid, and has a function for maintaining the lid at a predetermined temperature. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, by providing a condensation prevention means on the lid, the surface of the lid can always be kept smooth, preventing diffuse reflection of light due to the adhesion of water droplets, while allowing ripples from the wave-generating device to be projected onto the ceiling or other surfaces, thus providing an unprecedented spatial effect. Furthermore, since the condensation prevention mechanism is composed of a planar heating element, the temperature of the lid can be raised in a short time, and no inconvenience such as an increase in the thickness or weight of the lid occurs. Furthermore, the temperature detection means allows for real-time monitoring of the lid's temperature, enabling stable prevention of condensation caused by changes in ambient temperature and differences in the installation environment of the ripple projection device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A partial cross-sectional side view showing the schematic configuration of a ripple projection device. [Figure 2] A partial cross-sectional view of the illumination device. [Figure 3] Plan view of the main body of the ripple projection device. [Figure 4] (A) to (G) are part drawings of the main body of the ripple projection device. (A), (C) to (F) are plan views, and (B), (G) are side views of (A), (F) respectively. [Figure 5] Plan view of the glass plate including the planar heating element. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 5.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, terms indicating position or direction are used based on FIG. 1. The right side in FIG. 1 is defined as "front", the left side as "rear", the front side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1 as "left", and the back side in the same depth direction as "right".

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the ripple projection device is composed of a device main body 10 and a controller 11. The controller 11 is electrically connected between the commercial power supply and the device main body 10, and overall control of the device main body 10 can be performed through the controller 11.

[0014] The device main body 10 is provided with an outer shape that is substantially rectangular in plan view and extends in the left-right direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1) (see FIG. 3). This device main body 10 is composed of a liquid storage case 14 arranged on a base 12, a wave generating device 15 that shakes the liquid surface of a liquid W such as water in the liquid storage case 14, and an illumination device 16 arranged in the base 12 below the liquid storage case 14.

[0015] The base 12 is a frame body that is substantially rectangular in plan view and extends in the left-right direction. It is configured in a closed-loop shape in plan view with the upper and lower ends open by a front plate 17 facing upward and downward, a rear plate 18 opposite to it, and side plates 19 located at both left and right ends in the left-right direction of these front plate 17 and rear plate 18. Thus, it supports the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface of the device main body

[0016] The liquid storage case 14 is provided in a substantially closed type having a space for storing the liquid W therein, and includes a bottom wall 20 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view made of a glass plate or a transparent resin plate such as polycarbonate, a peripheral wall 21 located at the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 20, and a lid body 22 disposed substantially parallel to the bottom wall 20. Here, the bottom wall 20 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, a bottom wall having a thickness of about 20 mm is adopted in order to maintain durability. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4(A) and (B), the peripheral wall 21 includes a front wall 24, a rear wall 25 that faces the front wall 24 and is located at a higher position than the front wall 24, and substantially L-shaped side walls 26 located at both left and right ends in the lateral direction of the front wall 24 and the rear wall 25.

[0017] The lid body 22 includes a frame 30 joined to the upper inner surface side of the peripheral wall 21 of the liquid storage case 14, a single member 31 (see FIG. 4(D)) located between the frame 30 and the rear wall 25, and a double-thickness glass plate 32 as a plate-like member supported by the frame 30. Here, a planar heating element 35 that constitutes dew condensation prevention means is disposed or sandwiched between the upper and lower glass plates 32. The frame 30 is provided with rectangular window portions 30A at four equal intervals in the left-right direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 4(C)), and the glass plate 32 is disposed so as to close these window portions 30A. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the single member 31 has an elongated sheet shape that closes the space between the frame 30 and the rear wall 25 of the liquid storage case 14, and mounting holes 31A (see FIG. 4(D)) of the wave generating device 15 are formed at four locations along the longitudinal direction thereof.

[0018] The planar heating element 35, which constitutes the condensation prevention means, is made of, for example, a transparent conductive film 37 in the form of a film or sheet, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The conductive film is equipped with a pair of electrode portions 38 arranged at both the upper and lower ends in Figure 5. By applying a predetermined voltage between these electrode portions 38, the conductive film is heated, and consequently the glass plate 32 can be heated. Each electrode portion 38 is electrically connected to the controller 11 and controlled by the controller 11. Furthermore, the transparent conductive film can be used as the aforementioned planar heating element by coating or depositing materials such as indium tin oxide (ITO), silver nanowire (AgNW), polyethylene dioxythiophene (PEDOT), or carbon nanotube (CNT) onto a transparent film substrate.

[0019] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, in this embodiment, a temperature sensor 40 is attached to the outer periphery of the glass plate 32 as a temperature sensing means, and the controller 11 is able to control the temperature of the planar heating element 35 according to the temperature data provided to the controller 11 from these temperature sensors 40.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 4(E), the mounting jig 42 is positioned across the upper end of the rear wall 25 of the liquid containment case 14 and the rear wall portion of the side wall 26. The elongated cover member 43 (see Figures 4(F) and 4(G)), which has an L-shaped cross section, is fixed via this mounting jig 42, thereby covering the upper side of the wave-making device 15.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the wave-generating device 15 consists of a motor M controlled via a controller 11 and a blade 45 fixed to the output shaft of the motor M and immersed in the liquid W. The motor M is equipped with a motor support plate 46 that is mounted so as to close the mounting hole 31A formed in the piece member 31, thereby closing the upper side of the liquid containment case 14 when the motor M is mounted. Although there are no particular restrictions on the rotational speed of motor M, in this embodiment it is set to around 54.3 rpm, which results in the formation of gentle waves on the liquid surface.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the illumination device 16 consists of an LED 50, a support portion 51 for the LED 50, a bracket 52 that supports the support portion 51 so that it can be angle-displaced, and a wing nut 53 that fixes the angular position of the support portion 51. As a result, the light-emitting surface 50A of the LED 50 can be displaced by a predetermined angle within a plane that follows the plane of the paper in Figure 1, making it possible to change the area of ​​the projection surface.

[0023] The dimensions of the main body 10 of the device in this embodiment are not particularly limited, but the liquid storage case 14 has a length of 1790 mm in the left-right direction (longitudinal direction), a width of 400 mm in the front-back direction (short direction), and the heights of the front wall 24 and rear wall 25 are 120 mm and 180 mm, respectively. Furthermore, the frame 30 used has a length of 1770 mm in the left-right direction and a width of 310 mm in the front-to-back direction, and the opening of the window section 30A is 380 mm x 270 mm. Furthermore, the glass plate 32 that constitutes the lid 22 has a thickness t of 5 mm and measures 400 mm x 290 mm, while the single component 31 that constitutes the lid 22 together with the glass plate 32 measures 1770 mm x 80 mm. Furthermore, the height of the base 12 is set to approximately 360 mm, and the distance between the bottom surface of the bottom wall 20 of the liquid storage case 14 and the light-emitting surface 50A of the LED 50 is set to approximately 220 mm.

[0024] In the above configuration, the frame 30 and the single member 31 are fixed inside the liquid storage case 14 of the ripple projection device 10 at a predetermined height position inside the case 14 by means of adhesive or other means, and a predetermined amount of liquid W is stored inside the case 14 before and after this. Next, the glass plate 32, which sandwiches the planar heating element 35, is positioned to close the window portion 30A of the frame 30, and the motor M of the wave-making device 15 is attached to the single member 31 to complete the closed structure inside the liquid containment case 14. The planar heating element 35, temperature sensor 40, wave generator 15, and illumination device 16 are connected to the controller 11 via wiring.

[0025] Therefore, according to this embodiment, with the motor M rotating to form ripples on the surface of the liquid W, the transmitted light directed upward from the LED 50 can project the ripples onto the ceiling surface or nearby walls. Furthermore, even if there is a temperature difference in the room where the ripple projection device is installed that would cause condensation on the glass plate 32, condensation can be reliably prevented by setting the device to apply a voltage to the electrodes that heats the glass plate 32 to a predetermined temperature, for example, around 40 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, since it can be provided as a ripple projection device that can be installed on floors or other surfaces, it can be used universally without requiring special construction work for installation. Moreover, the projection position and area can be easily changed by changing the installation location.

[0026] The best configurations, methods, and other elements for carrying out the present invention are disclosed above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other words, although the present invention is illustrated and described in particular with respect to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the technical idea and objectives of the present invention.

[0027] For example, in the above embodiment, the wave-making device 15 is configured to form ripples on the liquid surface using its blades, but other means are acceptable as long as they can form waves on the liquid surface. Examples include means for blowing air onto the liquid surface, or configurations using components such as pistons that can move up and down relative to the liquid surface. Furthermore, heating of the glass plate 32 can also be achieved by employing a blower equipped with slits that blow hot air along the glass surface, and of course, this can be used in conjunction with a planar heating element. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, glass plates 32 were placed in four locations to transmit light from below each, but the length of the liquid storage case 14 may be shortened, for example, to 1 / 4 of its original length, and the glass plate 32 may be placed in only one location for projection. In short, the present invention does not preclude any further modifications, as long as it can prevent condensation from occurring on the translucent surface of the lid that forms the upper side of the liquid storage case 14. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0028] 14 liquid storage cases 15 Wave making device 16 Lighting device 20 Bottom wall 22 Lid 32 Glass plate (plate-shaped member) 35. Planar heating element (means for preventing condensation) 40. Temperature sensor (temperature detection means) W liquid

Claims

1. A ripple projection device comprising: a substantially closed liquid storage case having a liquid storage space inside and having at least the bottom wall and lid being translucent; a wave-making device for disturbing the surface of the liquid; an illumination device for projecting ripples onto the liquid surface by transmitting light from below the liquid storage case; and a condensation prevention means provided on the lid.

2. The ripple projection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the condensation prevention means is composed of a planar heating element.

3. The ripple projection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover includes two translucent plate-like members, and a translucent condensation prevention means is disposed between these plate-like members.

4. The ripple projection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a means for detecting the temperature of the lid and having a function for maintaining the lid at a predetermined temperature.

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