Dry bubble wall appliance

Abstract

A dry bubble wall appliance includes a blower mounted to a housing, which is to contain a collection of solid particles. The housing includes a transparent viewing window and a divider which divides a front chamber from a rear chamber within the housing and has a surface facing the viewing window serving as a background surface. The blower is to force air in an upward direction from a bottom of the housing to a top of the housing behind the divider within the rear chamber, the air exits the housing through the top vent and is to cause the collection of solid particles to be carried upward through the rear chamber and exit the rear chamber to fall downward within the front chamber in front of the background surface.

Description

DRY BUBBLE WALL APPLIANCERELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63 / 582,095 filed on September 12, 2023, the content of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] Bubble walls are appliances that serve as multisensory works of art and / or therapeutic devices, offering a calming effect for some users. Bubble walls are recommended, in some cases, as a therapeutic device for neurodivergent persons, such as persons living with autism, among other conditions. A traditional bubble wall is an enclosed tank filled with water, which includes a mechanism for introducing air at the bottom of the tank. The air creates bubbles, which rise from the bottom to the top of the tank to create streams of upward ascending bubbles within the tank. The air is allowed to evacuate the tank or be recycled within the tank. Some designs may enhance the bubbling effect with backlighting or other effects. Bubble walls are typically offered in a substantially flat, wall- or window-like form factor and designed to be mounted on a wall or other structure. Other form factors exist, such as freestanding bubble tubes, which may be set on a floor, table, or other horizontal surface.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] FIG. 1 is a view of an example dry bubble wall appliance.

[0004] FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of an example dry bubble wall appliance.

[0005] FIG. 3 is top perspective view of an example dry bubble wall appliance.

[0006] FIG. 4 is a back perspective view of an example dry bubble wall appliance.

[0007] FIG. 5 illustrates example airflow of an example dry bubble wall appliance.

[0008] FIG. 6 illustrates example movement of particles within an example dry bubble wall appliance.

[0009] FIG. 7 is a view of another example of a dry bubble wall appliance.

[0010] FIG. 8 is a front cutaway view of an example dry bubble wall appliance.

[0011] FIG. 9 is a front perspective cutaway view of an example dry bubble wall appliance.

[0012] FIG. 10 is a back cutaway view of an example dry bubble wall appliance.

[0013] FIG. 11 is back perspective cutaway view of an example dry bubble wall appliance.

[0014] FIG. 12 is a view of a third example of a dry bubble wall appliance.

[0015] FIG. 13 is a cutaway view of an example dry bubble wall appliance with a recirculation duct.

[0016] FIG. 14 is a back perspective view of an example dry bubble wall appliance.

[0017] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Traditional bubble walls depend on water or another liquid filling the bubble wall tank in order to generate the desired bubble stream effect. However, the use of water makes the bubble wall appliances very heavy and may limit their use or application, such as to hangingon walls where suitable structural support exists to support such weight, which may not always be possible (e.g., in a hospital or classroom environment, a wall without proper studs, etc.). Another complication of traditional liquid-based bubble walls is the risk of the appliance's seal failing or the appliance falling and breaking, resulting in the water or liquid within the appliance leaking or spilling from the appliance and causing substantial water damage to the room or structure where it is located. Additionally, some liquid-based bubble walls may require the use of water treatment fluids and other maintenance to prevent unsightly build-up of hardwater stains, clouding of the liquid, evaporation of the liquid over time, among other examples issues. Accordingly, many potential users who would desire or benefit from a bubble wall appliance may not be able to or feel uncomfortable purchasing and using traditional bubble walls.

[0019] In some implementations, a water-less, or dry, bubble wall may be implemented to address at least some of the example issues introduced above. The dry bubble wall may provide substantially all of the same sensory and therapeutic benefits of a traditional bubble wall appliance, while removing the issues introduced through the use of water or other liquids in traditional bubble wall appliances.

[0020] In one example implementation, a dry bubble wall appliance may house a collection of small, solid, lightweight particles (e.g., miniature Styrofoam balls, flakes, or other particles) within a case or housing of the dry bubble wall. In one example, the housing may be in a rectangular prism formation, but otherformations and form factors may be implemented using the principles discussed herein, such as a tube or cylindrical design, square prism form, a container with sub-compartments forming multiple parallel, side-by-side columns, among other examples.

[0021] In one example, the inside of the dry bubble wall appliance may include an interior background surface, which is dark in color (e.g., black, dark grey, dark brown, dark blue, etc.) and the particles within the housing may be light colored (e.g., white) to enhance the contrast and visibility of the particles against the background surface, although various colors (including multicolored) particles may be alternatively used, including alternative colorations of thebackground surface. A blower may be provided in the dry bubble wall appliance and venting may be provided to direct air below the collection of particles to cause the particles to be blown to the top of the housing, before cascading downward back to the bottom of the housing to be blown back upward to the top of the housing. The background surface may effectively hide the particles' ascent up to the top of the housing, with the particles falling downward in front of the background surface to simulate the effect of falling water, snow, or bubbles and creating an effect similar to that of a traditional bubble wall (albeit with the particles falling downward as opposed to the bubbles in a liquid bubble wall rising upward).

[0022] In one particular example implementation, a dry bubble wall implements a multisensory or therapeutic appliance that houses small Styrofoam particles in a rectangular prism formation. A background surface within the bubble wall is painted black to give a stark contrast, making the small white Styrofoam particles easily viewable. At least one side of the container is clear to view the flow of the small Styrofoam particles. Once powered on, the Styrofoam particles are blown from top to bottom. In some implementations, lighting may be provided to provide additional ambience and to illuminate the Styrofoam particles as they move within the dry bubble wall (e.g., fall in front of the background surface). In some implementations, the lighting may be multicolor and be programmed to change between colors or allow selection of a specific color or color sequences by a user to enhance the visual effects created or offered by the dry bubble wall, among other examples. The falling illuminated particles create an attractive and relaxing snowfall- or waterfall-like effect.

[0023] FIG. 1 presents a perspective view of an example implementations of a dry bubble wall appliance 105a. A front frame 110 may be provided with an opaque outer frame to hide some of the functional components within the body of the dry bubble wall appliance 105a, the opaque outer frame encasing a transparent or semi-transparent front window, which serves to enclose the inner chambers of the dry bubble wall appliance 105a, while allowing the effects of the dry bubble wall appliance to be observed (through the window) by users. A main interior chamber of the dry bubble wall appliance 105a is divided by a background partition 125 into afront chamber 115 and a (hidden) posterior chamber (not shown in the view of FIG. 1). A bottom opening 130 is provided at the bottom of the background partition 125 to allow particles, which have descended down in front of the background partition 125 in the front chamber 115 to roll from the front chamber (e.g., via a ramp) under the background the partition and back into the posterior chamber, in which an upward airflow is introduced (through fan 120) to push the particles up the length of the posterior chamber, over a top opening of the background partition 125 back into the front chamber (where the upward airflow is minimized or absent) allowing the particles to fall down again in front of the background partition 125.

[0024] Turning to FIG. 2, a side perspective view is shown of the dry bubble wall appliance 105a introduced in FIG. 1. The dry bubble wall appliance is shown with its right wall removed, allowing inspection of the inner chambers of the example dry bubble wall appliance 105a. In one example, the front frame 110 has an outer frame made from black acrylic with a window 160 made of a transparent acrylic or other transparent material (e.g., polycarbonate panel). The material can be varied by incorporating different plastics, metals, or glass for the exterior front frame. The other outer walls of the appliance (e.g., side wall 155, top wall or cover 175, etc.) and the background partition 125 may be constructed from plastic, metal, fiberboard (e.g., medium density fiberboard (MDF), among other examples. A power button 170 may be provided through which the appliance may be turned on or off. In some implementations, a remote control module may be provided in the appliance to allow the dry bubble wall appliance 105a to be turned off and controlled via a remote control or through a smartphone, among other examples. In still other examples, a motion sensor or room occupancy sensor and related control hardware may be provided (e.g., on and / or behind the front frame) to automatically power-off the dry bubble wall appliance 105a when it is detected that no viewers are present.

[0025] In the example of dry bubble wall appliance 105a, the fan 120 (e.g., a direct current (DC) fan) may be provided on one or both sides of the dry bubble wall appliance, to pull air from the side of the dry bubble wall appliance and blow air that exits upward through a narrow opening 140 at the bottom of the posterior chamber 135 to create an upward airflow within theposterior chamber 135 (behind the background partition 125). In some implementations, the fan 120 may be a pulse width modulation (PWM) fan or another type of DC fan. The fan 120 creates a streamline flow of air that is directed through the long narrow bottom opening 140. The bottom opening 140 may be covered with a fine mesh grill, a porous foam layer, or other permeable cover 145 that allows air to flow through it into the posterior compartment 135, but not allow particles to fall through the bottom opening 140.

[0026] The dry bubble wall appliance 105a may operate by powering on the fan 120 to begin blowing or pulling particles (which may be at rest, when powered-off, at the bottom of the posterior chamber (near bottom opening 130)) upward into the posterior chamber. When particles (e.g., Styrofoam balls) are blown up through the posterior chamber 135, they may exit the air stream at a top opening or end 150 of the background partition 125, and fall (lightly, given the light weight of the particles) down through the front chamber 115 in front of the background partition 125. A surface of the background partition 125 facing a transparent viewing window 160 of the dry bubble wall appliance 105a may serve as the background surface of the application and may be colored so as to create a sharp contrast with the falling particles. A ramp 165 may be provided at the bottom of the front chamber 115, such that particles, when the fall to the bottom of the front chamber 115, roll down the ramp 165 toward and through the bottom opening 130 to be pulled in and blown upward in the posterior chamber 135. Turning to FIG. 3, a top perspective view is shown of the example dry bubble wall appliance 105a. In some implementations, led lights may be provided at the bottom of the front chamber 115 and may shine upward through a transparent implementation of the ramp 165 (e.g., by constructing the ramp from a transparent acrylic, polycarbonate, or other transparent or semi-transparent material. The LED lights 190 may illuminate the interior of the front chamber of the dry bubble wall appliance 105a thereby lighting the falling particles and enhancing their visibility against the background partition 125 and enhancing the overall visual appeal of the falling "bubbles" effect. In other embodiments, the lighting (e.g., 190) can be placed anywhere inside of the frontchamber such as rows or strips of LED lights that line the left 155 and right 170 side walls or the underside of the top cover 175, among other examples.

[0027] As shown in the view illustrated in FIG. 3, top vents (e.g., 180) may be provided at the top cover 175 of the dry bubble wall appliance 105a to allow air forced behind the background partition through the posterior chamber to exit the dry bubble wall appliance 105a . The top vent(s) 180 may be covered by a permeable layer (e.g., a mesh, porous foam, or other layer), which allow air the pass through continuously and escape the dry bubble wall appliance 105a, but which blocks particles from being blown up and out of the vent 180 and escape the dry bubble wall appliance 105a.

[0028] The airflow created within the dry bubble wall appliance 105a and ramp(s) (e.g., 165) used to redirect fallen particles back into the continuous airstream operates to create a cascading cycle for the Styrofoam particles as they fall from the top and then are pulled back in through the bottom opening. Other implementations may segment the front chamber into multiple separate chambers (e.g., transparent cylindrical tubes or elongated rectangular prisms) for particles to fall through. In such instances, the individual chambers may have their own air source, share their air source with other adjoining chambers, or may alternatively all share one air source. Additionally, the container may be split by multiple plates, dividing the container into various parts for the air to flow through. The air source can be located on one or both of the sides of the chamber or at the bottom of the chamber, among other example features and implementations.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the example dry bubble wall appliance 105a. In some implementations, the dry bubble wall appliance 105a may be provided with hardware (e.g., 198) on the rear wall or another portion of the dry bubble wall appliance to assist in facilitating the mounting of the dry bubble wall appliance onto a wall or into a recessed cavity of a wall (for a "flush" mounting of the dry bubble wall appliance on a wall). In other embodiments the mounting points (e.g., 198) can vary in shape, size, and number. Other portions (e.g., 195) of the dry bubble wall appliance 105a may be utilized to house a battery, power cord, or othercomponents of the dry bubble wall appliance 105a. For instance, an enclosure or housing 195 may be provided on the left or right outer side of the chamber (and hidden by the front frame). A bottom chamber 197 or other chamber (e.g., at the bottom or another location of the dry bubble wall appliance) may be provided to permit maintenance to the dry bubble wall appliance, among other examples. Such enclosures and access points may be alternatively provided in other various locations on the dry bubble wall appliance.

[0030] FIGS. 5-6 illustrate the example operation of a dry bubble wall appliance 105a. FIG. 5 illustrates the operation of the dry bubble wall blower (e.g., fan 120) and the directed airflow, which is created by the fan 120 when in operation. As shown, when the fan 120 is switched on, it pulls in air (at 500a) and generates a directed airflow from the bottom (at 500b) of the dry bubble wall housing up behind a background partition within a posterior or back chamber 135 of the housing. The air flow spills out (at 500c) at the top end of the background partition, allowing particles to exit the posterior chamber 135 and fall in front of the background. The generated airflow exits (at 500d) through vents (e.g., 180) at the top of the chamber.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6, when particles 605 (e.g., Styrofoam balls or flakes) are introduced within the bubble wall housing, the airflow generated by the fan force (as illustrated in FIG. 5) causes at least a portion of the particles (that were at rest at the bottom of the housing and within the path of the directed airflow) to be pulled in and up through the back chamber 135 toward the top portion of the chamber where the particles exit the airflow through the wide slot that is at the top of the divider 125 and then fall down backto the bottom of the housing through the front chamber 115 and in front of the background surface of the background partition 125 (e.g., formed by the front-facing surface of the divider). The particles then roll back down into a bottom opening 130 below the background partition 125 and into the path of the airflow to be blown back upward through the back chamber 135, through which the cycle continues throughout operation of the dry bubble wall appliance to create a continuous falling "bubbles" or snowfall effect to be viewed through the viewing window of the appliance.

[0032] FIG. 7 is an illustration of another example implementation of a dry bubble wall appliance 105b. In this example, rather than a sideways positioned fan, which has its airflow redirected upward, as in the example dry bubble wall appliance 105a (shown in FIGS. 1-4), in this example, a fan is positioned at the bottom of the dry bubble wall appliance and oriented vertically (rather than horizontally in the example dry bubble wall appliance 105a) to blow air upward a central channel provided behind the background partition 125 and out of an upper opening 150. A front frame 110 may hide some of the components of the dry bubble wall appliance 105b while providing a window 160 to allow the cascading particles to be observed. The orientation of the ramps (e.g., 165a, 165b) may be adjusted in this implementation based on the center location of the fan. For instance, two side ramps 165a, 165b (e.g., constructed from transparent plastic or other material) may assist in funneling particles, once they reach the bottom of the front chamber down to a lower ramp 165c, which feeds the particles to a bottom opening 130 where the upward airflow from the fan pulls in and lifts the particles through the chute-like posterior chamber of the dry bubble wall appliance 105b. The particles are blown up through the posterior chamber through an upper opening 150, where particles may scatter outward and down upper ramps (e.g., 705, 710) to descend back down the front chamber in front of the background partition 125.

[0033] Turning to FIG. 8, a front view of the interior of an example dry bubble wall appliance 105b is shown with front frame removed. FIG. 9 offers a corresponding perspective view, further showing the upper cover 175, lower ramps 165a-c, and LED lights 190, 190b. A center-mounted, upward-facing fan 120 is shown, including a permeable cover 145 (to allow air to blow upward, but prevent particles from falling into the fan 120) and a filter (e.g., 810) to prevent dust and other debris from being pulled into the interior the chambers of the dry bubble wall appliance 105b through the intake of the fan 120. For instance, dust and other foreign particles may be pulled in through the fan intake, which may dirty the front frame window or "pollute" the descending bubble effect created in the dry bubble wall appliance 105b due tofloating dust or other particulates floating within the front chamber and being illuminated by LEDs (e.g., 190a, 190b) illuminating the dry bubble wall appliance.

[0034] In the example dry bubble wall appliance 105b, exhaust vents or openings 180a, 180b may be provided at the top cover 175 of the dry bubble wall appliance, but near the lateral edges of the "ceiling" of the internal chamber of the dry bubble wall appliance. This may encourage airflow that is concentrated in a center posterior chamber, but which blows out of opening 150 and disperses laterally to the left and right (toward exhaust vents 180a, 180b (which have permeable covers to allow for the exit of air, without allowing the exit of the balls or particles)) causing particles blown up through the centered posterior chamber into upper chamber 805 to be more evenly dispersed across the width of the front chamber of the dry bubble wall appliance due to the airflow created through the positioning of the exhaust vents 180a-b, among other example factors. Particles blown to the sides of opening 150 with upper chamber 805 may be encouraged by upper ramps 705, 710 to fall down in front of the background partition and land on ramps 165a, 165b. In one example implementation, the respective angles of descent (angles A and B of ramps 165a and 165b respectively) may be different (e.g., angle A at 30 degrees, angle B at 20 degrees) to assist in controlling the flow of particles that roll down each ramp toward the lower opening above the fan 120. For instance, the direction of rotation of the fan 120 or other factors may bias particles landing on ramp 165 or ramp 165b from descending back into the lower opening and center chamber airflow at a faster rate than the other ramp, thereby reducing the risk of a jam developing at the lower opening, among other example issues.

[0035] As noted above, one or more surfaces of an example dry bubble wall appliance may be provided with mounting hardware or features (e.g., mounting holes) of varying orientations to allow for mounting of the dry bubble wall appliance 105b on a wall or other surface. For instance, mounting holes 198a-c are shown. In one example, mounting hole 198b be expanded to double as a handle to assist a user or installer in carrying and mounting the dry bubble wall appliance. Other compartments (e.g., 195) may be provided to store and / or concealother parts of the dry bubble wall appliance, such as a power cord, power block, battery, remote control or wireless network module, or other components of the dry bubble wall appliance.

[0036] In some implementations, the particles (e.g., whether expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polyethylene (EPE), another plastic foam, or another solid and suitably lightweight material), due to their continuous movement within the dry bubble wall appliance, may accumulate static charge, causing the particles to clump together, stick to surfaces of the inner chambers of the dry bubble wall appliance, and complicate or erode the quality of the visual effects produced by the dry bubble wall appliance. In some implementations, the materials or surface treatments applied to the materials used to construct the frame, walls, covers, background partition, ramps, and other components of a dry bubble wall appliance may be composed of antistatic or electrostatic discharge (ESD) plastics, metals, glass, or surface coatings. For instance, at least the transparent window of an example dry bubble wall appliance may be constructed from an ESD polycarbonate pane, among other example ESD materials. Additionally, or alternatively, the dry bubble wall appliance may be provided with one or more ionizer devices to release ions or anions to counter static charges that may collect on the EPP particles, among other example techniques. For instance, turning to FIG. 10, a back view of the example dry bubble wall appliance 105b is shown with the back wall removed to reveal the internal characteristics of the dry bubble wall appliance 105b, in particular, the center posterior chamber or channel 1010 formed behind the background partition. FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of the back view shown in FIG. 10. In this example, an ionizer device 1020 is positioned above or near the point of collection of particular 605, as they roll into the lower opening of the background partition for entry into the posterior channel 1010 above fan 120. Here, the particles 605 (e.g., EPP balls) may be ionized each time they are recirculated back to the lower entry point of the posterior channel 1010 to prevent static charge from forming on the balls 605. In other implementations, an ionizer device (e.g., 1020) may be positioned in another location of the dry bubble wall appliance 105b (e.g., elsewhere on the posterior channel 1010). In someimplementations, multiple ionizer devices may be provided in the dry bubble wall appliance, among other example implementations.

[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 10, despite all of the balls 605 being blown upward (behind the background partition) through the center posterior channel 1010, the airflow, while directed uniformly upward within the posterior channel 1010, disperses within the upper chamber 805, with some balls (e.g., 605a) being blown to the right, others (e.g., 605b) being blown to the left, and still others (e.g., 605c) being blown forward over the background partition in front of the center posterior channel 1010 to distribute the balls 605 throughout the front chamber of the dry bubble wall appliance 105b.

[0038] FIGS. 12-14 show another example implementation of a dry bubble wall appliance 105c. In this example, upper vents (e.g., 180a-b) are provided at the upper chamber on side walls of the dry bubble wall appliance 105c (instead of at the top cover), for instance, to further bias airflow exiting a center posterior chamber (at opening 150) to push particles along the width of the background partition, among other example benefits. Additionally, the size of the exhaust openings may be configured to influence the airflow. In some implementations, the airflow for the dry bubble wall appliance 105c may be implemented as a closed system to allow air blown by the fan to recirculate completely within the dry bubble wall appliance 105c to prevent dust or other foreign particulates to enter the interior chamber of the dry bubble wall appliance 105c. For instance, as shown in the front cutaway view shown in FIG. 13, a recirculation duct 1305 may be provided external to the walls (e.g., 155, 170) of the interior front chamber 115 of the dry bubble wall appliance 105c. Air may be exhausted (via upper vents 180a, 180b) from the interior chamber 115 into the recirculation duct 1305. This exhaust air may be pulled through the duct 1305 back into the interior chamber through the intake of the fan 120, to be blown back up through the posterior channel and upper channel exit 150 to recirculate balls 605 within the dry bubble wall appliance 105c.

[0039] FIG. 14 shows a back perspective view of the example dry bubble wall appliance105c. This view shows the implantation of various features of an example dry bubble wallappliance 105c, such as the positioning of a compartment 195 in the rear of the dry bubble wall appliance (e.g., behind a background partition and outside the center posterior channel), in which a power block, power plug, battery, or other component may be provided. Other access points (e.g., openings, hatches, doors, etc.) may be provided (e.g., 1405, 1410) to simplify the access and maintenance of the dry bubble wall appliance (e.g., replacement of LED devices, clear a blockage, maintenance the fan, etc.).

[0040] It should be appreciated that the particular examples illustrated and discussed above are provided merely to illustrate more general principles of this disclosure. Indeed, it should be appreciated that other features, changes, and alternative embodiments may be implemented without departing from the more general features proposed herein. For instance, features illustrated in some example implementations shown and described herein may be equally applicable and / or interchangeable with features shown in other example implementations discussed herein. For instance, features shown in the example dry bubble wall appliance 105a may be incorporated in the example dry bubble wall appliances 105b and / or 105c. Likewise, features shown in the example dry bubble wall appliance 105b or 105c may be applied and incorporated in the example dry bubble wall appliance 105a, and so forth. The example dry bubble wall appliances shown and discussed herein may be implemented or embody dry bubble wall modules and may be combined or integrated, in some implementations, to form larger dry bubble wall appliances with multiple front chambers powered by independent fans (or other blowers) or a common fan, among other example implementations.

[0041] Reference throughout this specification to "one implementation" or "an implementation" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the implementation is included in at least one implementation of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one implementation," "in an implementation," "in one example," "in some examples," "in some instances," etc. in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same implementation.Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more implementations.

[0042] The following examples pertain to embodiments in accordance with this disclosure. Example 1 is an apparatus including: a blower; a housing to contain a collection of solid particles, where the blower is mounted to the housing and the housing includes: a rear chamber; a front chamber; a top vent; a transparent viewing window; and a divider to divide the rear chamber from the front chamber, where a surface of the divider facing the viewing window includes a background surface, where the blower forces air in an upward direction from a bottom of the housing to a top of the housing behind the divider within the rear chamber, the air exits the housing through the top vent and is to cause the collection of solid particles to be carried upward through the rear chamber and exit the rear chamber to fall downward within the front chamber in front of the background surface.

[0043] Example 2 includes the subject matter of example 1, where the divider is dimensioned and positioned within the housing to form: a bottom opening in the dividerto allow the solid particles to pass from the front chamber to the rear chamber after falling downward within the front chamber, and a top opening to allow the collection of solid particles to exit the rear chamber to fall downward within the front chamber.

[0044] Example 3 includes the subject matter of example 2, where the housing further includes a ramp to direct the collection of solid particles to roll from the front chamber to the rear chamber through the bottom slot after falling downward within the front chamber.

[0045] Example 4 includes the subject matter of example 3, where the ramp is constructed of transparent material, the housing further includes lighting to illuminate, through the ramp, the collection of particles as the collection of particles fall downward within the front chamber in front of the background surface.

[0046] Example 5 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 3-4, where the blower is mounted below the rear chamber and is oriented to directly force air upward into the rear chamber.

[0047] Example 6 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-5, where the top vent includes a foam covering to prevent the collection of solid particles from exiting the housing, while allowing the air to exit the housing.

[0048] Example 7 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-6, where the blower includes an electric fan.

[0049] Example 8 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-7, further including an enclosed ductwork coupled to the top vent and an intake of the blower, where airflow is to be conducted through the ductwork coupled from the top vent to the intake of the blower.

[0050] Example 9 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-8, where one or more interior surfaces of the housing include antistatic material.

[0051] Example 10 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-9, further including an ionizer to ionize particles in the collection of particles while in operation.

[0052] Example 11 includes the subject matter of example 10, where the ionizer is positioned within the rear chamber.

[0053] Example 12 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 10-11, where the ionizer is positioned near an opening in the divider to allow the solid particles to pass from the front chamber to the rear chamber after falling downward within the front chamber.

[0054] Example 13 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 10-12, where the ionizer and the blower are powered by a common power source.

[0055] Example 14 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-13, where the front chamber is wider than the rear chamber.

[0056] Example 15 includes the subject matter of example 14, where the rear chamber is centered within the housing, the top vent includes a left top vent and a right top vent, the left top vent is positioned to the left of the rear chamber, and the right top vent is positioned to the right of the rear chamber.

[0057] Example 16 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-15, where the blower recirculates the collection of particles within the housing to cause portions of the collection of particles to continuously fall downward within the front chamber in front of the background surface and create a continuous visual effect while in operation, where the continuous visual effect is viewable through the viewing window.

[0058] Example 17 includes the subject matter of example 16, where the continuous visual effect includes a snowfall-like visual effect to be viewed via the viewing window.

[0059] Example 18 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 16-17, where the continuous visual effect includes a waterfall-like visual effect to be viewed via the viewing window.

[0060] Example 19 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-18, further including lighting to illuminate the collection of particles as the collection of particles fall downward within the front chamber in front of the background surface.

[0061] Example 20 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-19, where the housing has a rectangular prism geometry.

[0062] Example 21 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-20, further hardware to mount the housing to an external support.

[0063] Example 22 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-21, where the collection of particles include foam balls.

[0064] Example 23 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-22, further including the collection of particles.

[0065] Example 24 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-23, where the housing has a cylindrical prism geometry.

[0066] Example 25 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 1-24, where the housing is subdivided into a plurality of sub-compartments to form vertical columns in which respective particles are blown upward through respective back chambers and drop downward within respective top chambers.

[0067] Example 26 includes the subject matter of example 25 further including a plurality of blowers, where a respective blower in the plurality of blowers creates a corresponding airflow within a respective one of the plurality of sub-compartments.

[0068] Example 27 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 25-26, where the blower includes a single blower to create respective airflows within each one of the plurality of sub-compartments.

[0069] Example 28 is an apparatus including a liquid-free bubble wall appliance.

[0070] Example 29 includes the subject matter of example 28, where the liquid-free bubble wall appliance includes the apparatus of any one of examples 1-27.

[0071] Example 30 is a method to use a liquid-free bubble wall appliance.

[0072] Example 31 includes the subject matter of example 30, where the method is to provide a therapeutic benefit for a user.

[0073] Example 32 includes the subject matter of any one of examples 30-31, where the liquid-free bubble wall appliance includes the apparatus of any one of examples 1-27.

[0074] Thus, particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results.

[0075] A detailed description has been given with reference to specific exemplary embodiments. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense. Furthermore, the foregoing use of embodiment and other exemplarily language does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or the same example, but may refer to different and distinct embodiments, as well as potentially the same embodiment.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An apparatus comprising: a blower; a housing to contain a collection of solid particles, wherein the blower is mounted to the housing and the housing comprises: a rear chamber; a front chamber; a top vent; a transparent viewing window; and a divider to divide the rear chamber from the front chamber, wherein a surface of the divider facing the viewing window comprises a background surface, wherein the blower forces air in an upward direction from a bottom of the housing to a top of the housing behind the divider within the rear chamber, the air exits the housing through the top vent and is to cause the collection of solid particles to be carried upward through the rear chamber and exit the rear chamber to fall downward within the front chamber in front of the background surface.

2. The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the divider is dimensioned and positioned within the housing to form: a bottom opening in the divider to allow the solid particles to pass from the front chamber to the rear chamber after falling downward within the front chamber, and a top opening to allow the collection of solid particles to exit the rear chamber to fall downward within the front chamber.

3. The apparatus of Claim 2, wherein the housing further comprises a ramp to direct the collection of solid particles to roll from the front chamber to the rear chamber through the bottom slot after falling downward within the front chamber.

4. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the ramp is constructed of transparent material, the housing further comprises lighting to illuminate, through the ramp, the collection of particles as the collection of particles fall downward within the front chamber in front of the background surface.

5. The apparatus of any one of Claims 3-4, wherein the blower is mounted below the rear chamber and is oriented to directly force air upward into the rear chamber.

6. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-5, wherein the top vent comprises a foam covering to prevent the collection of solid particles from exiting the housing, while allowing the air to exit the housing.

7. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-6, wherein the blower comprises an electric fan.

8. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-7, further comprising an enclosed ductwork coupled to the top vent and an intake of the blower, wherein airflow is to be conducted through the ductwork coupled from the top vent to the intake of the blower.

9. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-8, wherein one or more interior surfaces of the housing comprise antistatic material.

10. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-9, further comprising an ionizer to ionize particles in the collection of particles while in operation.

11. The apparatus of Claim 10, wherein the ionizer is positioned within the rear chamber.

12. The apparatus of any one of Claims 10-11, wherein the ionizer is positioned near an opening in the divider to allow the solid particles to pass from the front chamber to the rear chamber after falling downward within the front chamber.

13. The apparatus of any one of Claims 10-12, wherein the ionizer and the blower are powered by a common power source.

14. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-13, wherein the front chamber is wider than the rear chamber.

15. The apparatus of Claim 14, wherein the rear chamber is centered within the housing, the top vent comprises a left top vent and a right top vent, the left top vent is positioned to the left of the rear chamber, and the right top vent is positioned to the right of the rear chamber.

16. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-15, wherein the blower recirculates the collection of particles within the housing to cause portions of the collection of particles to continuously fall downward within the front chamber in front of the background surface and create a continuous visual effect while in operation, wherein the continuous visual effect is viewable through the viewing window.

17. The apparatus of Claims 16, wherein the continuous visual effect comprises a snowfalllike visual effect to be viewed via the viewing window.

18. The apparatus of any one of Claims 16-17, wherein the continuous visual effect comprises a waterfall-like visual effect to be viewed via the viewing window.

19. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-18, further comprising lighting to illuminate the collection of particles as the collection of particles fall downward within the front chamber in front of the background surface.

20. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-19, wherein the housing has a rectangular prism geometry.

21. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-20, further hardware to mount the housing to an external support.

22. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-21, wherein the collection of particles comprise foam balls.

23. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-22, further comprising the collection of particles.

24. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-23, wherein the housing has a cylindrical prism geometry.

25. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-24, wherein the housing is subdivided into a plurality of sub-compartments to form vertical columns in which respective particles are blown upward through respective back chambers and drop downward within respective top chambers.

26. The apparatus of Claim 25 further comprising a plurality of blowers, wherein a respective blower in the plurality of blowers creates a corresponding airflow within a respective one of the plurality of sub-compartments.

27. The apparatus of any one of Claims 25-26, wherein the blower comprises a single blower to create respective airflows within each one of the plurality of sub-compartments.

28. An apparatus comprising a liquid-free bubble wall appliance.

29. The apparatus of Claim 28, wherein the liquid-free bubble wall appliance comprises the apparatus of any one of Claims 1-27.

30. A method to use a liquid-free bubble wall appliance.

31. The method of Claim 30, wherein the method is to provide a therapeutic benefit for a user.

32. The method of any one of Claims 30-31, wherein the liquid-free bubble wall appliance comprises the apparatus of any one of Claims 1-27.

Images