Animated Water Surface Modeling Using Embossed Glossy Sheets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modeling animated water features in miniature landscapes is challenging due to the lack of motion in traditional methods, and using real water is messy and unrealistic at scale.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a sheet of material with a glossy surface and a three-dimensional pattern of waves, driven by a continuous motion mechanism to simulate animated water surfaces without actual water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If actual liquid water is used on miniature landscapes, then the water feature looks realistic, but it becomes messy and maintains unrealistic wave speeds at scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy of water waves using a transparent sheet with embossed wave patterns that move across the surface. This copy replicates the appearance of real water waves without using actual water, thereby eliminating messiness and maintenance issues while preserving realism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical presence of actual water with a mechanical wave pattern on a transparent sheet. The embossed waves on the sheet are moved by a mechanism (such as a rotating disk or conveyor) to simulate water wave motion, substituting the fluid dynamics of real water with a controlled mechanical system.
2Reliability
If actual liquid water is used on miniature landscapes, then the water feature looks realistic, but the wave speed becomes unrealistic at scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of wave motion by controlling the speed and pattern of the embossed waves on the transparent sheet. The wave speed can be adjusted independently of the scale model size, allowing realistic wave speeds to be maintained regardless of the miniature landscape scale, thereby resolving the contradiction between realism and speed accuracy.
3Reliability
If acrylic casting plastic is used to model animated water features, then the water looks remarkably real, but there is no actual motion which breaks the illusion of reality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamics to the water model by using a transparent sheet with embossed waves that can move across the surface. The sheet can be set into motion by a mechanical driver, allowing the wave patterns to animate and move like real water waves, thereby restoring the illusion of reality that static acrylic models lack.
4Duration of action of moving object
If a transparent sheet with embossed waves is moved continuously, then animated water surface is simulated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible transparent sheet as the medium for displaying wave patterns. The sheet can be easily moved by simple mechanical means such as a rotating disk or conveyor belt, avoiding the need for complex water handling systems. The flexibility of the sheet allows it to conform to the wave embossing while remaining easy to manipulate, reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are described for an animated artificial water surface. A sheet of material having a glossy surface includes a three-dimensional pattern of waves extending along horizontal dimensions of the sheet. The waves have a scale-model height profile. A drive may be coupled to the sheet. The drive may be operable to move at least a portion of the sheet continuously and at a constant speed in one direction relative to the horizontal dimensions of the sheet wherein the waves model an animated water surface.