Ornamental Floating Apparatus

The present invention relates to a floating ornament apparatus for use in swimming pools.

There have been made various suggestions for providing ornamental devices for bodies of water, such as swimming pools and aquariums. Gelinas U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,897 provides an aquatic ornament including a floating sphere having a ring, to which is attached a transparent line, the line supporting a submerged body simulating a goldfish. Holden U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,686 and Holden U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,649 provide floating scenery-simulating structures for use on the surface of an aquarium, there being no submerged body.

It is known, also, to provide floating bodies which support candles. Muench U.S. Pat. No. 2,234,903 discloses a floating candle which is made entirely of wax. Hamblet U.S. Pat. No. 2,330,705 provides a candle base in the form of a flower, with a recess in which is positioned a candle. Haller U.S. Pat. No. 3,434,789, includes a buoyant member in the form of a star, and having a hole in the central part, in which a candle is positioned. Murphy U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,066 shows an anular floating element within which is a candle wick, the element floating on a pool of oil within a drinking glass.

Artificial flowers have been constructed, there typically being provided a plurality of superimposed petal-simulating elements having a central hole passing through them, and a pin or post-like member extending through the holes, and secured, so as to hold the petals in assembled relationship. Examples of such construction are Fristot U.S. Pat. No. 3,039,220 and Haines U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,295.

The present invention is directed to an ornamental floating apparatus, particularly for use in swimming pools. There is provided a first buoyant body, which is preferably in the form of a water lily pad. This buoyant body is provided with rings, and, on its undersurface and upper surface, with sockets. Relatively small bodies, in the form of fish, such as goldfish, are supported beneath the body by substantially rigid posts extending upwardly from the goldfish, and into sockets in the bottom of the buoyant body. In addition, one or more relatively large non-buoyant bodies is supported beneath the buoyant body by at least two flexible strands or lines, having their upper ends engaged in spaced rings on the first body, and connected to the large non-buoyant bodies at spaced portions. In this way, both the large and small non-buoyant bodies are stable, and are capable of moving about a horizontal axis with movement of the first buoyant body about a horizontal axis. The movement of the first body will have been caused by agitation of the water.

The floating apparatus simulates a flower, particularly a water lily, by the provision of a plurality of superimposed petal-simulating elements, having centrally positioned aligned openings. The body is provided on its upper surface with a socket, and a cup for holding a candle is provided centrally in the petal-simulating elements, the cup having a stem or post extending downwardly through the openings or holes in these elements, and into the socket in the upper surface of the buoyant body, thereby releasably securing the petal-simulating elements in assembled relationship with the buoyant body. Additionally, a simulation of an animal, specifically a frog, is provided on the body, having a post extending into a socket into the upper surface of the body.

Among the objects of the present invention are the provision of an ornamental floating apparatus which will be economical to manufacture, pleasing in appearance, and which will provide a fist body simulating a floral object, such as a water lily, and supporting from such buoyant body one or more additional bodies simulating fish, said supported bodies being supported in a relatively stable manner so that they move harmoniously with movement of the first body. Another object is to provide an ornamental floating apparatus permitting ready replacement of petal-simulating elements, the securing of a greater or lesser number of fish-simulating non-buoyant bodies, as well as provision of a floating ornament in which a cup for holding a candle serves as a part of a securing apparatus for petal-simulating elements.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from a consideration of the following drawings, description and claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ornamental floating apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 with parts removed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like or corresponding reference numerals are used for like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 an ornamental floating apparatus for swimming pools and the like, generally designated 10, and comprising a buoyant body 11 which is preferably in the form of the leaf or leaves of a water lily, or similar aquatic plant. The buoyant body 11 is provided with a plurality of rings 12, one of which is shown in FIG. 1. On the upper surface of the buoyant body 11 there is an object 13, which simulates a frog, and more particularly, simulates a frog resting upon a water lily or water lily pad. As shown in FIG. 2, the frog-simulating object 13 is provided with a post 13a extending from the bottom thereof, and, as shown in FIG. 1, into a socket 13b formed in the upper surface of the buoyant body 11.

A non-buoyant body 15a is connected with the buoyant body 11 by a pair of flexible strands 16a and 16b. The flexible strands 16a and 16b are preferably of monofilament and are therefore substantially invisible. The upper ends of the strands 16a and 16b are secured to the body 11 by being passed through spaced rings 12 (see also FIG. 2), the lower ends passing through spaced rings 12 on body 15a is shown in FIG. 1. There may also be provided a similar non-buoyant body 15b, also simulating a fish, and similarly supported by a pair of strands 16c and 16d which are secured at their lower ends to spaced apart rings 12 on the body 15b. At their upper ends, the strands 16c and 16d are connected, as shown in FIG. 2, to other rings 12 on the buoyant body 11.

Also connected to the body 11 are a plurality of relatively small non-buoyant bodies 17a, 17b and 17c, each of which simulates a fish. Connecting each of the bodies 17a, 17b and 17c to the buoyant body 11 is a post 18, which extends upwardly and enters into a corresponding socket 18a provided in the lower surface of the buoyant body 11.

An anchor 21 of any suitable construction is provided, and is connected by a line or strand 22 to the buoyant body 11, so as to hold it in one area of the swimming pool in which it is positioned.

Shown in FIG. 1 on the buoyant body 11 is a simulation 30 of the bloom of a water lily, within which is a candle 40. Candle 40 includes wax 41 and a wick 42 within a glass 43.

The bloom-simulating structure 30 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as including a plurality of petal-simulating elements 31, 32, and 33, each including a generally disc shaped central portion 31a, 32a and 33a, in the center part of which is an opening 31b, 32b and 33b. Extending upwardly from each of the disc portions 31a, 32a, and 33a are individual petal-simulating portions 31c, 32c and 33c. A cup 35 is provided, having a depending stem 36, cup 35 having therein the glass 43, within which are the wax 41 and wick 42.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there may be seen the ornamental floating apparatus 10, including the buoyant body 11. Preferably, buoyant body 11 is a hollow, plastic molded body having a sealed flotation chamber 11a therewithin. Sockets 18a are provided for the post 18 for supporting the fish-simulating bodies 17, there also being shown the ring 12 and a flexible strand 16.

In the upper surface of the body 11 there is shown a socket 36a for receiving the stem 36 which is shown depending from the bottom of the cup 35. The cup 35 is within the petal-simulating elements 31, 32 and 33, and more particularly the cup 35 is on the uppermost element 31, the glass 43 of candle 40 extending to a level below the upper portions of the petal-simulating portion 31c of petal-simulating element 31. The stem 36 extends through the aligned holes or openings 31b, 32b and 33b in the petal-simulating elements 31, 32 and 33, and into the socket 36a, thereby releasably securing the petal-simulating elements together, and to the body 11.

When placed in a body of water, such as a swimming pool, the ornamental floating apparatus 10 is preferably secured in one location or area by the anchor 21 and line 22. The fish-simulating bodies 15 and 17 are nonbuoyant, having either a negative or neutral buoyancy, and are connected to and supported in position by either the flexible connecting strands 16a-16d, or by the substantially rigid posts 18. When there is agitation of the water, such as ripples or waves at the surface portion of the swimming pool, the buoyant body 11 will be caused to rotate about a horizontal axis. More particularly, it will have an oscillating motion as successive ripples or waves strike it. Due to the rigid connection provided by the post 18, the bodies 17a, etc., will also rotate, i.e., oscillate, about a substantially horizontal axis. In addition, the bodies 15a and 15b will also rotate (oscillate) about a horizontal axis, when buoyant body 11 so rotates (oscillates), due to the fact that each of the bodies 15a and 15b is connected to the buoyant body 11 by two spaced apart flexible strands, the upper ends and the lower ends of which are connected to the body 11 and body 15, respectively, in spaced apart relationship. These constructions, therefore, provide for stability and enhanced visual and ornamental appeal.

Further, the various petal-simulating elements 31, 32 and 33 may be provided in selected colors, thereby enabling the ready intermixing and/or changing of colors and hues of the petal-simulating elements.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departure from the spirit of the invention, and therefore the invention is not limited to that shown in the drawings, and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.