FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to indoor fountains of the type that are found in homes, offices, and other settings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fountains are very popular, due to the fact that many people enjoy the sound of cascading water, which they regard as being soothing, relaxing, and calming, and beneficial to peace and tranquility, and aiding in sleep, and many fountains with all sorts of designs and sizes can be found on the market. Because fountains are so popular and regarded as beneficial, even the giant pharmaceutical retailer, Walgreen, recognized their importance, and obtained U.S. Patent No. 6883722 for a product that incorporates flowing water and refers to “waterflow therapy.”

Because of the beneficial nature of fountains, they would be ideal in a medical setting, and, indeed, water features - large cascading water displays - have been popular in waiting rooms in medical facilities, where they can soothe the anxiety of patients and visitors. But, these large water features have been found to be a source of waterborne Legionnaire’s Disease, and have been banned, unless they are sealed. Because of this, some manufacturers have developed water features that are sealed behind glass.

The present invention is intended to provide a concept for fountains that enables the manufacture of fountains of many different sizes and designs that are safe and maintenance-free, since they are sealed, and allow for the easy replacement of the pump, when it eventually stops working. Disclosed are various methods that simultaneously seal the fountain and secure the cord to the fountain.

As regards sealed fountains in the prior art, methods to seal waterfalls are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,311,898 and U.S. Patent No. 7,861,942, but these prior art inventions have no similarity to the present invention, aside from being sealed and creating the sound of cascading water. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

More particularly, the invention is to provide a sealed medical fountain comprised of an enclosed plastic container that is partially full of water, with there being a submersible pump in the water that is connected to a spout above the water so that the pump can create the sound of cascading water inside the container. The pump is powered by an electrical cord, and both the pump and electrical cord can be inserted into the container through an aperture in the container, and, if the pump eventually stops working, the pump and cord can be easily removed through the aperture and replaced. There is a lid that serves the dual purpose of closing and sealing the aperture in the container and simultaneously securely connecting and sealing the cord to the container. No tools are required to close and seal the aperture and securely connect and seal the cord to the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealed medical fountain that can be sealed using various different methods that are disclosed herein, these various different methods enabling the production of efficient and effective fountains of many different designs and sizes, the common features of all being the simplicity of the method by which they are sealed, and the ease with which the pump can be replaced, when it eventually stops working.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealed medical fountain for medical facilities. In recent years, what are called “open water features” - this generally refers to large displays found in lobbies or waiting rooms - have become popular in medical facilities, but they have been banned, because the open water in these water features has been found to harbor waterborne disease, such as Legionnaire’s disease. Safety rules now require that all water features in medical facilities must be sealed, and the present invention enables patients and staff and visitors in medical facilities to safely enjoy the benefits of cascading water. Not only is the water sealed inside the sealed medical fountain, but bleach, or some other disinfectant, can be added to the water that is sealed inside the fountain, as an extra safety step. In a sealed medical fountain, a small quantity of water, treated with bleach, or some other disinfectant, circulates continuously, as it safely creates the sound of cascading water.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a sealed medical fountain for the general population. Decorative indoor fountains are very popular, and they come in many different designs and sizes, but all of these current designs have open water, which has several disadvantages: the water evaporates, and must be constantly replenished; the water and fountain can collect dirt and mold, so the fountain may occasionally need to be cleaned, and the water replaced; and, minerals in the water can accumulate in, and diminish the function of, the fountain and pump. And, now, at the time of the writing of this patent application, the worldwide COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which is caused by an airborne virus, is making people very aware of how easily transmissible diseases can be; and, thus, the sealed medical fountain is the perfect product for people who love the sound of cascading water, but might be worried that an open water fountain could, potentially, harbor and spread waterborne disease.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a sealed medical fountain to alleviate the problem of nocturia in older men, which can be the result of the aging of the prostate and bladder, and which forces men to awaken one or more times at night to urinate. The inventor, through personal experience and anecdotal information, believes that the sound of cascading water can stimulate the bladder to work more normally during the day, and, thus, alleviate nocturia at night. The inventor uses a prototype of the fountain herein described, which sits, ignored, in the living room, and runs continuously and virtually silently - it often cannot be heard, when there is radio and TV and other ordinary noises - but, yet, it allows the inventor to sleep through the night uninterrupted. Obviously, clinical trials on a sample population of nocturia suffers would be required, to determine its degree of effectiveness and the percentage of men who benefit from it, before it could be promoted in commerce as a device that alleviates nocturia.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a sealed medical fountain for medical facilities that would provide an excellent advertising device for medical-related companies, such as pharmaceutical companies. Because this plastic fountain, if produced in high volume, would be inexpensive, an advertiser could donate fountains to hospitals and doctors, who could place them in locations that provide the relaxing, calming, soothing, peaceful effects of the fountain to patients. And, if it is determined, through clinical trials, that the fountain can be promoted as a device that can alleviate nocturia, that would enhance its value as an advertising device for medical-related companies.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a sealed medical fountain that has a utilitarian version, being simply a tall rectangular container - much like a trash can - that can sit beside the wall or in a corner, where it runs continuously, subtly filling the room with its effects. Being flat on top, obj ects can sit upon the container.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a sealed medical fountain that has a decorative version, in which the container is made of clear plastic, and inside of which is a decorative insert over which water can cascade in a visually appealing way. And, because the fountain is sealed, and the water will not evaporate, colorant can be added to the water, enhancing the visual appeal of the cascading water inside the clear plastic container.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a sealed medical fountain that is plastic, and, once it is established to be beneficial for men, can become a value-added product that could be adorned with the logos of sports teams, or could be molded in the shape of a football, or various other forms.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of a sealed medical fountain.

FIG. 2 is a exploded view similar to FIG. 1, with the container partially cutaway, and with the pump carrier and the connected pump and cord and tubing removed.

FIG. 3 is an elevated front view of the pump carrier.

FIG. 4 is an elevated side view of the pump carrier.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, with the pump and cord and tubing fitted to the pump carrier.

FIG. 6 is a view of FIG. 3 taken along line 6-6.

FIG. 7 is a view of the lid-receiving insert taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a enlarged fragmentary view taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

FIG. 9 is a front elevated view of the fountain with the container and the lid-receiving insert cutaway.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view, with the cord cutaway, taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention, with the container and cone-fitted lid-receiving insert partially cutaway, and with the conical plug-fitted screw-down lid and the pump and the cord and the tubing removed.

FIG. 12 is an elevated view of the conical plug-fitted screw-down lid.

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 7 of the cone-fitted lid-receiving insert of this second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the conical plug-fitted screw-down lid insert shown in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a front elevated view of this second embodiment, with the conical plug-fitted screw-down lid removed and the elongate foam seal disconnected from the elongate seal holder.

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 15 with the elongate foam seal connected into the elongate seal holder.

FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIG. 16 with the conical plug-fitted screw-down lid secured into the cone-fitted lid-receiving insert.

FIG. 18 is a front elevated view of a third embodiment of the invention, which has a clear plastic cover.

FIG. 19 is a rear elevated view of this third embodiment of the invention. FIG. 20 is an exploded view of FIG. 19, with the base, the decorative insert, and the clear plastic cover cutaway, and with the pump and the cord and the tubing removed.

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary view of the clear plastic cover taken along line 21-21 of FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary view of the decorative insert taken along line 22-22 of FIG. 20.

FIG. 23 is a side plan view of the clamp-down lid.

FIG. 24 is a side elevated cutaway view of the clamp-down lid.

FIG. 25 is a front elevated view of the clamp-down lid.

FIG. 26 is an underside view of the clamp-down lid as shown in FIG. 23.

FIG. 27 is a side elevated view of this third embodiment of the invention, with the base, the decorative insert, and the clear plastic cover cutaway, and with the clamp-down lid removed and the disk-shaped foam seal disconnected from the seal-receiving recess.

FIG. 28 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 27 with the disk-shaped foam seal connected into the seal-receiving recess.

FIG. 29 is a view similar to FIG. 28 with the clamp-down lid secured onto the fountain.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals designate like parts, and referring initially to FIG. 1 through FIG. 10, a sealed medical fountain according to the present invention.

A sealed medical fountain 10 in its first configuration has an upright rectangular trashcan like container 11 securely fitted into the top of which is a lid-receiving insert 12, there being a container cord slot 13 and a lid-receiving insert cord slot 14 that are vertical and in alignment and opening out the top of, respectively, the container 11 and the lid-receiving insert 12, the lid receiving insert cord slot 14 opening to a threaded cylindrical lid socket 15 at the bottom of which is a socket bottom 16 through which is a circular fountain access opening 17. On and below the socket bottom 16 is a V-shaped recess 20 at the bottom of which is a semi-cylindrical bottom cord channel 21, with there being a cord-gripping ridge 22 centrally across the bottom cord channel 21. Visible through the fountain access opening 17 is a water-level marker 18 molded into and rising up from the center of the bottom of the container 11. And, there is a disk-shaped screw-down lid 19 which can be screwed into the threaded cylindrical lid socket 15.

In this first configuration there is also an elongate pump carrier 23 comprised of a pair of spaced-apart elongate side strips 24A, 24B connected at one end to a top disk 25 and at the other end to a pump platform 26, with the side strips 24A, 24B being additionally connected together by cross-members 27A, 27B, 27C, and connected to the side strips 24A, 24B near the top disk 25 is a spout 28. On opposing sides of the carrier 23 and connected to opposing side strips 24A, 24B are cord retainers 29A, 29B and tubing retainers 30A, 30B, 30C. On the underside of the top disk 25, and in alignment with the spout 28 below the top disk 25, is a downward-pointing wedge 31 at the bottom of which is a semi-cylindrical top cord channel 32. A submersible pump 33 can be positioned on the pump platform 26, the cord 34 of the pump 33 being held in place by the cord retainers 29A, 29B and twisting around and through the side strips 24A, 24B as it extends up toward the top disk 25, and tubing 35 connected to the pump 33 can be held in place by the tubing retainers 30A, 30B, 30C as the tubing 35 extends up to and fits into the spout 28.

Viewing the water-level marker 18 through the fountain access opening 17 water can be poured into the container 11 up to the top of the water-level marker 18, whereupon the carrier 23 can be inserted into the container 11 through the fountain access opening 17, thereby positioning the pump 33 at the bottom of the container 11 and positioning the spout 28 above the water and near the top of and slightly spaced apart from the container 11, such that the pump 33 at the bottom of the container 11, now under water, can propel water through the tubing 35 so that it can be propelled out of the tubing 35 at the spout 28 and against the container 11 to create the sound of cascading water. The cord 34 extends up through the fountain access opening 17 and out through the aligned lid-receiving insert cord slot 14 and container cord slot 13 and fits into the bottom cord channel 21 at the bottom of the V-shaped recess 20 in the socket bottom 16, whereupon the wedge 31 on the underside of the top disk 25 of the carrier 23 fits into the V-shaped recess 20, with the top cord channel 32 at the bottom of the wedge 31 fitting over the cord 34, and with this alignment the top disk 25 of the carrier 23 is positioned above the socket bottom 16 such that when the screw-down lid 19 is screwed down into the threaded lid socket 15 it presses the top disk 25 tightly against the socket bottom 16 and squeezes the cord 34 tightly between top cord channel 32 on the wedge 31 and the bottom cord channel 21 in the V-shaped recess 20, the cord-gripping ridge 22 on the bottom cord channel 21 pressing into the cord 34 to assist in securing the cord 34 in place.

This first embodiment of a sealed medical fountain 10 is thus assembled for use, and all that is required then is to plug it in and position it against a wall or in a corner and enjoy its benefits. Sealed, and with the cord 34 secured in place, the fountain 10 should be maintenance free, until such time as the pump 33 stops working. At that time, the carrier 23 can be removed, and the pump 33 can be replaced; or, depending on the marketing strategy of the company making the fountain 10, a complete replacement carrier 23 assembly, to include the carrier 23 and the pump 33 and the tubing 35, can be sold.

A second embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 11 through FIG. 17, is similar to the first embodiment, but with the carrier 23 eliminated, and the water-level marker 18 now taking the form of a centrally-disposed cross member on a rectangular open frame 36 that fits diagonally in the container 11, the rectangular open frame 36 comprised of a pair of elongate side pieces 37A, 37B joined together at their bottoms by an elongate bottom piece 38 and joined together at their tops by an elongate top piece 39, the spout 28 now situated on the elongate top piece 39 where it is slightly spaced apart from the side of the container 11.

In this second embodiment, the V-shaped recess 20 and bottom cord channel 21 and cord gripping ridge 22 on the socket bottom 16 of the lid-receiving insert 12 are eliminated, and the lid receiving insert 12 has on the underside of the socket bottom 16 an open-ended cone 40 adjacent to which is an elongate seal holder 41 adjacent to the lid-receiving insert cord slot 14. Secured onto the cord 34 of the pump 33 is an elongate foam seal 42. The elongate seal holder 41 is an open sided cylinder and the cord 34 and the elongate foam seal 42 thereon are able to fit securely in said elongate seal holder 41, a portion of the elongate foam seal 42 pushing out of the elongate seal holder 41 and into the cone 40. On the underside of the screw-down lid 19 in this second embodiment is a conical plug 43, and when the screw-down lid 19 is screwed down into the lid socket 15 the conical plug 43 compresses the portion of the elongate foam seal 42 that has pushed out into the cone 40, the conical plug 43 fitting tightly in the cone 40 and against the elongate foam seal 42 to seal the container 11 and secure in place the cord 34. In this second embodiment of the invention, which includes an elongate foam seal 42 on the cord 34, should the pump 33 fail, the manufacturer of the fountain 10 should have available for sale replacement pumps 33 that have elongate foam seals 42 on their cords 34, so that their fountains 10 continue to work as intended.

A third embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 18 through FIG. 29, is substantially different from the first and second embodiments, and is comprised of a base 44 into which is fitted a dome-like decorative insert 45, with there being a dome-like clear plastic cover 46 fitted over the decorative insert 45 and fitted over and secured onto the base 44, the base 44 having a water-level marker 18 incorporated into it, much like in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 9.

The back of the clear plastic cover 46 has a recessed area through which is an insert connection opening 47, and at the back of the decorative insert 45 is a cooperating recessed area, such that when the clear plastic cover 46 is fitted down over the decorative insert 45 a lid platform 48 at the recessed back of the decorative insert 45 fits securely into the insert connection opening 47 on the clear plastic cover 46, the fountain access opening 17 passing through the lid platform 48, there being a raised rim 49 around the fountain access opening 17, and there being a pair of spaced apart latches 50A, 50B on the lid platform 48, and between the raised rim 49 and the two latches 50A, 50B there is formed a seal-receiving recess 51.

The decorative insert 45 has a flat front 52, at the top of which is the spout 28, and extending outward from the flat front 52 and below the spout 28 are water flow deflectors 53A, 53B, 53C,

53D over which water from the spout 28 will flow to create the sound of cascading water, the water returning to the base 44 through a drain 60 in the decorative cover 45. The tubing 35 fits into the spout 28 and extends down to the pump 33 at the bottom of the base 44, the cord 34 of the pump 33 extending upward and out of the fountain access opening 17, there being secured onto the cord 34 a disk-shaped foam seal 54, the disk-shaped foam seal 54 able to fit tightly into the seal-receiving recess 51 and the cord 34 able to pass between the two latches 50A, 50B.

There is a clamp-down lid 55 having a concave underside into which is fitted a flat foam seal 56, the clamp-down lid 55 having on one edge an elongate lid connection tab 57 that can be fitted into a lid connection slot 58 on said clear plastic cover 46, and on the edge of the clamp-down lid 55 opposite to the lid connection tab 57 there are a pair of spaced apart raised locking tabs 59A, 59B, the clamp-down lid 55 configured such that when the disk-shaped foam seal 54 on the cord 34 is tightly fitted into the seal-receiving recess 51 the clamp-down lid 55 can seal the fountain 10 and secure the cord 34 in place, the flat foam seal 56 on the underside of the clamp-down lid 55 pressing onto the rim 49 around the fountain-access opening 17 and the clamp-down lid 55 is adapted to complete the seal of the disk-shaped foam seal 54 on the cord 34, the lid connection tab 57 on the clamp-down lid 55 fitted into the lid-connection slot 58 on the clear plastic cover 46 and the locking tabs 59A, 59B on the clamp-down lid 55 fitting into the latches 50 extending upward from the lid platform 48 such that the clamp-down lid 55 is secured in place.

Similar to the second embodiment of the invention, with this third embodiment of the invention the manufacturer of the fountain 10 should have available for sale replacement pumps 33 that have disk-shaped foam seals 54 on their cords 34, so that their fountains 10 continue to work as intended.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, and it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.