GB2282308A - Vivarium - Google Patents

Abstract

The background of a vivarium, such as an aquarium, is back-lighted to display a scene blending naturally with the environment of the vivarium enclosure. A light box (16) is located inside the vivarium enclosure (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) and includes a translucent wall (16) supporting a photographic transparency of the scene. Lighting means (23) is positioned to illuminate the transparency via a mirror (19). The translucent wall (16) may alternatively comprise a screen for the projection of a photographic transparency, or a moving picture, or a video. <IMAGE>

Description

ILLUMINATION OF A VIVARIUM The present invention relates to the illumination of a vivarium for the display of animals. Although the invention relates generally to vivaria, it has particular application to the illumination of an aquarium for the display of aquatic creatures. Throughout this specification, the word vivarium is used to comprehend both aquarium and any other enclosure for the display of animals.

Whilst some vivariums are free-standing so that their contents can be viewed through any of the side walls, it is more usual for a vivarium to be placed against a wall, or other structure, whereby its contents can be viewed primarily through any one side wall which defines a window. The present invention is specifically concerned with this type of vivarium in which the back of the enclosure is viewed primarily through a window at the front of the enclosure. This type of vivarium is sometimes arranged so that its contents can also be viewed through one or more side walls.

With aquariums of this type it is known to provide special services on, or adjacent, the back wall or walls to simulate rocks or other aquatic habitats, and also to paint the back wall or walls with an underwater aquatic scene. The use of such underwater aquatic scenes helps to provide a more realistic setting for the display of the creatures in the aquarium but these tend to look contrived and artificial due to the contrast with the rest of the tank and due to being noticeably two-dimensional.

It is an object of the present invention to produce a scene in a vivarium in such a way as to mitigate the above disadvantages, and to particularly to produce an underwater aquatic scene in an aquarium. According to one aspect of the invention, a vivarium comprises an enclosure having a first side wall defining a window through which the contents of the enclosure can be viewed, a translucent sheet bearing an appropriate scene being positioned inside the enclosure remote from the window to be viewed there through, and lighting means positioned to illuminate the side of the translucent sheet remote from the window. In this manner the underwater aquatic scene in an aquarium can be back lighted so that it blends naturally with the environment of a tank. Similarly the background scene for other vivaria can be back lighted to provide a natural backing for the enclosure. The scene is preferably produced photographically to provide a background which is both completely natural and, due to the back lighting, gives an illusion of an indefinite field of view.

The translucent sheet is preferably positioned in a light box which is located inside the enclosure and includes a mirror arranged to reflect light through the translucent sheet. The light box is preferably self contained and includes a light source positioned so that the mirror will reflect the light through the translucent sheet. The light source is preferably arranged at the top of the light box and the mirror is inclined to the vertical to reflect the light through the translucent sheet. Preferably the interior of the light box is provided with a reflective surface to ensure that most of the light from the light source is directed through the translucent sheet.

When the light box is provided for an aquarium, the box preferably has a weight which is greater than the weight of the volume that it displaces. To achieve this the light box may be provided with a ballast weight at or adjacent its bottom.

Preferably the translucent sheet is mounted in such a manner that it can be changed to suit the requirements of the owner. Instead of using a ballast weight, the light box may be provided with fittings to secure it in position inside the aquarium.

The light box is preferably provided with mountings for the light source.

In this case the mountings can also serve as carrying handles.

According to another aspect of the invention the translucent sheet may be used as a screen for the projection of a picture. Such projection may be of a transparency mounted at or above the top of the translucent sheet, or of a moving picture provided by a projector of a video.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of an aquarium provided with a light box in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a plan view of part of Figure 1 showing the light box positioned inside the tank.

With reference to the drawings, the aquarium comprises a glass tank having a front wall 10 through which the contents can be viewed, side walls 11 and 12, a rear wall 13, and a base 14. The components 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 may be cast to form a unitary enclosure but are more likely to be formed from sheets of glass, or other transparent material, which are secured and sealed at their abutting edges. As will be noted from Figure 1, the view through the window 10 shows an aquatic scene surrounded by a fascia 15.

With particular reference to Figures 2 and 3, it will be noted that the aquarium contains a light box 16 which is formed as a unitary water-tight structure, the fascia 15 being carried by the front surface of the light box 16. The surface of the light box 16 that can be seen through the window 10 is translucent and supports a backing 17 in the form of a photographic transparency which may be provided with a diffused backing paper. The backing 17 is preferably selfsupporting and is located inside the light box 16 by appropriate guides such as a moulding 18 which locates and supports its bottom edge. An inclined mirror 19 also has its bottom edge supported by the moulding 18 and its top edge resting against the back wall 20 of the light box. Brackets 21 and 22 are secured to the top of the light box and are shaped, as shown in Figure 3, to provide carrying handles for the light box. Each of the brackets 21 and 22 support a light bulb 23 which is positioned to direct its light towards the mirror 19 for reflection through the translucent sheet 17. The internal wall to the light box, other than the front wall 16, are preferably provided with reflective surface to enhance the transmission of internally reflected light through the transparency 17.

In the case of a vivarium, the light box would merely be positioned at the back of the enclosure and held in place, if necessary, by appropriate fixings.

However, when the light box is to be positioned inside an aquarium, it is necessary to take account of the potential buoyancy of the light box due to the water it displaces. For this reason the light box is designed either so that it weighs substantially as much as the water it displaces, or alternatively is provided with an internal ballast weight 24 as shown in Figure 2. In appropriate cases, the buoyancy of the light box can be ignored provided it can be adequately secured within the aquarium.

The light sources 23 can be adjusted to vary the amount of light projected and may include provision to simulate single, or multiple, rays of sunlight. It will be noted that the light sources 23 are positioned, for safety reasons, well above the water level 25.

The light box may be moulded as a unitary structure or may alternatively be fabricated from sheets of appropriate material.

In appropriate cases, the translucent sheet 17 can take the form of a screen on which a picture, or a moving picture is projected from a position at, or adjacent, the top of the light box. In this case the light bulbs 23 would be replaced by a projector for a stationery scene or by a cine or video projector.

Claims (23)

1. A vivarium comprising an enclosure having a window through which the contents of the enclosure can be viewed, a translucent screen for displaying an appropriate scene being positioned remote from the window to be viewed therethrough, and lighting means positioned to illuminate the side of the screen remote from the window.

2. A vivarium. according to Claim 1, in which the scene is produced photographically to provide a background to the enclosure.

3. A vivarium, according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the scene is borne by the translucent screen for illumination by the lighting means.

4. A vivarium, according to Claim 3, in which the scene is a photographic transparency supported by the translucent screen,

5 A vivarium, according to Claim 3, in which the scene is formed on the translucent screen.

6. A vivarium, according to any preceding claim, in which the translucent screen is positioned in a light box located inside the enclosure.

7. A vivarium, according to Claim 5, in which the light box includes a mirror arranged to reflect light from the lighting means through the screen.

8. A vivarium, according to Claim 6 or 7, in which the light box is a self-contained unit including the light source.

9. A vivarium, according to Claim 8, in which the light source is arranged at the top of the light box and the mirror is inclined to the vertical to reflect the light through the translucent screen.

10. A vivarium, according to any of Claims 6 to 9, in which the interior of the light box is provided with a reflective surface to ensure that most of the light from the light source is directed through the translucent screen.

11. A vivarium, according to any preceding claim, including a projector for projecting the scene onto the translucent screen.

12. A vivarium, according to any preceding claim, including a projector for projecting a moving picture onto the translucent screen.

13. A vivarium, according to any of Claims 1 to 11. including a projector for projecting a video onto the translucent screen.

14. A vivarium substantially as described herein and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

15. A light box, for a vivarium according to any of Claims 6 to 14.

16. A light box, according to Claim 15, provided with fittings to secure it in position inside a vivarium enclosure.

17. A light box, according to Claim 15 or 16, provided with a mounting for the light source or projector.

18. A light box, according to Claim 17, in which the mounting also serves as a carrying handle.

19. A light box, for a vivarium, substantially as described herein and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of illuminating a vivarium including projecting an appropriate scene on a screen positioned remote from a window through which the contents of the vivarium will be viewed.

21. A method, according to Claim 20, including projecting the scene onto -the back surface of the screen.

22. A method, according to Claim 20 or 21, including projecting the scene from a position outside the vivarium enclosure.

23. A method of illuminating a vivarium substantially as described herein.