Music – Instruments – Automatic
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-21
2001-03-20
Hsieh, Shih-Yung (Department: 3682)
Music
Instruments
Automatic
C084S095100, C084S094100, C084S094200, C084S096000, C084S097000, C084S098000, C446S366000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06204439
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transmission mechanism for a music box having a plurality of ornaments coupled thereon, and especially to an ornamental display assembly having vertically reciprocating and rotating decorative elements actuated by a common power source.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Currently, various music box-incorporated ornamental display assemblies have been disclosed and have appeared on the market, such as carrousels or the like. These ornamental display assemblies are rotated or reciprocated by the driving mechanism of a wind-up music box mechanism through a transmission mechanism. However, conventional transmission mechanisms for use with wind-up music box mechanism are commonly complicated and expensive.
In addition, such kinds of devices are often provided with a plurality of decorative ornaments and may be provided with a mechanism to cause the decorative ornaments to move as the music drum rotates. The decorative elements are usually mounted on a support member which is associated with the drive mechanism to provide the movement to the decorative element.
In order to provide reciprocating movement and rotational movement to different decorative objects of the ornamental device, it is known to use an output shaft of the music drum to provide the power source for the reciprocating movement of a decorative element and to use the unwinding of spring to provide the rotational movement for a separative decorative element. When this concept is applied to a variety of movements of the decorative elements, separate drive mechanisms are required and the decorative elements must be laterally spaced apart on the ornamental display assembly. Such a placement inherently requires a complex drive system to provide the desired motion to the decorative elements.
Thus, it is desirable to improve the defects of the prior arts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide a transmission mechanism for a music box ornament which is simple in structure and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ornamental display assembly having vertically reciprocating and rotating decorative elements actuated by a common power source.
It is another yet object of the present invention to provide a transmission mechanism for music box ornament which moves different ornaments in different ways.
In the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transmission mechanism for a music box includes a support mounted in the music box and having a through hole, a following piece slidably moving along two opposite elongated sides of the support, an elongated support member inserted through the through hole of the support and having one end coupled with the ornament and the other end secured to the middle portion of the following piece (preferably by screwing or riveting), and a driving mechanism disposed in the music box and having a rotary wheel with an eccentric rod, wherein the following piece is alternately moved up and down by the eccentric rod thereby resulting in a vertically reciprocated movement of the ornament when the rotary wheel is rotated.
The support has two protrusions at the bottom thereof to be tightly engaged with two holes of a base of the music inbox. In addition, the support has an open upper end extended out from a top surface of the support and mounted around the through hole for preventing the elongated support member from shaking. Preferably, the open upper end is integrally formed with the support.
Preferably, the support has two elongated slots and the following piece has two lugs which extend from two opposite sides thereof and inserted into the two elongated slots for slidably moving along the two elongated slots.
In the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transmission mechanism for a music box includes a driving mechanism having a rotary wheel with an eccentric rod and disposed in the music box, a support mounted in the music box and having a through hole, a connection rod having two opposite ends, an elongated support member inserted through the through hole of the support, secured on the support, and having one end coupled with the ornament and the other end secured on one end of the connection rod, and a coupler having a first end connected with the other end of the connection rod and a second end coupled with the eccentric rod. The other end of the connection rod will be driven by the coupler when the rotary wheel is rotated, thereby resulting in a reciprocated rotation of the ornament.
Preferably, the eccentric rod has an annular groove formed thereon to prevent the second end of the coupler from separating from the eccentric rod.
More preferably, the eccentric rod has an annular collar portion formed thereon to prevent the second end of the coupler from separating from the eccentric rod.
In this embodiment, the support has an open upper end extended out from a top surface of the support and mounted around the through hole for preventing the elongated support member from shaking. Preferably, the open upper end is integrally formed with the support.
In addition, the transmission mechanism further includes a generally crosssectionally U-shaped resilient member to secure the elongated support member on the support by sleeving the U-shaped resilient member on an annular groove of the elongated support member to prevent the elongated support member from falling down or separating from the support after the elongated support member is inserted through the through hole of the support.
Preferably, the connection rod has two holes on two opposite ends thereof, in which the other end of the elongated support member is inserted into one hole of the connection rod and is fixed thereon by screwing, welding or riveting.
Preferably, the coupler is an S-loop structure which is connected with the connection rod by sleeving one end of the S-loop structure on a nut which is riveted on the other hole of the connection rod.
Preferably, the support has two protrusions at the bottom thereof to be tightly engaged with two holes of a base of the music inbox.
In the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transmission mechanism for a music box having a plurality of ornaments coupled thereon includes a driving mechanism having a rotary wheel with an eccentric rod and disposed in the music box, a first support mounted in the music box and having a through hole, a connection rod having two opposite ends, a first elongated support member inserted through the through hole of the first support, secured on the first support, and having one end coupled with one ornament and the other end secured on one end of the connection rod, a coupler having a first end connected with the other end of the connection rod and a second end coupled with the eccentric rod, a second support mounted in the music box and having a through hole, a following piece slidably moving along two opposite elongated sides of the second support, and a second elongated support member inserted through the through hole of the second support and having one end coupled with another ornament and the other end secured to the following piece. When the rotary wheel is rotated, the following piece is alternately moved up and down by the eccentric rod thereby resulting in a vertically reciprocated movement of the one ornament, and the other end of the connection rod will be driven by the coupler thereby resulting in a reciprocated rotation of another ornament.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4875886 (1989-10-01), Sung
patent: 5473969 (1995-12-01), Chen
patent: 5543577 (1996-08-01), Zhu et al.
patent: 5571979 (1996-11-01), Chen
Hsieh Shih-yung
Madson & Metcalf
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