Amusement devices: toys – Rotating or having visible rotating portion – On wheeled support
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-02
2003-06-24
Ackun, Jacob K. (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Rotating or having visible rotating portion
On wheeled support
C446S175000, C446S236000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06582273
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a music box transmission mechanism, and more particular, the present invention relates to a transmission mechanism, wherein a transmitting device can rotate along with a rotation disc and a plurality of movable rods disposed at the periphery of the rotation disc can move up and down upon moving with a movable rotor.
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 drive 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 often be provided with a mechanism to cause the decorative ornament to move as the music drum rotates. The decorative ornament is usually mounted on a support member, which is associated with the drive mechanism to provide the movement to the decorative ornament.
In order to provide reciprocating movement or rotational movement to different decorative objects of the ornamental display assembly, 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 make use of the unwinding phenomenon of spring to provide the rotational movement for a separate decorative ornament. 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 an arrangement inherently requires a complex drive system to provide the desired motion to the decorative ornaments and needs a larger space.
Accordingly, the toy maker has tried to miniaturize the turnabout and has presented a variety of turnabout toys capable of rotating and going up and down as the turnabout in the amusement field does and these toys are loved very much by many people regardless of adults and children. Taking our invention, U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,271 granted on Jan. 4, 1994, as an example, the music box at the bottom of a mount case thereof provides a driving unit with a shaft extending downward from the center of the cavity. Further, the security nut fastens to a main shaft by way of screw threads so as to hold a rotation disc together with an open end of the mount case such that the main shaft with a decoration umbrella at the upper part thereof may rotate with the shaft synchronously. The crux of the prior art resides in that a wavy cam ring is arranged in the upper housing cavity and a movable rod is disposed above each circumferential hold at the periphery of the rotation disc with a decoration article at the top thereof. The respective movable rod at the lower end thereof passes through the respective hold to engage with a ring and a follower means with inner threads so that each follower means contacts with the wavy cam when the rotation disc rotates the movable rods and the decoration articles rotate along with the rotation disc. Moreover, the movable rods move up and down due to the follower means at the lower end of respective movable rod moving along the wavy cam ring. Hence, the prior art can offer a rotation and an up and down movement, and many people develop various transmission mechanisms according to the prior art.
However, ordinary inventions always provide a sophisticate device and make the production cost increase greatly. Moreover, the total weight includes those of the movable rods and the decoration articles, which press on the wavy track, and usually can't move smoothly. Someone discloses a movable rod with an arm contacting with a contour on the wavy track, but the invention can't reduce the friction effectively or make movement smoothly; on the other hand, it induces a new problem about the torque. Hence, it is hard for the player to have a feeling like playing the actual turn-about while a toy with a device of the prior art is used.
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 decorative elements rotated in opposite directions, which are actuated by a common power source.
According to the present invention, a music box transmission mechanism comprises a first rotating member having a power device and rotating in one direction, a second rotating member having a wavy track and rotating in an opposite direction to that of the first rotating member, a limiting frame fixed on the first rotating member, and a moving members limited in the limiting frame, disposed on the wavy track of the second rotating member and moving up and down upon moving with the first rotating member.
Certainly, the power device can be a music producing and driving unit having a first shaft on the top thereof, a second shaft on the bottom thereof, and a stirring wheel.
Certainly, the power device can have a top shaft on the top thereof, a bottom shaft thereof on the bottom, and a stirring wheel, and the first rotating member comprises a plurality of fixing devices and a rotation disc having a central through hole to be passed by the first shaft and a plurality of peripheral through holes for respectively securing the fixing devices.
Certainly, the respective fixing device can have a stop ring at the intermediate thereof and extends upward a cylindrical section and downward a decorative section; and the radius of the cylindrical section is larger than the radius of the symmetric through hole of the rotation disc.
Certainly, the second rotating member may comprise a transmitting shaft having a driving gear and extending outward from the power device, a cap-like cam having an asymmetric wavy track and a central fitting hole, and a driven gear meshing with the driving gear and fixed below the cap-like cam.
Certainly, the asymmetric wavy track may provide a contour with a continuous slant surface.
Certainly, the asymmetric wavy track could provide a longer path while the moving member is traveling upwards than that while the moving member is traveling downwards.
Certainly, the moving member can comprise a movable rod passing through a fixing device of the first rotating member, an upper link having a ball and a stick passing therethrough and disposed on the top part of the movable rod, and a decorative article at the lower part of the movable rod.
Certainly, the limiting frame can have a limiting through hole passing therethrough a stick of the moving member and is fixed on the first rotating member to prevent the moving member from shifting horizontally.
Certainly, the first rotating member and the second rotating member can be connected by a connecting rod and rotate in opposite directions.
Certainly, the second rotating member can have a cap-like cam having a uniform thickness to prevent the cap-like cam from deformation.
Certainly, the first rotating member may be disposed on a base foundation including a fixing nut locked in a bottom shaft of the power source and rotates in one direction.
Certainly, the base foundation can have an upper part thereof connected to the fixing nut, and a lower part thereof providing a stationary base to support the first rotating member and the second rotating member.
The present invention may best be understood through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
REFERENCES:
patent: 4573939 (1986-03-01), Hoshino
patent: 5226845 (1993-07-01), Wu
patent: 5617658 (1997-04-01), Chen
patent: 6174215 (2001-01-01), Shih
Ackun Jacob K.
Mill Bena B.
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