Music – Instruments – Automatic
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-30
2003-06-10
Lockett, Kim (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Automatic
C084S095200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06576821
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a music box transmitting mechanism, and more particular, the present invention relates to a transmitting mechanism, wherein an inner rotatable member in a liquid container rotating in an opposite direction to that of a bottom rotating member.
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 transmitting mechanism. However, conventional transmitting 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 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 shown in
FIG. 1
, the music box
4
at the bottom of a mount case
3
thereof provides a transmitting member
1
with a stirring wheel
43
to transmit the energy to the rotating casing
12
rotating in a direction. Further, the main shaft
41
with a decoration umbrella
2
at the upper part thereof may rotate with the shaft
41
synchronously in a direction opposite to that of the rotating casing
12
. According to this prior art, some people develop transmitting mechanisms having an inner rotatable member rotating in a liquid container. The crux of the prior art resides in that an inner rotatable member in a liquid container gains the kinetic energy from the power device and then rotates in one direction. It is hard to directly transmit the energy from the power device to the inner rotatable member because the inner rotatable member in a liquid container can't directly with the power device. On the other hand, it is another problem to prevent the water in the container from leaking. Hence, many people develop various transmitting mechanisms.
However, ordinary inventions always provide a sophisticate device and make the production cost increase greatly. Moreover, the inner rotatable member in a liquid container with a decoration article usually can't move smoothly because of the drag of water and the friction among transmitting elements. On the other hand, there is another problem about the transmitting distance. Since the inner rotatable member is far from the power device, there should be a long transmitting member to successfully transmit the kinetic energy without leaking any liquid in the container. The kinetic energy, however, is easy to be consumed in a long-distance transmission. Hence, it is hard for the player to have a feeling like playing the actual turnabout 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 transmitting 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.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a transmitting mechanism having a long-distance transmitting member to successfully transmit the less kinetic energy without leaking any liquid in the container and consuming the kinetic energy.
According to the present invention, a music box transmitting mechanism comprises a bottom rotating member having a driven gear and rotating in one direction, a top rotating member having a liquid container and an inner rotatable member rotating in a direction opposite to that of the bottom rotating member, a base foundation having a power device and containing the bottom rotating member, and a transmitting member having a transmitting rod for transmitting the kinetic energy from the power device to the top rotating member.
Certainly, the base foundation can have a decorative casing, a disk having a central hole and the power device being a music producing and driving unit having a stirring wheel, a top shaft and a bottom shaft passing through the central hole of the disk.
Certainly, the liquid container can be fixed on the base foundation and have a bottom hole with a waterproof pad. The inner rotatable member can have a disk and a bottom fixing part passing through the waterproof pad and the top rotating member further comprises a decoration disposed on the disk.
Certainly, the power device can have a top shaft and the transmitting member can further comprise a limiting stick fastened to the top shaft, a transmitting device fixed on the limiting stick, and the transmitting rod having a top fixed part locked in the inner rotatable member.
Preferably, the transmitting device can comprise a disk secured to the top of the limiting stick and a plurality of peripheral projective cylinders.
Preferably, the inner rotatable member can have a bottom fixing part and the transmitting rod can further comprise the top fixed part locked in the bottom fixing part, a bottom part having a plurality of radiate projective cylinders and engaging with the transmitting device, and a stick connecting the top fixed part and the bottom part.
Preferably, the power device can have a stirring wheel. The transmitting member can have a limiting stick and the bottom rotating member can further comprise a rotating casing having a central hole, a driven gear having a central hole and fixed in the rotating casing, a driving gear disposed on the stirring wheel, and a transmitting gear disposed on the power device aside and meshing with the driven gear and the driving gear, wherein the rotating casing and the driven gear are sequentially passing therethrough the limiting stick.
Certainly, the liquid container can contain water inside.
The present invention may best be understood through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
REFERENCES:
patent: 5110636 (1992-05-01), Hou
patent: 6174215 (2001-01-01), Shih
patent: 6329580 (2001-12-01), DeVivo
Lockett Kim
Mathews, Collins Shepherd & McKay, P.A.
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