Method for an Oscillating Moving Display

Abstract

An efficient battery powered oscillating mobile comprises of a mobile, elastic cord, free standing module assembly, plurality of keeper fasteners, and external rigid anchor point. The mobile comprises of an outer shell, which comprises of a printed circuit board assembly, hole, tab, and cord. The printed circuit board assembly comprises of a printed circuit board, motor, motor shaft, metal arm, and cross beam. Each keeper fastener comprises of keeper fingers, blade screwdriver slot, keeper head, and keeper shaft. The free standing module comprises of a power source assembly, housing mechanism, motor assembly, catch, catch slot, plurality of slots, sliding guide, printed circuit board assembly, electrical contact pin, plurality of retainer holes, snap locks, switch spring system, cord adaptor, coin cells, and keeper spring.

Description

[0001]The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61 / 428,789 filed on Dec. 30, 2010.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to battery powered mobiles that can oscillate through its own mechanisms.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]One type of traditional mobile is designed to rotate when suspended by a cord and hung outside and exposed to a breeze. For other mobiles, it is desired to enable a decorative mobile to rotate while suspended indoors where there is not an adequate breeze to energize it. Battery powered modules containing DC motors with a reduction gear set to reduce the motor shaft from thousands of rpm down to sub-10 rpm are presently sold for this purpose. Typically, these mobiles are mounted from a ceiling or other overhead horizontal surface with the output shaft oriented vertically downward to support the mobile by a string or cord. Because of the size of and weight necessary to operate these...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0065]In the current invention, the mobile or other object to be rotated is supported by an elastomeric cord or multiple strands of filaments connected directly between the object to be rotated and the motor output shaft with or without a motor speed reduction device such as a gear box. The motor is typically pulsed on for between 10 and 1000 milliseconds (ms), depending on the motor RPM, length of the cord and the rate of rotation desired for the mobile. The assembly that includes the motor, printed circuit board, circuitry to run the motor, batteries, and may or may not also include the flexible elastic cord or multiple strands of filaments attached to the motor shaft, is called the free standing module. The standard methods of detecting rotation are relatively expensive and require relatively high power, which would shorten the battery life. The present invention uses a novel mechanical switch, which requires very little power and is inexpensive.

[0066]Another object of this invention is to provide inexpensive craft kits that include multiple free standing modules along with pre-cut, scored nets made of card stock. For example, the five Platonic solids, whose faces are congruent regular polygons and whose polyhedral angles are all congruent, & symmetrical, can be easily formed from nets. The Archimedean solids are somewhat more complex but also have high symmetry and they too can be formed into pleasing three-dimensional objects from nets as can many other solids. These nets can either be decorated by the crafter or can be supplied as pre-decorated. The free standing modules are designed to attach to the nets prior to being formed into three-dimensional objects. Also, the nets can be de-constructed for battery replacement.

Problems solved by technology

The standard methods of detecting rotation are relatively expensive and require relatively high power, which would shorten the battery life.

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