Device for rotating a monitor around an instrument

Abstract

The mechanism for rotating the monitor around the instrument uses a cam with an angle or convex angle pointing towards the instrument, fixed to the instrument in a plane of rotation parallel to the monitor. The monitor is mounted on the outer section of an extendable arm assembly, the inner section of which is attached to the instrument by means of a rotary bearing. The outer section of the extendable arm is slidably attached to the inner section by a spring mechanism that applies tension to the outer section in a direction toward the rotary bearing. As the extendable arm assembly rotates, the cam follower attached to the outer section of the extendable arm assembly follows the outer contour of the cam, thereby causing the outer section of the extendable arm to also follow the outer contour of the cam.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of desktop instruments with attached monitors that allow viewing from more than one side of the instrument. Background Technology

[0002] Instruments with monitor screens exist, in which providing visual access to information displayed on the monitor from more than one direction would be useful. In particular, when adjusting the instrument or the object being operated on, being able to see the information on the monitor from more than one side of the instrument would be useful. This is especially advantageous when performing ophthalmic or optometric measurements on an object, where, for example, a practitioner might want to sit next to the patient to check if his / her chin and forehead are correctly positioned on the machine while viewing information on the monitor. Depending on the geometry of the room, sometimes one side is preferred, and sometimes the opposite side. Alternatively, the practitioner might prefer to sit opposite the patient, in front of the machine. Existing instruments are known to have several monitors, such as one on each side, allowing the viewing screen to be viewed from multiple sides. A significant disadvantage of such instruments is the cost of several monitors. Another possible solution is to rotate or swivel a single monitor around a corner of the instrument so that it can be viewed from multiple directions. The disadvantage of this option is that, in order to easily clear the corner of the instrument, the monitor needs to be attached to an arm of a certain length that positions the monitor at a certain distance from the side of the instrument. The distance between the monitor and the equipment may make the monitor vulnerable to accidental impacts, which could damage the monitor, people, or equipment.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need for solutions to overcome at least some of the shortcomings of existing technical systems and methods.

[0004] Any public disclosures mentioned in this specification or in its subsequent or derivative applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a novel exemplary system for an instrument having a single monitor screen that is switchably positionable on multiple sides of the instrument and does not protrude from the instrument significantly beyond the thickness of the monitor. The system utilizes a rotating mechanism that allows the monitor to rotate between at least some sides of the instrument to pass around corners of the instrument and to stop in a stable position relative to the side of the instrument's geometry to which the monitor is attached. This is achieved by causing the monitor to follow the outer contour of a specially shaped cam fixedly mounted on the instrument in a plane generally parallel to the plane of rotation required by the monitor, and this plane is generally perpendicular to the plane of the instrument surface (if the instrument is a common rectangular shape). This contour is shaped with protrusions and recesses or pits, such that the protrusions cause the monitor to move away from the instrument as it passes a corner, and the recesses or pits in the cam contour allow the monitor to move closer to the instrument as it reaches the instrument surface. The monitor is attached to an arm assembly having a pivot bearing that allows the arm assembly to rotate about the instrument. The arm assembly consists of two parts—a longitudinally inner portion on which the pivot bearing is mounted, and an outer portion that slides longitudinally relative to the inner portion, on which the monitor is mounted. A spring mechanism attached between the inner and outer portions of the arm assembly applies an inward tension to the outer portion of the arm assembly, attempting to pull it inward toward the pivot joint. The inward movement of the outer portion of the arm assembly is controlled by a cam follower, which can conveniently be a pin attached to the outer portion of the arm assembly and following the profile of the cam. To reduce friction, the pin may have bearings fitted to it, such as roller, needle, or sleeve bearings, and all references to the term "pin" in connection with the cam follower in this disclosure are intended to include such alternatives and are not limited to pins. The inward force ensures that the pin remains in contact with the cam profile and follows the cam profile as the arm assembly rotates. As the arm assembly rotates, the pin in the arm assembly follows the outer profile of the cam and moves the monitor outward to around the angle of the instrument. As the monitor passes a position parallel to the instrument plane, the monitor is pulled back inward toward the instrument plane.

[0006] The cam profile is shaped such that when the cam follower reaches a new equilibrium point on the cam at one of the cam profile recesses—the minimum potential energy position of the spring mechanism—the monitor comes to rest in a position parallel to and close to the other side of the instrument. In this way, the monitor can be easily positioned on both sides or three sides of the instrument, in a stationary position that brings the monitor close to the instrument.

[0007] It should be understood that although the system described in this disclosure is most commonly used to enable a monitor to navigate around the corners of an instrument, and this is generally the case with the system described in this disclosure, such a mechanism can also be used to ensure that the monitor does not collide with any protrusions extending beyond the surface of the instrument at locations other than corners, and the system is designed to cover all such protruding features, whether corners or other obstacles. The system is therefore required to include the ability to avoid all such obstacles.

[0008] One exemplary implementation relates to a mechanism for rotating a monitor around an instrument, the mechanism comprising:

[0009] (i) A cam, which is fixedly mounted on the instrument in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the monitor, the outer contour of the cam having at least one convex angle with a protruding feature pointing toward the instrument.

[0010] (ii) An extendable arm assembly comprising: an outer section attached to a monitor and an inner section attached to an instrument by means of a rotary bearing, the outer section of the extendable arm being slidably attached to the inner section of the extendable arm and having a spring mechanism adapted to apply tension to the outer section in a direction toward the rotary bearing, and

[0011] (iii) A cam follower attached to the outer section of the extendable arm assembly such that as the extendable arm assembly rotates, the cam follower follows the outer contour of the cam, thereby causing the outer section of the extendable arm to also follow the outer contour of the cam.

[0012] In such a mechanism, the protruding feature can be the corner of the instrument.

[0013] Furthermore, the cam follower can be a pin or a bearing adapted to slide or roll along the outer contour of the cam. In either of the above cases, the outer contour of the cam may also include at least one recess positioned closer to the rotary bearing than the area on either side of the recess, the recess being positioned such that when the extendable arm assembly is at an angle passing through the recess, the monitor is positioned along and close to the side of the instrument. In this disclosure, the term recess can be understood as a gradual notch in the outer contour of the cam relative to the surrounding portion of either side of the notch contour.

[0014] In any of the above mechanisms, the distance from the outer edge of the cam cam angle to the rotary bearing can be such that the monitor is positioned at an angle beyond the instrument when the extendable arm assembly is at an angle passing through the protruding feature of the instrument.

[0015] In addition, the convex angle allows the line between the rotary bearing and the furthest point from the rotary bearing to the outer edge of the cam convex angle to pass through or be close to the convex feature of the instrument.

[0016] The extendable arm assembly may include: two discs connected such that one disc slides along the other disc, or it may include: two cylindrical elements connected such that one cylindrical element slides within the other cylindrical element. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The embodiments of this disclosure will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0018] Figures 1A-B illustrate existing technology solutions for monitors used to view instruments from different angles;

[0019] Figure 2 An isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of the monitor arrangement described in this disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 3A -B with a plan view ( Figure 3A ) and side view ( Figure 3B The image depicts elements of an exemplary embodiment of a monitor locator; and

[0021] Figure 4A -B shows two positions of the monitor and its attachment arm as the monitor moves angularly around the instrument by means of a cam mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Referring now to Figure 1A, a top view of a prior art configuration of instrument 10 is shown, which has monitors 11 attached to several of its surfaces, allowing it to be viewed from said surfaces. Having several monitors, each attached to one side of the instrument, provides the necessary ability to view the instrument output from multiple angles. This solution has a significant cost disadvantage. Figure 1B shows another prior art solution in which monitor 11 rotates around instrument 10 by means of a connecting arm 12 extending between the monitor and the instrument, and rotates around a single fixed point 13 located near the center of the instrument and equidistant from the opposite side of the instrument. In this orientation, monitor 11 must maintain a sufficient distance from the instrument to bypass the corners of the instrument during rotation, as indicated by the dashed circle. This configuration results in a significantly greater space requirement for the monitors compared to a single monitor directly attached to the front of the instrument. Suspending the monitors at a distance from the instrument surface also poses an additional risk of damage to the monitors or to personnel walking around the instrument. Both the use of valuable office space and the possibility of damage are disadvantages of this solution.

[0023] Now for reference Figure 2This diagram illustrates an isometric schematic overall view of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a single monitor 21 positioned on a surface on one side of an instrument 20, the monitor being attached to the instrument via a connecting rod or arm 27. The instrument 20 can be positioned in a fixed position on a stable surface such as a floor, table, or desktop 24. In this exemplary embodiment, the arm 27 is secured at one end to the top of the instrument by means of a pivot bearing 26, allowing it to rotate freely. The other end of the arm 27 is attached to the monitor 21. As will be combined... Figure 3A and 3B As shown, using the novel features of this disclosure, monitor 21 is able to rotate to position 21', where the monitor will be flush with the other side of the instrument, but will not collide with the corner of the instrument during its rotation.

[0024] Now for reference Figure 3A and Figure 3B It shows Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of the instrument's mechanism allows the monitor 31 to rotate around the instrument in a manner that allows the monitor to clear an angle of the instrument and remains flush with that face when the rotation positions the opposite side of the monitor. The system can rotate the monitor to either side of its original position. The rotation mechanism allows the arm to rotate more than 360 degrees, allowing the monitor to be viewed from either side of the instrument.

[0025] First refer to Figure 3AThe diagram illustrates how a monitor 31 rotates about a rotary bearing 36 via an extendable arm 37. The system also includes a cam-shaped element 32 mounted on the instrument, with a cam follower 33 following its contour. The cam 32 can be fixedly attached to the top or bottom of the instrument 30. In the example shown in this disclosure, the monitor rotation mechanism is shown mounted on the top of the instrument, although it should be understood that this is only an option and it can also be mounted on the bottom, or even on both the top and bottom. The monitor is attached to the rotary bearing 36 mounted on the top of the instrument by means of the extendable arm 37, allowing the monitor to swing about the instrument at the end of the arm 37. The arm 37 is extendable such that as the monitor approaches a protruding angle of the instrument, the arm extends to prevent the monitor from colliding with the angle of the instrument. An outer extendable portion 34 of the arm is attached to an inner portion of the arm by means of a spring element 35, which generates tension between the two portions of the arm such that the spring element tends to shorten the length of the arm if not prevented by an external element. A cam follower 33, attached to the outer extendable portion 34 of the arm 37, is such an element, and as the arm and monitor rotate, the cam follower 33 travels along the surface profile of a cam 32 fixedly mounted on the instrument. The cam profile is shaped such that when the monitor is in front of the instrument, the cam follower is in a recess in the cam profile, which is the closest point of the cam profile in that sector of the cam profile to the bearing 36; the distance from the cam follower 33 to the bearing 36, together with the length of the two portions of the arm, causes the monitor 31 to be substantially seated on or near the surface of the instrument. This is the position of minimum potential energy of the spring system, which operates to pull the monitor toward the bearing. Moving away from the cam recess on either side, the cam profile has a convex angle extending outward toward the angle of the instrument, and when it reaches the angle, the distance from the bearing axis to the farthest point of the convex angle causes the cam follower 33 to push the outer section of the extendable arm sufficiently so that the monitor just passes the angle. The cam profile 32 is shaped such that after the monitor has passed the angle, the cam follower 33 is again allowed to move closer to the bearing until it reaches the second recess 38 in the cam profile, positioned at a distance from the bearing axis that causes the monitor to be located on or near the side of the instrument. For symmetrically shaped instruments, the cam is generally bilaterally symmetrical, such that a similar profile is presented on the opposite side of the instrument, causing the monitor to be positioned on the opposite surface. If the instrument is not linear, the alignment of the recesses 38, 39 can be positioned at an angle beyond 90° to the front recess 33. Figure 3AThe diagram illustrates three possible positions of the cam follower. Besides the position where cam follower 33 is positioned, moving it to the right or left will cause the cam follower to follow an outward arcing trajectory, thereby causing the monitor to avoid the angle of the instrument and to come to rest in either of the two positions indicated by dashed circles 38 or 39. It should be understood that this example is an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. In some embodiments, alternative shape configurations of cam 32 may be used to provide a more stable position and viewing angle for the monitor.

[0026] Now for reference Figure 3B , showed Figure 3A A side view of the embodiment. This view shows how the various components are connected and attached. A rotary bearing 36 is fixedly attached to the instrument 30, and an extendable arm 37 rotates about the bearing. In this embodiment, an outer extendable portion 34 of the extendable arm 37 is shown, sliding along a slot along the length of the inner portion of the extendable arm relative to the radially steady state of the rotary bearing. This arrangement for providing radial or longitudinal sliding movement is only a recommended embodiment, and any other suitable arrangement is also possible, such as tube pairs, one sliding inside the other (not shown). Springs 35 should be selected such that they have sufficient tension to hold the monitor firmly in place, but are able to extend to move the monitor outward away from the rotary bearing without excessive force. Pins attaching the outer extendable portion 34 to the inner portion of the arm 37 allow the outer extendable portion 34 and the monitor to move longitudinally or slide relative to the inner arm 37, as indicated by the dashed arrows, with the monitor moving as the cam follower 33 moves laterally about the cam 32.

[0027] Now for reference Figure 4A and Figure 4B This illustrates a cam mechanism in operation as the monitor 31 rotates about a pivot bearing 36 at the top of the instrument 30. The outer section 34 of the arm holding the monitor 31 is attached to the inner section of the arm 37 by means of a spring assembly 35 or other tensioning mechanism. As the arm rotates away from its position closest to the instrument, the cam follower 33 abuts against the cam profile 32, pushing the outer section 34 of the arm and thus also moving the monitor 31 away from the pivot 36. As the monitor rotates, the spring 35 is stretched to maintain contact between the cam follower and the cam profile. The movement trajectory of the monitor is controlled by the shape of the cam 32 and by the movement of the cam follower 33 along the edge of the cam. Because the cam follower 33 is fixedly attached to the outer extendable portion 34, the movement of the outer extendable portion 34 and therefore the monitor 31 is limited by the path of the cam follower 33 along the profile of the cam 32. The movement of the arm 37 is limited to rotation about the rotary bearing 36. The longitudinal movement of the monitor away from the instrument is achieved by the stretching of the spring 35, which allows the outer arm section 34 to slide relative to the arm 37. Figure 4BAs shown, when the cam follower reaches the notch on the cam, the monitor 31 is positioned to rest from its original position to an adjacent side parallel to the instrument 30. Rotating the monitor in the opposite direction will cause the monitor to be positioned on the opposite plane of the instrument to its position in 4B. Depending on the desired position of the monitor, in other embodiments, the cam can be made into any number of useful shapes that are adapted to the shape of the instrument and allow for the desired movement of the monitor or other attached elements.

[0028] Although the embodiments of this disclosure focus on the movable attachment of a vertical monitor to a desktop instrument, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments of the cam follower and cam mechanism can be applied to any number of other situations. The same mechanism can be applied to any device or tool that requires holding a component in several rotatable positions relative to the body.

[0029] Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the content specifically shown and described above. Rather, the scope of the present invention includes combinations and sub-combinations of the various features described above, as well as variations and modifications that would occur to those skilled in the art after reading the above description and that are not part of the prior art.

Claims

1. A mechanism for rotating a monitor around an instrument, the mechanism comprising: A cam, which is fixedly mounted on the instrument in a plane generally parallel to the plane of rotation of the monitor, the outer contour of the cam having at least one convex angle with a protruding feature pointing toward the instrument; An extendable arm assembly comprising: an outer section attached to a monitor and an inner section attached to an instrument by means of a rotary bearing, the outer section of the extendable arm assembly being slidably attached to the inner section of the extendable arm assembly and having a spring mechanism adapted to apply tension to the outer section in a direction toward the rotary bearing; as well as A cam follower is attached to the outer section of the extendable arm assembly such that as the extendable arm assembly rotates, the cam follower follows the outer contour of the cam, thereby causing the outer section of the extendable arm assembly to also follow the outer contour of the cam.

2. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein, The cam follower is a pin, which is adapted to slide along the outer contour of the cam.

3. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein, The cam follower is a bearing, which is adapted to roll along the outer contour of the cam.

4. The mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The outer contour of the cam also includes at least one recess, the recess being positioned closer to the rotary bearing than the area on either side of the recess, the recess being positioned such that when the extendable arm assembly is at an angle passing through the recess, the monitor is positioned along the side of the instrument and close to said side of the instrument.

5. The mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The distance between the outer edge of the cam cam angle and the rotary bearing is such that when the extendable arm assembly is at an angle passing through the protruding feature of the instrument, the monitor is positioned beyond the protruding feature of the instrument.

6. The mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The convex angle causes the line between the rotary bearing and the furthest point from the outer edge of the cam convex angle to pass through or near the convex feature of the instrument.

7. The mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The extendable arm assembly includes two discs connected such that one disc slides along the other disc.

8. The mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The extendable arm assembly includes two cylindrical elements connected such that one cylindrical element slides within the other cylindrical element.

9. The mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The convex feature of an instrument is its angle.

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