Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6419544
-
Patent Number
6,419,544
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Date Filed
Monday, September 25, 200023 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, July 16, 200221 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Harrison; Jessica
- Rada, II; Alex F. R. P.
Agents
- Fliesler, Dubb, Meyer & Lovejoy LLP
-
CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 446 233
- 446 234
- 446 235
- 446 236
- 446 239
- 446 242
- 446 266
- D21 131
- D21 460
- D21 455
- D21 457
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
A battery operated gyroscopic entertainment device is powered from a mating cradle, or from a battery supply within the device. The device includes an egg-shaped housing in which is disposed a high speed DC motor whose motor shaft preferably extends from each end of the motor. A hub member is attached to each shaft end, and a weighted belt is attached to each hub member. A central portion of the motor housing is fixedly attached to the device housing such that upon application of operating potential to the motor, the motor shaft, and the weighted hub members rotate at high speed, which imparts a gyroscopic action to the device. A cradle may be provided containing a power source, with power connections that mate to the device housing when the housing is placed within the cradle.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to gyroscopic entertainment devices in general, and more specifically to a battery operated gyroscopic entertainment device and system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
String-operated gyroscopic toys have long been known in the art. A gimbaled central mass within a top-like housing is made to rotate by wrapping string around mass and pulling rapidly. As the mass rotates, the toy exhibits gyroscopic properties, but typically only for a very short time, perhaps thirty seconds, before the string-imparted rotation ceases.
Rather sophisticated electronically powered gyroscopic devices are known for use as navigational aids, and are commonly found on aircraft. Understandably, such precision devices are expensive and somewhat bulky, when compared to a child's toy gyroscope.
What is needed is a gyroscopic entertainment device that can be battery operated and will exhibit gyroscopic action for longer time periods than stringpowered toy devices.
The present invention provides such a gyroscopic entertainment device and system for powering such device.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides a battery operated gyroscopic entertainment device and system for powering the device. In a first aspect, the device comprises a cradle that houses an electrical power source and provides a concave region into which the gyroscopic device can be inserted, and further comprises a somewhat egg-shaped gyroscopic device. The cradle concave region presents two voltage contacts that mate with two voltage pads on the perimeter of the gyroscope. A button on the cradle provides operating potential to the gyroscope when placed in the cradle, whereupon a motor within the gyroscope begins to rotate at high RPM. The motor shaft preferably extends from each end of the motor housing, and a donut-shaped weight is attached to a light weight element attached to each end of the motor shaft. The motor housing is attached within a donut-shaped member that joins to gyroscope housing.
The gyroscope is left in the cradle for perhaps a minute, during which time the gyroscope motor is powered. The gyroscope is then removed from the cradle and may be placed on any hard surface where it will exhibit gyroscopic behavior for several minutes, until the motor rotation ceases. In an alternative embodiment, the invention comprises only the gyroscopic device, which also houses an internal battery supply.
Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiments have been set forth in detail, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a system comprising a battery-operated gyroscopic device and a power-supply providing cradle, according to the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a view of the energized gyroscopic device exhibiting gyroscopic action when placed on a surface, according to the present invention;
FIG. 3A
is perspective view showing the cradle of
FIG. 1
, according to the present invention;
FIG. 3B
is a perspective view showing the gyroscopic device of
FIG. 1
, according to the present invention; and
FIG. 4
is a top view of the device of
FIG. 1
with the upper housing portion removed for clarity, according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1
depicts a somewhat egg-shaped gyroscopic device
10
placed within a cradle
20
. Cradle
20
houses a battery power supply, e.g., four 1.5 VDC cells B
1
-B
4
, and/or includes a power-receiving jack J
1
to which an external source of DC operating potential may be input via a plug P
1
. As will be described with respect to
FIG. 3A
, within the concave region of cradle
20
into which device
10
fits there is mounted a pair of power providing pads that mate with a pair of power-receiving pads disposed on housing
30
of device
10
(see FIG.
3
B). A switch SW
1
on cradle
20
is pressed by a user to cause power from the cradle to be provided to device
10
, specially to a DC motor housed within device
10
. A light indicator LED is provided to show when power is being provided.
When power is provided by cradle
20
to device
10
, the motor and associated weights (to be described) within device
10
begin to rotate rapidly. After a charge period that may be a minute or so, the motor and weights within device
10
are rotating rapidly, whereupon a user removes device
10
and places it upon a surface
40
. As indicated in
FIG. 2
, gyroscopic action resulting from high speed rotation of the weights within device
10
will cause device
10
to rotate about a spin axis, and to right itself back to the spin axis if disturbed.
Turning now to
FIG. 3A
, concave region
50
of cradle
20
includes a pair of power providing connectors
60
A spaced-apart with an alignment projection
70
-A preferably disposed between these connectors. When SW
1
is toggled on by a user, DC potential from internal battery power source B
1
-B
4
, or from external source received via J
1
is present at these two connectors. A projecting lug
80
-A is also provided on the surface of the concave region to aid in aligning and retaining device
10
when it is inserted into cradle
20
.
FIG. 3B
shows device
10
as though its housing
30
were transparent, which in fact it may be, e.g., a transparent or semi-transparent durable plastic. Egg-shaped housing
30
preferably comprises an upper portion
30
A and a lower portion
30
B, that are adhesively attached together. The interface between sections
30
A and
30
B provides a window region whereas mating electrical pads
60
B and a recess
70
B are provided. The spaced-apart distance between pads
60
-B matches the spaced-apart distance between pads
70
-A on cradle
20
. Further, projection
70
-A on cradle
20
is sized to align and fit within recess
70
B on device
10
. In
FIG. 3B
it is understood that device
10
will be rotated clockwise perhaps 90° before being inserted into cradle
20
. When so rotated, there will be mating alignment between elements
70
-A and
70
-B, between pads
60
-A and
60
-B, and further between projection
80
-A on cradle
20
and dimple-like recess
80
-B on device
10
.
Within device
10
, pads
70
-B are electrically connected to the winding on motor
90
. Motor
90
has a shaft
100
that preferably extends from both ends of the motor. Motor
90
preferably is a high speed unit able to rotate at perhaps 10,000 RPM to 15,000 RPM when 6 VDC or higher is coupled to the motor windings. In cross-section, motor
90
is about 23 mm in diameter.
At its equator, the housing of motor
90
is fixedly attached to a donut-shaped member
110
, to which are attached pads
60
-B, and in which is formed recess
70
-B. Member
110
has a top-to-bottom thickness of perhaps 10 mm and an outer diameter of perhaps 70 mm, and may be made of plastic, nylon, or other suitable materia, preferably an injection moldable material.
As shown in
FIG. 3A
, fixedly attached to the upper portion and to the lower portion of shaft
100
is a preferably light weight plastic hub-shaped or bell-shaped member
120
that has an outer diameter of perhaps 30 mm. Fixedly attached to each member
120
is a ring-shaped or belt-shaped weight
130
preferably made of metal, brass for example. An exemplary weight for each unit
130
is perhaps two ounces. Note that the radius of member
120
(measured from the spin axis) imparts a greater moment to the effective mass of the weights
130
.
Typically, each weight
130
is perhaps 10 mm in thickness, measured top-to-bottom, and is perhaps 5 mm thick. When operating potential is coupled to the winding of motor
90
, motor shaft
100
rotates, which rotates both members
120
, causing rotation of the upper and lower weights
130
, all rotation occurring about the spin axis of device
10
. Member
110
does not, of course, rotate, in that it is fixedly attached to the motor housing, and is also secured to housing
30
. Thus, rotation of weights
130
occurs solely within housing
30
, during and for a time after application of operating potential via pads
60
-B.
If desired, as indicated in
FIG. 3B
, an internal battery supply, denoted B
INT'L
, may be disposed within housing
30
such that cradle
20
can be dispensed with. A switch S
1
, associated with the internal battery, would be accessible from housing
30
to enable a user to power-on motor
90
. Switch
1
could be a push-button switch that causes the motor to be energized only as long as S
1
is depressed, or a toggle-type switch that provides an option to be activated to cause motor
90
to remain activated until the switch is again touched by the user. In this latter mode, device
10
could remain functional for as long as battery life remains, although of course device
10
could hit an object and topple over in its gyroscopic movement.
In summary, the present invention provides a gyroscopic device that can entertain for substantially longer periods of time than can old fashioned pull-the-string type gyroscopic devices.
Modifications and variations may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the subject and spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A gyroscopic device system, comprising:a cradle, defining a concave region sized to accept at least a portion of said gyroscopic device, said concave region including first and second power supply providing terminals; and a gyroscopic device, including: a housing; a motor disposed within said housing, including a motor shaft that defines a spin axis and rotates when power is provided to said motor; a weight attached with said motor shaft, said weight being symmetrical about said spin axis; and a first and second power supply receiving terminal mounted on said housing, for providing operating potential to said motor when said gyroscopic device is placed within said concave region of said cradle.
- 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said shaft of said motor extends from each end of said motor.
- 3. The system of claim 2, wherein said weight is affixed to said shaft by a bell-shaped member that is mounted on each end of said shaft, said member rotates about said spin axis when said motor rotates.
- 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said shaft of said motor rotates at from about 5,000 RPM to about 15,000 RPM.
- 5. The system of claim 1, wherein said cradle provides said operating potential to said motor when said motor is placed in said cradle.
- 6. The system of claim 1, wherein said cradle further includes a battery power supply; andwherein said housing of said device includes mating supply pads, coupled to said motor, disposed to mate with said first and second power supply providing terminals when said device is placed in said cradle.
- 7. The system of claim 1, wherein said housing is egg-shaped.
- 8. The system of claim 1, further including means for retaining said device in alignment within said cradle.
- 9. A gyroscopic device, comprising:a housing; a motor disposed within said housing, including a shaft having a first end and a second end protruding outward from said motor and defining a spin axis, said shaft rotates upon application of operating potential to said motor; a weight symmetrically attached about said spin axis to said first end of said shaft; and an external cradle to which said housing is seated upon to apply operating potential to said motor.
US Referenced Citations (6)