Patent Application
20200129869
This invention relates to swings. More particularly, it relates to motorized smart swings.
Swings are commonly used to provide therapeutic movement and/or exhilaration for toddlers and adult people of all ages; particularly for physically or intellectually challenged individuals. In the latter case, swing therapy holds potential for an enhanced sense of well-being. Commonly known “powered” swing systems are driven by electric motors, battery source, or varied types of mechanical crank systems.
Most swings large and small are simply pushed manually by a companion, playmate, caretaker, parent or others. For example, at institutional caretaking facilities, manually driven swings generally demand attendants dedicated to each swing system operation. These can be time consuming and budget-intensive—not to mention physically exhausting. Converting to electric motors and battery powered units for operating swing systems can be costly, not only for system investment but also in terms of human capital and operational expenses.
Electric motors in general introduce an obvious safety hazard with respect to typically metal swing frames. Batteries are subject to repeated depletion wherein the swing's motion and associated benefits diminish or cease, thus demanding prompt battery replacement if swing motion is to be resumed. Mechanical crank driven swings tend to be a laborious nuisance since active crank cycle time is limited, and because the crank mechanism itself can be annoyingly noisy and subject to jamming. Besides, due to liability issues such swing drive systems are believed to no longer exist on the commercial market.
Currently available swing drives have weight limitations. Motor, battery or crank-powered swings are usually assigned to light duty only and are wholly inadequate for supporting and moving (i.e., swinging) swing seat occupants greater in size and mass than typical infants. Weight or mass is a consideration in terms of swing design for heavier swing seat occupants, particularly with regard to natural frequency effects. Overall size of passengers can be an issue with respect to air resistance. Likewise, typically lightweight construction of conventional battery or crank swings cannot withstand stress inherent in extended swinging.
Thus, it is understandable that existing swing systems involving electric motors, cranks and battery-powered operation are less desirable since they can be expensive and/or inadequate for maintaining satisfactory swinging motion where extended utilization and/or heavier swing occupants are concerned.
Not only is swing equipment costly, but significant institutional staff or family/friend labor often is dedicated to providing adequate swing motion for swing seat occupants who are disabled or otherwise physically and/or intellectually challenged individuals. Typically, hands-on assistance in the form of direct, manual pushing may be necessary several times each minute. Moreover, existing swings with motor or battery drives require tedious power/frequency adjustment for occupants of different mass/weight and size.
Continuous manual readjustment of a swing's power drive system from one occupant to the next can be a daunting task for caretakers or healthcare providers—presenting not only physical demands but also cognitive challenges of managing control variables factoring occupant weight, power levels and frequency. All this, added to the many other daycare worker duties in a therapy or caretaking facility can be overwhelming. Too often, the unfortunate result is considerably limited or non-existent swing therapy for the disabled or challenged.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. All terms in the plural shall also be taken as singular and vice-versa. Further, any reference to he shall also be applicable to she and vice-versa.
Referring to
The swing set 110 has a first swing seat 120 and a second swing seat 121. The swing seats 120, 121 are attached to the top bar and made of strong, durable material such as hard plastic, metal, etc. The swing seats 120, 121 may also include safety straps 122 for holding a person in the swing seats 120, 121.
The safety straps 122 are useful, especially in the case of an infant being contained in the swing seat 120, 121 and being swung by another person. The safety straps 122 generally are nylon and fit around a first user and a second user and buckle in the front, though they can be made of any material and can be coupled together in any variety of ways including just placing over with no buckle attachment.
The swing seat 120 has a first cable 123 and swing seat 121 has a second cable 124. The first cable 123 and the second cable 124 may be made of any strong but bendable material such as rope, metal cable, etc.
The first cable 123 is coupled to the swing seat 120 on a first end 125 and to the top bar 113 of the swing set at a second end 126. The second cable 124 is coupled to the swing seat 121 at a first end 127 and coupled to the top bar 113 at a second end 128 of the second cable 124.
The swing set 110 further has a motor 130. The motor 130 can be any type of motor. The motor 130 must be able to be coupled securely to the swing set 110. The motor 130 may be coupled to the swing set 110 using screws, a clamp, Velcro, etc.
The motor 130 allows for the powering of the swing seats 120, 121 automatically thus alleviating the need for an individual to be behind a child swinging the child and encourages interaction between the child and the individual.
The motor 130 is in communication with a control panel 132 and an energy source 140, 150. The control panel 132 is generally coupled to a leg 111, 112 such as in the
If the user powers up the motor 130 using the control panel 132, then the swing seat 120, 121 can be controlled separately using the control panel 132.
The energy source 140, 150 of the motor 130 can be a battery 140, solar panel 150 or any other means of providing energy to a motor 130.
The battery 140 may be stored in such a way as to avoid contact with children or others to provide a safe place to play. In the example the battery 140 is stored under ground level 142. The battery would be placed into the ground 142 to provide a safe, clean and dry area for the battery 140 storage. The battery 140 is coupled to the motor 130 by extending a power line into the leg 112 and through the control panel 132 and finally to the motor 130.
The swing set 110 may further be equipped with lamps 160. The lamps 160 may be LED or any other type of lamps. The lamps 160 may be placed on the top bar 113, as shown, along the legs 111, 112, or anywhere else along the swing set 110.
The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features of other embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
