Removable Pendulum-Operated Swing Mechanism

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a pendulum-operated swing mechanism, specifically a mechanism to swing a furniture-style object back and forth by using a smaller object, thus allowing the entire mechanism to swing like a pendulum using minimal force production as well as being removable and transferrable between the varying objects.

Description of the Background Art

Presently, similar technology is used to swing a baby-sleeper back and forth to encourage the baby's relaxation. These devices are well known and rather effective. The underlying principles of the similar technology use a motor to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy, thus allowing the baby-sleeper to rock back and forth. In this particular presentation, a device called a photocoupler detects when the baby-sleeper is at a velocity of zero units (or when the height of the baby-sleeper is the highest) and signals the motor components to switch the motor in the opposite direction, thus sending the baby-sleeper in the opposite direction. The similar technology's shortcomings are due to the fact that the devices used to swing the baby-sleepers are permanently built-in to the entire apparatus, thus non-removable. Furthermore, the shortcomings include the fact that the baby-sleeper is the mass or object used in the pendulum's operation. That is, using the baby-sleeper as the mass or object requires the system to generate a non-negligible amount of force to keep the system in operation.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvement, which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement, which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the removable pendulum-style swing mechanisms.

Another object of this invention is to provide a removable pendulum-operated swing mechanism that is designed to be removable and mountable on objects that have varying dimensions and uses.

Another object of this invention is to provide a removable pendulum-operated swing mechanism that is designed to use a considerably light-weight object as the mass that the pendulum uses to thereby swing the furniture-style object into a subsequent pendulum.

The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For the purpose of summarizing this invention, this invention comprises a removable pendulum-operated swing mechanism.

Embodiments of the present invention are herein described by way of example and directed to a removable pendulum-operated swing mechanism. The aforementioned state of the art of removable pendulum-operated swing mechanisms shows the need for improvements, specifically in the removability of the swing mechanisms as well as the ability to use a considerably light-weight object as the mass that the pendulum uses to thereby swing the furniture-style object into a subsequent pendulum arc.

The removable pendulum-operated swing mechanism of the present invention satisfies the aforementioned deficiencies because of its unique design and ability to use a considerably light-weight object as the mass, rather than the mass of an entire baby plus baby-sleeper, that the pendulum uses to thereby swing the furniture-style object into a subsequent pendulum. The system includes a lateral elongate member attached to an object by way of a securing means which is attached to the lateral elongate member by way of a fastening means. The lateral elongate member is further attached to a housing panel with accompanying motor, which is further attached to a second lateral elongate member. The second lateral elongate member is also attached to an object by way of a securing means which is attached to the lateral elongate member by way of a fastening means. A vertical elongate member is also attached to the housing panel and extends downwards to a connected cavity/container, used to contain a mass. The cavity/container(s) are secured to the vertical elongate member by way of a fastening means.

In one embodiment, the motor includes a photocoupler which detects the gratings within the turnplate to send an electrical signal to the motor to switch directions, thus sending the system in the opposite direction. A more detailed explanation can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 9,279,486, filed on Mar. 16, 2013, titled “Swing Drive Mechanism,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

In another embodiment, a Hall effect sensor controlled pendulum is used to swing the furniture-style object into motion. This embodiment continues to take advantage of using a smaller object to swing a larger, furniture-style object into motion. The sensor has the ability to signal a circuit board to turn on an electromagnet when a magnet is relatively above the electromagnet. The electromagnet includes a metal core and has north and south poles, when a current is generated through itself. When the magnet swings towards the electromagnet (turned off), the magnet's north pole is attracted to the metal core of the electromagnet. The sensor then detects the change in voltage due to the interaction between the magnet and the electromagnet. The sensor then turns on the electromagnet, which activates the electromagnet's two poles. The electromagnet now has a north and south pole, with the north pole activated and pointing towards the magnet. The electromagnet's activated north pole effectively pushes or repels the magnet in the continued direction of its inertia due to the two poles repelling each other. Thus, the magnet continues to swing as a pendulum. A more detailed explanation can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,837,570, filed on Jul. 27, 2005, titled “Swing device having circuit for generating repulsive force,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

In view of the photocoupler and Hall effect sensor methods, various other methods can be used to detect the movement of the pendulum, such that when zero movement is detected, the electrical current is reversed, thus sending the pendulum into the opposite direction. Such methods may include further uses of magnets, timers, force/pressure sensors, voice commands, etc.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of the removable pendulum-operated swing mechanism in accordance with the underlying principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the removable pendulum-operated swing mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a top elevational view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a right perspective view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a left perspective view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is an operational front plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an operational front plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is an operational front plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is an operational front plan view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is an operational front plan view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention thereof;

FIG. 13 is an operational front plan view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention thereof; and

FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of the Hall effect sensor embodiment.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIG. 1, a lateral elongate member 16 is attached to a larger object 90 by way of a securing means 12 which is attached to the lateral elongate member 16 by way of a fastening means 14. The lateral elongate member 16 is further attached to a housing panel 20 with accompanying motor 40, which is then attached to a second lateral elongate member 16. The second lateral elongate member 16 is also attached to the larger object 90 (FIGS. 8-13) by way of a securing means 12 which is attached to the lateral elongate member 16 by way of a fastening means 14. A vertical elongate member 26 is also attached to the housing panel 20 and extends downwards to a removably connected cavity/container 28, used to contain a smaller object 60 (FIGS. 8-13). The cavity/container(s) 28 is secured to the vertical elongate member 26 by way of a fastening means 14. The system is powered via a power chord 24 connected to a power source (not shown). The housing panel 20 includes device 18, which contains components to sway the larger object 90 along a swing axis.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing panel 20 includes a multitude of intensity buttons 30 and a power button 32. The motor 40 and motor components 34 (FIGS. 3-7) are located relative to the housing panel 20. The lateral elongate members 16 extend to the sides of the housing panel 20 and a vertical elongate member 26 extends downwards from the housing panel 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, the motor components 34 include a motor 40 and a motor shell 38, which are relatively connected to each other. The motor 40 is powered via power cords 48 and ground wire 46, connected to a power source, not shown. The motor shell 38 is connected relative to a circuit board component 44 that controls the photocoupler 52. The circuit board component 44 communicates with the system by way of electrical wiring 42 which is then connected to the housing panel 20. The motor components 34 are attached to the housing panel 20 by any fastening means and may be attached to either lateral elongate member 16. The circuit board components 44 further include a photocoupler 52, which detects the gratings 58 in the turnplate 36. The motor shell 38 further includes a connecting plate 56 that attaches the motor shell 38 to the vertical elongate member 26.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the turnplate 36 rotates through the photocoupler 52. The photocoupler 52 does not come into contact with the turnplate 36 while the turnplate 36 is rotating.

As shown in FIG. 7, the turnplate 36 is comprised of gratings 58 which allow the photocoupler 52 to determine when the gratings 58 rotate through the photocoupler 52 compared to when the gratings 58 do not rotate through the photocoupler 52. Thus, the photocoupler 52 determines the proper number of gratings 58 that must rotate through itself in order to send a signal to the motor 40 to switch directions, sending the motor 40 in the opposite direction and thus, swinging the vertical elongate member 16 in the opposite direction.

FIG. 8 is the starting point for the mechanism 10. Evidently, the mechanism 10 takes advantage of the smaller object's 60 mass to swing the large object 90 into a pendulum. Thus, the mechanism 10 only must transfer enough force to move smaller object 60, instead of an entirely heavier object such as a baby sitting in a baby-sleeper. Notably, the smaller object 60 may be removably contained within the cavity/container 28 or may be itself attached to the vertical elongate member 26.

As shown in FIG. 9, the mechanism 10 moves the smaller object 60 in the rightward direction, while the larger object 90 moves in the opposite, leftward direction. When the left side of the larger object 90 is at a maximum distance from the smaller object 60, it naturally tends to revert back to equilibrium as shown in FIG. 8. That is, when the larger object 90 moves back to the rightwards direction, the smaller object 60 is moved to the leftward direction by the force produced by the motor. This again creates the situation where the larger object 90 wants to be in equilibrium and thus, tends to move away from the leftward direction. This is called pendulum movement.

As shown in FIG. 10, the mechanism 10 moves the smaller object 60 in the leftward direction, while the larger object 90 moves in the opposite, rightward direction. As stated in FIG. 9, the system moves due to the principle that the larger object 90 always tends towards equilibrium, while the smaller object 60 is moved away from equilibrium by the motor 40.

As shown in FIG. 11, the mechanism 10 may be secured relatively above the large object 90 via securing means 12.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the mechanism 10 again works as a pendulum. The smaller object 60 is sent in one direction, while the larger object 90 is forced in the opposite direction. Once at a maximum opposite direction, the larger object 90 tends to move back towards equilibrium and at the same time, the smaller object 60 is sent in the other direction.

FIG. 14 shows the Hall effect sensor embodiment 88, which is contained within a casing 62. The casing 62 is connected to the housing 20, replacing the need for the motor components 34. The Hall effect sensor embodiment 88 includes a magnet 68 which is connected to a connecting rod 78 which is connected to a fixing member 80. The fixing member 80 allows the magnet 68 to rotate along about an axis member 64. The axis member 64 is then connected to the proximal end of the vertical elongate member 26 as shown in the FIGS. 1-13, thus allowing the vertical elongate member 26 to sway about its axis which in turn, sways the smaller object 60 about its axis. The magnet 68 sways above a Hall effect sensor 74, which is located in between the magnet 68 and an electromagnet 70 and connected to a circuit board 66, which includes a battery (not shown). The electromagnet 70 receives a current from the circuit board 66 via positive wire 82 and negative wire 84 which enables the electromagnet 70 to generate a magnetic field that repels the magnet 68 towards or away from a line 72.

The mode of operation begins when the magnet 68 is moved away from line 72 by an external force. The magnet 68 will then be attracted and move towards a metal core 76 housed within the electromagnet 70. The magnet 68 will be directly above the electromagnet 70 for an infinitesimal period of time and will then move slightly past the electromagnet 70 due to its inertia. Once the magnet 68 has moved slightly past the electromagnet 70, the Hall effect sensor 74 (having an applied current through itself) will detect a decreased voltage, and will send a signal to the circuit board 66 allowing the electromagnet 70 to be turned on, producing a repelling magnetic field about the electromagnet 70 to repel the magnet 68 away from the line 72. Once the voltage increases, the Hall effect sensor 74 will send a signal to the circuit board 66 to turn off the electromagnet 70, thus allowing the magnet 68 to be once again, attracted to the metal core 76 and the magnet 68 will begin to move towards line 72. This operation then repeats itself

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Removable Pendulum-Operated Swing Mechanism

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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional Applications (1)