Patent Application
20090084008
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to trophies and more particularly to trophies that include a rotating article that houses a motor configured to rotate the rotating article.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most trophy designs are little more than static displays. Many prior art trophies attempt to grab attention by the inclusion of features such as sculptural elements, lights, and polished metal surfaces. While such static displays can attract the attention of an observer for a short period of time, the novelty of the display quickly wears off causing prior art trophies to lose their appeal. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a trophy that acquires and maintains the attention of observers.
As used herein, the term “trophy” refers generally to an object associated with or symbolic of a victory or accomplishment as well as to an object associated with or symbolic of the occurrence of an event or an object used to memorialize or commemorate an event.
Referring to
The stationary base 100 and/or the rotating article 200 may include sculptural and/or decorative elements. The decorative elements may be embossed, engraved, stenciled, painted, formed or molded into the base 100 and/or the rotating article 200 or otherwise applied or affixed to the base 100 and/or the rotating article 200 using any method(s) known in the art.
In various embodiments, the stationary base 100 and/or the rotating article 200 are shaped to represent or resemble an item or items related to the accomplishment, event, or commemoration for which the trophy 10 was constructed. In some embodiments, the shape of the base 100 is associated with or complements the shape of the rotating article 200. For example, referring to
Similarly, referring to
If the trophy 10 relates to the sport of baseball, the portion 102 of the base 100 may be shaped to resemble a bat, glove, or hand and the outer surface 202 of the rotating article 200 may be shaped and decorated to resemble a baseball, glove, bat, etc. As a non-limiting example, the portion 102 of the base 100 may be shaped to resemble an uprighted bat and the rotation mechanism 300 may support and rotate the rotating article 200 upon one of the ends of the uprighted bat.
Other non-limiting examples of shapes suitable for the portion 102 of the base 100 include the shape of various pieces of athletic equipment (e.g., bat, pool cue, helmet, hockey stick, etc.), human figures, animals, a stage, a field, a court, Olympic rings, alphanumeric characters, vehicles (e.g., airplanes, automobiles, trucks, boats, motorcycles, etc.), any portion of the aforementioned, and the like.
In various embodiments, the shape of the portion 102 of the base 100 and/or the outer surface 202 of the rotating article 200 may be unrelated to the accomplishment, event, or commemoration for which the trophy 10 was constructed. For example, referring to
While the rotating articles 200 depicted in the drawings have a generally spherical outer shape, the rotating article 200 may have alternate outer shapes including square, rectangular, ovoid, elliptical, pyramidal, cylindrical, and the like. Further, the rotating article 200 may have an arbitrary outer shape and/or the outer shape of items related to the accomplishment, event, or commemoration. As non-limiting examples, the rotating article 200 may be shaped to resemble a piece of athletic equipment (e.g., a tennis ball, football, basketball, baseball, pool ball, soccer ball, golf ball, helmet, hockey puck, etc.), a celestial object (e.g., planet, moon, star, satellite, etc.), map of the constellations superimposed on a sphere, flame, flower bloom, disk, human figure, animal, automobile, any portion of the forgoing, and the like. As is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the invention is not limited by the shape and/or decorative elements selected for either the base 100 or the rotating article 200.
The base 100 may be solid, hollow, or a combination thereof. Further, the base 100 may be constructed from any material known in the art including metal, plastic, wood, glass, rubber, fiberglass, and the like. In particular embodiments, the base 100 may be constructed from a substantially clear or translucent material such as glass, clear plastic (e.g., acetate), Plexiglas, etc. In various embodiments, the base 100 may include decorative elements such as a clock 106 (see
Optionally, referring to
Aspects of the present invention provide the rotation mechanism 300 housed within the rotating article 200 for transmitting rotational motion from an actuating element of the rotation mechanism 300 to the rotating article 200. The rotation mechanism 300 which when assembled with the rotating article 200 is substantially enclosed within it, and is substantially invisible from the exterior, giving the appearance that the rotating article 200 is rotating seemingly without a motor drive or other means causing the rotation.
The seclusion or concealment of the rotation mechanism 300 substantially within the rotating article 200 may provide a pleasing outer appearance uncluttered by the components of the rotation mechanism 300. Further, the trophy 10 may attract and maintain the attention of observers as the rotating article 200 rotates upon the base 100, seemingly without any source of rotational drive. Because the means of rotation is substantially invisible from the exterior, the trophy 10 may evoke the curiosity of onlookers as they try to determine how the rotating article 200 is able to rotate. Further, such curiosity may cause onlookers to inquire with respect to the trophy 10 giving its owner an opportunity to discuss the accomplishment, event, or commemoration with which the trophy 10 is associated.
Referring to
The housing 206 may be constructed using any material known in the art including, for example, plastics, metals, wood, glass, Plexiglas, and any combination thereof. As one non-limiting example, the housing 206 may be constructed using injection molded plastics.
In various embodiments, the housing 206 may include two or more sub-members that may be disassembled to allow access to the components of the rotation mechanism 300 disposed in the interior space 208 of the housing 206. In alternate embodiments, the housing 206 may be constructed as a single unit or constructed using sub-members that are permanently assembled together. In various embodiments, the housing 206 may include a solid lower portion (not shown) and/or solid upper portion (not shown), one or both of which may include channels or voids for housing the various components of the rotation mechanism 300.
In the embodiment depicted in
While the rotating article 200 depicted in
The housing 206 includes an aperture 210 located on the axis 222 and adjacent to the location where the rotation mechanism 300 rests upon the base 100. The aperture 210 allows one or more components of the rotation mechanism 300 inside the interior space 208 of the housing 206 to engage one or more components of the rotation mechanism 300 exterior to the interior space 208 of the housing 206. The rotation mechanism 300 may include a support platform 342 having an upper surface 345 and a lower surface 346. The support platform 342 may be located exterior to the interior space 208 of the housing 206. The lower surface 346 of the support platform 342 engages the support surface 148 of the base 100 when the rotation mechanism 300 supports the rotating article 200 upon the base 100.
In particular embodiments, the support surface 148 may have a surface area substantially equal to or only slightly greater than a surface area of the lower surface 346 of the support platform 342. For example, referring to
In particular embodiments, the support platform 342 may be substantially disk shaped with a diameter of about 0.5 cm to about 2 cm. However, as is apparent to those of ordinary skill, the support platform 342 may have any shape and the invention is not limited by the shape of the support platform 342.
The rotation mechanism 300 may include a motor 332 coupled nonrotatably to the housing 206 of the rotating article 200. In the embodiment depicted in
The motor 332 may be nonrotatably coupled to the housing 206 in any manner known in the art for coupling a motor to the inside surface of a hollow object such that a body 334 of the motor cannot rotate relative to the hollow object. In the embodiment depicted in the drawings, the lower hollow portion 214 of the hollow portion 212 includes a motor anchor sleeve 224 within the interior of the lower hollow portion 214 along the axis 222. The motor anchor sleeve 224 may be molded as an integral part of lower hollow portion 214. The anchor sleeve 224 may have a lower end portion 226 attached to the lower hollow portion 214 and an upper end portion 228 having an upwardly opening interior chamber 229 with an opening 230 sized to receive the body 334 of the motor 332 therethrough for positioning in the interior chamber.
In various embodiments, the body 334 of the motor 332 may be pressed through the opening 230 of the interior chamber 229 of the anchor sleeve 224 to provide an interference fit within the interior chamber so as to prevent relative rotational movement between the motor body 334 and the lower hollow portion 214. Alternatively, the motor body 334 may be molded into the anchor sleeve 224 or fastened thereto in any manner known in the art. In particular embodiments, one of the motor body 334 and the anchor sleeve 224 may include one or more projections that are received into corresponding recesses formed in the other of the motor body 334 and the anchor sleeve 224.
The motor 332 may be coupled to and powered by any autonomous power source (not shown) known in the art such as one or more batteries, solar panels, and the like. The autonomous power source may be retained within the housing 206 so as to be invisible to a person viewing the assembled rotating article 200 from the exterior. Alternatively, one or more solar panels may be mounted to the outside surface 202 of the rotating article 200 to provide power to the motor 332 of the rotation mechanism 300.
The motor 332 has a rotational output shaft 336 extending downward from the motor body 334 along the axis 222. The output shaft 336 may engage a thrust bearing 338 also aligned with the axis 222 that facilitates rotation of the lower hollow portion 214 relative to the output shaft 336. The thrust bearing 338 may absorb forces, such as thrusts, parallel to the vertical axis of rotation 222. The thrust bearing 338 may be positioned in an inwardly and upwardly opening recess 239 in the lower hollow portion 214 aligned with the axis 222, within the lower end portion 226 of the anchor sleeve 224. The recess 239 is sized to receive and hold the thrust bearing 338 therein.
In embodiments in which the housing 206 includes a solid lower portion, the motor body 334 may be molded into the solid lower portion and a channel (not shown) formed along the axis 222 between the motor 332 and the aperture 210. The channel may include a wider portion or void sized and shaped to house the thrust bearing 338. In this manner, the output shaft 336 may extend from the motor 332 through the channel and exit the interior 208 of the housing 206 via the aperture 210 whereat a distal end 340 of the output shaft 336 may be attached to the upper surface 345 of the support platform 342.
The aperture 210 may be located within the recess 239 and a lower end portion or distal end 340 of the output shaft 336 may exit the interior 208 of the housing 206 via the aperture 210. The distal end 340 may be securely and non-rotatably attached to the support platform 342 using any suitable known means.
The outside surface 202 of the housing 206 may include an outwardly and downwardly opening recess 244 aligned with the axis 222 and sized to receive the majority portion 348 of the support platform 342 and allow the housing 206 to rotate freely about the support platform 342 which is nestled within the recess 244 within the lower hollow portion in close proximity to the support surface 148 of the base 100. In the embodiment depicted in
It may be desirable to shape and size the minority portion 350 to minimize its visibility when the support platform 342 is engaging the support surface 148. When positioned upon the base 100, the support platform 342 and the recess 244 may be positioned and sized to be essentially invisible to a person viewing the rotation mechanism 300 and rotating article 200 coupled thereto. The support platform 342 may be sized and shaped to provide sufficiently stable support for the rotating article 200 as the housing 206 is rotated about the axis 222 by the motor 332 so that it does not fall over.
When electrical power is applied to the motor 332, rotational drive is applied to the output shaft 336. Surface interaction forces, such as friction, between the lower surface 346 of the support platform 342 and the support surface 148 of the base 100 resist the rotation of the lower surface 346 relative to the support surface 148. The lower surface 346 of the support platform 342 frictionally engages the support surface 148 with sufficient force to prevent rotation of the lower surface 346 (and therefore the support platform 342) relative to the support surface 148, thus causing the motor body 334 to rotate relative to the base 100 while the output shaft 336 remains stationary relative to the base.
In other words, while the motor 332 applies rotational drive force to the output shaft 336, frictional forces between the support surface 148 and the support platform 342 resist this rotational drive force and maintain the support platform 342 and hence the output shaft 336 coupled thereto in a substantially stationary position. The frictional force between the lower surface 346 of the support platform 342 and the support surface 148 is at least as great as the rotational force applied to the output shaft 336 by the motor 332, thereby preventing the support platform 342 from rotating relative to the support surface 148. As a result, the motor body 334 and housing 206 nonrotatably coupled thereto rotate about the output shaft 336 and the support platform 342 and the body 100 as a unit.
With respect to the embodiment depicted in
In the embodiment depicted in
In the embodiments depicted in the drawings, the rotational drive force of the motor 332 is resisted only by the surface interaction forces, such as friction, between the lower surface 346 and support surface 148. While the contour of the lower surface 346 may correspond to and mate with the contour of the support surface 148 of the base 100, neither contour is configured to resist or interfere with the free movement of the lower surface 346 relative to the support surface 148. Specifically, neither contour resists or interferes with the rotation drive force applied to the output shaft 336 and translated to the support platform 342. Neither of the lower surface 346 and support surface 148 include projections (such as pegs) received into the other of the lower surface 346 and support surface 148. Further, no securing or fastening means is present between the lower surface 346 and support surface 148.
In alternative embodiments, the support platform 342 may be affixed to or embedded in the base 100. By way of example, the lower surface 346 may be adhered to the support surface 148 using any suitable method known in the art. Alternatively, a recess (not shown) may be formed in the support surface 148. The recess and/or support platform 342 may be configured in a manner that prevents the support platform 342 from rotating inside the recess, thus preventing rotation of the output shaft 336. By way of another example of a method of holding the output shaft 336 in non-rotational engagement with the base 100, the support platform 342 may include one or more downwardly extending projections (not shown) configured to be received inside one or more corresponding recesses (not shown) in the support surface 148. The projections and corresponding recesses may be configured to prevent the rotation of the support platform 342 relative to the support surface 148. In further embodiments, the support platform 342 may be omitted from the distal end 340 of the output shaft 336. The distal end 340 of the output shaft 336 may be disposed inside a recess (not shown) formed in the support surface 148 and maintained in non-rotational engagement therewith using any method known in the art. The invention is not limited by the manner in which the rotation of the output shaft 336 relative to the base 100 is prevented.
As is apparent to those of ordinary skill, the size and shape of the support platform 342 and the corresponding support surface 148 of the base 100 may determine the size and/or shape of rotating article 200. If the rotating article 200 is asymmetric about the axis 222 of rotation, stability may be increased by using a larger support platform 342.
The motor may include any electric motor capable of producing enough torque to rotate the rotating article 200 using power obtained from the autonomous power source.
As is appreciated by one of ordinary skill, trophies are produced in a large range of sizes. For example, the Stanley cup is about 35¼ inches tall and weighs about 34½ lbs. Other trophies are much more modest in size and weight. Consequently, as is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the size and shape of the base 100 and rotating article 200 may be determined by the needs of the party constructing the trophy 10.
The foregoing described embodiments depict different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or “operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).
Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
