The present invention relates to rotation mechanism of turntable, and more particular to a turner apparatus with minimum thickness and durable structure adapted for being supportively disposed between two surfaces of two objects so as to allow the two objects rotating with respect to each other.
Turntable is a common component to be constructed in many devices and apparatuses, such as display device, media disc player, optical device, furniture, game playing platform, deliver apparatus in production line, and etc., Central rotation mechanism is equipped in turntable for displaying purpose as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,449,640 and 7,708,239. Various central rotation mechanisms are equipped in record turntable as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,315,143 and optical disk as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,191,458. European Patent No. 1,659,021 discloses a lockable turntable equipped in furniture embodying in auto chairs to enable rotation relative to the underframe around a vertical axis, wherein a circular turning pattern of a release lever is converted to a radial motion pattern of the locking pawls by curved grooves of a cam disc. U.S. Pat. No. 7,798,067 teaches a thin turntable for a heavy object as a car including ground-engaging load surface facing each other while the load-supporting platform being supported off the ground-engaging member by an intermediate load transfer unit. U.S. Pat. No. 8,864,592 discloses a turntable racing system equipping planetary rotors in drive mechanism operable to rotate the first turntable about a rotation axis extending vertically through the first turntable
However, as mentioned above, most of the rotation mechanisms are specifically made for specific device and apparatus with various structures. There is a demand in the market to have a turner apparatus with standard mechanism, relatively low cost and durable structure that is appliable in various configurations for allowing relative rotation between two parallel surfaces of two objects.
The present disclosure provides a turner apparatus. The turner apparatus includes a frame body and a rotor mechanism. The frame body includes a first moving member, a second moving member, and a fastening module. The first moving member includes a substantially ring-shape first rolling surface. The second moving member includes a substantially ring-shape second rolling surface symmetrically positioned with respect to the first rolling surface. The fastening module is arranged on at least one of the first moving member and the second moving member and fastened with the other one of the first moving member and the second moving member, such that the first moving member and the second moving member are able to be fastened with each other in a rotatable manner. The rotor mechanism is arranged between the first rolling surface and the second rolling surface.
The present disclosure further provides a turner apparatus. The turner apparatus includes a frame body and a rotor mechanism. The frame body includes a first moving member, a second moving member, and a fastening assembly. The first moving member includes a first rolling surface. The second moving member includes a second rolling surface opposite to the first rolling surface. The fastening assembly includes at least a first fastening portion arranged on the first moving member and a second fastening portion arranged on the second moving member. The first fastening portion and the second fastening portion are directly or indirectly matched with each other, such that the first moving member and the second moving member are able to be fastened with each other in a rotatable manner. The rotor mechanism is arranged between the first rolling surface and the second rolling surface.
The present disclosure further provides a turner apparatus for being supportively disposed between two surfaces of two objects for allowing the two objects rotating with respect to each other. The turner apparatus includes a frame body and a rotor mechanism. The frame body includes a turner frame, a support turner, and a fastening module. The turner frame defines a rotor chamber with an opening and comprises a first rolling surface. The support turner is rotatably mounted at the opening of the turner frame and includes a rolling rail having a second rolling surface symmetrically paired with the first rolling surface. The fastening module is disposed on at least one of the turner frame and the support turner and fastened with the other one of the turner frame and the support turner, such that the support turner is fastened in the rotor chamber in a rotatable manner with respect to the turner frame. The rotor mechanism is arranged between the first rolling surface and the second rolling surface.
The drawings, described above, are provided for purposes of illustration, and not of limitation, of the aspects and features of various examples of embodiments of the invention described herein. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention in any aspect. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale and the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity.
The following description is disclosed to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the present invention. Preferred embodiments are provided in the following description only as examples and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The general principles defined in the following description would be applied to other embodiments, alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It will be appreciated that numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. Further, this description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein in any way, but rather as merely describing implementation of the one or more embodiments described herein.
Referring to
Referring to
According to the preferred embodiment, the curvature of the concave first rolling surface 116 is formed corresponding to the curvature of each of the plurality of rotors 21 so as to allow the plurality of rotors being retained and rolling thereon.
When the turner frame 11 is made of plastic or metal by molding, the first rolling surface 116 is preferred to be integrally molded on the bottom wall 113. Alternatively, the turner frame 11 may further comprises a C-shaped rolling rail 16 having the concave first rolling surface 116 provided thereon, wherein the rolling rail 16 can be integrally glued to the bottom wall 113 of a plastic made turner frame 11 or welded to the bottom wall 113 of a metal made turner frame 11. A width of the rolling surface 116 or a width of the rolling rail 16 is preferred to be smaller than a width of the rotor chamber 114. It is worth mentioning that other fastening means such as screwing is capable of securely affixing the rolling rail 16 to the bottom wall 113 of the turner frame 11 no matter the material thereof. It is appreciated that the turner frame 11 and the rolling rail 16 can be made of different materials. For example, the turner frame 11 can be molded with plastic material to form a circular concave slot in the bottom wall 113 and the rolling rail 16 which has the C-shaped cross section can be made of metal by stamping such as stainless steel or tempered steel with the first rolling surface 116 that is smooth, anti-friction and wear-resistance, wherein the metal made rolling rail 16 can be fittingly embedded in the concave slot in the bottom wall 113 of the turner frame 11 so as to not only provide the smooth, anti-friction and wear-resistance properties for the plurality of rotors 21 smoothly rolling thereon, but also configure as supportive skeleton to reinforce the plastic made turner frame 11. The rolling rail 16 can also be made of ceramics for excellent smoothness and hardness while the turner frame can also be made of hard and rigid material such as stainless steel, tempered steel or the like.
Referring to
According to the preferred embodiment, referring to
According to the preferred embodiment, referring to
Similarly, like the first rolling surface 116, the second rolling surface 126 can also be integrally provided on the support wall 123. When the support turner 12 is made of plastic, the second rolling surface 126 can be molded to form on the support wall 123. Alternatively, the second rolling surface 126 can be a concave surface of a second rolling rail 26 adhered or fastened to the support wall 123 of the support turner 20. It is worth mentioning that, like the turner frame 11, the second rolling rail 26 and the support turner 12 can be made of the same material or different materials. It is appreciated that the symmetrical arrangement of the first rolling surface 116 and the second rolling surface 126 provide a rolling track channel for the plurality of rotors 21 ensuring each of the rotors 21 regularly and smoothly rolling along the rolling track channel and avoiding any rotor 21 rolling out of the track, that significantly allows the turner frame 11 and the support turner 12 to revolve relatively with respect to each other smoothly while being able to support a predetermined weight in the axial direction of the turner apparatus.
According to the preferred embodiment, the second rolling rail 26 and the support turner 20 are independently provided for ease of assembly and alignment with the first rolling surface 116 and the rotor mechanism 20. Referring to
Referring to
As described above, the height of the inner rib 121 and the outer rib 122 of the support turner 12 are preferred to match with a depth of the rotor chamber 114 of the turner frame 11 so as to support the support wall 123 of the support turner 12 at the ring opening 115 of the turner frame 11, wherein the rotor mechanism 20 has an overall height slightly smaller than the depth of the rotor chamber 114 such that the rotor mechanism 20 and the support turner 12, as well as the rolling rails 16, 26, fill in rotor chamber 114 of the turner frame 11 that substantially supports the turner frame 11 to form a rigid body ensuring the turner apparatus being strong enough to support a predetermined weight. It is worth mentioning that an overall thickness of the support turner 12 is preferred to be higher than a depth of the rotor chamber 114 of the turner frame 12. In order to securely retain the support turner 12 in the rotor chamber 114 in the rotatable manner while it is easy and fast to be assembled and disassembled, as shown in
It is appreciated that the turner apparatus of the present invention is a standard product that can be applied to various configurations for allowing relative rotation between two surfaces of two objects. As shown in
In order to further ensure a position of the turner apparatus with one of the objects O1, O2 (for example the first object O1), the turner apparatus of the present invention is preferred to further comprises a mounting device 30 for securely mounting the turner frame to a surface of an object.
According to the preferred embodiment, referring to
In order to further reduce the distance between the first and second surfaces of the first and second objects O1, O2, one of the first and second objects O1, O2, depending which object is the turner frame 11 connecting thereto, forms a recess to receive the turner frame 11 therein. For example, if the turner apparatus of the present invention is arranged to permanently install to an object such as a game platform, dish platform or a microwave, as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
In view of above, the turner apparatus of present invention has as less component as possible while providing relative strong and durable structure which can be equipped in various industrial products to allow relative rotation between two surfaces of two objects. Also, the turner apparatus has a relatively thin thickness for ease of mounting between two parallel surfaces ensuring one of the surfaces to turn about the other surface along an axis of the turner apparatus.
In addition, in one embodiment, the turner apparatus, having a ring shape, is adapted to be embedded in a ring-shaped recess indented in a first surface of a first object. It may also comprise a mounting device configured to easily mount the turner apparatus on the first surface of the first object in such a manner that a second surface of a second object can sit on the first surface of the first object while minimizing a gap between the first and second surfaces and allowing the second object to be rotating on the first surface of the first object or the first object to be rotating on the second surface of the second object. Alternatively, the second surface of the second object may have the ring-shaped receiving recess shaped and sized to fittingly receive the turner apparatus therein such that the first surface of the first object and the second surface of the second object are able to be rotated with respect to each other that also not only minimizes a gap between the first and second surfaces but also relatively lock and secure the turner apparatus in position in radial direction with the second object.
It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. The embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
The present application is a continuation-application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/829,359 filed on Jun. 1, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17829359 | Jun 2022 | US |
Child | 18814612 | US |