Patent ID: 6380686
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: G09F,G09G

Abstract:
An apparatus for displaying characters and/or images, comprising:a rotary wing assembly consisting of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and a rotary wing; a logic control unit controlling said LEDs of the rotary wing assembly to allow the LEDs to display desired characters and/or desired images; a balance unit consisting of a balance plate and a balance weight, said balance unit being assembled with said logic control unit at a position opposite to the rotary wing assembly so as to accomplish a desired balance of said rotary wing assembly regardless of a difference in the center of gravity between said rotary wing assembly and said logic control unit during a rotating action of said rotary wing assembly; a motor unit consisting of a stator, a rotor, a hollow motor shaft having an axial passage and extending through both said stator and said rotor and being connected to both the rotor and the logic control unit at its opposite ends so as to rotate the rotary wing assembly, the logic control unit and the balance unit at the same time by a rotating force of said rotor, and a rotor holder used for combining the logic control unit with the motor shaft; a switch mode power supply (SMPS) used for supplying a direct current (DC) power to said logic control unit in a contactless manner, and mounted to a lower end of said motor shaft so as to be rotatable together with the motor shaft at the same time, said SMPS consisting of a primary board and a secondary board, said primary board transmitting both external alternating current (AC) voltage and external input data to said secondary board, and said secondary board being electrically connected to both the rotary wing assembly and the logic control unit through electric wires passing through the axial passage of said hollow motor shaft, thus transmitting the power and data to both the rotary wing assembly and the logic control unit; a data communication unit consisting of a modem board and an RS-232 board, and being used for transmitting external input data to said logic control unit; a display bulb covering the top of said rotary wing assembly, said logic control unit and said motor unit while forming a sealed space in the bulb, said display bulb allowing a user to observe characters and/or images displayed by the LEDs from the outside of the bulb; and an external casing mounted to a lower end of said display bulb and encasing said motor unit, said SMPS and said data communication unit.