Decoration with improved rotary rings

A decoration includes a hollow base assembly, a bulb, a sound generating unit, a motor, a mounting ring fixed on the base assembly, several superposed intermediate rotary rings disposed between the mounting ring and the base, and an upper rotary ring disposed on and above the mounting ring. Any adjacent two of the upper rotary ring, the mounting ring, the intermediate rotary rings and the base have a bearing mechanism which includes several circumferentially spaced-apart ball positioning units, and several balls respectively positioned within the ball positioning units. The balls are confined in the ball positioning units so as to facilitate relative rotation between any adjacent two of the upper rotary ring, the mounting ring, the intermediate rotary rings and the base. When the motor is powered, the upper rotary ring and the intermediate rotary rings rotate relative to the base assembly and the mounting ring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the invention 
This invention relates to a decoration, more particularly to a decoration 
which has rotatable rings and which is capable of generating both audio 
and visual effects. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional decoration has a lower rotary 
ring 3, an intermediate rotary ring 2 which is disposed rotatably on the 
lower rotary ring 3 and which carries a frame unit 10a thereon, and an 
upper retaining ring 1 located on the intermediate rotary ring 2. The 
upper retaining ring 1 is provided with a plurality of gears 6 which mesh 
respectively with the internal gears of the intermediate rotary ring 2 and 
the lower rotary ring 3 and which are driven by a motor 7 so as to rotate 
all of the lower rotary ring 3, the intermediate rotary ring 2 and the 
frame unit 10a relative to the upper retaining ring 1 and a hanging rod 
11a that is suspended from a ceiling so as to support the rings 1, 2 and 3 
thereon. The upper retaining ring 1 further includes a colored plate 8 
mounted rotatably on one of the gears 6, a music generating chip 4 
disposed inside the upper retaining ring 1, and a bulb 5 positioned under 
the colored plate 8 within the intermediate rotary ring 2 so as to 
generate light which passes through the colored plate 8 and which 
permeates into an optical-fiber piece 9 when the bulb 5 is lighted. 
Accordingly, it is noted that the driving arrangement among the gears 6, 
the intermediate rotary ring 2 and the lower rotary ring 3 results in a 
relatively large operating load for the motor 7, thereby, increasing the 
power consumption of the latter and causing difficulties in relative 
rotation between the rings 1, 2 and 3. Furthermore, such a driving 
arrangement can easily result in wearing of the gears 6. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Therefore, the main objective of this invention is to provide a decoration 
which is capable of generating both audio and visual effects and which has 
several rotatable rings that can easily effect relative rotation 
therebetween. 
According to this invention, a decoration includes a hollow base assembly 
equipped thereon with a bulb seat, a sound generating unit, and a motor. 
The bulb seat is disposed on the top end portion of the base assembly and 
is adapted to be mounted with a bulb thereon so as to generate light. The 
base assembly further includes a battery chamber formed therein and 
adapted to receive a battery therein so as to activate the motor, a base 
having a bottom opening formed in the bottom end portion thereof, a bottom 
cover mounted removably on the base so as to close the bottom opening, and 
an upper bearing device disposed on the upper end portion of the base. The 
bottom cover is removable from the base so as to permit the entry of the 
battery into the battery chamber. A mounting ring is fixed on and located 
above the base and has an upper bearing device disposed on the upper end 
portion of the mounting ring, and a lower bearing device disposed on the 
lower end portion of the mounting ring. Several superposed intermediate 
rotary rings are interposed between the base and the mounting ring. Each 
of the intermediate rotary rings includes an upper bearing device disposed 
on the upper end portion of the intermediate rotary ring, and a lower 
bearing device disposed on the lower end portion of the intermediate 
rotary ring. An upper rotary ring is mounted rotatably and coaxially on 
and above the mounting ring and includes a lower bearing device disposed 
on the lower end portion of the upper rotary ring. A light permeable 
transparent top cover, which rests on the upper end portion of the upper 
rotary ring so as to close the open top end of the upper rotary ring, can 
be removable from the upper rotary ring so as to permit the bulb to pass 
through the upper rotary ring, through the mounting ring and through the 
intermediate rotary rings, when mounting the bulb on the bulb seat. A 
gearing includes several horizontal planetary gears disposed rotatably on 
the base and rotatable by the motor. Each of the upper and intermediate 
rotary rings includes an internal gear which is formed on the inner 
surface thereof and which meshes with one of the planetary gears of the 
gearing. Any adjacent two of the upper rotary ring, the mounting ring, the 
intermediate rotary rings and the base are interconnected rotatably by the 
association of one of the upper bearing devices with one of the lower 
bearing devices. Each of the upper bearing devices and an associated one 
of the lower bearing devices together constitute a bearing mechanism so as 
to facilitate relative rotation of any adjacent two of the upper rotary 
ring, the mounting ring, the intermediate rotary rings and the base. The 
upper bearing device of each of the mounting ring, the intermediate rotary 
rings and the base includes a circular upward flange projecting upward 
from the periphery thereof, several circumferentially spaced-apart ball 
positioning units disposed along the circular upward flange, and several 
balls respectively positioned within the ball positioning units. The lower 
bearing device of each of the upper rotary ring, the mounting ring and the 
intermediate rotary rings includes a circular downward flange which 
projects downward from the periphery thereof and which rests on and above 
the top end portion of a corresponding one of the mounting ring, the 
intermediate rotary rings and the base. In each of the bearing mechanisms, 
the balls are confined between the circular downward flange and the ball 
positioning units so as to facilitate relative rotation between any 
adjacent two of the upper rotary ring, the mounting ring, the intermediate 
rotary rings and the base. All of the circular upward and downward flanges 
are coaxial. When the motor is powered, the upper rotary ring and the 
intermediate rotary rings rotate relative to the base assembly and the 
mounting ring. 
In an embodiment, each of the ball positioning units of the intermediate 
rotary rings and the base includes two aligned vertical side ribs and a 
vertical middle rib which are parallel with each other and which project 
generally radially from the inner surface of the circular upward flange in 
such a manner that the middle rib is located between the side ribs. The 
side ribs have top ends which are at the same level and which are above 
the top end of the middle rib so as to define a ball accommodating space 
between the side ribs of each of the positioning units of the intermediate 
rotary rings and the base and above the corresponding middle rib, thereby 
resting the balls on the middle ribs of the position unit. Each of the 
circular downward flanges of the mounting ring and the intermediate rotary 
rings is located inside a corresponding one of the circular upward flanges 
of the upper bearing devices in such a manner that the side and middle 
ribs of a corresponding one of the ball positioning units are located 
between the circular downward flange and the circular upward flange of a 
corresponding one of the bearing mechanisms. Each of the side ribs of the 
ball positioning units has a curved inner surface so as to confine each of 
the balls between the curved inner surfaces of the side ribs of a 
corresponding one of the ball positioning units. The mounting ring further 
includes an auxiliary circular flange which projects upward therefrom and 
which is radially spaced apart from and coaxial with the circular upward 
flange of the mounting ring. Each of the ball positioning units of the 
mounting ring includes two generally radially extending parallel ribs 
which are spaced apart from each other so as to confine a corresponding 
one of the balls therebetween and which are between the circular upward 
flange and the auxiliary circular flange of the mounting ring. The 
circular downward flange of the upper rotary ring has a bottom end which 
is located intermediately over the balls of the upper bearing device of 
the mounting ring so as to prevent removal of the balls of the upper 
bearing device of the mounting ring from the ball positioning units of the 
mounting ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, a decoration of this invention includes a hollow 
base assembly 10 consisting of a base 11 and a bottom cover 12 which 
closes the bottom opening of the base 11, a first intermediate rotary ring 
21, a second intermediate rotary ring 22, a third intermediate rotary ring 
23, a mounting ring 30, an upper rotary ring 40 and a top cover 50. The 
intermediate rotary rings 21, 22 and 23 constitute an intermediate rotary 
ring assembly 20. The base assembly 10 is equipped thereon with a housing 
110 (see FIG. 5), a light generating unit having a bulb seat 114 for a 
bulb 115, and a sound generating unit which consists of a music chip 16 
(see FIG. 3) and a microphone 17. A battery chamber 111 is formed in the 
base assembly 10 so as to receive a pair of dry batteries 60. As best 
shown in FIG. 5, the housing 110 has an upper half 112, a lower half 113, 
and two openings 118, 119 which are defined between the upper and lower 
halves 112 and 113 . A driving device includes a motor 70 (see FIG. 5) 
having a motor shaft 71 and a worm 72 secured coaxially to the motor shaft 
71. Two rotary knobs 18 and 19 (see FIG. 3 ) are installed on the base 11 
so as to control motion of the motor 70, the music chip 16 and the light 
generating unit. 
As best shown in FIG. 5, a gearing 80 is disposed within the housing 110 
and includes a left gear unit and a right gear unit. The left gear unit 
includes a left worm gear 81 mounted rotatably on the lower half 113 of 
the housing 110 and meshing with the worm 72, a lower ratchet wheel 813 
secured coaxially to the top surface of the left worm gear 81, and an 
upper ratchet wheel 811 which has ratchet teeth 811a engaging the ratchet 
teeth 813a of the lower ratchet wheel 813, and an externally geared 
peripheral surface 811b. A vertical left rotating shaft 83 is journalled 
between the upper half 112 and the lower half 113 of the housing 110, and 
extends through a coiled spring 812, the upper ratchet wheel 811 and the 
left worm gear 81. The spring 812 biases the upper ratchet wheel 811 to 
engage the lower ratchet wheel 813. 
Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the right gear unit of the gearing 80 
includes a right worm gear 82 mounted rotatably on the lower half 113 of 
the housing 110 and meshing with the worm 72, an upper ratchet wheel 823 
secured coaxially to the bottom surface of the right worm gear 83, and a 
lower ratchet wheel 821 which has ratchet teeth 821a engaging the ratchet 
teeth 823a of the upper ratchet wheel 813, and a spur gear 821b secured 
coaxially to the upper ratchet externally geared peripheral surface 811. A 
vertical right rotating shaft 84 is journalled between the upper half 112 
and the lower half 113 of the housing 110, and extends through the worm 
gear 82, the upper ratchet wheel 823, the lower ratchet wheel 821b and a 
coiled spring 822. The spring 822 biases the lower ratchet wheel 821 to 
engage with the upper ratchet wheel 823. Accordingly, the motor 70 can 
drive the gearing 80. 
As illustrated, a right driving shaft 861 is also journalled on the housing 
110. A lower planetary gear 86 is secured to the lower portion of the 
shaft 861 and engages the externally geared peripheral surface 821b of the 
lower ratchet wheel 821. A middle planetary gear 87 and an upper planetary 
gear 88 are respectively secured to the middle and upper portions of the 
shaft 861. Another planetary gear 85 is secured to a left driving shaft 
851 which is journalled on the housing 110 and which is located below the 
middle planetary gear 87 and above the lower planetary gear 96. 
Again referring to FIG. 3, an upper bearing device is disposed on the upper 
end portion of the base 11 and includes a circular upward flange 13 
projecting upward from the base 11, several circumferentially spaced-apart 
ball positioning units 140 (see FIG. 8) disposed along the flange 13, and 
several balls 15 (see FIG. 4) respectively positioned within the ball 
positioning units 140. Only one of the balls 15 is shown in FIG. 3 for 
clarity. As best shown in FIG. 8, each of the ball positioning units 140 
includes two aligned vertical side ribs 141 and a vertical middle rib 142 
which are parallel with each other and which project generally radially 
from the inner surface of the flange 13 in such a manner that the middle 
rib 142 is located between the side ribs 141. The side ribs 141 have top 
ends which are at the same level and which are above the top end of the 
middle rib 142 so as to define a ball accommodating space 143 between the 
side ribs 141 and above the middle rib 142, thereby resting one of the 
balls 15 (as indicated by the phantom lines) on the upper end of the 
middle rib 142. 
Again referring to FIG. 4, the base 11 further includes a circular tube 116 
which is secured in the battery chamber 111 and which extends through the 
central hole 121 of the bottom cover 120. Accordingly, the base assembly 
10 can be supported on a base support 130 (see FIG. 7) provided with three 
legs 131 (see FIG. 7), in such a manner that the top tongue 132 (see FIG. 
7) of the base support 130 is inserted into the circular tube 116 of the 
base assembly. 
Again referring to FIG. 3, the mounting ring 30 is secured to the base 11 
by two lock bolts 31 (only one is shown). The three intermediate rotary 
rings 21, 22 and 23 are superposed between the base 11 and the mounting 
ring 30. The upper rotary ring 40 is disposed on the mounting ring 30. The 
top cover 50 has a curved projection 51 which is fitted within the upper 
end cavity of the upper rotary ring 40 so as to close the open upper end 
of the upper rotary ring 40. A mushroom-shaped sleeve 90 is interposed 
between the upper rotary ring 40 and the top cover 50 and has a central 
bore 91 and an upper outward flange 92. The bulb 115 extends through the 
sleeve 90. 
Each of the intermediate rotary rings 21, 22 and 23, the mounting ring 30 
and the upper rotary ring 40 has an upper bearing device disposed at the 
upper end portion thereof, and a lower bearing device disposed at the 
lower end portion thereof, which are described hereinafter. 
Each of the upper bearing devices of the intermediate rotary rings 21, 22 
and 23 is constructed in the same manner as that of the base 11 and 
includes a circular upward flange 213, 223, 233, several ball positioning 
units 214, 224, 234, and several balls 215, 225, 235 (only one is shown). 
Each of the lower bearing devices of the intermediate rotary rings 21, 22 
and 23 and the mounting ring 30 includes a circular downward flange 217, 
227, 237, 37 (see FIG. 4) projecting downward therefrom so as to confine 
the balls 15, 215, 225, 235 between the downward flange 217, 227, 237, 37 
and the upward flange 13, 213, 223, 233 thus positioning the balls 15, 
215, 225, 235 on the ball positioning units 140, 214, 224, 234. All of the 
upward flanges 13, 213, 223, 233, 217, 227, 237 and 37 are coaxial. 
The upper bearing device of the mounting ring 30 includes a circular upward 
flange 33 projecting upward therefrom, an auxiliary circular flange 34 
projecting upward from the mounting ring 30 outside the upward flange 33, 
several ball positioning units disposed along the upward flange 33, and 
several balls 36. The auxiliary circular flange 34 is coaxial with the 
upward flange 33. Each of the ball positioning units of the mounting ring 
30 includes two generally radially extending parallel ribs 35 which 
interconnect the upward flange 33 and the auxiliary circular flange 34 so 
as to confine the corresponding ball 36 therebetween. 
The lower bearing device of the upper rotary ring 40 includes a circular 
downward flange 41 (see FIG. 4) located between the upward flange 33 and 
the auxiliary circular flange 34 and over the balls 36 so as to prevent 
removal of the balls 36 from the ball positioning units of the mounting 
ring 30. 
The upper bearing device of the upper rotary ring 40 includes an inward 
flange 422 which is formed with several ball positioning units 423. As 
illustrated, each of the ball positioning units 423 includes a post 
projecting upward from the inner periphery of the flange 422 and having an 
upper end portion which has a recess within which a ball 43 is placed. As 
best shown in FIG. 4, the balls 43 are confined between the sleeve 90 and 
the ball positioning units 423 in such a manner that the large-diameter 
portion or outward flange 92 of the sleeve 90 can prevent the balls 43 
from upward movement of the balls 43 relative to the inward flange 422, 
and that the small-diameter portion of the sleeve 90 can prevent the balls 
43 from radial inward movement of the balls 43 relative to the inward 
flange 422. Each of the upper rotary ring 40, the intermediate rotary 
rings 21, 22 and 23 is formed on the inner surface thereof with an 
internal gear 44, 216, 226, 236 (see FIG. 4). 
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the planetary gears 86, 85, 87 and 88 of the 
gearing 80 are horizontal and are respectively engaged with the internal 
gears 216, 226, 236 and 44 of the intermediate rotary rings 21, 22 and 23 
and the upper rotary ring 40 so as to rotate the rotary rings 21, 22, 23 
and 40 relative to the base 11 and the mounting ring 30. 
It can be appreciated that the upper and lower bearing devices help 
relative rotation between any adjacent pair of the base 11, the 
intermediate rotary rings 21, 22 and 23, the mounting ring 30 and the 
upper rotary ring 40. 
As illustrated in FIG. 6, in use, several decorating articles 110a, 120 and 
100a which are of different designs can be hung selectively on the 
circumferential surfaces of the rotary rings 21, 22, 23 and 40 by means of 
suspending strips 100. When the rotary rings 21, 22, 23 and 40 are rotated 
on the base 11, the decorating articles rotate at different speeds. 
Again referring to FIGS. 5 and 9, as a safety precaution, with two pairs of 
the ratchet wheels 811 and 813, 821 and 823 interposed between the motor 
70 and the planetary gears 85 and 86, excessive operating load of the 
motor 70 stops the rotation of the planetary gears 85 and 86 and the lower 
ratchet wheels 813 and 821 on the base 11 and permits the vertical 
movement of the lower ratchet wheels 812, 821 relative to the upper 
ratchet wheels 811, 823. Accordingly, when the motor 70 is running and 
when the operating load of the motor 70 exceeds a predetermined limit and 
stops the rotation of the planetary gears 85, 86, the ratchet teeth 811a, 
823a of the upper ratchet wheels 811, 823 urge the lower ratchet wheels 
812, 821 downward so as to disengage the lower ratchet wheels 812, 821 
from the upper ratchet wheels 811, 823, thereby avoiding malfunction of 
the decoration. 
With this invention thus explained, it is apparent that numerous 
modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope 
and spirit of this invention. It is therefore intended that this invention 
be limited only as indicated in the appended claims.