Device for driving a childcare apparatus for infants

A device for reciprocating a bed or cradle on supporting rods has a driving pulley (1) on a rotational first axle (50) of a driving motor (M) and a first decelerating pulley (2) on a second axle (23). The first decelerating pulley is connected to the driving pulley (1) by a first belt (7A). A first small pulley (3) on the second axle (9A) is connected to a second decelerating pulley (4) on a third axle (9B) by a second belt (7B). A second small pulley (5) on the third axle (9B) is connected to a third decelerating pulley (6) on a driving axle (8) by a third belt (7C). A disk (11) axially on the driving axle (8) has an eccentric axle (12) thereon. An idle cap (13) on the eccentric axle (12) for rotation has springs (14 and 14a) on opposite sides thereof. Supporting rods (16) are respectively connected to the springs (14 and 14a) for being moved back and forth or from side to side by tension of the springs (14 and 14a) as the rotational disk (11) is rotating.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a device for driving a childcare apparatus 
to enable a babycot or a cradle for a growing infant to swing repeatedly 
and, more particularly, to a device for driving a childcare apparatus tp 
enable a babycot or a cradle for a growing infant to swing automatically 
from side to side or back and forth by the driving force of a motor when 
the power is turned on while an infant is sitting on or lying in the 
childcare apparatus, and consequently to have the infant fall asleep or 
take a rest comfortably, where this device is applicable to a babycot or a 
cradle. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Conventional childcare apparatuses for growing infants include swings or 
cradles which are hung up, and cots or cradles which are supported by a 
lower part thereof. And, most of those apparatuses are designed to be 
moved only by a external force as inflicted thereon. Therefore, there has 
been a demand for development of a novel childcare apparatus which can 
care and please an infant automatically by itself without any external 
force, while his or her mother alone takes care of household affairs. 
FIG. 8 is a view of a conventional device for driving a childcare apparatus 
proposed in response to such a demand. 
Referring to FIG. 8, a decelerating gear 102 is geared with an axis 101 of 
a motor 100 through a driving gear 103 and a driving wheel 105 rotates 
about a driving axis 104 as formed in a final decelerating gear. This 
mechanism forces an operating rod 107, which is fixed to an eccentric 
projection 106 of the driving wheel 105 so that it may be revolved, to 
make a reciprocating motion, and consequently to swing supporting rods 
connected with the operating rod 107. As the support rods are swinging, a 
bed having a sit frame mounted on the supporting rods is moving back and 
forth, which causes an infant alone to fall asleep or take a rest with a 
pleasant feeling. 
However, the above mechanism is based on the engagement of gears and 
therefore a rapid rotation accompanies a noise due to mechanical friction 
among them, causing the infant to instably fall asleep or take a rest. 
Unfavorably, it is also required to use a unnecessary large-capacity motor 
in order to avoid damages of the motor from an overload since the bed can 
be operated only by the rotation of a motor. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to provide a device 
for driving a childcare apparatus for infants which is adapted to 
minimization of a noise generated from a motor by installing decelerating 
pulleys driven by a belt around the rotational axis of the motor, and 
reduce the load of the motor by a construction that the decelerating 
pulleys have a driving axis to make a rotational motion of a disk mounted 
onto the driving axis, and an idle cap having springs at its both ends in 
a symmetrical manner is inserted into the eccentric axis of the rotational 
disk, and the ends of the springs are connected to supporting rods on 
which a bed or cradle is mounted, thereby while the supporting rods are 
moving back and forth or from side to side, the tension of either spring 
pulls alternately either supporting rod oppositely to the direction in 
which either supporting rod is moving, enabling the load of the motor to 
be reduced considerably. 
In an aspect of the present invention, a device for automatically driving a 
bed includes: a driving pulley formed on a rotational axis of a driving 
motor; a first decelerating pulley connected to the driving pulley through 
a belt; small pulleys formed on the same axis with the first decelerating 
pulley; second and third decelerating pulleys being engaged with the small 
pulleys through the belt, thereby rotating a driving axis which is exposed 
to the exterior, wherein the first, second and third accelerating pulleys 
are installed in a housing; a rotational disk fixed on the driving axis 
inserted thereinto; an idle cap having springs formed on both ends 
thereof, the idle cap being fixed on an eccentric axis of the rotational 
disk so that it may be freely idled; a fixing cap fastened on the 
eccentric axis on the idle cap lest the idle cap should be separated from 
the eccentric axis; a screw fastened on the fixing cap; supporting rods 
each connected to the ends of the springs formed on both ends of the idle 
cap through coupling pieces; and a sit frame mounted on the supporting 
rods and having a bed or cradle installed thereon, wherein the supporting 
rods are moved back and forth or from side to side partly by the tension 
of either spring pulls alternately either supporting rod oppositely to the 
direction in which either supporting rod is moving, enabling the load of 
the motor to be reduced considerably.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of illustrative 
examples with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
As shown in FIG. 1, a driving pulley 1 is formed on a rotational axle 50 of 
a driving motor M and connected to a first decelerating pulley through a 
belt 7A. A small pulley 3 which is formed on the same axle 9A with the 
first decelerating pulley 2 gets in engagement with a second decelerating 
pulley 4, while a small pulley 5 formed on the same axle 9B with the 
second decelerating pulley 4 is engaged with a third decelerating pulley 6 
through belts 7B and 7C. The respective pulleys are formed within a 
housing 10 by the axles. An externally exposed driving axis 8 is fixedly 
inserted axially into a rotational disk 11. An eccentric axle 12 of the 
rotational disk 11 is fixedly inserted into an idle cap 13 having springs 
14 and 14a on both sides and is further fastened with a fixing cap 15 lest 
the idle cap 13 should be separated from the eccentric axis 12. A screw 40 
is also fixed on the fixing cap 15. The respective ends of the springs 14 
and 14a formed on both ends of the idle cap 13 are fixed to supporting 
rods 16 with coupling pieces 18. A sit frame 19 with a bed or cradle 
placed thereon is mounted on the supporting rods 16. As the rotational 
disk 11 is rotating, the tension of the springs 14 and 14a pulls 
respectively and alternately either supporting rod oppositely to the 
direction in which either supporting rod moves, and consequently enabling 
the supporting rods 16 to move back and forth, or from side to side. Also 
an elastic made by the silicone is used for substitution of the springs 14 
and 14a. 
The supporting rods 16 are fixed to both ends of a T-shaped supporting 
frame 17 so that they may be freely movable, which is fixedly inserted 
into a lower body 20 of the bed. 
Further, the sit frame 19 mounted on the round supporting rods 16 has 
preferably a curved bottom face for the purpose to get the device in 
smooth operation. 
When the power is turned on for the driving device of the present invention 
as constructed above, the driving motor M is rotated and the rotating 
speed get to be decelerated by the first, second and third decelerating 
pulleys 2, 4 and 6 as driven by the rotation of the driving motor M. While 
the rotational disk 11 which is fixed on the driving axis 8 of the third 
decelerating pulley 6 rotates, the idle cap 13 as inserted into the 
eccentric axle 12 of the rotational disk 11 makes a rotational motion 
simultaneously, generating tension of the springs 14 and 14a alternately 
from side to side. Meanwhile, the supporting rods 16 which are connected 
to the springs 14 and 14a via the coupling pieces 18, get to swing back 
and forth, or from side to side, and thereby the sit frame 19 of a bed or 
a cradle mounted on the supporting rods 16 get to swing back and forth, or 
from side to side. 
Wherein, the bed or the cradle gets to swing simultaneously while the sit 
frame 19 mounted on the supporting rods 16 gets to swing because the 
supporting rods 16 are installed in the supporting frame so that they may 
be freely movable. 
As the idle cap 13 gets to be idled at the eccentric axle 12, the springs 
14 and 14a is moved from side to side in a straight line without being 
twisted each other. 
Accordingly, through the above iterative operation, the bed gets to be 
moved back and forth, or from side to side. 
Such as in the present invention described above, there is provided a 
device for driving a bed to move back and forth, or from side to side with 
a simple construction such that the fixed axle is moving on a circle along 
the circumference of the operational disk fixed to the rotational axis of 
the motor and the springs fixed on both ends of the idle cap as inserted 
into the eccentric axle externally projected from the fixed axle pull the 
bed alternately back and forth, or from side to side, and whereby it is 
possible to enhance the work efficiency in manufacturing beds and further 
provide more inexpensive automatic beds for infants.