Patent Publication Number: US-2007104033-A1

Title: Sandglass assembly

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to sandglasses, and particularly to a sandglass assembly, wherein the height and orientation of the bottle of the sandglass assembly with respect to the shaft is adjustable so that the bottle is adjusted to a position in that the bottle can be seen clearly. Furthermore, the bottle is turnable easily and the flow direction of the sands in the bottle can be seen easily.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Referring to  FIG. 7 , a prior art sandglass  5  is illustrated. In the prior art sandglass, a frame  50  is installed with a bottle  51 . The frame  50  is combined to the bottle  51 . When it is desired to change the flow direction of the sands  52  in the bottle  51 , it is necessary to turn the frame  50  and the bottle  51 . More power is necessary and the operation is the inconvenient. Thereby the bottle  51  is integrally installed to the frame  50 , and thus the bottle  51  cannot be lifted or descended with respect to the frame  50  and the orientation of the bottle  51  cannot be adjusted. Thereby it is often that the people cannot view the sandglass clearly.  
      Furthermore, referring to  FIG. 8 , another prior sandglass  6  is illustrated. It is illustrated that the center portion of each of two sides of a frame  60  is pivoted to one of two posts  64  of a seat  63 . Thereby the flow direction of the sands  62  in the sandglass can be changed with less power. However since two sides of the frame  60  are pivoted to the two posts  64 , the bottle  61  can be lifted or descended with respect to frame  60  and the orientation of the bottle  61  cannot be adjustable. Thereby the positions for viewing the sandglass are also confined.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a sandglass assembly, wherein the height and orientation of the bottle of the sandglass assembly with respect to the shaft is adjustable so that the bottle is adjusted to a position in that the bottle can be seen clearly. Furthermore, the bottle is turnable easily and the flow direction of the sands in the bottle can be seen easily.  
      To achieve above objects, the present invention provides a sandglass assembly which comprises a seat having a stand shaft; a bottle being a transparent body and containing with sands; two symmetrical receiving grooves being formed within the bottle for receiving sands; a sand hole being formed between the two symmetrical receiving grooves for communicating the two receiving grooves; a predetermined amount of sands can pass through the sand hole; a frame for retaining the bottle; and the two receiving grooves are viewed clearly; a connecting unit installed between the shaft and the frame; and the connecting unit being liftable, descendable and rotatable along the shaft; the frame being rotatable along the connecting unit so that the bottle retained to the frame is turnable.  
      The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is an assembled perspective view of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  is an assembled cross sectional view of the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  shows the lifting and descending operations of the present invention.  
       FIG. 5  shows the operation of axial rotation of the present invention.  
       FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the turning operation of the present invention.  
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the prior art.  
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view about another portion sandglass. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      In order that those skilled in the art can further understand the present invention, a description will be described in the following in details. However, these descriptions and the appended drawings are only used to cause those skilled in the art to understand the objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, but not to be used to confine the scope and spirit of the present invention defined in the appended claims.  
      Referring to FIGS.  1  to  3 , the structure of the present invention is illustrated. The present invention has the following elements.  
      A seat  1  has a stand shaft  10 . A top of the shaft  10  has a threaded section  11  for screwing a limiting block  12 .  
      A bottle  2  is a transparent body. Two symmetrical receiving grooves  20  are formed within the bottle  2  for receiving sands  21 . A sand hole  22  is formed between the two symmetrical receiving grooves  20  for communicating the two receiving grooves  20 . A predetermined amount of sands can pass through the sand hole  22 .  
      A frame  3  has a frame strip  30 , two pads  31 , and two screw units  32 .  
      Two ends of the frame strip  30  extend to two outer sides of the bottle  2 . Each end of the frame strip  30  has a through hole  300 . A center portion of the frame strip  30  has a slot  301 . Furthermore, the frame strip  30  has a shape like “3”.  
      Each pad  31  has a threaded post  310  capable of passing through the through hole  300 . Thereby the two pads  31  are positioned and clamp two ends of the bottle  2 . Each pad  31  has a buffer layer at a side of the pad  31  contacting the bottle  2  for buffering the pressure between the bottle  2  and the pad  31 .  
      Each screw unit  32  has a screw hole  320  for receiving the stem  310  passing through the through hole  300  so that the ends of the frame strip  30  are clamped between the two pads  32 .  
      A connecting unit  4  has a retainer  40  and a rotary unit  41 . The retainer  40  has a via hole  400  for receiving the shaft  10 . One side of the connecting unit  4  has an adjusting screw hole  401  which is communicated to the via hole  400 . An adjusting screw  402  screws into the adjusting screw hole  401 . Another side of the connecting unit  4  is formed with a groove  403  and a lateral side of the groove  403  is formed with a limiting screw hole  404  which is communicated to the groove  403 . A limiting screw  405  is screwed to the limiting screw hole  404 .  
      One end of the rotary unit  41  has an embedding block  410  capable of being embedded into the slot  301  of the frame strip  30 . A retaining screw  302  serves to retain the frame strip  30  to the rotary unit  41 . Another end of the rotary unit  41  has a projection  411  capable of being inserted into the groove  403  so that the rotary unit  41  is rotatable around one side of the retainer  40 . A periphery of the projection  411  is embedded with an O ring  412  and is formed with an annular trench  413 . The O ring  412  serves to increase the friction force between the rotary unit  41  and the retainer  40  as the rotary unit  41  rotates around the retainer  40  so as to avoid the undesired rotation of the bottle  2 . The annular trench  413  serves to receive the limiting screw  405  to prevent the release out of the rotary unit  41  from the retainer  40 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 4 , when the adjusting screw  402  releases from the adjusting screw hole  401  so that one end portion of the adjusting screw  402  is not resists against the shaft  10 , the connecting unit  4  is liftable or descendable along the shaft  10 . Thus, the bottle  2  at one lateral side of the connecting unit  4  is moveable longitudinally. When it moves to a desired level, it is only necessary to tighten the adjusting screw  402 , then the bottle  2  can be positioned on the shaft  10 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , when it is desired to release the adjusting screw  402  in the adjusting screw hole  401 , the connecting unit  4  can be rotated axially along the shaft  10 . As a result, the bottle  2  installed at one side of the connecting unit  4  rotates axially. When the bottle  2  is adjusted to a desired height, it is only necessary to tighten the adjusting screw  402 , it can be positioned on the shaft  10 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 3, 6 , when the limiting screw  405  is released from the limiting screw hole  404  so that the end portion of the limiting screw  405  does not resist against a bottom of the annular trench  413  of the projection  411 , the rotary unit  41  is rotatable at one lateral side of the retainer  40 . As a result, the bottle  2  at one side of the rotary unit  41  is turnable so as to adjust the flow direction of the sands  21 . When the bottle  2  turns to a predetermined position, it is only necessary to tighten the limiting screw  405 . Then the bottle  2  is positioned.  
      Therefore, by above mentioned structure, the height and orientation of the bottle  2  with respect to the shaft  10  is adjustable so that the bottle  2  is adjusted to a position in that the bottle  2  can be seen clearly. Furthermore, the bottle  2  is turnable easily and the flow direction of the sands in the bottle  2  can be seen easily.  
      The present invention is thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.