Patent Publication Number: US-2010112898-A1

Title: Electrically propelled display device with simulated hovering and/or flying patterns

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This Continuation-in-Part application claims the benefit of co-pending U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 12/336,153, filed on Dec. 16, 2008, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to display devices capable of creating the effect of a flying or hovering object, such as a bird, a butterfly, a bat, etc. More particularly, the present invention is referred to a display device propelled by an electric motor which in turn drives an elongated flexible support to which the flying or hovering object is mounted. Even more particularly, the present invention is referred to an electrically propelled display device with simulated hovering patterns. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Flying toys have been proposed in the past using different features and forms. Just as an example, flying dolls, helicopters, flying saucers and aircrafts are some of multiple examples known in the prior art. Also some of these examples allow the toy to hover in air through the use of helium-filled devices, chopper-like blades propelled by an electric motor or even water. But this hovering effect cannot be maintained for a long time, and it is just an effect that lasts few minutes. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,157 issued on Nov. 19, 1969 to E. G. Paquette entitled “Advertising Display” shows a device simulating a firefly mounted on a flexible support which in turn is anchored in an angularly oriented flippable holding member. The member is attached to a rotatable shaft having a loose connection and imparts a jerking motion on the member. However, the angular movement in this device is an irregular movement caused by the loose connections and the type of flippable holding member to which a steel spring is attached. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,932 issued on Jan. 1, 1980 to Millard entitled “Animated Plant Display” discloses an animated plant display defined by a housing which contains a rotating platform mounted on a shaft which is driven by a motor which can be operated by a battery. Flowers plants and bells are mounted on the platform and display with the form of a butterfly is mounted through a slot in a collar of the housing surrounding the platform. Said wire is supporting the butterfly and creates a vibration effect by a cog wheel mounted on the shaft which causes cogs to press against the wire supporting the butterfly. Another cog wheel mounted on the shaft causes a hammer mounted within the housing to gently hit a bell depending from a support within the housing, causing gentle bell like sounds while the butterfly moves around undulating as the platform rotates. This invention does not generate a rotational wire movement to direct the butterfly in an angular path, but rather the butterfly movement is constrained to a straight line. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,458 issued on Feb. 20, 1990 to Belokin et al. describes an advertising display including a simulated winged butterfly, bee or the like, and which is rotatable driven by a battery operated electromotor to simulate the flight of a butterfly and draw the customer&#39;s attention to the merchandise displayed therewith. The rotatable display includes a thin piano wire on which the butterfly is mounted at the upper end of the wire, the lower end of the wire being secured to a rotatable driven member in such a manner as to preclude breakage due to the repeated flexing. An upper end portion of the wire is bent so that the butterfly trails in the direction of rotation of the driven member and produces a particularly lifelike, articulated and swinging movement of the butterfly. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,486 issued on Aug. 21, 1990 to Belokin et al. illustrates a display unit for point of sale advertising comprising a stationary object, such as a real or simulated flowering plant, mounted on a support, such as a flowerpot, and a flying object, such as a simulated butterfly, operated by driving apparatus so as to move in a randomly undulating and randomly reversible orbit around the plant, as would a real butterfly. The driving apparatus comprises an electric motor having a motor housing stationary mounted on the flowerpot, a stator including a stationary field coil electrically energizable by alternating current mounted in the motor housing, and a rotor in the form of a bipolar permanent magnet rotatable mounted on an upright magnetizable metal shaft on the motor housing. The effect created with this invention is to cause the simulated butterfly to flutter about the flowering plant as would a real butterfly. However, a predetermined mechanical load imposed on the permanent magnet rotor effected by random striking of the simulated butterfly against the plant, or by random horizontal and vertical excursions of the simulated butterfly in its orbital path, or by random “hand-up” of the permanent magnet rotor on its shaft, causes the rotor to periodically and frequently reverse its direction of rotation. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,702, issued on Sep. 15, 1992 to Belokin Jr. describes a display unit simulating a flying object and having an electric motor mounted on a support structure. A rotatable driven member is engaged on the shaft of the motor and has a wire with a flying object attached thereto. When the driven member is rotated, the wire is swung around, and the object assumes a flying fluttering motion due to the vibrations through the wire from the motor. The object is drivingly rotated in a swinging and erratic motion around the unit but at much slower rate of rotation than the motor shaft and member. In this invention, the motor is not driven by an electronic control. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,844, issued on Oct. 20, 1998 to Markowitz describes a vibrating toy including a housing, a battery mounted within the housing, a motor mounted within the housing activated by the battery, a shaft driven by the motor, a mechanism on the shaft for imparting an eccentric vibration from the housing, a play element outside of the housing, and a mechanism for connecting the play element to the housing and through which the play element can receive vibrations generated from the mechanism that imparts the eccentric vibration. A weighted element attached to the shaft imparts an eccentric vibration transferred to the housing which in turn through contact vibrates a wire serving as the mechanism that connects to the play element. 
     U.S. Patent Application No. 20080207084 A1 filed by Schnuckle on Aug. 28, 2008 describes an apparatus hovering winged objects. The apparatus includes an elongate support and a driver with an output shaft that supports a first end of the support. The driver imparts an oscillating displacement to the first end of the support. A body is mounted at a second end of the support and wings are attached to the support at an offset distance from the body. The body is positioned near the second end to swivel or pivot in response to vibration of the support. The driver vibrates the first end at a frequency that shapes the support as a wave, and the frequency is selected or tuned such that the wings are displaced more than the body such by imparting a harmonic frequency on the support. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of this present invention is to provide a very economical and easy to use product, that may be used in decorative, promotional, educational, and entertainment applications, and that succeeds in closely imitating the natural movement of aliforms, such as a butterfly, a dragonfly, a bird, a bat or a fairy. Just as an example, a butterfly pattern, with the aspect and movement of a real butterfly, may be very attractive for decorating a garden, the windows of a local shop, or simply a home. 
     This invention is directed to a display device which creates the effect of flying or hovering objects comprising in general an electric motor, a flexible wire connected to one end of the motor shaft, a light object at the other end of the wire, an electronic oscillator, and a power source. 
     Another aspect of the present invention provides a display device propelled by an electric motor using, as a power source, batteries, an AC/DC adapter, or alternating current from a regular power outlet. 
     Yet another aspect of the purposed invention comprises an electronic circuit known as an oscillator connected to the motor. This circuit is responsible for generating a squared wave with a graduated frequency and pulse width according to the speed and intensity of the flapping movement that is desired for the flying object. Each pulse activates the motor for a time that lasts as long as the pulse. A series of short, consecutive pulses causes a series of short activations of the motor. When the wave frequency is higher, the pulses have a shorter duration, and, thus, the duration of activations of the motor is shorter. Visually, an effect similar to a vibration is produced. The variation of the relationship between the motor activating and shutting off from the wave may produce various oscillation effects in the motor shaft, such as, alterations in the rotational speed, or changes in the intensity of the object&#39;s flapping movement. 
     Also another aspect of this invention comprises a display device which includes means for changing the intensity of the vibration of the pattern. The wire to which the pattern is mounted is connected to the motor shaft. By altering the angle between the motor and the wire changes are produced in the intensity of the vibration of the wire, and thus, the object&#39;s movement. The rotational and oscillatory movement of the motor shaft is transmitted accentuated by the flexible wire, which finally transmits it to the flying object. 
     Yet another aspect provides a display device which moves around the unit creating a very realistic flying or hovering movement, similar to that of a butterfly, bird or bat. The display pattern must be light, and may be made of a plastic laminate, fabric, paper, or other flexible material that is able to show the vibration that comes from the wire. 
     In summary the present invention is referred to an electrically propelled display device with simulated hovering patterns, comprising a driving unit; said driving unit includes a base, a central hollow body and a rotatable head; a power source is connected to the driving unit; a flexible support is attached to the rotatable head of the driving unit; a display pattern is attached to the flexible support; said driving unit includes, in the central hollow body, an oscillator electronic circuit and an electric motor; said oscillator electronic circuit is connected to the power source and to the electric motor; and said electric motor includes a driving motor shaft attached to the rotatable head. 
     These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the display device with a flying object in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the unit  200  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram describing the treatment process of the electrical signal to generate the desired movement. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a first embodiment of the display device in accordance with the present invention in an outdoor environment, such as a garden, with a central fastening bar. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention showing a lateral arrangement of the fastening bar when the present display device is arranged in a garden. 
         FIG. 6  shows another embodiment in which the present device is mounted on a flat hard surface, such as a table. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates another application of the present display device attached to a branch of a tree or any similar natural or artificial element. 
         FIG. 8  shows another embodiment of the present device in which batteries are used, and the present device is used as a hand-held toy. 
         FIG. 9  is a general perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention in which the unit has more than one flying object; finally: 
         FIG. 10  is another general perspective view of another embodiment of the present device in which one or more units operate with a single power source 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Shown throughout the Figures, the invention is directed to an electrically propelled display device  100  with simulated hovering patterns, comprising a driving unit  200 . Said driving unit includes a base  230 , a central hollow body and a rotatable head  250 . A power source  300  is connected to the driving unit  200  and a flexible support  420  is attached to the rotatable head  250  of the driving unit  200  and to a display pattern  400  as well. Said driving unit  200  includes in the central hollow body an oscillator electronic circuit  260  and an electric motor  210 . Said oscillator electronic circuit  260  is connected to the power source  300  through a cable  320  and to the electric motor  210 , and said electric motor  210  includes a driving motor shaft  214  attached to the rotatable head  250 . 
       FIG. 1  illustrates the display device for simulation of flying objects  100  of the present invention. As shown, the system  100  comprises a power source  300 , which in this case is an AC/DC adapter connected to an outlet via a plug  310 . A unit  200  includes inside an electric motor and an oscillator electronic circuit (not shown in this figure). Finally a display pattern in the form of a flying object  400  is connected to the unit  200  by a flexible support  420  which may be a metal wire or the like. The lower end of said support is connected to the motor shaft, and the upper end  430  is connected to the display pattern  400 . 
     The power source  300  is connected to the unit  200  by means of a cable  320  which carries the electrical current to an oscillator circuit  260 . Due to the signal generated by the oscillator circuit  260 , the motor shaft  214  rotates clockwise intermittently, as shown by arrow  212 . When the oscillator circuit  260  generates a wave, a vibration is produced in the support  420 , and due to its flexible nature, amplifies the vibration which is transmitted to the display pattern  400  located at the upper end  430  of the support  420 . 
     Both, the vibration transmitted to the object  400  and the air that passes through it due to the rotation, cause the movement of the moving or flexible parts of the object  400 , such as the wings  450 , which may be made of plastic, metal, paper, fabric, or similar material. 
     A cylindrical fastening bar  220  is used to fix the device  100  to the ground  512  or other soft material. This bar  220  may be disconnected from the device  100  when the user wishes to place the unit  200  on a flat hard surface, such as on a table, supported on its base  230 . 
       FIG. 2  shows the internal components of the unit  200 . A cable  320  coming from the power source  300  carries the electrical current to the oscillator  260 , which then delivers an electrical signal to the motor  210  in the form of a wave which activates the motor intermittently by means of a cable  262 . A part  250  is responsible for connecting the motor shaft  214  and the lower end  410  of the flexible support. A base  230  helps the unit  200  to remain stable when it is placed on a flat hard surface. A housing  240  integral with the body of unit  200  lodges the upper end of the fastening bar  220 . 
       FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram describing the treatment process for the electrical signal to generate the desired movement of the display pattern. The power source  300  delivers the necessary electrical current to the electronic oscillator  260 , which generates a squared wave with a frequency determined according to the desired flapping effect of the flying or hovering object  400 . This wave comprises pulses P each of which activates the motor  210  for the duration of the pulse P. When the frequency  264  is high, short pulses are produced, which activate the motor  210  for short durations. With this option the display object  400  will vibrate and rotate very rapidly. The duration of the pulse P compared to the period T of the wave may be modified. It may be a short pulse P  266 , or a long pulse P  268 , both at the same period T. The variation of the duration of the pulses P affects the intensity of the movement of the wings of the object  400 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the application of the device in an outdoor environment, such as a garden. The unit  200  using the bar  220  can be placed among plants  510  in a garden. The flying object  400  serves as a decorative element. The bar  220  buried into the ground secures the unit  200  in the garden soil  512 . The oscillator electronic circuit  260  inside the unit  200  is sealed to prevent water from entering and damaging the internal electrical parts. 
       FIG. 5  is another embodiment in which the unit is attached to the soil  512  by the bar  220  which this time is connected to a side of the unit  200  by means of connecting elements  222  instead of using the housing  240 . Said connecting elements may be plastic staples, hoops, clamps or the like. 
       FIG. 6  shows another embodiment in which the present invention is used on a flat hard surface, such as a table. The unit  200  may be placed on a flat hard horizontal surface  520  and it will remain stable due to the resting legs of the base  230   
       FIG. 7  illustrates another embodiment in which the present display device is attached to the branch of a tree  530 , or any similar natural or artificial element. The unit  200  may be connected to objects, such as sticks, branches, trunks, bars, and other similar items using connection parts  222 , such as straps or tape. 
       FIG. 8  is another embodiment of the present invention in which the display device  100  uses batteries and is used as a manual toy. The unit  200  may use batteries to replace the AC/DC adapter  300  shown in  FIG. 1 , and may be used as a child&#39;s toy, which can be handheld  540 . It may also be used as a portable decoration. 
       FIG. 9  is another embodiment of the present display device in which a unit  200  has more than one display pattern  400 . One of more objects  400   a ,  400   b ,  400   c , may exhibit rotational and oscillatory movements supplied by one, single unit  200 . 
       FIG. 10  is another embodiment of the present invention, this time showing one or more units  200   a - c  operating with a single power source  300 . The cable  320  from the power source  300  is connected to a connector  350  to which are connected one or more units  200   a - c  by means of one or more cables  352 ,  354 ,  356 . Each unit  200   a - c  may have one or more flying objects  400   a - e.    
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications can be made in the invention and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.