Abstract:
Mobiles which have an articulated array of arms connected to a central hub and artifacts attached to the outer, distal ends of the arms by strap-type fasteners. The hub can be rotated by a battery-powered or a spring-type motor as selected by a user of the mobile. The hub of the mobile is attached to a vertically extending support having a flexible segment by a ball and joint connector. A clamp at the lower end of the support is employed to fix the support to a suitable and available structure.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect the present invention relates to novel, improved, mobiles. 
     In a more specific aspect, the present invention relates to motorized models. 
     In yet another specific aspect, the present invention relates to mobiles with an improved mechanism for supporting arms of the mobile from a center hub. 
     And, in yet another aspect, the present invention relates to mobiles with a novel mechanism for supporting the device from a selected structure. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various types of mobiles—powered and unpowered—are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,795 to Van Horne; U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,034 to Zisholtz; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,274 to Wear. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide mobiles which differ from the mobiles disclosed in the above cited patents in a number of important respects. These include: (1) different, user-selectable types of motors for rotating a hub and an array of arms which are fixed to the hub and have artifacts attached to their outer (distal ends); (2) innovative techniques for connecting the arms to the hub and for attaching the selected artifacts to the arms; (3) a support which is connected to the hub of the mobile by a ball and socket connector; (4) a clamp mechanism for mounting the support to an appropriate and available structure. Another innovative feature of the mobiles disclosed herein is a construction of the support which is flexible and thereby allows the hub of the mobile and those components of the mobile supported from the hub to be shifted to a selected location. 
     One primary object of the invention has been identified above. Additional objects as well as the significant features and the advantages of the invention will be apparent to the reader from the foregoing, the appended claims, and the ensuing detailed discussion and description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a mobile embodying the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the FIG. 1 mobile with certain components being broken away to show the internal components of the mobile hub; the components which support the mobile; and one of the mobile arms; 
     FIGS. 3 a - 3   c  shows a representative one of the arms connected to the hub of the mobile in stowed and active positions and in the process of being moved from the stowed position to the active position; 
     FIG. 4 shows an arrangement embodying the principles of the present invention for attaching dangling or other artifacts to the distal ends of the mobile arms; 
     FIG. 5 shows how batteries are loaded into the hub of the mobile to power an electric motor housed in that hub; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective of the mobile hub with part of the hub casing removed to show a spring motor housed in the hub; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the spring and battery motors and associated drive components; and 
     FIG. 8 is a side view showing an actuator displaced to a position in which the battery-powered motor is selected to rotate the arms of the mobile. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a mobile  20  constructed in accord with and embodying the principles of the present invention. The main components of mobile  20  are: (1) a hub  22  housing spring driven (FIG. 6) and battery powered (FIG. 7) motors  24  and  26 ; (2) articulated arms  28   a-d  supported at their inner (or proximate) end from hub  22 ; and (3) artifacts  300   a-d  supported from the outer or distal ends of arms  28   a-d.  Mobile  20  also includes a vertically extending support  32  and a clamp  34  for supporting hub  22  from a structure such as that illustrated in FIG.  1  and identified by reference character  36 . 
     As is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the arms  28   a-d  of mobile  20  can be collapsed (see FIG. 2) to facilitate storage of the mobile and extended (see FIG. 1) to their operative positions. 
     Turning now especially to FIGS. 2 and 3, mobile hub  22  has a casing  38  with slots which extend downwardly through the casing at location corresponding to the four arms  30   a-d  of the mobile. Two of these slots are shown in FIGS. 1-3 and identified by reference characters  40   a  and  40   d.    
     Also, casing  24  has a bottom wall  41  which cooperates with internal side and top walls  42  and  44  to define a motor/battery compartment  46 . 
     FIGS. 1,  2 , and  3   a  show representative mobile arm  28   d  in its collapsed position in which an integral ball  48  at the inner or proximate end  50  of the arm is trapped in casing  24  by: (1) the side wall  42  of motor/battery compartment  46 , and (2) the outer side wall  51  of hub casing  38 . The distance  52  between the two side walls  42  and  51  is smaller than the diameter of ball  48  as is the width  54  of the slot  40   d  in casing sidewall  48 . This keeps arm  28   d  from dropping out of hub  24  when the arm is its collapsed, FIGS. 2 and 3A position. 
     To move arm  28   d  to its operative position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 c  the arm is first rotated upwardly in slot  40   d  as indicated by arrow  56  in FIG. 3 a.  Next, the arm is displaced inwardly as shown by arrow  58  in FIG. 3 b  until it reaches the position shown in FIG. 3 c  in which the arm is fully extended (see FIG.  1 ). 
     Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 4, the artifacts  30   a-   30   d  are attached to the distal ends of arms  28   a-   28   d  by strap type retainers  60   a-   60   d.  The strap  60   d  and one way in which that strap is attached to rod  28   d  are shown in detail in FIG.  4 . In this illustrated arrangement, the artifact supported from rod  28   d  by the strap is a series of interlocking rings identified by reference character  62 . A slot  64  is formed through the distal end  66  of rod  28   d  to which a knob  68  is attached to eliminate sharp edges and for decorative purposes. The upper end segment  70  of strap  60   d  is extended through slot  64  as shown by arrow  72 . Next, end segment  70  is folded against the main segment  74  of the strap as suggested by arrow  76 . This engages a VELCRO® patch  78  on end segment  70  with a complementary VELCRO® patch on strap segment  74  to fasten these two segments together as shown in FIG.  1 . Next, an integral, lower end segment  82  of strap  60   d  is trained through the upper ring or loop  84  of the set  62  of loops as indicated by arrow  86 . This brings a VELCRO® pad  88  on end segment  82  of the strap into contact with a second VELCRO® patch  90  on strap segment  74 , fixing the lower end of the loop in place. 
     In the first-discussed embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the second step involving strap segment  82  is eliminated as the lower ends of straps  60   a - 60   d  are fixed directly to the associated artifacts  30   a - 30   d.    
     Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2, it pointed out above that mobile hub  22  and the arms  28   a - 28   d  and artifacts  30   a - 30   d  attached to the hub are supported from a structure  36  (which might be a cuibrais) by a support component  32 . This support component has a lower, vertically extending, tubular component  91 ; a flexible element  92  extending upwardly from component  90 ; and a ball and socket joint  96 . This joint is composed of a socket  98  fixed to the upper end  94  of flexible segment  92  and a ball  100  fixed to an integral fitting  102  protruding from the bottom wall  41  of hub casing  38 . 
     Referring now primarily to FIGS. 2,  6 , and  7 , the arms  28   a - 28   d  of mobile  20  can be rotated as indicated by arrow  111  in FIG. 1 by either spring motor  24  (FIG. 6) or battery powered electric motor  26  (FIG.  7 ). 
     The flexible segment  92  of support  32 , together with ball and socket joint  96 , allows the mobile to be displaced laterally and then tilted until it is level. 
     The clamp  34  by which mobile  20  is mounted to a structure  36  is of conventional construction. It includes upper and lower jaws  106  and  108  fixed together by a pivot pin  110  and a spring (not shown) for biasing jaws  106  and  108  toward each other. Jaws  106  and  108  are opened by pressing towards each other the handles  112  and  114  integral with jaws  106  and  108 . This allows the jaws to embrace structure  36 . Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower end  115  of the tubular support component  90  is fixed to upper clamp jaw  106 , providing supporting structure from member  36  through the clamp and vertical support to the hub  22 , rotating arms  28   a - 28   d , and artifacts  30   a - 30   d  of mobile  20 . 
     Spring motor  24 , housed in motor/battery compartment  46 , is of conventional construction. It includes a spiral spring  117  having an outer end  118  fixed, by rivet  120 , to the internal side wall  42  of mobile hub casing  38 . The inner end  122  of the spring is fixed to an attachment  124  protruding from an actuator  126 . The actuator mounted in the hub casing  38  for movement between upper (spring motor engaged) and lower (electric motor engaged) positions. 
     The spring  117  is wound by rotating a knob  130  at the upper end of actuator shaft  132  in the direction indicated by arrow  134  in FIG.  6 . As the spring unwinds, it the spring rotates hub  22  and the components coupled to that hub in the counterclockwise direction indicated by arrow  136 . 
     Turning now primarily to FIGS. 7 and 8, the battery-operated electrical motor  26  is mounted in hub casing  38  below spring motor  24 . The output shaft (not shown) of this motor can be coupled to actuator shaft  136  to rotate hub  22  and arms  28   a - 28   d  by a worm gear  140 , a spur gear  142 , a spiral gear  144 , and a second spur gear  146 . Gear  146  is engaged with spiral gear  144  to rotate hub  22  and arm  28   a - 28   d  by depressing actuator  126  as indicated by arrow  148  in FIG.  8 . This movement of the actuator also disconnects the actuator from spring motor  24 . When the actuator is moved upwardly as indicated by arrow  150  in FIG. 7, the electric motor  26  is disengaged and the spring motor engaged. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, motor  26  is turned on and off with a slide switch of conventional character mounted in battery compartment  46 . The actuator  156  of the switch is accessible through an opening  158  in the outer side wall  51  of the hub casing. 
     Turning next to FIG. 5, batteries  160  and  161  for operating electric motor  26  are installed in battery compartment  46  and, more specifically, in a tray  162 . This tray can be moved in and out of the battery compartment through an opening  164  in battery compartment sidewall  42  as indicated by the double headed arrow  164  in FIG.  5 . 
     The terms and expressions that have been employed in the foregoing specification are used as terms of description, not of limitation, and are not intended to exclude equivalents of the features shown and described or portions of them. The scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims that follow.