Abstract:
A device for entertaining a child including a base configured to attach to a side railing of a crib, a mast positioned above the base and connected thereto by an arm, a canopy mounted to the mast including an inner surface directed toward the crib, and a projection device mounted to the mast for rotation and configured to project discrete moving images upon the inner surface of the canopy.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     This description relates to devices for entertaining and stimulating an infant.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Devices have been developed and configured to attach to a crib for providing entertainment and stimulation to an infant. A mobile is one such example. Some mobiles project images onto the ceiling surface of the room where the crib is located.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     According to one aspect, the mobile includes a device for entertaining a child including aa base configured to attach to a side railing of a crib, a mast positioned above the base and connected thereto by an arm, a canopy mounted to the mast including an inner surface directed toward the crib, and a projection device mounted to the mast for rotation and configured to project discrete moving images upon the inner surface of the canopy.  
         [0004]     In various implementations the device can include one or more of the following features. The canopy can include a translucent material, wherein the projection device projects images upon the inner surface and a distal surface above the canopy. The canopy can also be mounted to the mast for rotation. The device can include a controller to control at least one of the projection device and the canopy. The controller can include a number of operating modes for controlling at least one of the projection device and the canopy. The device can include motion sensors connected to the controller and/or a sound module for playing a sound when the canopy rotates. The sound module can include a library of songs and/or sound effects. The device can include a remote for wireless communication with the controller.  
         [0005]     According to another aspect, a child entertainment device includes a base, an arm extending from the base, a canopy suspended from the arm and having a lower surface; and a projection device carried by the arm and disposed below the canopy, the projection device including a light source projecting moving images onto the lower surface of the canopy, such that the images are viewable by a child positioned below the canopy.  
         [0006]     In various implementations the device can include one or more of the following features. The canopy is frusto-conical with a lower surface forming an inner surface of the canopy. The base can be securable to a crib in a manner than positions the canopy above the crib. The projection device can be suspended from the arm and/or rotates with respect to the canopy. The canopy can include a compliant material for folding and packaging. The device can be configured such that the light source is projected substantially onto to the lower surface of the canopy. The projection device can be configured to project a number of discrete images onto the lower surface of the canopy, including multicolored images. The device can include a sound module for playing a sound when the projection device rotates.  
         [0007]     In one implementation, the distance between projection device and canopy is fixed and determined, so that the images can be focused and crisp no matter where the device is mounted. This can produce higher resolution images on the insider surface of the canopy and reducing shadows. The images can be projected substantially onto the inside surface of the canopy just above crib, so as not to disturb other children in the room. The canopy can provide a projection surface that is substantially free of discontinuities and imperfections that may be found on some ceilings and/or walls. The canopy can be made of an opaque, compliant and flexible material that can be readily folded for packaging.  
         [0008]     The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1A  is a front view of a mobile.  
         [0010]      FIG. 1B  is a right side view of the mobile of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0011]      FIG. 1C  is a top view of the mobile of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0012]      FIG. 1D  is a rear view of the mobile of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0013]      FIG. 1E  is a left side view of the mobile of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0014]      FIG. 1F  is a bottom view of the mobile of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the upper arm, collar and projection of the mobile of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the lower arm of the mobile of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the base of the mobile of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0018]      FIG. 5A  is a front view of a remote for control of the mobile of  FIG. 1A   
         [0019]      FIG. 5B  is a right view of the remote of  FIG. 5A .  
         [0020]      FIG. 5C  is a top view of the remote of  FIG. 5A .  
         [0021]      FIG. 5D  is a rear view of the remote of  FIG. 5A .  
         [0022]      FIG. 5E  is a left view of the remote of  FIG. 5A .  
         [0023]      FIG. 5F  is a bottom view of the remote of  FIG. 5A . 
     
    
       [0024]     Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0025]     Referring now to drawings, and particularly to  FIGS. 1A-1F , a mobile  10  can include a base  15  and a mast  20  connected to the base  15  by upper and lower arms  25 ,  30 , respectively. A image projection ball  35  is rotatably attached to the mast  20  to project images on an inside surface of the canopy  40 . The mobile can include a threaded post  50  extending from a back side of the base  15  which engages an attachment nut  55 . The mobile can  10  can be attached to the adjacent rails of a crib by positioning the threaded post  50  between adjacent rails of a crib and securing the nut  55  to the rails. The nut  55  can include one or more concavities  60  to permit the nut  55  to be secured to rails of the crib without tools. When attached to the crib, the projection ball  35  and canopy  40  are suspended above the interior of the crib for entertaining and stimulating an infant when the mobile  10  is in use. The base  15 , upper and lower arms  25 ,  30 , and the projection ball  35  can be made from any suitable material, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers (ABS plastic), for example.  
         [0026]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the projection ball  35  includes a hemispherical upper portion  70  having a translucent surface with a number of shapes such as stars, the moon in various phases and the like. The ball  35  also can include a hemispherical lower portion  75  connected to the upper portion  70  and securing a lens  80  therebetween. The lens  80  is attached to lamp contact  85  which extends through a hole in the upper portion  70 . A lamp  90  is disposed within the upper and lower portions  70 ,  75  of the projection ball  35 . The lamp is received by a lamp contact  95  on the contact end of the lamp and by a lamp enclosure  100  at the bulb end of the lamp. The lamp  90  can be user replaceable in some example.  
         [0027]     The upper arm  25  includes an upper arm left assembly  102  and a upper arm right assembly  104 . In some examples, the projection ball  35  is rotatably attached to a support axle  105  which extends downward from the mast  20  which is attached to the upper arm  25 . The support axle  105  is operably connected to a motor  110  by a support axle extension  110 , a gear box, including a series of gears  115 ,  116  and  118 , enclosed by a gearbox top housing  120  and a gearbox bottom housing  125 . The gear box is received by a gear box support  127  and operably attached to the motor  110 . A suspension arm cap  140  encloses the gear box housing  120 ,  125  and secures washer  145  thereto.  
         [0028]     The lamp  90  is electrically connected to a power source, such as one or more batteries, for example (described below) by a contact plate  150  which is biased against the lamp  90  by contact plate spring  155 . The contact plate  150  is connected to conduits  160   a,    160   b  which extend through the suspension arm cap  140  and into the mast  20 .  
         [0029]     The left and right assemblies  102 ,  104  of the upper arm  25  are supported by a lower arm left assembly  160  and a lower arm right assembly  165  which form the lower arm  30 . The upper assemblies  102 ,  104  enclose a sleeve  170  which is received by an upper arm collar  175 . A collar cover  180  engages the upper arm collar  175  and a collar contact pin  185  which is biased by a collar spring  190 . The collar contact pin  185  is electrically connected to the conduits  160   a,    160   b  by a wire (not shown) extending between the upper arm left and right assemblies  102 ,  104  of the upper arm  25 .  
         [0030]     The upper arm collar  175  is rotatably attached to a lower arm collar  195  which is connected to the lower arm left and right assemblies  160 ,  165 . The lower arm left and right assemblies  160 ,  165  enclose lock plates  210 ,  215  which engage and secure a lower portion of the upper arm collar  175 . The lower arm left and right assemblies  160 ,  165  also enclose a contact plates  220 ,  225  and contact covers  230 ,  235 .  
         [0031]     A canopy  250  is supported by a canopy frame  255  which attaches to the left and right assemblies  102 ,  104  of the upper arm  25 . In some examples, the canopy  250  is substantially frusto-conical and is centered over the projection ball  35 . The canopy frame  255  can include an upper frame ring  260  and a lower frame ring  265  having a larger diameter than the upper frame ring  260 . The rings  260 ,  265  are attached together by ribs  270  extending therebetween. The upper frame ring  260  is attached to a canopy trim ring  275  along a gasket  280 . The trim ring  275  is attached to the left and right assemblies  102 ,  104  of the upper arm  25 .  
         [0032]     Referring to now to  FIG. 4 , the base  15  of the mobile  10  includes a base half front  300  and a base half back  305 . The base half front  300  includes a plurality of buttons to control different functions of the mobile  10  in various shapes, such as a moon  310 , a swirl  315 , a leaf  320  and a star  325 . Some or all the buttons can include lights for illumination. A number of springs  330  bias the buttons  310 - 325  outward toward an open position. Each of the buttons  310 - 325  are operably attached to button controllers  340 , such as a printed circuit board, by a tack switch  345 , for example.  
         [0033]     The base  15  can also include a speaker  350  secured to the base  15  at a speaker mount  355 . A main controller  370 , such as a printed circuit board, for example, is operably linked to the button controllers  340  in some examples, controllers the operation of the motor  110  for rotation of the projection ball  35  and the illumination of various lights, such as buttons  310 - 325 , for example and playing of various sounds and songs from speaker  350 .  
         [0034]     A sensor  400  operably connected to a sensor controller  405  receives wireless signals from a remote described below with respect to  FIGS. 5A-5F . A power indication LED  410  that illuminates when the mobile  10  is switched on is operably linked to a power indication controller  415  and is enclosed by a cover  420 .  
         [0035]     A slot  425  is configured to receive a lower portion of the lower arm  30  into a cylindrical contact box  430 . The contact box  430  includes a base lock pin  435  and a lock pin spring  440  to bias the lock pins toward the contact box  430 . A release button  450  is operably linked to the contact  430  such that depression of the release button against the bias of release spring  455  urges the lock pin  435  against the bias the lock pin spring  440  and permits removal of the lower portion of the lower arm  30 . A contact plate  460  is connects the motor  110  via a wire (not shown) extending along the upper arm  25  to a power source  465 , such a one or more batteries, for example via battery contact plates  470 ,  475 , and  480 . Access to the power source  465  is provided by a removable door  485  which secures to the base half back  305  along a gasket  490 . A slide switch  500 , which can be operably connected to the main controller  370  and include multiple detents corresponding to different volume levels for the speaker  350 , is covered by a slide switch cover  505 . A mode switch  510  which can also operably linked to the main controller  370  and include multiple detents corresponding to different times of day, is covered by the slide switch cover  515 . One or more of the internal components can be enclosed by a cover  520 .  
         [0036]     Referring to now to  FIGS. 5A-5F , a remote  550  include a remote base  565 , at least one remote switch  570  and an antenna  580 . In one embodiment, the antenna is arcuate to serve as a hook for hanging the remote in a convenient location. The remote  550  is configured to wirelessly communicate with the sensor  400  of the mobile  10  by an infrared or radiofrequency signal, for example. In various examples, the remote  550  can control all or some of the feature of the mobile  10 . The base  565  can include an access door  585  to insert and replace a power source (not shown), such as batteries, for example.  
         [0037]     In operation and in one example, a user will push any of the buttons  310 - 325  and the projection ball  35  will illuminate and begin to rotate and the speaker  350  will begin to play one of four songs or a nature sounds theme for a first predetermined length of time, such as 10 minutes, for example. Once the user slides the mode switch from a first mode, such as “day” for example to “night” and repeats the steps described above, the projection ball will begin to rotate and the speaker  350  will begin to play one of four songs or a nature sounds theme for a second predetermined length of time, generally shorter than the first predetermined length of time. Other operating modes are contemplated.  
         [0038]     A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.