FR2830089A3 - System with electromechanical drive which drives shaft on which is arranged hollow sphere half of which is blackened and other half is designed opaque and system three dimensionally represents actual moon phases in real time - Google Patents

Abstract

The system is designed so that in the middle of the hollow sphere (7) an electric bulb (6) is arranged. The electromechanical drive rotates the hollow sphere (7) once about 360 deg. in 29.5 days. So that a software controlled microprocessor with corresp. electronic system produces the electronic pulse for rotating the hollow sphere once about 360 deg. in 29.5 days. The microprocessor with the associated software is programmable in certain cases for the production and delivery of a time dependent acoustic or optical signal. The electromechanical drive is a stepper motor (2), with an external mains part providing the current supply, a connecting plug (11), a connection for the inner illumination (6) of the sphere (7), also assigned sliding contacts (4) and the electronic system (3) delivering the drive pulse.

Description

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 The present invention relates to an electromechanical drive device, shown in Figures 1 to 3, driving an axis, on which is disposed a hollow sphere half blackened, the other half of which is opaque, a light source being disposed in the middle of the hollow sphere, the electromechanical drive rotating the hollow sphere 360 once in 29.5 days, a microprocessor controlled by software, with the corresponding electronic circuit, producing the electronic pulses necessary for the rotation of 360 of the hollow sphere a times in 29.5 days and the microprocessor possibly being programmable by the associated software to produce and emit a temporary acoustic or optical signal, said device being characterized in that the electromechanical drive is a stepping motor having an external power connection part intended for the supply of electricity, a connection plug, a connection for internal lighting of the sphere, associated friction contacts and the electronic circuit supplying the driving pulses and in that the electronic circuit has a microprocessor and a pulse generator designed as a transistor circuit (BC557A) for generate / transmit pulses to the stepper motor.

 This device can preferably be designed as a device representing in three dimensions the current lunar phases in real time. In the example described, it essentially consists of an electromechanical drive (stepping motor) regulated by an electronic system and of a vertical axis driven by the stepping motor, on which a hollow sphere is arranged. The hollow sphere is lighted from the inside and is half translucent and half opaque, the boundary between the two areas of the half-sphere forming a circle whose vertical diameter essentially corresponds to the vertical axis of rotation.

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 The invention is explained in more detail using Figures 1 to 3.

 Figure 1 is a vertical section of an embodiment of the device according to the invention called in the following lunar clock.

 FIG. 2 represents an electronic circuit given as an example for a preferred embodiment of the lunar clock according to the invention.

 Figure 3 is a front view of an embodiment of the lunar clock according to the invention.

 According to FIG. 1, the lunar clock according to the invention has a base 1 provided with an electromechanical drive 2 (stepping motor) controlled by the electronic circuit 3. The electronic circuit 3 controls the rotation of the vertical axis according to the lunar cycle.

 In the lunar clock, the electromechanical drive consists of the stepping motor, an external power connection part used to supply electricity 10 according to FIG. 2, the connection plug 11 and the connection for the internal lighting 6 of the sphere with associated friction contacts 4, as well as an electronic system 3 generating the driving pulses for the lunar clock.

The electronic circuit 3 according to FIG. 2 cooperates with the electromechanical drive in the following manner:
A microprocessor controlled by software generates pulses for the electromechanical drive 2 (stepper motor) so that the sphere 7 mounted on the vertical axis 5 according to Figure 1 moves every day a few degrees and makes a turn on itself once in 29.5 days (360).

 The electronic system essentially consists of a microprocessor and a pulse trainer produced in the form of a transistor circuit (BC557A) and

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 supplying the current necessary for the pulses supplied to the stepping motor.

 A programming function has been provided for this electronic system which makes it possible to emit a signal (optical and / or acoustic) at a determined time. In this represented form, this signal is integrated in software form.

 According to Figure 1, the vertical axis 5 is arranged on the axis of the electromechanical drive 2 (stepper motor). In the upper extremity zone, a sphere is arranged symmetrically on the axis 5, half translucent and half opaque, the projection of the limit zone between the halves of the translucent and opaque sphere being essentially vertical.

 The sphere 7 is illuminated from the inside, for example by an incandescent lamp 6 with a corresponding electrical line 8. The supply of electricity takes place through friction contacts 4, according to FIG. 1.

 Preferably, the lunar clock of the invention according to FIG. 3 comprises a housing 9 having an upper window 12 thanks to which the sphere 7 (according to FIG. 3) is visible.

 The lunar clock according to the invention realistically represents all the lunar phases going from the full moon to the new moon by means of the half-translucent sphere lit from the inside. Apart from its aesthetic value, the lunar clock also has practical value for hunters, for example who hunt in full moon phases or for gardening work set on the lunar phases.

Claims (3)

1. Device with electromechanical drive, driving an axis (5), on which is disposed a hollow sphere (7) half blackened, the other half of which is opaque, a light source being placed in the middle of the hollow sphere, the electromechanical drive rotating the hollow sphere 3600 once in 29.5 days, a microprocessor controlled by software, with the corresponding electronic circuit, producing the electronic pulses necessary for the 360 rotation of the hollow sphere once in 29.5 days and the microprocessor possibly being programmable by the associated software to produce and emit a temporary acoustic or optical signal.  2. Electromechanical drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electromechanical drive is a stepping motor (2) having an external power connection part (10) intended for the supply of electricity, a connection plug ( 11), a connection for the internal lighting (6) of the sphere (7), associated friction contacts (4) and the electronic circuit (3) supplying the driving pulses.  3. Electromechanical drive device according to claim 2, characterized in that the electronic circuit (3) has a microprocessor and a pulse generator designed in the form of a transistor circuit (BC557A) for producing / transmitting pulses to the stepping motor. not (2).