FR2843691A1 - Device for display of photographs comprises supports, on which photographs are mounted, able to rotate about horizontal spindle and driven by motorized button so as to scroll photographs one by one - Google Patents

Abstract

The photographs (1) are each mounted on a support which is able to rotate around a horizontal spindle (21). There is driving button (3) driven by a motor reduction gear unit (211) fixed to a frame (2) able to act directly or indirectly on the supports and/or the photographs so as to scroll the photographs one by one.

Description

Device for presenting photographs or objects

  essentially similar decorative dishes.

  The invention relates to the field of ornamental objects. More specifically, the invention relates to a device for presenting photographs making it possible to animate the presentation in question. The invention applies more particularly to photographs developed in standard formats, and relates more particularly, but not exclusively, to formats smaller than the format 21 cm x 29.7 cm for

  reasons for congestion which will become clear below.

  It is noted that the invention also applies to the presentation of any decorative flat object having dimensions close to those indicated above, such as in particular paintings, sketches, or even post cards.

or any other image medium.

  Usually, photographs or similar objects are presented in frames, under glass or not, in or on which the photographs are fixed, most often using small legs extending from a support and

  intended to be folded over the photograph to maintain it.

  The design and use of these frames is such that the frame is generally dedicated to a single photograph. In other words, once a photograph is placed in such a frame, there remains at least some

  time before it is decided to replace it by carrying out a certain number of small manipulations, these latter may appear tedious or at the very least discouraging the user from regularly renewing the content of the frame.

  Also known are larger frames, called "pell-mell", according to which one can fix a number of photographs (using magnetic studs or push pins for example) next to each other. These pell-mell are relatively widespread and appreciated for their functionality. However, it needs to be themselves generally hung on a wall support and has a space requirement which does not always correspond to

  the one we have or want to use.

  Frames are also known having dimensions close to those indicated above and which may contain several photographs placed in a package. These frames allow using a zipper system

  manually operated to scroll through the photographs of the package one by one.

  Such frames therefore require positive action on the part of the user to change the photograph presented. In practice, it is most often found that, after a few uses, the photograph in the position of presentation is changed very infrequently, as is the case with a simple frame. In summary, conventional solutions allow either to exhibit several photographs at the same time but are bulky, or to successively exhibit several photographs but are impractical to use or

  little incentive to renew the photography on display.

  The invention aims to overcome the disadvantages or

shortcomings of the prior art.

  More specifically, the object of the invention is to propose a device for presenting photographs making it possible to scroll through the photographs automatically. The invention also aims to provide such a device for

  presentation that is simple and practical to use.

  The invention also aims to provide such a presentation device which allows scrolling of photographs whose frequency is

  adaptable to user convenience.

  Another objective of the invention is to provide such a presentation device which can make it possible to scroll through a variable number of photographs. These objectives and others which will appear subsequently are achieved by virtue of the invention which relates to a device for presenting photographs, characterized in that said photographs are each mounted on at least one support, said supports being movable at rotation about a horizontal axis, and in that it comprises motorized drive means capable of acting directly or indirectly on said supports and / or on said photographs so as to scroll said photographs

one by one.

  There is thus obtained a device for animated presentation of the photographs 10 thanks to which these scroll one by one and automatically.

  In this way, the photographs presented change regularly without

  that it is necessary to think about it and exert an action on the device.

  According to a preferred solution, said drive means comprise at least one pusher designed to be movable between at least two configurations: - a drive configuration in which it has a length allowing it to act on a photograph and / or on said support thereof to rotate it about said horizontal axis; a replacement configuration in which it has a reduced length compared to that which it presents in said

  drive configuration, so as to be able to move in the vicinity of said photographs and / or said supports without acting on them or these.

  A simple and effective means is thus obtained for rotating the photographs in rotation, with a member (the pusher) designed to be deployed to provide the desired motor effect, and folded back when necessary, that is to say ie to get back to the next photograph at

drive in rotation.

  Preferably, said pusher comprises at least one driving element 30 and at least one driven element articulated between them, said articulation being provided so that said driving and driven elements extend in the extension of one another in said configuration d training while they form a

  non-zero angle between them in said replacement configuration.

  Other embodiments of the pusher can however be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention, for example by making the pusher telescopic with deployment / folding phases functions of the

angular position of the pusher.

  According to an advantageous solution, said photographs and / or said

  supports carry spacing means between them and / or between them.

  In this way, we ensure a space between the photographs or their

  support which facilitates the replacement of the pusher between two photographs.

  By increasing to some extent the spacing between two

  photographs, replacing the push rod requires less precision.

  The risk of having to make a fine adjustment, a source of loss of time, during the assembly of the device is therefore limited.

  Advantageously, the mounting of said supports on said horizontal axis is provided such that said photographs can pivot freely around

  of said axis under the effect of their own weight and / or that of their support.

  Such an arrangement in fact makes it possible to obtain a shift between the rotation of the photograph (once it has passed its point of equilibrium) the latter tilting while accelerating under the effect of its own weight, while the tappet

  maintains a constant speed of rotation.

  In this way, the pusher moves freely from its configuration

  drive to its replacement configuration.

  According to a preferred solution, said motorized drive means are

  mounted in the vicinity of one end of said horizontal axis.

  Of course, other types of mounting are possible without departing from the

part of the invention.

  Preferably, said photographs and / or their support have at least one lateral extension on which said drive means

  motorized vehicles are likely to act.

  Advantageously, the device comprises at least one end-of-travel stop using which said motorized drive means are stopped.

  when at least one photograph is placed in a predetermined position.

  We can in this way, using a power supply circuit

  relatively simple motorized drive, obtain satisfactory operation with inexpensive components (compared to certain techniques of 10 more expensive electric motors such as stepper motors).

  According to an advantageous solution, said motorized drive means are connected to timing means so as to scroll through said

  photographs at a predetermined frequency.

  Thus, the photographs can be scrolled one by one according to a frequency 15 which is adjusted and modifiable at the convenience of the user.

  Advantageously, each photograph and / or each support carries at least one waiting stop making it possible to maintain said photographs in a predetermined position until said pusher drives them to said end of travel stop. In this case, said waiting stops are made of a semi-rigid material and are capable of coming to bear on a fixed part.

of said device.

  The material of the temporary stopper will be chosen so that the

  photography is maintained in said predetermined position despite the push that are likely to exert the following photographs. On the other hand, the material chosen allows the stop to bend under the action of the pusher.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more

  clearly on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of illustrative and nonlimiting example, and

  appended drawings among which: FIG. 1 is a front view of a device for presenting photographs according to the invention; - Figures 2a and 2b are respectively a front view and a side view of an articulated pusher fitted to a device for presenting photographs according to the invention;

  - Figures 3 to 6 are schematic views of different successive phases of operation of a photo presentation device according to the invention.

  With reference to FIG. 1, a device for presenting photographs 10 1 comprises a frame 2 supporting a horizontal shaft 21 on which are mounted

  free to rotate a plurality of photographic supports.

  According to the present embodiment, each support comprises a pair

  of bearings 11, a lug 111 extending vertically from each of the bearings 11, the lugs 111 of the same support being joined by a cross member 112 15 secured by gluing to the corresponding photograph 1.

  The bearings 11 are held in position along the length of the shaft 21 by means of end bearings 12 traversed by pins 121 forming means of

integral with the tree 21.

  Rigidifying elements 113 extend from the cross-member 112 and 20 are also glued to the back of photograph 1. These stiffening elements 113 are also dimensioned in thickness so as to form means for spacing the supports between them , so that a space is provided between the supports for repositioning the pusher as will be explained

in more detail later.

  According to the invention, the device also comprises a pusher 3 integral in rotation with the shaft 21 and mounted in the vicinity of its end so as to act on an extension 1121 of the cross member 112 in order to drive the latter

  (and therefore the corresponding photograph 1 in rotation).

  The desired rotational movement is transmitted to the shaft 21, and consequently to the pusher 3, using a geared motor 211 fixed to the frame 2.

  With reference to FIGS. 2a and 2b, the pusher 3 fitted to the device for presenting photographs according to the invention comprises a driving element 31 and a driven element 32 hinged together around a shaft 33 supported by a

  element forming a bearing 34, integral with the driven element.

  An orifice 35 allows the passage of fixing means with a view to

  secure the pusher 3 to the shaft 21.

  As is clear from FIGS. 2a and 2b, the tree 33 is

  mounted away from the lower edge of the driven element 31. Also, the driven element 32 can pivot relative to the driving element 31 only in one direction, in this case that indicated by the arrow F1 appearing on the figure 26.

  This characteristic of pusher 3 will appear more clearly later

  when describing the different operating phases.

  Note that the cross member 112 of the photography support has a lateral extension 1121 sized and positioned so that the pusher 3 can act on this extension so as to cause it to

  rotation (as well as the other elements of the support and that the photograph itself around the tree 21).

  At its other end, the cross-member 112 carries a waiting stop 1122 intended to cooperate with a fixed part 22 integral with the frame, in order to temporarily hold the photograph in a predetermined position, until

  the pusher 3 drives it beyond this position.

  This stop 1122 is made of a semi-rigid material making it possible to maintain the photograph in said predetermined position, this despite the thrust that the other photographs can exert against it, while the stop 1122 will bend under the action of the pusher 3 which can then train him to a

new predetermined position.

  According to another possible embodiment, this stop may for example be integral with the frame in order to cooperate with the end, in this case

rigid, of the crosspiece.

  The different operating phases of the photo presentation device according to the invention will now be explained in more detail at

using figures 3 to 6.

  Beforehand, it is noted that the geared motor 211 is connected to a supply circuit 5 comprising a time delay and an end of travel stop

  mounted in parallel so that the gear motor is powered, either when the time delay closes the circuit, or when the limit stop closes the circuit (that is to say in the absence of support against it, either from the pusher 3 or from a photographic support, depending on the positioning of the stopper).

  It follows that, in operation, the gear motor is powered while

  first by the branch of the electrical circuit comprising the time delay, then by the branch comprising the stop (the start of rotation of the shaft releasing the stop from the support provided by the push-button or by the corresponding photography support).

  FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the starting configuration of an operating cycle of the presentation device according to the invention, in which a photograph the or its support is in abutment on the stop 4, the other photographs being positioned in an arc of circle behind the first, being 20 apart from each other thanks to the stiffening elements 113 indicated above. In this initial configuration, the pusher 3 is directly at the

  in the vicinity of photograph la, the pusher being here in its drive configuration, the driving and driven elements which it comprises being in alignment with one another.

  We also note that the photograph lb is maintained in a

  waiting position thanks to the waiting stop 1122 described above.

  It will be understood that the angular positions of the exposed photograph la and of the photograph lb may vary in other embodiments, in particular by modifying the position of the stop 4 or of the fixed element 22 with which

the waiting stop 1122 cooperates.

  When the time delay allows the gear motor to be fed at a frequency that the user has set beforehand, the pusher 3 rotates the photograph la in the direction indicated by the arrow R (it is recalled that the photograph n '' then being more in abutment against the stop 4, the power supply of the gear motor initially allowed by the branch of the electric circuit comprising the time delay is quickly relayed by the branch of the circuit

  electric including stop 4).

  The rotation is continued under similar conditions until the pusher reaches a position such as that illustrated in FIG. 4. It is noted that, in this first operating phase, the driving element of the pusher 3 pushes the element carried out by forcing it to remain in the extension of the driving element. From the position in which the unstable equilibrium point is exceeded, the photograph and its support pivot around the shaft 21, thanks to an assembly with an appropriate clearance between the bearings 11 and the shaft 21, under the effect of

their own weight.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the rotation of the photograph under the effect of its weight and that of the support accelerates the rotational movement of these. Also, the speed of rotation of the pusher being substantially constant and imposed by the geared motor, it follows that the photograph takes the lead

  in its rotational movement relative to the pusher.

  As the pusher continues its rotational movement, the pusher 3 switches to a replacement configuration. Indeed, under the effect of its own weight, the driven element 32 pivots about the axis 33 relative to the driving element 31. Also, in this replacement configuration, the radius corresponding to the distance which separates l shaft 21 at the free end of the driven element 32 is less than that corresponding to the length of the pusher in its drive configuration in which the driving element and the driven element are in the

extension of each other.

  Thanks to this replacement configuration, the pusher 3 can circulate in the vicinity of the photos positioned in a semicircle without acting on them, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The pusher 3 thus continues its stroke. As it approaches photograph 1b, the pusher 3 gradually resumes its drive configuration (under the effect of the own weight of the driven element which returns to the

  extension of the driving element).

  This drive configuration is completely reached at the stage where the pusher arrives in the vicinity of the photograph lb, by being inserted between

  this and the previous photograph, as illustrated in Figure 6.

  Remember that this photograph lb is kept in its position

  standby (substantially vertical according to the present embodiment) using the semi-rigid stop 1122.

  Under the push of the pusher 3, which continues its rotation, the semi-rigid stop 1122 folds and frees in rotation the photograph lb, this being driven until the end of travel stop 4 is actuated, opening the circuit

  feeding the gear motor and consequently stopping it.

  The device then returns to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3, awaiting a new electrical pulse supplied to the gearmotor by the time delay.

Claims (11)

  1. A device for presenting photographs (1), characterized in that said photographs (1) are each mounted on at least one support, said supports being movable in rotation about a horizontal axis (21), and in that '' it comprises motorized drive means (3), (211) capable of acting directly or indirectly on said supports and / or on said photographs   (1) so as to scroll through said photographs one by one.   2. Photographic presentation device according to claim 1, characterized in that said drive means comprise at least one pusher (3) designed to be movable between at least two configurations: - a drive configuration in which it has a length allowing it to act on a photograph (1) and / or on said support thereof to rotate it around said horizontal axis (21); a replacement configuration in which it has a reduced length compared to that which it presents in said drive configuration, so as to be able to move in the vicinity of said photographs (1) and / or said supports without acting on these or these.   3. A device for presenting photographs according to claim 2, characterized in that said pusher (3) comprises at least one driving element (31) and at least one driven element (32) articulated between them, said articulation being provided so that said driving (31) and driven (32) elements extend in the extension of one another in said drive configuration while they form a non-zero angle between them in said replacement configuration.   4. Photographic presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said photographs (1) and / or said   supports carry spacing means (113) between them and / or between them.   5. A device for presenting photographs according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the mounting of said supports on said horizontal axis is provided so that said photographs (1) can pivot freely around said axis under the effect of their own weight and / or that of their support.   6. Device for presenting photographs according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said motorized drive means (3), (211) are mounted in the vicinity of one end of said horizontal axis (21) .   7. A device for presenting photographs according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said photographs (1) and / or their support have at least one lateral extension (1121) on which said said   motorized drive means (3), (211) are capable of acting.   8. Device for presenting photographs according to any one of the   Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises at least one limit stop (4) with the aid of which said motorized drive means are stopped when at least one photograph (1) is placed in a position   predetermined. 9. Device for presenting photographs according to any one of the   claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said motorized drive means are connected to timing means so as to scroll   said photographs (1) at a predetermined frequency.   10. A device for presenting photographs according to claim 8 or 25 according to claim 9, characterized in that each photograph (1) and / or each support carries at least one waiting stop (1122) making it possible to hold said photographs (1 ) in a predetermined position until   that said pusher drives them to said end of travel stop.   11. A device for presenting photographs according to claim 10, characterized in that said waiting stops (1122) are made of a semi-rigid material and are capable of coming to bear on a fixed part (22) of said device.