GB2426394A

GB2426394A - Driving mechanism of a baby rocking chair

Info

Publication number: GB2426394A
Application number: GB0609288A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tse-Chien Wu; Ho-Sheng Chen; Tsung-Yi Wu; Yi-Chen Chen; Hui-Ju Sun
Original assignee: Link Treasure Ltd
Current assignee: Link Treasure Ltd
Priority date: 2005-05-17
Filing date: 2006-05-10
Publication date: 2006-11-22
Anticipated expiration: 2026-05-10
Also published as: TWM276510U; GB2426394B; GB0609288D0; US20070010338A1

Abstract

A driving mechanism (3) for a baby rocking chair see figure 1 including a motor (52) which drives a rotating shaft (4) thorough a speed reducing gear train (53). A transmission shaft (521) of the motor (52) has a rotating disk (54) connected to one of its ends which has a plurality of blades or embossed facets (541) disposed around its perimeter. A light interupter monitoring device (6) is arranged to sense rotation of the disk (54) by sensing the passage of the blades of facets (541). A control circuit (7) reverses the direction of rotation of the motor (52) when either the motor has rotated in a first direction and certain number of times or when rotation of the motor is slowed to a predetermined extent as a result of gravity acting on a chair connected to the rotating shaft (4).

Description

1 2426394 DRIVING MECHM4ISM OF BABY ROCKING CHAIR [0001] The present

invention relates to a driving mechanism of a baby rocking chair, and more particularly, to a driving mechanism of a baby rocking chair that is capable of making a drive motor thereof provide counter-rotation by means of an automatic monitoring circuit when oscillation of the rocking chair reaches a predetermined high point position.

2] A baby rocking chair generally provides a regular oscillation to soothe a baby and make the baby fall asleep or provide the baby with recreation. Among known products there is a baby rocking chair structure that can change a conventional manual rocking mode into an electricallydriven mode in which a mechanism is provided that is capable of relieving the burden of manual operation.

3] Relevant documents such as U.S. patent No.6319138 and Taiwanese Patent No.457907 disclose baby rocking chair mechanisms each including a supporting framework, two oscillating arms, a chair, a transmission mechanism and other components.

The oscillating arms being connected between the transmission mechanism and the chair and make use of the transmission mechanism to drive the oscillating arm to make the chair oscillate back and forth.

4] The conventional transmission mechanism disclosed also by U.S. Patent No.5846 136 consists of a transmission motor, a worm, a worm gear, and a driven crank block. The worm gear includes an eccentric pin which engages a slot in the driven block and thereby oscillates the driven crank block when the worm gear is rotated by the worm.

5] A torsion spring is connected to a lid of the mechanism and acts as a cushion means and prevents sudden changes of swinging speed. The mechanism is capable of storing kinetic energy by means of the torsion spring.

6] Since the above-mentioned conventional transmission mechanism employs a crank block mechanism in co-operation with a torsion spring to achieve oscillation action, kinetic energy is wasted for no reason during the oscillation. The disadvantage of this conventional transmission mechanism is that it wastes power provided by a storage battery, and its oscillation motion is uneven.

7] In order to avoid such a waste of kinetic energy of a driving mechanism, and to provide a more steady oscillation over the range of movement, the invention makes use of monitoring the oscillating state of the baby rocking chair to control rotation and counter-rotation of the transmission motor so as to achieve steady oscillation of the rocking chair.

8] The invention provides a driving mechanism including a transmission system, a monitoring device, and a control circuit. The transmission system includes a transmission or driving motor the direction of rotation of which can be controlled.

9] When the rocking chair oscillates upwards and approaches a predetermined or set high point position, that is determined by the gravitational force causing the slowing down of the rotating speed, the monitoring device monitors this and transmits a signal which is routed to the control circuit.

0] By the use of the control circuit to switch the direction of rotation of the driving motor back and forth, the control circuit is capable of providing power for driving a rotating shaft of the rocking chair.

1] The way in which this is achieved and other objectives of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment: [0012] Fig. 1 is a schematic and isometric view of a mechanism according to the invention in an exploded state; [0013] Fig. 2 is a schematic and exploded view of components of the mechanism shown inFigi; [0014] Fig. 3 is a schematic and isometric view of the driving mechanism of the invention; [0015] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the motor's rotating speed; [0016] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the monitoring and control action of the invention.

7] Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, an embodiment of the driving mechanism of the baby rocking chair of the invention is described. Basically, the chair comprises a mechanism mounted on a rocking chair framework 10 which is actuated to drive the rocking chair 20 by the use of electromagnetic control. The embodiment includes a rocking chair framework 10 and a pair of oscillating arms 11 connected to opposite sides of the chair.

8] By the use of the oscillating arms 11 connected to the rocking chair 20 and further by the use of a driving mechanism 3 to drive the rocking chair connected to the pair of oscillating arms 11, a certain range of oscillating motion is generated. The driving mechanism 3 includes a case 30 having a controlling push button 31, a rotating shaft 4, a transmission system 5, and a monitoring device 6. The case 30 is mounted on a side of the rocking chair framework 10.

9] The above-mentioned rotating shaft 4 is either connected to an end of one of the oscillating arms 11 in order to rotate the oscillating arm 11 or is connected directly to the rocking chair 20 to oscillate or directly rotate the rocking chair 20 (or rocking bed) to prvide reciprocating oscillation.

0] The transmission system 5 includes a direct-current power supply 51, a driving motor 52 and a speed-reducing gear train 53. In the present embodiment, the direct-current power supply 51 is provided by a storage battery to provide the power supply required to the drive motor 52.

1] The speed-reducing gear train 53 is provided between an end of a transmission shaft 521 of the motor 52 and the rotating shaft 4 and has the main purpose of reducing the speed of rotation of the motor 52 to adapt it to that required to oscillate the rocking chair 20.

2] In the present embodiment, one end of the transmission shaft 521 of the motor 52 is connected to a rotating disk 54 that rotates at the same speed as and with the transmission shaft 521. Tn accordance with the invention, the transmission motor 52 can employ the direct-current power supply 51 to perform a driving action. As a result of the gravitational force acting on the chair 20, the speed of the transmission shaft 521 gradually slows down as the oscillating arms 11 are oscillated upwards.

3] As shown in Fig. 4, the rotating speed is lowest (almost approaches zero) when the rocking chair 20 is oscillated up to the highest position (i.e. when the oscillation amplitude is at its largest). In addition, the rotating disk 54 has equally spaced embossed facets or blades 541.

4] The monitoring device 6 for monitoring or calculating the location or speed of rotation of the rotating disk 54 is mounted at a side of the rotating disk 54. In the present embodiment, the monitoring device 6 is a light interruptor that provides two monitoring signals. The first monitoring signal is provided by the light interrupter to the control circuit 7 when the light interruptor has monitored that the oscillating arm 11 has reached its highest point, that is, when the rotating speed of the rotating disk 54 (drive motor) is at its slowest. The second such signal is provided by the light interrupter monitoring and calculating the number of the embossed facets or the blades 541 which have passed the light interrupter to provide the control circuit 7 with the second signal.

5] As shown in Fig. 5, the control circuit 7 includes a signalreceiving interface 71, a memory unit (IC) 72, a motor direction control circuit 73, and a motor rotating speed control circuit 74. The memory unit 72 is pre-programmable to mainly control the rotating speed and rotating time of the drive motor 52 to make the oscillating arm 11 or rocking chair 20 oscillate within a predetermined amplitude.

6] The signalreceivjng interface 71 mainly receives the first and the second signals provided by the monitoring device 6. The motor direction control circuit 73 mainly controls the rotation and counter-rotation of the drive motor 52 while the motor rotating speed control circuit 74 controls the raising or lowering of current supplied to the drive motor 52 in order to control the rotation of speed of the drive motor 52 so that it varies in a gentle or steady maimer.

7] By the use of the above-mentioned arrangement, the memory unit 72 of the control circuit 7 predetermines the rotating time of the drive motor 52 and the rotating range of the rotating disk 54. This is to ensure that the oscillating arm 11 or the rocking chair 20 is oscillated within the predetermined range or amplitude by means of the speed- reducing gear train 53 and the rotating shaft 4.

8] As a consequence of the gravitational force, as the drive motor 52 rotates and drives the rocking chair 20 or oscillating arm 11 up to its highest point, the rotating speed of the drive motor 52 is the lowest. At this point during the, monitoring of the rotating speed, of the drive motor 52 the monitoring device 6 transmits the first signal to the signalreceiving interface 71 of the control circuit 7.

9] The signal-receiving interface 71 then provides a signal and switches the rotation direction of the transmission motor 52 into counterrotation by means of the motor's direction control circuit 73. As the drive motor 52 counter rotates it moves the rocking chair 20 to the opposite highest point at the other end of its travel. The monitoring device 6 and control circuit 7 make the drive motor 52 generate the abovementioned sequence in a repeated maimer. With this kind of cycle, the monitoring device 6 is capable of making the rocking chair 20 or oscillating arm 11 oscillate back and forth within a predetermined amplitude or range.

0] In addition, in the embodiment described, the memory unit 72 predetermines the range of movement of the rotating disk 54, and the monitoring device 6 (i.e. the light interruptor) calculates or enables calculation of the rotation range of the rotating disk 54 by means of the number of the embossed facets or the blades 541 on the rotating disk 54 which pass the monitoring device 6.

1] If the extent of rotation of the rotating disk 54 is either insufficient or exceeds the predetermined value, i.e. the predetermined oscillating position of the rocking chair 20 or oscillating arm 11, the monitoring device 6 transmits the second signal to the signal-receiving interface 71 of the control circuit 7.

2] By the use of the motor's rotating speed control circuit 7 to output a relatively higher or lower current, the rotating disk 54 of the transmission motor 52 can be restored back to its original predetermined rotational position. It is in this manner that the rocking chair 20 or oscillating arm 11 can be steadily oscillated.

3] In the present embodiment, the memory unit 72 of the control circuit 7 can be set at one of a number of set-up or amplitude values to make the rocking chair 20 of the invention possess a number of amplitudes of oscillation so that users can select a desired amplitude of oscillation and/or rate of oscillation.

4] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the mechanism of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention. In view of the foregoing description, it is intended that all the modifications and variation falling within the scope of the following appended claims fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims: 1. A driving mechanism for a baby rocking chair mounted with

respect to a rocking chair framework, the driving mechanism being for driving a rotating shaft of the rocking chair and generating rotation and counter- rotation with a predetermined angular range; the driving mechanism comprising; a transmission system, further comprising a motor, a speed- reducing gear train; and a power supply for providing the motor with electric energy, the motor being capable of generating oscillation of a rotating shaft of the rocking chair through the speed-reducing gear train; a monitoring device, for monitoring the rotating speed of the motor and providing an output signal representing the rotating speed of the motor; and a control circuit, further comprising a signal-receiving interface, a memory unit, and a motor rotation direction control circuit, whereby the signal-receiving interface receives the output signal and, when the rotating speed represented by the output signal equals a predetermined set value stored by the memory unit, the motor rotation direction control circuit causes the direction of rotation of the motor to reverse.
2. A baby rocking chair arrangement including the driving mechanism claimed in claim 1 and a baby rocking chair mounted with respect to a rocking chair framework.

wherein the rotating speed of the motor is reduced to its lowest when the rocking chair oscillates to a highest position.
3. The baby rocking chair arrangement of claim 2 wherein the monitoring device is capable of monitoring the lowest rotating speed and providing the control circuit with an output signal for reversing the direction of rotation of the motor.
4. A driving mechanism for a baby rocking chair mounted mounted with respect to a rocking chair framework, the driving mechanism being for driving a rotating shaft of the rocking chair and generating rotation and counter-rotation with a predetermined angular range, the driving mechanism comprising; a transmission system, further comprising a motor, a speed-reducing gear train; and a power supply for providing the motor with rotation output, the motor being capable of generating oscillation of a rotating shaft of the rocking chair through the speed-reducing gear train wherein the shaft is also connected to a rotating disk having embossed facets or blades at equal spaces; a monitoring device, for monitoring a range of rotation of the rotating disk and providing an output a signal representing the rotation of the rotating disk; and a control circuit, further comprising a signal-receiving interface, a memory unit, and a motor rotating speed control circuit; whereby the signal-receiving interface receives the output signal and when the rotation represented by the output signal equals a predetermined set value stored in the memory, the motor rotating speed control circuit causes current supplied to the motor to increase or decrease to increase or decrease the rotating speed of the motor.
5. The driving mechanism of claim 4 wherein the rotating speed of the rotating disc is the same as that of the motor.
6. The driving mechanism of claim S wherein the monitoring device is one that is capable of monitoring the number of embossed facets or blades that have passed the monitoring device to generate the output signal that represents rotation of the motor.
7. The driving mechanism or baby rocking chair arrangement of any preceding claim wherein the power supply comprises a direct current (DC) supply.
8. The driving mechanism or baby rocking chair arrangement of claim 7 wherein the direct current supply comprises a storage battery.
9. The driving mechanism or baby rocking chair arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the monitoring device comprises a light interrupter.
10. The driving mechanism or baby rocking chair arrangement of any preceding claim wherein the rotating shaft directly drives the rocking chair to cause it to oscillate.
11. The driving mechanism or baby rocking chair arrangement of any preceding claim wherein the rocking chair is connected to the rotating shaft by an arm for oscillating the rocking chair.
12. A driving mechanism substantially as herein described and as show in the accompanying drawings.
13. A baby rocking chair substantially as herein described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.