Rotating apparatus
First Claim
1. A rotating apparatus for rotating an object, comprising:
- a base;
a rotation table rotatably supported on said base wherein said rotation table can support the object;
a driving unit for rotating said rotation table; and
a motor for supplying torque to said driving unit, wherein said driving unit includes;
a worm gear fixed on a rotatable axle of said motor;
a worm wheel engaged with said worm gear; and
a gear for transferring to said rotation table torque supplied from said worm gear to said worm wheel,first and second spring members projecting upward from said base and having a first predetermined arcuate distance therebetween for establishing a first rotation range of said rotation table,a bar projecting downward from said rotation table,wherein when said rotation table is rotated by said driving unit to a limit of the first rotation range, said bar is caught by one of said spring members thereby stopping rotation, andwherein when said rotation table is rotated manually to the limit of the first rotation range, said bar is caught by one of said spring members thereby stopping rotation until a sufficient manual rotating force is applied to deform said spring member and permit further rotation beyond the first rotation range.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A rotating apparatus for rotating an object utilizes a worm gear in which worm wheel torque supplied from a rotation table can be transferred to a worm gear. In this way the invention avoids a conventional disengaging mechanism that disengages the rotating apparatus when torque is supplied from the rotation table. Further, spring members and stoppers physically define a first and second rotation ranges and a split cam shuts off a drive motor within the first rotation range. Still further, an anti-backlash member is provided on the worm gearing. To prevent pinched fingers and dust accumulation, a skirt is preferably provided on the bottom, front edge of the object being rotated which closes a gap between the object and a support surface when the object is placed on the rotating apparatus.
53 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A rotating apparatus for rotating an object, comprising:
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a base; a rotation table rotatably supported on said base wherein said rotation table can support the object; a driving unit for rotating said rotation table; and a motor for supplying torque to said driving unit, wherein said driving unit includes; a worm gear fixed on a rotatable axle of said motor; a worm wheel engaged with said worm gear; and a gear for transferring to said rotation table torque supplied from said worm gear to said worm wheel, first and second spring members projecting upward from said base and having a first predetermined arcuate distance therebetween for establishing a first rotation range of said rotation table, a bar projecting downward from said rotation table, wherein when said rotation table is rotated by said driving unit to a limit of the first rotation range, said bar is caught by one of said spring members thereby stopping rotation, and wherein when said rotation table is rotated manually to the limit of the first rotation range, said bar is caught by one of said spring members thereby stopping rotation until a sufficient manual rotating force is applied to deform said spring member and permit further rotation beyond the first rotation range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A rotating apparatus for rotating an object, comprising:
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a base; a rotation table rotatably supported on said base wherein said rotation table can support the object; a driving unit for rotating said rotation table; and a motor for supplying torque to said driving unit, wherein said driving unit includes; a worm gear fixed on a rotatable axle of said motor; and a worm wheel engaged with said worm gear; first and second spring members projecting upward from said base and having a first predetermined arcuate distance therebetween for establishing a first rotation range of said rotation table, a bar projecting downward from said rotation table, wherein when said rotation table is rotated by said driving unit to a limit of the first rotation range, said bar is caught by one of said spring members thereby stopping rotation, and wherein when said rotation table is rotated manually to the limit of the first rotation range, said bar is caught by one of said spring members thereby stopping rotation until a sufficient manual rotating force is applied to deform said spring member and permit further rotation beyond the first rotation range. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A rotating apparatus for rotating an object, comprising:
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a base; a rotation table rotatably supported on said base wherein said rotation table can support the object; a driving unit for rotating said rotation table; a motor for supplying torque to said driving unit, wherein said driving unit includes; a worm gear fixed on a rotatable axle of said motor; a worm wheel engaged with said worm gear; and a gear for transferring to said rotation table torque supplied from said worm gear to said worm wheel, a cam provided along an inner arcuate portion of said base and having a length corresponding to a first rotation range of said rotation table, and a leaf switch provided on said rotation table, said leaf switch contacting said cam when said rotation table is within the first rotation range, said cam further including an upper cam having an upper cam length which gradually inclines towards a center of said base from a first end of said cam and a lower cam having a lower cam length which gradually inclines towards the center of said base from a second end of said cam, wherein overlap of the upper cam length and lower cam length defines the first rotation range, said leaf switch further including an upper lever for engaging said upper cam and a lower lever for engaging said lower cam, wherein when said upper lever disengages from said upper cam or said lower lever disengages from said lower cam, said leaf switch sends a signal which instructs said driving unit to stop rotating said rotation table. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A rotating apparatus for rotating an object comprising:
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a base for holding the object; a rotation table rotatably supported on said base; a driving unit for rotating said rotation table; a motor for supplying torque to said driving unit, wherein said driving unit includes; a worm gear fixed on a rotatable axle of said motor; and a worm wheel engaged with said worm gear; a cam provided along an inner arcuate portion of said base and having a length corresponding to a first rotation range of said rotation table, and a leaf switch provided on said rotation table, said leaf switch contacting said cam when said rotation table is within the first rotation range, said cam further including an upper cam having an upper cam length which gradually inclines towards a center of said base from a first end of said cam and a lower cam having a lower cam length which gradually inclines towards the center of said base from a second end of said cam, wherein overlap of the upper cam length and lower cam length defines the first rotation range, said leaf switch further including an upper lever for engaging said upper cam and a lower lever for engaging said lower cam, wherein when said upper lever disengages from said upper cam or said lower lever disengages from said lower cam, said leaf switch sends a signal which instructs said driving unit to stop rotating said rotation table. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification