Rotating light toy

• US 7,361,074 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rapid Pro Manufacturing, Martin and Periman Partnership
• Original Assignee: Rapid Pro Manufacturing, Martin and Periman Partnership
• Inventors: Martin, Ralph M., Periman, Douglas M., Ferraro, Armand J. Jr., Bertsch, Patrick, Murray, Brent W., Angstead, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Eugene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hylinski; Alyssa M
• Application Number:
  US11/061,206
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 446/236, 446/242, 446/266, 446/239, 446/240, 446/265, 446/397, 446/484, 446/285, 362/35, 362/159, 362/199, 362/192, 362/193, 362/399, 362/446, 340/471, 322/1
• US Class Current: 446/242
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/22 Optical, colour, or shadow toys puzzles with optical elements A63F9/0613; kaleidoscopes G02B27/08
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 37/00 Jokes; Confetti, streamers, or other dance favours ; Cracker bonbons or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 13/00 Electric lighting devices with built-in electric generators with solar cells F21L4/00

Abstract

A non-battery operated rotating light and/or noise making toy apparatus is disclosed. The system includes a handle to which is connected an electro-mechanical LED power generation chamber. One or more LEDs are electronically connected to the power generation chamber. The power generation chamber contains a series of gears that drive a magnet through a rotational frequency dependent on the gear ratio. The magnet, in turn, induces a current into an induction coil with each rotation of the magnet as it rotates in a circular fashion via its positive and negative poles. The induced current consists of a positive and negative current. Current is fed into one or more LEDs or any type module such as a noisemaker, creating a standing pattern lighting effect and/or noisemaker. The frequency of the lighting of one LED is a function of the gear ratio with respect to the primary gear rotation to magnet rotation.

Claims

1. An electric power generator comprising:

a fixed primary gear having a handle sized to fit in a user'"'"'s hand;

a secondary gear assembly having a secondary gear engaged with the primary gear;

said secondary gear assembly mounted to a housing which rotates about the handle;

wherein said secondary gear assembly rotates around the primary gear during a user'"'"'s motion imparted to the handle;

a magnet affixed to the secondary gear;

a stator/coil assembly mounted in proximity to the magnet on the secondary gear assembly;

said stator/coil assembly comprising a coil wound about a stator segment on the secondary gear assembly;

wherein the motion imparted to the handle causes the secondary gear assembly with its stator/coil assembly to rotate about the periphery of the primary gear via the engagement with said secondary gear;

said motion further causes said magnet to spin on said secondary gear within said secondary gear assembly in relation to said stator/coil assembly, thereby generating an electrical current in said stator/coil assembly;

an electronic device electrically connected to the stator/coil assembly;

wherein the electronic device is an LED;

wherein the LED is connected to the secondary gear assembly; and

wherein the LED rotates around the handle with the housing and the secondary gear assembly.

2. The generator of claim 1, wherein a primary gear to secondary gear ratio is greater than one.

3. The generator of claim 1, wherein the LED cycles on and off to form a standing pattern of light.

4. The generator of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a sound module.

5. The generator of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a radio transmitter.

6. A spinning toy comprising:

a handle sized to fit in a user'"'"'s hand;

a primary gear fixedly attached to the handle;

a secondary gear assembly rotatably mounted to the handle;

said secondary gear assembly having a magnet affixed to a secondary gear which is engaged with the primary gear;

said secondary gear is spun by the primary gear when the secondary gear assembly is rotated around the handle by a user'"'"'s motion;

said secondary gear assembly further comprising a stator mounted in proximity to the magnet and a coil wound around the stator;

wherein the user'"'"'s imparting the movement to the handle causes the secondary gear and magnet to spin in relation to the stator which generates a current in the coil;

an electronic module driven by the current; and

wherein the secondary gear assembly, stator, electronic module, and the spinning magnet rotate about the handle during the movement of the handle.

7. The toy of claim 6, wherein the electronic module is an LED mounted to the secondary gear assembly via a tether;

and wherein the LED spins around the primary gear with the secondary gear assembly.

8. The toy of claim 6, wherein the electronic module is a sound module.

9. The toy of claim 6, wherein the electronic module is a radio transmitter.

10. A light display toy comprising:

a handle sized to be grasped by a user'"'"'s hand;

a fixed primary gear fixedly connected to a top of the handle;

a power generation chamber rotatably connected to the top of the handle;

said power generation chamber having a pinion gear engaged with the primary gear;

wherein a circular hand movement by the user causes the power generation chamber to rotate around the handle, thereby causing the pinion gear to spin around the primary gear;

a magnet having a north and south pole fixedly attached to the pinion gear;

said power generation chamber further comprising a coil wound around a stator;

wherein the spinning of the magnet via the pinion gear generates a voltage in the stator;

an LED attached to the power generation chamber; and

wherein the voltage powers the LED during the circular hand movement, thus rotating the LED with the power generation chamber, the coil, the stator, and the spinning magnet.

11. An electric power generator comprising:

a rotatable housing mounted to a user handle via a primary shaft;

said rotatable housing having a lower segment;

a fixed primary gear connected to said handle and mounted within said rotatable housing, so as to allow said rotatable housing to rotate around said fixed primary gear;

a secondary gear assembly connected to said lower segment by an axle for a secondary gear;

said secondary gear assembly comprising;

a secondary gear;

a spinnable magnet mounted to the secondary gear, spinnable in relation to a stator/coil assembly;

wherein said stator/coil assembly is fixedly mounted in proximity to said magnet on said secondary gear assembly;

wherein said secondary gear meshes with said primary gear, and said secondary gear rotates around the periphery of said primary gear during a user initiated circular motion of the handle;

wherein said motion causes said rotatable housing including the secondary gear assembly to rotate about the handle;

wherein said rotation causes said rotatable magnet to spin in relation to said stator/coil assembly;

thereby generating an electric current in said stator/coil assembly; and

an electronic device electrically connected to said stator/coil assembly and connected to said rotatable housing.

12. The electric power generator of claim 11, wherein said electronic device is a light.

13. The electric power generator of claim 12, wherein said light is a fiber optic light.

14. The electric power generator of claim 12, wherein the light flashes on/off in a standing pattern due to an output signal from the stator/coil assembly.