Rotary image projector

• US 9,194,551 B1
• Filed: 07/22/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gemmy Industries Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gemmy Industries Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Cheng-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling, William C
• Application Number:
  US14/337,662
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 353/120, 353/103, 353/108, 353/119, 362/97.3, 362/97.4, 362/249.02, 362/800, 404/31, 404/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/007 using rotating transparent or colored disks, e.g. gobo wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/142 Adjusting of projection optics
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/145 Housing details, e.g. position adjustments thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/20 Lamp housings
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2033 LED or laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 23/08 in which pictures are attached to a movable carrier

Abstract

A rotary image projector has a dynamic image projector. A lens set is mounted inside a front portion of a housing of the dynamic image projector, and a motor, a slide assembly and a light-casting assembly is mounted inside a rear portion of the housing. The slide assembly is mounted on a spindle of the motor and is located between the light-casting assembly and the lens set. The motor drives the slide assembly to rotate to vary a position of the slide assembly aligning to the light-casting assembly in generation of dynamic images. The projector further has a transparent inflatable figure inflated by a blower for demonstration. The dynamic image projector is mounted on the transparent inflatable figure and the inflatable figure serves as a projection screen for the dynamic image projector projects a movable dynamic image on the inflatable figure.

Claims

1. A rotary image projector, comprising:

a dynamic image projector having;

a housing having;

a chamber defined therein; and

a light-projecting bore formed through a front portion of the housing to communicate with the chamber;

a lens set mounted inside the light-projecting bore of the housing and having multiple convex lenses axially arranged inside the light-projecting bore and aligned in a straight line;

a power supply mounted inside a rear portion of the housing, and electrically connected to an external power cord penetrating through the housing;

a motor being cylindrical, mounted inside the housing, electrically connected to the power supply, and having a spindle extending beyond a front face of the motor;

a light-casting assembly mounted inside the housing and on a curve surface of the motor, and having;

a light-emitting diode (LED) lighting module facing the convex lenses of the lens set and the light-projecting bore of the housing; and

a focusing element mounted in a front portion of the LED lighting module; and

a slide assembly having;

two transparent pressing sheets; and

a transparent pattern sheet sandwiched by the two transparent pressing sheets;

wherein the transparent pressing sheets and the transparent pattern sheet are jointly and securely mounted on the spindle of the motor, and the transparent pattern sheet and the transparent pressing sheets are located between the light-casting assembly and the lens set.

2. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing has:

a base being hollow and having an open side facing forwards;

a cover having the light-projecting bore and detachably mounted on the base to cover the open side of the base;

a waterproof seal and a waterproof transparent plate mounted between the base and the cover, wherein the waterproof seal is held around a perimeter of the waterproof transparent plate, and the waterproof transparent plate is located between the lens set and the slide assembly.

3. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the cover has:

a covering portion covering the open side of the base; and

a light-projecting portion eccentrically formed on and protruding forwards from a front side of the covering portion, and having the light-projecting bore formed through the light-projecting portion; and

the lens set further has a lens holder mounted and positioned inside the light-projecting portion of the housing, wherein the lens holder has;

a lens sleeve serving to receive the convex lenses therein; and

a collar mounted on a rear end of the lens sleeve to fix the convex lenses inside the lens sleeve.

4. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the light-projecting portion is a circular tube and has:

a guiding slot axially formed in an inner wall of the light-projecting portion and extending across an axial length of the light-projecting portion; and

a fixing hole formed through a wall of the light-projecting portion;

the lens sleeve has;

a guiding rib formed on a peripheral surface of the lens sleeve and corresponding to the guiding slot of the light-projecting portion of the cover; and

multiple alignment holes formed through a wall of the lens sleeve and axially arranged in the form of a straight line across an axial length of the lens sleeve;

when the lens set is mounted inside the light-projecting portion of the housing, a fastener is sequentially mounted through the fixing hole of the light-projecting portion and a selected one of the alignment holes the lens sleeve to position the lens set at a selected position inside the light-projecting portion of the housing.

5. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the base has multiple positioning columns for the LED lighting module and the focusing element of the light-casting assembly to be securely mounted on the positioning columns by screws.

6. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the LED lighting module has:

a circuit board; and

at least one LED formed on a front side of the circuit board; and

the focusing element has at least one focusing cup, wherein each one of the at least one focusing cup is aligned to a corresponding LED.

7. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the LED lighting module has:

a circuit board; and

at least one LED formed on a front side of the circuit board; and

the focusing element has at least one focusing cup, wherein each one of the at least one focusing cup is aligned to a corresponding LED.

8. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the LED lighting module has:

a circuit board; and

at least one LED formed on a front side of the circuit board; and

the focusing element has at least one focusing cup, wherein each one of the at least one focusing cup is aligned to a corresponding LED.

9. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the LED lighting module has:

a circuit board; and

at least one LED formed on a front side of the circuit board; and

the focusing element has at least one focusing cup, wherein each one of the at least one focusing cup is aligned to a corresponding LED.

10. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the LED lighting module has:

a circuit board; and

at least one LED formed on a front side of the circuit board; and

the focusing element has at least one focusing cup, wherein each one of the at least one focusing cup is aligned to a corresponding LED.

11. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 6, wherein the LED lighting module further has a heat-insulating board mounted on a rear side of the circuit board.

12. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the LED lighting module further has a heat-insulating board mounted on a rear side of the circuit board.

13. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the LED lighting module further has a heat-insulating board mounted on a rear side of the circuit board.

14. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 9, wherein the LED lighting module further has a heat-insulating board mounted on a rear side of the circuit board.

15. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 10, wherein the LED lighting module further has a heat-insulating board mounted on a rear side of the circuit board.

16. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a transparent inflatable figure having an inflation chamber defined therein;

a blower connected to the inflatable figure to inflate the transparent inflatable figure to a preset figure;

wherein the dynamic mage projector is mounted on the transparent inflatable figure.

17. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a transparent inflatable figure having an inflation chamber defined therein;

a blower connected to the inflatable figure to inflate the transparent inflatable figure to a preset figure;

wherein the dynamic mage projector is mounted on the transparent inflatable figure.

18. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a transparent inflatable figure having an inflation chamber defined therein;

a blower connected to the inflatable figure to inflate the transparent inflatable figure to a preset figure;

wherein the dynamic mage projector is mounted on the transparent inflatable figure.

19. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a transparent inflatable figure having an inflation chamber defined therein;

a blower connected to the inflatable figure to inflate the transparent inflatable figure to a preset figure;

wherein the dynamic mage projector is mounted on the transparent inflatable figure.

20. The rotary image projector as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a transparent inflatable figure having an inflation chamber defined therein;

a blower connected to the inflatable figure to inflate the transparent inflatable figure to a preset figure;

wherein the dynamic mage projector is mounted on the transparent inflatable figure.