Visual movement display system

• US 9,463,394 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lewis James Striggow
• Original Assignee: Lewis James Striggow
• Inventors: Striggow, Lewis James
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner, Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baldori, Joseph B
• Application Number:
  US14/621,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20150231520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 446/233, 446/236, 434/284, 434/285, 434/287, 434/288, 434290-293, 434/300, 434/302
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/00 Other toys
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/02 incorporating moving display members

Abstract

A visual movement display system including a first annular member; a first coupling element coupled to the first annular member, the first coupling element rotatably coupling the first annular member to a support element, the first coupling element defining a first rotation axis about which the first annular member rotates; a second annular member disposed within the first annular member; a second coupling element coupled to the second annular member, the second coupling element rotatably coupling the second annular member to the first annular member, the second coupling element defining a second rotation axis about which the second annular member rotates; whereby the second rotation axis can be offset in relation to the first rotation axis by a first angle; and a first weight element coupled to the second annular member, whereby the first weight element can be offset in relation to the second rotation axis by a second angle.

Claims

1. A visual movement display system comprising:

i) a first annular member rotatably coupled to a support element at a first connection point which defines a first rotation axis about which said first annular member rotates;

ii) a second annular member disposed within said first annular member, said second annular member rotatably coupled to said first annular member at a second connection point which defines a second rotation axis about which said second annular member rotates;

iii) a third annular member disposed within said second annular member, said third annular member rotatably coupled to said second annular member at a third connection point which defines a third rotation axis about which said third annular member rotates;

wherein each of said first, second, and third annular members is formed from a tube;

wherein each of said first, second, and third axes is offset from an adjacent axis by an angle in a range of between about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees;

iv) an innermost element disposed within said third annular member, said innermost element coupled to said third annular member at a fourth connection point;

v) a first weight element disposed within said tube forming said second annular member at said third connection point;

vi) a second weight element disposed within said tube forming said third annular member at said fourth connection point;

wherein said first and second weight elements are graduated such that an outer-more weight element has a greater amount of weight than an inner-more weight element; and

vii) a driver operably coupled to said first annular member to drive rotation of said first annular member about said first rotation axis;

wherein, as a result of said angles and graduation of said first and second weight elements, rotation of said first annular member about said first rotation axis generates rotation of said second and third annular members.

2. The visual movement display system of claim 1, further comprising a power source operably coupled to said driver to provide power to said driver.

3. The visual movement display system of claim 1, wherein said angles are about 45 degrees.

4. The visual movement display system of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional annular member disposed within said third annular member.

5. The visual movement display system of claim 1, wherein said driver generates a rotational speed of said first annular member about said first rotation axis, said rotational speed in a range of between about 5 revolutions per minute to about 60 revolutions per minute.

6. A visual movement display system comprising:

i) a first annular member rotatably coupled to a support element at a first connection point which defines a first rotation axis about which said first annular member rotates;

ii) a second annular member disposed within said first annular member, said second annular member rotatably coupled to said first annular member at a second connection point which defines a second rotation axis about which said second annular member rotates;

iii) a third annular member disposed within said second annular member, said third annular member rotatably coupled to said second annular member at a third connection point which defines a third rotation axis about which said third annular member rotates;

iv) a fourth annular member disposed within said third annular member, said fourth annular member rotatably coupled to said third annular member at a fourth connection point which defines a fourth rotation axis about which said fourth annular member rotates;

wherein each of said first, second, third, and fourth annular members is formed from a tube;

wherein each of said first, second, third, and fourth axes is offset from an adjacent axis by an angle in a range of between about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees;

v) a first weight element disposed within said tube forming said second annular member at said third connection point;

vi) a second weight element disposed within said tube forming said third annular member at said fourth connection point;

wherein said first and second weight elements are graduated such that an outer-more weight element has a greater amount of weight than an inner-more weight element; and

vii) a driver operably coupled to said first annular member to drive rotation of said first annular member about said first rotation axis;

wherein, as a result of said angles and graduation of said first and second weight elements, rotation of said first annular member about said first rotation axis generates rotation of said second and third annular members.

7. The visual movement display system of claim 6, further comprising a power source operably coupled to said driver to provide power to said driver.

8. The visual movement display system of claim 6, wherein said angles are about 45 degrees.

9. The visual movement display system of claim 6, further comprising at least one additional annular member disposed within said fourth annular member.

10. The visual movement display system of claim 6, wherein said driver generates a rotational speed of said first annular member about said first rotation axis, said rotational speed in a range of between about 5 revolutions per minute to about 60 revolutions per minute.

11. A method of making a visual movement display system, comprising:

i) rotatably coupling a first annular member to a support element at a first connection point which defines a first rotation axis about which said first annular member rotates;

ii) disposing a second annular member within said first annular member by rotatably coupling said second annular member to said first annular member at a second connection point which defines a second rotation axis about which said second annular member rotates;

iii) disposing a third annular member within said second annular member by rotatably coupling said third annular member to said second annular member at a third connection point which defines a third rotation axis about which said third annular member rotates;

wherein each of said first, second, and third annular members is formed from a tube;

wherein each of said first, second, and third axes is offset from an adjacent axis by an angle in a range of between about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees;

iv) disposing an innermost element within said third annular member by coupling said innermost element to said third annular member at a fourth connection point;

v) disposing a first weight element within said tube forming said second annular member at said third connection point;

vi) disposing a second weight element within said tube forming said third annular member at said fourth connection point;

wherein said first and second weight elements are graduated such that an outer-more weight element has a greater amount of weight than an inner-more weight element; and

vii) operably coupling a driver to said first annular member to drive rotation of said first annular member about said first rotation axis;

wherein, as a result of said angles and graduation of said first and second weight elements, rotation of said first annular member about said first rotation axis generates rotation of said second and third annular members.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising operably coupling a power source to said driver to provide power to said driver.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring said angles as about 45 degrees.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising disposing at least one additional annular member within said third annular member.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring said driver to generate a rotational speed of said first annular member about said first rotation axis, said rotational speed in a range of between about 5 revolutions per minute to about 60 revolutions per minute.

16. A method of making a visual movement display system comprising:

i) rotatably coupling a first annular member to a support element at a first connection point which defines a first rotation axis about which said first annular member rotates;

ii) disposing a second annular member within said first annular member by rotatably coupling said second annular member to said first annular member at a second connection point which defines a second rotation axis about which said second annular member rotates;

iii) disposing a third annular member within said second annular member by rotatably coupling said third annular member to said second annular member at a third connection point which defines a third rotation axis about which said third annular member rotates;

iv) disposing a fourth annular member within said third annular member by rotatably coupling said fourth annular member to said third annular member at a fourth connection point which defines a fourth rotation axis about which said fourth annular member rotates;

wherein each of said first, second, third, and fourth annular members is formed from a tube;

wherein each of said first, second, third, and fourth axes is offset from an adjacent axis by an angle in a range of between about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees;

v) disposing a first weight element within said tube forming said second annular member at said third connection point;

vi) disposing a second weight element within said tube forming said third annular member at said fourth connection point;

wherein said first and second weight elements are graduated such that an outer-more weight element has a greater amount of weight than an inner-more weight element; and

vii) operably coupling a driver to said first annular member to drive rotation of said first annular member about said first rotation axis;

wherein, as a result of said angles and graduation of said first and second weight elements, rotation of said first annular member about said first rotation axis generates rotation of said second and third annular members.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising operably coupling a power source to said driver to provide power to said driver.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising configuring said angles as about 45 degrees.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising disposing at least one additional annular member within said third annular member.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising configuring said driver to generate a rotational speed of said first annular member about said first rotation axis, said rotational speed in a range of between about 5 revolutions per minute to about 60 revolutions per minute.