Solar sign assembly
OwnerMarion E. Thompsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A display assembly is provided including a base, a d.c. motor mounted completely within the base, a solar cell operatively mounted to the base, and a sign member rotated by the motor. A sleeve is provided on an elongated shaft connected to the sign member, and that sleeve slips over the motor shaft to provide an interference fit, but not a press fit. The sign has sufficient cross-sectional area to provide enough air-resistance so that, in combination with the interference fit between the shafts, the sign will turn at an appropriate speed for easy reading even though the motor shaft is turning much more quickly.
Claims16
An assembly comprising
- a base;
- a d.c. motor mounted in said base and completely surrounded thereby, said motor having a shaft;
- a solar cell;
- means for operatively connecting said solar cell to said base while providing electrical interconnection between said cell and said motor;
- a sign member having a substantially planar surface with word indicia formed thereon;
- an elongated shaft-like member operatively connected to said sign member and elongated in a plane substantially coincident with or parallel to said sign member planar surface;
- means for interconnecting said sign member shaft-like member and said motor shaft so that said motor rotates said sign member with respect to said base when incident radiation of sufficient intensity strikes said solar cell;
- said d.c. motor normally rotating its shaft at a speed too fast for normal recognition of the word indicia on said sign member;
- and
- the area of said sign member being chosen, and said means for interconnecting said sign member shaft-like member and said motor shaft being so constructed, that said sign member rotates at a speed, slower than the motor shaft, appropriate for normal recognition of the word indicia on said sign member.
An assembly comprising
- a base;
- a DC motor mounted in said base and completely surrounded thereby, said motor having a cylindrical shaft;
- a solar cell;
- means electrically innerconnecting said solar cell and said DC motor;
- a sign member having a substantially planar surface with indicia formed thereon;
- an elongated shaft operatively connected to said sign member and elongated in a plane substantially concident with or parallel to said sign member planar surface;
- and
- means for interconnecting said sign member shaft and said motor shaft, and wherein the area of said sign member is chosen, so that said sign member rotates at a substantially slower speed than the speed of rotation of said motor shaft, said interconnecting means comprising:
- said motor shaft formed of circular cross section, and said sign member shaft having an elongated sleeve formed in an end thereof distal from said sign member, said sleeve having an inside circular diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said motor shaft so that it slips over said motor shaft and forms an interference fit, but not a press fit, therewith.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.