Load bearing solar powered displays
OwnerMarion E. Thompsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power assembly for rotating a display is simple, inexpensive, has long life, and can rotate even heavy displays. A housing mounts a d.c. motor having an output shaft, and has a support structure. A ball bearing assembly, having a second shaft, is stationarily held by the support structure, and a flexible tubular connector interconnects the motor output shaft and the second shaft. The display is attached to the second shaft by a flexible band of elastomeric material. An electronic circuit provides power pulses from a substantially constant d.c. power source (such as a bank of solar cells) to operate the d.c. motor.
Claims19
A power assembly for rotating a hanging display, comprising:
- a housing;
- a d.c. motor having an output shaft extending downwardly in use;
- means for mounting said d.c. motor within said housing;
- a support structure operatively stationary with respect to said housing;
- a second shaft, distinct from said d.c. motor output shaft;
- means for mounting said second shaft to said support structure for rotation of said second shaft with respect to said support structure so that said second shaft and support structure carry the entire weight of a display operatively connected thereto independent of said d.c. motor output shaft;
- means associated with a portion of said second shaft for facilitating attachment of a display to said second shaft;
- and
- means for operatively connecting said second shaft to said d.c. motor output shaft so that rotation of said d.c. motor output shaft effects rotation of said second shaft with respect to said support structure.
A power assembly for rotating a hanging display, comprising:
- a housing;
- a d.c. motor having an output shaft;
- means for mounting said d.c. motor within said housing;
- a support structure operatively stationary with respect to said housing;
- a second shaft, distinct from said d.c. motor output shaft;
- means for mounting said second shaft to said support structure for rotation of said second shaft with respect to said support structure so that said second shaft and support structure carry the weight of a display operatively connected thereto;
- means associated with a portion of said second shaft for facilitating attachment of a display to said second shaft;
- and
- means for operatively connecting said second shaft to said d.c. motor output shaft so that rotation of said d.c. motor output shaft effects rotation of said second shaft with respect to said support structure, said connecting means comprising a flexible tubular coupling of elastomeric material having a first end thereof operatively attached to said d.c. motor output shaft, and having a second end thereof operatively attached to said second shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.