Motor mechanism for child's swing
AssigneeGraco Children's Products Inc.
InventorsDavid Saint, James Sack
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spring motor mechanism for use with a child's swing (100) that includes a spring (300) attached to a slip clutch device (400) to prevent the spring (300) from beconing over wound. In addition, the spring motor mechanism includes an indecator (800) which reveals the amount of torsional energy stored in the spring (300). This can be used by an operator to approximate the time remaining before the spring (300) must be re-wound. The invention also includes an adjustable swing height system (700) that allows the operator of the swing to determine a maximum swing height and also prevents the over-swinging of the child seat (116).
Claims37
A wind indicator assembly for displaying an amount of energy stored by a spring motor mechanism, comprising:
- a main torsion spring for storing energy, which biases the main spring in a first rotational direction;
- a coupling connecting the main torsion spring;
- a wind indicator having an indicia connected to the coupling;
- and
- a bias spring connected to the wind indicator and biasing the wind indicator in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction.
A wind indicator assembly for displaying an amount of energy stored by a spring motor mechanism, comprising:
- a main spring for storing energy, which biases the main spring in a first rotational direction;
- a coupling collecting the main spring;
- a wind indicator having an indicia connected to the coupling;
- and
- a bias spring connected to the wind indicator and biasing the wind indicator in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction;
- wherein the coupling includes a spring cover having an inner cup portion to receive a first end of the main spring and an outer surface having a plurality of teeth.
A swing comprising:
- a housing;
- a plurality of legs attached to the housing and generally supporting the housing;
- a seat rotatably attached to the housing for supporting a child;
- an energy storage member disposed within the housing for storing energy;
- a mechanism coupled to the energy storage member and the seat, the mechanism providing a preselected discharge of energy from the energy storage member to the seat, the mechanism including an arc controlling device mounted in the housing that prevents the energy storage member from releasing energy stored in the energy storage member when a predetermined swing arc is exceeded.
An arc controlling device mounted in a housing of a child swing for controlling the arc of the child swing, the child swing having a child seat rotatably mounted thereto, the device comprising:
- a main spring located in the housing for providing rotational energy unwinding;
- a gear fixedly attached to the spring to receive the rotational energy from the spring, the gear rotating as the spring unwinds;
- a ratchet wheel;
- a pawl pivotably mounted proximate to the ratchet wheel to engage and disengage from the gear to prevent the gear from rotating and the spring from unwinding;
- a hanger connected to the child seat;
- a dog pivotably mounted to a circular portion of the hanger, the dog engaging and disengaging from the ratchet wheel to receive the rotational energy and transfer the rotational energy to the hanger;
- a rocker arm mounted proximate to the dog and pawl, the rocker arm communicating with the dog and pawl to cause the dog and pawl to alternatively engage and disengage the ratchet wheel;
- and
- a control member mounted proximate to the dog, the control member engaging the dog to the gear when the arc of the child swing is greater than a desired maximum arc, so as the prevent the spring from unwinding.
The swing arc controlling device according to claim 25, wherein the gear has teeth, the teeth being disposed about the outer periphery of the gear at regular intervals, the regular intervals being defined as an increment, the predetermined angle being an integer multiple of increments plus one half of an increment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.