Controllable kinetic flexible member imagery system
OwnerJoseph C. Pentlandinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for moving one or multiple flexible members to produce kinetic imagery where the flexible members have two spaced endpoints and are suspended in a curve from the endpoints. A drive mechanism is provided for continuously lengthening and shortening the distance between the endpoints and/or for varying the lengths of the flexible members, and a control unit is present for operating the drive mechanism.
Claims18
An apparatus for producing kinetic imagery by continuously moving a flexible member in space between a lower position and an upper position comprising:
- a flexible member suspended in a downwardly extending curve from two spaced flexible member endpoints, the flexible member being rotatably attached to a pulley reel at at least one of the endpoints;
- at least one drive mechanism operating the pulley reel driven by a continuously reversing motor that reverses direction of rotation when the curve reaches the lower and upper positions to reel in and unreel the flexible member;
- and
- a control unit for operating the drive mechanism.
An apparatus for producing kinetic imagery by continuously moving independently operated multiple flexible members in space between lower positions and upper positions comprising:
- multiple flexible members suspended in downwardly extending curves from pairs of spaced flexible member endpoints, each of the flexible members being rotatably attached to corresponding pulley reels at at least one of their respective endpoints;
- a separate drive mechanism operating each pulley reel driven by a motor that reverses direction of rotation when each curve reaches the lower and upper positions to reel in and unreel the flexible members;
- and
- a control unit for operating the drive mechanisms.
An apparatus for producing kinetic imagery by continuously moving a flexible member in space between a lower position and an upper position comprising:
- a flexible member suspended in a downwardly extending curve from two spaced flexible member endpoints, the flexible member being attached to a linear actuator at at least one of the endpoints;
- at least one drive mechanism operating the linear actuator by continuously reversing the direction of the linear actuator when the curve reaches the lower and upper positions;
- and
- a control unit for operating the drive mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.