Remotely Operable Television Turntable

Abstract

A remotely operable turntable for supporting thereon and rotating a television or other appliance includes a mounting plate for supporting the television and which is rotatably interconnected to a stationary base through a central bearing assembly with the mounting plate including at its periphery a motor, a drive shaft and a rubber wheel. The rubber wheel is mounted to the drive shaft so that the wheel is in resistive contact with the periphery of the base whereby turning of the rubber wheel by the drive shaft causes the rubber wheel to continuously engage and travel along the periphery of the base resulting in the concomitant rotation of the mounting plate and the television or other appliance placed thereupon. The turntable can be battery powered or electrically powered from a standard wall outlet and operated from a specially adapted remote control unit or a modified standard television remote control unit.

Description

The present invention pertains to swivel assemblies and devices for supporting and rotating appliances, and more particularly pertains to a remotely operable turntable for rotating televisions and other appliances resting thereon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Swivel assemblies and turntables of various types date to at least the age of Thomas Jefferson, and have both labor saving and utilitarian aspects. Their primary purpose is to allow anyone to easily rotate any item placed and resting thereon, with such items ranging from ordinary household items, appliances, computer monitors, and televisions. Such swivel assemblies and turntables are especially advantageous for adjusting and achieving optimal viewing of the television by one or more television viewing individuals. For example, it often occurs that a television set is located in a room but the chairs, sofas, recliners, and couches are scattered about the room—and none of which are in a direct line of sight with the television. Thus, the television must be adjusted or turned so that the viewer obtains an optimal view of the television. Oftentimes, groups of individuals gather to watch a program, such as a Sunday football game, and this usually requires a number of adjustments of the television so that all the viewers have the best possible view of the television. With the development of micro circuitry and held-held remote control devices, automated or mechanical swivels are available to lessen the inconvenience for elderly and handicapped individuals that cannot get up from and easily move back and forth from their couch to the television in order to adjust their television. Thus, the prior art discloses a number of devices and assemblies for adjusting and rotating televisions and other items or appliances set thereupon.

For example, the Doughty patent (U.S. design Pat. No. 266,121) discloses a support stand for a turntable.

The Sammons patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,894) discloses a multi-purpose furniture swivel assembly that includes a stationary race base to which a ball bearing assembly is rotatably attached, and the ball bearing assembly includes ball bearings mounted in a bearing retainer, and a swiveling platform mounted to the ball bearing assembly.

The Harashima patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,778) discloses a television turntable that includes a base member, a rotatable member supported on the base member by a shaft, and a plate member sandwiched between the base member and rotatable member with the plate member supporting rollers that are radially disposed about the shaft to facilitate the smooth rotation of the rotatable member relative to the stationary base member.

The Turner patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,304) discloses a television stand that includes a rotatable turntable mounted to a pedestal base and that is rotated by a drive shaft and a motor drive assembly.

The Wohiford patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,657 B1) discloses an assembly kit for an audiovisual storage base and a television turntable that includes a turntable supported above a base by pillars, with a rotating member attached to the underside of the base so that the base and turntable can rotate together.

The Knighton et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,550 B1) discloses a wireless turntable that includes an upper unit rotatably mounted to a base with the base including a drive mechanism for rotating the upper unit and the drive mechanism controllable by a processor within the base.

Nonetheless, despite the ingenuity of the above devices, there remains a need for a remotely operable turntable that is inexpensive, easy to set up, adaptable for television sets and appliances of various sizes and dimensions, and is both battery powered and powered from a standard electrical outlet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprehends a remotely operable television turntable for rotating clockwise and counterclockwise any item, such as a television, crt monitor or appliance (microwave oven, radio, etc.) placed thereon. The remotely operable turntable is a labor saving device that allows the user to rotate the television to obtain the optimum viewing angle while remaining seated upon the couch, sofa, recliner or other seat. The present invention is especially useful for elderly and handicapped individuals that cannot readily or easily get up and down to move, position, and reposition by careful rotations the television—or other appliance—as desired to obtain maximal viewing or use.

The remotely operable turntable includes a stationary and circular base to which a mounting plate is mounted for rotation thereon. The television or other appliance is placed upon the upper supporting surface of the mounting plate. A central bearing assembly interconnects the mounting plate to the base plate. The base plate includes a periphery, and mounted to the periphery is a rubber edging with the height of the rubber edging being equal to that of the base plate. Sandwiched between the upper interior surface of the base and the lower interior surface of the mounting plate is an annular bearing track that is coaxial to the central bearing assembly. The mounting plate includes an outer peripheral border, and a motor compartment is located at the outer peripheral border for enclosing therein a low power motor. A drive shaft downwardly extends from the motor and secured to the distal end of the drive shaft is a rubber wheel. The rubber wheel resistively engages the rubber edging and is rotated by the motor through the drive shaft. In effect the rubber wheel is interconnected to the mounting plate, and the rotation of the rubber wheel against the rubber edging causes the rubber wheel to rotate along the rubber edging resulting in the concomitant rotation of the mounting plate upon the central bearing assembly relative to the stationary base plate. Rotation of the mounting plate turns or rotates the item, such as the television, resting thereon so that an optimal viewing angle or vantage is obtained.

The remotely operable turntable can be battery powered, and a battery compartment would be provided within the mounting plate adjacent the motor housing of the motor, or the turntable can be run off of standard house current. A cord and plug would be included for plugging the turntable into a standard wall outlet. In addition, to remotely operate the device a handheld remote control unit can be used, or the television remote control unit can be programmed to operate the turntable.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a remotely operable turntable for televisions and other appliances that is lightweight, durable, inexpensive and can be sized to support thereon and rotate televisions and other appliances of various models, dimensions, and sizes.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a remotely operable turntable for televisions and other appliances that is operable by a standard television remote control unit.

It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a remotely operable turntable for televisions and other appliances that can be factory attached to the television or which can be separate from the television for placement of the television thereon.

It is still yet another objective of the present invention to provide a remotely operable turntable for televisions and other appliances that is capable of 180-degree rotations clockwise and counterclockwise or capable of a full 360-degree rotation for providing the television viewer with the maximum unobstructed viewing ability.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a remotely operable turntable for televisions and other appliances that is a useful convenience and physical effort-reducing device for elderly and handicapped individuals.

Yet still another objective of the present invention is to provide a remotely operable turntable for televisions and other appliances that doesn't add appreciable weight to the stand the television is resting upon when interposed between the television and the stand for rotatably supporting the television thereon.

Yet still a further objective of the present invention is to provide a remotely operable turntable for televisions and other appliances that is reversible so that either side of the turntable can either set upon the stand or counter with the other side supporting the television or other appliance.

Still a further objective of the present invention is to provide a remotely operable turntable for televisions and other appliances that is easy to install and can be manufactured from plastic, aluminum, metal or wood.

These and other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in art upon a perusal of the following detailed description read in conjunction with accompanying drawing figures and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the remotely operable turntable of the present invention showing the turntable supporting a television upon the mounting plate of the turntable;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the remotely operable turntable of the present invention showing the turntable in its non-use disposition;

FIG. 3 is a sectioned elevational view of the remotely operable turntable of the present invention illustrating the disposition of the rotatable mounting plate and the interconnection of the mounting plate to the base by the central bearing assembly and the rubber wheel that resistively engages the periphery of the base for rotating the mounting plate;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the remotely operable turntable of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a remote control unit adapted for operating the turntable and for rotating the turntable in the left/right directions or the clockwise/counterclockwise directions;

FIG. 6 is a sectioned elevational view of the remotely operable turntable of the present invention illustrating an alternative embodiment for the central bearing assembly;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the remotely operable turntable of the present invention illustrating a representative sequence of operational steps for rotating the turntable in one direction or the opposite direction;

FIG. 8 is a sectioned elevational view of the remotely operable turntable of the present invention illustrating the reversal of the turntable so that the television can be placed on the base and rotated thereon; and

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the remotely operable turntable of the present invention illustrating a battery compartment and batteries for providing power to the motor for turning the rubber wheel against the base and thereby rotating the mounting plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-9 is a remotely operable turntable 10 for turning or rotating various items that are placed thereupon, with such items being household appliances or televisions such as the television 12 shown in FIG. 1. The remotely operable turntable 10 can be sized to accommodate appliances and televisions of various dimensions, and it is a lightweight, durable, portable accessory preferably manufactured from aluminum, wood, metal, or plastic. In addition, the turntable 10 can be set up to rotate 180 degrees in either the left/right or clockwise/counterclockwise directions, or the turntable 10 can rotate a full 360 degrees for obtaining an optimal viewing angle or viewing line of sight for the individual or individuals watching the television 12. Although the remotely operable turntable 10 has a preferred orientation, it is reversible so that either surface can support the appliance or television 12 thereon for rotation. Moreover, the remotely operable turntable 10 is easy to set up and install, and doesn't add any appreciable weight to the stand or counter on which it may be positioned. The turntable 10 can be factory affixed to the bottom of the appliance or television 12; although the turntable 10 used as a freestanding accessory provides for more flexibility of use. The turntable 10 can also be used to slowly rotate, when interconnected to an electrical timer, a store display such as a Halloween decoration, a Christmas tree, or a seasonal figurine.

As shown in FIGS. 1-9, the remotely operable turntable 10 includes a generally circular-shaped base 14 defining an outer periphery 16 and a central base aperture 18. The base 14 includes a lower surface 20 that generally contacts the surface of the stand or counter upon which the turntable 10 is placed, and an opposite upper interior surface 22. Mounted to the upper interior surface 22 is a circular bearing support 24 that is circumjacent the central base aperture 18, and the circular bearing support 24 includes an annular groove 26 commensurate with the circular bearing support 24. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9, secured to the periphery 16 of the base 14 is a cylindrical rubber edging 28 that provides a resistive surface for a structural element hereinafter further described.

Disposed within the central base aperture 18 of the base 14, and projecting upwardly therefrom when the base 14 is placed upon a counter or stand, is a central bearing assembly 30. The central bearing assembly 30 includes a center shaft 32 and a bearing case or enclosure 34 that encompasses the center shaft 32. The bearing case or enclosure 34 includes a plurality of stacked bearing channels 36, and each bearing channel 36 contains therein center bearings 38 that engage the center shaft 32 and facilitate the smooth rotation of a structural element hereinafter further described. The central bearing assembly 30 also helps to ease the side burden or load produced by the television 12 or other appliance sitting on the turntable 10.

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, 6, 8 and 9 is a mounting plate 40 that is mounted to the central bearing assembly 30 for rotation thereon. More specifically, with reference to FIG. 3, the mounting plate 40 is mounted on the bearing enclosure 34 and rotates concomitant with the rotation of the bearing enclosure 34 about the center shaft 32. The mounting plate 40 is generally rectangular-shaped and is larger than the base 14, and, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, actually surrounds and encloses the base 14. The mounting plate 40 includes a mounting plate aperture 42 that is aligned with the central base aperture 18 for receiving the central bearing assembly 30. The mounting plate 40 includes an upper supporting surface 44, an opposite lower interior surface 46 and an outer peripheral border 48. Secured to the outer peripheral border 48, and commensurate therewith, is a skirt 50 that extends downward and completely conceals the base 14 when the base 14 of the turntable 10 is placed upon a counter or stand. In the typical use of the turntable 10, the television 12 or other appliance is placed upon the upper supporting surface 44 of the mounting plate 42 for rotation with the mounting plate 40. The lower interior surface 46 of the mounting plate 40 opposes the upper interior surface 22 of the base 14. Secured to the lower interior surface 46 is an annular bearing guide 52 that encircles the central bearing assembly 30 and is aligned with the circular bearing support 24 of the base 14. The circular bearing guide 52 includes a guide race 54, and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the circular bearing support 24 of the base 14 is aligned with and received within the circular bearing guide 52 for enclosing the guide race 54. When the base 14 is placed upon and in contact with the counter or stand, the circular bearing guide 52 rotates along the circular bearing support 24, and disposed within the guide race 54 and annular groove 26, and enclosed by the circular bearing support 24 and the annular bearing guide 52 are a plurality of primary support bearings 56 that facilitate the rotation of the mounting plate 40 relative to the base 14. The television 12 or other appliance is placed upon the upper supporting surface 44 of the mounting plate 40 for rotatable adjustment thereon by the rotation of the mounting plate 40 relative to the stationary base 14. The circular bearing support 24 of the base 14 and the annular bearing guide 52 of the mounting plate 40 cooperate to provide, in effect, an annular bearing track 58 for the primary support bearings 56.

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 and 6-9 is a motive means for providing the power to the turntable 10 for rotating and adjusting the television 12 or other appliance resting thereon. The motive means includes a low power motor 60 contained within a motor housing 62 that is located at the outer peripheral border 48 thereof. Downwardly extending from the motor 60 is a drive shaft 64 and secured to the drive shaft 64 for rotation thereby is a rubber wheel 66. The rubber wheel 66 is positioned so that the rubber wheel 66 resistively engages and contacts the rubber edging 28 about the base 14. The rubber edging 28 acts as a frictional gripping surface that maintains continuous contact with the rubber wheel 66 during adjustable rotation of the mounting place 40 or the base 14, as shall be hereinafter described, for optimally aligning the viewing of the television. When the motor 60 is engaged, the rubber wheel 66 travels along the periphery 16 of the base 14 in continuous contact with the edging 28 in the left/right or clockwise/counterclockwise direction.

The power provided to the motor 60 can be from several sources. In FIGS. 1-4 the power is electrically provided from a standard electrical outlet or household receptacle via a plug 68 and power cord 70 connected to the base 14 and in electrical interconnection with the motor 60. To allow for greater flexibility of use, the motor 60 of the turntable 10 can be powered from batteries, such as a pair of 6V batteries 72 contained within a battery compartment 74 as shown in FIG. 9. The motor 60 can be a low power motor because the rotation of the turntable 10 occurs slowly to allow for both a safe and incrementally exact adjustment of any item placed thereon. Moreover, the turntable 10 can be adapted to run off of the 12V battery of an automotive vehicle thereby providing even greater flexibility of use. The turntable 10 also includes an infrared receiver 76 that is in electrical interconnection with the motor 60 and which receives various command signals to initiate the desired rotation of the turntable 10 and the item, such as the television 12, resting thereon and requiring adjustment for achieving the optimal viewing angle or sight line.

As shown in FIG. 5, the turntable 10 includes a portable, handheld remote control unit 78 for operating—rotating—the turntable 10. The remote control unit 78 includes two rotation direction buttons 80 that for convenience and with the orientation of the individual standing or sitting in front of the television 12 or other appliance initiate the rotation of the turntable 10 in the left and right directions or the clockwise and counterclockwise directions as indicated by the directional arrows 82 in FIGS. 4 and 9. The remote control unit 78 and the turntable 10 can be set up and programmed so that the turntable 10 rotates 180 degrees in the left/right or clockwise/counterclockwise directions thereby providing for maximum rotational adjustment; or the remote control unit 78 and the turntable 10 can be set up and programmed to rotate the turntable 10 a full 360 degrees in either the left/right or the clockwise/counterclockwise directions. Nevertheless, both programming and set up procedures allow the individual to completely rotate the turntable 10 and the television 12 resting thereon while the individual can remain seated, which is especially useful for elderly and handicapped individuals. The remote control unit 78 includes standard electrical circuitry and an infrared transmitter 84 that sends the signals at the predetermined frequency to the infrared receiver 76 on the turntable 10, which in turn initiates the engagement of the motor 60 for rotating the turntable 10. In addition, a standard television remote control could be preprogrammed with these additional functions and features.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment for the central bearing assembly 30 shown in figures shown in FIGS. 3 and 9. In FIG. 6 the center shaft 86 is integrally attached to the upper interior surface 22 of the base 14. The bearing case or enclosure 88 is rotatably mounted upon the center shaft 86 and is shorter than the bearing case 34 of FIGS. 3 and 8. Also, the bearing channels 90 and bearings 92 are less in number in this embodiment. The mounting plate 40 is mounted to the bearing case 88 so that engagement of the motor 60 causes the rubber wheel 66 to engage and turn against the rubber edging 28 thereby rotating the mounting plate 40, the bearing case 88 and the television 12 or other appliance sitting on the upper supporting surface 44 of the mounting plate 40. This embodiment also allows for the reversibility of the device 10 in so far as the base 14 can be used to support the television 12, and the engagement of the motor 60 would cause the center shaft 86 to rotate in the central bearing assembly 30 and the base 14 to rotate coincident with the rotation of the center shaft 86. The mounting plate 40 would then be the non-rotating element in this use of the turntable.

In operation, as shown in the schematic of FIG. 7, the individual would hold the remote control unit 78 in his or her hand, and seated on a couch or recliner, press the left/right rotate or clockwise/counterclockwise rotate directional button 80. A signal would be immediately sent from the infrared transmitter 84 to the infrared receiver 76 initiating the motor 60 to engage the drive shaft 64 for the selected rotation. The drive shaft 64 would turn the rubber wheel 66 to commence rotation against the rubber edging 28, and as the wheel 66 rotates against the rubber edging 28, the wheel 66 in effect walks or travels along the periphery 16 of the base 14. Because the wheel 66 is interconnected to the mounting plate 40, and the mounting plate 40 is rotatably interconnected to the central bearing assembly 30, the mounting plate 40 and the television 12 rotates or turns as a result of the resistive or frictional turning of the wheel 66 against the rubber edging 28. The rotation of the mounting plate 40 is slow to allow for the incremental rotational adjustment, in either direction or orientation, of the television 12 relative to the seated individual. When the television 12 has been turned to the optimal viewing angle or line of sight, the individual can release his or her grip on the directional button 80, and immediately halt the motor 60 and the rotation of the mounting plate 40. The weight of the television 12 pressing down upon the base 14 also assists in maintaining the stationary disposition of the base 14. FIG. 8 shows the turntable 10 reversed or turned upside down so that the mounting plate 40 is disposed upon the counter or stand, and is stationary thereupon, and the base 14 is now supporting the television 12 and is the rotating element. In this reversed orientation, the wheel 66 would turn against the edging 28 while remaining in the same position, and this resistive contact would cause the base 14 to slowly rotate and turn the television 12, now sitting upon the lower surface 20 of the base 14, to the desired viewing angle or line of sight.

The foregoing specification has described a specific and preferred embodiment of the invention, and it will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications, alterations, and variations will be possible and practicable without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims, and that the specification and drawings are therefore to be regarded as illustrative of the broad principles of the invention rather than describing the invention in a restrictive sense.

Claims

1. A remotely operable turntable for rotatably adjusting a television supported thereon, comprising:

a circular base;

a mounting plate rotatably interconnected to the base for supporting the television;

a motor disposed on the mounting plate;

a wheel interconnected to the motor for selective rotation by the motor;

a rubber edging secured to the base; and

whereupon engagement of the wheel by the motor causes the wheel to resistively contact and rotate against the edging so that the wheel travels about the base which results in the rotation of the mounting plate and the television supported on the mounting plate for adjusting the television to a desired viewing orientation.

2. The remotely operable turntable of claim 1 wherein the base includes a central base aperture, a lower surface, an opposite upper interior surface and a periphery to which the rubber edging is secured.

3. The remotely operable turntable of claim 2 wherein the base includes a circular bearing support mounted to the upper interior surface and circumjacent the central base aperture.

4. The remotely operable turntable of claim 3 wherein the circular bearing support includes an annular groove.

5. The remotely operable turntable of claim 4 wherein the mounting plate includes a mounting plate aperture, an upper supporting surface upon which the television is placed for rotatable adjustment, an opposite lower interior surface and an outer peripheral border.

6. The remotely operable turntable of claim 5 wherein the mounting plate includes a skirt that is secured to the outer peripheral border and covers the base when the television is placed upon the upper supporting surface.

7. The remotely operable turntable of claim 6 further comprising a central bearing assembly that extends through the central base aperture of the base and the mounting plate aperture of the mounting plate for rotatably interconnecting the mounting plate to the base.

8. The remotely operable turntable of claim 7 wherein the mounting plate includes an annular bearing guide secured to the lower interior surface and aligned with the circular bearing support of the base for rotation therealong when the mounting plate is rotated with respect to the base.

9. The remotely operable turntable of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of primary bearing disposed within the annular groove of the circular bearing support of the base and enclosed by the annular bearing guide of the mounting plate and the circular bearing support of the base to facilitate the rotation of the mounting plate on the base.

10. The remotely operable turntable of claim 9 further comprising a portable, hand held remote control unit for controlling the operation and engagement of the motor and the rotational adjustment of the television supported on the mounting plate.

11. A remotely operable turntable for rotatably adjusting a television or an appliance placed thereon, comprising:

a circular and stationary base having a lower surface, an opposite upper interior surface, a central base aperture, and an outer periphery;

a rubber edging secured to the outer periphery of the base;

a mounting plate interconnected to the base for rotation thereon, the mounting plate including an upper supporting surface upon which the television or appliance is placed, an opposite lower interior surface, a mounting plate aperture aligned with the central base aperture and an outer peripheral border;

a motor secured to the outer peripheral border of the mounting plate;

a rubber wheel mounted to the motor for selective rotation by the motor, the rubber wheel in resistive contact with the rubber edging; and

whereupon engagement of the rubber wheel by the motor causes the rubber wheel to resistively turn against the rubber edging and thus travel along the rubber edging thereby resulting in the rotation of the mounting plate relative to the stationary base so that the television or appliance supported on the mounting plate can be rotatably adjusted for obtaining an optimal viewing orientation or optimal orientation for use.

12. The remotely operable turntable of claim 11 wherein the base includes a circular bearing support that is mounted to the upper interior surface and circumjacent the central base aperture.

13. The remotely operable turntable of claim 12 wherein the circular bearing support includes an annular groove that is commensurate with the circular bearing support.

14. The remotely operable turntable of claim 13 wherein the mounting plate includes an annular bearing guide that is secured to the lower interior surface of the mounting plate and is aligned with the circular bearing support of the base.

15. The remotely operable turntable of claim 14 further comprising a plurality of primary support bearing enclosed between the annular bearing guide and the circular bearing support for facilitating the rotation of the mounting plate on the base.

16. A remotely operable turntable for rotatably adjusting a television supported thereon in order to obtain an optimal line of sight and viewing orientation, comprising:

a stationary circular base having a lower surface, an opposite upper interior surface, a central base aperture, and an outer periphery;

a rubber edging secured to the outer periphery of the base;

a mounting plate interconnected to the base for rotation thereon, the mounting plate including an upper supporting surface upon which the television is placed, an opposite lower interior surface, a mounting plate aperture aligned with the central base aperture, and an outer peripheral border;

motive means for rotating the mounting plate located at the outer peripheral border of the mounting plate;

a rubber wheel attached to the motive means for selective rotation thereby, the rubber wheel being in resistive contact with the rubber edging of the base; and

whereupon engagement of the rubber wheel by the motive means causes the rubber wheel to resistively turn against the rubber edging and thus travel along the rubber edging in continuous contact therewith resulting in the rotation of the mounting plate relative to the stationary base so that the television supported upon the mounting plate is rotatably adjusted for obtaining the optimal line of sight and viewing orientation.

17. The remotely operable turntable of claim 16 wherein the motive means includes a low power motor.

18. The remotely operable turntable of claim 16 wherein the motive means includes a plurality of batteries.

19. The remotely operable turntable of claim 16 further comprising a portable hand held remote control unit for controlling the engagement of the motive means and the rotational adjustment of the mounting plate.

20. The remotely operable turntable of claim 19 wherein the turntable is capable of clockwise and counterclockwise rotation ranging from 180 degrees to 360 degrees.