With Means Demonstrating Solar Illumination Of Earth Patents (Class 434/143)
  • Patent number: 6612843
    Abstract: The present invention comprises an educational device for use with an earth globe having ecliptic angle of inclination for teaching students the position of the earth relative to the sun through the various seasons. The educational device can also be used to teach the months of the year as well as teaching the causes of night and day. The educational device having a flat board, which represents the earth's orbital plane, and having a sun label, a plurality of season labels and a plurality of month labels affixed on the facade of the board. The educational device also has a indexer wheel pivotally mounted to the board for rotatably mounting the earth globe so that the student may be able to freely rotatably maneuver the earth globe relative to the season labels so that the student can visually grasp the causes of the seasons as the year proceeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Inventor: Douglas M. Riggs
  • Patent number: 6299451
    Abstract: A model globe for illustrating time relationships and related concepts includes a global representation of the earth rotatable about an axis simulating the earth's axis of rotation. A cursor assembly is independently rotatable about the axis, and includes a cursor which may be positioned at a desired place on the earth as represented on the model globe. An indicator is coupled to the cursor assembly and displays the rotations position of the cursor about the simulated axis of rotation. The indicator is preferably in the form of a clock, whereby the time over a 24-hour period corresponding to a revolution of the earth about its axis is displayed to correspond to the position of the cursor. The cursor assembly may be locked to the globe so that they may be rotated about the axis in unison, whereby the indicator depicts the passage of time along the longitude of the cursor as the globe rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Natural Science Industries, LLP
    Inventor: Robert Davila
  • Patent number: 6196693
    Abstract: A internally lighted globe for showing the world as illuminated by the sun at the current time. The internally lighted globe includes a base with an arm coupled thereto. A sphere has indicia representing the surface of the earth and an axis. The sphere is rotatably coupled to the arm of the base along the axis of the sphere. The sphere is translucent so that light shining inside of the sphere illuminates the material of the sphere. A light means is rotatably positioned in the sphere for emitting light on a portion of the sphere corresponding to a portion of the earth illuminated by sunlight at a given time. The sphere completes one 360 degree revolution in 24 hours for simulating rotation of the earth about its axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Inventor: Simon Glynn
  • Patent number: 6183257
    Abstract: The touch controlled light emitted two balls instrument comprises the following elements. A seat with a two loops touch controlled sensing switch circuit system, one side of the seat is formed with a pivotal hole, and the opposite side of the seat is installed with a through hole used to mounted with a first light source. A supporting frame is a cambered rod having an approximate C shape and is assembled on the pivotal hole of the seat. A screw rod is mounted on the top of the rod and an engaging rod is projected from the lower end thereof and may be pivotally connected with a second light source. A globe is a hollow and transparent round ball and a world map is depicted on the surface thereof, and holes are formed on the upper and lower ends thereof for being inserted by the screw rod and convex shaft of the supporting frame and a first light source. A heaven body ball is a transparent round ball with a hollow inner space, a heaven body map is depicted thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Inventor: Ping-Huang Ho
  • Patent number: 6027343
    Abstract: A touch controlled multiple functional terrestrial globe is disclosed. A ball is a transparent round ball with a hollow inner space, a world map is depicted on the surface of the ball; a palm shape supporting frame for supporting the ball by the part between the thumb and the index finger. The under-pan of a ball driven device is firmly secured to an axial rod through a positioning piece for bearing the ball, a belt disk is installed on the lower portion thereof, while the belt disk is connected to another belt disk under the central shaft of the motor through a belt, therefore, by starting a decelerated motor, the ball is driven to rotate. A light source is mounted on the top of an axial rod and can emit light. A seat is installed on the lower portion of the palm shape supporting frame, a touch controlled sensing circuit system is installed therewithin, it can connected to the decelerated motor and the bulb base through a dual loop touch controlled switch circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Inventor: Ping-Huang Ho
  • Patent number: 5545041
    Abstract: An earth globe includes a base and a hollow globe body made of translucent material and having a spherical configuration corresponding substantially to the earth. A first support mechanism serves to rotatably support the globe body relative to the base around a first axis corresponding substantially to the earth axis. An illumination device and a shading device are disposed within the globe body. The shading device serves to shade light from the illumination device over a substantially half region of the globe body. A second support mechanism is provided to rotatably support the shading device relative to the globe body around a second axis corresponding substantially to an axis perpendicular to the orbital plane of revolution of the earth around the sun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Assignee: Kazuyuki Katsuno
    Inventor: Mikihisa Tsuzuki
  • Patent number: 5280458
    Abstract: A sunlit world globe provides a realistic and constantly accurate day/night pattern on the surface of the globe. The globe employs an internal, rotating baffle for a light source. The baffle rotates with respect to a semi-transparent shell constituting a planetary model. The shell has an aperture at the bottom so that a motor, fixed to a frame can rotate the baffle through an axle. The shell pivots about a horizontal axis .+-.23.5 degrees to simulate the earth's orbit around the sun. An adjustment mechanism positions the polar axis of the earth with respect to an imaginary, ecliptic plane appropriately for the current time of year. In an alternate embodiment, the globe rotates with respect to the frame. The frame carries an arch having a day/night demarcation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 18, 1994
    Inventor: Craig S. Scott
  • Patent number: 5030100
    Abstract: A system for displaying educational material relating to environmental matters comprises a computer, a laserdisc player for extracting video and audio signals and a globe which comprises a representation of the earth with an array of constantly spaced light emitting elements arranged on the surface of the globe so they can illuminate various patterns across the earth. The computer can control the patterns in stationary or moving format to illustrate various effects for example holes in the ozone layer, movement of pollution across the earth, the depletion or tropical rain forest. The array of illuminated lights in one preferred arrangement is formed by a plurality of optical fibers which are buried in an outer surface of the globe and which are connected together at an input end receiving light from a monitor screen on which the patterns are formed. A number of different monitors are provided each for generating illumination of a portion of the globe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Inventor: Garry M. Hilderman
  • Patent number: 4971559
    Abstract: A globe, comprising: a stationary base; a day and night boundary ring mounted on the stationary base; an arm supported at its base end by the day and night boundary ring so as to be rotatable around a first axial line; and a spherical globe main body rotatably supported by a free end of the arm so as to be rotatable around its earth's axis; the first axial line defining the ecliptic angle with respect to a vertical line. According to this globe, the distribution of the regions of day and night in any time of the day and in any time of the year can be readily demonstrated by means of the day and night boundary ring simply by turning the globe body around the earth's axis and the first axial line, respectively, without using any complicated structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Inventor: Takeshi Amano
  • Patent number: 4936779
    Abstract: An earth planet model as illustrated in the drawings having a base supporting a globe cradle 28. The globe cradle supports a glove 40 at a north pole bearing 48 and at a south pole bearing 50 with the polar axis of the globe being inclined. The model 10 has a polar shaft 66 with a north pole shaft end 68 extending upward through the north pole bearing 48 and a south pole bearing end 70 extending downward through the south pole bearing 50. A light illuminating means is tiltably mounted on the polar shaft 66 for tilting movement and for rotation with the shaft for illuminating the interior of the globe. The model 10 has a manual adjusting means associated with the north pole bearing 48 for manually adjusting the inclination of the illuminating means in response to the setting of a manual knob. A timer drive is detachably coupled to the south pole shaft end 70 for rotating the polar shaft with respect to the globe. The timer is removably mounted on the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Inventor: Ronald B. Carlson
  • Patent number: 4761138
    Abstract: A light source within a transparent hollow globe continually illuminates one half the globe to represent solar illumination. The light source is rotated about the north-south axis of the globe at the rate of one revolution per day and is concurrently oscillated about a second axis at the rate of one oscillation per orbit about the sun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1988
    Inventor: Joseph Z. Niesyn
  • Patent number: 4666310
    Abstract: Globe clocks for indicating time at various points in the world by illumination of such points as a function of time by light systems which simulate the sun. In a first preferred embodiment, the globe clock is characterized by a transparent or translucent globe rotatably mounted on a pedestal with a clock mechanism mounted on a shaft extending through the globe and effecting rotation of the globe at a predetermined rate of speed. A gear and linking mechanism is provided in association with the clock mechanism to facilitate sweeping movement of a light in a vertical arc inside the globe to simulate changing of the seasons as the globe rotates. In a second preferred, embodiment the globe clock is characterized by a transparent or translucent globe which is rotatably mounted on a base or console containing a clock mechanism which effects rotation of the globe at a predetermined rate of speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1987
    Inventor: Charlie J. Snapka