JPH0452785Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <<Industrial Application Field>> This invention relates to a movable display device, and more specifically to an improvement in a drive mechanism for driving display elements.

<<Prior Art>> Conventionally, there have been many display elements that are movable within a certain space in order to improve advertising or interior decoration effects.

For example, a motor is used as a drive mechanism to move the display element, and in this case, the rotation speed of the motor is usually too fast, so a gear is attached to the output shaft to slow down the rotation speed. I try to do that. Furthermore, since a motor can only perform rotational motion, some motors have a link mechanism attached to the output shaft of the motor to change the direction of motion.

《Problem to be solved by the invention》 However, in the above-mentioned conventional display device,
As described above, since a motor, gears, etc. are used as the drive mechanism, mechanical noise is generated during drive, which is unpleasant to the ears and reduces the effectiveness of advertising and promotion. Furthermore, since gears or link mechanisms are required, there is also the problem that the device becomes larger.

The present invention was developed in view of the various problems mentioned above, and its purpose is to use a completely new drive mechanism to solve problems such as the generation of mechanical noise and the increase in the size of the device. The object of the present invention is to provide a movable display device that can perform the following functions.

<Means for Solving the Problems> In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a movable display device according to the present invention includes a piezoelectric bimorph, a display element disposed at one end of the piezoelectric bimorph, and the other end of the piezoelectric bimorph. The display device includes a diaphragm disposed on the display element, and support means for supporting the display element and regulating and guiding the movement direction of the display element.

<<Operation>> A predetermined voltage is applied to the piezoelectric bimorph to cause it to bend. The bending motion is then amplified by a diaphragm connected to the piezoelectric bimorph to generate propulsive force.

This propulsion force is directly transmitted to the display element connected to the piezoelectric bimorph (diaphragm), causing it to move forward.

<<Example>> Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, a relatively thin water tank 10 made of a transparent plate is filled with a highly electrically insulating liquid 12. As this liquid 12,
For example, silicone oil or a fluorine-based inert solution is used.

Further, a rotating shaft 14 is disposed approximately in the center of the aquarium 10 from the front side to the rear side, and the rotating shaft 14
Band-shaped support plates 16 are connected to each other at 90 degree intervals. A display element 18 having a predetermined shape is fixed to the tip of the support plate 16.
One end of a piezoelectric bimorph 20 formed by laminating and bonding two piezoelectric elements is disposed at the rear end in the direction of movement of the display element. Further, a diaphragm 22 is disposed at the other end of the piezoelectric bimorph 20. Further, the piezoelectric bimorph 20 is connected to a power supply device 24. Then, the piezoelectric bimorph 20 bends due to the voltage supplied from the power supply device 24, and the conveying force generated due to the movement is amplified by the diaphragm 22, thereby moving the display element 18 forward. There is.

In this embodiment, attention is paid to the fact that the display element 18 is located in the liquid, and the display element 18 is shaped and patterned to resemble an underwater creature such as a fish. That is, the display element 18, which does not make a bending motion, has a shape similar to the cylinder and body of a fish, and the piezoelectric bimorph 20 and the diaphragm 22, which make a bending motion, have a shape similar to a caudal fin. By doing so, the piezoelectric bimorph 20 and the diaphragm 20, which are the drive sources, can be made part of the display section without any discomfort. Moreover,
The movement of the caudal fin of an actual fish is also a bending movement, which approximates the movement of the piezoelectric element 20, etc., so the display element 18 and the like move forward while moving more closely to the real thing, which attracts the viewer's interest. It is possible to improve advertising effectiveness.

Furthermore, in actuality, the bending motion of the piezoelectric bimorph 20 has a small swing angle and may not be visually discernible. In such a case, in the case of the above-mentioned fish, the caudal fin part is attached to the diaphragm 22.
Alternatively, the display element 18 and the piezoelectric bimorph 20 may constitute the head and body of the fish.

Next, the voltage supply means for bending the piezoelectric bimorph 20 will be explained. First, in this embodiment, the power supply device 24 is connected to the low frequency oscillator 24a.
and a power amplifier 24b connected to the output of the low frequency oscillator 24a. and,
The output from the power amplifier 24b is transmitted to the piezoelectric bimorph 20 via a slip ring mechanism 30 disposed near the rotating shaft 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the slip ring mechanism 30 includes a pair of receiving plate parts 31, 31 connected to the output of the power amplifier 24b and having a cutout part 31a having a substantially V-shaped upper surface cut out. The notch 3
1a, 31a, and a pair of rotating disks 34 that are electrically connected to the rotating shaft 14 and arranged concentrically. . Although not shown, the central portion of the rotating shaft 14 (the portion between the pair of rotating disks 34, 34) is electrically insulated. Thereby, the pair of rotating disks 34, 34 are also electrically insulated, and each rotating disk 34, 34 becomes a positive electrode and a negative electrode, respectively. Then, each of the rotating disks 34, 34 and the piezoelectric element constituting the piezoelectric bimorph 20 are connected via a lead wire 36. Specifically, a lead wire 36a connected to a rotating disk (in this example, the front side) 34 serving as one pole is interposed between the bonding surfaces of two piezoelectric elements, and a rotating disk serving as the other pole is inserted between the connecting surfaces of the two piezoelectric elements. The tips of the lead wires 36b connected to the plate (in this embodiment, the rear side) 34 are branched and connected to both surfaces of the two piezoelectric elements, respectively.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained. AC voltage is applied to the piezoelectric bimorph 20 from the power supply device 24. Then, the voltage applied by the piezoelectric bimorph 20 changes from positive to zero as shown in FIG.
The direction of application changes sequentially, such as "negative".
In response to this change, the piezoelectric bimorph 20 swings (bending motion) using the display element 18 side as a fulcrum.

Along with the rocking, the diaphragm 22 connected to the piezoelectric bimorph 20 also swings greatly as shown in FIG. 4. Then, when the diaphragm 22 returns from the bent state to the straight state (D→E, H→I in the figure), a force is generated that pushes the liquid backward (arrow in the figure), thereby moving the display element 18 forward. Propulsive force is generated.

In this embodiment, since the display element 18 is linked to the rotating disk 34 (rotating shaft 14), the display element 18 is moved to the rotating shaft 14 by the above-mentioned propulsive force.
It begins to move while rotating in a predetermined direction (clockwise in this example) around .

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, unlike the above embodiments, the display element 18' moves linearly back and forth.

The specific mechanism is as follows:
A guide rail 42 is provided so as to connect the upper parts of 0a and 10b, and a sliding body 43 is disposed on the guide rail 42 so as to be movable back and forth.
3, a display element 18' is vertically provided via a hanging member 45. Further, one set of piezoelectric bimorph 20 and one set of diaphragm 22 are disposed at both end edges of display element 18'. Each piezoelectric bimorph 20 has a power amplifier 24b, 24b, respectively.
are connected to each other, and each power amplifier 24b is connected to a low frequency oscillator 24a via a relay switch 46. As a result, only one piezoelectric bimorph 20 is driven to swing, and the display element 18' is moved forward in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, since the relay switch is switched and driven by a timer, the display element 18'
It is designed to move back and forth repeatedly at regular intervals. In addition, in this example, the guide rail 42,
The sliding body 43 and the hanging member 45 constitute a supporting means.

Note that the other configurations and operating principles are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, so their explanations will be omitted.
Alternatively, the relay switch may be switched manually.

FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, unlike each of the embodiments described above, the display element 18' makes a pendulum movement.
The specific structure is that instead of the guide rail 42 and sliding body 43 in the second embodiment described above, the receiving plate portion 31 in the first embodiment described above and the cutout portion 31a of the receiving plate portion 31 are rotated inwardly. A rotatably mounted rotation shaft 14' is connected to the upper end of the hanging member 45 in the second embodiment described above. By applying a voltage alternately to the piezoelectric bimorphs 20, 20 disposed on both sides of the display element 18', the display element 14 performs a pendulum movement about the rotation axis 14'.

Note that the other configurations and operating principles are the same as those of the second embodiment described above, so their explanations will be omitted.

FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this example, unlike each of the above-mentioned examples,
The center portion of the lower surface of a disk-shaped display element 18'' is fixed to the upper end of a rod-shaped portion 49 that is placed upright on the bottom surface 10c of the water tank via a spring 48.The outer peripheral edge of this display element 18'' The piezoelectric bimorphs 20 and diaphragms 22 are arranged at intervals of 100 degrees, and the relay switch 46 is switched so that each piezoelectric bimorph 2
0 and voltages are applied sequentially.

By doing so, the display element 18'' swings about the lower end (spring 48) of the rod-shaped portion 49 as a fulcrum.

It should be noted that each of the embodiments described above is an example of the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention (the point of moving display elements using piezoelectric bimorphs). That is, for example, a display element on which a piezoelectric bimorph or the like is arranged may be suspended via a string or the like, and the display element may rotate in a horizontal plane around the hanging point at the upper end of the string. .

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the shape of the display element 18 is approximated to the shape of a fish, but it is of course possible to have other shapes (not limited to underwater creatures). In the description of the second and subsequent embodiments, the display element 18' in the drawings has been shown to have a rectangular shape, but it can also have an arbitrary shape. However, it is preferable to select a real object that approximates the movement of each display element, and to make the shape of each display element the shape of the real object. By doing so, the piezoelectric bimorph and the diaphragm are visually fused with the display element, eliminating any sense of discomfort, and the movement of the display element approximately matches that of the real thing, giving viewers a sense of familiarity. It is from.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a water tank filled with a predetermined liquid was used and display elements were arranged within the water tank, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, the display element may be placed in air or other gas.

Furthermore, various means can be used to supply the AC voltage to the piezoelectric bimorph, such as supplying commercial power via a step-up/down transformer.

<<Effects of the Invention>> As described above, in the movable display device according to the present invention, since a piezoelectric bimorph, which is a completely new mechanism, is used as the drive mechanism of the display element, mechanical noise from the motor or the like is eliminated. Furthermore, since a drive mechanism that has not been seen in the past is used, the operation of the display element is also novel. As a result, the effectiveness of advertising and promotion increases.

Furthermore, a conventional power transmission mechanism such as a gear or a link mechanism is not required, and the device can be made smaller.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a movable display device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the main parts thereof, and FIG.
Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the operating principle, Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the operating principle.
The figure shows the second embodiment of the invention, FIG. 6 shows the third embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 7 shows the fourth embodiment of the invention.
It is a figure showing an example. 16... Support plate, 18... Display element, 20...
Piezoelectric bimorph, 22... diaphragm.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A piezoelectric bimorph, a display element disposed at one end of the piezoelectric bimorph, a diaphragm disposed at the other end of the piezoelectric bimorph, supporting the display element and regulating and guiding the movement direction of the display element. 1. A movable display device comprising: support means for supporting the display device.