A movable stand with changeable viewing angle

Abstract

 A movable stand with changeable viewing angle comprises the elevatable seats, the rotatable seats and a main control system. The elevatable seats comprise an elevatable platform structure (1), the hydraulic cylinders (2) and the guide posts (3). The hydraulic cylinders (2) are controlled to operate simultaneously and synchronously to support and actuate the upward and downward movement of the elevatable platform structure (1). Each rotatable seat platform includes a rotatable platform structure (4), a rotating post (5) and the friction driving mechanisms (6). The friction driving mechanisms (6) can actuate the rotation of the rotatable platform structure (4) about the rotating post (5). Movement of both the elevatable seats and the rotatable seats is controlled by the main control system. When the elevatable seats are at their lowest position, they are at the same level as the rotatable seats. After the elevatable seats are elevated, the rotatable seats can be moved below the elevatable seats. The use of the hydraulic cylinders to raise the seats reduces operation noises, attains high-speed and heavy-loading operation, and allows the seat platform to move up and down together with the audience as a whole. Coordinated with the horizontal movement of the rotatable seats, the audience at different seat regions can have different viewing angles through changes of the audience and performance regions based on the plot change of the show.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to a movable stand in theaters, and particularly a wide-span movable stand with changeable viewing angle for use in theaters.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In a traditional theater, the audience stand with seats is mostly fixed, and a movable stand, if any, is always arranged before the performance. The elevatable seats or extendable stand in some theaters and some existing patents such as A Viewing Angle Transformation Device of Retractable Movable Stand (patent/application No. 200920222695) and A Retractable Movable Stand (patent/application No. 86210674) do not allow the audience stand to move or turn as a whole during the performance, and thus the audience can not participate in the performance.

[0003] Modern performance requires not only scene changes on the stage, but also audience participation in different plots of the play to experience different emotions from different viewing angles. This requires the audience stand to move in a whole during the performance, therefore, it is necessary to have a long-stroke and high load-bearing device to actuate the whole audience stand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The purpose of the invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the previous art by providing a wide-span movable stand with changeable viewing angle through cooperation between an upper elevating portion and a lower rotating portion.

[0005] The technical solutions of the invention are as follows. A movable stand with changeable viewing angle comprises the elevatable seats, the rotatable seats and a main control system. The elevatable seats comprise an elevatable platform structure, the guide posts and a hydraulic device. The side edges of the elevatable platform structure are attached with the guide posts. The hydraulic device consists of the hydraulic cylinders installed in the footing groove under the elevatable platform structure, and the hydraulic cylinders can operate to synchronously support and actuate the elevatable platform structure to move up and down. The rotatable seats comprise a rotatable platform structure, a rotating post and the friction driving mechanisms. The rotating post is positioned at a corner of the rotatable platform structure. The friction driving mechanisms are provided at the bottom of the rotating platform structure, away from the rotating post, to actuate the rotatable seats to rotate about the rotating post. Movement of both the elevatable seats and the rotatable seats is controlled by the main control system. When the elevatable seats are at their lowest position, they are at the same level as the rotatable seats; when the elevatable seats are elevated, the rotatable seats move below the elevatable seat.

[0006] Preferably, the rotatable seats are of a structure of two fan-shaped platform structures which are mirror to each other with relevance to an adjacent plane thereof. Each rotatable platform structure is provided with four corners, with the first and second corners at the ends of the adjacent plane and the rotating post provided at the third corner. The two rotatable platform structures can move towards two sides, with the vertical rotating post as the rotating axis and the adjacent plane as the boundary. The resulted space can be occupied by the elevatable seats.

[0007] Preferably, the friction driving mechanisms include elastic friction wheels, friction transmissions, driving plates and motor-speed-reducers positioned on two sides of the driving plates, all of which are disposed at the bottom of the rotatable platform structure, and are electrically connected to the main control system.

[0008] Preferably, rotatable seats are provided with at least two friction driving mechanisms.

[0009] Preferably, each hydraulic cylinder of the hydraulic device is provided with two hydraulic activate units. Each pair of the hydraulic activate units is controlled by an independent control valve and protected by an independent isolation valve. Each pair of the hydraulic activate units is equipped with a separately positioned feedback unit linked to the main control system.

[0010] Preferably, the lowest points of the elevatable seats after being elevated are higher than the highest points of the rotatable seats.

[0011] Preferably, there are at least eight hydraulic cylinders.

[0012] The benefits of the invention are as follows: the use of the hydraulic system to raise the seats can reduce operation noises and attain high-speed and heavy-loading operation. Such characteristics of the hydraulic cylinders allow the elevatable platform including itself together with the audience, to go up and down as a whole. The rotatable seats are provided with a friction transmission underneath, below which the support wheels are provided for rotating about a central axis, and thus, only the power to overcome the friction of the structure as a whole is required, which substantially reduces the power required to overcome the rolling friction. Coordinated with the horizontal movement of the rotatable seats, the audience at different seat regions can have different viewing angles as a whole through changes of the audience and performance regions based on the plot change of the show, and therefore, they can not only better enjoy the plot of the show but also experience the impact brought by the modern technology through the changes of viewing angles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] 

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of elevatable seats of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of elevatable seats of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of elevatable seats of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of rotatable seats of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of rotatable seats of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The following is a further description with reference to Fig.1 - Fig.7.

[0015] A movable stand with changeable viewing angle of the invention comprises two parts, elevatable seats and rotatable seats, both of which can be controlled and actuated cooperatively by a main control system. As shown in Fig. 3 - Fig. 5, a mono device for the elevatable seats includes an elevatable platform structure 1, a hydraulic device 2 and guide posts 3. Side edges of the elevatable platform structure 1 are attached to the guide posts 3 to ensure a stable vertical movement of the elevatable platform structure. The hydraulic device 2 includes at least eight hydraulic cylinders installed under the elevatable platform structure 1. The hydraulic cylinders are accommodated in the footing groove provided in the foundation below the elevatable platform structure 1 with less impact to the theater building. The hydraulic cylinders 21 operate synchronously to support and actuate the upward and downward movement of the elevatable platform structure 1.

[0016] Fig. 6 - Fig. 7 illustrate the rotatable seats comprising a rotatable platform structure 4, a rotating post 5 and at least two friction driving mechanisms 6. The rotatable seats may include one or more than two rotatable seat platforms. This preferred embodiment demonstrates two fan-shaped rotatable seat platforms, which are mirror to each other with relevance to their adjacent plane. Each rotatable seat platform is provided with four corners, with the first corner 41 and the second corner 42 being the two ends of the adjacent plane and the rotating post 5 provided at the third corner 43. The friction driving mechanisms 6 are provided in a location at the bottom of the rotatable platform structure 4, away from the axis of the rotating post 5, such as between the second corner 42 and the fourth corner 44, so as to actuate the rotation of the rotatable seats, with the rotating post 5 being the rotating center.

[0017] The friction driving mechanism 6 includes the elastic friction wheels, the friction transmissions and the driving plates, and the motor-speed-reducers positioned on the two sides of the driving plates (all of these parts belong to the prior art and therefore are not shown in the Figs.), all of which are disposed at the bottom of the rotatable platform structures 4 and are electrically connected to the main control system. Each friction driving mechanism 6 must be equipped with multiple motor-speed-reducers so that at least two motor-speed-reducers can provide power to each platform at any of its moving positions. The platforms are horizontally moved by using the friction transmissions to act on the driving plates mounted on the bottom of the platform structure.

[0018] Both the elevatable seats and the rotatable seats are controlled by the control sets of the main control system and have all functions necessary to ensure the safe operation.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1 - Fig. 2, rotatable seats are seat regions that can move horizontally. Through the action of the two rotatable platform structures, the audience, theater workers and equipment and devices in the seat regions can move horizontally during the performance. The two rotatable platform structures can move between two positions to change the inner settings of the theater and can further turn a proscenium stage into a thrust stage. When the two rotatable seat platforms are driven by means of pivot away from each other with relevance to their adjacent plane and move to the two sides of the stand, the resulting space will be filled by lowering the elevatable seats. When the elevatable seats are at the lowest positions, they are at the same level as the rotatable seats. After the elevatable seats are elevated, the rotatable seats move below the elevatable seats. In order to actuate the proper movement of the rotatable seat platforms below the elevatable seats when the angle is changed, the lowest points of the elevatable seats after being elevated are higher than the highest points of the rotatable seats.

[0020] At some point during the movement, the rotatable seats may be below the planned region for the elevatable seats, and therefore, there is an interlock mechanism between the two seat apparatus. All the key adjacent fixed and movable surfaces of the rotatable seats shall be connected precisely to each other.

[0021] The elevatable seats form a seat region in the audience stand that can move vertically, and allows the platform together with the audience, theater workers and equipment and devices in the seat region to move vertically as a whole. The elevatable seat platform is supported and can be actuated to move up and down by eight hydraulic cylinders, which are installed in the footing grooves below the system and can operate synchronously. The oil used by the hydraulic cylinders is supplied from a specific power house, where the hydraulic power sources and the relevant energy storing devices are stored. The hydraulic power sources have backup mechanisms, and therefore, any failure of a single component in the hydraulic power sources will not hinder the safe operation of the elevatable seats. The hydraulic power sources include a high-efficiency motor-driven oil pump and a large-capacity oil tank. The oil in the tank is enough to accommodate all the system's demand for oil, the quantity of which varies when the system is operated under different modes. All the key operation data of the hydraulic power sources are checked, sent back to the main control system, and displayed in the suitable locations to the operators for easy monitoring. If material accident occurs, the affected power source will shut down automatically and all the power sources will shut down automatically for the purpose of safety, if necessary. In case that emergency braking is necessary, relief valves will be used to prevent over-deceleration. Each hydraulic cylinder is provided with two hydraulic activate units, and each pair of the hydraulic activate units is controlled by an independent speed/direction control valve and is protected by an independent isolation valve. Each pair of the activate units is equipped with a separate position feedback unit linked to the main control system. The main control system continuously monitors and compares feedback information from the pair of the units. The hydraulic system and main control system are so designed that if any pair of the hydraulic activate units is out of order, the other activate units that are operating normally can be used to push the affected manipulator rod into a safe position. In the failure mode where a single activate unit is out of order, the system will operate at a very low speed and acceleration.

[0022] The movable stand as a whole is equipped with safety devices, including load sensors, emergency braking, safeguard skirt, interlock, dibit encoder, and overrange limit switches, etc.

[0023] The preferred embodiment of the invention described above is only an example but not intended to limit the scope of the application of the invention to it. Any changes or modifications that are within the scope of this invention and have the same effect as intended herein shall fall into the scope of this invention defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A movable stand with changeable viewing angle, comprising elevatable seats, rotatable seats and a main control system, characterized in that the elevatable seats include an elevatable platform structure, guide posts and a hydraulic device; the side edges of the elevatable platform structure are attached to the guide posts; the hydraulic device includes hydraulic cylinders installed under the elevatable platform structure and the hydraulic cylinders operate synchronously to support and actuate the upward and downward movement of the elevatable platform structure; the rotatable seats include a rotatable platform structure, a rotating post and the friction driving mechanisms; the rotating post is positioned at a corner of the rotatable platform structure; the friction driving mechanisms are provided at the bottom of the rotatable platform structure, away from the axis of the rotating post, to active the rotation of the rotatable platform structure, with the rotating post as the rotating center; movement of both the elevatable seats and the rotatable seats is controlled by the main control system; when the elevatable seats are at the lowest positions, they are at the same level as the rotatable seats; after the elevatable seats are elevated, the rotatable seats move below the elevatable seats.

2. The movable stand with changeable viewing angle as defined in Claim 1, characterized in that the rotatable seats form two generally fan-shaped rotatable platform structures, which mirror to each other with relevance to their adjacent plane; each rotatable platform structure is provided with four corners, with the first and second corners being at the ends of the adjacent plane and the rotating post provided at the third corner; the two rotatable platform structures can be actuated apart from each other, with the rotating post being the rotating center and the adjacent plane as a boundary, the resulting space is occupied by the elevatable seats.

3. The movable stand with changeable viewing angle as defined in Claim 2, characterized in that the friction driving mechanisms include the elastic friction wheels, the friction transmissions and the driving plates, all of which are disposed at the bottom of the rotatable platform structures, and the motor-speed-reducers positioned on two sides of the driving plates, and is electrically connected to the main control system.

4. The movable stand with changeable viewing angle as defined in Claim 3, characterized in that the said friction driving mechanisms are provided with at least two motor-speed-reducers.

5. The movable stand with changeable viewing angle as defined in Claim 1, characterized in that each said hydraulic cylinder of the hydraulic device is provided with a pair of activate units; each pair of the activate units is controlled by an independent control valve, protected by an independent isolation valve, and equipped with a separately positioned feedback unit linked to the main control system.

6. The movable stand with changeable viewing angle as defined in Claim 1, characterized in that after the elevatable seats are elevated, the lowest points thereof are higher than the height of the rotatable seats.

7. The movable stand with changeable viewing angle as defined in Claim 1, characterized in that the number of the hydraulic cylinders is at least eight.

Drawing