Motion picture presentation device

Abstract

A motion picture presentation device with at least one motion picture display device, a multitude of seats for viewers and a movement device are configured with at least five linear drives. With the linear drives, the seats can be collectively moved in at least five degrees of freedom. At least one linear drive is fixed to a swivelling arm. At least two linear drives are immovably fixed at a respective base point, and a base element to which the seats are fixed such that they can be swivelled. The arrangement can be brought out of a first docking position, in which the base element can be docked at an access point, into a presentation position, in which the base element is swivelled by a swivel angle of at least 15° in relation to its first position, by activating the movement device. The base element can be brought from the docking position into the presentation position by swivelling the arm upwards.

Claims

1. A motion picture presentation device, comprising: (a) at least one display device, (b) a multitude of seats for viewers, (c) a movement device, which comprises at least five linear drives which collectively move the seats in at least five degrees of freedom, wherein at least one linear drive of the at least five linear drives is fixed to a swivelling arm, and wherein at least two linear drives of the at least five linear drives are immovably fixed at a respective base point, and (d) a base element, to which each of the seats are fixed such that they can be swivelled, and which is brought out of a docking position in which the base element is docked at an access point, into a presentation position in which the base element is swivelled by a swivel angle of at least 15° in relation to its docking position, by activating the movement device, wherein the base element is brought from the docking position into the presentation position by swivelling the arm upwards.

2. The motion picture presentation device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one display device comprises (a) a projection surface and at least one projector which is configured to project a motion picture onto the projection surface, and/or (b) a curved light emitting diode (LED) screen.

3. The motion picture presentation device according to claim 1, further comprising: (a) an access point by way of which viewers access the seats, (b) wherein the base element is docked at the access point when in the docking position.

4. The motion picture presentation device according to claim 1, wherein (a) the at least one linear drive that is fixed to the swivelling arm is fixed at a first arm-base point and is fixed to the base element at a first base element-base point, and (b) when the base element is in the presentation position, the first base element-base point is situated higher up than base points of at least four other linear drives.

5. The motion picture presentation device according to claim 1, wherein (a) a second linear drive of the at least five linear drives is fixed to the swivelling arm at a second arm-base point and to the base element at a second base element-base point, and (b) when the base element is in the presentation position, the second base element-base point is situated higher up than the base points of at least four other linear drives.

6. The motion picture presentation device according to claim 1 wherein (a) a first linear drive of the at least five linear drives extends in the presentation position at a first angle (β.sub.j1) of at most 40° relative to a horizontal plane, and/or (b) a second linear drive of the at least five linear drives extends in the presentation position at a second angle (β.sub.2) of at most 40° relative to a horizontal plane.

7. The motion picture presentation device according to claim 6, wherein (a) a third linear drive of the at least five linear drives, extends in the presentation position at a third angle (β.sub.3) of at most 30° relative to a horizontal plane, and/or (b) a fourth linear drive of the at least five linear drives extends in the presentation position at a fourth angle (β.sub.4) of at most 30° relative to a horizontal plane.

8. The motion picture presentation device according to claim 6, wherein (a) a fifth linear drive of the at least five linear drives extends in the presentation position at a fifth angle (β.sub.5) of at most 40° relative to a horizontal plane, and/or (b) a sixth linear drive extends in the presentation position at a sixth angle (β.sub.6) of at most 40° relative to a horizontal plane.

9. The motion picture presentation device according claim 1 wherein the swivelling arm comprises a swivel drive which is lockable in the presentation position.

10. The motion picture presentation device according to claim 1 wherein (a) the multitude of seats and the movement device collectively have a joint mass centre of gravity (S), and (b) a centre of gravity functionality, which associates a height of the joint mass centre of gravity to a swivel angle of the swivelling arm, has a local maximum.

11. The motion picture presentation device according to claim 10, wherein the maximum height swivel angle at which the centre of gravity functionality is at the local maximum lies in a central tercile between a docking swivel angle at which the swivelling arm extends when the base element is in the docking position, and a presentation swivel angle, at which the swivelling arm extends when the base element is in the presentation position.

12. The motion picture presentation device according to claim 10, wherein a sinking height difference (Δ.sub.2) between the local maximum and a presentation height of the mass centre of gravity (S) when the base element (20) is in the presentation position is at most twice as large as an entry height difference (Δ.sub.1) between the local maximum and a docking height of the mass centre of gravity (S) when the base element is in the docking position.

13. The motion picture presentation device according to claim 1 further comprising a manually activated emergency drive for bringing the base element into the docking position.

14. A viewer module for a motion picture presentation device, comprising: a multitude of seats for viewers, a movement device, which comprises at least five linear drives which collectively move the seats in at least five degrees of freedom, wherein at least one linear drive of the at least five linear drives is fixed to a swivelling arm, and wherein at least two linear drives of the at least five linear drives are immovably fixed at a respective base point, and a base element, to which each of the seats are fixed such that they can be swivelled, and which is brought out of a docking position in which the base element is docked at an access point, into a presentation position in which the base element is swivelled by a swivel angle of at least 15° in relation to its docking position, by activating the movement device, wherein the base element is brought from the docking position into the presentation position by swivelling the arm upwards.

15. A method for presenting a motion picture by a motion picture presentation device which comprises at least one motion picture display device, and a viewer module according to claim 14, comprising activating the movement device by swivelling the arm upwards so that the base element is brought out of a first docking position, in which the base element is docked at the access point, into a presentation position, in which the base element is swivelled by a swivel angle (α) of at least 15° in relation to its first position.

Description

(1) In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail by way of the attached figures. They show

(2) FIGS. 1A-1C: FIG. 1A depicts a motion picture presentation device with a projection surface, a projector, a multitude of seats for viewers, a base element and a movement device. FIG. 1B shows the base element in an intermediate position between the docking position and the presentation position. FIG. 1C, depicts the base element in its presentation position, in which the viewers can watch a presented motion picture.

(3) FIG. 2A: a perspective view of the movement device and the base elements in the docking position

(4) FIG. 2B: the movement device and the base element according to FIG. 2a in the presentation position.

(5) FIGS. 3A-3C: FIG. 3A shows a centre of gravity function F; FIG. 3B shows the centre of gravity function of a further embodiment of the invention where the local maximum lies in the presentation position-side tercile T.sub.3; and FIG. 3C shows the centre of gravity function of a further embodiment of the invention where the local maximum lies in the central tercile T.sub.2.

(6) FIG. 1a depicts a motion picture presentation device 10 with a projection surface 12, a projector 14, a multitude of seats 16.1, 16.2, . . . for viewers 18.1, 18.2, . . . , a base element 20 and a movement device 22. The projector 14 is arranged to project a motion picture onto the projection surface 12. The seats 16.i (i=1, 2, . . . ) are rotatably mounted on the base element 20 about a respective rotational axis D.sub.20. It is possible that a group of at least three and preferably at most 20 seats can be rotated about the respective same rotational axis D.

(7) The movement device 22 comprises six linear drives 24.j, which together form a hexapod drive. In other words, the base element 20 can be moved in three translational degrees of freedom and three rotational degrees of freedom by activating the linear drive 24.j.

(8) The movement device 22 features a swivelling arm 26, to which the linear drives 24.1, 24.2 (see FIG. 2b) are fixed. The arm 26 is fixed in a pivot bearing 28 on a foundation 30. It should be noted that the term “foundation” does not mean that there must be direct contact with the ground. For example, it is also possible that the foundation is formed by a part of a construction. The only decisive factor is that the foundation is stable enough to be able to bear the forces that occur during operation of the movement device 22.

(9) FIG. 1a shows that the motion picture presentation device 10 may comprise an access point 32, by means of which the viewers 18.i can reach the seats 16.1. In FIG. 1a the base element 20 is shown in a docking position, in which it is docked at the access point 32. It is possible but not necessary for the base element 20 to be designed such that it forms a positive-locking connection with the access point 32. It is particularly practical if the movement device 22 is designed in such a way that the base element 20 pushes against the access point 32, even if an energy supply has failed.

(10) This can be achieved, for instance, by ensuring that a mass centre of gravity S moves upwards when the base element 20 leaves its docking position. To calculate the mass centre of gravity, all elements are taken into account that move when the base element 20 moves out of the docking position into a presentation device, which is depicted in FIG. 1c, and whose movement contributes to a change in the potential energy.

(11) FIG. 1c depicts the base element 20 in its presentation position, in which the viewers 18.i can watch a presented motion picture. It should be recognised that the arm 26 has been swivelled by a swivel angle α about an arm swivel axis D.sub.26 by means of the pivot bearing 28. The swivel angle α is considered to be zero when the base element 20 is in its docking position shown in FIG. 1c. The swivel angle α is always measured positively.

(12) FIG. 1b shows the base element 20 in an intermediate position between the docking position and the presentation position.

(13) FIG. 2a depicts the movement device 22 and the base element 20 in the docking position. It should be recognised that the first linear drive 24.1 is fixed to the arm 26 at a first arm-base point 34.1 and to the base element 20 at a base element-base point 36.1. Correspondingly, each linear drive 24.j has an arm-base point 34.j and a base element-base point 36.j.

(14) FIG. 2b shows that the first base element-base point 36.1 and the second base element-base point 36.2 lies above all other base element-base points when the base element 20 is in the presentation position.

(15) Each linear drive has a longitudinal axis L.sub.j, along which it is extended or shortened during operation. The angle between this longitudinal axis L.sub.j and a horizontal plane H is indicated by β.sub.j. It should be noted that, for instance, the second angle β.sub.2 is smaller than 20° when the base element 20 is in its presentation position. The same applies for the angles β.sub.1, β.sub.3 and β.sub.4. Conversely, a sixth angle β.sub.6, and a fifth angle β.sub.5, not depicted here, is greater than 45°; in the present case β.sub.6=55°.

(16) In the present case, the arm 26 is driven by a schematically depicted swivel drive 38 in the form of a hydraulic cylinder. Alternatively, the swivel drive 38 may also comprise a screw thread electric motor.

(17) FIG. 3a depicts a centre of gravity function F, which allocates the height H to the swivel angle α at which the mass centre of gravity S (see FIG. 1a) is situated at the respective swivel angle α. It should be noted that it passes through a local maximum M (α.sub.M/H.sub.M). The maximum swivel angle α.sub.M at which the centre of gravity function F passes through the local maximum lies in the docking position-side tercile T.sub.1.

(18) It should be recognised that the centre of gravity function F has two global minima at the swivel angle α.sub.0=0° (docking position) and the maximum swivel angle α.sub.max (presentation position). In the present case, α.sub.max=100°; however, this value may be larger or smaller.

(19) An docking height difference Δ.sub.1=H.sub.M−H.sub.A is the difference between the maximum height H.sub.M and the height H.sub.A=H(α.sub.0) in the docking position. An presentation height difference Δ.sub.2=H.sub.M−H.sub.V is the difference between the maximum height H.sub.M and the presentation height H.sub.V=H(α.sub.max) in the presentation position. In the present case, the docking height H.sub.A is greater than the presentation height H.sub.V, which represents a preferred embodiment regardless of other properties of the present embodiment.

(20) FIG. 3b shows the centre of gravity function of a further embodiment of the invention; here, the local maximum lies in the presentation position-side tercile T.sub.3. In this case, the docking height H.sub.A is smaller than the presentation height H.sub.V, which represents a preferred embodiment regardless of other properties of the present embodiment. The advantage of this embodiment is that it is particularly easy to move the base element 20 into the docking position should the movement device fail. This is particularly true when the docking height difference Δ.sub.1—as shown in the present case—is greater than the presentation height difference Δ.sub.2; however, this is optional.

(21) FIG. 3c shows the centre of gravity function of a further embodiment of the invention; here, the local maximum lies in the central tercile T.sub.2. The presentation height difference Δ.sub.2 differs from the insertion height difference Δ.sub.1 by less than 15%, which represents an alternative preferable embodiment regardless of other properties of the present embodiment.

(22) FIG. 1a depicts an emergency drive 40 in the form of a crank device which features a cable that is fixed to the free end of the arm 26. The cable is wound up on a drum, which is pre-tensioned in a winding device by way of a spring, so that the cable is permanently tensioned. In the event of a failure of the movement device 22, if the swivel angle α is greater than αM (see FIG. 3), the base element 20 can be moved back into its docking position by rotating the drum using a hand crank.

(23) TABLE-US-00001 Reference list: 10 motion picture presentation device 12 projection surface 14 projector 16 seat 18 viewer 20 base element 22 movement device 24 linear drive 26 arm 28 pivot bearing 30 foundation 32 access point 34 arm-base point 36 base element-base point 38 swivel drive 40 emergency drive α swivel angle β.sub.j angle Δ.sub.1 insertion height difference Δ.sub.2 sinking height difference D.sub.20 seat rotational axis 26 arm swivel axis F centre of gravity function H height H.sub.A docking height H.sub.v presentation height i number index j number index of the drives L longitudinal axis M local minimum S mass centre of gravity T.sub.1 docking position-side tercile T.sub.2 central tercile T.sub.3 presentation position-side tercile Δ.sub.1 docking height difference Δ.sub.2 presentation height difference