Toy musical box

• US 5,032,099 A
• Filed: 10/01/1990
• Issued: 07/16/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blue Box Toy Factory Limited
• Original Assignee: Blue Box Toy Factory Limited
• Inventors: Chan, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUIR, DAVID N
• Application Number:
  US07/591,282
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 446/81, 446/175, 446/149, 446/150, 446/151, 446/82, 446/397, 446/404, 446/405, 446/406, 446/408, 446/409, 446/484, 446/485, 446/219, 40/472, 40/347, 40/457
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/3027 Radio or television sets

Abstract

A toy musical box having an electronic musical sound reproduction circuit and an electric motor drive for an endless band carrying a continuous picture past a window, so that the musical box can resemble a television set. The operation of the sound reproduction circuit and the motor are remotely controlled by sound impulses from a separate hand-held device, the musical box having a microphone and a discriminator to provide an output signal upon receipt of the sound impulses. Preferably a double sound impulse is acquired to operate the musical box, eg. two clicks one immediately following the other, for differentiation from other extraneous sounds.

Claims

1. A toy musical box comprising:

an electronic musical sound reproduction circuit having an output;

a loudspeaker to which said output is directed to reproduce a tune;

an endless band carrying a continuous picture;

a casing for said musical box;

a window in said casing, a part of said band being positioned adjacent said window so as to be visible therethrough;

electric motor drive means for circulating said band past said window;

a sound detector;

a discriminator for detecting receipt of a particular sound impulse by said sound detector and producing an output signal upon receipt of that sound impulse;

means for energizing said sound reproduction circuit and said electric motor upon receipt of the said signal; and

means, separate from the toy musical box, for providing the said particular sound impulse when manually actuated.

2. A toy musical box according to claim 1 which further includes a timer so that after a certain preset time the energization of said motor and sound reproduction circuit will stop automatically.

3. A toy musical box according to claim 1 in which a first time that the sound impulse is provided, the musical box is energized and a second time the sound output is provided it will be de-energized, and so on.

4. A toy musical box according to claim 3 which further comprises a detector circuit and an electronic switch, said detector circuit picking up the signal and turning on the electronic switch which maintains its "on" condition until the detector again picks up the trigger signal whereupon the electronic switch is reset to the "off" condition.

5. A toy musical box according to claim 1 in which the means providing the required sound impulse provide two separate sounds one immediately after the other, and the discriminator is arranged to detect the double sound.