Sound-box device

• US 5,049,107 A
• Filed: 03/29/1990
• Issued: 09/17/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Malbo SRL
• Original Assignee: Malbo SRL
• Inventors: De Nittis, Nicola
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US07/502,118
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 446/397, 446/297, 446/303, 446/484, 273/58 E, 84/600, 84/644, 84/670, 84/718, 84/DIG. 7, 84/672, 84/678
• US Class Current: 446/397
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/26 for automatically producing a series of tones
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/32 Constructional details

Abstract

A sound box has a generally spherical container provided on its surface with graphic fields associated with respective contacts connected to a microprocessor within the container, a loudspeaker and circuitry which, upon pressing of one of the fields generates a sound sequence representing the graphic depiction of that field.

Claims

1. A sound box device comprising:

a substantially spherical container having an outside surface, a first container portion and a second container portion,

a first hemispherical half-shell defined by said first container portion,

a second hemispherical half-shell defined by said second container portion,

connecting means connecting said first container portion to said second container portion, wherein said first container portion and said second container portion each comprise;

a supporting frame portion,

a deformable covering membrane portion,

coupling means attaching said deformable covering membrane portion to said supporting frame portion,

at least one base connected to said first container portion,

at least one control element having a microprocessor and being mounted on said base, said microprocessor producing a plurality of electric signals transduced into sound signals for producing an ordered plurality of sound sequences,

electric power supply means connected to said base and supplying power to said control element,

sound signal emission means housed in said first hemispherical half shell and being electrically connected to said control element,

at least one pair of films fixed to said first hemispherical half-shell and to said second hemispherical half-shell,

flattened surfaces defined on said first hemispherical half-shell and on said second hemispherical half-shell,

a plurality of contact switches provided on said films at said flattened surfaces,

a plurality of sensor elements defined by said plurality of contact switches, each of said sensor elements communicating with said electronic control element for selecting an electric signal among said plurality of electric signals transduced into sound signals and being activatable at said outside surface of said container,

a membrane keyboard formed by said plurality of sensor elements,

two substantially hemispherical membranes defined by said deformable covering membrane portion and being fixed on said outside surface of said substantially spherical container, each of said membranes having an inner membrane surface and an outer membrane surface,

graphic symbol means defined on said outer membrane surface of each of said substantially hemispherical membranes for indicating sound sequences, and

conductor means applied on said inner membrane surface of each of said hemispherical membranes beneath said graphic symbol means and being contactable with said contact switches.

2. The sound box device according to claim 1, wherein said first container portion defines a first hemispherical dome, wherein said second container portion defines a second hemispherical dome, and

wherein said container portion connecting means comprise;

at least one hinge connected to said first hemispherical dome and to said second hemispherical dome,

at least one slot formed in said first hemispherical dome diametrically opposite to said hinge,

at least one tab connected to said other spherical dome diametrically opposite said hinge, and

at least one tooth connected to said tab and elastically engaging said slot.

3. The sound box device according to claim 2 wherein said base has a substantially circular configuration, and wherein said first hemispherical dome has an inner surface, said inner surface having a plurality of teeth angularly distributed thereon, said plurality of teeth elastically locking said base to said first hemispherical dome.

4. The sound box device according to claim 1 wherein said electric power supply means comprise at least two electric batteries, and wherein said base comprises;

at least one support,

at least two seats formed in said support,

at least two heads defined by said support, and

partition means interconnecting said heads and separating said at least two electric batteries from each other.

5. The sound box device according to claim 1 wherein said sound signal emission means comprises at least one loudspeaker having an emission diaphragm, said emission diaphragm being directed towards said base, at least one annuler ridge being provided on said first hemispherical half shell, said loudspeaker being centered on said annular ridge, said first hemispherical half shell having formed thereon a plurality of engagement teeth, said engagement teeth elastically locking said loudspeaker to said first hemispherical half shell.

6. The sound box defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of contact switches comprise;

a circular terminal connected to each film on said pair of films on said first hemispherical half-shell and said second hemispherical half-shell.

7. The sound box device according to claim 1 wherein said conductor means comprises a graphite layer applied to said inner membrane surface of each of said hemispherical membranes.

8. The sound box device according to claim 1 wherein said ordered plurality of sound sequences produced by said plurality of electric signals transduced into sound signals by said electronic control element comprise national anthems, and wherein said graphic symbol means defined on said outer membrane surface of each of said substantially hemispherical membranes comprise a plurality of national flags, each of said national flags corresponding to one of said national anthems.

9. A sound box comprising:

a substantially spherical container having an outside surface, a first container portion and a second container portion,

a first hemispherical half-shell defined by said first container portion,

a second hemispherical half-shell defined by said second container portion,

connecting means connecting said first container portion to said second container portion, wherein said first container portion and said second container portion each comprise;

a supporting frame portion,

a deformable covering membrane portion, and

coupling means attaching said deformable covering membrane portion to said supporting frame portion,

at least one base connected to said first container portion,

at least one control element having a microprocessor and being mounted on said base, said microprocessor producing a plurality of electric signals transduced into sound signals for producing an ordered plurality of sound sequences,

electric power supply means connected to said base and supplying power to said control element,

sound signal emission means housed in said first hemispherical half shell and being electrically connected to said control element,

at least one pair of films fixed to said first hemispherical half-shell and to said second hemispherical half-shell,

flattened surfaces defined on said first hemispherical half-shell and on said second hemispherical half-shell,

a plurality of contact switches provided on said films at said flattened surfaces,

a plurality of sensor elements defined by said plurality of contact switches, each of said sensor elements communicating with said electronic control element for selecting an electric signal among said plurality of electric signals transduced into sound signals and being activatable at said outside surface of said container,

a membrane keyboard formed by said plurality of sensor elements,

two substantially hemispherical membranes defined by said deformable covering membrane portion and being fixed on said outside surface of said substantially spherical container, each of said membranes having an inner membrane surface and an outer membrane surface,

graphic symbol means defined on said outer membrane surface of each of said substantially hemispherical membranes for indicating sound sequences, and

conductor means applied on said inner membrane surface of each of said hemisperical membranes beneath said graphic symbol means and being contactable with said contact switches,

wherein said plurality of contact switches comprise;

a circular terminal connected to each film on said pair of films on said first hemispherical half-shell and said second hemispherical half-shell.

10. The sound box device according to claim 9 wherein said first container portion defines a first hemispherical dome, wherein said second container portion defines a second hemispherical dome, and

wherein said container portion connecting means comprise;

at least one hinge connected to said first hemispherical dome and to said second hemispherical dome,

at least one slot formed in said first hemispherical dome diametrically opposite to said hinge,

at least one tab connected to said other spherical dome diametrically opposite said hinge, and

at least one tooth connected to said tab and elastically engaging said slot.

11. The sound box device according to claim 10 wherein said base has a substantially circular configuration, and wherein said first hemispherical dome has an inner surface, said inner surface having a plurality of teeth angularly distributed thereon, said plurality of teeth elastically locking said base to said first hemispherical dome.

12. The sound box device according to claim 9 wherein said electric power supply means comprise at least two electric batteries, and wherein said base comprises;

at least one support,

at least two seats formed in said support,

at least two heads defined by said support, and

partition means interconnecting said heads and separating said at least two electric batteries from each other.

13. The sound box device according to claim 9 wherein said sound signal emission means comprises at least one loudspeaker having an emission diaphragm, said emission diaphragm being directed towards said base, at least one annular ridge being provided on said first hemispherical half shell, said loudspeaker being centered on said annular ridge, said first hemispherical half shell having formed thereon a plurality of engagement teeth, said engagement teeth elastically locking said loudspeaker to said first hemispherical half shell.

14. The sound box defined in claim 9 wherein said conductor means comprise a graphite layer applied to said inner membrane surface of each of said hemispherical membranes.

15. A sound box device comprising:

a substantially spherical container having an outside surface, a first container portion and a second container portion,

a first hemispherical half-shell defined by said first container portion,

a second hemispherical half-shell defined by said second container portion,

connecting means connecting said first container portion to said second container portion, wherein said first container portion and said second container portion each comprise;

a supporting frame portion,

a deformable covering membrane portion,

coupling means attaching said deformable covering membrane portion to said supporting frame portion,

at least one base connected to said first container portion,

at least one control element having a microprocessor and being mounted on said base, said microprocessor producing a plurality of electric signals transduced into sound signals for producing an ordered plurality of sound sequences,

electric power supply means connected to said base and supplying power to said control element,

sound signal emission means housed in said first hemispherical half shell and being electrically connected to said control element,

at least one pair of films fixed to said first hemispherical half-shell and to said second hemispherical half-shell,

flattened surfaces defined in said first hemispherical half-shell and on said second hemispherical half-shell,

a plurality of contact switches provided on said films at said flattened surfaces,

a plurality of sensor elements defined by said plurality of contact switches, each of said sensor elements communicating with said electronic control element for selecting an electric signal among said plurality of electric signals transduced into sound signals and being activatable at said outside surface of said container,

a membrane keyboard formed by said plurality of sensor elements,

two substantially hemispherical membranes defined by said deformable covering membrane portion and being fixed on said outside surface of said substantially spherical container, each of said membranes having an inner membrane surface and an outer membrane surface,

graphic symbol means defined on said outer membrane surface of each of said substantially hemispherical membranes for indicating sound sequences, and

conductor means applied on said inner membrane surface of each of said hemispherical membranes beneath said graphic symbol means and being contactable with said contact switches,

wherein said plurality of contact switches comprise;

a circular terminal connected to each film on said pair of films on said first hemispherical half-shell and said second hemispherical half-shell, and

wherein said conductor means comprise a graphite layer applied to said inner membrane surface of each of said hemispherical membranes.

16. The sound box device according to claim 15 wherein said first container portion defines a first hemispherical dome, wherein said second container portion defines a second hemispherical dome, and

wherein said container portion connecting means comprise;

at least one hinge connected to said first hemispherical dome and to said second hemispherical dome,

at least one slot formed in said first hemispherical dome diametrically opposite to said hinge,

at least one tab connected to said other spherical dome diametrically opposite said hinge, and

at least one tooth connected to said tab and elastically engaging said slot.

17. The sound box device according to claim 16 wherein said base has a substantially circular configuration, and wherein said first hemispherical dome has an inner surface, said inner surface having a plurality of teeth angularly distributed thereon, said plurality of teeth elastically locking said base to said first hemispherical dome.

18. The sound box device according to claim 15 wherein said electric power supply means comprise at least two electric batteries, and wherein said base comprises:

at least one support,

at least two seats formed in said support,

at least two heads defined by said support, and

partition means interconnecting said heads and separating said at least two electric batteries from each other.

19. The sound box device according to claim 15 wherein said sound signal emission means comprises at least one loudspeaker having an emission diaphragm, said emission diaphragm being directed towards said base, at least one annuler ridge being provided on said first hemispherical half shell, said loudspeaker being centered on said annular ridge, said first hemispherical half shell having formed thereon a plurality of engagement teeth, said engagement teeth elastically locking said loudspeaker to said first hemispherical half shell.

20. The sound box device according to claim 15 wherein said ordered plurality of sound sequences produced by said plurality of electric signals transduced into sound signals by said electronic control element comprise national anthems, and wherein said graphic symbol means defined on said outer membrane surface of each of said substantially hemispherical membranes comprise a plurality of national flags, each of said national flags corresponding to one of said national anthems.