Savings bank with music bell

• US 5,509,602 A
• Filed: 07/22/1994
• Issued: 04/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jian H. Liu
• Original Assignee: Jian H. Liu
• Inventors: Liu, Jian H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US08/277,304
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 232/7, 232/9, 232/55, 232/57, D99/35, D99/36, 84/94.2, 84/95.1, 84/95.2, 446/268, 446/9
• US Class Current: 232/7
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 1/12 Savings boxes

Abstract

A savings bank with a music bell is disclosed and comprises a control stick, a control lamella and other components. The locating end of the control stick and the control lamella is rotated by a coin deposited in the guide rail, and is located so as to lock the fly wheel again after the drive gear installed on the music bell has rotated by one revolution.

Claims

1. A savings bank with a music bell having a fly wheel and a drive gear and operated by depositing a coin, the bank comprising:

a housing;

a guide rail mounted on said housing and defining a dropping path;

a control stick with a stop and a contact end mounted near the side of the fly wheel on the music bell, so that in the free condition before a coin is deposited, the contact end is extended into the dropping path of the coin in the guide rail, and the stop prevents said fly wheel from rotating;

said control stick being mounted such that said contact end could be pushed to rotate by a coin deposited in the guide rail, thereby disengaging the fly wheel from the confinement of the stop;

a revolving shaft;

a follower gear mounted on one end portion of said revolving shaft and driven by the drive gear of the music bell;

a control lamella having a notch is mounted on the other end portion of said revolving shaft at a position relative to the locating end of the control stick so that when in the free condition said locating end is located at the end of the revolving shaft, and when said contact end is pushed to rotate by a coin, the locating end can move to the inside of the control lamella through the notch so that the control stick is limited to return to the original free position after the control lamella rotates; and

a damper mounted on said control lamella so that it can be extended into the dropping path of the coin in the guide rail.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the force from the elasticity of a spring connected to said control stick and the force of gravity resulting from the weight of said stop is smaller than the force of gravity resulting from the weight of the coin.

3. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the free condition of said control stick is formed by the elasticity of a spring connected to said control stick.

4. The structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein the force from the elasticity of a spring connected to said control stick is smaller than the force of gravity resulting from the weight of the coin.

5. The structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein said control stick is pivotally mounted about a pivot, said stop being located above said pivot and said contact end being located below said pivot;

and

wherein the free condition of said control stick is formed by the force of gravity resulting from the weight of that portion of said control stick above said pivot.

6. The structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the forge of gravity resulting from the weight of said stop is smaller than the force of gravity resulting from the weight of the coin.

7. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing has an upper surface and is divided into an upper chamber and a lower chamber;

and

wherein said guide rail has an upper side that is on the upper surface of the saving bank, and a lower side that is in communication with the lower chamber.

8. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a spring leaf which can push the coin to contact the contact end is installed in one side of said guide rail.

9. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control lamella is in slack condition formed by disconnection with said revolving shaft.

10. The structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein a coin dropped into said guide rail can push said damper, thereby rotating said control lamella.

11. The structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the revolving shaft is split into a driving first portion on which said follower gear is mounted and a driven second portion on which said lamella is mounted;

and

further comprising a driving block mounted on said first portion of said revolving shaft and a convex block mounted on said second portion of said revolving shaft such that said first portion can rotate to the position of and contact the convex block on said control lamella, whereupon the previously stationary control lamella is then driven to rotate synchronously with said driving block by the contact between them.

12. The structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the terminal portion of said locating end is positioned in said notch of the control lamella so as to prevent rotation of said control lamella when said control stick is in the free condition.

13. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal portion of said locating end is positioned in said notch of the control lamella so as to prevent rotation of said control lamella when said control stick is in the free condition.