Ball with a plurality of mechanical sound-producing devices

• US 6,068,534 A
• Filed: 01/14/1999
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HandsOnToys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: HandsOnToys Incorporated
• Inventors: Strongin, Ned
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Application Number:
  US09/231,910
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 446/397, 446/175, 446/188, 446/213, 446/218, 446/203
• US Class Current: 446/213
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0633 without electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10

Abstract

A toy ball which emits sounds as it is rolled, comprising: a ball body; and a plurality of mechanically-operated sound tubes carried within the ball body, each sound tube including a sliding whistle which moves along the tube by the force of gravity, and each sound tube lying along a longitudinal axis, in which the axes are transverse to one another, so that the sound tubes emit sound when the ball is moved along various axes.

Claims

1. A toy ball which emits sounds as it is rolled, comprising:

a ball body; and

a plurality of mechanically-operated sound producing devices carried within said ball body, each said sound producing device including a member which moves by the force of gravity, and each said sound producing device lying along a longitudinal axis, in which said axes are transverse to one another, so that said sound producing devices emit sound when said ball is moved along various axes.

2. The toy ball of claim 1, in which each said sound producing device is a sound tube with a sliding whistle, in which said toy ball includes three said sound tubes.

3. The toy ball of claim 2 in which said axes are substantially orthogonal.

4. The toy ball of claim 2 in which said ball is generally spherical with six indented areas, and in which the ends of each said sound tube are located at the ball surface in an indented area, to inhibit the sound tubes from contacting a surface against which said ball is contacted.

5. The toy ball of claim 1 in which said sound producing devices are entirely embedded within said ball body, and in which the ends of each said sound producing device are exposed to free air.

6. The toy ball of claim 1 in which said ball body is hollow, and is made from a pliable material.

7. The toy ball of claim 6, further including means for tightly holding the ends of each said sound producing device proximate the surface of said ball body.

8. The toy ball of claim 7 in which said means for tightly holding includes a lip formed in said ball body, which partially overlays the end of said sound producing device.

9. The toy ball of claim 8, in which said lip lies below the apparent surface of said ball body, to inhibit the ends of said sound producing devices from contacting a surface against which said ball is contacted.

10. A toy ball which emits sounds as it is rolled, comprising:

a generally spherical ball body; and

three substantially orthogonal mechanically-operated sound tubes carried within said ball body, each said sound tube including a sliding whistle which moves along said tube by the force of gravity, and each said sound tube lying along a longitudinal axis, in which said axes are substantially orthogonal to one another, so that said sound tubes emit sound when said ball is moved along various axes;

wherein said ball body includes six indented areas, and in which the ends of each said sound tube are located at the ball surface in an indented area, to inhibit the sound tubes from contacting a surface against which said ball is contacted.

11. A toy ball which emits sounds as it is rolled, comprising:

a generally spherical, hollow ball body made from a pliable material; and

three substantially orthogonal mechanically-operated sound tubes carried within said ball body, each said sound tube including a sliding whistle which moves along said tube by the force of gravity, and each said sound tube lying along a longitudinal axis, in which said axes are substantially orthogonal to one another, so that said sound tubes emit sound when said ball is moved along various axes;

wherein said ball body includes six indented areas, and in which the ends of each said sound tube are located at the ball surface in an indented area, to inhibit the sound tubes from contacting a surface against which said ball is contacted;

Wherein said ball body includes a lip below its apparent surface, said lip partially overlaying the ends of each said sound tube, to tightly hold the ends of said sound tubes proximate said surface at said indented areas.