Article producing sound and light on impact

• US 6,142,894 A
• Filed: 02/19/1999
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yu-Shien Lee
• Original Assignee: Yu-Shien Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Yu-Shien
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/252,970
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 473/570, 473/571, 473/569, 446/397, 446/473, 446/485, 446/494
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/04 Pistols or machine guns operated without detonators; Crackers cracker bonbons A63H37/00

Abstract

An article suitable for throwing in games and able to produce sound and light on impact is provided. The article includes a rigid inner shell having sound and light producing apparatus mounted therein and a flexible outer layer integrally formed from clear or opaque plastic material to cover the entire inner shell and to provide the article with sufficient impact strength and safety in use. The sound and light producing apparatus is powered with batteries and preset to be actuated on impact. The inner shell and the outer layer are formed of aligned sound holes and insertion slots. When the article is not in use, an insert plate can be inserted into the aligned insertion slots to open the circuit of the sound and light producing means and thereby prevents the same from unexpected actuation and unnecessary consumption of battery energy.

Claims

1. An article producing sound and light on impact, comprising an inner shell and an outer layer;

said inner shell being made of hard material to define an inner space for accommodating a sound and light producing means including a separate thin plate therein, said sound and light producing means including batteries and a switch preset to be actuated on impact, and said inner shell being provided at predetermined positions with multiple sound holes and an insertion slot that allows said separate thin plate to be inserted between two of said batteries included in the sound and light producing means to break a circuit thereof; and

said outer layer being integrally formed from plastic material through molding, and said outer layer being directly formed over an entire outer surface of said inner shell and having multiple outer sound holes and an outer insertion slot corresponding to and aligning with said sound holes and said insertion slot on said inner shell;

whereby when said article is used and thrown in games, said outer layer provides sufficient impact strength to protect said inner shell from damage due to impact and sufficient flexibility to ensure safety in use; and

when said article is not in use, the circuit of said sound and light producing means can be opened to prevent unexpected actuation of said switch and undesired power consumption by inserting said separate thin plate into said insertion slots on said outer layer and said inner shell.

2. An article producing sound and light on impact as claimed in claim 1, wherein said insertion slot and said sound holes on said inner shell are formed at diametrically opposite positions on said inner shell, and one of said sound holes being eccentrically formed relative to other sound holes to serve as a reference for locating said inner shell in said mold to ensure alignment of said outer insertion slot with said insertion slot when forming the outer layer.