Acoustic card

• US 6,675,511 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Corporate Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Corporate Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Pines, Benjamin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, William L.
• Application Number:
  US09/838,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 401/240.3, 404/55, 407/17, 409/06, 340/384.1
• US Class Current: 40/124.03
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/00 Cardboard or like show-cards of foldable or flexible material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 40/906 Sound

Abstract

An acoustic card having a permanent magnet and a reed switch. The acoustic card includes a first flap, a second flap, and a sound generator attached to said second flap. The acoustic card is divided by a fold into two halves, such as the first flap and the second flap, is unfolded in an opened position and folded in a closed position. The sound generator attached to the second flap includes a printed circuit board, a sound card containing a controller and a memory storing audio sound data, and the reed switch. A permanent magnet attached to the first flap does not directly contact the reed switch attached to the second flap. The permanent magnet moves away from the reed switch to activate the sound generator to produce audio sound and moves towards the reed switch to deactivate the sound generator.

Claims

1. An acoustic card, comprising:

a first flap and a second flap joined together along a fold that accommodates rotation of the first flap relative to the second flap between a closed position and unfolded in an open position;

an electrically powered sound generator;

a speaker driven by said sound generator to broadcast audio messages;

a reed switch attached to said second flap, to actuate said sound generator to drive said speaker; and

a magnet attached to said first flap, being moved to a position that is operatively disposed adjacent to said reed switch to turn off said sound generator when said first flap and said second flap of said acoustic card are in said closed position.

2. The acoustic card of claim 1, with said magnet comprising:

a permanent magnet; and

a cover affixing said permanent magnet to said first flap.

3. The acoustic card of claim 1, with said magnet comprising;

a pin having one end attached to said first flap and having the other end extended over said reed switch; and

a permanent magnet attached to said the other end of said pin.

4. The acoustic card of claim 3, with said pin moving in a direction parallel to said reed switch when said first flap and second flap moves between the closed position and the open position.

5. The acoustic card of claim 4, with said permanent magnet moving toward and away from said reed switch when said pin moves in said direction.

6. The acoustic card of claim 1, with said magnet disposed on a surface of said second flap and disposed adjacent to a side of said reed switch in the closed position, said side of said reed switch being perpendicular to said surface of said second flap.

7. The acoustic card of claim 1, with said magnet moving toward said reed switch when said first flap and said second flap are in the closed position while moving away from said reed switch when said first flap and said second flap are in the open position.

8. The acoustic card of claim 1, with said reed switch comprising a reed moving in a direction perpendicular to a flat surface of said second flap.

9. The acoustic card of claim 1, with said reed switch comprising a reed moving in direction parallel to a substantially flat surface of said second flap.

10. The acoustic card of claim 1, with said magnet disposed adjacent to said reed switch so that said reed switch is located within magnetic field generated from said magnet in the closed position of said first flap and said second flap.

11. An acoustic card having a sound generator, comprising:

said acoustic card having a first flap and a second flap, moving between a closed position and an open position;

a reed switch attached to said second flap; and

a magnet attached to said first flap, operatively influencing said reed switch and interrupting emanation of sound from the sound generator by traveling to a location disposed adjacent to said reed switch when said acoustic card is in the closed position.

12. The acoustic card of claim 11, with said magnet comprising:

a permanent magnet; and

a cover affixing said permanent magnet to said first flap.

13. The acoustic card of claim 12, with said magnet disposed adjacent to said reed switch so that said reed switch is located within magnetic field generated from said magnet in the closed position of said first flap and said second flap.

14. The acoustic card of claim 11, with said magnet comprising;

a pin having one end attached to said first flap and having the other end extended over said reed switch; and

a permanent magnet attached to said the other end of said pin.

15. The acoustic card of claim 14, with said pin moving in a direction parallel to said reed switch when said first flap and second flap moves between the closed position and the open position.

16. The acoustic card of claim 11, with said magnet moving toward said reed switch when said first flap and said second flap are in the closed position and moving away from said reed switch when said first flap and said second flap are in the open position.

17. The acoustic card of claim 11, with said reed switch comprising a reed electrode moving in a direction perpendicular to a flat surface of said second flap.

18. The acoustic card of claim 11, with said reed switch comprising a reed electrode moving in direction parallel to a substantially flat surface of said second flap.

19. A process in an acoustic card having a sound generator, comprising the steps of:

providing a magnet attached to a first flap of said acoustic card, disposed adjacent to a reed switch when said acoustic card is in a closed position;

providing said reed switch attached to a second flap;

moving said acoustic card to said closed position for turning off said sound generator and to an open position for turning on said sound generator;

moving said magnet toward said reed switch when said acoustic card moves to said closed position; and

moving said magnet away from said reed switch when said acoustic card moves to said open position.

20. The process of claim 19, further comprising the step of moving an electrode of said reed switch in a direction perpendicular to a substantially flat surface of said second flap.

21. The process of claim 19, comprising:

turning on said sound generator for a predetermined period of time when said acoustic card is unfolded to said open position.