Audible signal device and machines using same

• US 7,292,136 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Zimmermann, Daniel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N.
• Application Number:
  US11/030,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20060158318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 340/384.7, 340/384.73, 340/388.1, 340/679, 340/685, 340/684, 340/692, 340/438, 340/439, 340/449, 340/450, 340/450.1, 340/450.2, 340/450.3, 340451-456
• US Class Current: 340/384.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

An audible signal device which includes a DC to DC converter is provided. A group of work machines is further provided, including at least two work machines having electrical systems with different operating voltages. First and second audible signal devices are coupled with the first and second electrical systems respectively, wherein the second audible signal device is interchangeable with the first audible signal device and at least one of the devices includes a DC to DC converter. A method of assembling a plurality of dissimilar machines, each including an interchangeable audible signal device is further provided.

Claims

1. An audible signal device comprising:

a speaker;

an electronic oscillator current coupled with said speaker;

a DC to DC converter separate from said electronic oscillator and coupled with said speaker and with said electronic oscillator; and

means, including a DC input connection, for rendering the audible signal device an interchangeable part among a plurality of machines having different operating voltages.

2. The audible signal device of claim 1 further comprising a power amplifier current coupled with said speaker, said electronic oscillator and said DC to DC converter, said DC to DC converter being current coupled with said electronic oscillator.

3. The audible signal device of claim 2 further comprising a potentiometer coupled with said electronic oscillator and operable to set or adjust an output frequency thereof.

4. The audible signal device of claim 3 wherein said potentiometer is a digital potentiometer, and said speaker is a bi-directional voice coil speaker.

5. An audible signal device comprising:

a speaker;

an electronic oscillator current coupled with said speaker;

a DC to DC converter separate from said electronic oscillator and coupled with said speaker and with said electronic oscillator;

a power amplifier current coupled with said speaker, said electronic oscillator and said DC to DC converter, said DC to DC converter being current coupled with said electronic oscillator;

a potentiometer coupled with said electronic oscillator and operable to set or adjust an output frequency thereof;

wherein said potentiometer is a digital potentiometer, and said speaker is a bi-directional voice coil speaker; and

said audible signal device is coupled by said DC to DC converter with a machine electrical system having an operating voltage different from an operating voltage of said audible signal device, said machine electrical system including an electronic control module and at least one sensor operably coupled with said audible signal device.

6. A group of machines comprising:

at least two machines;

a first electrical system disposed in one of said at least two machines and having a first operating voltage;

a second electrical system disposed in another of said at least two machines and having a second operating voltage different from said first operating voltage;

a first audible signal device operably coupled with said first electrical system; and

a second audible signal device operably coupled with said second electrical system, said second audible signal device interchangeable with said first audible signal device;

wherein at least one of said first and second audible signal devices includes a DC to DC converter coupling the respective audible signal device with the respective electrical system.

7. The group of machines of claim 6 wherein each of said first and second audible signal devices comprises:

an electronic oscillator;

a speaker operably coupled with said electronic oscillator; and

a digital potentiometer coupled with said electronic oscillator and operable to set or adjust a frequency thereof.

8. The group of machines of claim 7 wherein each of said first and second audible signal devices includes a DC to DC converter coupling said first and second audible signal devices with said first and second electrical systems, respectively.

9. The group of machines of claim 8 wherein:

said at least two machines comprises at least two machines each having at least one sensor and an electronic control module in communication therewith; and

said first and second audible signal devices comprise first and second identical audible signal devices in communication with the electronic control module of the respective machine and operably coupled with the respective at least one sensor.

10. A method of assembling a plurality of dissimilar machines comprising the steps of:

connecting one of a plurality of interchangeable audible signal devices with an electrical system of a first machine selected from among a plurality of dissimilar machines, the first machine having a first operating voltage; and

connecting another of the plurality of interchangeable audible signal devices with an electrical system of a second machine selected from among the plurality of dissimilar machines, the second machine having a second operating voltage different from the first operating voltage.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein each of the connecting steps comprises connecting the respective interchangeable audible signal device with an electrical system of the respective machine via a DC to DC converter.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein each of the connecting steps comprises connecting an audible signal device that includes an electronic oscillator, a voice coil speaker current coupled with the electronic oscillator, and a digital potentiometer operable to set or adjust a frequency of the electronic oscillator.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein each of the connecting steps comprises connecting an identical audible signal device.