Horn device having a plural power supply

• US 8,004,390 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wolo Manufacturing Corporation (1847 Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Wolo Manufacturing Corporation (1847 Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Solow, Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Application Number:
  US11/678,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 340/388.1, 340/693.2, 181/152, 181/159, 381/396
• US Class Current: 340/388.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/22 Mountings; Casings

Abstract

An electromechanical horn is configured with a body, a sound-generating unit mounted in the body, and a plurality of power source receiving regions for storing at least one removably mounted power source in a storage manner while containing a second power source in an operative manner thereby limiting discontinuity of the operation of the sound-generating unit.

Claims

1. A horn comprising:

(a) a body;

(b) a sound generating unit in the body;

(c) at least two means for storing at least one electrical power source in said body;

(d) at least one of said at least two means for storing being operatively engageable with at least one electrical power source upon an assembly therewith to power said sound generating unit, and wherein said body is configured with a handle so as to be hand-held, extending along a first direction and a casing extending along a second direction away from said first direction, at least one of said at least two means for storing being mounted in said handle and another of said at least two means for storing being mounted to said casing, thereby enabling an enhanced electrical power source storage capability of said horn; and

(e) a central processing unit (CPU) mounted in said body and coupled to each of said at least two means for storing and to said sound generating unit, said CPU executing software operative to selectively couple each of said at least two means for storing to said sound generating unit to prevent discontinuity of an operation of said sound generating unit when a resource of one said at least two means for storing reaches a predetermined value.

2. A horn, according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said at least two means for storing being means for releasably storing said enhanced electrical power source.

3. A horn, according to claim 2, further comprising:

(a) at least one means for actuating said sound generating unit upon said assembly therewith to said external electrical power source, and

(b) said at least one means for actuating being at least one of a trigger mechanism for completing an electrical circuit between the sound generating unit and the at least one electrical power source upon said assembly therewith, and a combination of said triggering mechanism with a central processing unit for completing said electrical circuit upon an activation of said triggering mechanism.

4. A horn, according to claim 3, wherein:

said at least one means for actuating being said trigger mechanism in combination with said central processing unit, whereby said central processing unit enables a functional control of said sound generating unit thereby improving a user capability.

5. A horn, according to claim 3, wherein:

at least a second means for storing including a respective second electrical power source.

6. A horn, according to claim 5, further comprising:

means for operably engaging said respective second electrical power source within said at least second means for storing with said at least one means for actuating said sound generating unit, whereby said horn is operative from at least two separately stored electrical power sources.

7. A horn comprising:

(a) a body, said body having a handle so as to render said horn capable of being hand-held;

(b) a sound generating unit in said body; and

(c) a plurality of electrical power sources removably mounted to said body within respective storage locations and operative to selectively power said sound generating unit; and

(d) a central processing unit (CPU) mounted in said body and coupled to said respective storage locations and to said sound generating unit, said CPU further comprising executing software.

8. The horn of claim 7, wherein the body is configured with a handle extending along a first direction and a casing extending along a second direction away from said first direction, at least one of the plurality of power sources being mounted to the handle and another power source being mounted to the casing and spaced from the at least one power source.

9. The horn of claim 8, wherein the body has two compartments provided in the handle and casing respectively, the compartments being configured to receive the respective power sources.

10. The horn of claim 9, wherein one of the compartments opens into a bottom of the handle and the other compartment opens into a proximal end of the casing so as to provide access to the compartments from outside for insertion and removal of the respective power sources.

11. The horn of claim 10, further comprising first and second shutters removably mountable to the body so as to close the respective compartments and secure the respective power sources in the compartments.

12. The horn of claim 7, wherein the CPU executing software operative to selectively couple the plurality of power sources to the sound generating unit to prevent discontinuity of an operation of the sound generating unit when a resource of one of the plurality of power sources reaches a predetermined value.

13. The horn of claim 12, wherein the reference value corresponds to an active life of the power source, the software executable by the CPU being operative to monitor and determine an ambient temperature and adjust the reference value upon determining the ambient temperature.

14. The horn of claim 13, wherein the software executable by the CPU is operative to actuate the sound generating unit so that the sound generating unit is enabled to selectively generate a plurality of sounds imitating sounds of respective various animals in response to an input by a user.

15. The horn of claim 14, wherein the body is configured with:

a suspension unit operative to couple the body to a user controlled item, the suspension unit having a flexible member and being operable to detachably engage the suspension unit to the body thereby enabling a secure attachment and detachment of said horn upon a user desire.