Sound emitting ball

• US 4,595,200 A
• Filed: 06/18/1984
• Issued: 06/17/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Molten Corporation 1-8 Yokogawashinmachi Nishi-Ku Hiroshima-Shi Hiroshima-Ken
• Original Assignee: Molten
• Inventors: Shishido, Hideomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/621,632
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 273/58 E, 273/58 G, 273/65 EF, 273/213
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2041/005 with counterweight for adjusting the centre of gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements

Abstract

A sound emitting ball has (a) a ball having an airtight bladder with an air injection valve, (b) a housing provided within the ball on the opposite side of the bladder with respect to the valve without interferring with the airtightness of the bladder, (c) a cover for concealing the housing, (d) a detector for detecting an application of external force to the ball, (e) a sound generator for generating a sound signal according to the signal from the detector, (f) a speaker for emitting sound according to the sound signal from the sound generator, and (g) a battery power source. The detector, sound generator, speaker, and battery power source are accommodated in the housing and the sum of the weights of the housing, cover, detector, sound generator, speaker, and battery power source are adjusted to a weight which does not substantially interfere with the impact resilience of the bladder and is substantially the same as the weight of the valve.

Claims

1. A sound emitting ball, comprising

(a) a ball having an airtight bladder for giving impact resilience to the ball in which compressed air is charged through an air injection valve,

(b) a concave housing provided within the ball on the opposite portion of the bladder with respect to the valve and contacting the surface of the bladder while keeping the airtightness of the bladder,

(c) a cover for concealing an opening in the housing,

(d) means for detecting an external force applied to the ball and producing a signal in response thereto,

(e) means comprising of an integrated circuit for generating a sound signal according to the signal from the detecting means,

(f) means for emitting sound according to the signal from said sound signal generating means, and

(g) a battery power source for said above detecting means, sound signal generating means and emitting means, said detecting means, said sound signal generating means, said emitting means and said battery power source being accommodated in the housing, and such that the sum of the weights of the housing, the cover, said detecting means, said sound signal generating means, said emitting means and said battery power source does not substantially interfere with the impact resilience of the ball and is substantially the same as the weight of the valve.

2. The sound emitting ball of claim 1, wherein the detecting means, the sound signal generating means, the sound emitting means and the battery power source are assembled to form a unit, and the unit is accommodated in the housing detachably by means of the cover.

3. The sound emitting ball of claim 2, wherein the cover has a fixing means for fixing the unit to the housing.

4. The sound emitting ball of claim 3, wherein the cover comprises a soft portion and a rigid portion and is fixed in the housing together with the circuit unit by means of the fixing member, said soft portion being provided in the outer suface area and said rigid portion being provided in the inner surface area with which the unit is in contact and in an area where the fixing member is secured.

5. The sound emitting ball of claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a integrating circuit for integrating the detected impact signals.

6. The sound emitting ball of claim 1 wherein the detecting means is a mechanical switch comprising a vibrating electrode consisting a spring and a weight electrode which is attached to the free end of the spring, and a fixed electrode which encloses the viblating electrode, said mechanical switch being operative by contacting the vibrating electrode with the fixed electrode when an external impact force is applied to vibrate the vibrating electrode.

7. The sound emitting ball of claim 6, wherein the mechanical switch comprises a member made of an elastic material for restricting the vibration of the vibrating electrode provided at the fixed end of the spring.

8. The sound emitting ball of claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a piezoelectric element.

9. The sound emitting ball of claim 1, wherein the sound emitting means comprises a piezoelectric element.

10. The sound emitting ball of claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a piezoelectric element and the sound emitting means comprises a piezoelectric element, said two piezoelectric elements being housed in a hollow case in a double-stage structure.