Novelty device having elastomeric protrusions with sound producing terminations

• US 7,789,727 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mark J. Chernick, Webb T. Nelson
• Original Assignee: Mark J. Chernick, Webb T. Nelson
• Inventors: Nelson, Webb T., Chernick, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Niconovich; Alexander R
• Application Number:
  US12/271,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20090068924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 446/85, 446/104, 446/107, 446119-128, 446/397, 434/236, 434/247
• US Class Current: 446/397
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10

Abstract

A novelty device and the associated method of fabricating component parts of the novelty device. The novelty device has at least one protrusion that is made from an elastomeric material. The protrusion has a distal end. A hole is disposed through the protrusion proximate its distal end. A secondary object is provided. The secondary object is made from a rigid material. The secondary object defines an interior space. Sounding elements are disposed within the interior space of at least some of the secondary objects. The sounding elements are free moving and produce noise within said secondary objects when said novelty device is manually shaken.

Claims

1. A novelty device, comprising:

a hub;

a plurality of flexible protrusions extending from said hub, each of said flexible protrusions being made of an elastomeric gel and terminating at a distal end;

a secondary object coupled to said distal end of each of said flexible protrusions, wherein each said secondary object defines an interior space in which is disposed a post, and

wherein one of said flexible projections extends into interior space, wherein said post extends through said flexible projection proximate said distal end, therein binding said secondary object to said flexible protrusion; and

a plurality of sounding elements free moving within present within at least some of said secondary objects.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said hub and said plurality of flexible protrusions are injection molded from a common elastomeric material.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said common elastomeric material is a styrene-based elastomeric gel.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said secondary object includes a first piece and a second piece that interconnect to form said secondary object.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein said first piece and said second piece connect together with a snap fit.

6. The device according to claim 3, further including adhesive that binds said first piece to said second piece.

7. A novelty device, comprising:

a central hub;

a plurality of protrusions radially extending from said central hub, each of said protrusions having a proximal end that attaches to said hub and a distal end that extends away from said central hub, wherein each of said protrusions is fabricated from an elastomeric gel;

a plurality of rigid secondary objects, wherein a post is disposed within each of said rigid secondary objects, wherein said post extends through one of said protrusions, therein connecting said plurality of rigid object to said protrusions, wherein a rigid secondary object is affixed to said distal end of each of said protrusions so that said protrusions interconnect said plurality of rigid secondary objects to said central hub; and

a plurality of sounding elements in at least some of said secondary objects, wherein said sounding element are free moving and produce noise when said novelty device is dynamically manipulated.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said central hub is made of elastomeric gel and is integrally molded with said plurality of protrusions.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein said central hub is spherical.

10. The device according to claim 7, wherein a hole is disposed through each of said protrusions proximate each said distal end.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein each of said secondary objects defines an interior, wherein each said distal end of each of said protrusions extends into a corresponding interior of each of said secondary objects.

12. The device according to claim 7, wherein each of said secondary objects includes a first piece and a second piece that interconnect.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein said first piece and said second piece connect together with a snap fit.

14. The device according to claim 12, further including adhesive that binds said first piece to said second piece.

15. A novelty noisemaker device, comprising

a body capable of being shaken by manual manipulation;

a plurality of protrusions radially extending from said body, each of said protrusions having a proximal end that attaches to said body and a distal end that extends away from said central body, wherein each of said protrusions is fabricated from an elastomeric material;

a plurality of rigid secondary objects, wherein each of said secondary objects contains a post, and wherein said post of each of said rigid secondary objects extends through one of said protrusions proximate its distal end, therein affixing said secondary objects to said protrusions, whereby said protrusions interconnect said plurality of rigid secondary objects to said body, wherein said rigid secondary objects randomly collide and make noise when said body is manually shaken; and

a plurality of sounding elements in at least some of said secondary objects, wherein said sounding element are free moving and produce noise within said secondary objects when said novelty device is manually shaken.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein said body is spherical and said protrusions radially extends from said body in a symmetrical pattern.

17. The device according to claim 16 wherein each of said protrusions has a uniform length.