Amusement and alert accessory for bicycles
OwnerJames W. Jimison, Ronald L. Colemaninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An accessory which produces distinct sounds in order to alert others of the presence of a bicycle. The accessory is formed of a housing, sound producing assemblies, and a mounting system. The mounting assembly may be clamped around left or right members of bicycle forks, frame, stays, or braces. Housing of the accessory will accommodate mechanical or electronic sound producing elements which are interchangeable and may be used individually or in combination. When installed and the bicycle is in motion, a variety of sounds may be produced depending on the configuration of the sound producing components.
Claims18
An amusement and safety alert accessory for use in a vehicle, said vehicle having a frame member for transferring support and transporting motion for a supporting motion assembly in which the supporting motion assembly includes at least one wheel, said wheel is rotatable with respect to said frame member, said vehicle is capable of movement by means including said wheel, said amusement and safety alert accessory comprising:
- accessory housing means for housing said amusement and safety alert accessory;
- a speaker;
- an assembly that activates the speaker;
- sound for producing assembly means for producing sound, said sound producing assembly means has a striker that is a flexible element, said striker can be engaged with said wheel when said wheel is in rotation, causing said striker to flex in a flapping motion, thereby producing a first sound, and wherein movement of said striker moves the assembly that activates the speaker to produce a second sound;
- engaging and control assembly for engaging and controlling the sound producing assembly means to engage with said wheel, said striker is positioned by said engaging and control assembly within a spoke path defined by said wheel when in rotation;
- accessory mounting assembly means for mounting said amusement and safety alert accessory on said frame member;
- a microphone coupled with said striker;
- an amplifier cooperating with said striker and said microphone;
- wherein said speaker is coupled-to said amplifier;
- wherein said first sound is a vibrational sound produced by the flapping motion of said striker when engaged with moving spokes within said spoke path, said second sound is a sound broadcast by said speaker, and wherein said microphone, amplifier and speaker cooperate to amplify and broadcast said first sound as said second sound from said speaker when said wheel is in rotation.
An amusement and safety alert accessory for use in a vehicle, said vehicle having a frame member for transferring support and transporting motion for a supporting motion assembly in which the supporting motion assembly includes at least one wheel, said wheel is rotatable with respect to said frame member, said vehicle is capable of movement by means including said wheel in rotation with respect to said frame member, said amusement and safety alert accessory comprising:
- accessory housing means for housing said amusement and safety alert accessory;
- sound producing assembly means for producing sound when said sound producing assembly means is engaged with said wheel and said wheel is in rotation;
- engaging and control assembly means for engaging and controlling the sound producing assembly means to engage with said wheel;
- accessory mounting assembly means for mounting said amusement and safety alert accessory on said frame member;
- wherein said sound producing assembly means has a striker noise making assembly adapted for use with spokes of said wheel, part of said striker noise making assembly moving when said wheel is in rotation within a spoke path, said spoke path is defined by said wheel, wherein any combination or all of a plurality of separate and independently moveable strikers may be selected for placement within said spoke path to produce a sound when said wheel is in rotation.
An amusement and safety alert accessory for use in a vehicle, said vehicle having a frame member for transferring support and transporting motion for a supporting motion assembly in which the supporting motion assembly includes at least one wheel, said wheel is rotatable with respect to said frame member, said vehicle is capable of movement by means including said wheel, said amusement and safety alert accessory comprising:
- accessory housing means for housing said amusement and safety alert accessory;
- sound producing assembly means for producing sound, said sound producing assembly means has a flexible element, said flexible element can be engaged with said wheel when said wheel is in rotation, causing said flexible element to flex in a flapping motion, thereby producing a first sound, and wherein movement of said flexible element moves an assembly that activates a device that produces a second sound;
- engaging and control assembly means for engaging and controlling the sound producing assembly means to engage with said wheel;
- accessory mounting assembly means for mounting said amusement and safety alert accessory on said frame member;
- wherein
- said sound producing assembly means produces sound when said sound producing assembly means is engaged with said wheel and when said wheel is in rotation, said sound producing assembly means also includes
- a speaker
- a pre-recorded noise stored in a readable medium;
- means for coupling said pre-recorded noise to said speaker and said wheel such that said wheel causes an action selected from the group of
- actuating the second sound by transmitting the second sound from the readable medium through the speaker and
- modifying a sound transmitted from the readable medium through the speaker to form said second sound.
An amusement device having an amusement and safety alert accessory attached with a vehicle, wherein said vehicle is selected from the group consisting of tricycles, skateboards, toy trucks, toy cars, said vehicle having at least one wheel with spokes capable of making contact with an actuating portion of said amusement and safety alert accessory;
- said vehicle having a frame member for transferring support and transporting motion for a supporting motion assembly in which the supporting motion assembly includes the wheel, said wheel is rotatable with respect to said frame member, said vehicle is capable of movement by means including said wheel, said amusement and safety alert accessory comprising:
- accessory housing means for housing said amusement and safety alert accessory;
- sound producing assembly means for producing sound when said sound producing assembly means is engaged with said wheel and said wheel is in rotation;
- engaging and control assembly means for engaging and controlling the sound producing assembly means to engage with said wheel;
- accessory mounting assembly means for mounting said amusement and safety alert accessory on said frame member;
- wherein said sound producing assembly means has a striker noise making assembly adapted for use with spokes of said wheel, part of said striker noise making assembly moving when said wheel is in rotation and when placed within a spoke path, said spoke path is defined by said wheel, wherein any combination or all of a plurality of separate and independently moveable strikers may be selected for placement within said spoke path to produce a sound when said wheel is in rotation.
An amusement device having an amusement and safety alert accessory attached with a vehicle, wherein said vehicle is a child's toy;
- said vehicle having a frame member for transferring support and transporting motion for a supporting motion assembly in which the supporting motion assembly includes at least one wheel, said wheel is rotatable with respect to said frame member, said vehicle is capable of movement by means including said wheel, said amusement and safety alert accessory comprising:
- accessory housing means for housing said amusement and safety alert accessory;
- sound producing assembly means for producing sound when said sound producing assembly means is engaged with said wheel and said wheel is in rotation;
- engaging and control assembly means for engaging and controlling the sound producing assembly means to engage with said wheel;
- accessory mounting assembly means for mounting said amusement and safety alert accessory on said frame member;
- wherein said sound producing assembly means has a striker noise making assembly adapted for use with spokes of said wheel, part of said striker noise making assembly moving when said wheel is in rotation and placed within a spoke path, said spoke path is defined by said wheel, wherein any combination or all of a plurality of separate and independently moveable strikers may be selected for placement within said spoke path to produce a sound when said wheel is in rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.