1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates broadly to audio reproducing attachment devices, and particularly to audio recordation and reproduction circuitry mounted on spring clips to facilitate removable attachment of audio messages to objects such as, for example, papers, folders, documents, and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
The varied uses of removably adhesive papers, or notes, such as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company's (otherwise known as 3M Corporation's) Post-it® brand notes, is well known in the art. In general office practice, for example, an addressor will compose a handwritten message on such a note, adhere the note to a document, and convey the document with the attached note to an intended recipient for action to be taken in accordance with the handwritten message.
Alternatively, such notes may be used as reminders, and adhered to conspicuous places to draw attention to them.
One known drawback to the use of such notes is the amount of time involved in writing down a desired message. Indeed, it takes noticeably more time and effort to write down a 23-word sentence, for example, than it does to say and record it. In professions where time cannot be wasted, and where efficiency concerns exist, this is particularly acutely noticed.
In partially addressing this shortcoming, the general, obvious advantages of recorded audio communication over the written or printed medium are well known. They include the superior ease and speed of dictation (over handwriting or typing) and the opportunity to make a more personal and/or distinct impression on the receiver, by way of vocal inflection, tone of voice, etc.
Audio recording and reproducing devices, the various constructions of which are well known in the art, have been employed for multiple personal and business communication purposes, including for message conveyance, audio mail, audio product promotion and self-reminder systems. Examples of such uses and devices can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,918 to Crowell and U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,869 to Jacobson et al. Additional non-limited examples of such devices include known hand-held voice recorders, key-chain voice recorders, and voice-recording pens.
For purposes of this disclosure, the terms “audio recordation and playback device”, “audio recordation and reproduction circuitry”, “voice recorders”, any variations thereof, or such similar terms that connote the same meaning, are understood to be the virtually infinitely variable arrangements of physical and electrical circuitry and components, including, but not limited to, the quantity, style and functionality of various buttons, switches, microphones, speakers, light emitting diodes, displays, power sources, and the like, that form such devices, which are well known to those skilled in the art.
The prior art also contains some voice recording and reproduction devices with ancillary attachments adapted to couple the voice recording and reproducing devices to objects. One such exemplary attachment is a pocket clip integrated with a voice-recording pen. The clip allows for the pen to be attached to a user's pocket, or even a document, for example. However, one drawback of this arrangement is the geometry and binding capacity of both the clip itself, and the clip with the pen. It is known that pens with pocket clips are not designed for the same purposes, nor commonly used in the same manners as are paper clips, binder clips, or generally, spring clips, to attach to documents, for example, or bind documents together.
Another exemplary attachment is a key-chain ring connected to a voice-recorder. The key-chain ring allows for attachment of the voice recorder to a set of keys, for example. However, such a key-chain ring and voice-recorder configuration is similarly not designed for, and not intended, nor adapted to be used in the same manner as spring clips.
It is noted that, as used herein, the term “spring clips” generally refers, without limitation, to, known binder clips, paper clips and any variations and configurations thereof that have similar known purposes and functions, and which are adapted to be biasedly attached to objects, and/or hold multiple objects, such as documents, together. The uses and advantages of such spring clips are well known in the art.
It is also noted that the prior art continues to recognize the distinct and separate advantages of reusable adhesive-backed notes, audio recording and reproduction devices, and spring clips, yet predominantly uses each independently of the others.
Thus, it is the combination and utilization of the advantageous features of these three items that has not been realized by the prior art. As such, it is observed that the prior art is deficient in, and that there is a need for, audio recording and reproducing devices that are particularly adapted for removable adherence to objects in the same manner as spring clips, thereby providing the benefits of recorded audio communications together with the configurations, adaptabilities and binding capabilities of spring clips, thus facilitating the attachment of recorded audio messages to documents, for example.
The present invention addresses various deficiencies recognized in the prior art. Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide audio recording and reproducing devices that are particularly adapted for removable adherence to objects in the same manner as spring clips, thereby providing the benefits of recorded audio communications together with the configurations, adaptabilities and binding capabilities of spring clips.
The present invention therefore enables a user to easily record a desired audio message onto a device, and securely and removably attach the device to a desired object, such as a document.
The virtually infinitely variable arrangements of physical and electrical circuitry and components, including the quantity, style and functionality of various buttons, switches, microphones, speakers, light emitting diodes, displays, power sources, and the like, to form an audio recording and reproducing device, are well known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, the many various arrangements of spring clips are also well known to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is sufficient for adequate disclosure of the present invention to understand and appreciate that such circuitry and components may be adapted in various ways to various spring clips in accordance with aspects of the present invention.
Thus, one object of the present invention is to provide audio circuitry attached to a spring clip, wherein the audio circuitry facilitates audio recordation and playback, and includes a microphone, speaker, memory, message indicator light, power source, and a controller having various switches and buttons such as a toggle switch and actuation button. The spring clip comprises a first side having a first end and a first fulcrum portion, a second side having a second end and a second fulcrum portion, a fulcrum joining the first and second sides at the first and second fulcrum portions, the first and second ends being below the fulcrum and resiliently biased toward each other, a first actuating arm associated with said first side and extending above the fulcrum, and a second actuating arm associated with the second side and extending above the fulcrum, wherein the urging of the first and second actuating arms toward each other causes the urging of the first and second ends away from each other.
Another object of the present invention is to have the first and second arms of the spring clip, as described above, extend below the fulcrum.
Additionally, at least a portion of the audio circuitry may be connected to the first actuating arm of the spring clip, or to the fulcrum.
Still another object of the present invention is to have an audio circuit that is attached to a housing which is secured to the first actuating arm of the spring clip. This housing may be permanently secured to the actuating arm, or alternatively, may be removably secured thereto.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide audio circuitry attached to a spring clip which comprises a unitary wire bent to form at least two sections that are resiliently biased toward each other so as to facilitate compressively straddling an object that is wedged in between the two sections. Such spring clip may comprise two, three, four, or more bends, and the bends may be more than 90 or even more than 180 degrees each. Additionally, the audio circuitry may be attached to a housing which is secured to one of the at least two sections of the spring clip.
Another object of the present invention is to provide audio circuitry attached to a spring clip which comprises a unitary and substantially planar binder having a bridge with two ends that are resiliently biased toward being in a common plane such that when an object is wedged between the two ends, the two ends compressively straddle the object. Additionally, the spring clip may be configured to be in the shape of an ampersand, or an arrow, for example, and the circuitry may be attached to a housing which is secured to one of the two ends of the spring clip.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in, or will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from, the detailed description herein. Also, it should be further appreciated that modifications and variations to the specifically illustrated and disclosed features or materials or devices hereof may be practiced in various embodiments and uses of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, by virtue of present reference thereto. Such variations may include, but are not limited to, substitution of equivalent arrangements, features and/or materials for those shown or discussed, and the functional or positional reversal of various parts or features or the like. Still further, it is to be understood that different embodiments, as well as different presently preferred embodiments, of this invention may include various combinations or configurations of presently disclosed features or elements or their equivalents (including combinations of features or configurations thereof not expressly shown in the figures or stated in the detailed description).
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, where similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views.
In
As is well known in the art, clip 10 is commonly found on writing utensils such as pens, and facilitates attaching a pen to a person's pocket, for example. It is also possible to attach the pen, via clip 10, to a document, or the like. However, unlike spring clips, this is not known to be a reliable way of attaching an object, such as pen, to a document, nor a reliable way of holding more than one document together. Particularly in the case of the voice-recorder of
To that extent, with reference to
Similarly,
The VRC 40 has a binder clip body 42 with a substantially triangular shape. Body 42 has a first side 44, a second side 46, and a third side, or fulcrum, 48. By virtue of this well-known configuration, the ends of sides 44 and 46 opposite the fulcrum 48 are resiliently biased toward each other, and form a pincher portion 50. Additionally, first and second actuating arms (otherwise interchangeably referred to as extension or lever arms) 52 and 54, are attached to first and second sides 44 and 46 of the body 42, respectively.
The functionality of such binder clips is well known in the art, and revolves around having first and second actuating arms 52 and 54 above fulcrum 48 in order to provide levers upon which to exert a compressive force. When first and second actuating arms 52 and 54 are raised above fulcrum 48, the urging of arms 52 and 54 toward each other translates over fulcrum 48 to urge the ends of sides 44 and 46, respectively, at the pincher portion 50, to separate. While separated, the VRC 40 may be attached to a document, or multiple documents, or other articles of interest. Once done so, the urging of arms 52 and 54 toward each other may be ceased, thus yielding to, and resulting in, a compressive force exerted in the pincher portion 50 of clip body 42, facilitating the secure attachment of the VRC 40 to the article(s) to which it is attached.
The VRC 40 has a toggle switch 56 mounted on the third side 48, which can be moved between a recording position 62 and a listening position 64. Additionally, mounted on the third side 48 are a microphone 58, actuator button 60, and a message indicator light 66. A speaker 68 is mounted on the first side 44 of the clip body 42, and a power source 70 is mounted on the second side 46.
In order to record an audio message, toggle switch 56 is first moved to the recording position 62. Then actuator button 60 is depressed and a voice message may be recorded onto the VRC 40 via microphone 58. Once recorded, message indicator light 66 indicates that a message is present in the VRC 40.
In order to listen to the message, the toggle switch 56 is moved to the listening position 64. Then actuator button 60 is depressed, and the message will be projected through speaker 68.
The original message may be rerecorded by simply following the steps for recording a message. A power source 70 is mounted to the second side 46 of clip body 42 to provide power to the circuit for accomplishing these outlined tasks.
Referring to
Alternate embodiments of the present invention are depicted in
The functioning of these elements, in combination with the functioning of this embodiment of the invention, is similar to that of the preferred embodiment, which has already been described. The difference in the embodiments between the existence, location and shape of the housing 90 supporting the electronics of the voice recordation and playback device is obvious to those skilled in the art, and so need not be further described in detail herein.
Similarly, for simplicity, with reference to alternate embodiments of the present invention as depicted in
Another alternate embodiment of the present invention is depicted in
Yet another alternate embodiment of the present invention is depicted in
Still another alternate embodiment of the present invention is depicted in
With particular reference to
Alternatively, with reference to
Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims