Patent Application
20230240416
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to receiving assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new receiving assembly for receiving and acknowledging tips. The present invention discloses a receiving assembly comprising a housing with a sensor and an audio module, wherein a sensor detects insertion of a tip through a slot in the housing and signals the audio module to broadcast an acknowledgement.
Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
The prior art relates to receiving assemblies. Prior art receiving assemblies for currency may comprise tip jars for coins. Related prior art comprises coin banks, which may be integral to stuffed toys, and which may generate audio or visual stimuli upon insertion of coins. What is lacking in the prior art is a receiving assembly for gratuities comprising a housing with a sensor and an audio module, wherein a sensor detects insertion of a tip through a slot in the housing and signals the audio module to broadcast an acknowledgement.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing, which defines an interior space. A slot is positioned in the housing. An audio module is engaged to the housing, is positioned in the interior space, and is configured to broadcast an acknowledgement. A sensor is engaged to the housing, is positioned in the interior space, proximate to the slot, and is configured to detect insertion of a tip through the slot into the interior space. The sensor is communicatively engaged to the audio module so that the sensor is enabled to signal the audio module upon insertion of the tip through the slot. The audio module thus is configured to broadcast the acknowledgement upon receipt of the tip.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
An audio module 26 is engaged to the housing 12, is positioned in the interior space 14, and is configured to broadcast an acknowledgement. A sensor 28 is engaged to the housing 12, is positioned in the interior space 14, proximate to the slot 16, and is configured to detect insertion of a tip through the slot 16 into the interior space 14. The sensor 28 is communicatively engaged to the audio module 26 so that the sensor 28 is enabled to signal the audio module 26 upon insertion of the tip through the slot 16. The audio module 26 thus is configured to broadcast the acknowledgement upon receipt of the tip.
The present invention is anticipated to be useful for vendors, drivers, tellers, and the like, who are in a tipping environment but who may be too busy to acknowledge receiving a gratuity or who are uncomfortable in expressing their appreciation. The present invention allows the user to record an acknowledgement, which may be in their own voice, another voice, a tone, or the like.
The audio module 26 comprises a battery 30, a data storage module 32, a microphone 34, a speaker 36, a switch 38, and a microprocessor 40. The microprocessor 40 is operationally engaged to the battery 30, the data storage module 32, the microphone 34, the speaker 36, and the switch 38. The switch 38 is configured to be selectively switched to signal the microprocessor 40 to actuate the microphone 34 to record the acknowledgement to the data storage module 32. The microprocessor 40 is enabled to selectively actuate the speaker 36 to broadcast the acknowledgement to a person proximate to the housing 12 upon receipt of the tip.
A cutout 42 is positioned in the housing 12 proximate to the battery 30 and is configured to allow access to the battery 30. A panel 44 is selectively engageable to the housing 12 to close the cutout 42. An aperture 46 is positioned in the housing 12 and is configured to allow access to the interior space 14 to remove the tip. As shown in
The gratuity receiving assembly 10 also may comprise a base unit 52. The base unit 52 may comprise a stuffed animal 54, such as, but not limited to, a seated teddy bear 56, as shown in
In use, the acknowledgement is recorded to the data storage module 32 and the base unit 52 containing the housing 12 is positioned in a convenient location for receiving gratuities. When a customer inserts a tip through the slit 60 and slot 16 into the interior space 14, the sensor 28 detects the tipping event and signals the microprocessor 40 to actuate the speaker 36 to broadcast the acknowledgement. The user can access the gratuities in the housing 12 by unlocking the plate 48 and hinging it open.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
