Patent Application
20080017097
In accordance with an especially preferred embodiment of the present invention, a hybrid whistle 1 is disclosed that combines both a pealess whistle chamber and a pea whistle chamber. The hybrid whistle 1, which is shown in
Hybrid whistle 1 is constructed of a top molded construction 6 and a bottom molded construction 12 removed from molds so that the whistle is separated into a top molded construction 6 and a bottom molded construction 12 (see
In addition to portions of their construction that form the various whistles, as shown in
Once the top and bottom constructions 6 and 12 are assembled, a mouthpiece 20, which has an ergonomic concave shape 26, has a central air opening 23 that leads into the central pea whistle 30 by central air passageway 31, a left air opening 24 that leads into left pealess whistle 40 by left air passageway 41 and a right air opening 25 that leads into right pealess whistle 50 by right air passageway 51. Mouthpiece 20 can also have a rubber overmolding 27 which offers the advantages of assuring a seal around the mouthpiece, it avoids freezing, it does not absorb moisture, it is not hard on teeth, it provides a sure-hold grip, it prevents the hybrid whistle from sliding (e.g., off a dashboard) and it serves as a shock absorber to help prevent breakage when the whistle is dropped.
Central pea whistle 30 has a central whistle barrel chamber 32, a central exit vent 33 and a pea block 34. In a traditional barrel chamber whistle, an undercut is used to prevent the pea from becoming stuck in the air vent by creating an eddy that pushes the pea past the vent. The undercut is possible because tools for common mold designs pull apart from side to side. However, because the present invention adds a left and right pealess whistle, the top and bottom molded constructions are pulled apart from top to bottom, and an undercut solution is not possible unless a complex injection mold tool is used, which will greatly increase the cost. To prevent the pea from getting stuck in central exit vent 33 when hybrid whistle 1 is blown, a pea block 34 is included in the central barrel whistle chamber to keep the pea from being positioned in such a way as to get stuck in the air vent when the hybrid whistle is blown hard. The pea block alters the traditional geometry of the barrel chamber so that rotation of the pea takes place away from the exit vent. As shown in
Left pealess whistle 40 has a left air whistle chamber 42 and a left air exit vent 43 while right pealess whistle 50 has a right air whistle chamber 52 and a right air exit vent 53. Left and right air exit vents 43 and 53 vent air in opposite directions from each, both of which are essentially at substantially right angles to central exit vent 33, in the left side 4 and right side 5, respectively. This creates an airflow situation in which air exiting hybrid whistle 1 travels outwardly substantially 180 degrees from a plane that is perpendicular to air being blown into whistle 1, while air leaving central exit vent 33 leaves the same plane substantially 90 degrees between each of the left and right air exit vents 43 and 53. It has been found that this airflow configuration greatly increases both the loudness and the ability of the whistle signal to carry over distances in an emergency or rescue situation, although it is possible than angles of less than ninety degrees for the left and right air vents in the resultant hybrid whistle may also work to create a whistle signal that is “omni-directional” for ultimate multi sounds for a rescue, lifesaving and signaling device. Also, because one chamber is a pea whistle, this chamber produces a loud staccato crack that defines the combined whistle signal over noises such as wind, water and canyon noises, thus giving the whistle signal a full spectrum of sound.
The characteristics of the various whistle chambers can be adjusted, based upon designer choice, to customize the resultant whistle signal, both in terms of loudness and pitch. The customization can take place not only as between which chambers have peas and which do not, and how many such chambers there are, but also the dimensions of the chambers and the characteristics of any peas can be varied. Thus, different pitches may be obtained from the left and right whistle chambers, and these may be made either higher or lower than the pitch from any central whistle chamber. In experimental testing, it has been found that an extremely robust whistle signal is obtained when the left and right whistle chambers have differing pitches which are higher than the pitch of one or more central whistle barrel chambers (such chamber(s) being “central” in that it is between the outer left and right whistles and the exit vents direct airflow out in different directions, as already discussed); also, by making the left and right pealess whistle chambers out of pitch with one another, it has been found that this creates a beating effect analogous to the staccato effect of a pea whistle. In addition, as already noted, the size and type of “pea” used in one or more pea whistles may be varied. Generally speaking, by changing the density of the pea, the cadence can be changed, and the heavier the pea, the slower the cadence of the staccato. A hi-density foam pea will resist oil, gas, and chemicals and will not absorb water or freeze, or the pea may be made of a synthetic cork, such as the type of material that is used in many wine bottles today (e.g., the material might be made of EBS or EBA or ethyl vinyl acetate, or perhaps polyethylene or polypropylene). Also, if desired, special whistles could be used to identify locations of various search and rescue personnel, giving a specific signature to each whistle.
The top and bottom molded constructions 6 and 12 are preferably made of highest grade ABS plastic that will withstand 70 degrees F. below zero temperature without getting brittle, fracturing, or breaking the plastic. The parts can also be made with nylon and reinforced fiberglass for superior strength. By using such construction, it has been found that a hybrid whistle can be constructed that will still function even after it has been driven over by a truck.
While the invention has been described herein with reference to a preferred embodiment, this embodiment has been presented by way of example only, and not to limit the scope of the invention. Additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this detailed description. In this regard, the combination of pea and pealess whistles can be changed, and the numbers of “whistles” within the hybrid whistle can be altered, so long as there are at least three whistles out of planar alignment such that the exit vents of the left and right whistles are at some angle facing away from the exit vent of one or more central exit vents in a plane perpendicular to the passageways leading to the various “whistles.” In addition, it might be desirable for one of the pea or pealess whistles in one of the chambers to be set to a dog frequency, or for the whistle to be made of a plastic that glows in the dark, or for their to be detachable and interchangeable items such as a compass, thermometer and LED light that can be custom mounted to the flashlight for specific uses at specific times, all according to the desires of the end user. Also, the whistle can be shortened up without an insert as shown in
Accordingly, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that still further changes and modifications in the actual concepts described herein can readily be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed inventions as defined by the following claims.
