Patent Grant
9014389
The present application is generally related to a portable device for the amplification of sounds, typically referred to as a megaphone or loudspeaker, where the megaphone comprises a top and bottom handle that attach from the body of the megaphone to the front of the bell providing a megaphone with superior durability.
There are numerous known examples of a loudspeaker or megaphone, collectively “megaphone,” which typically comprise a microphone, an amplifier, a handle, a speaker, and a bell surrounding the speaker to provide directional amplification of sound through the microphone. Typically, these megaphones are held by a user and comprise a trigger below the bell, to turn on and off the microphone, allowing selective amplification of sounds.
These devices are often used in situations where there is a need to amplify the voice of a speaker. One such occurrence is on an athletic field, where a single person provides instruction to participants situated through the athletic field. When not in use, the megaphone is often carried over the shoulder, or is frequently placed on the ground or in a carrying device where the megaphone is susceptible to impact resulting in breakage of the megaphone, typically the handle, body, or the bell. Such typical use frequently results in breakage of the megaphone.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,692,913 to Katnimori and U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,458 to Turpin and Leger, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, identify a typical electronic megaphone allowing amplification of voice. These inventions, however, are susceptible to damage, in particular to the bell or the handle through typical use.
There is a need for a new rugged portable megaphone that facilitates the amplification of sound while comprising a rugged structure.
A new and improved megaphone comprising a body, a grip and a horn; wherein said grip extends from the bottom of the body, and the horn is attached to one end of the body; a rugged casing comprising a body handle, a top handle, a bottom handle, and a rim bumper; wherein the body handle surrounds the body of the megaphone and the rim bumper attaches to the tip of the horn; wherein the top handle is situated on the top of the megaphone and connects from the body handle to the rim bumper and wherein the bottom handle is situated on the bottom of the body, connecting from the bottom of the grip to the rim bumper.
An additional embodiment of the invention is a megaphone covering kit comprising a bumper selected to fit over the body of the megaphone, a left structure and a right structure; said left and right structures being a complementary pair, with each structure comprising a top and a bottom handle, a body handle, and a rim bumper; said left and right structures being of such fit to securely attach to the outer rim of the horn, the handle, and the body of the megaphone.
An additional embodiment of the invention is a megaphone comprising a body, a horn secured to one end of said body, a microphone secured to the other end of said body, an amplifier situated within the body of the megaphone capable of amplifying sound waves directed at the microphone, a battery secured to the microphone end of the body to power the microphone and amplifier, a power switch and a trigger, wherein the power switch can turn the megaphone on or off, and the trigger can activate the microphone when the megaphone is turned on, and a volume control knob mounted below the microphone; said megaphone comprising a top handle connecting from the body of the megaphone to the tip of the horn and a bottom handle extending from the bottom of the megaphone, having a short length and a long length wherein the two lengths are connect to form about a 90 degree angle, and said remaining end of the short length is attached to the body of the megaphone, and said remaining end of the long length is attached to the tip of the horn.
The embodiments of the invention and the various features and advantages thereto are more fully explained with references to the non-limiting embodiments and examples that are described and set forth in the following descriptions of those examples. Descriptions of well-known components and techniques may be omitted to avoid obscuring the invention. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the invention may be practiced and to further enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments set forth herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.
As used herein, terms such as “a,” “an,” and “the” include singular and plural referents unless the context clearly demands otherwise.
As used herein, the term “about” means within 10% of a stated length.
The megaphone 1 as described herein is intended to function as a typical megaphone, utilizing a battery 38 to power the unit, and can be turned on or off through the use of a switch 37. When in the on position, the microphone 36 is activated through the use of the trigger 13, which utilizes an amplifier and a speaker to project the sound waves from the microphone 36 through the horn.
The megaphone described herein adds a top handle 42, a bottom handle 43, and a rim bumper 39 to add strength and durability to the megaphone 1 absent from a typical megaphone. Where a drop would frequently break the horn portion of the megaphone, having the top handle 42, the bottom handle 43, and the rim support 39, provides the strength and durability to allow the horn 2 to absorb impacts, such as a fall from about 4 or 5 feet to a grass or concrete surface, without breakage.
The top handle 42 and bottom handle 43, in addition to the body handles 12 and 17 are made of a plastic material. The plastic material possesses sufficient rigidity to support the weight of the megaphone, but also provides cushioning to the megaphone 1, should the megaphone 1 be dropped or thrown. As compared to a megaphone consisting of only a grip, the two handled megaphone provides additional strength and structure to the horn 2, which is a feature that commonly breaks on prior art megaphones during typical use. Thus, the handles provide enhanced durability for the megaphone.
Additionally, the two handles provide for enhanced convenience and comfort, allowing the user to hold the megaphone from above or below, using two hands or one. The top handle 42 and bottom handle 43 also provide a more convenient way to carry the megaphone when not in use.
Further, another aspect of prior art megaphones that break is the rear portions, including the microphone 36, the body 7, and the can 8. The prior art products are typically a plastic material that is rigid and cracks when a force is applied to it. The bumper 6 and the body handles 12 and 17 provide further support and structure to aid in absorption of such forces to these features.
The top handle 42 and bottom handle 43, each comprising a left and right part, are secured together via threaded fasteners 28 and 29. Other forms of attachment including rivets, or other mechanical fasteners, or various mechanical or chemical adhesives are also suitable for joining the two halves. The top handle 42 further comprises a front pin 30 and a rear pin 31, to allow for attachment of a strap and the bottom handle comprises a pin 32, for a third attachment point.
The outer horn 2 is attached to the front can 8, which is part of the body 7 of the megaphone. Within the body 7 of the megaphone further includes a plug 35, a microphone 36, an on/off switch 37, a battery pack 38, an amplifier, and other necessary electronic elements for the amplification of sound as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Encircling the body 7, between the bumper 6 and the front can 8 is the body handle. The right body handle 17 connects the top handle 42 and bottom handle 43 to provide support for the megaphone 1. An opposing left body handle 12 (
The bottom handle 43 includes a grip 44 portion of the handle. The grip 44 extends from the body 7 and is secured to the body at contact point 22. Unlike typical megaphones which comprise the grip 44 portion only, the megaphone of the invention described herein comprises a top handle 42 and a bottom handle 43, that extend from the body 7 to the front of the outer horn 2.
The bottom handle comprises a short length and a long length, where the two lengths are attached together at about a 90 degree angle resulting in an “L” shape. The short length is attached to the body 7 and comprises the grip 44, and the trigger 13, wherein the long length attaches to the front of the outer horn 2, and comprises the length 15. The short length or grip 44 portion is of sufficient length to allow a user to grab the megaphone 1 and pull the trigger with one or more finger. The grip 44 is about 50 mm to about 250 mm in length, or more particularly about 75 mm to about 150 mm in length, sufficient for a hand to fit on the grip 44. The bottom handle long length 15 is about perpendicular or attached at about a 90 degree angle to the short length 44, and extends from the bottom of the grip 44 to the top of the horn. However, other angles of at least about 45 to 135 degrees may be suitable. The long length 15 is about 1 time to about 5 times the length of the grip 44, or more particularly about 1.5 times to about 3 times the length of the grip 44. This provides an unobtrusive support structure and provides for an open space 45, between the bottom handle 43 and the horn 2, which can be utilized for holding or carrying the megaphone 1. The bottom handle 43 is intended to provide an opening between the bottom handle 43 and the outer horn 2, said space defining the bottom handle opening 45, where the bottom handle opening 45 is of sufficient size to allow a user to insert their hand and arm, so that the bottom handle opening 45 may serve as a mechanism to carry the megaphone 1 without the need for an additional strap.
Both the top handle 42 and the bottom handle 43 are attached to the rim bumper 39 at the top of the outer horn 2. The rim bumper 39 encircles the edge of the outer horn 2, providing additional stability and structural support to the outer horn 2. Further, the top handle 42 is attached to the outer horn 2 with a top horn support 40 and attached to the outer horn 2, and the lower handle 43 with the lower horn support 41. This is in addition to the connection of the top handle 42 and bottom handle 43 to the rim bumper at the contact points 19 and 20, respectively. Typically, the top handle and bottom handles are on opposing sides of the megaphone, situated about 180 degrees from one another.
The right body handle 17 and corresponding left body handle 12 (
The top, bottom, and body handles may also be made of a rubber based material, or a resin based material, metals, plastics, foam, or combinations of these materials. The rim bumper 39 and the bumper 6 are made of a plastic material like the handles. Similarly, the bumpers 39 and 6 may also be made of a rubber based material, or a resin based material, metals, plastics, foam, or combinations of these materials.
The pins 30, 31, and 32 are made of a suitably rigid material, such as plastic or metal. Each pin feature is an opening in the top 42 or bottom handles 43 with a rod situated to be parallel to the threaded fasteners 28 and 29, and allowing said rod situated in the pins to serve as an attachment point, such as a hook or other latching device. The top pins 30 and 31, allow attachment of any number of carrying devices, such as a shoulder cord or a hand cord. The two attachment points on the top handle 42, allow creating of a loop to allow carrying of the megaphone 1 over the shoulder or in other manners. Contrastingly, the bottom pin 32, is a single pin, and provides a single attachment point. A user may attach a cord to any combination of pins, i.e. from pin 30 to pin 32, to pin 30 to pin 31, or to pin 32 to pin 30. Additionally, the pins may be used independently, with a carrying device that requires only a single contact point.
Additionally depicted in
The invention herein recognizes that the bumpers and handles making up the layer of protection to the underlying megaphone may have left and right portions, such that they could be attached around a previously manufactured megaphone. This provides that a kit may be suitable, having a top handle, bottom handle, body handle, and bumper that can be attached to a previously manufactured microphone. Similarly, the left and right portions may be multiple pieces, and attached piecewise. Finally, a new megaphone 1 may be manufactured where the handles are integrated into the body of the megaphone, and some features then added to the integrated body, when made of a different material. In each situation, the result is a megaphone comprising a top 42 and bottom handle 43 and bumpers around the body 7 and the rim bumper 39 to provide support and strength to the megaphone design.
The megaphone of the invention described herein was tested against two other megaphones for mechanical and functional strength when subjected to a drop test. The purpose of the tests were to determine whether the megaphone as described in this invention was superior in durability as compared to megaphones in the prior art and a megaphone having only some additional armor.
The following tables present the results of drop tests of the megaphone. Table 1 displays the results of the drop test for the megaphone described herein. Table 2 displays the results of the drop test for a megaphone with the top handle 42 and bottom handle 43 removed. Table 3 displays the results of the drop test for a megaphone with the top handle 42, bottom handle 43, and rim bumper 39 removed. In all tests, the drop testing procedure includes pressing the surfaces and edges of the megaphone for 15 minutes at 100 psi. Once the result for a given surface or edge of the megaphone is recorded, the test proceeds and the same megaphone is pressured on a different surface or edge. “Pass” indicates that after the drop (1) megaphone still functioned correctly and (2) there were no substantive mechanical flaws such as broken screws. Minor mechanical flaws such as chipped plastic are not considered substantive and thus do not count as a “failure.”
An embodiment of the invention described herein passed all 16 steps of the drop test without any functional error or substantive mechanical flaws. It experienced only minor damage, such as chipped paint, damage to an end bumper, and lost dowel pins.
The megaphone in Table 2 had a rim bumper, but no top or bottom handles. This megaphone functioned throughout the test, but had a major mechanical failure on the first drop. Specifically, the top of the horn broke when pressure was applied to it. Similarly, the middle of the horn broke when pressure was applied to it on the second drop.
The megaphone in table 3 had no rim bumper and no top or bottom handles. It is more representative of the prior art. In this test, the middle of the horn broke in drop 4. Additionally, the megaphone stopped functioning after drop 5.
In sum, the megaphone of the invention described herein, and depicted in Table 1, passed all stress tests. The megaphone from Table 2, having no top or bottom handles failed all stress tests. Finally, the megaphone from Table 3, having no top or bottom handle and no rim bumper, failed the majority of stress tests.
The invention now being fully described it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 61/675,612 filed Jul. 25, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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|---|---|---|---|
| 3412207 | Sugawara | Nov 1968 | A |
| 4236195 | Kovacik | Nov 1980 | A |
| 5050055 | Lindsay et al. | Sep 1991 | A |
| 5267131 | Anthony et al. | Nov 1993 | A |
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| Entry |
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| Califone, “Megaphone model P8A Specification—Jan. 2010”. |
| Califone, “Megaphone model PA20A specification—Jan. 2010”. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140029760 A1 | Jan 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61675612 | Jul 2012 | US |
