DK178982B1

DK178982B1 - A tubular scattering device

Info

Publication number: DK178982B1
Application number: DKPA201570598A
Authority: DK
Inventors: Kenneth Lund; Michael Bo Jensen
Original assignee: Kenneth Lund
Priority date: 2015-09-21
Filing date: 2015-09-21
Publication date: 2017-07-24
Also published as: DK201570598A1; WO2017050339A1

Abstract

A tubular scattering device (1) is adapted for scattering a rice (31) at weddings. A first tubular part (2) defines a first chamber (3) for accommodating a firing component (4) and a second tubular part (5) is coupled to the first tubular part (2) in its. The second tubular part (5) defines a second chamber (6) for accommodating the charge of rice (31) in a charged mode of the tubular scattering device (1). A locking component (15) is arranged at adjacent first coupling end (20) and second coupling end (21) of respective tubular parts (2,5) to keep the firing component (4) loaded in a charged mode of the tubular scattering device (1). The first coupling end (20) and the second coupling end (21) are adapted for rotating the first tubular part (2) and the second tubular part (5) in relation to each other along a longitudinal axis of the tubular scattering device (1) to release the locking component (15) and fire the firing component (4) without the first tubular part (2) and the second tubular part (5) separate. The tubular scattering device (1) works without pressurized gas, gunpowder and pulling strings, and can eject the rice more than 5 m.

Description

The present invention relates to a tubular scattering device adapted for scattering a charge of multiple small objects contained in the device. The device comprising a first tubular part defining a first chamber for accommodating a firing component and a second tubular part coupled to the first tubular part in elongation of said first tubular part, said second tubular part defining a second chamber for accommodating the charge of multiple small objects in a charged mode of the tubular scattering device, which second chamber has a discharging end, and wherein the first tubular part has a first coupling end coupled to a second coupling end of the second tubular part, a locking component arranged at said adjacent first coupling end and second coupling end to keep the firing component loaded in a charged mode of the tubular scattering device, wherein said first coupling end and said second coupling end are adapted for rotating said first tubular part and said second tubular part in relation to each other along a longitudinal axis of the tubular scattering device to release the locking component and fire the firing component without the first tubular part and the second tubular part separate .

In particular the present invention relates to a tubular scattering device for scattering rice at weddings.

Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, religions, and countries, however scattering rice when the newly married couple leaves the church or house is a widespread tradition .

The rice are provided to the guests in small decorative bags and thrown by hand at the married couple at an appropriate moment. Such small bags are e.g. made of a piece of tulle wrapped around a small portion of rice and sealed by a thin ribbon. Such a tulle bag is not easy to manipulate after it has been opened. Once the ribbon is removed it is extremely difficult to keep the bag in the hand and to handle the rice. Often a lot of the rice is lost, or is thrown too short since the thrower does not have the ability to make long throws. There is also a risk that the ribbon loosens at a bad time and the rice drops out. Most people make the bags themselves but rice bags for wedding traditions are also commercially available.

The rice bag has been used for ages but some alternatives have been proposed in the art.

For example the Chinese utility model No. CN2668211 provides a cylindrical device for sound-making fireworks. A bottom part in the cylinder is provided with a launcher in form of a spring, which initially is kept compressed by a roof plate. A pressing plate presses on the roof plate and must be removed by pulling a pulling string to release the compressed spring. A thin sheet covers a cylinder opening through which multiple sounding sands, colourful paper, colourful strips and colourful scrolls are ejected upon activation of the spring. This known device has an unevenly distributed release action of the spring in that the pulling string pulls the pressure plate crosswise the diameter of the cylindrical body. The pulling string needs to be withdrawn very fast to avoid that the roofing plate causes the pressure plate to bend at the opened edge so that it cannot be completely withdrawn. If this happens the pressure plate cannot be completely removed, the device will jam, and thus malfunction. A further disadvantage is that if the pulling spring breaks the pressure plate cannot be removed.

German patent application DE 102010037660 A1 discloses a known tubular scattering device of the kind described in the opening paragraph.

Accordingly, it is a main aspect of the present invention to provide a novel scattering device for reliably upwardly and forwardly ejecting and scattering multiple objects contained in the device, e.g. rice, into the air.

In a further aspect of the present invention is provided a safe and reliable mechanical device for scattering multiple small objects from the device.

In a further aspect of the present invention is provided a rice scattering device for throwing and scattering rice without throwing with the arm.

In a further aspect of the present invention is provided a rice scattering device for throwing and scattering rice without the need of sgueezing the device, using pressurised gas or pulling strings .

The novel and unique whereby these and other aspects are achieved according to the present invention consists in the fact that the firing component includes a compression spring having a firing end with a plug configured to travel into the second chamber upon release of the compression spring.

The present invention proposes an efficient, modern and amusing alternative to the traditional rice bag as a rice scattering device for use at events such as weddings, other ceremonies and celebrations, or scattering of other small objects in any imaginable event.

Prior to use of the tubular scattering device, thus in its charged mode, the multiple small objects, such as e.g. rice, are confined in a second chamber above a firing component located inside a first chamber. The device is bought in a condition charged with rice and the firing component is in an actuated state prepared for firing. The locking component ensures that the firing component is not accidentally released. To deactivate the locking component the user performs a deliberate activation of the tubular scattering device by rotating the first tubular part in relation to the second tubular part. The tubular parts cannot be moved apart along the longitudinal axis. The first tubular part is e.g. hold steady by one hand while the other hand is used to turn the second tubular part counter-clockwise or clockwise. Alternatively both tubular parts are rotated about their common longitudinal axis. How to actually make the rotation is up to the user. Emphasis is made that the rotation action need not be a complete 360° rotation, any fraction of a complete rotation that trigger unlocking of the locking component suffice. The present invention has no pulling string or other objects that needs to be withdrawn to expose the internal diameter of the tubular parts to fire the device.

By arranging the locking component at the coupling of the coupling ends the hands of the user is not at risk of getting hit by ejected objects. Moreover a central uniform force is applied by the firing component to the locking component inside the chambers.

Within the context of the present invention a compression spring operates with a compression load. The compression spring is an open-coiled helical springs wound or constructed to oppose compression along the axis of windings. A helical compression spring is the most common metal spring configuration. When a load is put on a compression coil spring, making it shorter, it pushes back against the load and tries to get back to its original length. Thus the compression spring gets shorter as the load is applied to it and longer as the load is relieved. The force exerted by the loaded compression spring is approximately proportional to its change in length. The compression spring is confined to the interior coaxial chambers of the tubular scattering device both in the charged mode and in the fired mode where the compression load is relieved and allowed to extend. Compression springs offer resistance to linear compressing forces, and are a very efficient and inexpensive energy storage device.

The firing component includes a compression spring having a firing end with a plug configured to travel into the second chamber upon release of the load provided to the compression spring, which load is maintained by the locking component until the tubular parts are rotated. Thus the present invention does not require gunpowder, compressed air or similar dangerous means to fire the tubular scattering device. Nor is any substantial manual force required. The loaded compression spring aims to its unloaded state, and in doing this it can on its own motion move the plug from a lower position substantially at the transition between the coupling ends to an end position at the discharge opening. A further advantage is that a rotation action is not easily made by accident. Rotating the tubular parts is a deliberate action done at the time the user chooses, so no accidental firing will happen.

The plug defines a convenient platform for the multiple small objects. The plug is preferably a solid body that does not yield or burst when the compression spring is set free and does not deform to expand its diameter so that it frictionally engages the interior wall of the tubular device and cannot be displaced inside the second chamber when the locking component bursts. Further such yielding could result in deformation of the cross-section of the plug so that small objects could be trapped between the plug and the wall of the tubular scattering device and thereby prevent smooth and unobstructed travel of the plug towards the discharge end of the second tubular part. The plug can e.g. be made of a form stable hard polymer and have a length sufficient to confer structural stability to the plug even when the plug is subjected to the forces of the compressed spring.

The free face of the plug that faces the discharge opening of the second tubular part carries the charge of multiple small objects on its travel until these small objects are discharged and scattered at the end of the travel, e.g. when the plug hits a stop at the discharge opening. A scattering facilitating cover on the discharge opening of the discharging end of the second tubular part may conveniently serve to keep the multiple small objects confined in the second chamber until final use.

An exemplary scattering facilitating cover can be any covering means that ruptures or bursts in reaction to contact with the forward moving objects that are riding on the plug on their way to be ejected via the discharge opening. A suitable scattering facilitating cover can e.g. be a paper cover, such as one or more layers of silk paper. The cover may simply be glued to the free end of the discharging end.

The locking component can advantageously be a band having a structural strength selected to rupture upon firing the firing component when the first tubular part and the second tubular part are rotated in relation to each other about the common longitudinal axis of the tubular scattering device. When such rotation takes place the band can only be stretched until maximum elongation of breakage. When this limit is reached the band breaks by rupturing or bursting.

The inventors of the present invention have conducted multiple tests and experiments to optimize and safeguard the firing component to produce an optimum safe tubular scattering device. A preferred locking component for ensuring the charged mode of the tubular scattering device is a band that extends crosswise the diameter of the tubular scattering device on top of the plug, which plug is longitudinal displaceable from the first chamber to the second chamber. Opposite free ends of the locking component band pass through aligned band holes in the first wall of the first tubular part and second wall of the second tubular part to the outside the tubular scattering device and are secured outside on any of the first wall of the first tubular part or on the second wall of the second tubular, e.g. by gluing, by means of an extra securing band or combination of those and other securing means.

Tests have shown that a suitable locking component band can be made of paper, preferably several individual layers of paper on top of each other. Such a paper band can hold the compression spring compressed during storage, transport and other manipulation of the tubular scattering devices not involving rotating the tubular parts in relation to each other. On the other hand the paper band cannot resist the forces from the released rapidly expanding compression spring. A further advantage is that the many several layers of paper tend to rupture/burst instantaneously one after another as the plug contacts those, optionally leaving the residues hanging at the coupling between the opposite engaging coupling ends of the tubular parts. Accordingly, no paper waste is ejected and mixed with the small objects of the scattered charge, and the visual experience of the scattered objects is not disfigured by residues from the firing component or the locking component. Thus, the tubular scattering device according to the present invention is environmentally friendly. A considerable load is applied to the compression spring to create a proper ejecting and scattering of the many small objects, so it is important that the locking component is selected to keep the load until firing and burst in response to a rotation action between the tubular parts.

The tubular scattering device may further comprise a safety component that secures a first end of the compression spring to the interior wall of the first tubular part. The safety component serves to catch the compression spring when it expands. The safety component further serves to restrict the travel of the compression spring so that the compression spring cannot eject the plug as well through the discharge opening, despite the presence of the stop at the discharging end.

The safety component is further adapted to prevent unintentional separation of the tubular parts. So moreover the safety component serves as a tamper-proofing means that prevents the tubular parts from being intentionally or unintentionally separated.

The tubular scattering device according to the present invention is further environmentally friendly in that it can be send back to the manufacturer and be recharged. The manufactures address may be provided as a separate address label to be attached to the device after use, or the return address already be printed on the device. After having served its purpose the empty device is then just put into the letterbox. Thus the device is not just recycled although it can, it can be used over and over again if it is returned to the manufacturer.

Other options include printing personal information, notices, pictures, images and messages on the exterior face.

An exemplary device is about 19-20 cm long and has an exterior diameter of about 2,5 cm and an interior diameter of about 1,8 cm. The first tubular part and the second tubular part may be equally long or one slightly shorter than the other. The lengths are selected to obtain proper handgrips for the rotating action and a sufficient long barrel that allows the objects to reach good speed at the way to the discharge opening. The tubular parts can be made of any suitable material, including but not limited to plastic, wood, paper, cardboard, metal, ceramic and composites. The device can be colored by dyeing, painting, or have no color to allow the buyer to make it's own decoration. The plug for this embodiment may have substantially same diameter as the interior diameter of the tubular scattering device, at least of the second tubular part, although a small circumferential clearance of about 0,5-1 mm is convenient to allow the travel of the plug. The clearance should be smaller than the smallest width or diameter of the smallest object of the charge of multiple objects, so that no objects can enter the clearance. The diameter of the discharge opening is slightly smaller than the interior diameter of the second tubular part, e.g. 1,6 cm to avoid accidental ejection of the plug.

Such a device may include a compression spring loaded to a compression force of about 5,2 N/m whereby it is possible to scatter 10 - 15 g rice an angle of about 45° approximately 3 -5 m. The material of the tubulars parts may be cardboard or POM and the plug be made of POM (POM = Polyoxymethylene).

The invention will now be described in further details by way of the drawing showing an exemplary embodiment for scattering rice, wherein fig. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a tubular scattering device adapted for scattering a charge of multiple small objects, such as e.g. rice, fig. 2 is sectional views of the first tubular part and the second tubular part, respectively, fig. 3 is a perspective view of the charged tubular scattering device in assembled state fig. 4 shows the same seen from the side, fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional taken along line V-V in fig. 3 and illustrating the loaded compression spring in the charged state of the tubular scattering device. fig. 6 shows the same but in fired mode and the charge of rice ejected.

Lengths and diameters of the tubular scattering device may vary, and the dimensions shown in the figures should not be seen as limiting the scope of the invention. The charge of multiple small objects is, as a preferred example, described as rice, and the exemplary use of the tubular scattering device is the use at a wedding for scattering rice over bride and bridegroom. Hole for externalising the locking band are as an example shown to be oblong. Emphasise is made that these holes can have any shape, including circular. Further, in the figures the locking band is turned downwards towards and being secured to the exterior wall of the first tubular part. Emphasise is made that the locking band quite as well can be turned upwards to be secured to the second tubular part instead.

The individual components of an exemplary tubular scattering device 1 of the present invention are illustrated in the exploded view of fig. 1.

The tubular scattering device 1 includes a first tubular part 2 defining a first chamber 3 for accommodating a firing component 4 in form of a compressed compression spring 4, a second tubular part 5 that in assembled state of the tubular scattering device 1 is coupled in elongation of the first tubular part 2 to be rotatable in relation to each other about a common longitudinal axis. The second tubular part 5 defines a second chamber 6 for accommodating a charge of multiple small objects (not shown) in a charged mode of the tubular scattering device 1.

The second chamber 6 has a discharging end 7 with a discharge opening 8 that is covered with a cover 9 that bursts when the rice are ejected upon firing the firing component 4. This cover 9 serves to keep the rice inside the second chamber 6 until the tubular scattering device 1 is fired, and contributes to control the shape and angles of the scattering cone of scattered rice.

The annular wall 10 of the first tubular part 2 has diametrically opposite traverse first holes 11 that receive a locking pin 12, which locking pin 12 passes through the compression spring 4 at a first spring end 13a opposite a second spring end 13b being the firing end, which first spring end is the end engaging the locking pin 12 to secure the spring 4 inside the first chamber 3 to avoid ejecting the compression spring 4 once the load on said compression spring 4 is relieved.

The compression spring 4 is kept confined loaded and in axial aligning inside the first chamber 3 by means of a locking component 15 and a plug 1, respectively. The plug 14 has a stem 16 that has an exterior diameter that fits inside the interior diameter of the compressed compression spring 4, and a head 17 on the stem 16 that has a larger diameter than the exterior diameter of the compression spring so that the head 17 helps to keep the compression spring compressed keeping an evenly distributed load. The locking component 15 is a band, such as seven layers of paper on top op each other, selected to rupture in response to firing the tubular scattering device 1 by rotating the first tubular part 2 and the second tubular part 5 apart. The band 15 is in the charged mode of the tubular scattering device 1 arranged on top of the head 17 of the plug 14, which plug 14 has its stem 16 located inside the compressed compression spring 4 to guide the travel of the compression spring once the load is relived. Opposite free ends of said band 15 are externalized via aligned first locking holes 18 at a first coupling end 20 of the first tubular part 2 and second locking holes 19 at the second coupling end 21 of the second tubular part 5, respectively.

The externalized opposite free ends of said band 15 are secured to the exterior wall of the first tubular part 2 of the tubular scattering device 1, as seen in figs. 3-5, e.g. by gluing, by means of an elastic band, etc, or combinations or more such securing means able of keeping the load on the compression spring until the tubular parts are rotated apart so that the locking band ruptures. In the alternative the band 15 could quite as well have been turned toward the second tubular parts in order to be secured at the exterior wall of said second tubular part 5 instead.

The securing of the externalized ends can in one embodiment be so strong that these ends remain secured after rupture of the band 15. In another embodiment the securing of the band 15 at the exterior wall of any of the tubular parts 2,5 ruptures and the band 15 is ejected together with the rice by the propulsive power exerted by the released compression spring on the plug 14. This rupturing is within the scope of the present invention also defined as rupturing or bursting of the locking component.

The diameter of the head 17 of the plug 14 corresponds substantially to the diameter of the second chamber 6 but is larger than the diameter of the discharge opening 8 of the discharging end 7 in order to stop the travel of relieved compression spring when the tubular scattering device is fired. To that aspect the discharge opening has an inward turned annular stop 23.

The first coupling end 20 of the first tubular part 2 and the second coupling end 21 of the second tubular part 22 have mating coupling grooves that allows for the rotation of said parts 2,5 in relation to each other.

In the present embodiment the first coupling end 20 is the female coupling that fits inside the male coupling constituted by the second coupling end 21. The first coupling end 20 tapers stepwise by defining an annular section 24 of smaller diameter than the exterior diameter of the first tubular part 2. The annular section 24 extends via an annular groove 25 into a collar 26 that faces or abuts an annular breast 27 inside the second coupling end 21.

The first locking holes 18 are located in the annular section 24 and the second locking holes 19 are located so close to at the free end 28 of the second coupling end 21 at a position that allows aligning the first 18 and second locking holes 19 in the charged mode to allow the band 15 to pass through these aligned locking holes 18,19, as seen in e.g. figs. 3-5. This configuration of mating coupling ends 20,21 facilitates at least rotational movement of the first tubular part 2 and the second tubular part 5 in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows A1 and A2 in fig. 1 to make the band 15 stretch to rupture due to the opposite band ends being secured to the exterior wall of a tubular part.

Optionally, a slight axial movement of the tubular parts away from each other, as indicated in fig. 6, is acceptable and may even be preferred to counteract and absorb some of the propulsive force acting on the tubular parts 2,5 upon firing the tubular scattering device 1.

Opposite safety pins 29 extending via safety holes 30 in the second coupling end 21 below annular breast 27 inside annular groove 25 of the first coupling prevent separation of the tubular parts 2,5 when the firing component is released, but allows a small axial spacing and travel in relation to each other of said tubular parts 2,5, which spacing and travel at maximum correspond to the height of the annular groove. AS seen in fig. 6 together the locking pin 12, the plug 14 and the safety pins 29 serve as a safety mechanism when the tubular scattering device 1 is fired. The locking pin 12 keeps the spring 4 secured inside the first chamber 3, the safety pins 29 prevent unintended separation of the tubular parts 2,5 upon firing the firing component, and the plug 14 keeps the compression spring 4 from exiting the discharge opening 8 as well as controls the travel of the released compression spring 4.

As seen in fig. 5 the head 17 of the plug 14 carries the charge of rice 31 to be ejected upon firing the firing component, in the present case rice, and eject and scatter said rice via the discharge opening as seen in fig. 6.

The tubular scattering device 1 according to the present invention is overall tubular. When the spring 4 is to be set free in order to eject the charge of rice 31 the user can grasp the first tubular part 2 with one hand and the second tubular part 5 with the other hand and turn these parts in opposite directions, as indicated by arrows A1,A2 due to the special configuration of the mating coupling ends, the engagement of which is seen more clearly in the sectional views of figs. 5 and 6 .

The turning, rotation and/or twisting, which words are used both interchangeably or contributory in the present application, will eventually cause the band 5 to rupture at which stage the load on the compression spring is set free. The compression spring 4 urges towards its relaxed condition shown in figs. 6 thereby forcing the plug 14 and thus the rice towards the discharge opening 8. When the rice hits the cover 9, the cover 9 bursts and the rice are ejected and scattered.

The present invention does not need pulling strings that might loose its attachment to any parts that prevents the spring from relaxing, such as the roof plate in the prior art described above, nor is pressurized gas or gunpowder needed. The inventive tubular scattering device of the present invention is purely mechanical and able to eject the rice more than 5 m. A further advantage is that the rice can be scattered a long distance in a controlled manner, which is impossible with bags that need to be squeezed to rupture. The charged tubular scattering device 1 can simply be kept in a bag until at no risk that the rice accidentally is fired in the bag.

Claims

A tubular spreading device (1) arranged to spread a load of several small objects (31), the tubular spreading device (1) comprising a first tubular part (2) defining a first chamber (3) for accommodating a firing component (4). ) and a second tubular portion (5) coupled to the first tubular portion (2) in extension of the first tubular portion (2), said second tubular portion (5) defining a second chamber (6) to accommodate the charge. of several small objects (31) in the charging state of the tubular spreading device (1), said second chamber (6) having a discharge end (7), the first tubular portion (2) having a first coupling end (20) coupled to a second coupling end (21). ) on the second tubular portion (5), a locking component (15) arranged at said adjacent first coupling end (20) and second coupling end (21) to keep the tubular spreading device (1) firing component (4) charged in a charging state wherein said first link end (20) and said second coupling end (21) are arranged to rotate said first tubular portion (2) and said second tubular portion (5) relative to each other along the longitudinal axis of the tubular spreading device (1) to release the locking component (15). ) and firing the firing component (4) without separating the first tubular member (2) and the second tubular member (5), characterized in that the firing component (4) includes a compression spring (4) having a firing end (13b) with a plug (14) designed to move into the second chamber (6) upon release of the compression spring (4).

Tubular spreading device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge end (7) has a stop (23) for the movement of the plug (14).

A tubular spreading device (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a spreading improvement cover (9) is provided on the outlet opening (8) of the outlet (8) of the second tubular part (5).

Tubular spreading device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the spreading enhancement cover (9) is made of a material which is ruptured or burst by the ejection of the charge of several small articles (31), preferably a material such as paper such as tissue paper.

Tubular spreading device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1-4, characterized in that the locking component (15) is a belt (15) having a structural strength selected to burst upon firing the firing component (4). ).

A tubular spreading device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the locking component is a band (15) extending in the state of the tubular spreading device (1) across the diameter of the tubular spreading device (1) on top of the plug (14), in which the opposite free ends of the strip (15) pass through strip holes (18, 19) aligned in the first wall of the first tubular portion (2) and the second tubular portion (5), respectively. a second wall to the outside of the tubular spreading device (1), and is fixed to the outside of any of the first wall of the first tubular part (2) or the second wall of the second tubular part (5).

Tubular spreading device according to any one of the preceding claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the locking component (15) is a strip made of paper, preferably several individual layers of paper.

Tubular spreading device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1-7, characterized in that it comprises a safety component (12, 29) which at least secures the first end (13a) of the compression spring (4) to the interior. wall of first tubular portion (2) or second tubular portion (5).

A tubular spreading device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the safety component is arranged to prevent accidental separation of the tubular parts (2,5).