US3562747A - Audible signal device having enclosed electrical vibrator - Google Patents

Abstract

AUDITORY AND VIBRATORY DEVICES EACH COMPRISING A VIBRATOR AFFIXED TO THE FREE END OF A CANTILEVERED, CURVED ARM WHICH IS RIGIDLY AFFIXED THROUGH AN INSULATING BARRIER TO THE WALLS OF AN ENCLOSING RIGID CONSTRUCTION AND ELECTRICAL MEANS TO ACTIVATE EACH SAID VIBRATOR.

Description

Feb. 9, 1971 l. LEVINE 3,562,747

, AUDIBLE SIGNAL DEVICE HAVING ENCLOSED ELECTRICAL VIBRATOR Filed July so, 1968 fig- I 13 ATTOR N EY "United States Patent 01 3,562,747 Patented Feb. 9, 1971 3,562,747 AUDIBLE SIGNAL DEVICE HAVING ENCLOSED ELECTRICAL VIBRATOR Irving Levine, 509 Burghley Ave., Ventnor City, NJ. 08406 Filed July 30, 1968, Ser. No. 748,669 Int. Cl. G08b 3/00 US. Cl. 340-384 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Auditory and vibratory devices each comprising a vibrator afiixed to the free end of a cantilevered, curved arm which is rigidly aflixed through an insulating barrier to the walls of an enclosing rigid construction and electrical means to activate each said vibrator.

This invention relates to the general field of mechanicalelectrical devices, and more particularly is directed to a sonic vibrator which finds utility in the general field of alarm systems.

The present invention incorporates in its operation the well known function and utility of an electrical vibrator which is capable of operation with ordinary house current at 110 volts, 60 cycle, alternating current. In the instant application, the vibrator is so arranged within an enclosing structure as to be capable of generating waves in such a manner as to provide both auditory and vibratory components during its operating periods.

Prior art vibrating devices have been utilized principally for exercise and massage purposes and models which are portable for use with hand operation and table mounted for stationary installations have been widely employed in the past. In addition, models fully enclosed within a rigid construction are well known and have been satisfactorily produced and used for many years. However, all prior art vibrating devices are rigidly afiixed within the enclosing constructions and all are designed to impart vibratory motion as generated by the vibrator directly to the enclosing structure. By fabricating prior art models with the vibrating device connected directly to the enclosing construction, completely enclosed, vibrating units have been produced, but none of the prior art devices were capable of generating sound waves in addition to performing the normal vibrating function.

It is therefore an object of the instant invention to provide an improved sonic vibrator of the type set forth.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a sonic vibrator incorporating well known principles in a novel manner so as to produce both auditory and vibratory functions.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a novel sonic vibrator that is compact in size and capable of being placed beneath the pillow of a sleeping subject.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel sonic vibrator including an enclosing structure, a cantilevered arm afiixed to the structure, and a vibrator carried at the free end of the said arm.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel sonic vibrator that includes vibrator carrying means which are completely isolated from the enclosing construction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel sonic vibrator that is capable of operation by utilizing ordinary house current.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel sonic vibrator that is inexpensive in manufacture, rugged in construction and extremely simple in use.

Other objects and a fuller understanding will be had by referring to the following description and claims of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of the invention in use.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of my invention selected for illustration in the drawings, and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, I show in FIG. 1, a sonic vibrator 10 as hereinafter more fully described in use beneath a conventional pillow 12, for when the device will be used as an alarm device to wake a sleeping subject. The vibrator 10 is equipped with an electrical cord 14 of conventional design which terminates outwardly in a conventional plug 16. The plug 16 may be connected directly to any conventional household wall receptacle (not shown) or, preferably, to the receptacle 22 of a timing appliance such as a clock timer 18. The clock timer 18 includes a timing clock 24 which may be of the electric clock type and is equipped with an electrical cord 20 for connecting to a conventional outlet (not shown) in the usual manner for powering the clock 24 and the receptacle 22. In this manner, the clock timer 18 powers the sonic vibrator 10, which thereby becomes responsive to the control of the clock 24. It will be appreciated that the sonic vibrator can also be connected to other appliances such as a clock radio, electric alarm device, etc. and still function in the same manner and under the timed control of such appliances.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the electric cord 14 energizes the wound coil 28 of the vibrator 26 so that the vibrator functions in its usual manner upon introduction of electrical power to the electric cord 14, in the well known manner. The casing 30 encloses the wound coil 28 and compactly provides a method of attaching the vibrator 26 to the cantilevered arm 32 in any well known manner, such as by bolts, spot welding, or other suitable rigid connection.

The vibrator 26 afiixes to the end of a curved, cantilever arm 32 which may be shaped to any configuration as necessary to fit within the contours of the plastic enclosure 34. The enclosure 34 is constructed to a flat, rather oval configuration to conveniently fit beneath the pillow 12 of the user (not shown) in as unobtrusive a manner as possible. The arm 32 comprises a free end 36 and a stationary end 38 which immovably afiixes to the plastic casing 34 in well known manner, such as by rivets 40, 42. A foam rubber or other resilient material buffer strip 44 interposes between the stationary end 38 of the arm 32 and the inside of the plastic enclosure 34 to effectively isolate the arm 32 from the enclosure 34.

'In operation, when the cord 14 is energized through the clock timer 18, the vibrator 26 functions in the usual manner through the usual intermittant action of the wound coil 28. The vibratory action of the vibrator 26 applies against the free end 36 of the curved arm 32 in such a manner as to impress corresponding vibrations within the arm 32 at its fixed end 38. In much the same manner as in the operation of a conventional tuning fork, the natural frequency of the curved arm 32 together with applied frequency of the vibrator causes a low sound to be generated which is substantially inaudible when the sonic vibrator 10 functions in an open area. However, when the vibrator 10 is positioned beneath a pillow 12 as indicated in FIG. 1, the person lying upon the bed with his head upon the pillow 12 in the usual manner can readily hear the sound generated in the arm 32 by the action of the vibrator 26. In addition, the vibratory motion of the vibrator may also be felt through the pillow so that the person resting upon the pillow can both hear and feel the sonic vibrator when it is functioning. In this manner, the sonic vibrator finds utility as an improved alarm and waking device.

By connecting the sonic vibrator 10 to a clock timer 18 as illustrated in FIG. 1, or to radio-alarm clock or a similar device, the sonic vibrator 10 can then function as a waking device featuring two entirely separate and effective methods of waking the sleeper, namely through the action of the transmitted vibrations and through the auditory action of the generated sound. In addition to the usual awaking functions, the device finds additional application in waking individual persons sleeping in dormatories where the usual loud alarm will awaken other sleepers or optionally, may readily be utilized to wake deaf persons through function of the vibratory actions alone of the device upon the pillow 12.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as herein-after claimed.

4 What is claimed is: 1. A sonic vibrator including (A) an enclosure; (B) cantilever arm means within the said enclosure,

(-1) said means having a free end, and

(2) said means having a fixed end,

(a) the said fixed end being affixed to the inside of the said enclosure,

(3) said means having a natural frequency; and

(C) vibrator means affixed to the said free end of the said cantilever arm,

(1) said vibrator means impressing a frequency upon the cantilever arm means to add to the said natural frequency,

(2) said cantilever arm vibrating in response to the vibrator means to produce a sound.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein vibration isolating means interpose between the said fixed end of the cantilever arm and the said enclosure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,722,681 11/1955 Hersh 340-388 25 HAROLD I. PITT S, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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