Abstract:
A children&#39;s potty alarm is disclosed. The children&#39;s potty alarm includes a base. A simulated bedroom/bathroom setting which may include a dancing bear or other character is provided on the base. A microprocessor is provided in the base. A speaker is connected to the microprocessor and provided on the base and broadcasts motivational sentences, phrases and/or songs sounds from the speaker upon activation of the alarm to awaken and motivate a child to use a bathroom at predetermined intervals.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to alarms. More particularly, the present invention relates to a children&#39;s potty alarm which is entertaining for small children and reminds children to visit the restroom at selected timed intervals during potty training. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Potty training is a major rite-of-passage for small children. Various methods are used by parents and other caregivers to train children to use the restroom when needed. This includes offering rewards to a child when he or she timely meets his or her bathroom needs. 
   What is needed is a potty alarm which is entertaining to small children and reminds children undergoing potty training when it is time to visit the restroom at programmed time intervals. Over time, such an alarm would instill in a child the need to use the restroom at regular intervals in order to timely meet the child&#39;s bathroom needs. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is generally directed to a children&#39;s potty alarm. The children&#39;s potty alarm includes a base. A simulated bedroom/bathroom setting which may include a dancing bear or other character is provided on the base. A microprocessor is provided in the base. A speaker is connected to the microprocessor and provided on the base and broadcasts motivational sentences, phrases and/or songs sounds from the speaker upon activation of the alarm to awaken and motivate a child to use a bathroom at predetermined intervals. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of the children&#39;s potty alarm according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of a control panel component of the children&#39;s potty alarm; 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view, taken along section lines  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of a base component of the children&#39;s potty alarm, more particularly illustrating an illustrative technique for blocking access to a panel cover release button on the children&#39;s potty alarm; and 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram of the various electrical components of the children&#39;s potty alarm. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to the drawings, an illustrative embodiment of the children&#39;s potty alarm according to the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral  1 . Briefly, the children&#39;s potty alarm  1  is entertaining to small children and is designed to remind a small child of the need to use the restroom at pre-programmed time intervals as the child is being potty trained. The children&#39;s potty alarm  1  typically includes a base  2 , which contains the functional components of the children&#39;s potty alarm  1 , and a transparent cover  52  provided on the base  2 . A diorama-like setting  17  of a bathroom and children&#39;s bedroom is displayed on the base  2  and inside the cover  52 , as will be hereinafter described. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the simulated bedroom/bathroom setting  17  of the children&#39;s potty alarm  1  may include, for example, a simulated floor  18  having the likeness of floor tiles thereon; a lavatory  19 ; a toilet  20 ; a light  21  over the toilet  20 ; a bed  22 ; a window  23  in the cover  52 , such as on the rear panel  55  of the cover  52 , for example; and a bear  24  standing on the floor  18 . The bear  24  may be dressed in male clothing, female clothing or in unisex clothing (such as pajamas, a sweater or a T-shirt, for example). The simulated bedroom/bathroom setting  17  may further include various other items which simulate those found in a small child&#39;s bedroom, such as, for example, alphabet blocks  26  provided typically on the rear panel  55  of the cover  52 . 
   The cover  52  may be glass or plastic, for example, and may include a front panel  53 , side panels  54 , a rear panel  55  and a top panel  56 . The rear panel  55  may be a solid or opaque material. The cover  52  may completely enclose the simulated bedroom/bathroom setting on the base  2 . Alternatively, the cover  52  may partially enclose the simulated bedroom/bathroom setting, in which case the cover  52  need not necessarily be transparent. It is to be understood that the cover  52  may have numerous variations in shape and design. For example, the cover  52  may include the rear panel  55  only extending upwardly from the base  2 ; or may have the side panels  54 , rear panel  55  and top panel  56  without the front panel  53 . Still further in the alternative, the cover  52  may be omitted altogether. Preferably, the cover  52  includes the rear panel  55  to facilitate viewing of the simulated bedroom/bathroom setting  17  from various angles with only the rear view being blocked. 
   The base  2  may be generally rectangular, as shown, or may have any other suitable shape. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the base  2  may include multiple side walls  3 , a bottom wall  4  and a top wall  6  which together define a base interior  5 . The upper surface of the top wall  6  of the base  2  corresponds to the floor  18  of the simulated bedroom/bathroom setting  17 . A control panel support  8  is provided in the base interior  5  and separates the base interior  5  from a control panel compartment  13 . A control panel access slot  9  is provided typically in the bottom wall  4  and provides access to the control panel compartment  13 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , the functional components of the children&#39;s potty alarm  1  typically include a microprocessor  30 , to which is attached a control panel  31  having multiple control buttons  32 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . A display  33  is provided on the control panel  31  and connected to the microprocessor  30 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the control panel  31  may be mounted on the control panel support  8  in such a manner that the control buttons  32  and the display  33  face the control panel compartment  13  in the base  2 . A reset button  34 , the purpose of which will be hereinafter described, is connected to the microprocessor  30  and is provided on the exterior of the base  2 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . A speaker  35  is connected to the microprocessor  30  and is also provided on the exterior of the base  2 . Additional components may include a microphone  36  and a transmitter  37  connected to the microprocessor  30  for purposes which will be hereinafter described. 
   As further shown in  FIG. 5 , the light  21  over the toilet  20  in the simulated bedroom/bathroom setting  17  is connected to the microprocessor  30 . Furthermore, the toilet  20  may be provided with toilet “eye” lights  20   a , which simulate a pair of eyes on the toilet  20 . A pair of eyelids (not shown) may be pivotally attached to the toilet  20  to normally cover the toilet eye lights  20   a . A toilet eyelid motor  20   b  is connected to the microprocessor  30  and engages the eyelids (not shown) of the toilet eye lights  20   a  in such a manner that the eyelids pivot from a closed to an open position to expose the toilet eye lights  20   a , as will be hereinafter further described. 
   A power source  38  is connected to the microprocessor  30 . The power source  38  may be a battery (not shown), for example. Alternatively, the power source  38  may be a standard, 120-volt household electrical outlet (not shown) which may be connected to the microprocessor  30  through a power cord  39  having a plug  40 . Also connected to the microprocessor  30  is a bear animation motor  25  which is typically contained in the base  2  and engages the bear  24  in the simulated bedroom/bathroom setting  17 , typically through a slot (not shown) provided in the floor  18 . When activated by the microprocessor  30 , as will be hereinafter described, the bear animation motor  25  causes the bear  24  to “dance” or rock from side-to-side from the bed  22  to the toilet  20 , and back to the bed  22 . 
   The microprocessor  30  is programmed to perform multiple tasks upon time-determined activation of the children&#39;s potty alarm  1 . Upon such activation, the microprocessor  30  causes the bear animation motor  25  to move the bear  24  from the bed  22  to the toilet  20 , and back to the bed  22 . Simultaneously, the microprocessor  30  illuminates the light  21  and the toilet eye lights  20   a , as well as the toilet eyelid motor  20   b , causing the toilet eyelid motor  20   b  to cause the toilet eyelids to expose the respective toilet eye lights  20   a . The microprocessor  30  may also be programmed to broadcast various motivational phrases and/or sentences in the form of a song to a child through the speaker  35 , as if the bear  24  were singing the phrases and/or sentences. For example, the microprocessor  30  may be programmed to broadcast the following in the form of a song: “It&#39;s potty time. Oh, it&#39;s potty time. It&#39;s time to go potty. Potty. It&#39;s potty time. Oh, it&#39;s potty time. It&#39;s time to go potty. Potty”. The microprocessor  30  may be programmed to continue illumination of the light  21  and the toilet eye lights  20   a , as well as activation of the toilet eyelid motor  20   b  and broadcasting of the motivational sentences and/or phrases from the speaker  35 , until the reset button  34  is depressed. The microprocessor  30  may be programmed to broadcast congratulatory sentences and/or phrases, such as “Yeah, super job!”, for example, upon depression of the reset button  34 . The microprocessor  30  may be programmed to activate the children&#39;s potty alarm  1  at regular intervals (such as every 45 seconds, for example) until the reset button  34  is depressed. The microprocessor  30  may be programmed to return the bear  24  to the bed  22 , by activation of the bear animation motor  25 , as well as maintain illumination of the light  21  for 20 seconds, after depression of the reset button  34 . 
   The buttons  32  on the control panel  31  are used to program into the microprocessor  30  the time intervals between successive activations of the children&#39;s potty alarm  1  (such as 30 minutes to 9 hours, for example), as well as the up/down volume of the singing, motivational sentences and/or phrases broadcast from the speaker  35 . As they are entered into the microprocessor  30  by depression of the control buttons  32 , the programmed time intervals and volume are indicated on the display  33 . The time interval for the next activation of the children&#39;s potty alarm  1  is typically reset upon depression of the reset button  34 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , a panel cover  10  detachably engages the control panel access slot  9  of the base  2  to normally block access to the control panel  31 . Accordingly, a cover release button  14  may be provided on the base  2 . The cover release button  14  engages the panel cover  10  in such a manner that the cover release button  14  must be depressed in order to facilitate removal of the panel cover  10  from the control access slot  9 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , a cover slot  16  may be provided in the base  2 , adjacent to the cover release button  14 . A generally arcuate or curved button cover  15  is slidably mounted in the cover slot  16 . Multiple cover teeth  15   a  are provided on the button cover  15 . A lock  12  is provided in the base  2  and includes a gear  12   a  which engages the cover teeth  15   a  of the button cover  15 . Accordingly, a key  27  may be inserted in the lock  12  and rotated to cause progressive engagement of the gear  12   a  with the cover teeth  15   a  of the button cover  15 . This exposes the release button  14  and facilitates removal of the panel cover  10  from the control panel compartment  13 . The key  27  may be connected to the base  2  by a tether  28 , for example, or may be kept separate from the children&#39;s potty alarm  1 . 
   In typical use of the children&#39;s potty alarm  1 , the microprocessor  30  is set to activate the various components of the children&#39;s potty alarm  1  at selected time intervals, typically ranging from 30 minutes to 9 hours, for example. At the pre-programmed time, the microprocessor  30  causes the bear  24  to “dance” or move from the bed  22  to the toilet  20  by activation of the bear animation motor  25 ; illuminate the light  21 ; activate the toilet eyelids by the toilet eyelid motors  20   b  and the toilet eye lights  20   a ; and broadcast the motivational sentences and/or phrases from the speaker  35 . This awakens the child and motivates the child to arise and depress the reset button  34  to inactivate the children&#39;s potty alarm  1  prior to using the bathroom. The children&#39;s potty alarm  1  is repeatedly activated after predetermined time intervals (such as every 45 seconds, for example) until the reset button  34  is depressed. This resets the activation time interval for the children&#39;s potty alarm  1 . Over time, the child is trailed to use the bathroom at regular intervals to avoid an accident. 
   In alternative use of the children&#39;s potty alarm  1 , a recordable sound chip (not shown) may be provided in the microprocessor  30 . A voice (such as that of a parent) may be recorded in the microprocessor  30  through the microphone  36  which is connected to the microprocessor  30 . The recorded message (which may typically be 10-15 seconds long), instead of the programmed motivational singing and/or sentences or phrases, can then be broadcast from the speaker  35  upon each activation of the children&#39;s potty alarm  1 . 
   As further shown in  FIG. 1 , the children&#39;s potty alarm  1  may further include a wrist band  42  which may be worn during the child at night. The wrist band  42  typically includes a display  43  and a band  44  which is fastened around the child&#39;s wrist (not shown). A control system  45  for the wrist band  42  is shown in  FIG. 5  and includes a microprocessor  46 , to which is attached the display  43 . A receiver  47  and a speaker  48  are connected to the microprocessor  46 . A vibration unit  49  is also connected to the microprocessor  46 . Accordingly, upon each activation of the children&#39;s potty alarm  1 , the microprocessor  30  transmits an activation signal to the receiver  47  of the wrist band  42 . The microprocessor  46  activates the vibration unit  49 , which vibrates the wrist band  42  on the child&#39;s wrist. Additionally, the microprocessor  46  may be programmed to broadcast sentences and/or phrases through the speaker  48 , as well as illuminate the display  43  on the wrist band  42  to additionally ensure that the child awakens. 
   While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications can be made in the invention and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.