Abstract:
A sound producing device comprises an outer tube having an open end and a closed end, a plunger which fits inside the open end of the outer tube, and an amount of flexile material arranged between an outer surface of the plunger and an inner surface of the outer tube when the plunger is inserted in the outer tube. Movement of the plunger within the outer tube creates a pressure or vacuum, forcing air past the flexile material and thereby creating an amusing sound. The movement may also create an entertaining visual effect if the outer tube is made of a transparent material. The device may be configured to include a guided plunger having a longitudinal guide shaft therethrough which is adapted to receive a centering guide pin associated with the outer tube. Other embodiments may incorporate multiple tubes to produce distinctly different amusing sounds, or a sound enhancer tube to produce an amusing sound with richer tone.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to sound producing devices and more particularly to sound producing devices having an air driven sound generating system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Over the years, there has been a multitude of air driven sound inventions, resulting in a great variety of unusual sounds. Some of these inventions have been specifically designed to entertain and amuse the users of these devices. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,756 issued to Barthold discloses an AIR DRIVEN SOUND GENERATING TOY USING MALLEABLE MATERIAL. The sound generating toy has a bellows used for producing a flow of pressurized air through a curved tube containing a malleable material. The air is forced past the malleable material causing an entertaining sound. 
     Despite the advances provided by the above-noted devices, a continuing need exists for better sound producing devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the present invention to create a simple, portable sound producing device for the amusement of the user and others. 
     A first illustrative embodiment of the present invention is a sound producing device comprising an outer tube having an open end and a closed end, a plunger which fits inside the open end of the outer tube, and an amount of flexile material arranged between an outer surface of the plunger and an inner surface of the outer tube when the plunger is inserted into the outer tube. Movement of the plunger within the outer tube creates a pressure or vacuum, forcing air past the flexile material and thereby creating an amusing sound. The movement may also create an entertaining visual effect if the outer tube is made of a transparent material. 
     Another embodiment of the invention incorporating a guided plunger offers a more reliable way of producing the amusing sound by use of a centering guide pin. 
     A further embodiment of the invention incorporating multiple tubes can produce distinctly different amusing sounds. 
     Yet another embodiment of the invention incorporating a sound enhancer tube produces an amusing sound with richer tone. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1 shows a first illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows the operation of the first embodiment. 
     FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the invention incorporating a guided plunger. 
     FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the invention incorporating multiple tubes. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show the operation of the embodiment of the invention incorporating multiple tubes. 
     FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the invention incorporating a sound enhancer tube. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention in a first illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a sound producing device comprising a stiff, hollow outer tube  10 , closed at one end, open at the other. The outer tube  10  is preferably clear, i.e., made of a transparent material so that a user can view what is happening inside the outer tube. As shown in FIG. 1, a plunger  12 , which may be, e.g., a solid rod or a hollow tube closed at both ends, fits inside the outer tube  10  to form an inner and outer assembly. 
     An amount of flexile material  11  lies outside of the plunger  12  and inside of the outer tube  10 . The amount of flexile material  11  required in a given implementation of the invention will generally vary depending upon the dimensions of the outer tube  10  and plunger  12 , but may be on the order of four ounces in one possible example. The flexile material may be a material of the type known as GAK and available from Mattel Inc. of El Segundo, Calif., or may be any of a number of other materials capable of producing amusing sounds when configured as shown in FIG. 1, e.g., well-known commercially available play materials such as Gooze, Slime, etc. 
     A cap  19  fits on the open end of the outer tube  10  and is used to keep the flexile material  11  from drying out during storage. The cap  19  is to be removed during operation of the sound producing device. 
     In operation, starting with the plunger  12  near the open end of the outer tube  10  and the flexile material  11  positioned as shown in FIG. 2, the plunger  12  is slowly pushed towards the closed end of the outer tube  10 . A small pressure is created by this action in the closed end of the outer tube  10 , which causes the pressurized air to move toward the open end of the outer tube  10 . The pressurized air is forced past the flexile material  11  causing an amusing sound and an interesting visual effect. Once the plunger  12  is pushed all of the way into the outer tube  10 , the plunger  12  is slowly pulled out of the outer tube  10 . A small vacuum is created by this action in the closed end of the outer tube  10 , which causes air to be pulled into the resulting chamber, again causing an amusing sound. Repetition of this back and forth motion will cause repeated amusing sounds. 
     As noted previously, the dimensions of the outer tube  10  and plunger  12  may vary depending on the particular implementation. In an example of one such implementation, the outer tube  10  may have an inner diameter of 1.5 inches (3.81 cm), a length of 16 inches (40.64 cm), and a material thickness of 0.10 inch (0.25 cm), the plunger  12  may have an outer diameter of 1.1 inch (2.79 cm) and a length of 16 inches (40.64 cm), and the cap  19  may have an inner diameter of 1.7 inch (4.32 cm) and a length of 1 inch (2.54 cm). 
     As will be described in detail below, altering the dimensions of the outer tube  10  and plunger  12  or the characteristics of the flexile material  11  can alter a characteristic of the sound produced by the device. 
     For example, decreasing the diameter of the plunger  12  with respect to the outer tube  10  diameter will generally require a larger amount of the flexile material  11  due to the increased volume created between the outer tube  10  and the plunger  12 . Also, the amusing sound created by the back and forth motion of the plunger  12  will have a lower resonant frequency, and thus a deeper tone. Conversely, increasing the diameter of the plunger  12  with respect to the outer tube  10  inner diameter will generally require a smaller amount of the flexile material  11  due to the resulting smaller volume created between the plunger  12  and the outer tube  10 . Also, the amusing sound created by the back and forth motion of the plunger  12  will have a higher resonant frequency, and thus an elevated tone. 
     As another example, increasing the lengths of the outer tube  10  and the plunger  12  together will cause an increase in the “sounding tube” length. This will cause the device to resonate at a lower frequency, thus resulting in an amusing sound with a deeper tone. Conversely, decreasing the lengths of both the outer tube  10  and the plunger  12  will cause a decrease in the “sounding tube” length. This will cause the device to resonate at a higher frequency, thus resulting in an amusing sound with an elevated tone. 
     As yet another example, increasing the viscosity of the flexile material  11  will generally cause an increase in the size of the air bubbles passing through the flexile material. This effect will cause an amusing sound with a deeper tone. Conversely, decreasing the viscosity of the flexile material  11  will generally cause a decrease in the size of the air bubbles passing through the flexile material  11 . This effect will cause an amusing sound with an elevated tone. 
     FIG. 3 shows a sound producing device in accordance with another illustrative embodiment of the invention. This embodiment of the invention comprises an outer tube with guide pin  13 , a plunger with hollow guide shaft  15 , a guide plate  14 , and the flexile material  11 . An advantage of this embodiment of the invention is that the plunger with hollow guide shaft  15  will not be allowed to travel near the inside wall of the outer tube with guide pin  13 . The plunger with hollow guide shaft  15  will instead only be allowed to travel in the center dimension of the outer tube with guide pin  13 . This restricted movement of the plunger with hollow guide shaft  15  forces all of the pressurized air to pass through the flexile material  11 . Otherwise, if the plunger with hollow guide shaft  15  was allowed to travel near the inside of the outer tube with guide pin  13 , it may allow the pressurized air to escape around the flexile material  11  diminishing the quality of the intended amusing sound. 
     The outer tube with guide pin  13  is similar to the outer tube  10  depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. Element  13  in one possible implementation incorporates a 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) diameter guide pin made to fit exactly inside the plunger with hollow guide shaft  15 . The plunger with hollow guide shaft  15  thus has a corresponding approximately 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) guide shaft bored through the center thereof. Of course, other dimensions may be used, as required for a given implementation. 
     The guide plate  14  in this illustrative embodiment is a piece made up of an outer circle which adheres to the inside of the tube with guide pin  13  and an inner circle which has a slightly larger diameter than the plunger with hollow guide shaft  15 . The inner circle and the outer circle of the guide plate  14  are connected by at least three radial connecting rods. The connecting rods are designed to firmly attach the inner circle to the outer circle of the guide plate  14 , yet allow air to pass by the guide plate  14 . 
     In operation, the plunger with hollow guide shaft  15  is moved toward the closed end of the outer tube with guide pin  13 . A small pressure is created by this action in the closed end of the outer tube with guide pin  13 , which causes the pressurized air to move toward the open end of the outer tube with guide pin  13 . The pressurized air is forced past the flexile material  11  and guide plate  14 , causing an amusing sound and an interesting visual effect. Once the plunger with hollow guide shaft  15  is pushed all of the way into the outer tube with guide pin  13 , the plunger with hollow guide shaft  15  is slowly pulled out of the outer tube with guide pin  13 . A small vacuum is created by this action in the closed end of the outer tube with guide pin  13 , which causes air to be pulled into the resulting chamber, again causing an amusing sound. Repetition of this back and forth motion will cause repeated amusing sounds. 
     FIG. 4 shows another illustrative embodiment of the invention. This embodiment differs from those previously described in that it uses two sounding tubes to produce two distinctly different amusing sounds. More specifically, FIG. 4 shows a sound producing device comprising an outer tube  16 , a middle tube  17 , a plunger  18 , and the flexile material  11 . The plunger  18  is a solid rod or a hollow tube closed at both ends. This plunger  18  fits into the open end of the middle tube  17 . The middle tube  17  is a stiff hollow tube closed at one end and open on the other. This middle tube  17  is preferably clear. An amount of flexile material  11  lies outside of the plunger  18  and inside of the middle tube  17 . The middle tube  17  fits into the open end of the outer tube  16 . An amount of flexile material  11  lies outside of the middle tube  17  and inside of the outer tube  16 . The outer tube  16  is a stiff hollow tube closed at one end and open at the other. The outer tube  16  is also preferably clear. 
     Starting with the plunger  18  near the open end of the middle tube  17  and the flexile material  11  positioned as shown in FIG. 5, the plunger  18  is slowly pushed towards the closed end of the middle tube  17 . A small pressure is created by this action in the closed end of the middle tube  17 , which causes the pressurized air to move toward the open end of the middle tube  17 . The pressurized air is forced past the flexile material  11  causing an amusing sound and an interesting visual effect. Once the plunger  18  is pushed all of the way into the middle tube  17 , the plunger  18  is slowly pulled out of the middle tube  17 . A small vacuum is created by this action in the closed end of the middle tube  17 , which causes air to be pulled into the resulting chamber, again causing an amusing sound. Repetition of this back and forth motion will cause repeated amusing sounds. 
     To create amusing sounds using the middle tube  17  and the outer tube  16 , a user starts with the middle tube  17  near the open end of the outer tube  16  and the flexile material  11  positioned as depicted in FIG.  6 . The middle tube  17  is pushed towards the closed end of the outer tube  16 . A small pressure is created by this action in the closed end of the outer tube  16 , which causes the pressurized air to move toward the open end of the outer tube  16 . The pressurized air is forced past the flexile material  11  causing an amusing sound and an interesting visual effect. Once the middle tube  17  is pushed all of the way into the outer tube  16 , the middle tube  17  is then slowly pulled out of the outer tube  16 . A small vacuum is created by this action in the closed end of the outer tube  16 , which causes air to be pulled into the resulting chamber, again causing an amusing sound. Repetition of this back and forth motion will cause repeated amusing sounds. 
     As the user acquires some skill in using the multiple tube embodiment of the invention, it will be possible to produce multiple amusing sounds from simultaneous movement of the plunger  18 , the middle tube  17  and the outer tube  16 . 
     FIG. 7 shows another illustrative embodiment of the invention. This embodiment comprises an outer tube  20 , the plunger  12 , the flexile material  11 , and a cap  21 . All parts depicted here are similar to those of the FIG. 1 embodiment except that the outer tube  20  in this embodiment is a sound enhancer flared tube. This flared tube amplifies the air, which escapes the outer tube  20 , in a way that makes the amusing sound seem richer and fuller. Operation of the device is the same as that of the device described in conjunction with FIG.  1 . 
     It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are illustrative only, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention to any particular embodiment or group of embodiments. Numerous alternative configurations within the scope of the appended claims will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.