Patent Publication Number: US-2003224872-A1

Title: Amusement device

Description:
TECHNICAL AREA  
       [0001] The invention relates to the area of amusement devices and in particular, to a trick golf ball, providing a means of amusement for onlookers who are in the near vicinity of the player.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The concept of utilising trick balls as an amusement device for golfers is one which has been previously proposed in the prior art. These devices have generally provided a deal of amusement to onlookers who are close to a player when the ball is struck, although not necessarily to the player.  
       [0003] In particular, there are two varieties of trick golf balls which are well known as amusement devices. The first is the “exploding” golf ball which, when hit by a player, shatters into a large number of pieces and provides a cloud of dust leaving the player baffled as to what has occurred.  
       [0004] The second variety relates to trick golf balls which are erratic in their movement, and when hit by a player, particularly using a slower more precise action such as putting, will travel in an unpredictable and erratic path to frustrate and confuse the player.  
       [0005] The player&#39;s reaction effectuated by the trick golf ball provides amusement to both the person(s) who instigated the incident and to any onlookers in the near vicinity of the player.  
       OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide an amusement device which extends the range of amusement which can be obtained from such a device and in particular, from a golf ball.  
       [0007] The invention provides an amusement device, in the form of a ball, having associated therewith a sound mechanism adapted to be initiated upon impact on the ball.  
       [0008] It is preferred the sound mechanism be a noise making device located within the ball adapted to be initiated when the ball is struck by the player.  
       [0009] It is preferred that the external appearance and weight of the amusement device be substantially equivalent to that of a conventional golf ball.  
       [0010] It is further preferred that the weight of the amusement device be biassed such that when the ball is struck by the player, it does not travel along an expected trajectory.  
       [0011] In order that the invention be more readily understood we will describe by way of non limiting example a specific embodiment of the device, being in the form of a golf ball, and made in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURES  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is a sectional view through the golf ball showing the sound mechanism.  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the golf ball showing the speaker.  
     [0014]FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to those of FIGS. 1 and 2 at right angles to these.  
     [0015]FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to those of FIGS. 1 and 2 at right angles to these.  
     [0016]FIG. 5 is an elevation of the ball showing the apertures for escape of noise from the ball  
     [0017]FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention showing the sound mechanism supported by a bias weight. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION  
     [0018] FIGS.  1  to  3  show a preferred embodiment of the invention as it relates to a trick golf ball.  
     [0019] In this embodiment of the invention, the amusement device is a golf ball  1  which may be made in half sections having an upper hemispherical shell  2  and a lower hemispherical shell  4 . The golf ball  1  is made of a relatively strong plastics material which may be a white material as with conventional golf balls, or may, after assembly, be dipped in white paint to provide the appearance of a conventional golf ball.  
     [0020] In addition, provided on the periphery of the golf ball  1  are dimples  3  adapted to provide the amusement device with the same external appearance as that of a conventional golf ball.  
     [0021] Both hemispherical shells  2 ,  4  may have provided an outwardly extending rim  5  whereby the rim  5  on the upper hemispherical shell  2  is located along the outer edge of the shell, and the rim  5  on the lower hemispherical shell  4  is located along the inner edge of the shell. The outwardly extending rim  5  is adapted to enable one of the hemispherical shells  2 ,  4  to receive the other shell thereover.  
     [0022] Provided on the surface of the outwardly extending rim  5  which will receive the other shell thereon, may be an annular band  6  of a material which is adapted secure the two hemispherical shells  2 ,  4  together.  
     [0023] Alternatively, the rim of two hemispherical shells  2 ,  4  may be substantially flat and adapted to be adhesively secure, fuse or welded together.  
     [0024] Whilst it may be preferred that the shells  2 ,  4  are each adhesively secured to the band alternatively, there could be a friction fit or even a screw thread fit arrangement provided by the rim  5  to secure the two hemispherical shells  2 ,  4  together.  
     [0025] Located in one of the hemispherical shells  2 ,  4  is a sound mechanism  10  comprising circuit board  7  having a power source  8  Which, in a preferred form is a battery and a programmable chip  9  capable of producing the required sound output.  
     [0026] In one particular form of the device, the sound output may be the sound of persons laughing. Alternatively, other embodiments of the invention may envisage the sound output being in the form of a satirical or other comment such as “good shot”.  
     [0027] Located within the other shell is a speaker  11  which is which is electrically connected to the circuit board  7  and is directed outwardly of the shell and, if required, a number of apertures  12  can be provided through the shell to permit ready transmission of the output from the speaker, as described before, the laughter or comment.  
     [0028] Should apertures be provided in order to improve the quality of the sound output, the portion of the shell adjacent the apertures could have provided printed material thereon so that the apertures are not readily visible, maintaining the authentic look of a conventional golf ball. The printed material could encompass printing by pad printing or in any other way, whereby the material may constitute a word or words or a pattern.  
     [0029] The circuit board  7  has a motion switch  12  which upon activation, initiates the operation of the sound mechanism  10 . It is preferred that the motion switch  12  be activated upon impact whereby, the sufficient degree of impact necessary to achieve this impact would be that of somebody striking the ball  1  with a putter.  
     [0030] Associated with the motion switch  7  is a timer circuit  13  which maintains the circuit actuated for the time of the circuit after which it is deactivated.  
     [0031] In a first embodiment of the invention the sound mechanism  10  is connected to one hemispherical shell  2 ,  4 , the speaker  11  to the other shell and the two shells are interconnected over the annular band  6  to form, what appears to be, a conventional golf ball.  
     [0032] In this form of the invention, if the golf ball  1  is placed in front of a player or is, say, placed with a number of balls which the player is using for putting practice for the player to choose from himself. When the ball of the invention is struck, the motion switch  12  will be activated instigating the laughing, speaking or other sound output to be omitted from the ball.  
     [0033]FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention having a bias weight  14  located within a hemispherical shell  2 ,  4 . The biassed weight  14  may be an epoxy, silicone or other curable or settable material inserted into the hemispherical shell  2 ,  4  which is adapted to receive the sound mechanism  10 .  
     [0034] Alternatively, the bias weight  14  may be a metal weight or disc placed within one of the hemispherical shells  2 ,  4 .  
     [0035] The bias weight  14  acts to functionally serve two purposes. The first is to provide a biassed weight to the device, as will be described later, and the second is that it may be utilised to support and hold the circuit board.  
     [0036] The golf ball  1  of the second embodiment of the invention, when struck, not only produces a sound output, as was the case with the previous ball, but also travels in a biassed manner due to the additional bias weight  14  so that, the ball does not travel in the direction in which it was struck, but instead along an unexpected trajectory.  
     [0037] Whilst we have described the invention specifically in relation to a golf ball, it will be understood that it is envisaged that the amusement device may also be applicable to other applications.  
     [0038] For example, a ball to be thrown by children from relatively small balls the size of a tennis ball up to relatively large balls the size of a basketball can be provided with a circuit which effectively has the same operation as that discussed herein but the switch may operate differently as there may be no specific impact but may operate when the ball is thrown and accelerated.  
     [0039] Also with this type of ball we may or may not provide some form of bias on one part of the ball so that when it is thrown between two people it not only makes the required noise but can also move in the air in unpredictable ways.  
     [0040] It is to be understood that any and all such variations and modifications can be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.