Patent Publication Number: US-2009227177-A1

Title: Sound Generating Device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to sound generating devices, and more particularly, to such devices that are used at sporting events, such as a golf tournament, for generating variable sounds to entertain golfers. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In a sport event, such as a golf tournament, the audience generally encourage the professional golfers during play and otherwise. Encouragement of the golfers by the audience includes some typical famous phrases that are particularly used during the sport event of golf. These famous phrases, apart from the encouragement, also lighten the atmosphere and make golfers feel good about their play. Similar encouragement and famous lines to lighten the atmosphere may also be used by amateur golfers who play golf as a hobby or to relieve stress, so that these golfers may also feel good about their play. In many cases, it is difficult to maintain or simulate the presence of an audience to encourage these amateur golfers who play the golf as their hobby or to relieve their stress. 
     Further, professional golfers, apart from the famous lines from the audience, also like a sound of the golf balls hitting a bottom of the hole or “cup,” as the sound indicates that a hole has been successfully completed. Such a sound would also be preferred by the golfers who play the golf as their hobby or to relieve their stress and to entertain themselves. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a sound generating device that generates a plurality of sounds including the famous lines, which may encourage golfers. lighten the atmosphere, and make the golfers to feel good about their strokes in absence of an audience. Further, the sound generating device should also be capable of generating the sound of the golf balls hitting the bottom of the cup that may be listened to by the golfers for entertainment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide a sound generating device that is configured to include all advantages of the prior art, and to overcome the drawbacks inherent therein. 
     Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sound generating device capable of generating a plurality of sounds including famous lines used in a golf game to encourage golfers and to relieve their stress, and to lighten the atmosphere and make the golfers to feel good about their strokes in absence of audience. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a sound generating device capable of generating a sound of a golf ball hitting a bottom of a cup in the golf game. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sound generating device capable of being attached to at least one of a golf bag, a golf club cover and a golf club. 
     Therefore, in an aspect, the present invention provide a sound generating device for generating sounds during a golf game for an entertainment of golfers. The sound generating device comprises a housing, an electronic circuitry, a plurality of buttons and a speaker. The plurality of buttons is disposed onto the housing. The electronic circuitry and the speaker are configured within the housing. The plurality of buttons is operatively coupled to the electronic circuitry. The speaker is operatively coupled to the electronic circuitry for generating a plurality of sounds on pressing the plurality of the buttons. 
     These together with the other aspects of the present invention, along with the various feature of novelty that characterized the present invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part of the present invention. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operating advantages, and the specified object attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate a front view and a rear view, respectively, of a sound generating device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a rear view of the sound generating device of  FIG. 1  having a securing mechanism, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 3  is a wiring diagram view of the sound generating device of  FIG. 1 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the description of several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     For a thorough understanding of the present invention, reference is to be made to the following detailed description, including the appended claims, in connection with the above-described drawings. Although the present invention is described in connection with exemplary embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but these are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     The term “first”, “second”, “third” and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another, and the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. 
     The term “golf cup” referred herein is a generic term that denotes a cup or a hole at and in which a golfer targets the placement of a golf ball. 
     The term “golfers” used herein represents golf players who play the golf game as their hobby or to relieve their stress. The term “golfers” may also include professional golfers. 
     The term “user” used herein denotes a person other than the golfers. 
     The present invention provides a sound generating device for generating sounds during the golf game for an entertainment of the golfers. The sound generating device is portable and handheld. The sound generating device has plurality of buttons, wherein each button from the plurality of buttons is capable of generating a sound, when pressed by golfers or by a user, in coordination with an electronic circuitry and a speaker. The sound generated is capable of entertaining the golfers and also makes him/her feel good about his/her play. The sound generating device is capable of being attached to at least one of a golf bag, a golf club cover or a golf club. The sound generating device has a power source to power the sound generating device. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a front view and a rear view, respectively, of the sound generating device, such as a sound generating device  100  are shown, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     The sound generating device  100  is a portable and handheld device for generating sounds to entertain golfers. The sound generating device  100  includes a housing  102  and a plurality of buttons such as a button  104   a , a button  104   b  and a button  104   c . The buttons  104   a ,  104   b  and  104   c  (hereinafter collectively referred to as ‘buttons  104 ’) are disposed onto the housing  102 . As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the housing  102  is of a rectangular shape. However, the rectangular shape of the housing  102  of the sound generating device  100  should not be considered to be limiting, as this shape is represented as a general shape of the sound generating device  100  only. Accordingly, the housing  102  of the sound generating device  100  may include other shapes such as a circular shape, a square shape and an oval shape. Further, the sound generating device  100  includes a speaker  106 , a power source  108  and an electronic circuitry (not shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B ) configured within the housing  102 . 
     The buttons  104  and the speaker  106  are operatively coupled to the electronic circuitry. In an embodiment of the present invention, when any of the buttons  104  is pressed by the golfers or by the user, a corresponding electrical signal is generated by the electronic circuitry. Further, the speaker  106  generates a corresponding sound, when the speaker  106  receives the electrical signal. The power source  108  is configured to power the electronic circuitry and the speaker  106 . 
     The present invention provides the sound generating device  100  to generate a plurality of sounds by pressing the buttons  104 . These plurality of sounds are capable of entertaining the golfers. For example, on pressing the button  104   a , a sound such as a sound of a golf ball hitting a bottom of a golf cup is generated. The sound of the golf ball hitting the bottom of the golf cup may also further include a clapping sound. The clapping sound may be audible after the sound of the golf ball hitting the bottom of the golf cup. The sound of the golf ball hitting the bottom of the golf cup with the clapping sound may entertain the golfers and will make him/her feel good about his/her play. 
     Further, on pressing the button  104   b  and the button  104   c , sounds such as someone&#39;s yelling sounds in a background may be generated. The yelling sound may include famous lines or phrases such as “You&#39;re the man” and “Get it in the hole”, which are frequently used by an audience during a golf game. The yelling sound mentioned herein, is only for a purpose of understanding of different kind of sounds used in the golf game, however, it is not intended to limit the kind of sounds generated by the sound generating device  100 . The yelling sound of the famous lines or the phrases generally encourages the golfers. The yelling sound may also lighten the atmosphere and make feel good to the golfers about their play in absence of the audience. 
     The sound generating device  100  further includes a power source cover  109 . The power source cover  109  may be detachably attached to the housing  102  on a rear side of the sound generating device  100 , for covering the power source  108 . The power source cover  109  may be detached for replacing the power source  108 , when the power source  108  is discharged. The power source  108  that supplies power to the electronic circuitry and the speaker  106 , may be a battery. 
     The present invention also provides the sound generating device  100  equipped with a securing mechanism. In one embodiment of the present invention, the securing mechanism is a key chain clip  110 . The sound generating device  100  may be clipped on a top of a golf bag to secure the sound generating device  100  onto the golf bag. In another embodiment of the present invention, the securing mechanism may be a Velcro strap  200 , which is shown in  FIG. 2 . The sound generating device  100  may be secured to the golf club cover or to the golf club at an end of the golf club, with the help of the Velcro strap  200 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a wiring diagram view  300  of the sound generating device  100  of  FIG. 1  is illustrated. As shown, the button  104  and the speaker  106  are operatively coupled to the electronic circuitry, such as an electronic circuitry  302 . When the button  104   a  may be pressed, the electronic circuitry  302  generates a first electrical signal and provides the first electrical signal to the speaker  106 . Accordingly, the speaker  106  releases the sound of the golf ball hitting the bottom of the golf cup. Further, the button  104   b  and the button  104   c  may be pressed to generate a second electrical signal and a third electrical signal by the electronic circuitry  302 . Accordingly, the speaker  106  releases the yelling sound, which may include the famous lines or the phrases such as “You&#39;re the man” and “Get it in the hole” oftenly used by the audience during the golf game. The power source  108  is connected to the electronic circuitry  302  and the speaker  106  for supplying power in order to generate the plurality of sounds. 
     The housing  102  of the sound generating device  100  and the buttons  104  are preferably made of a plastic material to provide a lightweight to the sound generating device  100 . However, it will be obvious to the person skilled in the art to make the housing  102  of the sound generating device  100 , and the buttons  104  from materials other than the plastic material, such as metal. 
     Various embodiments of the present invention offer following advantages. The present invention provides a sound generating device such as the sound generating device  100  to be used during a golf game for an entertainment of golfers. The sound generating device is a portable handheld device. The sound generating device is capable of generating a plurality of sounds of famous lines or phrases generally used during a golf game by an audience, to encourage the golfers in absence of the audience, so that the golfers do not feel bored, and enjoy the golf game. The famous lines or phrases generated from the sound generating device also lighten the atmosphere, and make the golfers feel good about their play in absence of the audience. Further, the sound generating device is capable of generating a sound of a golf ball hitting a bottom of a cup, to entertain the golfers. Furthermore, the sound generating device is capable of being attached to at least one of a golf bag, a golf club cover and a golf club. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omission and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but such are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.