Patent Publication Number: US-6666741-B1

Title: Golf ball novelty item

Description:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A golf ball novelty item comprising a spherical housing having an exterior appearance of a golf ball. The housing also includes an interior compartment containing a motion sensor and a voice producing and emitting means. The motion sensor senses human intrusion into a specified area around the housing. When a human intrudes into the specified area around the housing, the voice producing and emitting means will emit a predetermined message to the intruder such as “Don&#39;t even think about it,” “I do not belong to you,” “Get out of my sight,” etc. 
     It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a golf ball novelty item. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a golf ball novelty item including means for anchoring the same into the ground. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a golf ball novelty item which includes a motion sensor which senses human intrusion into a specified area around the golf ball and which then emits a voice containing a predetermined message. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described wherein the motion sensor and voice producing and emitting means are battery powered. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a golf ball novelty item wherein a ground stake is operatively secured to the golf ball. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a golf ball novelty item wherein the item is approximately the same size as a conventional golf ball and which has an exterior appearance of a golf ball. 
     These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the golf ball novelty item of this invention illustrating the golf ball emitting a prerecorded message when a human intrudes into a specified area around the golf ball; and 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the golf ball novelty item of this invention illustrating the internal circuitry and the ground stake of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The numeral  10  refers to the golf ball novelty item of this invention including a housing  12  comprised of housing members  14  and  16 . Housing  12  is approximately the same size as a conventional golf ball and is dimpled at  18  to closely resemble a golf ball. A helical ground stake  20  is secured to housing member  16  and extends downwardly therefrom so that the golf ball  10  may be anchored into the ground. 
     The numeral  22  refers to electronic circuitry which is contained in the interior of the golf ball  10  and which includes a conventional motion sensor as well as a voice producing and emitting means which is activated when a human intrudes into the specified area around the golf ball  10 . The voice producing and emitting means is programmed to emit prerecorded messages such as “Don&#39;t even think about it,” “I do not belong to you,” “Get out of my sight,” etc. The motion sensor of this invention is conventional in design as stated and may be such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,100 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,717. The voice producing and emitting means is also conventional in design and may be designed such as that described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,702,140 or 5,886,631. 
     The homeowner living adjacent a golf course places the golf ball  10  in the homeowner&#39;s yard and anchors the same through the use of the ground stake  20 . The battery powered electronic circuitry senses the intrusion of a human within a specified area of the golf ball and then emits the prerecorded message as described above. The sound coming from the golf ball, as the intruder attempts to recover the same, provides many hours of entertainment for the homeowner who will normally be observing the same from a concealed location. 
     Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.