Patent Publication Number: US-5631450-A

Title: Megaphone

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an improved megaphone to be used as a megaphone, percussion instrument or V-sign object for cheering during a game, or as a room ornament. 
     2. Prior Art 
     A cone-shaped device has been known as a megaphone for cheering during a game, however, such a device has only a function to intensify or direct the voice. In the case of making a sound, it is necessary to beat the megaphone with a palm of the hand. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a magaphone, which (1) generated percussion sounds in a clear low tone by utilizing a tuning part, (2) prevents a flat part from bending, (3) restrains the voice from escaping out of a reinforced mouthpiece which is hard to transform, and (4) is easily assembled with a spring pin. 
     To overcome the above shortcomings, a megaphone according to the present invention (1) improves the quality of sound, (2) reinforces the hardness by forming a tuning part and a flat part which cause the percussion sound of a megaphone, and (3) restrains the voice from escaping out of a mouthpiece by reinforcing the mouthpiece. 
     A megaphone according to the present invention is assembled by connecting two hollow bodies at a connecting portion with a spring pin, thereby allowing the two hollow bodies to open and close freely. Moreover, a tuning part is formed by denting the center of a flat part of a hemiconial main part to provide a level face arround the tuning part. And a notch is formed at the tip side in a hemiconical mouthpiece. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative examples. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a body of a megaphone according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is other isometric view of a body of a megaphone shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a megaphone; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a megaphone; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line A--A shown in FIG. 4. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A megaphone according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5. 
     The reference numeral 1 represents a plastic body which is unitedly composed of a hemiconical main part 2 and a hemiconical mouthpiece 3. The radii of the main part 2 and the mouthpiece 3 is larger as from the base to the tip. A connecting portion 4 is arranged at the boundary between a flat part 2a of the main part 2 and a flat part 3a of the mouthpiece 3. 
     Moreover, the reference numeral 5 represents a tuning part which is formed by denting the center of the flat part 2a of the main part 2 deeply thereby creating a level face 2b of the flat part 2a around the tuning part 5. The width of the tuning part 5 is wider as from the base to the tip. A notch 12 is provided in the flat part 3a of the mouthpiece 3. 
     Furthermore, a hinge 6 is attached at the connecting portion 4 of the body 1. A spring pin 7 is inserted through holes 6a of the hinge 6. As a result, a pair of the bodies 1 opens and closes freely at the connecting portion 4. At the time the flat parts 2a of the main parts 2 of the said bodies 1 is joined to each other, a cone-shaped megaphone is formed. 
     The reference numeral 8 represents knurls which are arranged on the arc face 2c of the main part 2 and the arc face 3b of the mouthpiece 3. The knurls 8 has a function to prevent the hand from slipping. The projection 9 has the hole 9a to pass a string through so that a megaphone according to the present invention is very portable. 
     The reference numerals 10, 10a represent decorative projecting lines which are arranged at the tip and both sides of the arc face 2c of the main parts 2. 
     Moreover, an operation of a megaphone according to the present invention will be described hereafter. 
     A pair of the bodies 1 is connected at the connecting portion 4 with the spring pin 7 thereby allowing the bodies 1 to open and close freely. The bodies 1 become a cone-shaped megaphone by joining the flat parts 2a of the main parts 2, and a V-sign object by joining the flat parts 3a of the mouthpieces 3. In the case of using the V-shaped bodies as a megaphone, the cheering voice is widely intensified and directed through the main parts 2. 
     Furthermore, the aforementioned megaphone can be used as a percussion instrument by joining the flat parts 3a of the mouthpieces 3 to form the V-shaped bodies 1 and then handling the bodies 1 so as to open and close repeatedly in order to percuss the flat parts 2a. And the tuning part 5 is formed in the flat part 2a so that the quality of the percussion sound is a better low tone than the sound created by percussing two flat faces. 
     Moreover, the level face 2b of the flat part 2a, which surrounds the tuning part 5, has a function to reinforce the flat part 2a of the plastic body 1 which is easily transformed. The flat part 3a functions to reinforce the mouthpiece 3 which is easily transformed. 
     The V-shaped bodies 1 can be used as a V-sign object for cheering during a game. In addition, the V-shaped bodies 1 is so stably laid that it is possible to use a megaphone as a room ornament. 
     As mentioned above, a megaphone according to the present invention is assembled by connecting a pair of the hollow bodies 1 at the connecting portion 4 with the spring pin 7 thereby allowing the bodies 1 to open and close freely. The tuning part 5 is formed by denting the center of the flat part 2a of the hemiconical main part 2. As a result, the quality of the percussion sound is a better low tone than the sound created by percussing two flat faces of a conventional megaphone. And the level face 2b surrounds the tuning part 5 so that it is possible to prevent the flat part 2a from curving and to reinforce the flat part 2a of the plastic body 1 which is easily transformed. 
     Furthermore, a notch 12 is formed in the flat part 3a of the hemiconic mouthpiece 3. The base and the circumference of the flat part 3a have a function to reinforce the mouthpiece 3 so that it is possible to prevent the mouthpiece 3 from being transformed. A pair of the mouthpieces 3 is unitedly adjacent so that it is possible to restrain the voice from escaping out of the mouthpieces 3. 
     Moreover, the means of connecting a pair of the bodies 1 at the connecting portion 4 is the spring pin 7 so that the bodies 1 are firmly connected with the elasticity of the spring pin 7 even if the hole 6a in which the spring pin 7 is inserted isn&#39;t minutely formed. And it is possible to assemble a pair of the bodies 1 to produce a megaphone only by inserting the spring pin 7 through the hole 6a. 
     Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited in practical application to the specific embodiment described herein and many changes and variations are possible in the invention without departing from the scope and spirit therefore.