Abstract:
A speaker-amplified sound-making device for attachment to bicycle wheels is presented which includes a flared, horn-shaped tube, a flexible contact member and a universal mounting device for connecting the invention to a bicycle. The horn-shaped tube is specifically designed to eliminate destructive interference of sound waves generated by the flexible contact. The flexible contact is designed to be easily replaceable, even by a child.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/061,733, filed Oct. 25, 2001, now pending. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention is a device for children&#39;s bicycles which resembles a motorcycle exhaust pipe in appearance and imitates or emulates the sound of a motorcycle engine.  
           [0004]    2. Brief Summary of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    There are several known devices for emulating the sound of a combustion engine, including U.S. Pat. No. 2,620,764; 3,210,889 and 3,439,926. These devices propose constructions with side plates having a plastic finger/contact mount on them. The whole plate is usually mounted on the bicycle frame directly and the plastic contact interferes with the travel of the bicycle wheel spokes to make the repetitive noise vibrations. These devices did not concentrate or direct the noise created by the vibrating contact and allowed said noise vibrations to dissipate into the surrounding air.  
           [0006]    More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,677 by Tucker (May 1, 1979) teaches an adjustable noisemaker with contact arms of varying length, thickness and width. The arms can be selected by the user to determine the kind and volume of noise produced. The body of the noisemaker is a fanciful design, resembling a jet engine housing; the body has no perceptible acoustic function. Contact arms cannot be replaced.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,592 by Griffin (Apr. 5, 1988) proposes a conical hollow member attached to the frame of the bicycle, which conical member retains a vibrating arm inserted into the spokes of the bicycle. The conical member concentrates, directs, and amplifies the sound vibrations from the contact arm.  
           [0008]    Each of the two most-recently patented devices can be attached to the horizontal bicycle frame in any conventional manner.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    This speaker-amplified noise-making device (hereafter “bike pipe”) is shaped like the exhaust tailpipe of a motorcycle. The bike pipe is mounted on the uprising rear wheel support of a child&#39;s bicycle frame. When the bicycle is pedaled the bike pipe emits a loud sound similar to that of a running motorcycle engine.  
           [0010]    The bike pipe has four (4) basic parts:  
           [0011]    1. A hollow horn-shaped pipe.  
           [0012]    2. A rotatable cap.  
           [0013]    3. A replaceable rigid spoke contact.  
           [0014]    4. A spring-like member.  
           [0015]    5. An audio speaker.  
           [0016]    The bike pipe possesses a universal mount that ensures quick, simple, proper mounting of the device on all children&#39;s bicycles, requiring nothing more than a wrench to remove and replace the rear wheel axle nut.  
           [0017]    When attached to a bicycle, the pipe extends up and away to the rear wheel at a right angle to the direction of travel of the spokes. When the wheel rotates, the spokes one by one pick up the flexible contact, carry it to the limit of its travel path and drops it, causing a loud roaring vibration to travel down the length of the pipe and up behind the moving bicycle where it can be easily heard by the child riding the bicycle. The vibrations emanating from the pipe are aimed generally upwards making it difficult to detect once the bicycle has traveled a short distance away.  
           [0018]    Previous designs of similar bicycle noise-making devices have set the spoke-engaging member halfway down a pipe parallel to the long axis of the pipe. These configurations are inferior to the bike pipe because they broadcast half of the vibrations from the spoke contact down and out of the pipe and the other half up to a closed end where they reflect back toward the spoke engaging member. The reflected vibrations have a tendency to destructively interfere with and cancel new vibrations, especially the more desirable lower frequencies.  
           [0019]    The bike pipe design with the rigid spoke contact set inside the cap on the forward end of the pipe perpendicular to the long axis of the pipe allows all the vibration to be broadcast down the spring to the audio speaker and out of the pipe and eliminates any destructive interference with low-frequency vibration.  
           [0020]    The spoke contact is held in place by the cap snapping onto the pipe. This assembly is efficient and unique. There may also be a adjustable tuning bolt inserted into the cap for changing the pitch of the vibrations of the spoke contact. By tightening or loosening the tuning bolt, the tone of the vibrations can be changed from the low compression tone of a Harley Davidson to the higher smoother pitch of the popular four cylinder Japanese motorcycles. The cap rotates 90 degrees to the left or right depending on which side of the bicycle the device is mounted on, allowing the device to be turned on or off.  
           [0021]    The bike pipe design is far superior to the previous art bicycle noisemakers that resemble an exhaust pipe and mimic the sound of an engine. The bike pipe sound is louder to the child riding the bicycle yet barely audible 100 feet away, reducing neighborhood noise pollution. It is much simpler to attach. It can be turned on and off by merely pushing or pulling a lever. Its tone can be adjusted by tightening or loosening a tuning bolt. The spoke contact is cheap and very easily replaced, even by a child.  
           [0022]    An object of the present invention is to provide a simulated motorcycle exhaust pipe device attachable to a child&#39;s bicycle that simulates or emulates the sound of a motorcycle engine exhaust. This device will be easily attachable and detachable to/from the bicycle frame.  
           [0023]    Another object of this invention is to provide a low-cost spoke-engaging contact member that can be easily replaced, even by a child.  
           [0024]    Another object of the invention is to provide an acoustically efficient housing for the device which concentrates the sound made by the device and minimizes internal sonic interference in the housing.  
           [0025]    A further object of the invention is to provide a device that will engage the rotating bicycle wheel spokes nearer the hub of the wheel, decreasing stress on the spokes at the rim end or in the middle, preventing the spokes from loosening at the attachments or suffering metal fatigue.  
           [0026]    A further object of this invention is to minimize the interference with the pedaling foot of the bicycle rider by permitting placement of the device behind the hub of the rear wheel.  
           [0027]    A further object of this invention is to provide a practical mounting device for the invention, suitable for attachment to the frame of any bike with any tube size frame.  
           [0028]    A further object of this invention is to make the device such that it can be turned off (disengaged) without dismantling the entire device.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0029]    The drawings provided can be understood by reading the accompanying description for at least one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 1 is a side view of the rear wheel area of a bicycle with one preferred embodiment of the invention attached to it;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of the device of FIG. 1, depicting the assembled device;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway exploded side view of the device if FIGS. 1 and 2;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4 is a side view of an alternate preferred design of the noise-making device of the present invention;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 5 is an exploded side view of the device of FIG. 4;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 6 is an end view of the device of FIGS. 4 and 5;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 7 is an exploded partial perspective view of the cap, reed and insert of the device of FIGS.  4 - 6 ;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 8 is an exploded side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 9 is a side view of the rear wheel area of a bicycle with the embodiment of FIG. 8 attached thereto;  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway, exploded side view of another alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 11 is an exploded partial perspective view of the cap, reed, insert, spring and speaker of the device of FIG. 10; and  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 12 is a cutaway side view of the speaker area of the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0042]    Referring to FIG. 2, the main body of the device is indicated by 1, referred to as the pipe, a hollow, flared tube designed to reduce sonic backwash and interference. The pipe  1  will be made of plastic or other acceptable material to minimize cost and weight. Attached to the pipe  1  is the pipe mount  4 , made of metal or plastic, attached to the pipe  1  at the two indicated mounting bracket holes. The narrower end of the pipe is covered with a plastic cap  2 , as shown assembled in FIG. 2 and disassembled in FIG. 3.  
         [0043]    In this embodiment, the cap to pipe assembly T-bolt  5 , (see FIG. 3) is fixedly attached to the interior of the pipe  1 , and the screw-threaded end section of it passes through the center of the contact reed  3 . The cap  2  fits over the narrow end of the pipe in a sliding fashion, being in interior diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of the horn, and is fitted over the screw-thread end of the T-bolt  5 .  
         [0044]    An opening in the side of the cap permits the reed to extend outside the diameter of the pipe and come into contact with the bicycle spokes. A washer  7  fits over the screw thread end of the T-bolt after it has passed through the center of the cap  2 , and a wing nut  6 , screwedly engages the T-bolt threaded end and can be tightened down over the washer to hold the cap  2  onto a pipe  1 . An on/off position control handle  8  is inserted into the side of the cap  2  and permits the cap  2  to be rotated about the center axis of the pipe, turning the reed into or away from the path of the bicycle spokes. An air gap  9 , between the cap  2  and reed  3  allows the reed  3  to vibrate against the mouth of the pipe  1 . An inside lip  10  of the cap  2  forces the reed  3  against the mouth of the pipe  1 .  
         [0045]    The pipe is attached to the bicycle frame by means of the mount  4 , which places the cap  2  and reed  3  such that the cap  2  and reed  3  can be rotated by means of the on/off position control handle  8  to bring the reed  3  into contact with the turning spokes of the bicycle wheel. The sound produced by the reed  3  can be moderated or turned off by moving the control handle such that the reed  3  is rotated farther away from the spokes or completely out of the path of the spokes.  
         [0046]    If we now turn to FIG. 4, we can examine yet another preferred embodiment of the device of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a side view of an alternate preferred design of the noise-making device  11  of the present invention. In this embodiment, the device  11  comprises a pipe  1 A, which is essentially a straight pipe, rather than the curved design of FIGS.  1 - 3 . Also depicted is an alternative design for the pipe mount  4 A; this design includes an aperture  21  formed therethrough for attaching to the bicycle axle (see FIG. 1). In this design  11 , the position control handle  8  is essentially unchanged, however, the cap  2 A does have additional features, as shown below in FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the device  11  may include a tuning bolt  6 A threaded through a threaded hole formed in the cap  2 A; the tuning bolt  6 A can be tightened and loosened such that its end presses against the reed  3  in varying strengths in order to change the tone of the reed  3  as it vibrates.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 5 is an exploded side view of the device  11  of FIG. 4. As depicted here, the alternate pipe mount  4 A comprises a hub-engaging portion  20  (through which is formed the aperture of FIG. 4), and a frame-engaging portion  22 . As should be intuitive, the hub-engaging portion  20  engages the bicycle&#39;s frame by attaching to the axle/hub of the rear wheel; the frame-engaging portion  22  is preferably a “saddle” shaped portion that cooperates with the substantially vertical portion of the rear bicycle frame (see FIG. 1). In this version, the device  11  is defined by a throat  24 , into which is received an insert  26 . The insert  26  is configured such that once it is inserted into the throat  24 , it cannot be removed; it can however, rotate within the throat  24 .  
         [0048]    Also formed on the insert  26  are one or more protrusions  28 . These protrusions  28  are formed to be cooperatively accepted into corresponding apertures within the cap  2 A to hold the cap  2 A and reed  3  to the insert  26  (see FIG. 7, below). When assembled, then (and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6), the position control handle  8  can be cycled through an arc to engage and disengage the reed  3  from the bicycle&#39;s spokes. We can see a depiction of this travel by examining FIG. 6.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 6 is an end view of the device  11  of FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown, the position control handle  8  can be cycled through the arc depicted by dashed lines. In response, the cap  2 A will rotate as shown by the arc, and finally, the reed  3  will be forced to travel along the dashed arc also. Further detail is also shown here regarding this new preferred design for the pipe mount  4 A. As shown, the pipe mount  4 A comprises a hub-engaging portion  20  configured to conform to the shape of the bicycle&#39;s frame. The pipe mount  4 A further comprises a frame-engaging portion  22  that is essentially a saddle-shaped brace for resting against the bicycle&#39;s frame.  
         [0050]    Now turning to FIG. 7, we can examine the improvement in the cap assembly of this new design. FIG. 7 is an exploded partial perspective view of the cap  2 A, reed  3  and insert  26  of the device of FIGS.  4 - 6 . As shown, the cap  2 A is formed with at least one aperture  30  formed therein to accept the protrusions  28  extending from the insert  26 . Furthermore, the insert  26  and cap  2 A are both formed with notches in them (not numbered) such that the elongated portion of the reed  3  can extend therethrough.  
         [0051]    The change in the cap  2 A and insert  26  design provides at least two benefits over the design of FIGS.  1 - 3 : (1) the cap  2 A can be easily removed by simply pressing in on the (spring-loaded or biasing) protrusions  28  (to disengage them from the apertures  30 , and then pulling the cap  2 A off; and (2) this design permits the entire device  11  to be constructed from molded plastic, thereby decreasing manufacturing cost without reducing the longevity of the device. If we now turn to FIG. 8, we can examine additional details of the device.  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 8 is an exploded side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention  11 . In this depiction, the axis  32  of the pipe  1 A has been labeled for future discussion. The essential and critical difference between this and previous embodiments is related to the pipe mount  4 B. In order to render the device  11  more usable for a wider variety of cycles, the pipe mount  4 B has been redesigned. Rather than the arcuate hub-engaging portion of the embodiment of FIGS. 4, 5 and  6 , this embodiment has a substantially flat hub-engaging portion  20 A. The portion  20 A is, similar to previously discussed embodiments, defined by an aperture  21 A for mounting to the conventional hub of a bicycle. As shown, the aperture  21 A is actually an elongate slot that defines an axis  34  that is parallel to the slot direction.  
         [0053]    During further development of the product  11 , it was recognized that reliable engagement between the reed  3  and the wheel spokes (not shown) was not possible on all bicycles. By angling the axis  34  of the aperture  21 A at some angle  36  that is less than 90 (ninety) degrees from the pipe axis  32 , it permits additional flexibility in the mounting of the device  11  on cycles. This flexibility is detailed below in FIG. 9.  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 9 is a side view of the rear wheel area of a bicycle with the embodiment of FIG. 8 attached thereto. As shown, the pipe  11  is attached to the wheel hub of the bicycle such that the axis  32  is substantially parallel to the ground. Furthermore, the new arrangement of the frame-engaging portion  20 A enables the reed (not shown) to be perpendicular to the rotational path of the wheel spokes. As a result, the device  11  will be more universally adaptable to the wide variety of bicycle styles available on the market today. Furthermore, in some cases, it is preferable to mount the device  11 A on the right-hand-side of the bicycle. The new design having the flat pipe mount  4 B (see FIG. 8) can easily be flipped upside down and attached to the right side of the bicycle. Again, the axis is alignable to being substantially parallel to the ground, and therefore the reed will reliably engage the spokes.  
         [0055]    Continued development of the above-described embodiments has yielded yet another embodiment of the present invention; this is depicted below in connection with FIGS.  10 - 12 .  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway, exploded side view of another alternate embodiment of the present invention. During implementation, it was discovered that the flexible reed could tend to be a maintenance burden as it fails over prolonged use (i.e. it cracks or breaks off). As such the embodiment of FIG. 10 evolved; this device  11  has a rigid reed  3 A sandwiched between the cap  2 A and the insert  26 . Rather than the reed  3 A vibrating and creating the motorcycle noise, in this embodiment, the reed causes a spring device  40  to vibrate. The spring device  40  is a conventional spring or spring-like device that is attached at one end to the rigid reed  3 A. At its other end, the spring  40  is attached to the magnet assembly  46  of an audio speaker  44 . Vibration of the spring  40  (caused by the reed  3 A), will in turn cause vibrations to the operational portions of the speaker  44 , which will cause a loud motorcycle-like noise.  
         [0057]    The speaker  44  may be lodged or otherwise attached within the tapered portion  42 B of the pipe  1 A, adjacent to the throat  24 . The spring device  40  extends from the magnet assembly  46 , down the throat  24 , through the insert  26 , and then attaches to the rigid reed  3 A. Sound generated by the speaker  44  will travel out the horn portion  42 A of the tube  1 A, and out into the environment.  
         [0058]    While this drawing depicts the device  11  having the bracket  20  of the first embodiment discussed above, it should be understood that all of the previously-mentioned embodiments could be revised to have the speaker option. Now turning to FIG. 11, we can continue to review this second alternate embodiment.  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 11 is an exploded partial perspective view of the cap, reed, insert, spring and speaker of the device of FIG. 10. As shown, the spring device  40  interconnects the magnet assembly  46  and the rigid reed  3 A. The device  40  attaches to the rigid reed  3 A at an attachment point  47 , such as a hook or loop, glue, welding, screw, or other conventional means. Now turning to FIG. 12, we can discuss the functionality of the speaker in the present embodiment.  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 12 is a cutaway side view of the speaker area of the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11. A conventional speaker  44  has a rigid frame  48  that supports the other elements of the speaker  44 . These elements are, generally, a speaker cone  50  for amplifying produced sound and further creating the bass tones, a diaphragm  52  for producing the sound and a magnet assembly  46  for creating sound in response to electrical input (conventionally). The magnet assembly  46  is made up, generally, of a coil  56  moveably residing within a magnet  54 . Conventionally, when electricity is applied to the coil  56 , such that a magnetic polarity is created within the coil  56 , it will be forced to move by the interaction between its polarity and the polarity of the magnet  54 .  
         [0061]    In the present invention, no electrical power is necessary—the spring device  40  attaches directly to an attachment point on the coil  56  such that when the spring device  40  vibrates, it will cause vibration of the coil  56  and therefore the diaphragm  52 . This vibration will create a motorcycle sound that is amplified above that provided by the previously-described embodiments. Furthermore, since the reed (see FIG. 11) is now rigid, rather than flexible, it is expected to have a longer lifespan than previous embodiments.  
         [0062]    In other embodiments, the speaker  44  may be a specialized device made specifically for functioning with the present invention; this device would very likely not include the coil  56  and magnet  54 , since these elements are unnecessary. The spring device  44  in that embodiment would attach directly to the diaphragm  52  (or an extension thereto).  
         [0063]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.