Communications: electrical – Audible indication – Percussion-type sound producer
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-15
2001-05-29
Hofsass, Jeffery A. (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Audible indication
Percussion-type sound producer
C340S392200, C340S392300, C340S398100, C340S398200, C116S155000, C116S169000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239692
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to electrically operated striking sounders particularly multi-tone sounders such as door chimes.
Conventional door chimes known colloquially as “ding-dong-bells” comprise a pair of chime bars, not bells, tuned to different tones and a solenoid actuated striker which when powered by a bell push causes the striker bar to hit the “ding” bar and to fall back under the action of a spring to hit the “dong” bar. The bars can be reversed to cause a “dong-ding” chime. Striking the bars is achieved by striker bar overshoot. The equilibrium positions of the striker bar or solenoid armature at both full current and zero current are such that the armature does not remain in touch with the chime bars so as to ensure free vibration of the bars. It will thus be appreciated that the chime options are limited to “ding-dong” or “dong-ding”. That is only two different chimes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide cost effectively an arrangement whereby the chime can be made to sound additional chiming combinations.
A multi-tone sounder according to the present invention comprises at least two different toned chime means, an electrical solenoid coil, an armature movable by the solenoid coil to strike each chime means, resilient means arranged to act on the armature so as to urge the armature at least to an equilibrium position between striking the chime means, and current control means adapted to power the solenoid coil sufficiently to cause the armature to strike one chime means and not the other in one application of power to the solenoid coil.
In such an arrangement the sounder current control means can be arranged to power one chime means of one tone repeatedly so as to produce say a “ding-ding-ding-ding” or “dong-dong-dong-dong” noise depending on the bell push actuated.
In one embodiment this is achieved by powering the solenoid rapidly and maintaining the solenoid voltage at a steady high level for a short period of 40 to 60 ms and preferably about 50 ms then allowing the power to decrease steadily for four to six and a half times and preferably about five times the times the high level short period. The decrease time is suitably about 240 to 270 ms.
Preferably the central means is also arranged to power the solenoid sufficiently to cause the armature to strike both chime means in one application of power to the solenoid. This enables the sounder armature to produce a distinctive “ding-ding-ding-dong” chime. This is a much more distinctive aural signal than a simple “ding-dong” which can easily be confused with a “dong-ding”. By suitable tuning of the chiming means this can be tuned to the opening notes of Beethoven's 5th Symphony.
This is preferably achieved by powering the solenoid rapidly maintaining the solenoid voltage at a steady high level long period of 240 to 290 ms and preferably about 265 ms. That is four to seven times the short period and preferably between five and five and a half times the short period.
In one of the embodiments of the invention the internal between adjacent “dings” and a final “dong” are controlled to be substantially equal and preferably the interval is between 200 and 400 ms and normally about 300 ms.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2820913 (1958-01-01), Christy
patent: 3246241 (1966-04-01), Doggart
patent: 3284797 (1966-11-01), Roswell
patent: 4335418 (1982-06-01), Clement
patent: 4864275 (1989-09-01), Buyak
patent: 5561413 (1996-10-01), Ashibe et al.
patent: 5659286 (1997-08-01), Lin
patent: 2 224 156 (1990-04-01), None
Coradon Friedland Limited
Hofsass Jeffery A.
Mannava Ashok
Oldham & Oldham Co. L.P.A.
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