US20090156087A1

US20090156087A1 - Blowout for party

Info

Publication number: US20090156087A1
Application number: US12/316,442
Authority: US
Inventors: Hye-Young Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-12-18
Filing date: 2008-12-12
Publication date: 2009-06-18
Also published as: KR100940103B1; KR20090065674A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a blowout for a party including: a blow pipe to which air is introduced; a moving part connected to one side of the blow pipe and having an elastic body mounted along one side surface thereof in such a manner as to elastically spread out and roll by a force of the air supplied from the blow pipe; a switch member disposed at the inside of the blow pipe in such a manner as to be switched to an ‘on’ state if the air is introduced to the blow pipe and to an ‘off’ state if the air blowing stops; and an electronic module connected to the switch member so as to generate an audible sound upon the ‘on’ state of the switch member.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0133093 filed Dec. 18, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a blowout, and more particularly, to a blowout for a party that is configured wherein if a blow pipe blows, the rolling portion of a moving part starts to spread out and an audible sound is generated therefrom.
2. Background of the Related Art
Generally, a variety of items including, for example, blowouts are used for birthday parties or events. The blowout has a blow pipe to which air is introduced and a moving part connected to one side of the blow pipe in such a manner as to be elastically rolled by means of an elastic body.
When a user blows the blow pipe of the blowout, air is passed through the inside of the moving part such that the moving part being in a rolled state by the elasticity of the elastic body spreads out. Next, if the blowing stops, the moving part is rolled again to its original state by means of the elasticity of the elastic body.
The moving part of the blowout is made of paper or a thin synthetic resin, and it has a passageway formed along the inside thereof, through which air is passed, and a through hole formed at the end portion thereof, through which the air is discharged to the outside. Further, the moving part has the elastic body in a substantially fine thickness mounted along one side surface. If the blow pipe blows, thus, the elastic body spreads out to allow the blowing air to be passed through the inside of the moving part, such that the moving part becomes swollen to a tube-like shape and spreads out. After that, if the blowing stops, the air is discharged from the inside of the moving part, such that the moving part becomes flat to return to its original state by means of the elasticity of the elastic body.
The use of the blowout makes people who are in the birthday parties or events feel excited.
However, conventional blowouts just have simple functions to spread out and roll the moving part by blowing the blow pipe or by stopping the blowing, which fail to provide much fun to the people who enjoy the parties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a blowout for a party that is configured wherein if a blow pipe blows, the rolling portion of a moving part starts to spread out and an audible sound is generated therefrom.
To accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a blowout for a party including: a blow pipe to which air is introduced; a switch member disposed at the inside of the blow pipe in such a manner as to be switched to an ‘on’ state if the air is introduced to the blow pipe and to an ‘off’ state if the air blowing stops; an electronic module connected to the switch member so as to generate an audible sound upon the ‘on’ state of the switch member; and a moving part connected to one side of the blow pipe and having an elastic body mounted along one side surface thereof in such a manner as to elastically spread out and roll by a force of the air supplied from the blow pipe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an initial state before a blowout for a party according to a first embodiment of the present invention is operated;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a moving part in a spreading state in the blowout for a party of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the main parts of the blowout for a party according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an electronic module in the blowout for a party according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing a switch member in the blowout for a party according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a protection pipe in the blowout for a party according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another example of a moving part in the blowout for a party according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein a plurality of moving parts are provided;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example of the blow pipe in the blowout for a party according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a blowout for a party according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13A is a detailed perspective view showing an alternative switch member for use with a blowout for a party according to the various embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 13B is a side view of the switch member shown in FIG. 13A in which the switch member is in an off state; and

FIG. 13C is a side view of the switch member shown in FIG. 13A in which the switch member is in an on state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an explanation on a blowout for a party according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be given with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an initial state before a blowout for a party is operated in the blowout for a party according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a moving part in a spreading state in the blowout for a party of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan and side sectional views of FIG. 1. A reference numeral 2 denotes a blow pipe.
The blow pipe 2 is a pipe made of plastic or a metal material, through which air flows, and a moving part 4 is connected to one side of the blow pipe 2 in such a manner as to be spreadably rolled.
The moving part 4 is made of coated paper or a thin synthetic resin capable of preventing air from leaking therefrom and has a passageway formed at the inside thereof, through which the air is passed. Further, the moving part 4 may have a printed surface formed on the outside thereof so as to make the outside appearance look more attractive.
The moving part 4 is formed passed through the both sides thereof in such a manner as to be fixed at one side end thereof to the blow pipe 2 by means of an adhesive and to be opened at the other side end thereof.
The moving part 4 has an elastic body 6 having a relatively thin thickness fixed longitudinally thereto, and thus, it can be fixed to a roll-like shape to the blow pipe 2 by means of the inwardly applied elasticity of the elastic body 6.
Under the above-mentioned structure of the blowout, if the blow pipe 2 blows, air is passed through the blow pipe 2 and the inside of the moving part 4, such that the elastic body 6 spreads out and at the same time the rolling portion of the moving part 4 becomes swollen to a tube-like shape and spreads out. Next, the air passed through the moving part 4 is discharged from an opening 8 formed at the end portion of the moving part 4.
This state is maintained during the air is sufficiently supplied to the moving part 4, and if the air blowing to the blow pipe 2 stops, the moving part 4 is rolled again to its original shape by the contraction force of the elastic body 6.
The above-mentioned blowout has the same structure as the conventional ones, but the blowout for a party according to the present invention is configured to generate an audible sound while the moving part 4 is spreading out by blowing the blow pipe 2.
According to the present invention, thus, the blow pipe 2 includes a switch member mounted at the inside thereof in such a manner as to be switched to an ‘on’ state if the air is introduced to the blow pipe 2 and to an ‘off’ state if the air blowing stops. The blow pipe 2 also includes an electronic module 10 adapted to generate an audible sound upon the ‘on’ state of the switch member. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the switch member is composed of a plurality of electric contacts 12 a and 12 b connected electrically to the electronic module 10 and a switch plate 14 adapted to electrically connect or disconnect the electric contacts 12 a and 12 b to each other or from each other.
The electric contacts 12 a and 12 b and the switch plate 14 are formed of a conductor and are fixed to the electronic module 10 in such a manner as to be spaced apart from each other.
The electric contacts 12 a and 12 b are a fixed body that is secured to the electronic module 10 by mean of soldering, and the switch plate 14 is a thin metal plate having predetermined elastic and restoring forces. Alternatively, the switch plate 14 is composed of a non-conductive film having a thickness of about 0.05 mm having predetermined elastic and restoring forces and a conductive object 15 like a silver foil sticker attached on a portion of the non-conductive film where the electric contacts 12 a and 12 b are contacted (see FIG. 7).
The switch plate 14 includes a fixed portion 16 fixed at one side thereof to the electronic module 10 by means of bonding and a free end portion 18 bent at the other side thereof toward the electric contacts 12 a and 12 b, such that the free end portion 18 is elastically moved by the force of the air and comes into contact with the electric contacts 12 a and 12 b, thereby being switched to the ‘on’ state. As a result, the electronic module 10 is activated, and if the force of the air disappears, the switch plate 14 is isolated from the electric contacts 12 a and 12 b by the restoring force thereof, thereby being switched to the ‘off’ state.
The switch plate 14 further includes an inclined surface 20 slightly bent upwardly formed between the fixed portion 16 and the free end portion 18, so as to apply more excellent elastic force thereto. The inclined surface 20 is formed upwardly from the fixed portion 16 by about 5 degrees. The inclined surface 20 and the free end portion 18 have about 90 degrees with respect to each other.
The free end portion 18 of the switch plate 14 has more strong elastic and restoring forces by the formation of the inclined surface 20, which ensures more reliable switching of the switch member.
The switch plate 14 is normally spaced apart from the electric contacts 12 a and 12 b, thereby maintaining the ‘off’ switched state, and if air is introduced from the blow pipe 2, the switch plate 14 overcomes its elastic force and is elastically moved and contacted with the electric contacts 12 a and 12 b, thereby being switched to the ‘on’ state.
If the air blowing to the blow pipe 2 stops, the switch plate 14 is isolated from the electric contacts 12 a and 12 b by means of its restoring force, thereby being switched to the ‘off’ state.
If the switch plate 14 is switched to the ‘on’ state, the electronic module 10 as will be discussed below is activated to generate an audible sound for a predetermined period of time and stop the generation of the audible sound after the predetermined period of time has passed.
The electronic module 10, which is adapted to generate the audible sound according to the ‘on’ state of the switch member, includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 22, an integrated circuit (which is referred to as IC) 24 in which a sound program and a control program are stored, a speaker 26 adapted to convert and amplify the sound outputted from the IC 24, and a battery 28 adapted to supply electric power upon the operation of the IC 24 and the speaker 26. Further, the electronic module 10 may include a transistor.
The control program stored in the IC 24 is made such that one sound is repeatedly played for a predetermined period of time, and alternatively, a variety of sounds are sequentially played.
The audible sound that is generated from the electronic module 10 may include songs, playing sounds, voices, and the like, which becomes, for example, happy birthday music.
The switch member functions as a switch, and the electric effect like the audible sound generated by means of the switching is dependent upon the functions embedded in the IC 24 of the electronic module 10. For instance, the program of the IC 24 is made such that only if the switch member is in the ‘on’ state, the audible sound is generated, but if the switch member is in the ‘off’ state, the audible sound stops.
If the sound starts in the ‘on’ state of the switch member, further, the audible sound is continuously generated until one cycle is finished even in the ‘off’ state of the switch member.
Alternatively, even during one cycle of audible sound is continued, if a new signal is inputted to the IC 24 again by blowing the blow pipe 2 to allow the switch member to be switched to the ‘on’ state, one cycle of audible sound starts again at the beginning thereof, or another sound starts.
Like this, the electric effect like the audible sound is dependent upon the control program stored in the IC 24, and in addition thereto, the generation and stopping of the audible sound may be varied.
The electronic module 10 having the IC 24 mounted thereon is fixedly disposed in the blow pipe 2, and at this time, if the difference between the outer diameter of the speaker 26 and the inside diameter of the blow pipe 2 is small, the air flowing is interrupted such that the switch member is not operated well. So as to prevent the above-mentioned problem from occurring, the speaker 26 is desirably disposed on the moving part 4, not on the outside of the blow pipe 2.
So as to prevent the air flowing from being interrupted, the speaker 26 has a substantially small-sized outside diameter and has a pair of wings 30 mounted around the outer periphery thereof in such a manner as to be extended toward the blow pipe 2. The speaker 26 is fixed to the electronic module 10 by means of tape or an adhesive.
The formation of the wings 30 on the outside of the electronic module 10 enables the air flowing to be gentle and allows the electronic module 10 to be easily attached to the blow pipe 2.
Referring now to FIGS. 3-5 and 8, a protection pipe 32 is mounted at the outside of the electronic module 10 in such a manner as to be fixed at the inside of the blow pipe 2. The protection pipe 32 functions to prevent the parts of the electronic module 10 and the switch member from entering a user's mouth in case they are separated from the electronic module 10 and the switch member.
The protection pipe 32 has a somewhat smaller size than the inside diameter of the blow pipe 2 in such a manner as to have an opening completely opened at one side thereof and to have a shielding plate 34 closed at the other side thereof. The shielding plate 34 has a plurality of holes 36 formed thereon so as to allow air fully passed therethrough. This enables the switch member to be easily switched to the ‘on’ and ‘off’ state.
If the air is introduced from the blow pipe 2, the air is passed through the plurality of holes 36 to make the switch member operated, and even when the parts constituting the electronic module 10 and the switch member are separated therefrom, they cannot enter the user's mouth by means of the formation of the shielding plate 34.
As shown in FIG. 10, the blow pipe 2 and the protection pipe 32 may be configured together with each other such that the shielding plate 34 having the plurality of holes 36 formed thereon is disposed at the front end portion of the blow pipe 2, that is, at the portion against which the user's mouth abuts. Alternatively, the protection pipe 32 may be formed integrally with the blow pipe 2 (i.e., the protection pipe 32 and the blow pipe 2 are formed as one piece).
Referring to the assembling procedure of the parts, first, the protection pipe 32 is attached at the inside of the blow pipe 2 by means of an adhesive, and next, the wings 30 mounted at the outside of the electronic module 10 are attached on the outer peripheral wall of the blow pipe 2. After that, the roll-like moving part 4 is fitted around the outer periphery of the blow pipe 2 by means of tape or an adhesive. Alternatively, after the adhesive is applied along the inner periphery of the blow pipe 2, the moving part 4 is completely fitted around the outer periphery of the blow pipe 2 by uniformly pressing the outer periphery of the moving part 4 with the user's hand.
Like this, the blowout for a party according to the present invention can be used for birthday parties and all kinds of events. At the initial state, the moving part 4 of the blowout is rolled like a roll-like shape by means of the inwardly applied elasticity of the elastic body 6, and the switch plate 14 is spaced apart from the electric contacts 12 a and 12 b, such that the switch member is in the ‘off’ state and at this time, the electronic module 10 is not operated.
In this state, if the blow pipe 2 is blown by the user's mouth, air is passed through the blow pipe 2 and the plurality of holes 36 of the protection pipe 32, and the free end portion 18 of the switch plate 14 overcomes its elastic force by the force of the air and is elastically moved and contacted with the electric contacts 12 a and 12 b, thereby being switched to the ‘on’ state.
At the same time, since the elastic body 6 spreads out by means of the force of the air, the moving part 4 becomes swollen to a tube-like shape and spreads out, and the air is discharged from the opening 8 formed at the end portion of the moving part 4.
If the electric signal is inputted to the IC 24 according to the ‘on’ state of the switch member, the electronic module 10 is operated such that the audible sound in the sound program stored in the IC 24 is generated through the speaker 26 to the outside of the blowout.
Like this, when the blowout blows, the moving part 4 spreads out, and the audible sound like songs, playing sounds, and voices is generated through the electronic module 10. At this time, people who are in the party hear the audible sound and see the spreading moving part 4, which makes them feel more excited.
Especially, if the blowout for a party according to the present invention is used for birthday parties or all kinds of events, great interest and excitement are provided to people who are in the parties.
If the air is not fully introduced to the blow pipe 2, the air inside the moving part 4 is discharged such that the moving part 4 is contracted by the restoring force of the elastic body 6 and is returned to its original shape, that is, to the roll-like shape.
At the same time, the free end portion 18 of the switch plate 14 is returned to its original position by means of its own elasticity, such that the switch plate 14 is disconnected from the electric contacts 12 a and 12 b, thereby being switched to the ‘off’ state. In the ‘off’ state of the switch member, the activation of the electronic module 10 stops to make the audible sound stop. As mentioned above, however, the audible sound can be continued until one cycle is finished according to the function of the IC 24 even in the ‘off’ state of the switch member.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the blowout includes one moving part 4. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, the blowout may include two or more moving parts. That is, branched pipes 2 a and 2 b are formed at the end portion of the blow pipe 2, and moving parts 4 a and 4 b are connected correspondingly with the branched pipes 2 a and 2 b.
At this time, the speaker 26 may be disposed toward the respective branched pipes 2 a and 2 b.
FIGS. 11 and 12 show a blowout for a party according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein in the second embodiment of the present invention, an explanation on the parts different from those in the first embodiment of the present invention will be given for the brevity of the description.
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the moving part is not provided in the second embodiment of the present invention, and instead of this, a protecting part 38 that is formed by means of plastic injection molding is provided so as to protect the electronic module 10.
The protecting part 38 has a space portion formed at the inside thereof and is connected at one side thereof to the blow pipe 2 and has a plurality of holes 40 formed at the other side thereof, the plurality of holes 40 serving to discharge the air introduced from the blow pipe 2 to the outside therethrough, such that the audible sound generated from the electronic module 10 is transmitted to the outside.
The protecting part 38 has various cartoons and other animated character shapes such that great exciting and visual pleasures are added to the parties or events.
The protecting part 38 has a pumpkin monster character appearing at a Halloween party, as shown in the figure, and at this time, a screaming sound as the audible sound is stored in the IC 24 provided in the electronic module 10, such that when the blow pipe 2 blows, the screaming sound is generated from the speaker 26 and is transmitted to the outside through the plurality of holes 40.
The protecting part 38 is not limited to the pumpkin monster character, and it may have a variety of cartoon and other animated character shapes appearing in famous stories, cartoons, animations, and so on.
The audible sound stored in the IC 24 of the electronic module 10 can be freely varied according to the character shapes of the protecting part 38.
As described above, the blowout for a party according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention is configured wherein if the blow pipe blows, the rolling moving part spreads out and at the same time celebrating music or exciting sound is generated therefrom, thereby making people who are in the party feel more excited and providing more exciting party experience to them.
While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
One such modification is illustrated in FIGS. 13A, 13B and 13C, which show an alternative switch member and an electronic module 100 that may be incorporated into the blowout for a party according to the various embodiments of the present invention. The switch member includes electric contacts 112 a and 112 b, both of which are electrically connected to the electronic module 100 at a free end thereof. The electronic module 100 includes a PCB 122 connected to an end opposite the end connected to the electric contacts 112 a and 112 b. For the sake of clarity, other components of the electronic module 100 are not shown, but are understood to be substantially the same as the components described above in connection with the various embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise disclosed herein.
Referring to FIG. 13A, the electric contact 112 a is constructed of a rigid electrically conductive material. The electric contact 112 b is constructed of a flexible electrically conductive material, such as copper foil, and includes a large transverse portion 112 c that extends in the direction of the electric contact 112 a, so as to be proximate thereto. The electric contact 112 b, with the transverse portion 112 c thereof, functions in a similar manner as the switch plate 14 that is described above in connection with the various embodiments of the present invention. More particularly, when no air is being introduced into the blowout, the electric contacts 112 a and 112 b are separate (i.e., are not in contact with each other), and the switch member is in an ‘off’ state (see FIG. 13B). When air is blown through the blow pipe of the blowout (not shown), the air forces the electric contact 112 b to move towards the electric contact 112 a, whereupon the transverse portion 112 c of the electric contact 112 b contacts (i.e., engages) the electric contact 112 a, closing the circuit of the switch member and moving it to an ‘on’ state (see FIG. 13C). As a result, the electronic module 100 is activated, and the blowout operates as described above in connection with the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A blowout for a party comprising:

a blow pipe to which air is introduced;

a moving part connected to one side of the blow pipe and having an elastic body mounted along one side surface thereof in such a manner as to elastically spread out and roll by a force of the air supplied from the blow pipe;

a switch member disposed at the inside of the blow pipe in such a manner as to be switched to an ‘on’ state if the air is introduced to the blow pipe and to an ‘off’ state if the air blowing stops; and

an electronic module connected to the switch member so as to generate an audible sound upon the ‘on’ state of the switch member.

2. The blowout for a party according to claim 1, wherein the blow pipe has a shielding plate disposed at a front end portion thereof, the shielding plate having a plurality of holes formed therein.

3. The blowout for a party according to claim 1, wherein the switch member has a plurality of electric contacts connected electrically to the electronic module and a switch plate adapted to electrically connect or disconnect the electric contacts to each other or from each other.

4. The blowout for a party according to claim 3, wherein the switch plate has predetermined elastic and restoring forces.

5. The blowout for a party according to claim 4, wherein the switch plate has an inclined surface bent upwardly formed at a portion thereof so as to allow the predetermined elastic and restoring forces thereof to be increased.

6. The blowout for a party according to claim 3, wherein the switch plate has a non-conductive film having predetermined elastic and restoring forces and a conductive object attached on one side surface of the non-conductive film where the electric contacts are contacted.

7. The blowout for a party according to claim 3, wherein the switch plate has a fixed portion fixed at one side thereof to the electronic module and a free end portion bent at the other side thereof toward the electric contacts in such a manner so as to be elastically movable by a force of air.

8. The blowout for a party according to claim 1, wherein the electronic module comprises a printed circuit board (PCB), an integrated circuit (IC) in which a sound program and a control program are stored, a speaker adapted to convert and amplify sound outputted from the IC, and a battery adapted to supply electric power upon the operation of the IC and the speaker.

9. The blowout for a party according to claim 8, wherein the sound program stored in the IC is made such that one sound is repeatedly played for a predetermined period of time.

10. The blowout for a party according to claim 8, wherein the sound program stored in the IC is made such that a variety of sounds are sequentially played.

11. The blowout for a party according to claim 1, wherein the electronic module has a pair of wings mounted on an outside portion thereof in such a manner as to be extended toward the blow pipe, thereby being fixed to the blow pipe and preventing the air flowing from being interrupted.

12. The blowout for a party according to claim 1, wherein the electronic module has a protection pipe mounted at the outside thereof so as to prevent parts of the electronic module and the switch member from entering a user's mouth, in case one or more of the parts are separated from the electronic module and the switch member.

13. The blowout for a party according to claim 12, wherein the protection pipe is positioned inside the blow pipe.

14. The blowout for a party according to claim 12, wherein the protection pipe is integrally formed with the blow pipe.

15. The blowout for a party according to claim 1, wherein the switch member includes first and second electric contacts connected electrically to the electronic module, the second electric contact having a portion that is adapted to electrically connect or disconnect to the first electric contact.

16. The blowout for a party according to claim 15, wherein the portion of the second electric contact that is adapted to electrically connect or disconnect to the first electric contact is a transverse portion that extends in the direction of the first electric contact so as to be proximate thereto.

17. The blowout for a party according to claim 1, wherein the blow pipe has a plurality of branched pipes formed at the end portion thereof, each of the branched pipes being connected to the moving part.

18. A blowout for a party comprising:

a blow pipe to which air is introduced;

a switch member disposed at the inside of the blow pipe in such a manner as to be switched to an ‘on’ state if the air is introduced to the blow pipe and to an ‘off’ state if the air blowing stops;

an electronic module connected to the switch member so as to generate an audible sound upon the ‘on’ state of the switch member; and

a protecting part attached to the end portion of the blow pipe so as to protect the electronic module.

19. The blowout for a party according to claim 18, wherein the protecting part has various cartoon and other animated character shapes.

20. The blowout for a party according to claim 18, wherein the protecting part has a plurality of holes formed therein such that when air introduced from the blow pipe is discharged to the outside, an audible sound generated from the electronic module is transmitted to the outside.