Voice-actuated Diaphragm (e.g., Kazoo) Patents (Class 446/416)
-
Patent number: 10607579Abstract: A stringed musical instrument with a body having at least one hollow space within including one or more vents allowing movement of air into and out of the instrument body. The back includes a back access panel attached to the back allowing access into the body. A threaded fastener extending between the back access panel and a top of the instrument body. The fastener is accessible and movable from outside the instrument body. The back access panel is flexible so that turning in the threaded fastener will deflect the back panel and alter the instrument body.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2019Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Inventor: Anthony W. Louscher
-
Publication number: 20140256218Abstract: Kazoo devices according to a new kazoo concept, having novel composite vibrating diaphragms configured to vibrate at regular vibrating modes, including electronic audio processing and mixing of the processed audio signal, with a background audio signal. A method of transforming a person's humming to a pleasing musical sound, including converting the humming sound of a person to audio signal, electronically processing the audio signal, the processed signal serving as an input to other audio devices, or being directly converted to a pleasing kazoo instrumental sound, acoustically perceived as a sound of a saxophone, the processed signal being optionally mixed with a background audio signal. Several embodiments are illustrated as examples of kazoo devices and kazoo musical instruments, according to this concept and method.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2013Publication date: September 11, 2014Inventor: Spyridon Kasdas
-
Patent number: 8614386Abstract: A portable reverberation device for attaching to a musical instrument with a distal end that can be adjusted to alter a distance between the ends of the portable reverberation device. The device includes a cup attached to a collar to receive incoming sound waves and a spring stretched inside the body. The device further includes an attachment mechanism with a clamp adapted to attach the portable reverberation device to the musical instrument.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2011Date of Patent: December 24, 2013Inventor: Matthew Criscuolo
-
Patent number: 8113906Abstract: A noisemaker assembly that includes an annular horn body having an inner wall, an outer wall and a groove disposed there between. The groove is open at the top surface of the horn body. A tubular mouthpiece is provided that extends into the horn body. The mouthpiece communicates with the groove inside the horn body. When air is blown into the mouthpiece, that air passes into the groove within the horn body. A membrane is placed over the horn body so that the membrane covers the top of the groove. When air is blown into the groove, the air slips past the membrane from inside the groove. This causes the membrane to vibrate and generate a loud low frequency noise. The horn assembly can be held within a housing. The housing has perforations to enable sound energy from the horn assembly to escape from the housing.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2008Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Inventor: Wayne Cohen
-
Patent number: 7534949Abstract: An acoustic sculpture 10 having a main frame structure 12 including an upper support member 14 and a lower support member 16, and a plurality of tube assemblies 24 of varied mass. A tube assembly 24 includes a vertical chime tube 20 acoustically suspended from a coaxial mounting rod 28 mounted to a tube frame. The tube frame can include transverse straps (30, 32) mounted to vertical stiles (34, 34?) which are attached to the upper and lower members (14, 16). A striker assembly (48, 48?) is attached to the tube frame, for example, the stile portion (34,34?; 34?,34??), and includes a housing (60, 60?) and an actuator button (50, 50?), accessible through a first aperture (64, 64?), operatively connected to transmit motion to a hammer head (54, 54?) to strike a chime tube (20, 20?) through a second aperture (65, 65?) in the back plate (63, 63?).Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2007Date of Patent: May 19, 2009Assignee: Roark Licensing, LLCInventor: James Alan Estes
-
Patent number: 5885127Abstract: An improved wild animal game caller using a tapered and tubular latex-like reed adjustably enveloping an exterior portion of a substantially hollow caller casing, entirely or partially covering an air exit port of said casing. This configuration readily allows almost instantaneous adjustment of sound with ease under field conditions, without disassembly of any part of the caller.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 1997Date of Patent: March 23, 1999Inventor: Joseph M. Colyer
-
Patent number: 5179255Abstract: A baseball bat having the functions of resonators and microphones is designed to be hollow and has a receiver cup disposed at its inner top end in such a manner that a spring may be hooked to its bottom while the other end of the spring is hooked to a tuning bar fixed at an end cap fittedly adhered to the bottom end of the bat. Besides, a plurality of sound-amplifying holes are formed on the surface of the bat at proper positions. Whenever the bat is vibrated by external force, the spring inside it shall vibrate accordingly and the sound-wave so produced resonates within the hollow bat which serves as a resonance box. When the sound-wave passes through the sound-amplifying holes on the surface of the bat, a special striking tone shall be produced. Such special tone can be produced either when the bat stikes a ball or when the bat is purposely vibrated or waved. When speaking into the receiver cup, the wave of voice may be amplified through the resonance effect of the hollow bat.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 1991Date of Patent: January 12, 1993Inventor: Peter S. Y. Yeh
-
Patent number: 5127870Abstract: A toy megaphone including a housing having a number of openings formed in the upper end, a member fixed in an upper portion of the housing, and a spring biased between the member and a lower end of the housing, and the member and the spring being caused to vibrate when a sound wave is propagated into the housing via the openings.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 1991Date of Patent: July 7, 1992Assignee: You Hsing Plastics Co, Ltd.Inventor: Ho Y. Lin
-
Patent number: 4897067Abstract: The present invention provides a dual diaphragm-type game caller of a size and shape suitable for inserting into a user's mouth for support against the roof of the mouth so that free edges of two diaphragms retained together as a unit in a spaced-apart relationship can concurrently vibrate when impinged by pulmonary air exhausted by the user. The invention employs two diaphragms having a selected pattern of slits which allow the caller to produce a flutter or raspy sound effect which is sometimes desired by the wild turkey hunter. The present invention also provides a removable spacer of a size and shape suitable for insertion between the two diaphragms when the caller is not in use, such that the two diaphragms are kept completely separated, thereby preventing one from adhering to the other.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 1989Date of Patent: January 30, 1990Assignee: Penn's Woods Products, Inc.Inventor: Frank Piper
-
Patent number: 4832653Abstract: A toy musical instrument of the type commonly known as a kazoo having an open-ended turret section, a resonating membrane positioned within the turret section and a retainer member for installation within the turret section and for releasably securing the membrane within the turret section utilizes a turret section having a plurality of protuberences and a retainer member defining an embossment which cooperates with the protuberences to secure the retainer member in a snap-fit relationship with the turret section when the retainer has been inserted a preselected distance through the open end of the turret section. The embossment and the protuberences are so shaped to permit the retainer and the turret section to be disassembled from snap-fit relationship only if the retainer body is positioned in a preselected rotational orientation relative to the turret section.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 1986Date of Patent: May 23, 1989Assignee: Brimms Inc.Inventors: Robert D. Berghash, Dan A. Jachimowicz