Title: Novelty candy assembly with melodic and/or illumination functions
Abstract: There is provided a novelty candy assembly including a body, an illumination module attached to the body, a cover for the illumination module, the cover having at least an outer layer of candy, at least one activation conduit extending through the cover and being operatively connected to an activation switch within the body, at least one speaker within the body, and at least one memory chip within the body. The activation switch is activated when the candy is at least in part consumed, the activation switch being part of a circuit including the illumination module, the memory chip, and the speaker. Pre-recorded audio in the memory chip is reproduced by the at least one speaker and illumination is produced by the illumination module when the activation switch is activated.
Patent Number: 6,997,593 Issued on 02/14/2006 to Yeo, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Yeo; Tze Phem Ricky (Singapore, SG);
Yeo; Kwee Seng David (Singapore, SG)
|
| Assignee:
|
1st Choice Product Pte Ltd. (SG)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
714327 |
| Filed:
|
November 14, 2003 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
362/565; 362/806; 446/227; 426/104 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
F21W 121/00 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
362/101,166,565,577,86,96,109,186,208,253,800,802,806,808
446/219,227,242
426/104,132
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 4914748 | Apr., 1990 | Schlotter et al.
| |
| 5471373 | Nov., 1995 | Coleman et al.
| |
| 5733033 | Mar., 1998 | Coleman et al.
| |
| 5785406 | Jul., 1998 | Lee.
| |
| 6024624 | Feb., 2000 | Lee.
| |
| 6043732 | Mar., 2000 | Shulman.
| |
| 6062936 | May., 2000 | Rudell et al.
| |
| 6135606 | Oct., 2000 | Fernandez et al.
| |
| 6383536 | May., 2002 | Palmer et al.
| |
| 6619816 | Sep., 2003 | Johnson.
| |
| 6659619 | Dec., 2003 | Gordon.
| |
| 6811279 | Nov., 2004 | Coleman et al.
| |
| 6884447 | Apr., 2005 | Baker.
| |
Primary Examiner: Luebke; Renee
Assistant Examiner: Le; Khanh H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A novelty candy assembly, comprising:
a body;
an illumination module attached to the body;
a cover for the illumination module, the cover having at least an outer layer
of candy;
at least one activation conduit extending through the cover for creating a vacuum
pressure differential in the body and being operatively connected to an activation
switch within the body;
at least one speaker within the body; and
at least one memory chip within the body;
wherein the activation switch is activated by the vacuum pressure differential
when the candy is at least in part consumed, the activation switch being part of
a circuit comprising the illumination module, the memory chip and the speaker,
and wherein pre-recorded audio in the memory chip is reproduced by the at least
one speaker and illumination is produced by the illumination module when the activation
switch is activated.
2. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the activation conduit
is a channel, and the activation switch is a vacuum switch.
3. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein components in the
vacuum switch are made from material of low coefficient of friction.
4. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein components in the
vacuum switch are coated with material of low coefficient of friction.
5. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body may be in
a shape selected from the following: cylindrical, polygonal and spherical.
6. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the illuminated module
contains at least one LED.
7. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one activation
conduit extends from the edge of the cover and is directly linked to the activation switch.
8. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 7, further including a portable
power source comprising batteries.
9. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one memory
chip controls functions of the candy assembly.
10. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body and illumination
module are water-proof.
11. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a non-edible cover
added subsequent to the consumption of the candy.
12. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body has at least
one printed circuit board.
13. A novelty candy assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit includes
a main switch.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a novelty candy assembly packaged with confectionery
such as, for example, one or more of: hard candy, soft candy, chocolates, and jelly.
The use of the candy assembly with its melodic and/or illumination functions is
particularly, though not exclusively relevant for celebrating special occasions
such as, for example, birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, festivals, retirements
and so forth.
BACKGROUND
Candy is often consumed at most celebrations. The variety of candy that is
commercially available is large. Candy can be found in a multitude of shapes, colors,
flavors, sizes and textures.
In modern commerce where sales of any product may depend on reputation and marketing
rather than the product per se, packaging of a product may impact on the sustainability
of the product. Packaging should not be overlooked even for basic items like confectionery.
Similarly, for candy, a range of packaging can be used to entice consumers. Considerable
interest towards a particular candy may be generated by designing candy or packaging
with eye-catching designs and colours.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
There is provided a novelty candy assembly. Preferably, it comprises a body,
an illumination module attached to the body, a cover for the illumination module,
the cover having at least an outer layer of candy, at least one activation conduit
extending through the cover and being operatively connected to an activation switch
within the body, at least one speaker within the body, and at least one memory
chip within the body. It is advantageous that the at least one memory chip controls
the functions of the candy assembly. The body and illumination module may be water-proof.
Preferably, the body has at least one printed circuit board. A non-edible cover
may also be used in place of the candy cover subsequent to the consumption of the candy.
Preferably, the activation switch is activated when the candy is at least
in part consumed, the activation switch being part of a circuit comprising the
illumination module, the memory chip and the speaker, and wherein pre-recorded
audio in the memory chip is reproduced by the at least one speaker and illumination
is produced by the illumination module when the activation switch is activated.
The activation conduit may be a channel, and the activation switch may be a vacuum
switch. The activation conduit may also be at least one micro-wire. Advantageously,
at least one activation conduit extends from the edge of the cover and is directly
linked to the activation switch. Preferably, components in the vacuum switch are
either made from or coated with material of low coefficient of friction. It is
preferable that the circuit includes a main switch.
It is preferable that the body may be in a shape selected from the following:
cylindrical, polygonal and spherical. The illuminated module may contain at least
one LED. The candy assembly may preferably be powered by a portable power source
selected from the group consisting of at least one: batteries and solar cells.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be better understood and readily put into practical
effect, there shall now be described by way of non-limitative example only preferred
embodiments of the present invention, the description being in reference to the
accompanying illustrative drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of parts of the candy assembly with portions of
the assembly being broken away to show internal construction;
FIG. 2 shows the electrical contact plate positioned on a first end on the internal
surface of the body of the candy assembly;
FIG. 3 is a diagram of the circuitry employed in the candy assembly; and
FIG. 4 a flow chart showing the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided a novelty candy assembly
10
with melodic and/or illumination functions. The candy assembly
10 comprises
a body
12 having an illumination module
23 at a first end
13
of the body
12. A cover
14 at the first end
13 may be formed
into different shapes such as, for example, hemispheres, pyramids, cuboids, humanoids
or any preferred design to cover and contain the illumination module
23.
The cover
14 may be formed from confectionery, such as, for example, hard
candy, soft candy, chocolate, and gelatin. The cover
14 may be edible or
non-edible. If a cover
14 is non-edible, it may also serve as a decorative
ornament. The non-edible cover
14 may also be formed into shapes such as,
for example, hemispheres, pyramids, cuboids, humanoids or any preferred design.
The edible cover
14 may be external of and enclose a non-edible cover. In
this way, the non-edible cover is exposed when the edible cover
14 is consumed.
The cover
14 may be opaque, transparent or transluscent.
The cover
14 may have at least one channel
70 running through from
an outer edge
17 of the cover
14 through the core
72 of the
cover
14 and through illumination module
23. The channel
70
is preferably hollow, and may be co-axial with cover
14 and body
12.
There is a vacuum chamber
42 positioned at a first end
13 of the
body
12 beneath and behind the illumination module
23. The core
72
of the cover
14 may be directly linked to the vacuum chamber
42 through
the illumination module
23.
An electrical circuit
51 shown in FIG. 3 may be closed when a vacuum pressure
switch
44 in the chamber
42 is activated. Relatively moveable parts
in the vacuum pressure switch
44 may be made from or coated with a low friction
material such as, for example, nylon, ABS, PVC or Teflon. The vacuum pressure switch
44 comprises the vacuum chamber
42 and a piston
46.
FIG. 2 shows the electrical contact plate
49 positioned on a first end
19 on a piston
46 in the chamber
42. When a consumer sucks
on the cover
14, suction is generated through the channel
70. This
causes a vacuum pressure differential to be created in the chamber
42. The
vacuum pressure differential causes the piston
46 in the chamber
42
to move upward such that at least two metal strips
48 on the electrical
contact plate
49 make contact with contact points (not shown) on the internal
surface on the first end
13 of the body
12. In this mode, the vacuum
pressure switch
44 is activated.
When the vacuum pressure switch
44 is activated, the circuit
51
in FIG. 3 is closed and a voltage is triggered to an I/C memory chip
50.
The chip
50 then applies a digital audio signal to an amplifier incorporated
in the chip
50. The amplifier is subsequently energized, the digital audio
signal amplified, converted to analog, and a miniature speaker
52 is activated
to reproduce a pre-programmed melody from the audio signal. The pre-programmed
melody may be in different genres of music, such as, for example, Christmas carols,
children's songs, pop tunes, classical tunes and so forth. The pre-programmed melody
may even be in the form of a vocal rendition, or a spoken message.
Besides the activation of the pre-programmed melody, at least one LED
54
on the illumination module
23 may also be activated when the circuit
51
in FIG. 3 is closed. The LED
54 may be programmed in the I/C memory chip
50 to:
- flash in synchronisation with the pre-programmed melody;
- flash randomly; or
- remain illuminated.
When the cover
14 is not made from an opaque material, illumination from
LED
54, whether flashing or not, may be seen through cover
14 to
create an eye-catching appearance, thus enhancing its appeal. The LED
54
may be of any suitable colour including white and/or blue and/or green and/or red.
A plurality of LEDs of the same or different colours may be used.
The body
12 may be made from any suitable material such as, for example,
plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, and so forth. The body
12 may be shaped
into any form and be of any suitable size. Preferably, it is of a size and shape
that fits within the palm of a hand, with the embodiment as described being cylindrical
in shape. The shape may also be spherical or polygonal. The body
12 has
an open top at the first end
13. A lower end
21 of the illumination
module
23 is securely fixed onto the first end
13 of the body
12.
The body
12 may also have shapes or designs embossed on them for enhanced
aesthetic appeal.
The illumination module
23 also has an open top at a top end
25.
There is a recess
27 on the illumination module
23 to allow for the
secure placement therein of a lower edge
29 of the cover
14.
An electronic circuit board
58 is contained within the body
12.
The illumination module
23 also has an electronic circuit board
56
incorporated in it. The board
56 controls the at least one LED
54
in the illumination module
23. Each LED
54 and the board
56
may be sealed in a water-tight manner to allow for the illumination module
23
to be cleaned subsequent to the consumption of the edible cover
14. Both
circuit boards are connected electrically to the vacuum switch
44.
The miniature speaker
52 may be electronically actuated. The speaker
52
may be located internally at a second end
47 of the body
12. The
second end
47 of the body
12 may be enlarged to accommodate the speaker
52 and to provide a broad base to ensure better stability when the candy
assembly
10 is positioned in an upright position. Hence, the candy assembly
10 may also be used as an ornamental display piece subsequent to the consumption
of the edible cover
14. Holes
62 may be formed in the body
12
to allow for the transmission of sound waves from the speaker
52 to the
surroundings. However, when holes
62 are present, the candy assembly
10
would no longer be water-proof.
The circuit
51 shown in FIG. 3 may be powered by a power source
64.
The power source
64 should be portable and may be either batteries or at
least one solar cell. The power source may be changeable through a cover (not shown).
The cover may be water-tight. The power source
64 may have a resistor connected
across the memory chip
50 to ensure that the chip
50 does not overheat.
The resistor is placed in series with the vacuum pressure switch
44. A main
switch
66 may be used to control the flow of current in the electrical circuit
51. The main switch
66 may be a slide switch, a knob switch or a
hand pressure sensitive switch.
A timer may be included on the circuit board
58 so that upon activation
of the illumination module
23 and/or speaker
52, they will operate
for a pre-determined period after the suction in channel
70 ceases. The
pre-determined period may be the duration of the pre-recorded melody played by
speaker
52. It may also be preset to a shorter time period.
Referring to FIG. 4, a consumer sucks
100 on the candy cover
14.
This activates
104 the vacuum pressure switch
44 because of the pressure
differential
102 in channel
70. This closes circuit
51. A
voltage triggers the memory chip
50 to send the digital audio signals to
the amplifier
106 and digital-analog converter and thus to the speaker
52.
The LED
54 on the illumination module
23 is illuminated. The speaker
52 reproduces musical tones, a melody, a song, spoken message or other sounds.
The cover
14 is consumable and dissolves while being sucked. When the consumer
stops sucking the cover
14, the vacuum pressure switch
44 is de-activated.
This cuts off the voltage supply to the circuit
51 and the sounds emitted
by the speaker
52 ceases after a pre-determined period. The LED
54
on the illumination module
23 also ceases to be illuminated after a pre-determined period.
In another embodiment of the present invention that is only applicable when the
cover
14 is manufactured from either soft or hard candy, instead of a vacuum
pressure switch
44 employed in the body
12, a micro-wire is positioned
within in the soft candy in the cover
14. When a consumer eats the candy,
the heat from the consumer would cause the wire to expand radially, thus increasing
the cross-sectional area of the wire and hence reducing its resistance and allowing
more current to flow in circuit
51. Consequently, illumination and sound
from the candy assembly
10 are also provided. The micro-wire may be made
from metals with the characteristics of high expansivity, high conductivity, low
toxicity, and resistance to oxidation. Stainless steel would have these characteristics.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, instead of a vacuum pressure
switch
44 employed in the body
12, two micro-wire leads are positioned
in the cover
14. When a consumer contacts the cover
14, the inert
potential in the consumer would close the circuit
51. Consequently, illumination
and sound from the candy assembly
10 are also provided. The micro-wire may
be made from metals with the characteristics of high expansivity, high conductivity,
low toxicity, and resistance to oxidation. Stainless steel would have these characteristics.
The candy assembly
10 may be readily manufactured by mass production machinery
at low cost. The candy assembly
10 requires little skill and instruction
to operate. The cover
14 may be manufactured with FDA approved food grade
colorings and conforms to hygienic and accredited candy manufacturing processes.
The cover
14 may be wholly consumed or it may be discarded semi-eaten.
Ornamental covers may be provided at the point of sale to be used to replace the
consumed cover
14. The candy assembly
10 may contain different prerecorded
songs or melodies suitable for different occasions such as, for example, birthdays,
wedding anniversaries, Christmas parties, engagements, children's parties and the
like all year round. The festive mood of an occasion may be enhanced by the purchase
of such candy assemblies
10.
Whilst there has been described in the foregoing description preferred embodiments
of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the technology
concerned that many variations or modifications may be made to details of design
or construction without departing from the present invention.
The present invention extends to all features disclosed either individually,
or in all possible permutations and combinations.
*
