Audio signalling device

Claim 2

An electromagnetically-actuated, low energy audio signalling device comprising a housing with electrical terminals accessible at the exterior of the housing, said housing having outer walls with exposed surfaces made of insulating material so no electrical contact can be made to components inside of the housing except through said electrical terminals, one of said outer walls of said housing being made of metal and forming an electrically insulated vibratable buzzer-forming diaphragm, said one vibratable outer wall having an outer coating of an insulating material for electrically isolating the metal of the wall from the exterior of the housing, a flexible conductive reed cantilever mounted within said housing and supported thereon, said reed carrying a conductive striker extending adjacent to said vibratable wall of the housing and adapted to strike the same, an electrical contact carried by said reed and adapted to cooperate with an adjacent fixed contact to control an electrical circuit between said electrical terminals, a magnetic field producing coil supported within the housing adjacent said reed anD electrically connected in series with said contacts, the flux linkage of said coil and reed when the coil is energized serving to flex said reed to open said contacts, the consequent deenergization of said coil releasing said reed to reclose said contacts, the cyclical flexing of the reed causing said striker repeatedly to strike said vibratable housing wall to produce a vibration of said wall producing an audial signal.

Claim 3

The signalling device of claim 1 wherein said vibratable housing wall is a separate closure wall for an opening in the remaining part of the housing through which opening said reed and coil were initially passed into their mounted positions in said housing before the vibratable wall was attached thereto.

Claim 4

The signalling device of claim 2 wherein said remaining part of said housing has end and side walls made of molded synthetic plastic material forming a side wall enveloped space within the confines of which the various parts of the signalling device are mounted including said reed and coil, said vibratable wall supported by and bridging the space between the opening defining ends of said housing side walls.

Claim 5

The signalling device of claim 3 wherein said vibratable end wall is an inwardly dished wall which extends inwardly of said housing side walls.

Claim 6

An electromagnetically-actuated, low energy audio signalling device comprising a housing having outer walls, one of which forms an electrically insulated vibratable buzzer-forming diaphragm, a pair of electrical terminals at least one of which extends through and projects from both sides of one of said housing walls, said terminals constituting the means for feeding energizing current to the device, a flexible conductive reed cantilever mounted within said housing and said reed carrying a striker extending adjacent to said vibratable wall of the housing and adapted to strike the same, an electrical contact carried by said reed and adapted to cooperate with an adjacent fixed contact to control an electrical circuit between said electrical terminals, a magnetic field producing coil unit supported within the housing, said one terminal having a projecting portion within the housing upon which said coil unit is at least partially supported, said coil unit being located adjacent said reed and having a coil winding electrically connected in series with said contacts, said contacts being connected in series with said coil and electrical terminals so the flux linkage of said coil and reed when the coil is energized thus serving to flex said reed to open said contacts, the consequent de-energization of said coil releasing said reed to reclose said contacts, the cyclical flexing of the reed causing said striker repeatedly to strike said vibratable housing wall to produce a vibration of said wall producing an audial signal.

Claim 7

An electromagnetically-actuated, low energy audio signalling device comprising a housing having outer walls, one of which forms an electrically insulated vibratable buzzer-forming diaphragm, a pair of electrical terminals at least one of which extends through and projects from both sides of one of said housing walls, said terminals constituting the means for feeding energizing current to the device, a flexible conductive reed cantilever mounted within said housing and said reed carrying a striker extending adjacent to said vibratable wall of the housing and adapted to strike the same, an electrical contact carried by said reed and adapted to cooperate with an adjacent fixed contact to control an electrical circuit between said electrical terminals, a magnetic field producing coil unit supported within the housing, said one terminal having a projecting portion within the housing upon which said coil unit is at least partially supported, said coil unit being located adjacent said reed and having a coil winding electrically connected in series with said contacts, said contacts being connected in series with said coil and electrical terminals so the flux linkage of said coil and reed when the coil is energized thus serving to flex said reed to open said contacts, the consequent de-energization of said coil releasing said reed to reclose said contacts, the cyclical flexing of the reed causing said striker repeatedly to strike said vibratable housing wall to produce a vibration of said wall producing an audial signal.

Claim 8

The signalling device of claim 5 wherein one or more of said outer walls of said housing other than the vibratable wall thereof includes positioning shoulders for holding and locating portions of said terminals.

Claim 9

The signalling device of claim 6 wherein said vibratable end wall is an inwardly dished wall which extends inwardly of said housing walls.

Claim 10

The signalling device of claim 5 wherein said electrical terminals project through the same outer wall of the housing, and said housing having an outward extension between said terminals which has a retainer-forming means for making interlocking engagement with a socket connector to be engaged over said projecting terminals.

Claim 11

The signalling device of claim 8 wherein another of said outer walls has an outward extension adapted frictionally to fit within a mounting opening in a support wall for the signalling device.

Claim 12

The signalling device of claim 5 wherein all of said housing walls ave outer surfaces made of insulating material, said vibratable wall having a metal wall with an outer coating of an insulating material for electrically isolating the metal of the wall from the exterior of the housing.

Claim 13

The signalling device of claim 5 wherein said flexible conductive reed is cantilever mounted within said housing against the portion of one of said terminals projecting from the inner side of said one outer wall so the terminal portion acts as a backing support and makes electrical contact therewith.

Claim 14

The signalling device of claim 11 wherein the same one of said terminals acts as a backing support for said reed and as a support for said coil unit.

Claim 15

An electromagnetically-actuated, low energy audio signalling device comprising a housing having outer walls, one of which forms an electrically insulated vibratable buzzer-forming diaphragm, a pair of electrical terminals at least one of which extends through and projects from both sides of one of said housing walls, said terminals constututing the means for feeding energizing current to the device, a flexible conductive reed cantilever mounted within said housing against the portion of said one terminal projecting from the inner side of said one outer wall so the terminal portion acts as a backing support and makes electrical contact therewith, said reed carrying a striker extending adjacent to said vibratable wall of the housing and adapted to strike the same, an electrical contact carried by said reed and adapted to cooperate with an adjacent fixed contact to control an electrical circuit between said electrical terminals, a magnetic field producing coil unit supported within the housing adjacent said reed and having a coil winding electrically connected in series with said contacts, said contacts being connected in series with said coil and electrical terminals so the flux linkage of said coil and reed when the coil is energized thus serving to flex said reed to open said contacts, the consequent de-energization of said coil releasing said reed to reclose said contacts, the cyclical flexing of the reed causing said striker repeatedly to strike said vibratable housing wall to produce a vibration of said wall producing an audial signal.

Claim 16

An electromagnetically-actuated, low energy audio signalling device comprising a housing having outer walls, one of which forms an electrically insulated vibratable buzzer-forming diaphragm, a pair of electrical terminals at least one of which extends through and projects from both sides of one of said housing walls, said terminals constututing the means for feeding energizing current to the device, a flexible conductive reed cantilever mounted within said housing against the portion of said one terminal projecting from the inner side of said one outer wall so the terminal portion acts as a backing support and makes electrical contact therewith, said reed carrying a striker extending adjacent to said vibratable wall of the housing and adapted to strike the same, an electrical contact carried by said reed and adapted to cooperate with an adjacent fixed contact to control an electrical circuit between said electrical terminals, a magnetic field producing coil unit supported within the housing adjacent said reed and having a coil winding electrically connected in series with said contacts, said contacts being connected in series with said coil and electrical terminals so the flux linkage of said coil and reed when the coil is energized thus serving to flex said reed to open said contacts, the consequent de-energization of said coil releasing said reed to reclose said contacts, the cyclical flexing of the reed causing said striker repeatedly to strike said vibratable housing wall to produce a vibration of said wall producing an audial signal.

Claim 17

The signalling device of claim 13 wherein said one terminal has a projecting portion within the housing upon which said coil unit is at least partially supported.