US5501601A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Educational drawing toy with sound-generating function
Assignee: Works Co Ltd
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Filing: 1994-06-14
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Granted: 1996-03-26
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Expires: 2014-06-14
Abstract
Abstract An educational drawing toy with sound-generating function has a resilient whiteboard, plural sets of contacts arranged in the form of a matrix underneath the resilient whiteboard, and a sound-generating circuit electrically connected to the plural sets of contacts. Under the action of pen pressures applied upon drawing a picture on the whiteboard, the plural sets of contacts are selectively and successively brought into contact with each other to actuate the sound-generating circuit so that a scale or plural melodies can be selectively played.
Inventors
- 👤 Masatoshi Todokoro
- 👤 Masami Shiraishi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 14:15
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B5/00; G09B5/06; G09B5/062; A; A63; A63F; A63F9/00; A63F9/06; A63F9/0641; G09B11/00; A63F2009/0661; A63F9/24; A63F2009/2448; A63F2009/247; A63F9/0666
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
An educational drawing toy with sound-generating function, comprising a resilient whiteboard, plural sets of contacts arranged in the form of a matrix underneath the resilient whiteboard, and a sound-generating circuit electrically connected to the plural sets of contacts, wherein under the action of pressure from a pen applied upon drawing a picture on the whiteboard, the plural sets of contacts are selectively and successively brought into contact with each other to actuate the sound-generating circuit so that at least one of a scale and a melody is played as the pen traverses the matrix and in dependence on which sets of contacts in the matrix are brought into contact.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
An educational drawing toy with sound-generating function, comprising a resilient whiteboard, plural sets of contacts arranged in the form of a matrix underneath the resilient whiteboard, and a sound-generating circuit electrically connected to the plural sets of contacts, wherein under the action of pressure from a pen applied upon drawing a picture on the whiteboard, the plural sets of contacts are selectively and successively brought into contact with each other to actuate the sound-generating circuit so that at least one of a scale and a melody is played as the pen traverses the matrix and in dependence on which sets of contacts in the matrix are brought into contact.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
126 words
The educational drawing toy according to claim 1, wherein the plural sets of contacts consist of a like plural number of contacts printed in the form of the matrix on a stationary printed substrate fixed on a support and a like plural number of contacts printed in the form of the matrix on a resilient printed substrate, the stationary printed substrate and the resilient printed substrate are arranged with the contacts of the former substrate opposing the corresponding contacts of the latter substrate, a spacer is interposed between the stationary printed board and the resilient printed board and defines openings at locations corresponding to the sets of the contacts, respectively, and in each opening, a space is normally maintained between the contacts in the corresponding set.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The educational drawing toy according to claim 1, wherein the whiteboard presents horizontal lines dividing the whiteboard into horizontal sections with sol-fa syllables written, respectively, therein.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The educational drawing toy according to claim 3, wherein the sol-fa syllables ascend in a direction away from a user.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The educational drawing toy according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of means for detachably holding drawing and erasing instruments adjacent to the whiteboard.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The educational drawing toy according to claim 1, wherein the sound-generating circuit is designed to play a scale and plural melodies and the toy is provided with means for selectively playing one of the scale and melodies when a picture is drawn on the whiteboard.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
The educational drawing toy according to claim 1, further comprising a transparent plastic sheet showing a picture, a map or the like printed in such a way that when the transparent plastic sheet is placed over the whiteboard and traced under pressure, said at least one of the scale and the melody can be reproduced.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-03-26 | 1999-09-25 | 2000-03-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-03-26 | 2003-09-25 | 2004-03-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-03-26 | 2007-09-25 | 2008-03-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |