DE29506937U1 - Utility article with optical and / or acoustic effects, retrofit kit - Google Patents

Description

BBF_0194/HGju

BBF GmbH
Carl-Orff-Weg 4
D-85221 Dachau

Object of daily use with optical and/or acoustic effects

Description

The invention relates to articles of daily use which comprise control electronics and at least one signal generator device which can be controlled by the control electronics and which is used to emit optical and/or acoustic signals.

A well-known example of such an object is a cup that plays a melody when you pick it up from the table to drink from it. Such cups can be found in gift shops, for example. The control electronics contained in the cup and the loudspeaker connected to this control electronics are powered by a battery contained in the cup.

The operators of discotheques, bars and the like, who usually have to offer their customers a new attraction from time to time so that their establishment does not lose its appeal, have so far had to resort to such effects

drinking vessels provided with these were not considered as such attractions. The higher purchase price of such "effect glasses" or the like would not fundamentally prevent the purchase of these "effect glasses" as a new attraction, since this investment would pay for itself through higher frequency of use of the respective establishment. The attractiveness of such "effect glasses" unfortunately also increases the tendency of certain sections of the public to "take them". Due to the handy size of glasses, it is not particularly difficult to hide them in clothing, a handbag or the like. Since no discotheque operator can subject his guests to regular body searches to prevent such thefts, the higher purchase costs of "effect glasses" have not yet paid off. "Effect glasses" were therefore ruled out as a new attraction in the past due to their lack of theft protection.

In contrast, the invention is based on the object of increasing the theft security of everyday objects provided with control electronics and at least one signaling device.

To solve this problem, the invention proposes a combination of a consumer item, for example a drinking glass, which comprises a secondary winding, control electronics and at least one signal generator device that can be controlled by the control electronics for emitting optical and/or acoustic signals, with a primary winding that is arranged separately from the consumer item and fed by a power supply unit.

The advantages of the combination according to the invention will be discussed below using the example of a drinking glass as a consumer object that is placed on a counter that accommodates the primary winding and can be picked up from this counter for drinking.

The drinking glass according to the invention only acts as an "effect glass" when it is placed on the counter or is in the immediate vicinity of it, for example a few centimeters above it. Only under these conditions does the energy transfer in the stray field transformer, which is formed by the primary winding arranged in the counter and the secondary winding in the glass, take place with an efficiency that is sufficient to supply the control electronics contained in the glass and the signaling device(s) connected to this control electronics with sufficient electrical energy. The public will very quickly recognize this indissoluble connection between glass and counter. Therefore, the appeal that emanates from the "effect glass" according to the invention alone will not be greater than that of any other conventional drinking glass without an effect. This also largely, if not completely, eliminates the incentive to "take" "effect glasses" according to the invention, since they do not show the thief at home the effect that makes them so attractive.

The "passive" anti-theft protection of the inventive articles of daily use described above can be supplemented by an "active" anti-theft protection, for example by the article of daily use comprising a device that can be detected without contact, for example inductively. Such detectable devices are used, for example, in department stores to prevent theft. They have the advantage that body searches only have to be carried out in justified cases of suspicion, indicated by an alarm. Since bouncers are often posted at the exit of discotheques, bars and the like, they can ask the guest in question to hand over the "effect glass" in an unobtrusive manner when an alarm is displayed.

To increase the attractiveness of the articles of daily use according to the invention, the article of daily use can have a short

time energy storage. The term "short-term energy storage" is used here to distinguish it from long-term energy storage, such as batteries, rechargeable batteries and the like. The short-term energy storage used according to the invention should be able to cover the energy requirements for the control electronics and the signaling device(s) over a period of time that is sufficient, for example, to pick up the glass from the counter, toast another person, drink from the glass and put it back on the counter. This period of time is in the order of 10 seconds, but no more than 20 to 30 seconds.

The manufacture of the article of daily use according to the invention can be facilitated, for example, by combining the secondary winding, the control electronics and, if applicable, the short-term energy storage device and/or the contactless detectable device in an assembly that can be handled as a unit.

For example, at least one light-emitting diode or LED (light-emitting diode), or/and at least one light bulb or/and at least one flashlight or/and at least one loudspeaker can be provided as signaling devices. The signaling devices listed above for emitting optical signals can also comprise at least one optical waveguide.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the control electronics are at least partially constructed using CMOS technology. CMOS technology has the advantage of functioning perfectly even with a very variable operating voltage, approximately in the range of 3.8 to 18 V. Control electronics constructed at least partially using CMOS technology can therefore be operated over a large range of varying stray field strengths of the stray field transformer.

The secondary winding, the control electronics, the signal generator device(s) and, if applicable, the short-term energy storage device and/or the contact-free detectable device can be arranged in at least one recess in the article of daily use. This recess can be formed in the article of daily use during its shaping process using conventional manufacturing techniques depending on the respective material of the article of daily use.

The recess in the article of daily use can be closed with a cover to ensure, for example, that the article of daily use can be machine washed. For example, the cover can be glued to the article of daily use to form a seal, or the cover can be connected to the article of daily use using a single material, for example, fused to it using a laser. Additionally or alternatively, the recess can be filled with a pourable and hardenable material. This filling has the advantage of making the components accommodated in the recess less sensitive to impacts and shocks.

When choosing the pourable material and/or the type of connection between the cover and the article of use, in the case of drinking glasses or other articles of use that come into contact with food, the relevant regulations in the food and beverages sector must of course be observed.

The everyday object can be, for example, a drinking vessel or an ashtray. It is also preferred that the everyday object is made essentially of glass.

In a further development of the invention, it is proposed that the primary winding is arranged adjacent to a surface used for applying the article of daily use, of an essentially stationary unit. For example, the primary winding is arranged on the underside of the upper cover plate.

surface of a counter on which drinking glasses, ashtrays or the like are usually placed. It is preferred that areas of this surface located near the primary winding are designed differently from the remaining surface areas. This can be done, for example, by providing depressions in this surface or by giving this surface a different color or the like.

In a further development of the invention, a control unit can be assigned to the primary winding. This control unit can, for example, be designed in such a way that it only temporarily connects the primary winding to the power supply unit. This can result in further surprise effects. For example, a bartender can "activate" the primary winding assigned to a certain place at the bar some time after a guest has sat down there, and thus surprise this guest with suddenly occurring light and sound effects.

The invention further relates to a consumer article with a secondary winding, control electronics and at least one signal generator device that can be controlled by the control electronics for emitting optical and/or acoustic signals. As is already clear from the above discussion, such a consumer article has the advantage of increased security against theft compared to the "effect articles" known in the prior art, since the signal generator devices can only be activated in combination with a primary winding that is arranged at a distance from this consumer article.

The invention also relates to a retrofit kit with at least one primary winding designed for attachment to a substantially stationary unit. With the help of this retrofit kit, the operators of discotheques, bars and the like, whose counters are not equipped with such primary windings from the outset, can also

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are equipped with the technology, which upgrades the counters in their establishments and thus offers their guests the inventive everyday objects as a new attraction.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawing using some embodiments of a drinking vessel as a utility object that can be placed on a counter as a stationary unit. It shows:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a drinking vessel constructed according to the invention, which is placed on a counter provided with a primary winding;

Figure 2 shows a sectional view of another embodiment of a drinking vessel according to the invention;

Figure 3a is a view similar to Figure 2 of a further embodiment;

Figure 3b is a side view of the drinking vessel according to Figure 3a; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 of another embodiment.

Figure 1 shows a combination of a drinking glass 12 with a counter 14, generally designated 10.

The drinking glass 12 has a depression 13 intended for holding a drink, as well as a recess 16 in which an electronic assembly 18 is accommodated. The electronic assembly 18 can be arranged, for example, on a printed circuit board (not shown) which is fastened in the recess 16, for example glued to a boundary wall 16a of the recess. Additionally or alternatively, it is possible to fill the cavity 16

after the electronic assembly 18 has been inserted, it is to be filled with a pourable and curable material, for example synthetic resin. The pourable and curable material is indicated at 20 in Figure 1.

The cavity 16 is closed by means of a cover plate 22, which is glued to the base 12a of the glass or is connected in one material, for example welded by means of a laser. In principle, any type of connection of the cover plate 22 to the base 12a of the drinking glass 12 can be used that satisfies the following criteria:

First of all, it must be ensured that when attaching the cover plate 22 to the drinking glass 12, the temperature in the interior volume of the recess 16, i.e. in particular in the area of the electronic assembly 18, does not rise to values that would result in the destruction of the components of this electronic assembly 18, which will be described in more detail below. When welding using a laser, for example, the glass material of the drinking glass 12 and the cover plate 22 is only heated locally in the area of the weld seam 23.

In addition, a watertight connection must be ensured so that the drinking vessels 12 can also be cleaned in a dishwasher. For this purpose, it is also necessary that the connection is so stable that the cover plate 22 is not accidentally detached from the base 12a of the drinking glass 12 during cleaning in the dishwasher.

Finally, the connection must also comply with the regulations applicable in the food and beverages sector.

The electronic assembly 18 is supplied with electrical energy by means of a stray field transformer 24, the primary winding 24a of which is connected to the

lower surface 28a of the upper cover plate 28 of the counter 14. The primary winding 24a is supplied with energy from a standard AC mains connection 30.

The electromagnetic field emitted by the primary winding 24a of the stray field transformer 24 is absorbed by the secondary winding 24b of the stray field transformer 24. The secondary winding 24b is arranged in the drinking glass 12 and is part of the electronic assembly 18. The alternating voltage induced in the secondary winding 24b is converted into a direct voltage by means of a bridge rectifier 32, which is fed to a control electronics 34 for signaling devices 36 and 38. The bridge rectifier 32 and the control electronics 34 are also parts of the electronic assembly 18, while the signaling devices 36 and 38 do not belong to the electronic assembly 18.

The signaling device 3 shown on the left in Figure 1 can be, for example, a red light-emitting diode (LED), whereas the signaling device 36 on the right can be a green light-emitting diode (LED). The signaling device 38 is a loudspeaker in the example shown. The control electronics 34 can, for example, be designed to use the loudspeaker 38 to play a melody and to let the light-emitting diodes 36 flash in time with this melody. As will be explained in more detail below, there are no limits to the imagination with regard to the effects that can be used in the drinking glass 12.

The electronic assembly 18 also includes a short-term energy storage device 42, which is shown in Figure 1 in the form of a capacitor. This is intended to make it clear that the electrical energy stored in the short-term energy storage device 42 is only sufficient to power the control electronics 34 and the signaling device 3 6 and 3 8

to supply energy over a comparatively short period of time. This comparatively short period of time corresponds approximately to the time required to pick up the drinking glass 12 from the counter 14, to toast another person or several other people, to drink from the drinking glass 12 and finally to put it back on the counter 14. This period of time is in the order of 10 seconds, but at most in the range of 20 to 30 seconds. Of course, the short-term energy storage device 42 can also be made up of several separate storage units.

Figure 1 also shows a control unit 44 which controls the voltage supply from the mains connection 30 to the primary winding 24a of the leakage field transformer 24. The control unit 44 can be operated manually, for example by a bartender, to activate a place at the counter 14 to which the primary winding 24a is assigned, or it can activate the primary winding 24a automatically according to a predetermined program. Furthermore, the control unit 44 can be assigned several primary windings 24a which are assigned to different places at the counter 14.

According to Figure 1, an anti-theft device 40 is also housed in the recess 16. This anti-theft device 40 can, for example, be formed by a resonance circuit that can be excited inductively from the outside. Since the resonance circuit 40 only responds to external excitation in the range of its resonance frequency, it is not excited by the alternating electromagnetic fields of the stray field transformer 24. However, it can be excited by a transmitter arranged at the exit of the discotheque, bar or the like and tuned to its natural frequency. Such anti-theft devices 4.0 are known in the state of the art, for example in department stores. Their structure and function will therefore not be described in detail here. Instead of a resonance circuit, any other

Another type of contactless anti-theft device can be used.

In the following, various examples will be used to show that the number and type of signaling devices used as well as their arrangement in the drinking glass can be varied as desired.

Figure 2 shows a sectional side view of a drinking glass which essentially corresponds to the embodiment according to Figure 1. In Figure 2, analogous parts are therefore provided with corresponding reference numerals, but increased by the number 100. The embodiment according to Figure 2 will only be described below insofar as it differs from the embodiment according to Figure 1. Otherwise, reference is made to its description.

A recess with a spherical segment-shaped upper section 116a and a cylindrical lower section 116b is formed in the base 112a of the drinking glass 112. The lower end of the recess 116 is closed by a cover 122. In the recess 116 one can see the secondary winding 124b of the leakage field transformer, the rectifier 132 and the control electronics 134, a plurality of short-term energy storage devices 142 and a circuit board 146 curved in accordance with the curvature of the recess part 116a, on which exclusively light-emitting diodes 136 are arranged.

Figures 3a and 3b show a further embodiment of a drinking glass, with analogous parts being provided with corresponding reference numerals as in Figure 1, but increased by the number 200. The embodiment according to Figures 3a and 3b will only be described below insofar as it differs from the embodiments according to Figures 1 and 2. Otherwise, reference is made to their description.

Figure 3a shows a sectional view of the drinking glass 212 similar to Figure 2, which in this embodiment is formed by two cylinder bodies 212b and 212c connected to one another at their upper end in Figure 3a, as well as a base part 212d closing off the inner cylinder body 212c at the bottom. The lower end of the outer cylinder body 212b is closed by means of a cover plate 222. The recess 216 formed by the parts 212b, 212c, 212d and 222 comprises an essentially cylindrical lower space 216b in which the secondary winding 224b, the rectifier 232 and the control electronics 234 as well as the short-term energy storage 242 are arranged. The recess 216 further has an annular space 216c between the cylinder bodies 212b and 212c, in which circuit boards 246 with light-emitting diodes 23 6 attached thereto are accommodated.

As shown schematically in Figure 3b, the drinking glass 212 can be designed in such a way that only the optical signaling devices 236 can be seen. The outer cylinder body 212b can be provided with grooves in the area of the glass base 212a, the upper edge 212e can be gold-plated and both cylinder bodies 212b and 212c can be made of frosted glass. In one variant, clear glass areas are provided in the frosted glass in the area of the LEDs 236 in order to allow an unobstructed view of the LEDs. In another variant, the LEDs are also covered by frosted glass so that their glow can only be perceived in a blurred manner. Of course, a combination of these two effects is also conceivable.

Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of a drinking glass, where analogous parts are provided with corresponding reference numerals as in Figure 1, but increased by the number 300. The embodiment according to Figure 4 will be described below only insofar as it differs from

the embodiments according to Figures 1, 2 and 3. Otherwise, please refer to their description.

Similar to the drinking glass 212 according to Figure 3, the drinking glass 312 according to Figure 4 is also formed by two cylinder bodies 312b and 312c. However, the bottom of the drinking glass 312 is formed by an annular glass part 312d, and the inner cylinder body 312c is closed at its upper end by a plate 312f. After covering the outer cylinder body 312b by means of a cover plate 322, a recess 316 is formed which, in addition to a cylindrical lower part 316b, comprises a space 316d that projects centrally into the drinking volume 313 of the glass. The secondary winding 324b, the rectifier 332 and the control electronics 334 as well as a plurality of short-term energy storage devices 342 are arranged in the cylindrical part 316b of the recess 316. A circuit board 346 is arranged in the upper part 316d of the recess 316, to which flash discharge lamps 348 are connected. A high voltage of approximately 1.5 kV is required to operate these flash discharge lamps 348. The components required to generate this high voltage (not shown separately) are arranged in the lower part 316b of the recess 316.

The drinking glasses described above with reference to Figures 1 to 4 are arbitrarily chosen embodiments of everyday objects according to the invention to explain the invention. There are no limits to the imagination with regard to the type and structure of the everyday object, the effects used, etc.:

In addition to the red and green LEDs mentioned above, other colored LEDs can of course also be used. In addition to the LEDs and flash discharge lamps mentioned above, light bulbs or the like can also be used to generate light.

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effects. In addition, these light-generating elements can also be combined with light guide elements, for example glass fiber sections. For example, one can think of arranging a light-emitting diode at the lower end of the central recess section 316d of the drinking glass 312 according to Figure 4, the light from which is coupled into a glass fiber bundle extending into the central recess part 316d, whereby the freely movable ends of the individual glass fibers facing the upper end of this recess part 316b can swing back and forth when the glass moves.

It is also possible to combine the lighting effects described above with any type of acoustic signaling device.

Furthermore, it is possible to provide, in one and the same drinking glass, an annular space corresponding to the recess part 216c of the embodiment according to Figure 3a and at the same time a recess part corresponding to the central recess part 316d of the embodiment according to Figure 4.

Finally, the invention is not limited to use with drinking vessels as explained in the above-described embodiments. Rather, it can also be used with jugs, ashtrays, fruit bowls, plates, table decorations and the like.

Examples of materials that can be used for the everyday objects are glass, plastic, stone, wood and the like. In the embodiments described above, the recess 16 is already formed in the base body 12 itself. However, it is also conceivable in principle to attach an additional body to the base body in which the recess is formed, or to subsequently introduce the recess into the base body.

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Finally, the invention is not limited to the arrangement of the primary winding on or in a counter, but can also be used on conventional dining tables, bistro tables, edge ledges on a wall or the like.

With regard to the primary side of the leakage field transformer, it could be considered to equip the counter or table surface or the like with primary windings across the entire surface. However, since there is always only space for a limited number of people at a dining table, a counter or the like, it is preferable to arrange only a number of primary windings corresponding to this maximum number of people on the underside of the table surface. In this case, it is advantageous to visually design the surface of the table or the like in such a way that the people sitting at the table can easily recognize the "active" areas of the table and prefer to place their drinking glasses or the like on these "active" areas. This optical design can, for example, be provided in the form of relief-like depressions in the table surface in the "active" areas, by special coloring of the "active" areas or in some other way. There are no limits to the designer here.

When designing the primary winding of the leakage field transformer, it is particularly important to ensure that the electromagnetic field lines of the primary winding extend as far as possible through space in order to achieve sufficient inductive coupling to the secondary winding of the transformer, which is located in the consumer product, over as large an area of space as possible. In this context, the operating voltage advantages of CMOS technology should be mentioned again.

Claims (40)

Protection claims a consumer article (12), for example a drinking glass, which comprises a secondary winding (24b), a control electronics (34) and at least one signal generator device (36, 38) controllable by the control electronics (34) for emitting optical and/or acoustic signals, with a primary winding (24b) arranged separately from the article of use (12) and fed by a power supply unit (30). 2. Combination according to claim 1, characterized in that the article of daily use (12) comprises a contact-free, e.g. inductive, detectable device (40). 3. Combination according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the article of use (12) comprises a short-term energy storage device (42). 4. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the signal generator device comprises at least one light-emitting diode (36). 5. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the signaling device comprises at least one incandescent lamp. 6. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the signaling device comprises at least one flash lamp (348). 7. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the signal generator device comprises at least one optical waveguide. 8. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the signal generator device comprises at least one loudspeaker (38). 9. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control electronics (34) are at least partially constructed using CMOS technology. 10. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the secondary winding (24b), the control electronics (34) and optionally the short-term energy storage device (42) and/or the contact-free detectable device (40) are combined in an assembly (18) that can be handled as a unit. 11. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the secondary winding (24b), the control electronics (34), the signal generator device (36, 38) and optionally the short-term energy storage device (42) and/or the contact-free detectable device (40) are arranged in at least one recess (16) of the article of daily use (12). 12. Combination according to claim 11, characterized in that the recess (16) of the article of use (12) is closed by means of a cover (22). 13. Combination according to claim 12, characterized in that the cover and the article of use are sealed together by adhesive. 14. Combination according to claim 12, characterized in that the cover (22) and the article of use (12) are connected to one another in a uniform material, for example are fused together by means of a laser (at 23). 15. Combination according to one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the recess (16) is filled with a pourable and hardenable material (20). 16. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the article of use is a drinking vessel (12). 17. Combination according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the article of use is an ashtray. 18. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the article of use (12) is made essentially of glass. 19. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the primary winding (24a) is arranged adjacent to a surface (28) serving for applying the article of use of a substantially stationary unit (14). 20. Combination according to claim 19, characterized in that regions of the surface (28) located near the primary winding (24a) are designed differently from the remaining regions of the surface. 21. Combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the primary winding (24a) is assigned a control unit (44), in particular one that can be operated manually, which connects the primary winding (24a) to the energy supply unit (30), for example only temporarily. 22. Article (12), for example a drinking glass, with a secondary winding (24b), a control electronics (34) and at least one signal generator device (36, 38) controllable by the control electronics (34) for emitting optical and/or acoustic signals. 23. Article according to claim 22, characterized in that it comprises a contact-free, for example inductive, detectable device {40}. 24. Article according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that it comprises a short-term energy storage device (42). 25. Article according to one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that the signaling device comprises at least one light-emitting diode (36). 26. Article according to one of claims 22 to 25, characterized in that the signaling device comprises at least one light bulb. 27. Article according to one of claims 22 to 26, characterized in that the signaling device comprises at least one flash lamp (348). 28. Article according to one of claims 22 to 27, characterized in that the signal generator device comprises at least one optical waveguide. 29. Article according to one of claims 22 to 28, characterized in that the signal generator device comprises at least one loudspeaker (38). 30. Article according to one of claims 22 to 29, characterized in that the control electronics (34) are at least partially constructed using CMOS technology. 31. Article according to one of claims 22 to 30, characterized in that the secondary winding (24b), the control electronics (34) and optionally the short-term energy storage device (42) and/or the contact-free detectable device (40) are combined in an assembly (18) which can be handled as a unit. 32. Article according to one of claims 22 to 31, characterized in that the secondary winding (24b), the control electronics (34), the signal generator device (36, 38) and optionally the short-term energy storage device (42) and/or the contact-free detectable device (40) are arranged in at least one recess (16) of the article (12). 33. Article according to claim 32, characterized in that the recess (16) of the article (12) is closed by means of a cover (22). 34. Article according to claim 33, characterized in that the cover and the article are sealed together by adhesive. 35. Article according to claim 33, characterized in that the cover (22) and the article (12) are connected to one another in a uniform material, for example by being fused together by means of a laser (at 23). 36. Article according to one of claims 32 to 35, characterized in that the recess (16) is filled with a pourable and hardenable material (20). 37. Article according to one of claims 22 to 36, characterized in that the article is a drinking vessel (12). 38. Utility article according to one of claims 22 to 36, characterized in that the utility article is an ashtray. 39. Article according to one of claims 22 to 38, characterized in that the article (12) is made essentially of glass. 40. Retrofit kit comprising at least one primary winding designed for attachment to a substantially stationary unit.