FR2561937A1 - Signalling device for childrens games - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a signalling device for childrens games. It consists of a casing 1 featuring a person's head of which certain elements are warning elements 2 and others are command elements 5. The warning elements may give warnings which are luminous, visual and/or audible (flashing lamps, balls which deflate, whistles, various audible alarms, etc.). Figure 2a shows, by way of example, a casing 1 comprising inflatable balls 2 featuring the eyes connected via a pipe 3 to an orifice 4 made in the nose. A lever 5 representing a tongue acts by passing from one position to another, over the stopper 6 closing the orifice 4. Use for signalling in games of tag that the participant has actually been touched.

Description

 The invention relates to a signaling device intended for children when they seek to touch a comrade, this device making it possible to visually and / or audibly report if the latter has been touched.

 His children know many different variants of the cat games which consist in chasing one of the participants and touching him so that he in turn becomes the "Nais cat" there are sometimes disputes as to whether one of them they have been hit.

 The device according to the invention makes it possible to visually and / or auditively determine whether the player has indeed been hit. This device consists of a box from which protrude a visual or auditory warning element and a control-mobile element between a waiting position and a control position of the warning element.

 According to a first variant, the control element constitutes a switch, the control position of which activates an electrical circuit causing a light and / or sound warning.

 According to another variant, the warning element is an inflatable part connected by a pipe to an inflation and deflation orifice, and the control element acts on the closing member of this orifice.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings in which
Figure 1 is a front view of a variant of a device according to the invention.

 Figures 2a and 2b are sectional views of the device according to the invention, n, representing the two possible states.

 Figures 3a and 3b are sectional side views of another device according to the invention.

 Figures 4a and 4b are sectional side views of yet another device according to the invention.

 Figures 5a and Sb are sectional side views of yet another variant.

 In general, the housing of the signaling device has a circular shape and represents a personal head comprising eyes, a nose and a mouth with or without a tongue.

 The warning element consists of the eyes, cheeks or nose while the control element consists of the mouth or nose.

 In a first type of variant, the warning elements are inflatable parts which can constitute the eyes or the cheeks (there are then two) or the nose (there is only one). These inflatable parts 2 are set by a pipe 3 to an inflation and deflation orifice 4, provided with a closure member 6 actuated by a control element 5.

 Figures 1, 2a and 2b show a first variant of the device. The inflatable parts 2 constitute the eyes and the control element 5 is a lever representing the tongue.

The lever 5 is fixed to the case 1 by means of a rod 8 on which it can tilt.

 At the upper part of the tongue, a hole allows the passage of a flexible cord fixed to the housing and terminated by a plug 6 which sinks into an orifice made in the middle of a rigid protuberance 7 representing the nose. Inside the housing, there is a channel 3 in a coated U, one of the branches of which receives the opening of the balloon and the other extends out of the case inside the protuberance 7; its end constitutes orifice 4 for inflation and deflation. The balloon is inflated by blowing air through the orifice 4 then after having brought the lever 5 to the appropriate position, the orifice is closed with the plug 6. A thrust exerted on the lower part of the control element 5 blows up the cap and the balloon deflates (Figure 2b).

 Figures 3a and 3b describe a device in which the inflatable parts include the cheeks. The pipe 3 ends in the mouth of the character and is closed by a plug 6 carried directly by the lever 5. The housing has purely decorative eyes and nose.

 Figures 4a and 4b show yet another variant in which it is the nose which plays the role of the control element 5. The pipe 3 passes inside the rigid body in the shape of a nose and opens at the end. upper part of the latter by forming an orifice 4. A rigid bar carries a plug at its free end which sinks into the orifice 4, and keeps the nose in place. The nose is fixed to the housing by means of a compressed spring when the nose has been pushed to introduce the plug into the orifice 4. A downward pressure exerted on the upper end of the nose releases the plug of the orifice and the nose comes out towards the outside under the pressure of the spring and the balloons representing the eyes deflate.

 Signaling that a player has been hit is obtained by deflating the balls. It can be combined with an audible warning, by fitting orifice 4 with a whistle that operates under the action of air escaping from the balloon when it deflates.

 Figures 5a and 5b schematically show another variant of this device.

 In this type of variant, the warning element and the control element are part of an electrical circuit (powered by a battery). The warning element is for example constituted by lamps (representing the eyes) which light up or flash when the electric circuit is closed by the control element constituting a switch. The control element can be constituted by a push button appearing, the mouth which, once pressed, closes the circuit.

 The circuit can also activate an audible alarm of a similar type, in combination or not with the light signaling.

 The device is mounted on an elastic band, for example by means of two fixed ears (9) on each side of the case, which allows the player to place the case on the back or at the waist. Other fixing systems can of course be envisaged.

 The player who pursues one of his comrades must activate the control element, for example by pressing on the tongue forming a lever, on the nose to release the rigid bar, or even by pressing the push-button to close the electrical circuit, ' the warning element is then put into service, either by deflating the balloons or by closing the electrical circuit, and it is not possible for the player to contest that he was hit.

 It is understood that many modifications can be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (6)

- REVENDI-C-ATI ~ S  1.- Signaling device for children's games, characterized in that it consists of a housing (1) projecting from a visual and / or auditory warning element (2) and a control element (5ì of l warning element (2), the element (5) being movable between a waiting position and a position for controlling the warning element.  2.- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control element (5) is a switch whose control position triggers an electrical circuit causing a light and / or sound warning.  3.- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the warning element (2) is an inflatable part (2) connected by a pipe to an orifice (4) for inflation and deflation, and the control element (5) acts on the closing member (6) of the orifice (4).  4.- Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the control element (5) is a lever whose waiting position corresponds to the closing of orifice (4) and whose control position corresponds to 1 opening of this orifice.  5.- Device according to claim 3g characterized in ce.que the control element (5) is a rigid body projecting from the housing containing the section of the pipe (3) ending in the orifice (4), the plug ( 6) being carried by a rigid bar.  6.- Device according to claim 3 characterized in that the orifice (4) further constitutes a whistle.