Audible Footwear Brush

Abstract

An audible footwear brush incorporates sound producing means, including an audio chip, a speaker, an electrical source, and an activation button. An audible footwear brush assembly comprises an audible footwear brush and a brush receptacle. The receptacle is mountable on a vehicle or other support surface. The brush receptacle is a channel shaped metal extrusion, preferably aluminum, with removable endplates. The extrusion is shaped to form a slot positioned above the lower surface of the extrusion, for insertion of the footwear brush. The extrusion may also provide an outer slot for insertion of a display panel. In use, an activation button is depressed upon pressure from a boot placed on the brush, causing playback of a pre-recorded sound until pressure is released.

1 . An audible footwear brush comprising:
 (a) a footwear brush comprising a base having upper and lower surfaces, a plurality of bristles projecting outwardly from the upper surface; and   (b) sound producing means.   
   
   
       2 . The audible footwear brush of  claim 1 , wherein the sound producing means comprises an audio chip, a speaker, an electrical source, and an activation button. 
   
   
       3 . The audible footwear brush of  claim 2 , wherein the speaker is disposed on the lower surface of the base. 
   
   
       4 . The audible footwear brush of  claim 2 , wherein the speaker is disposed on the upper surface of the base. 
   
   
       5 . An audible footwear brush assembly comprising:
 (a) a footwear brush comprising a base having opposed ends, opposed sides, an upper surface, and a lower surface, wherein a plurality of bristles projects outwardly from the upper surface;   (b) a brush receptacle for removable insertion therein of the audible footwear brush, the receptacle attachable to a support surface; and   (c) sound producing means disposed on the lower surface of the footwear brush.   
   
   
       6 . The audible footwear brush assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the sound producing means comprises an audio chip, a speaker, an electrical source, and an activation button. 
   
   
       7 . The audible footwear brush assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the brush receptacle comprises:
 (a) a metal extrusion comprising a generally planar lower surface having opposed longitudinal edges, and opposed walls extending upwardly from corresponding longitudinal edges to form a channel;   (b) two endplates, each releasably attachable to a corresponding opposed end of the extrusion; and   (c) means for releasably attaching the endplates to the extrusion.   
   
   
       8 . The audible footwear brush assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the metal is aluminum. 
   
   
       9 . The audible footwear brush assembly of  claim 8 , wherein:
 (a) the inner side of each opposed wall further comprises a medial lateral projection extending parallel to the lower surface along the length of the wall at a medial position and an upper lateral projection extending parallel to the lower surface along the length of the wall at a position distal to the lower surface, wherein the medial and upper lateral projections define a slot for removable insertion therein of the audible footwear brush.   
   
   
       10 . The audible footwear brush assembly of  claim 9 , wherein:
 (a) the inner side of each opposed wall further comprises a convex retaining projection extending parallel to the lower surface along the length of the wall at a position between the medial and upper lateral projections;   (b) wherein the extent of projection of each retaining projection is less than the extent of projection of either the medial or upper lateral projections.   
   
   
       11 . The audible footwear brush assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the means for releasably attaching the endplates further comprises:
 (a) at least one fastener receiving receptacle on each end of the lower surface and each end of the opposed walls;   (b) a plurality of openings in each of the endplates positioned to correspond to the fastener receiving receptacles; and   (c) a plurality of fasteners, each for releasable insertion through an opening in the endplates to a corresponding fastener receiving receptacle.   
   
   
       12 . The audible footwear brush assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 (a) an upper longitudinal projection extending along the outer surface of at least one wall, outwardly and downwardly, to form an upper lip;   (b) a lower longitudinal projection extending along the outer surface of the at least one wall, outwardly and upwardly, to form a lower lip; and   (c) a rectangular panel releasably insertable along the outer surface of the at least one wall between the upper lip and lower lip, the panel adapted to display information printed, embossed or otherwise presented thereon.   
   
   
       13 . The audible footwear brush assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the panel is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal or cardboard.