Prank apparatus with amusement effect

Abstract

A prank apparatus includes a base unit, a driving device and a decorative unit. The base unit includes a housing, a support rack, a sounder, a sensor, a power supply, and a control board. The driving includes a mounting seat, a drive wheel, a drive motor, a driven wheel, a support bar, and two torsion springs. The In the preferred embodiment, the decorative unit includes an extension shank having a first end connected with the support bar and a second end provided with a guide slot, a movable pin movably mounted in the guide slot, a first link having a first end pivotally connected with the movable pin, a decorative body connected with a second end of the first link, and a second link having a first end pivotally connected with the support rack and a second end pivotally connected with the first link.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A prank apparatus, comprising:
 a base unit; 
 a driving device mounted on the base unit; and 
 a decorative unit mounted on the driving device; 
 wherein the base unit includes a housing, a sounder mounted in the housing, a sensor mounted in the housing, a power supply mounted in the housing, and a control board mounted in the housing; 
 the driving device includes a mounting seat mounted on the housing of the base unit, a drive wheel rotatably mounted in the mounting seat and having a periphery locally provided with a plurality of drive teeth, a drive motor mounted in the mounting seat and connected with the drive wheel to rotate the drive wheel, a driven wheel rotatably mounted on the mounting seat and having a periphery locally provided with a plurality of driven teeth meshing with the drive teeth of the drive wheel, a support bar connected with the driven wheel to move in concert with the driven wheel, and two torsion springs mounted on two opposite sides of the driven wheel and each having a first end connected with the mounting seat and a second end connected with the support bar; 
 the base unit further includes including a support rack mounted on the housing; 
 the decorative unit is being mounted on the support bar of the driving device and the support rack of the base unit; 
 the decorative unit includes including: 
 an extension shank having a first end connected with the support bar of the driving device and a second end provided with an elongate guide slot; 
 a movable in pin movably mounted in the guide slot of the extension shank; 
 a first link having a first end pivotally connected with the movable pin; 
 a decorative body connected with a second end of the first link; and 
 a second link having a first end pivotally connected with the support rack of the base unit and a second end pivotally connected with the first link. 
 
     
     
       2. The prank apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the decorative body is provided with a connector connected with the second end of the first link. 
 
     
     
       3. The prank apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the second end of the second link is located between the movable pin and the decorative body. 
 
     
     
       4. The prank apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the driving device is operable by the sensor of the base unit, the decorative body is movable in concert with the support bar of the driving device, and the sensor of the base unit is a light sensor, a sound sensor, a footpad control switch or a try-me switch that is operable to actuate the driving device. 
 
     
     
       5. A prank apparatus, comprising:
 a base unit;   a power supply;   a driving device powered by the power supply, mounted on the base unit; and   a decorative unit mounted on the driving device;   the driving device including a drive wheel mounted on the base unit and having a periphery locally provided with a plurality of drive teeth, a drive motor mounted on the base unit and connected with the drive wheel to rotate the drive wheel, a driven wheel rotatably mounted on the base unit and having a periphery locally provided plurality of driven teeth intermittently meshing with the drive teeth of the drive wheel to rotate in a driven direction when the drive wheel rotates in a driving direction, a support bar connected with the driven wheel to move in concert with the driven wheel, and a torsion spring having a first end connected with the base unit and a second end connected with the support bar and configured to bias the driven wheel to rotate in a springing direction and the support bar to pivot in the springing direction opposite to the driven direction, and to cause the driven wheel and support bar suddenly to so rotate and pivot when the driven teeth of the driven wheel lose contact with the drive teeth of the drive wheel;   the decorative unit including:   an extension shank connected to the support bar to move in concert with the support bar, the extension shank having a first end connected to the support bar and a second end extending away from the support bar, said sudden pivoting of the support bar in the springing direction causing sudden pivoting of the extension shank in the springing direction and sudden upward and forward movement of the extension shank relative to the base unit;   a first link having a first end pivotally connected to the extension shank and configured to pivot relative to the extension shank in a direction opposite to said springing direction and to move upward and forward relative to the base unit in response to said sudden pivoting of the support bar and extension shank in the springing direction;   a decorative body connected to a second end of the first link positioned forward of the first end, the decorative body configured to spring upward and forward, and to rotate relative to the extension shank in the direction opposite to said springing direction, in response to said sudden pivoting of the support bar and extension shank in the springing direction; and   a second link having a first end pivotally connected to the base unit at a pivotal joint spaced forwardly of the driven wheel and a second end pivotally connected with the first link, the second link being located forward of the support bar and extension shank and configured to pivot relative to the base unit in response to the sudden pivoting of the support bar and extension shank in the springing direction of said sudden pivoting of the support bar and extension shank.   
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising the drive motor being mounted in a mounting seat of the driving device, the mounting seat mounted on a housing of the base unit. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising the drive wheel being rotatably mounted in the mounting seat. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a support rack, the first end of the second link being pivotally connected to the support rack. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising
 a sounder; and   a sensor selected from the group consisting of a light sensor, a sound sensor, a footpad control switch or a try-me switch;   the sensor being operable to actuate the driving device to cause the drive wheel to rotate in the driving direction and to actuate the sounder when the drive teeth of the drive wheel lose contact with the driven teeth of the driven wheel, so that a sound is emitted substantially simultaneously with the sudden movement of the decorative body.