Sound emitting hockey puck

Abstract

A puck includes a cylinder having a curvilinear sidewall extending about and centered with a central longitudinal axis, and a plurality of sound emitting structures connected to the sidewall. At least one sound emitting structure is configured to emit sound when the puck rotates about the central longitudinal axis at or above a threshold rotational speed and translates at or above a threshold translational speed. The puck may include top and bottom surfaces having peripheral rims or flanges that extend beyond the periphery of the sidewall, thereby protecting the sound emitting structures from contact from a hockey stick blade.

1 . A puck comprising:
 a substantially cylindrical body having a planar top surface, a planar bottom surface spaced apart from said top surface, a curvilinear recessed sidewall extending about and centered with a central longitudinal axis, and a plurality of boreholes that extend radially inward from said recessed sidewall; and   a plurality of sound-emitting structures corresponding to said plurality of boreholes and disposed within said plurality of boreholes, wherein at least one sound-emitting structure of said plurality of sound-emitting structures is configured to emit sound when said puck rotates about said central longitudinal axis at or above a certain threshold rotational speed and said puck translates at or above a certain threshold translational speed.   
     
     
         2 . The puck according to  claim 1 , wherein: said plurality of boreholes and corresponding plurality of sound-emitting structures are evenly spaced circumferentially about said recessed sidewall, and preferably are diametrically opposed from one another. 
     
     
         3 . The puck according to  claim 1 , wherein: said plurality of sound-emitting structures are disposed centrally between said planar top and bottom surfaces of said body. 
     
     
         4 . The puck according to  claim 1 , wherein: said recessed sidewall is recessed relative to outer circumferences of said planar top surface and said planar bottom surface of said body. 
     
     
         5 . The puck according to  claim 1 , wherein: each given borehole of the plurality of boreholes is configured to retain a corresponding sound-emitting structure at a certain depth in the given borehole with an interference fit or threaded connection. 
     
     
         6 . The puck according to  claim 1 , wherein: said plurality of sound-emitting structures each include an aperture leading to a resonant chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The puck according to  claim 6 , wherein: relative depth of a respective sound-emitting structure in a corresponding borehole is adjustable to adjust volume of said resonant chamber and pitch of the sound emitted from the respective sound-emitting structure. 
     
     
         8 . The puck according to  claim 6 , wherein: at least one sound-emitting structure of said plurality of sound-emitting structures has an aperture configured to receive air when said body rotates in a first rotational direction about said central longitudinal axis, and, said aperture of at least one other sound-emitting structure of said plurality of sound-emitting structures has an aperture configured to receive air when said body rotates in a second rotational direction about said axis that is the opposite rotational direction to said first rotational direction. 
     
     
         9 . The puck according to  claim 1 , wherein: at least one sound-emitting structure of said plurality of sound-emitting structure includes a top wall defining a respective aperture and at least one sidewall attached to said top wall, wherein said top wall is curved, or hemispherical, or said top wall is planar and is angled at an acute angle with respect to a central axis that extends radially from said central longitudinal axis of said body through a center of said top wall. 
     
     
         10 . The puck according to  claim 1 , wherein: at least one sound-emitting structure of said plurality of sound-emitting structures has a cylindrical side wall. 
     
     
         11 . The puck according to  claim 6 , wherein: each sound-emitting structure of said plurality of sound-emitting structures has a top wall through which a central axis extends radially to the central longitudinal axis of said body and wherein said aperture of the sound-emitting structure each whistle extends at a respective acute angle relative to said central axis. 
     
     
         12 . The puck according to  claim 6 , wherein: at least one aperture for said plurality of sound-emitting structures is elongated, and/or is curved, and/or has a geometric shape such as oval, round, triangle, square, star, and crescent. 
     
     
         13 . The puck according to  claim 6 , wherein: at least part of the resonant chamber for a respective sound-emitting structure is defined by the borehole that receives the respective sound-emitting structure. 
     
     
         14 . A method of using a training puck comprising:
 providing a puck according to  claim 1 ;   moving the puck through the air to cause said puck to rotate about said central longitudinal axis and translate, wherein when said puck rotates at a speed of at least a threshold rotational speed and the puck translates at a speed of at least a threshold translational speed, one or more sound-emitting structures of said plurality of sound-emitting structures emit sound.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein moving said puck includes: sliding a hockey stick blade against, and tangential to said sidewall of said body to cause rotation of the puck about the central longitudinal axis, and pushing said body away from said blade. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 aligning said blade tangential to said sidewall of said body;   imparting a specific directional plane of motion to said aligned blade; and   applying a force from said blade against said body.