1. An electromechanical horn device for dispersing or deterring an aggressive animal, comprising:
a housing having a hand grip portion so as to be hand-held;
a sound generating system in said housing including a piezoelectric speaker and a microcontroller operatively connected therewith;
an electrical power source in said housing connected with said piezoelectric speaker and said microcontroller for supplying power thereto; and
a push button on said housing coupled with an on-off switch mounted in said housing and operatively connected between said electrical power source and said sound generating unit to power said piezoelectric speaker and said microcontroller;
said microcontroller programmed to cause said piezoelectric speaker to generate a series of short, audible sound signals in a repetitive pattern, said generated sound signals having fundamental frequencies with associated harmonic component frequencies and decibel levels that fall within a frequency range of greatest hearing sensitivity of the animal.
2. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 1, wherein
the animal is a canine having greatest hearing sensitivity in a frequency range of from about 3 kHz to about 10 kHz.
3. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 1, wherein
said generated sound signals have fundamental frequencies with associated harmonic component frequencies that fall within a frequency range of from about 3 kHz to about 10 kHz, and decibel levels in a range of from about 75 dB to about 115 dB (SPL) at 1 meter.
4. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 1, wherein
said microcontroller is programmed to cause said piezoelectric speaker to generate a series of short, audible two-tone sound signals of different fundamental frequencies in a repetitive alternating pattern, wherein a first generated sound signal having a fundamental frequency with a second harmonic component frequency is followed by a second generated sound signal having a higher fundamental frequency with a second harmonic component frequency.
5. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 4, wherein
said first generated sound signal has a fundamental frequency in a range of from about 3 kHz to about 5 kHz, a decibel level in a range of from about 95 dB to about 115 dB (SPL) at 1 meter, and duration period in the range of from about 50 to 70 milliseconds, and said second harmonic component of said first generated sound signal is in a range of from about 6 kHz to about 10 kHz and has a decibel level in a range of from about 75 dB to about 95 dB (SPL) at 1 meter; and
said second generated sound signal has a fundamental frequency in the range of from about 6 kHz to about 10 kHz, a decibel level in the range of from about 75 dB to about 95 dB (SPL) at 1 meter, and duration period in the range of from about 50 to 70 milliseconds.
6. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 4, wherein
said first generated sound signal has a fundamental frequency of about 4 kHz, a decibel level in a range of from about 95 dB to about 115 dB (SPL) at 1 meter, and duration period in the range of about 65 milliseconds, and said second harmonic component of said first generated sound signal is about 8 kHz and has a decibel level in a range of from about 75 dB to about 95 dB (SPL) at 1 meter; and
said second generated sound signal has a fundamental frequency of about 4.5 kHz, and a decibel level in the range of from about 95 dB to about 115 dB (SPL) at 1 meter, a duration period in the range of about 65 milliseconds, and said second harmonic component of said of second generated sound signal is about 9 kHz and has a decibel level in the range of from about 75 dB to about 95 dB (SPL) at 1 meter.
7. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 1, wherein
said microprocessor (microcontroller) is programmed to cause said piezoelectric speaker to generate a series of short, audible one-tone sound signals in a repetitive pattern, wherein each generated sound signal has the same fundamental frequency with a second harmonic component.
8. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 7, wherein
each said generated sound signal has a fundamental frequency in a range of from about 3 kHz to about 5 kHz, a decibel level in a range of from about 95 dB to about 115 dB (SPL) at 1 meter, and duration period in the range of from about 50 to 70 milliseconds, and said second harmonic component of each said generated sound signal is in a range of from about 6 kHz to about 10 kHz and has a decibel level in a range of from about 75 dB to about 95 dB (SPL) at 1 meter.
9. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 7, wherein
each said generated sound signal has a fundamental frequency of about 4 kHz to about 4.5 kHz, a decibel level in a range of from about 95 dB to about 115 dB (SPL) at 1 meter, and duration period of about 65 milliseconds, and said second harmonic component of each said generated sound signal is in a range of from about 8 kHz to about 9 kHz and has a decibel level in a range of from about 75 dB to about 95 dB (SPL) at 1 meter.
10. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 1, wherein
said housing is an inverted generally L-shaped configuration having a generally vertical hand grip portion adapted to be grasped by the palm of a hand of a user, a curved upper rear end portion and an outwardly flared portion extending generally perpendicular from said hand grip portion terminating in a generally cylindrical distal end portion; and
said piezoelectric speaker is mounted in said generally cylindrical distal end portion; and
said push button comprises a depressible thumb button mounted on said curved upper rear end portion at a position to be depressed by a thumb of the user while grasping said handle
11. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 10, wherein
said hand grip portion has longitudinally spaced depressions formed along its front surface for receiving the fingers of the user.
12. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 10, wherein
said housing has a generally cylindrical neck portion disposed between said hand grip portion and said outwardly flared portion.
13. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 1, wherein
said electrical power source is a battery mounted in said housing.
14. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 13, further comprising:
a low-battery indicator light on said housing operatively connected with said battery to become illuminated to indicate a low-battery condition.
15. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 13, wherein
said hand grip portion has an open bottom end, and an end closure removably engaged thereon, said end closure having a battery holder frame configured to receive said battery.
16. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a spring clip mounted on said housing having a resilient clip arm extending a distance along one outer lateral side of said hand grip portion for releasably attaching said horn device to a user’s belt, pocket, or garment.
17. The electromechanical horn device according to claim 1, further comprising:
an attachment assembly having a clamp member removably mounted on said housing, and a pair of resilient laterally opposed curved arms configured to releasably engage a cylindrical or tubular portion of an object or conveyance for transporting said horn device thereon.
18. A method of dispersing or deterring an aggressive animal using an electromechanical horn device having a sound generating system including a piezoelectric speaker, comprising the step of:
generating a series of short, audible sound signals in a repetitive pattern, said generated sound signals having fundamental frequencies with associated harmonic component frequencies that fall within a frequency range of from about 3 kHz to about 10 kHz, and decibel levels in a range of from about 75 dB to about 115 dB (SPL) at 1 meter.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein
said step of generating a series of short, audible sound signals comprises generating a series of audible two-tone sound signals of different fundamental frequencies in a repetitive alternating pattern, wherein a first generated sound signal having a fundamental frequency with a second harmonic component frequency is followed by a second generated sound signal having a higher fundamental frequency with a second harmonic component frequency.
20. The method according to claim 18, wherein
said step of generating a series of short, audible sound signals comprises generating a series of one-tone sound signals in a repetitive pattern, wherein each generated sound signal has the same fundamental frequency with a second harmonic component frequency.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for utilizing microwave generated multi-bubble plasma to treat an effluent, the method comprising:
(a) providing a microwave field;
(b) flowing an effluent and gas bubbles in the effluent across the microwave field;
(c) enhancing electromagnetic field in a path of the gas bubbles via an electrode;
(d) triggering plasma in the gas bubbles as the gas bubbles reach a region of enhanced electromagnetic field; and
(e) coupling microwave to the plasma.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the microwave field is provided by a single mode waveguide, and the electrode has a tip thereof positioned around where a maximum electric field of the microwave field is located.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the microwave field is provided by a multimode cavity.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the effluent is flowed across the waveguide by flowing through a tube made from a material transparent to the microwave.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the effluent is continuously circulated across the microwave field.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is designed to have an electric field enhancement factor higher than 1.0.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrode has a tip thereof positioned in the microwave field.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises particles dispersed in the flowing effluent and functioning as electrodes.
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the particles are kept localized by means of fluidization or magnetic force.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein further comprising passing a gas to the effluent to generate gas bubbles, through the electrode.
11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising stiffing the flowing effluent by mechanical mixing.
12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising promoting degradation of contaminant in the effluent by chemical additives.
13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising modifying conductivity of the effluent by chemical additives.
14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying ultrasound waves to oppose buoyancy forces on the gas bubbles.
15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising removing suspended solids in the effluent prior to the plasma generation.
16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising removing suspended solids from the effluent after exiting the reactor or between reactors.
17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising flowing the effluent flowed across the microwave field a second time or across a second microwave field, and repeating steps (c) to (e).
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the second microwave field is provided by microwaves guided by a second waveguide.
19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising provide gas bubbles to the effluent flowing across the microwave field a second time or across a second microwave field.
20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
flowing a second effluent and second gas bubbles in the second effluent across the microwave field;
enhancing electromagnetic field in a path of the second gas bubbles via a second electrode, wherein the second electrode has a tip thereof positioned in the microwave field;
triggering plasma in the second gas bubbles as the second gas bubbles reach a region of enhanced electromagnetic field close to the second electrode tip; and
coupling microwave to the plasma.