A holiday ornament assembly for hanging includes a bell body that has an upper wall and peripheral wall that is attached to and extends downwardly therefrom. The peripheral wall has a bottom edge creating an opening into the bell body. A pendulum is pivotally attached to the bell body. The pendulum has an upper end and a lower end. The upper end extends through an aperture in the upper wall. A bob is attached to the lower end and positioned within the bell body. A housing is comprised of a top wall and a perimeter wall that is attached to the top wall and extends downwardly therefrom and attached to the upper wall. A hook is attached to and extends outwardly from the top wall. A drive assembly is mounted in the housing and pivots the pendulum to strike the bell body emitting a ringing sound.

A holiday ornament assembly for hanging includes a bell body that has an upper wall and peripheral wall that is attached to and extends downwardly therefrom. The peripheral wall has a bottom edge creating an opening into the bell body. A pendulum is pivotally attached to the bell body. The pendulum has an upper end and a lower end. The upper end extends through an aperture in the upper wall. A bob is attached to the lower end and positioned within the bell body. A housing is comprised of a top wall and a perimeter wall that is attached to the top wall and extends downwardly therefrom and attached to the upper wall. A hook is attached to and extends outwardly from the top wall. A drive assembly is mounted in the housing and pivots the pendulum to strike the bell body emitting a ringing sound.

A chime apparatus for producing a sound in response to an actuation signal is provided. The chime apparatus comprises a support frame, a bell, a hammer assembly and a chiming mechanism. The support frame has an opened bottom end, and the bell is hanging from the opened bottom end. The hammer assembly comprises an L-shaped lever and a hammer head. The L-shaped lever has a lever fulcrum and is pivotally mounted to the support frame. The L-shaped lever has a first and a second lever segments orthogonally projecting from the lever fulcrum, and the hammer head is affixed to an extremity of the first lever segment opposite the fulcrum. The chiming mechanism comprises a plunger element and an actuator. The plunger element is vertically movable in the support frame, and the actuator is operatively connected to the plunger element.

A chime apparatus for producing a sound in response to an actuation signal is provided. The chime apparatus comprises a support frame, a bell, a hammer assembly and a chiming mechanism. The support frame has an opened bottom end, and the bell is hanging from the opened bottom end. The hammer assembly comprises an L-shaped lever and a hammer head. The L-shaped lever has a lever fulcrum and is pivotally mounted to the support frame. The L-shaped lever has a first and a second lever segments orthogonally projecting from the lever fulcrum, and the hammer head is affixed to an extremity of the first lever segment opposite the fulcrum. The chiming mechanism comprises a plunger element and an actuator. The plunger element is vertically movable in the support frame, and the actuator is operatively connected to the plunger element.

In some embodiments, a power supply in a doorbell system includes a boost rectifier circuit with a plurality of active devices arranged in a bridge topology that are configured to receive an AC input voltage, generate a DC output voltage by rectifying the AC input voltage, drive an electric load using the rectified DC voltage, and boost an amplitude of the AC input voltage. Two of the plurality of active devices in the boost rectifier circuit may be pulse driven and can control an operation of a mechanical or digital chime device. The chime device can include a solenoid and the boost rectifier circuit may utilize the solenoid as an energy storage element to facilitate the boosting of the amplitude of the AC input voltage. The boost rectifier circuit may boost the AC input voltage by at least a multiplication factor of two.

A rotating mallet assembly for generating a continuous note from a standing bell includes a base, which is positionable on a substantially horizontal surface. A fastener engaged to an upper surface of the base can selectively engage a bottom of a standing bell so that the standing bell is removably engaged to the base. An arm is engaged to and extends from the base. A mallet is pivotally engaged to and extends from the arm distal from the base so that the mallet frictionally contacts a rim of the standing bell. A motor is engaged to the arm and is operationally engaged to the mallet. The motor is positioned to selectively rotate the mallet relative to the standing bell to excite continuous vibrations in the standing bell so that a continuous note is produced.

A rotating mallet assembly for generating a continuous note from a standing bell includes a base, which is positionable on a substantially horizontal surface. A fastener engaged to an upper surface of the base can selectively engage a bottom of a standing bell so that the standing bell is removably engaged to the base. An arm is engaged to and extends from the base. A mallet is pivotally engaged to and extends from the arm distal from the base so that the mallet frictionally contacts a rim of the standing bell. A motor is engaged to the arm and is operationally engaged to the mallet. The motor is positioned to selectively rotate the mallet relative to the standing bell to excite continuous vibrations in the standing bell so that a continuous note is produced.

A doorbell conversion device includes a power input terminal, a power output terminal, two doorbell trigger terminals, a power conversion unit, and a trigger signal unit. The power conversion unit is coupled between the power input terminal and the power output terminal for generating a sensing signal in response to an electric potential of the power output terminal. While the electric potential of the power output terminal is grounded, the power input terminal and the power output terminal are disconnected. In contrast, the power input terminal and the power output terminal are connected. The trigger signal unit is coupled between the power conversion unit and the two doorbell trigger terminals for controlling the two doorbell trigger terminals to be opened or shorted based upon the sensing signal. While the electric potential of the power output terminal is grounded, the two doorbell trigger terminals are shorted. In contrast, they are opened.

A light-powered, electromechanical chime has a striker assembly (3) inside a bell (1). The striker assembly contains a clapper (6) and electronics, including a light collector (7) and a motor (10.) The striker assembly is suspended by a torsion element (2) attached to the shaft (11) of the motor. Light causes the motor to wind the torsion element, then the unwinding torsion element causes the striker assembly to rotate and the clapper to strike the bell.

A light-powered, electromechanical chime has a striker assembly (3) inside a bell (1). The striker assembly contains a clapper (6) and electronics, including a light collector (7) and a motor (10.) The striker assembly is suspended by a torsion element (2) attached to the shaft (11) of the motor. Light causes the motor to wind the torsion element, then the unwinding torsion element causes the striker assembly to rotate and the clapper to strike the bell.