Electro illuminating wire lighted safety vests

• US 10,405,588 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rayma Charlene Wright
• Original Assignee: Rayma Charlene Wright
• Inventors: Wright, Rayma Charlene
• Primary Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan B
• Application Number:
  US15/423,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20170143053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/04 Vests, jerseys, sweaters or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/01 with reflective or luminous safety means visible signalling arrangements G08B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 27/205 Pockets adapted to receive a mobile phone or other electronic equipment
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0008 Clothing or clothing accessories, e.g. scarfs, gloves or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/004 Reflective safety signalling devices attached on persons

Abstract

Safety vests and garments are for enhancing the visibility of a wearer in low-light, poor vision conditions. The safety garment has a first reflective layer, a second layer of reflective tape, physically attaching Electro Illuminating Wire under the inside edge of the reflect tape that maybe sewn or glued secures the Electro Illuminating Wire in place. Electro Illuminating Wire is then connected to a standard battery pack of old circuitry. The Electro Illumination Wire and glue are available on the market, Electro Illuminating Wire is old circuitry, prior art. Physically attaching the electro illuminating wire to safety garments creates a new environment, new area for a brighter and versatile safety garment. The electro illuminating wire adds greater visibility to safety garments. Wearers have the option to turn on a bright solid light or bright blinking light, simply by pressing a button, adding even greater visibility to wearers and stopping injury or even death.

Claims

1. An electro illumination (EL) wire assembly, comprising:

a substantially solid, leaky waveguide wire having a predetermined length at a fixed distance from a surface of a light emitting device, said waveguide wire including an internally light reflecting surface that is configured to collect and direct light emitted by said light emitting device into said waveguide wire, such that the emitted light is directed through and is scattered by said waveguide wire so as to exit the surface of said waveguide wire in a substantially uniform light intensity pattern, said waveguide wire further comprising an outer surface comprising housing one or more attachment tabs extending away from said outer surface.

2. The EL wire assembly of claim 1, in which said waveguide wire comprises a plurality of point light sources.

3. The EL wire assembly of claim 2, in which said point light sources are EL wire.

4. An optical waveguide illumination assembly, comprising:

a predetermined length of optical waveguide material having a round light emitting surface;

a light source optically coupled to at least one end of said predetermined length of optical waveguide material; and

a housing at least partially surrounding said predetermined length of optical waveguide material, said housing formed of a stretch-resistant, heat-resistant material, said housing including opposing and substantially round walls with an outer surface and an internally light reflecting inner surface, such that the housing serves to collect and direct light emitted by said light source into said predetermined length of optical waveguide material, with such light then passing through and being scattered by said predetermined length of optical waveguide material so as to create light emitting from the round light emitting surface in a substantially uniform light intensity pattern, said housing further comprising one or more attachment tabs extending away from said outer surface.

5. The optical waveguide illumination assembly of claim 4, in which said light source is embodied in a plurality of point light sources.

6. The optical waveguide illumination assembly of claim 5, in which at least some of said plurality of point light sources are lengths of light emitting electro illuminating (EL) wire.

7. The optical waveguide illumination assembly of claim 4, in which said predetermined length of optical waveguide material is composed of a material that has both optical waveguide and light scattering properties.