Light Emitting Ball for Ball Game

• US 20080132363A1
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lumica Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lumica Corporation
• Inventors: Harada, Shiro
• Application Number:
  US10/592,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132363A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces

Abstract

The present invention provides a light-emitting ball, including surface layers and a tube covered therewith, for a ball game. A plurality of light-transmissive, elastic luminescent-body fixtures including light-emitting panels and luminescent body-retaining sections are arranged in the ball such that the light-emitting panels are exposed from holes, arranged in the surface layers, having substantially a circular shape. The luminescent body-retaining sections are substantially circular and have a size greater than that of the light-emitting panels. Outer end portions of the luminescent body-retaining sections are fixed between the surface layers and the tube. Luminescent-body insertion ports laterally extending in surface portions of the light-emitting panels are connected to cavities laterally extending in the luminescent body-retaining sections; hence, luminescent bodies can be detachably attached to the ball. The ball is practical in that the ball can be hit by a hand, kicked, or thrown against a floor.

Claims

1. A light-emitting ball for ball game comprising, surface layers and a tube covered therewith, wherein a plurality of light-transmissive, elastic luminescent-body fixtures including luminescent body-retaining sections and light-emitting panels are sandwiched between the surface layers and the tube such that the light-emitting panels are exposed at the surface of the ball and the light-emitting panels have luminescent-body insertion ports that are arranged at surfaces thereof such that chemiluminescent bodies can be detachably inserted into the luminescent body-retaining sections through the luminescent-body insertion ports.

2. The light-emitting ball according to claim 1, wherein the luminescent body-retaining sections have a size greater than that of the light-emitting panels and the luminescent-body fixtures are configured such that each light-emitting panel and luminescent body-retaining section are combined into one piece.

3. The light-emitting ball according to claim 1, wherein the luminescent-body insertion ports arranged at the light-emitting panel surfaces have a size less than that of the chemiluminescent bodies and are connected to cavities present in the luminescent body-retaining sections.

4. The light-emitting ball according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting panels have gaps extending from surfaces thereof to the luminescent body-retaining sections and the chemiluminescent bodies are inserted through the gaps such that the chemiluminescent bodies are retained by the elasticity of an elastic material.

5. The light-emitting ball according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting panels have grooves, for removal, extending perpendicularly to the insertion ports.

6. The light-emitting ball according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting panels arranged under the surface layers of the ball are spaced from each other at equal intervals.

7. The light-emitting ball according to claim 1, wherein the chemiluminescent bodies include cylindrical sealed vessels that are flexible and light-transmissive and sealed glass vessels disposed in the cylindrical sealed vessels, the cylindrical sealed vessels contain one of an oxidation solution and a fluorescent solution that are mixed to cause chemiluminescence, the sealed glass vessels contain the other one, the oxidation solution principally contains aqueous hydrogen peroxide, and the fluorescent solution principally contains an oxalate ester and a fluorescent substance.

8. The light-emitting ball according to claim 1, wherein in a system for causing chemiluminescence by mixing an oxidation solution principally containing aqueous hydrogen peroxide and a fluorescent solution principally containing a solid oxalate ester and a solid fluorescent substance, the chemiluminescent bodies include cylindrical sealed vessels that are flexible and light-transmissive and sealed glass vessels disposed in the cylindrical sealed vessels, the cylindrical sealed vessels contain the oxidation solution, the sealed glass vessels contain the fluorescent solution, and the oxalate ester and/or the fluorescent substance is present in the form of powder or crystals.

9. The light-emitting ball according to claim 1, wherein in a system for causing chemiluminescence by mixing an oxidation solution principally containing aqueous hydrogen peroxide and a fluorescent solution principally containing a solid oxalate ester and a solid fluorescent substance, the chemiluminescent bodies include cylindrical sealed vessels that are flexible and light-transmissive and sealed glass vessels disposed in the cylindrical sealed vessels, the cylindrical sealed vessels contain the fluorescent solution, the sealed glass vessels contain the oxidation solution, and the oxalate ester and/or the fluorescent substance is present in the form of powder or crystals.

10. The light-emitting ball according to claim 1, wherein the luminescent body-retaining sections include light-reflecting layers disposed on the bottoms thereof.