RECREATIONAL APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME

• US 20090010021A1
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Graphlite LLC
• Original Assignee: Graphlite LLC
• Inventors: Smith, Jeffrey T., Waraniak, Michael, Blicher, Michael C., Gupte, Mukund P.
• Application Number:
  US12/167,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20090010021A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/565
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices on cycles; Mounting or supporting thereof; Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 163/00 Adhesives based on epoxy resins; Adhesives based on derivatives of epoxy resins
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/008 Leisure, hobby or sport articles, e.g. toys, games or first-aid kits; Hand tools; Toolboxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre

Abstract

A recreational apparatus includes a base layer forming one opposed side of the apparatus. A core layer is established on the base layer, the core layer having a fiber optic sheet assembly integration pocket defined therein. A fiber optic sheet is established in the integration pocket. The fiber optic sheet has a plurality of protrusions therethrough. An illumination source and a power supply are each operatively connected to the fiber optic sheet. A cover layer is established on the fiber optic sheet and the core layer.

Claims

1. A recreational apparatus, comprising:

a base layer forming one opposed side of the apparatus;

a core layer established on the base layer, the core layer having a fiber optic sheet assembly integration pocket defined therein;

a fiber optic sheet established in the integration pocket, the fiber optic sheet having a plurality of apertures therethrough;

an illumination source and a power supply operatively connected to the fiber optic sheet; and

a cover layer established on the fiber optic sheet and the core layer.

2. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising an epoxy securing the apparatus together, wherein the epoxy is configured to adhere two different materials and to flow through the plurality of apertures in the fiber optic sheet.

3. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a top layer secured to the cover layer and forming an other opposed side of the apparatus, wherein at least one of the base layer or the top layer has graphics established thereon, and wherein the graphics are illuminated via the illumination source and the fiber optic sheet.

4. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the fiber optic sheet assembly integration pocket includes a groove configured to receive a housing having at least one aperture that receives at least one ferrule of the fiber optic sheet.

5. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the housing is accessible via a stomp pad removably secured to a top layer established on the cover layer.

6. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the illumination source and the power supply are housed in the housing.

7. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one of a recreational run recording device or a preset driver in operative communication with the power supply and the illumination source.

8. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the apparatus includes the recreational run recording device and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for real-time communication of recorded recreational run parameters.

9. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the apparatus includes the recreational run recording device, which includes:

an accelerometer G-force microprocessor;

an inertia sensor operatively connected to the microprocessor; and

a position sensor operatively connected to the microprocessor, thereby enabling speed calculation and time/position variation.

10. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is selected from snowboards, skateboards, snowskis, waterskis, wakeboards, street luges, motorcycles, snowmobiles, mountain bikes, and motorcross bikes.

11. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising an RFID operatively connected to the power supply.

12. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the fiber optic sheet is reinforced with fiberglass.

13. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the core layer further comprises a second fiber optic sheet assembly integration pocket defined therein, and wherein the recreational apparatus further comprises a second fiber optic sheet established in the second integration pocket, the second fiber optic sheet having a plurality of apertures therethrough.

14. The recreational apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a soft fiberglass mesh layer established between the base layer and the core layer; and

a top layer established on the cover layer.

15. A method of making a recreational apparatus, comprising:

establishing a fiber optic sheet assembly into a core layer having a fiber optic sheet assembly integration pocket, the fiber optic sheet assembly having;

an adhesion sheet with a plurality of apertures extending therethrough;

optical fibers adhered to at least a portion of the adhesion sheet; and

at least one ferrule binding ends of the optical fibers;

securing the at least one ferrule in a housing established in a groove defined in the core layer; and

laminating the core layer to a cover layer via an epoxy configured to adhere the core and cover layers, wherein the epoxy flows through the plurality of apertures of the fiber optic sheet.

16. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

laminating a top layer to the cover layer; and

routing out a portion of the top layer, the cover layer and a portion of the housing to expose an interior of the housing and the at least one ferrule.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, further comprising establishing a power supply and an illumination source in the housing such that each is operatively connected to the at least one ferrule.

18. The method as defined in claim 16, further comprising removably securing a stomp pad on the top layer to cover the routed out portions.

19. The method as defined in claim 15 wherein securing the at least one ferrule in the housing includes operatively connecting the at least one ferrule to a power supply and an illumination source in the housing.

20. A method of making a fiber optic sheet, comprising:

cutting an adhesive sheet in a predetermined manner to form an optical fiber support and lighting template having a plurality of apertures therethrough; and

adhering fiber optics to the optical fiber support and lighting template.

21. A method of making a fiber optic sheet, comprising:

providing a plurality of optical fibers secured between two opposed sheets;

removing one of the two opposed sheets such that the plurality of optical fibers remain adhered to an other of the two opposed sheets; and

cutting the other of the two opposed sheets in a predetermined manner to form a plurality of apertures therethrough.

22. A fiber optic sheet, comprising:

an optical fiber support and lighting template including an adhesive sheet and a plurality of apertures defined through the adhesive sheet; and

a plurality of optical fibers, at least some of which are adhered to the adhesive sheet.

23. The fiber optic sheet as defined in claim 22 wherein the adhesive sheet has two opposed ends, wherein one of the two opposed ends has a shape that corresponds with a shape of a recreational apparatus configured to receive the fiber optic sheet, and wherein an other of the two opposed ends is tapered.

24. The fiber optic sheet as defined in claim 22 wherein the plurality of apertures include circular apertures, square apertures, cut-outs, or combinations thereof.

25. The fiber optic sheet as defined in claim 22 wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of optical fibers are not adhered to the adhesive sheet and are encased in an epoxy.

26. The fiber optic sheet as defined in claim 22 wherein each of the plurality of optical fibers has an end that is not adhered to the adhesive sheet, and wherein each of the non-adhered ends is operatively positioned in one of a plurality of ferrules.