Illuminated Game Ball and Kit

• US 20130029794A1
• Filed: 07/11/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bede Kortegast
• Original Assignee: Bede Kortegast
• Inventors: Kortegast, Bede
• Granted Patent: US 8,663,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/76 with means enabling use in the dark, other than powered illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/066 using balls on a horizontal playing ground, e.g. petanque
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0036 Accessories for stowing, putting away or transporting exercise apparatus or sports equipment A63B47/00, A63B55/00, A63B60/56 take precedence

Abstract

An improved LED illuminated game ball designed to be used in Bocce or Petanque. The game ball includes a solid, opaque spherical body with a threadingly connected illuminated cap assembly that is axially aligned and partially extends into the spherical body. The illuminated cap assembly includes an outer housing, and intermediate member, and a lower inner housing. Mounted on the intermediate member is a PCB with a multi-functional switch and a longitudinally aligned plunger switch. The intermediate member also includes a downward extend bridle with a downward extending LED bulb. Located inside the bride is a plurality of stacked watch batteries. The outer housing includes top plate with a transversely aligned slot and a plunger bore through which the plunger switch and the closed neck on a sealing washer disposed under the top plate partially extends after assembly. The end of the plunger switch is recessed and enclosed in a watertight seal.

Claims

1. An illuminated game ball with an improved illuminated cap assembly that enables a user to manually control illumination for daytime and night time use, reduce accidental activation, and allows for easier battery exchange, comprising:

a. a solid, opaque, spherical body with an axially aligned cap bore that partially extends into said spherical body;

b. an illuminated cap assembly configured to be selectively inserted and temporarily locked into said cap bore, said cap assembly includes an outer housing, an intermediate member, and an inner housing, said outer housing includes a top flange plate and a perpendicular aligned, hollow cylinder opened at one end, said top flange plate includes a transversely aligned slot and a coaxially aligned plunger bore, said intermediate member includes a PCB with a perpendicular aligned bridle attached thereto and an upward extending plunger switch, said bridle includes a lower horizontal surface with at least one longitudinally aligned, downward extending LED bulb attached thereto, said inner housing includes a lower flange plate and an upward extending cylindrical side wall that surrounds said intermediate member, said lower flange plate includes an LED bulb bore, said cylindrical side wall on said inner housing being smaller in diameter than said cylindrical side wall on said outer housing thereby enabling inner housing to fit into said outer housing;

c. three stacked batteries located inside said bridle and electrically connected between said PCB and said LED, and

d. whereby when said intermediate light assembly is coaxially aligned inside said inner housing and said inner housing is attached to said outer housing, said plunger on said intermediate light assembly is recessed and coaxially aligned with said plunger bore formed on said top flange plate on said outer housing, and said LED bulb extends downward through said bulb hole on said lower flange plate on said inner housing.

2. The game ball, as recited in claim 1, wherein said cap bore formed on said spherical body includes internal threads formed therein and said outer housing includes external threads that are meshed together to enable said illuminated cap assembly to be selectively attached or detached from said cap bore.

3. The game ball, as recited in claim 1, wherein said switch circuit on said PCB operates in three modes:

Off, LED ON-STEADY;

LED ON-FLASHING.

4. The game ball, as recited in claim 1, further including a sealing washer disposed around said cylinder on said outer housing that provides a watertight seal when said cap assembly is attached to said cap bore on said spherical body.

5. The game ball, as recited in claim 4, further including a closed neck formed on said washer that extends into said plunger bore formed on said outer housing

6. An illuminated game ball comprising

a solid, opaque, spherical body with an axially aligned cap bore that partially extends into said spherical body;

and

an illuminated cap assembly configured to be selectively inserted and temporarily locked into said cap bore,

the improvement comprising;

a. said cap assembly includes an outer housing, an intermediate member, and an inner housing, said outer housing includes a top flange plate and a perpendicular aligned, hollow cylinder opened at one end, said top flange plate includes a transversely aligned slot and a coaxially aligned plunger bore, said intermediate member includes a PCB with a perpendicular aligned bridle attached thereto and an upward extending plunger switch, said bridle includes a lower horizontal surface with at least one longitudinally aligned, downward extending LED bulb attached thereto, said inner housing includes a lower flange plate and an upward extending cylindrical side wall that surrounds said intermediate member, said lower flange plate includes an LED bulb bore, said cylindrical side wall on said inner housing being smaller in diameter than said cylindrical side wall on said outer housing thereby enabling inner housing to fit into said outer housing; and

b. three stacked batteries located inside said bridle and electrically connected between said PCB and said LED.

7. An illuminated game ball kit, comprising:

four pairs of illuminated spherical balls, an outer container 100, a tape measure, a target ball, and a game instruction sheet;

each said spherical ball includes a solid, opaque, spherical body with an axially aligned cap bore that partially extends into said spherical body, and an illuminated cap assembly configured to be selectively inserted and temporarily locked into said cap bore, said cap assembly includes an outer housing, an intermediate member, and an inner housing, said outer housing includes a top flange plate and a perpendicular aligned, hollow cylinder opened at one end, said top flange plate includes a transversely aligned slot and a coaxially aligned plunger bore, said intermediate member includes a PCB with a perpendicular aligned bridle attached thereto and an upward extending plunger switch, said bridle includes a lower horizontal surface with at least one longitudinally aligned, downward extending LED bulb attached thereto, said inner housing includes a lower flange plate and an upward extending cylindrical side wall that surrounds said intermediate member, said lower flange plate includes an LED bulb bore, said cylindrical side wall on said inner housing being smaller in diameter than said cylindrical side wall on said outer housing thereby enabling inner housing to fit into said outer housing, each said spherical ball also includes three stacked batteries located inside said bridle and electrically connected between said PCB and said LED.