Illuminatable belt

• US 4,652,981 A
• Filed: 09/19/1985
• Issued: 03/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alexandra Enterprises Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alexandra Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Glynn, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelli, Raymond A.
• Application Number:
  US06/759,489
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103, 362/104, 362/105, 362/106, 362/108, 362/374, 362/806, 362/811, 362/32
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: A41F 9/002 Free belts
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0008 Clothing or clothing accessories, e.g. scarfs, gloves or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre

Abstract

An illuminatable belt is described which includes a two piece buckle, a power pack and an elongated tube connected to one piece of the buckle at one end and to the second piece of the buckle at the opposite end. The power pack contains battery operated flashlight type circuitry with an on-off switch, and a bulb is connected to the circuit. A bundle of optical fibers extends from the bulb area into the hollow tube away from the bulb. When the power pack contains batteries and is turned on, light shines away from the power pack into the fiber bundle so as to illuminate the hollow tube, e.g., throughout the entire length of the belt.

Claims

1. An illuminatable belt device which comprises:

(a) a two-piece belt buckle;

(b) an elongated tube which is non-opaque and which has the length, strength and flexibility to be used as a belt, said tube being connected to one piece of said buckle at one end and to the second piece of said buckle at the opposite end;

(c) a power pack which is connected to said tube;

(d) a battery-operated power supply of the flashlight type, being located within said power pack;

(e) an on-off switch on the outside of said power pack which is connected to said battery-operated power supply;

(f) a light bulb, being connected to said battery-operated power supply and being connectively positioned with respect to said power pack and said tube so as to be capable of shining away from said power pack and into said tube; and

,

(g) at least one bundle of optical fibers contained within said tube, said bundle being positioned in the light path of said bulb so as to be capable of fiber optic transmittal illumination within said tube, said bundle being of varied lengths of optical fibers, the longest of which is approximately the tube length, the total number of optical fibers within said bundle being at least forty in number.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said tube is transparent.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said tube is translucent.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one color filter is positioned between said bulb and a fiber bundle so as to be capable of colored light fiber optics illumination.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein at least one color filter is positioned between said bulb and a fiber bundle so as to be capable of colored light fiber optics illumination.

6. The device of claim 3 wherein at least one color filter is positioned between said bulb and a fiber bundle so as to be capable of colored light fiber optics illumination.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said power pack includes a spring loaded pull-open section to facilitate insertion and removal of batteries.

8. The device of claim 2 wherein said power pack includes a spring loaded pull-open section to facilitate insertion and removal of batteries.

9. The device of claim 3 wherein said power pack includes a spring loaded pull-open section to facilitate insertion and removal of batteries.

10. The device of claim 4 wherein said power pack includes a spring loaded pull-open section to facilitate insertion and removal of batteries.

11. The device of claim 5 wherein said power pack includes a spring loaded pull-open section to facilitate insertion and removal of batteries.

12. The device of claim 6 wherein said power pack includes a spring loaded pull-open section to facilitate insertion and removal of batteries.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein said tube is hollow.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein said tube is extruded in place about said bundle of fibers.