Illuminated dart

• US 4,840,383 A
• Filed: 10/29/1987
• Issued: 06/20/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James W. Lombardo
• Original Assignee: James W. Lombardo
• Inventors: Lombardo, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US07/114,053
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 273/416, 273/420, 273/DIG. 24, 273/423, 273/58 G, 446/485, 446/219, 446/47, 362/32, 362/109, 362/205, 124/41 R
• US Class Current: 473/585
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/362 Arrows or darts F42B12/38 takes precedence, having means for implantation, e.g. hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54; arrows or darts in general F42B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/40 of target-marking, i.e. impact-indicating type F42B12/48, F42B12/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 6/003 Darts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/24 Luminescent, phosphorescent

Abstract

An illuminated dart contains a small battery and a light producing element. The light producing element may consist of a small bulb or a LED. Fiber optics may be received within the hollow transparent or translucent shaft of the dart for illuminating the transparent or translucent tail fins of the dart. The dart includes a switch for turning the light source element on or off. In a second embodiment of the invention, a dart board is provided with electric light bulbs in each sector of the dart board for illuminating that sector when contacts in that sector are activated by a thrown dart.

Claims

1. An illuminated dart, comprising:

a tip;

a hollow conical tip section connected to said tip;

a light source received within said hollow conical tip section;

a battery within said hollow conical tip section;

a switch on an external surface of said hollow conical tip section for selectively connecting and disconnecting said battery from said light source;

a hollow shaft formed from a transparent or translucent material connected to said conical tip section;

a tail section formed from a translucent or transparent material connected to said hollow shaft;

tail fins formed from a transparent or translucent material on said tail section;

and

optical fibers in said hollow shaft for transmitting light from said light source to said tail section and said tail fins.

2. The illuminated dart of claim 1, wherein said light source comprises at least one light emitting diode.

3. The illuminated dart of claim 1, wherein said light source comprises at least one electric light bulb.

4. An illuminated dart, comprising:

tip means;

hollow shaft means connected to said tip means;

electrical illumination means in said shaft means;

means for energizing said illumination means;

tail fin means connected to said shaft means;

a hollow conical tip section connected to one end of said hollow shaft means, said tip means being connected to said conical tip section;

and

said electrical illumination means and said energizing means received within said hollow conical tip section.

5. An illuminated dart, comprising:

tip means;

hollow shaft means connected to said tip means;

electrical illumination means in said shaft means;

means for energizing said illumination means;

tail fin means connected to said shaft means;

and

means for transmitting light from said illumination means to said tail fin means.

6. The illuminated dart of claim 5, wherein said transmitting means comprises optical fibers received within said hollow shaft means.

7. The illuminated dart of claim 5, wherein said tail fin means comprises a transparent or translucent material.