Indirect lighting system for roller skates and skateboards

• US 5,513,080 A
• Filed: 12/30/1994
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard Earney, Thomas O. Magle
• Original Assignee: Richard Earney, Thomas O. Magle
• Inventors: Magle, Thomas O., Earney, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Gromada, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Basichas, Alfred
• Application Number:
  US08/366,874
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103, 362/61, 362/253, 36/137, 36/115, 280/11.23, 280/11.22, 280/11.19, 280/811, 280/816
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/01 Skateboards A63C17/02 - A63C17/28 take precedence; rolling devices on skis A63C5/035
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/26 with special auxiliary arrangements, e.g. illuminating, marking, or push-off devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/14 Lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/326 on or for wheels

Abstract

A lighting kit that provides indirect lighting for roller skates or skateboards by mounting a lighting assembly under the shoe section of the skate or underside of the skateboard and providing a light directed down from the bottom of the shoe section of the skate or underside of the skateboard to the floor under the user. The color of the lighting system can be altered by placing a color filter in front of the lamp. In an alternative embodiment the conventional lamps used in the first embodiment are replaced by electroluminescent (EL) lamps. The EL lamps provide a flat structure which is relatively unnoticeable to observers when the skate is in use and the lamps turned off because they are positioned flat against the bottom of the skate or skateboard. When the lamps are activated, they illuminate the floor beneath the skate but are not directly seen. The third embodiment provides flat EL lamp panels which removably attach to the sides of the skates or skateboards such that they can be used not only for aesthetic reasons but also to provide an effective safety measure. The kit can be manufactured with the skate or skateboard as an integral component.

Claims

1. A lighting kit for generating indirect lighting for roller skates, comprising:

an indirect light generator mounted to the roller skate such that indirect light from the light generator is visible and indirect light from the light generator is obstructed from a lateral view during normal use;

a power source connected to the indirect light generator; and

attachment means for attaching the indirect light generator and the power source to a roller skate.

2. A lighting kit, as in claim 1, wherein:

the indirect light generator is an electroluminescent lamp; and

the power source includes a battery power supply and a DC inverter, the battery power supply inputting DC power into the DC inverter and the DC inverter outputting AC power to the power input of the electroluminescent lamp.

3. A lighting kit, as in claim 1, further comprising:

a light shield substantially surrounding the lateral edges of the indirect light generator, the light shield further substantially inhibits light from the indirect light generator from direct viewing during normal use and does not obstruct viewing of indirect light emitted from the indirect light generator;

the indirect light generator is a battery powered light source;

the battery powered light source is selectably activated by switch means; and

a removably attachable color filter having a preselected color attached to the light shield in the path of the indirect light such that the color of the indirect light is selectably controlled.

4. A lighting kit, as in claim 2, further comprising a switch attached to the output of the battery power supply such that the indirect light generator can be selectably activated.

5. A lighting kit, as in claim 4, further comprising attachment means for attaching the lighting kit to a roller skate.

6. A lighting kit, as in claim 2, wherein the electroluminescent lamp has a plurality of separate portions, each portion capable of being independently illuminated.

7. A lighting kit, as in claim 6, further comprising:

illumination control means attached to the output of the battery power supply and to the indirect light generator such that the separate portions of the electroluminescent lamp can be selectable activated;

at least one portion of the electroluminescent lamp illuminates has a first color and at least one other portion of the electroluminescent lamp has a second color when illuminated; and

attachment means for attaching the lighting kit to a roller skate.

8. A lighting kit, as in claim 7, wherein the illumination control means includes means to switch colors by selecting differently colored portions of the electroluminescent lamp.

9. A lighting kit, as in claim 7, wherein the illumination control means includes means to vary light intensity by varying the number of portions of the electroluminescent lamp which are simultaneously illuminated.

10. A lighting kit, as in claim 7, wherein the illumination control means includes a timer to selectably control activation of the electroluminescent lamp according to a preselected time interval.

11. A roller skate with indirect lighting, comprising:

a skate, further comprising an upper shoe portion, a bottom shoe surface, and a wheel assembly attached to the bottom shoe surface;

an indirect light generator attached to the skate such that light directed in a substantially downward direction to the floor during normal use, further, the light generator is mounted to the roller skate such that indirect light from the light generator is visible and indirect light from the light generator is obstructed from a lateral view during normal use; and

a power source connected to the indirect light generator.

12. A lighting kit, as in claim 11, wherein:

the indirect light generator is an electroluminescent lamp;

the power source includes a battery power supply and a DC inverter, the battery power supply inputting DC power into the DC inverter and the DC inverter outputting AC power to the power input of the electroluminescent lamp; and

a switch is attached to the output of the battery power supply such that the indirect light generator can be selectably activated.

13. A lighting kit, as in claim 12, wherein the electroluminescent lamp has a plurality of separate portions, each portion capable of being independently illuminated.

14. A lighting kit, as in claim 13, further comprising:

illumination control means attached to the output of the battery power supply and to the indirect light generator such that the separate portions of the electroluminescent lamp can be selectably activated; and

at least one portion of the electroluminescent lamp illuminates has a first color and at least one other portion of the electroluminescent lamp has a second color when illuminated.

15. A lighting kit, as in claim 14, wherein the illumination control means includes means to switch colors by selecting differently colored portions of the electroluminescent lamp.

16. A lighting kit, as in claim 14, wherein the illumination control means includes means to vary light intensity by varying the number of portions of the electroluminescent lamp which are simultaneously illuminated.

17. A lighting kit, as in claim 14, wherein the illumination control means includes a timer to selectably control activation of the electroluminescent lamp according to a preselected time interval.