Lighted inflatable device with long battery life

• US 5,639,076 A
• Filed: 01/03/1996
• Issued: 06/17/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Counter Punch Group
• Original Assignee: Counter Punch Group
• Inventors: Mullen, Kerry D., Cmiel, Peter J., Axelson, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US08/582,456
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 273/58 G, 362/103, 362/806, 446/219, 446/220, 446/485
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1058 associated with light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0231 Astable circuits H03K3/0315 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

A permanently sealed, lighted, inflatable device comprises a permanently sealed outer shell, an inner inflatable bladder disposed within the outer shell, a valve for inflating the inner inflatable bladder, and a self-contained, non-replaceable illumination element disposed between and engagingly held in place by the inner inflatable translucent bladder and the outer translucent shell. The illumination element includes a control element for conserving battery life. The bladder and shell have translucent portions through which light from the illumination element passes.

Claims

1. A lighted, inflatable device comprising:

a permanently sealed outer shell,

an inner inflatable bladder disposed within the outer shell, the bladder and shell each having a translucent portion,

means for inflating the inner inflatable bladder, and

an illumination element disposed between and securely held between the inner inflatable bladder and the outer shell

whereby light from the illumination element passes through the translucent portions of the inner inflatable bladder and the outer shell.

2. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 1, wherein the illumination element further comprises a light, a battery, a switch, wiring, and a control element connected between the switch and the light, to control when the light is turned on.

3. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 2, wherein the light further comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

4. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 2, wherein the switch is inaccessible from the exterior of the device.

5. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 2, wherein the switch is a vibration-sensitive switch.

6. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 3 wherein the control element is electronic.

7. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 6, wherein the control element further comprises a pulsing circuit to conserve battery life, the pulsing circuit turning on and off the light-emitting diode while the switch is on.

8. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 6, wherein the control element further comprises a resistance-based current limiting circuit to conserve battery life, the current limiting circuit turning on the light-emitting diode while the switch is on.

9. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 1, wherein the device is a standard-size, standard-weight basketball.

10. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 7, wherein the pulsing circuit comprises:

a first transistor connected to the battery,

a first capacitor connected to the first transistor, the first capacitor turning on the first transistor when discharged and turning off the first transistor when charged, the first capacitor being discharged by closing the switch and being recharged in a period t₁ by current flow through the first transistor,

a two-stage operational amplifier whose inverting input is connected to the first transistor, the output voltage of whose second stage is the opposite of the output voltage of whose first stage,

a second transistor connected to the output of the first stage of the operational amplifier, to ground, and to the light-emitting diode,

an RC circuit connected between the output of the second stage of the operational amplifier and the non-inverting input of the first stage of the operational amplifier, and

associated resistors

to pulse the light emitting diode on for a time period t₂ and off for a time period t₃, the values of t₁, t₂, and t₃ being determined by the values of the resistors and capacitors.

11. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 8, wherein the current-limiting circuit further comprises:

a first transistor connected to the battery,

a first capacitor connected to the first transistor, the first capacitor turning on the first transistor when discharged and turning off the first transistor when charged, the first capacitor being discharged by closing the switch and being recharged by current flow through the first transistor,

a second transistor connected to the light-emitting diode and the first transistor, the second transistor being turned on by the first transistor, and

current-limiting resistors.

12. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 11, further comprising a third transistor connected to the switch and the first capacitor.

13. A permanently sealed, lighted, inflatable device having a self-contained, non-replaceable illumination element, the device comprising:

a permanently sealed outer shell,

an inner inflatable bladder disposed within the outer shell, the bladder and shell each having a translucent portion,

means for inflating the inner inflatable bladder, and

a self-contained, non-replaceable illumination element disposed between and engagingly held in place by the inner inflatable bladder and the outer shell, the illumination element further comprising a light, a non-accessible switch, a battery and an electronic control element for conserving battery life,

whereby light from the illumination element passes through the translucent portions of the inner inflatable bladder and the outer shell.

14. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 13, wherein the light further comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

15. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 13, wherein the switch is a vibration-sensitive switch.

16. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 14, wherein the control element further comprises a pulsing circuit to conserve battery life.

17. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 14, wherein the control element further comprises a resistance-based current limiting circuit to conserve battery life.

18. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 13, wherein the device is a standard-size, standard-weight basketball.

19. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 13, wherein the battery is rechargeable and further comprising a battery charger.

20. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 16, wherein the pulsing circuit comprises:

a first transistor connected to the battery,

a first capacitor connected to the first transistor, the first capacitor turning on the first transistor when discharged and turning off the first transistor when charged, the first capacitor being discharged by closing the switch and being recharged in a period t₁ by current flow through the first transistor,

a two-stage operational amplifier whose inverting input is connected to the first transistor, the output voltage of whose second stage is the opposite of the output voltage of whose first stage,

a second transistor connected to the output of the first stage of the operational amplifier, to ground, and to the light-emitting diode,

an RC circuit connected between the output of the second stage of the operational amplifier and the non-inverting input of the first stage of the operational amplifier, and

associated resistors

to pulse the light emitting diode on for a time period t₂ and off for a time period t₃, the values of t₁, t₂, and t₃ being determined by the values of the resistors and capacitors.

21. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 17, wherein the current-limiting circuit further comprises:

a first transistor connected to the battery,

a first capacitor connected to the first transistor, the first capacitor turning on the first transistor when discharged and turning off the first transistor when charged, the first capacitor being discharged by closing the switch and being recharged by current flow through the first transistor,

a second transistor connected to the light-emitting diode and the first transistor, the second transistor being turned on by the first transistor, and

current-limiting resistors.

22. The lighted, inflatable device of claim 21, further comprising a third transistor connected to the switch and the first capacitor.

23. A permanently sealed, lighted, inflatable ball having a self-contained, non-replaceable illumination element, the ball comprising:

a permanently sealed outer shell,

an inner inflatable bladder disposed within the outer shell, the bladder and shell each having a translucent portion,

a valve for inflating the inner inflatable bladder, and

a self-contained, non-replaceable illumination element disposed between and engagingly held in place by the inner inflatable bladder and the outer shell, the illumination element further comprising a light-emitting diode, a vibration-sensitive switch, a battery and an electronic control element for conserving battery life,

whereby light from the illumination element passes through the translucent portions of the inner inflatable bladder and the outer shell.

24. The lighted, inflatable ball of claim 23, wherein the control element further comprises a pulsing circuit to conserve battery life.

25. The lighted, inflatable ball of claim 23, wherein the control element further comprises a resistance-based current limiting circuit to conserve battery life.

26. The lighted, inflatable ball of claim 23, wherein the ball is a standard-size, standard-weight basketball.

27. The lighted, inflatable ball of claim 24, wherein the pulsing circuit comprises:

a first transistor whose emitter is connected to the battery'"'"'s positive terminal,

a first capacitor connected to the base of the first transistor,

a two-stage operational amplifier,

a second transistor whose base is connected to the output of the first stage of the operational amplifier and whose collector is connected to ground and whose emitter is connected to the light-emitting diode,

an RC circuit connected between the output of the second stage of the operational amplifier and the non-inverting input of the first stage of the operational amplifier,

the collector of the first transistor being connected to the inverting input of the first stage of the operational amplifier, and

associated resistors

such that closing of the switch causes the first capacitor to discharge through a resistor, turning on the first transistor;

turning on the first transistor causes a reference voltage to be applied to the inverting input of the first stage of the operational amplifier and causes the first capacitor to be recharged in a time period t₁ ;

the reference voltage causes the output of the first stage of the operational amplifier to go low if the reference voltage is greater than the voltage applied to the non-inverting input of the first stage of the operational amplifier;

the output of the first stage of the operational amplifier going low turns off the second transistor and causes the output of the second stage of the operational amplifier to go high;

turning off the second transistor causes the light-emitting diode to stop conducting; and

the output of the second stage of the operational amplifier is fed back through the RC circuit to the non-inverting input of the first stage of the operational amplifier to pulse the light emitting diode on for a time period t₂ and off for a time period t₃,

the values of t₁, t₂, and t₃ being determined by the values of various resistors and capacitors.

28. The lighted, inflatable ball of claim 25, wherein the current-limiting circuit further comprises:

a first transistor connected to the battery,

a first capacitor connected to the first transistor, the first capacitor turning on the first transistor when discharged and turning off the first transistor when charged, the first capacitor being discharged by closing the switch and being recharged by current flow through the first transistor,

a second transistor connected to the light-emitting diode and the first transistor, the second transistor being turned on by the first transistor, and

current-limiting resistors.

29. The lighted, inflatable ball of claim 28, further comprising a third transistor connected to the switch and the first capacitor.