Illuminated golf ball

• US 6,042,487 A
• Filed: 05/28/1998
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chemical Light Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Chemical Light Incorporated
• Inventors: Schrimmer, Michael L., Musial, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US09/086,393
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 473/570, 473/353
• US Class Current: 473/353
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0055 with non-spherical insert(s)
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces

Abstract

An illuminatable golf ball includes an outer translucent shell and a sealed inner core portion surrounded by the outer shell. The ball includes a self-contained lighting device formed and contained at least in part within the inner core portion. The lighting device includes an energy source, a pair of lighting elements, and connectors extending between the energy source and the lighting elements defining an electrical circuit. The lighting device includes a switch for energizing and deenergizing the lighting device. The switch can include a plunger insertable into the ball through an opening in the outer shell and through a bore in the inner core portion. The plunger is configured to change the state of the electrical circuit when it is inserted into and removed from the bore to energize and deenergize the lighting elements. The switch can also be timer actuated and of the force actuatable type.

Claims

1. An illuminatable ball comprising:

a sealed outer translucent shell;

an inner core portion surrounded by the outer shell;

a self-contained lighting device contained at least in part within the inner core portion, the lighting device including an energy source, at least one lighting element, and an electrical circuit including a timer-actuated switch that is separate and distinct from the energy source and being switchable between a deenergized state and an energized state for providing electrical energy from the energy source to the at least one lighting element, the switch being switchable from the deenergized state to the energized state for a set, predetermined period of time,

wherein when the electrical circuit is in the energized state the at least one lighting element is illuminated and when in the deenergized state the at least one lighting element is not illuminated.

2. The illuminatable golf ball in accordance with claim 1 wherein the lighting device includes a switch that is actuatable by a force applied to the switch.

3. A sealed, illuminatable ball comprising:

a sealed outer translucent shell;

an inner core portion fully surrounded by the outer shell;

a self-contained lighting device contained at least in part within the inner core portion, the lighting device including a battery, a plurality of spaced apart, distinct lighting elements, and an electrical circuit including a timer-actuated switch that is separate and distinct from the battery, the timer-actuated switch being switchable from a deenergized state by a force exerted on the switch to an energized state for providing electrical energy from the battery to the lighting elements, the switch being switchable from the deenergized state to the energized state for a set, predetermined period of time,

wherein when the electrical circuit is in the energized state the lighting elements are illuminated and when in the deenergized state the lighting elements are not illuminated.