Illuminated game ball and method of play
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An illuminated game sphere, comprising:
- a spherical body formed of at least two sections joined together to form an interior chamber, said spherical body having an opening that communicates with said interior chamber, said spherical body formed substantially of light conducting material that is at least translucent; and
a case sized and shaped to be received within said interior chamber, said case having at least one battery compartment, a mount for a light source, a weight compartment for holding one or more weights, and a switch coupled between the mount and the battery compartment, said case further comprising an opening for providing access to said battery compartment, said access opening defined by a cylindrical collar sized and shaped to be received within said opening in said spherical body, and further wherein said switch comprises a cap sized for closing said access opening in said case, said cap having a contact for connecting an electrical energy source to a light source.
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Abstract
An illuminated game ball for use in playing a field game at night. The game ball includes an illumination case mounted within first and second shell halves and having batteries that are selectively connected to an LED for illuminating the game ball for nighttime play. A cap in the ball is rotated to one of three selective orientations to either illuminate the LED, extinguish the LED, or be removed to provide access to the battery compartments. Ideally the game ball is formed from translucent or transparent plastic that can be tinted with various colors.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An illuminated game sphere, comprising:
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a spherical body formed of at least two sections joined together to form an interior chamber, said spherical body having an opening that communicates with said interior chamber, said spherical body formed substantially of light conducting material that is at least translucent; and a case sized and shaped to be received within said interior chamber, said case having at least one battery compartment, a mount for a light source, a weight compartment for holding one or more weights, and a switch coupled between the mount and the battery compartment, said case further comprising an opening for providing access to said battery compartment, said access opening defined by a cylindrical collar sized and shaped to be received within said opening in said spherical body, and further wherein said switch comprises a cap sized for closing said access opening in said case, said cap having a contact for connecting an electrical energy source to a light source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7)
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4. An illuminated game ball, comprising:
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a spherical body formed of light conducting material that is at least translucent, said spherical body having a hollow interior and an opening that communicates with said hollow interior; and a self-contained light source mounted in said hollow interior of said spherical body, said self-contained light source comprising a case having a battery compartment, at least one battery mounted in said battery compartment, an illumination mount, at least one light source held by said illumination mount, a weight compartment for holding one or more weights, and a switch coupled between the switch and the battery for selectively activating said light source, said switch further including a closure member for closing said opening in said spherical body, said case further includes an access opening for providing access to said battery compartment, said access opening defined by a cylindrical collar sized and shaped to be received within said opening in said spherical body, and further wherein said switch is sized and shaped to be threadably engaged with said cylindrical collar.
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8. An illuminated ball for playing a game in daylight and at night, the ball comprising:
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a spherical body formed from a first hemispherical shell and a second hemispherical shell, said first and second hemispherical shells each having a hollow interior, each of said first and second hemispherical shells further having engaging means formed on an edge such that when said first and second hemispherical shells are joined together with their edges in abutting relationship, said engaging means holds said hemispherical shells together in unreleasable engagement, and said first and second hemispherical shells each having a semicircular portion cut out from said shells such that when said hemispherical halves are unreleasably engaged together, said semicircular portions form a circular opening that communicates with said hollow interiors; and a self-contained source of illumination comprising a case formed of two halves, each half having an enclosed weight compartment, means for mounting an illumination means, an access opening to said battery compartment, and a closure means for closing said access opening to said battery department, said case being sized and shaped to be slidably engaged within said hollow interiors of said first and said second hemispherical shells such that when said hemispherical shells are unreleasably joined together, said case is permanently held in said spherical body, said case further including a collar integrally formed thereon having one end that communicates with said access opening to said battery compartment and a second end that is sized and shaped to be received within said circular opening formed in said spherical body, and said closure means being sized and shaped to be received within said collar in releasable engagement to form an arcuate portion of said spherical body to enable said spherical body to roll on a surface, said closure means further including contact means for electrically connecting an electric cell to an illumination means for selectively illuminating said spherical body, said spherical body and said case being further formed of light conducting material that is at least translucent. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. An illuminated game sphere, comprising:
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a spherical body formed of at least two sections joined together to form an interior chamber, the spherical body having an opening that communicates with the interior chamber, the spherical body formed of substantially light-conducting material that is at least translucent; and a case sized and shaped to be received within the interior chamber, the case comprising at least one battery compartment, a mount for a light source, a switch coupled between the mount and the battery compartment, an opening for providing access to the battery compartment, the access opening defined by a cylindrical collar sized and shaped to be received within the opening in the spherical body, and further wherein the switch comprises a cap sized for closing the access opening in the case, the cap including a contact for connecting an electrical energy source to a light source.
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12. An illuminated game sphere, comprising:
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a spherical body formed of at least two sections joined together to form an interior chamber, the spherical body having an opening that communicates with the interior chamber and formed substantially of light conducting material that is at least translucent; and a case sized and shaped to be received within the interior chamber, the case having at least one battery compartment, a mount for a light source, an opening for providing access to the battery compartment, the access opening defined by a cylindrical collar sized and shaped to be received within the opening in the spherical body, and a switched coupled between the mount and the battery compartment, the switch comprising a cap sized for closing the access opening in the case, and further comprising at least one ramp formed in one of either the collar and the cap and at least one ramp engaging member formed in the other of the collar and the cap, the ramp and the ramp engaging member cooperating to hold the cap in selected orientations on the collar for selectively activating a light source.
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13. An illuminated game ball, comprising:
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a spherical body formed of light conducting material that is at least translucent, the spherical body having a hollow interior and an opening that communicates with the hollow interior; and a self-contained light source mounted in said hollow interior of the spherical body, the self-contained light source comprising a case having a battery compartment, at least one battery mounted in the battery compartment, an illumination mount, at least one light source held by the illumination mount, a switch coupled between the switch and the battery for selectively activating the light source, the switch further including a closure member for closing the opening in the spherical body, and an access opening formed in the case for providing access to the battery compartment, the access opening defined by a cylindrical collar sized and shaped to be received within the opening in the spherical body, and the switch being sized and shaped to be threadably engaged with the cylindrical collar. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification