Skates with flashing lights

• US 7,059,739 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cheerine Development Limited
• Original Assignee: Cheerine Development Limited
• Inventors: Wong, Wai Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward, John Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sawhney, Hargobind S
• Application Number:
  US10/273,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 362/459, 362/103, 362/555, 362/800, 362/545, 362/543, 362/191, 362/253, 362/273, 362/289, 280/11.12, 280/11.18, 280/11.221, 280/11.203
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0036 with fluorescent or phosphorescent parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/36 with light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/16 Skating boots
• 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: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An illuminating device with flashing lights may is adjustably affixable to ice skates or in-line skates. The illuminating device may include a number of lamps or light emitting diodes (LEDs) and is controlled by a motion switch or other switch. The lamps or LEDs are visible from the inside of a transparent box which is installed in the hollow between the shoe portion of the skate and the blade or wheels of the skate. The illuminating device is necessarily compact in nature, consisting primarily of flashing lights and a power-and-control circuit that controls and enables the flashing of the lights. The lights may be flashed sequentially, in-phase, randomly, or in other desirable patterns.

Claims

1. An illuminating system for a skate, the system comprising:

a switch;

an integrated circuit operably connected to the switch for storing and generating at least one pattern of signals;

a plurality of lamps operably connected to the integrated circuit, the plurality of lamps selected from the group consisting of incandescent lamps, LEDs, bi-color LEDs, and tri-color LEDs, wherein the integrated circuit causes the plurality of lamps to flash in the at least one pattern; and

a housing mounted to the skate with an adjusting screw, the housing containing the plurality of lamps, wherein the adjusting screw allows the housing to be mounted to skates of different sizes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing also contains the switch and the integrated circuit, and further comprising at least one battery within the housing, the at least one battery connected to the switch.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is within a space defined by the skate and a plane intersecting the skate.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises two portions.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one pattern is selected from the group consisting of a random pattern, a sequence, a reverse sequence, an in-phase pattern, and an out-of-phase pattern.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a user selects the pattern with the switch.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch is selected from the group consisting of an inertia switch, a touch switch and an on/off switch.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power supply connected to the switch.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the skate is an ice skate.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the skate is an in-line skate.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising the skate, wherein the skate is an ice skate or an in-line skate.

11. An illuminating system for an ice skate or an in-line skate, the system comprising:

at least one switch;

an integrated circuit connected to the switch;

a plurality of lamps operably connected to the integrated circuit, the plurality of lamps selected from the group consisting of incandescent lamps, LEDs, bi-color LEDs, and tri-color LEDs; and

a housing mounted to the skate with an adjusting screw, the housing containing the plurality of lamps, wherein the adjusting screw allows the housing to be mounted to skates of vroius sizes.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises two portions.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising at least one pattern of signals stored in the integrated circuit, the at least one pattern selected from the group consisting of a random pattern, a sequence, a reverse sequence, an in-phase pattern, and an out-of-phase pattern.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a user selects the pattern with the at least one switch.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one switch is selected from the group consisting of an inertia switch, a touch switch and an on/off switch.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the housing is within a space defined by the skate and a plane intersecting the skate.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising an ice-skate or an in-line skate.

17. A method for attaching an illuminating system to an ice skate or an in-line skate, the method comprising:

placing an illuminating system with a housing onto the ice skate or in-line skate; and

adjusting a fit of the housing on the skate with an adjusting screw.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein placing the housing on the skate comprises placing a first portion of the housing on a first side of the skate and placing a second portion of the housing on a second side of the skate.