Lighted garments, footwear, backpacks, and other accessories with improved switch

• US 7,347,577 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2004
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carmen Rapisarda
• Original Assignee: Carmen Rapisarda
• Inventors: Rapisarda, Carmen
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, Y MY QUACH
• Application Number:
  US10/766,709
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103, 362/200, 362/276, 362/295, 362/394, 362/802, 361/36, 361/37
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 27/085 Luminous ornaments
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0036 with fluorescent or phosphorescent parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/36 with light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 15/06 with illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

A lighting system for clothing, footwear, backpacks, and other accessories incorporates a battery, a switch, a counter circuit, a flasher and lamps or LEDs driven by the flasher. An improved switch has a tubular housing of electrical insulating material, which may be, for example, round or square in cross section. A pair of electrical contact pins extend into the interior of the housing and are aligned longitudinally. The external ends of the contact pins are wired to the counter circuit and the battery. A free-floating contact bar of electrical conducting material normally resides on the bottom of the housing and, upon movement of the shoe or clothing, will bounce against the contact pins thus closing the switch and causing an input signal to the counter circuit and causing the lamps or LEDs to be illuminated momentarily. In a second embodiment, the contact pins extend through the bottom of the housing and the contact bar may rest against the contact pins. An electrical timer circuit responsive to closing of the switch limits the flashing of the LEDs to one sequence of flashes until further movement of the switch causes it to open and close again.

Claims

1. For use in a lighting system for clothing having at least one light source providing illumination to be visible at an external surface of said clothing including:

a power source capable of supplying sufficient power to said light source to cause it to provide illumination;

an electrical circuit connected to said light source and said power source;

a switch connected to said power source responsive to movement of said switch comprising;

a housing having an elongated sidewall and means closing the ends of said housing;

a pair of electrical contact pins spaced from each other longitudinally along the sidewall of said housing extending into the interior of said housing; and

an elongated member of electrical conducting material freely movable within said housing spaced from said contact pins and of length at least sufficient to span the distance between said contact pins whereby movement of said switch causes said member to bridge said contacts pins sending an electrical signal to said circuit and causing said light source to be illuminated.

2. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing is angular in cross section.

3. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrical circuit is connected to said switch and to said power source, said electrical circuit being responsive to initiation of each said electrical signal to limit the time duration of illumination of said light source.

4. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means includes end members and said conductive member is a bar of such length that said bar spans said contact pins even if one end of said bar contacts one of said end members.

5. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said clothing constitutes shoes.

6. For use in a lighting system for clothing having at least one light source providing illumination to be visible at an external surface of said clothing comprising:

a power source capable of supplying sufficient power to said light source to cause it to provide illumination;

an electrical circuit connected to said light source and said power source;

a switch connected to said power source responsive to movement of said switch comprising;

a housing and means closing the ends of said housing;

a pair of electrical contact pins spaced from each other longitudinally along the sidewall of said housing extending into the interior of said housing, the sidewalls of said pins being insulated; and

an elongated member of electrical conducting material freely movable within said housing spaced from said contact pins and of length at least sufficient to span the distance between said contact pins whereby movement of said switch causes said member to bridge said contacts sending an electrical signal to said circuit and causing said light source to be illuminated.

7. For use in a lighting system for clothing having at least one light source providing illumination to be visible at an external surface of said clothing,

a power source capable of supplying sufficient power to said light source to cause it to provide illumination;

a switch connected to said power source responsive to movement of said switch comprising a tubular housing and end members closing the ends of said housing;

a pair of electrical contact pins extending into the interior of said housing and to the exterior of said housing, the sides of said pins being insulated; and

a bar of electrical conducting material located within said housing spaced from said contact pins and of length at least sufficient to span the distance between said contact pins even if one end of said bar is in contact with one of said end members, whereby movement of said switch causes said bar to bridge said contact pins sending an electrical signal to said circuit and causing said light source to be illuminated.

8. A lighting system for shoes having at least one light source located to provide illumination visible on an external surface of said shoes including a source of electrical power connected to said light source at least sufficient to cause said light source to be illuminated;

a switch connected to said light source and to said power source comprising a tubular housing of electrical insulating material; and

a pair of spaced electrical contacts extending from the interior to the exterior of said housing and a freely movable member of electrical conducting material located within said housing and of length at least sufficient to span the distance between the interior portions of said contacts to close said switch and to open said switch when said member is not in a position to make contact with both of said contacts, wherein said housing and said contacts are configured such that said member may rest against said contacts when said switch is at rest; and

a circuit is connected between said power source and said light source for limiting the duration of the illumination of said light source following each closure of said switch.

9. In a lighting system for clothing having at least one light source located to provide illumination visible on an external surface of said clothing including a source of electrical power connected to said light source at least sufficient to cause said light source to be illuminated;

a switch connected to said light source and to said power source comprising a housing of electrical insulating material;

a pair of spaced electrical contacts extending from the interior to the exterior of said housing and a freely movable member of electrical conducting material located within the housing such that said member may rest against said contacts when said switch is at rest and can move first away and then against said contacts to cause said light source to be illuminated; and

a circuit connected between said power source and said light source for limiting the duration of the illumination of said light source following each closure of said switch.

10. In a lighting system for wearing apparel having at least one light source located to be visible on an external surface of said apparel,

an electrical circuit connected to said light source and a power source connected to said electrical circuit capable of supplying sufficient power to illuminate said light source;

and a switch connected in said electrical circuit responsive to movement of said switch to produce an input signal to said electrical circuits said switch comprising;

an elongated, generally tubular housing of electrical insulating material, a pair of electrical contact pins extending through a sidewall and into an interior of said housing and spaced along a line parallel to an axis of said housing;

and a bar of electrical conducting material freely movable in said housing and of a length at least sufficient to span the distance between said contact pins such that movement of said switch causes said bar to move to bridge said contact pins and produce said input, wherein said electrical circuit is responsive to initiation of each said input signal to limit the time duration of illumination of said light source.

11. A lighting system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said tubular housing is generally cylindrical.

12. For use in a lighting system for clothing having at least one light source providing illumination to be visible at an external surface of said clothing including:

a power source capable of supplying sufficient power to said light source to cause it to provide illumination;

an electrical circuit connected to said light source and said power source;

a switch connected to said power source responsive to movement of said switch comprising;

a housing having an elongated sidewall and end members closing the ends of said housing;

a pair of electrical contacts including extensions extending around said end members spaced from said contacts and of a length at least sufficient to span the distance between said contacts whereby movement of said switch causes a member of electrically conducting material to bridge said contacts sending an electrical signal to said circuit and causing said light source to be illuminated.

13. For use in a lighting system for clothing having at least one light source providing illumination to be visible at an external surface of said clothing including:

a power source capable of supplying sufficient power to said light source to cause it to provide illumination;

an electrical circuit connected to said power source;

a switch connected to said power source responsive to movement of said switch comprising a tubular housing having an elongated sidewall and end members closing the ends of said housing;

a pair of longitudinally spaced electrical contacts extending into the interior of said housing and to the exterior of said housing;

a bar of electrical conducting material located within said housing, spaced from said contacts and of length at least sufficient to span the distance between said contacts even if one end of said bar is in contact with one of said end members, whereby movement of said switch causes said bar to bridge said contacts sending an electrical signal to said circuit and causing said light source to be illuminated; and

a timing circuit connected between said switch and said light source for limiting the time during which said light source is illuminated following a single closure of said switch.

14. For use in a lighting system for clothing having at least one light source providing illumination to be visible at an external surface of said clothing including:

a power source capable of supplying sufficient power to said light source to cause it to provide illumination;

an electrical circuit connected to said light source and said power source;

a switch connected to said power source responsive to movement of said switch comprising;

a closed housing and a pair of electrical contacts spaced from each other along a wall of said housing and extending into the interior of said housing; and

,

a member of electrical conducting material freely movable within said housing spaced from said contacts and dimensioned to at least span the distance between said contacts whereby movement of said switch causes said member to bridge said contacts, sending an electrical signal to said circuit and causing said light source to be illuminated;

wherein said electrical circuit is connected to said switch and to said power source, said electrical circuit being responsive to initiation of each said electrical signal to limit the time duration of illumination of said light source.