Method and system for underwater light display

• US 7,413,319 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Great American Merchandise & Events, LLC
• Original Assignee: Jose Longoria, Loren Taylor
• Inventors: Longoria, Jose, Feldman, Traci Heather, Taylor, Loren T
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, Y MY QUACH
• Application Number:
  US11/468,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20070230161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 362/35, 362/101, 362/237, 362/240, 362/242, 362/244, 362/246, 362/251, 362/267, 362/269, 362/318, 362/363, 239/18, 239/19, 239/20, 441/13, 441/16, 43/175
• US Class Current: 362/101
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/00 Lighting devices intended for fixed installation F21S9/00, F21S10/00 take precedence; using a string or strip of light sources F21S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/02 the power supply being a battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0407 for flashing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/24 using tubes or the like filled with liquid, e.g. bubbling liquid

Abstract

An underwater light display system for providing a decorative light display on the surface of a container holding a body of water and/or objects located within a body of water is provided. An exemplary system comprises a shell and a light assembly. The shell comprises a bottom and a top portion. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the light assembly is preprogrammed to produce variable light patterns and is secured to the interior surface of the top portion so as to direct light downward. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the light assembly may further comprise a plurality of lenses configured to direct light. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the light assembly further comprises a weight having a lens configured to direct light.

Claims

1. A light display system for creating a decorative light pattern on a surface within a body of water, said light display system comprising:

a shell comprising a bottom portion and a top portion, said top portion configured to be opaque and removably sealable with said bottom portion;

a light assembly located within said shell, wherein said light assembly focuses light on the surface within the body of water in one or more flashing or continuous patterns;

a plurality of lenses integrally formed within said bottom portion of said shell, wherein said plurality of lenses direct light produced by said light assembly on the surface within the body of water; and

wherein said plurality of lenses define a buoyant surface of said bottom portion, wherein said top portion is buoyed above water and wherein substantially all of said plurality of lenses are located underwater.

2. A light display system of claim 1, further comprising a weight secured to said bottom portion of said shell.

3. A light display system of claim 2, wherein said weight is configured with a pad located beneath said weight to facilitate drop-testing.

4. A light display system of claim 1, wherein said bottom portion is substantially hemispherical.

5. A light display system of claim 1, wherein said bottom portion is substantially translucent.

6. A light display system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of lenses comprise a shape selected from a group consisting of dots, stars, characters, and letters.

7. A light display system of claim 1, wherein said light assembly comprises at least one light emitting diode.

8. A light display system of claim 1, wherein said light assembly comprises a control system configured for remote control of said light assembly.

9. A light display system of claim 1, wherein said light assembly comprises a rotation platform configured to facilitate at least one of rotational and translational movement of at least an entire light assembly or at least one light device within said light assembly.

10. A light display system for creating a decorative light pattern on surfaces in a body of water, said light display system comprising:

a shell comprising a bottom portion and a top portion, said top portion configured to be removably sealable with said bottom portion;

a light assembly located within said shell, wherein said light assembly is configured to produce light in one or more flashing or continuous patterns;

a plurality of lenses secured to said bottom portion of said shell, wherein said plurality of lenses are configured to direct light produced by said light assembly; and

a weight secured to said bottom portion of said shell, wherein said weight comprises a lens configured to direct light.

11. A method of creating a light display on surfaces within a body of water, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a shell having a bottom portion and a top portion that is removably securable to said bottom portion;

providing a light assembly comprising a light emitting diode in said shell;

programming said light assembly to generate light in at least one flashing pattern and continuous pattern;

integrally embedding lenses in the surface of said bottom portion and not in the surface of said top portion of said shell, wherein said lenses are located a plurality of distances from said light assembly, and wherein said lenses are further aligned along more than a single plane through said surface; and

directing said light of said at least one flashing pattern and continuous pattern through said lenses towards a bottom surface beneath a top surfaces of the body of water to generate the light display on said surface.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising configuring said shell to float on the surface of a body of water.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing a weight and securing said weight to the exterior of said shell.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising said light assembly to be secured to the interior surface of said top portion.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising configuring said light assembly to direct light downward.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising said light assembly to be configured for at least one of rotational or translational movement within said top portion.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising configuring said shell to be translucent.

18. A light display system for creating a decorative light display on the surface of objects beneath a top surface of a body of water, said light display system comprising:

a shell comprising a bottom portion and a top portion; and

a light assembly secured to a rotation platform, wherein said rotation platform is secured to the interior surface of said top portion, wherein said light assembly is preprogrammed by an electrical light programming mechanism to produce light directed downward in a plurality of flashing or continuous patterns,

wherein said a rotation platform is configured to facilitate rotational movement of said light assembly within said top portion, wherein said light directed downward creates said decorative light display on the surface of objects beneath said top surface of said body of water, and wherein said flashing or continuous patterns are independent of said rotational movement.

19. The light display system of claim 18, wherein said top portion comprises a textured section configured to minimize exposure of sunlight to said light assembly.

20. The light display system of claim 18, wherein said shell further comprises one or more lenses integrally formed in said bottom portion of said shell, wherein said lenses are configured to perform at least one of focusing, refracting or defocusing of light produced by said light assembly.

21. The light display system of claim 18, wherein the shape of said shell is selected from a group comprising at least one of a sphere, a lily, a frog and a flower.

22. The light display system of claim 18, said light display system further comprising at least one of a perimeter float or a barge floater.

23. A light display system for creating an underwater light display, said light display system comprising:

a top shell portion configured to substantially prevent light from passing through said top shell portion having a plurality of light devices being secured to an interior surface of said top portion and directing light from said plurality of light devices downward to create said underwater light display; and

a bottom shell portion having a plurality of lenses further directing said light directed downward by said top portion from said plurality of light devices to create said underwater light display on a lower surface of a body of water, said bottom shell portion further comprising a buoyant configuration to maintain said plurality of lenses underwater and said top shell portion above water.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein said plurality of light devices are configured for at least one of rotational or translational movement within said top portion.