Illuminated birdie system

• US 10,493,344 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2019
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven Mueller
• Original Assignee: Steven Mueller
• Inventors: Mueller, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Niconovich, Alexander R
• Application Number:
  US16/271,225
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 473579
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 1/00 Horizontal bars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/04 Badminton
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/74 with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/197 with special functions, e.g. light emission or sound generation

Abstract

A striking subassembly has lower and upper components. The lower component has a hemispherical lower section and a cylindrical upper section. A chamber within the lower component terminates above with an annular projection. The upper component has upper and lower disks. An annular recess is between the upper and lower disks offset from the annular projection. Feathers extend upwardly from the upper disk. An electrical assembly has a printed circuit board with a periphery. The periphery is secured within the chamber to the upper component. A light emitting diode extends downwardly from the printed circuit board. A battery powers the light emitting diode.

Claims

1. An illuminated birdie system comprising:

a striking subsystem having a lower component and an upper component;

the lower component having a hemispherical lower section and a cylindrical upper section, a chamber within the lower component terminating above with an annular projection extending radially inwardly;

the upper component including an upper disk positioned above the annular projection, the upper component including a lower disk positioned below the annular projection, the upper component including an annular recess between the upper disk and the lower disk, the annular recess being positioned laterally offset from the annular projection, the upper component including a lower cavity extending upwardly from the chamber and terminating in a lateral surface within the lower disk, the lateral surface having spaced recesses extending upwardly into the upper disk, the upper component including an axial projection in a cylindrical configuration extending upwardly from the upper disk;

an electrical assembly located within the chamber, the electrical assembly including a printed circuit board with a top and a bottom and a periphery, the periphery of the printed circuit board having spaced apertures, threaded fasteners extending through the spaced apertures and into the upper disk for securing the printed circuit board to the upper component, a plurality of light emitting diode extending downwardly from the bottom of the printed circuit board, a battery extending upwardly from the top of the printed circuit board to power the light emitting diode, a sensor for activating the light emitting diode upon the subsystem being struck by a paddle and for inactivating the light emitting diode after passage of a predetermined time; and

a plurality of feathers having lower ends adhesively secured within the axial projection and extending upwardly from upper component.

2. The illuminated birdie system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lower disk has a lower diameter and the upper disk has an upper diameter, the upper diameter being greater than the lower diameter.

3. The illuminated birdie system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the upper component is fabricated of a rigid plastic material.

4. The illuminated birdie system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lower component is fabricated of a translucent elastomeric material.

5. An illuminated birdie system (10) for a paddle game to allow playing the paddle game at night while utilizing electrical control, the system comprising, in combination:

a striking subsystem having a lower component (14) and an upper component (22), the upper component being fabricated of a rigid plastic material, the lower component being fabricated of a translucent elastomeric material, the upper component and the lower component being securely coupled to render the system water resistant and floatable;

the lower component having a lower section (16) and an upper section (18), the lower component having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the exterior surface of the lower section having a hemispherical configuration with a first radius of curvature, the interior surface of the lower section having a hemispherical configuration with a second radius of curvature, the upper section having a cylindrical configuration with an interior surface and an exterior surface, the lower section and the upper section forming a chamber with a common central axis, the first radius of curvature being greater than the second radius of curvature whereby the lower section forms a lower wall with a continuously changing thickness having a greatest thickness at the central axis, the exterior surface of the upper section being a smooth continuation of the exterior surface of the lower section, the interior surface of the upper section terminating above with an annular projection (20) extending radially inwardly, the interior surface of the upper section being formed with an annular ledge (21) adjacent to the lower section;

the upper component including an upper disk (24) positioned above and in contact with the annular projection, the upper component including a lower disk (26) positioned below and in contact with the annular projection, the upper component including an annular recess (28) between the upper disk and the lower disk positioned laterally offset from and in contact with the annular projection, the upper component including a lower cavity extending upwardly from the chamber and terminating in a lateral surface within the lower disk, the lateral surface having spaced recesses (47) extending upwardly into the upper disk, an axial projection (25) having a cylindrical configuration extending upwardly from the upper disk, the upper disk and the axial projection and the annular recess and the lower disk and the lower cavity having an axis co-extensive with the common central axis, the lower disk having a lower diameter, the upper disk having an upper diameter, the upper diameter being greater than the lower diameter;

an electrical assembly (44) located within the chamber, the electrical assembly including a printed circuit board (46) with a top and a bottom and a periphery, the periphery of the printed circuit board having spaced apertures (48), threaded fasteners (50) extending through the spaced apertures and into the spaced recesses for securing the printed circuit board to the upper component, a plurality of light emitting diode (52) extending downwardly from the bottom of the printed circuit board, a battery (54) and a motion sensor (56) extending upwardly from the top of the printed circuit board to power the light emitting diode, the motion sensor adapted to turn on the light emitting diode when the system is struck, the light emitting diode remaining lit for predetermined period after being turned on, when the system is struck again the light emitting diode will again remain lit for an additional period of time, the turning on of the light emitting diode continues while play continues and the battery remains viable; and

a feather subsystem having a plurality of feathers (40), each of the feathers having a lower end adhesively secured within the axial projection, each of the feathers having an upper end extending upwardly from the upper component.