Illuminated playball
First Claim
1. An article of manufacture comprising a molded, hollow, spherical ball made of airtight, flexible, elastic, translucent plastic material,a self-sealing valve mounted on the interior wall of said ball and enclosed within a covering of said material that is molded thereabout simultaneously with the molding of said ball,a light stick supporting post extending radially inward from said interior wall at a position substantially diametrically opposite said valve, said post being of the same said material as said ball and molded integrally therewith,said post and wall from which said post extends having a continous open radially directed bore therethrough of a size adapted to accept under endwise manual pressure a light stick of larger diameter than said bore,and a light stick adapted to be positioned in said post, the length of said light stick being such that when said light stick is positioned in said post its outer end is flush with the outer surface of said ball and its inner end extends beyond the end of said post,the character of said post being such that when said light stick is positioned therein and in activated condition, the light given off by said light stick will in part effectively pass through the surrounding wall of said post and in part will emanate directly from the free inner end of said light stick, the total light from said light stick being adequate to illuminate substantially the entire ball to a degree enabling said ball to be used in the dark.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A playball made of translucent plastic and illuminated for play in the dark by an insertable and removable chemi-luminescent device known as a light stick. The weight of the light stick is less than 1% of the weight of the ball. The ball includes a self-closing valve whereby the ball may be inflated and deflated in conventional manner. The light stick just prior to use is activated and then inserted through a preformed passage in the uninflated ball. The inserted light stick is supported radially within the ball by a thickened inwardly extending translucent plastic post that is integral with the ball wall. Subsequent inflating of the ball to playing pressure causes the compressible post to grip the light stick tightly enough to prevent expulsion during use. Thereafter when an exhausted light stick is to be replaced, the ball is deflated to release the grip of the post, the ball is manually collapsed to bring pressure against the interior end of the light stick thereby forcing it out of the ball far enough to be gripped by hand and pulled out. A new activated light stick may then be inserted so that play may resume.
84 Citations
3 Claims
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1. An article of manufacture comprising a molded, hollow, spherical ball made of airtight, flexible, elastic, translucent plastic material,
a self-sealing valve mounted on the interior wall of said ball and enclosed within a covering of said material that is molded thereabout simultaneously with the molding of said ball, a light stick supporting post extending radially inward from said interior wall at a position substantially diametrically opposite said valve, said post being of the same said material as said ball and molded integrally therewith, said post and wall from which said post extends having a continous open radially directed bore therethrough of a size adapted to accept under endwise manual pressure a light stick of larger diameter than said bore, and a light stick adapted to be positioned in said post, the length of said light stick being such that when said light stick is positioned in said post its outer end is flush with the outer surface of said ball and its inner end extends beyond the end of said post, the character of said post being such that when said light stick is positioned therein and in activated condition, the light given off by said light stick will in part effectively pass through the surrounding wall of said post and in part will emanate directly from the free inner end of said light stick, the total light from said light stick being adequate to illuminate substantially the entire ball to a degree enabling said ball to be used in the dark.
Specification