Electrical light illumination for kites flown at night

• US 4,942,506 A
• Filed: 02/13/1989
• Issued: 07/17/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mark T. Flory
• Original Assignee: Mark T. Flory
• Inventors: Flory, Mark T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cole, Richard R.
• Application Number:
  US07/309,190
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 362/253, 362/800, 362/806, 244/153 R, 244/153 A, 244/155 R, 446/47, 446/485
• US Class Current: 362/253
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/08 Kites kite-sails or kite-wings specially adapted for water sports boards B63H8/10; kite-sails for wind propelled vessels B63H9/069

Abstract

A kite equipped with lights powered by a power source such as a battery carried by the kite. The lights may be mounted along outline framing of the kite or in a field of lights controlled by a program unit carried by the kite settable for different programmed collective light designs in various desired configurations. Kite lighting systems are to be made up as kits mountable on kites of most any kite design to provide an interesting light display from a kite flown in the dark of night.

Claims

1. An electric light illumination system for kites flown in the hours of darkness at night comprising:

kite mounted electrical power source;

lighting means mounted on the kite;

circuit means connected to said lighting means; and

interconnect means for selectively connecting said circuit means to said kite mounted electrical power source;

wherein said lighting means includes a plurality of electric lights in said circuit means;

said interconnect means includes a switching structure capable of switching electric power to lights of said plurality of lights;

said switching structure is connected to, and controlled by, computer control means; and

wherein a radio receiver is included in the system mounted on a kite connected to said switching structure.

2. The electric light illumination system for kites of claim 1, wherein said system is supplied in kit form for mounting on any of a great variety of kites flown on a string from the ground.

3. The electric light illumination systems for kites of claim 1, wherein said plurality of electric lights in said circuit means includes a light field of multiple lights connected to, and controlled by, said computer control means for providing serially, various displays as called for by computer control;

and wherein a radio receiver is included in the system mounted on a kite connected to said computer control means for radio control of said computer for various programmed light field control sequences desired.

4. The electric light illumination system for kites of claim 1, wherein the kite includes kit fabric having an upper side and a ground facing underside;

individual lights are mounted on the upper side of the kite to extend through openings in said kite fabric for the lights to shine on the underside of said kite fabric.

5. The electric light illumination system for kites of claim 4, wherein openings in said kite fabric include a flexible track having opposite sides enclosing fabric opening edges of openings in the kite fabric;

and individual lamp socket units with opposite side channel portions slidably enclosing opposite sides of the flexible track for slide positioning of lights therealong.

6. The electric light illumination system for kites of claim 5, wherein fabric channel enclosures are provided on the upper side of said kite fabric over said flexible tracks.

7. The electric light illumination system for kites of claim 1, wherein interlocking sheets of material are used to mount lights and light string wire cables with lights extended through openings in one interlocking sheet;

and the other interlocking sheet having a layer of back adhesive for mounting to a ground facing underside of fabric of the kite.

8. An electric light illumination system for kites flown in the hours of darkness at night comprising:

a kite mounted electrical power source;

lighting means mounted on the kite;

circuit means connected to said lighting means; and

interconnect means for selectively connecting said circuit means to said kite mounted electrical power source;

wherein said kite mounted electrical power source is a battery power source;

said lighting means includes a plurality of electric lights in said circuit means;

said interconnect means includes a switching structure capable of switching electric power to lights of said plurality of lights;

said switching structure is connected to, and controlled by, computer control means; and

wherein a radio receiver is included in the system mounted on a kiter connected to said switching structure and to said computer control means.

9. The electric light illumination system for kites of claim 8, wherein said system is supplied in kit form for mounting on any of a great variety of kites flown on a string from the ground.