This invention relates to the field of chemiluminescent novelty items and, in particular, to costume masks that provide safety illumination to the wearer by use of chemiluminescent illumination.
Costume masks are commonly found at parties, celebrations and the like events. Masks are designed to have a decorative appearance, often enhanced by the use of color, texture and shape. Masks may further utilize foils, sequins, fluorescent paints, or like mechanisms capable of enhancing the visual appearance of the mask.
xe2x80x9cAll Saints Dayxe2x80x9d commonly referred to as Halloween, is one such celebration practiced in numerous countries wherein people dress up in costume outfits. This event is enjoyed particularly by young children who visit the neighboring homes after dark where candy gifts are presented. It is well known that masks restrict visibility of the wearer and when the mask is worn when lighting is poor, the combination is most dangerous since safety is then dependant upon someone else, such as an automobile driver.
For instance, the mask disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,522 fits over the face of a person and employs an inflatable sack that causes a feature of the mask, such as the eyeball, to protrude. Slots within the forehead of the mask allow the wearer to see, however, the limitation placed upon the viewable area is severe making the wearer dependant upon others for their safety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,508 discloses yet another decorative mask that is inflated to create a three dimensional format. Again, apertures placed in the mask will also cause a restriction in visibility.
Thus, a need presents itself to make the mask wearer visible to others so as to provide the wearer with a heightened level of safety to compensate for the loss of visibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,447 discloses a mask that includes a flashing LED for enhanced safety. The inventor recognized the need for integrating a safety item into the theme of the mask for safety purposes. However, the inventor did not recognize how the entire mask could be enhanced for safety purposes without loss of the costume theme.
While the Applicant is known for producing many self-illumination safety products, it is also known that if a safety item distracts from the costume, it will not be worn. Thus, even if a parent demands that a child wear illumination items while venturing out in the evening, it is not uncommon for the child to remove or conceal the safety materials as soon as they are out of the parent""s sight.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,109 discloses a personal marker device that is a well established safety item used by boaters, hikers, bike riders, joggers and so forth. However, such a device will distract from a costume theme making the use of the device obvious for safety only. By use of a passive or active chemiluminescently illuminated costume safety mask, the visibility and safety of the wearer is greatly enhanced and while safety is maintained, it does not appear to be the obvious reason. A passive chemiluminescent light may be derived from an immobilized chemiluminescent material such as thixotropic reactant composition, or from conventional chemiluminescent reactant compositions that employ a liquid oxalate and liquid activator.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,475 employs a flowing liquid to enhance the mask. However, the liquid is simply colored and is used to simulate blood, thereby requiring the presence of reflected light to be transmitted to the observer by reflection from a transparent area of the mask. This limits the effectiveness of such a mask to areas having sufficient lighting for viewing, and limits materials of construction to transparent plastic in order for the blood effect to be visible, and is only for use as a horror mask.
Thus, what is lacking in the art is a chemiluminescent costume mask that becomes the focal point of a costume. The enhanced visual appearance increasing the likelihood that the mask be an essential aspect of the costume and will be worn at all times, thereby increasing the safety of the wearer.
The instant invention consists of a mask that can be shaped to simulate a human, robot, alien, animal or other feature such as a face, heart, kidney, spine, limb, veins, appendages, and so forth. In a preferred embodiment, the mask consists of two pieces of plastic that are sealed together to create at least one cavity or passageway therebetween. The cavity houses chemiluminescent reagents that, when activated, provide self-illumination for safety as well as novelty use.
By way of example, a face mask employing a white chemiluminescent reagent may provide the wearer with the appearance of a ghost. Such a mask could be viewed without any ambient light providing both novelty and safety should it be worn by a child while trick or treating. Other examples would be a face mask having cheeks that glow pink to enhance a young child""s appearance, a glowing green forehead to depict an alien, a red nose to depict Rudolph the fictitious reindeer, and so forth.
The cavities or passageways are used to house various chemiluminescent reagents for use in enhancing a particular feature of the mask. Such passageways may be separated to house different reagents. For instance, a face mask may have all of the above features and more such as red lips, yellow ears, blue teeth and so forth. The passageways can further include various sized apertures to allow liquid to flow from one cavity to another.
The flow of fluid can be through the use of gravity or by use a pump to cause circulation. A pump may be located external the mask, or formed integral thereto. Each such embodiment requires the activator and oxalate of the chemiluminescent reagents to be maintained in separate areas until use. The chemiluminescent reagents may be liquid, viscous liquid, or solid such as a thixotropic component.
Accordingly, an objective of the instant invention is to disclose the distribution of light in a costume mask to provide augmented illumination from chemiluminescent reagents providing high visibility to the wearer.
Another objective of the instant invention is to provide a safety mask that creates a costume focal point that will be worn throughout a celebration thereby maintaining the safety aspects of illumination at night.
Yet another objective of the invention is to provide a costume mask that employs gravity to cause flowing movement of chemiluminescent reagents.
Still another objective of the invention is to provide a costume mask that employs a fluid pump to circulate chemiluminescent reagents.
Yet another objective of the instant invention is to provide a costume safety mask wherein at least a portion of the chemiluminescent reagents is solid, such as that provided through a thixotropic component.
Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.