1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus made up of a main object, which is moved when an outside force is applied to the object, a moving base which permits the object to move when the outside force is applied to the main object by overcome the resistance to movement which would otherwise be present, an illumination arrangement for the main object and moving base, and an electrical system for the illumination arrangement. The main object may, for example, be the boot of a roller or ice skate, the board of a skate board, or a toy such as a toy car or animal, and the moving base can take the form of, for example, a roller or ice skate bracket, or a bracket for mounting wheels on a toy. The illumination arrangement may include super-thin electro-luminescent (EL) or photo-luminescent (PL) strips or panels.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Illumination of moving objects enhances the attractive of the objects and, in the case where the object is to be worn, protects the wearer by making the wearer more visible to motorists. Lighting arrangements for self-propelled vehicles such as automobiles and bicycles are of course well-known, but the present invention concerns illumination of relatively objects which are moved by an external force, including objects designed to be worn, such as skates, as well as objects such as skate boards and various toys which are pushed or pulled by the user.
The objects with which the invention is concerned have in common a "main object," i.e., an object to which the propelling force is to be applied, such as the boot of a skate, the board of a skate board, or the body of a toy car, and also some type of bracket-mounted "moving base" in the form of rollers, blades, or wheels positioned between the main object and the ground, for overcoming the resistance between the main object and the ground.
The traditional means of providing illumination for such objects, if illumination could be provided at all, has been to use incandescent bulbs or light emitting diodes (LEDs). While the present invention can actually be used in combination with conventional lighting, the invention is particularly suited to be implemented by means of EL strips or panels.
One of the problems with conventional lighting arrangements for a small moving object such as a roller skate, in which incandescent bulbs or LEDs are placed on the outsole, upper surface, or wheel of the skate, is that the bulb or LED must be placed in recesses in order to protect it from damage, and it is to find room for providing such a recess into which the bulb or LED is fit so that the bulb or LED is not exposed to impact. The smallest commercially available incandescent bulbs or LEDs have a diameter of at least 3 mm and a length or height of at least 10 mm, which greatly limits the available areas to which the bulbs or LEDs can be applied.
In addition to the problem of placement of the bulb or LED itself, there is the problem of placement of the connecting wires, as well as the need for expensive tooling, in the case of roller or ice skates, to provide for the at least eight different standard shoe sizes four different sizes of roller or ice skate brackets. As a result, although the concept of lighting small movable objects such as skates, skate boards, toy cars, and the like is known, the use of conventional lighting arrangements in such objects is generally impractical and often impossible.
As discussed in greater detail below, one of the objectives of the invention is to provide an illuminated small movable object, including a main object and a moving base, which is easily assembled and yet which provides a wide variety of lighting design possibilities, including flexibility in placement of the lighting, color choices, lighting effects, and so forth, in a package which is as durable as it is attractive. This involves, at least in part, the use of EL panels or strips as the lighting source.
By way of background, EL strips or panels have been proposed for use in a variety of products to enhance their safety and attractiveness, and have the advantages of being paper-thin, light in weight, flexible, easily attached to different surfaces by adhesives or by stitching, and relatively bright, colorful, and with a wide viewing angle in comparison with other lighting sources. Furthermore, although bright, the light from an EL strip or panel, like that of neon, is gentle and will not cause eye-strain, which is very important for roadside safety. In contrast, LEDs of reasonable cost and sufficient brightness are only available in red, which most European countries prohibit for non-emergency use because of potential confusion with official warning or stop signs, and with emergency or hazard warnings. Green and amber LEDs of brightness equivalent to red LEDs are too expensive for use in consumer products, while all LEDs suffer from the problem of a narrow viewing angle and cannot practically cover as a large an area as EL strips or panels.
Despite the relative advantages of EL strips or panels, however, a practical way of applying the EL strips or panels, or equivalent photo-luminescent (PL) lighting elements, to small objects of the type discussed above has not previously been devised or even, to the inventor's knowledge, previously been proposed.