Illumination – With wearing apparel or body support
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-21
2002-01-29
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
With wearing apparel or body support
C362S104000, C362S363000, C362S800000, C362S806000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06341874
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to portable lighting devices having multiple uses. In particular, the present invention is for a combination safety strobe device that is visible from 360 degrees around the device. The novel device may be secured to a pet collar, a backpack, a key chain or an article of clothing to increase the visibility of the wearer during nighttime and under water.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When a person or a pet is outdoors during the evening, they may not be visible to automobile drivers and other people. This is especially true from behind the person or domesticated animal. Carrying a flashlight may be cumbersome and inconvenient, and this option is impractical for pets. Additionally, flashlights have limited effectiveness because they only provide light in the direction in which they are pointed.
Other lighting devices known in the art fail to achieve the optimal effect of protecting the person or pet from 360 degrees around, or they are only effective as ornamental lights. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,896 discloses a wristband personal lighting device that resembles a watch or may alternatively be used with a clip to secure to a person's belt. This patent only provides light in a unidirectional manner, thus failing to protect the wearer from 360 degrees around. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,930,052, 3,689,758 and 3,383,503 disclose ornamental lighted earrings. These three patents may only be secured to the wearer's ear, thus providing only a limited benefit for people who wear earrings.
Thus, there exists a need for a personal lighting device visible from 360 degrees around that is light, sturdy and well-secured to articles of clothing, pet collars, key chains and backpacks. There is also a need for a lighting device that is waterproof in the event the wearer of the device encounters rain or snow, or other inclement weather, or the wearer of the device ventures into the water, such as a pool, lake, river, ocean, etc.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention overcomes the shortcomings of existing devices in that it has multiple uses and is visible from 360 degrees around the novel combination safety strobe device
10
. Specifically, the present strobe device
10
may be secured to a pet collar
30
, a backpack
32
, a zipper
40
, a key chain
34
or an article of clothing
36
. One embodiment of the present invention comprises a translucent spherical housing
12
having a circular opening
46
at its top end
48
and an inner cavity
50
therein; a threaded neck portion
14
having a top end
52
and a bottom end
54
, wherein the bottom end
54
is attached to the circular opening
46
of the spherical housing
12
; a cylindrical casing
16
placed within the spherical housing
12
such that an open end
58
of the cylindrical casing
16
is positioned to be flush with the bottom end
54
of the neck portion
14
and attached thereto, while a closed end
60
of the cylindrical casing
16
is placed within the inner cavity
50
of the spherical housing
12
, whereby a passageway
56
forms between the open
58
and closed
60
ends of the cylindrical casing
16
that continues to the neck portion
14
; means
18
for lighting the spherical housing
12
secured within the inner cavity
50
of the spherical housing
12
; means
20
for powering the lighting means
18
, wherein the powering means
20
is placed inside the passageway
56
of the cylindrical casing
16
; circuitry
22
for electrically connecting the powering means
28
and the lighting means
18
; means
24
for activating the lighting means
18
; means
26
for covering the top end
52
of the neck portion
14
; and means
28
for removably securing the novel strobe device
10
to the pet collar
30
, backpack
32
, key chain
34
, zipper
40
or article of clothing
36
.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises securing a rubber cap
112
over the covering means
26
to form a waterproof combination safety strobe device
10
.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to teach a combination strobe device that provides a safety light during the nighttime and can be viewed from 360 degrees around the novel device.
Another object of this invention is to teach a combination safety strobe device that has numerous uses.
It is also an object of the instant invention to teach a combination safety strobe device that may be secured to a pet collar, a backpack, a zipper, a key chain or an article of clothing.
A further object of the present invention is to teach a combination safety strobe device that is sturdy and yet light weight to facilitate personal usage.
It is another object of this invention to teach a combination safety strobe device that is waterproof to withstand inclement weather or submersion under water.
It is a further object of the instant invention to teach a combination safety strobe device that is air-tight and can float on water.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other devices for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the invention be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2306419 (1942-12-01), Worth
patent: 2355247 (1944-08-01), Slocum
patent: 2381520 (1945-08-01), Saunders
patent: 3355582 (1967-11-01), Swee
patent: 3383503 (1968-05-01), Montgomery
patent: 3508040 (1970-04-01), Bertrams
patent: 3689758 (1972-09-01), Power
patent: 4930052 (1990-05-01), Beige
patent: 5193896 (1993-03-01), Oberlander
patent: 6086218 (2000-07-01), Robertson
O'Shea Sandra
Ward John A
Wiemelt Mark E.
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