Light emitting safety wrap

Details Light emitting safety wrap Light emitting safety wrap

1999-08-09

2001-01-09

O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)

Illumination

With wearing apparel or body support

C362S108000, C362S190000, C362S191000, C362S469000, C362S249070, C359S516000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06170959

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to light-weight portable safety lighting worn by people, pets or affixed to items often used in periods of reduced light or darkness, such as, but not limited to, bicycles, backpacks, boats, articles of clothing, and pet collars.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Vehicles most often hit people and animals at night. Children waiting for school buses or walking to or from school, especially in darker winter months, are especially susceptible. Because of this reality, collars, harnesses and vests have been developed which illuminate or reflect light. The reflective type devices are only effective when the person or animal is in the headlights of the oncoming vehicle. That often means the person or animal is within the driver's braking distance and may substantially compromise the intended effectiveness of the reflective safety device. Also, if the person or animal is running, walking or bicycling in streets toward the oncoming vehicle and located within a neighborhood where the speed limit is 35 MPH or less, the illumination necessary would have to be seen from a distance of 100 meters (which is greater than braking distance at 35 MPH). Finally, studies have shown that the constant source illumination exhibited by reflective type devices is not nearly as noticeable as flashing illumination.
Identification by pet owners of their pets presents another use for reflective or illuminated safety devices. For instance, sometimes animals escape or are let out at night for short periods. Accordingly, their owners may have a difficult time finding them even in their own yards. Cats can be particularly difficult to find even when they simply step into bushes directly abutting to their owners' homes. Furthermore, handicapped people in wheelchairs are below normal pedestrian eye level and would benefit from illumination. Another concern is for blind persons with guide dogs, canine units with police, fire and US Customs departments.
Accordingly, a need exists for a multi-purpose safety device that can be directly or remotely lit, provides the brightest flashing illumination possible (constrained by the power of a battery) with the option of an audible sound (e.g., telling a blind person the lights are on or off) and/or flashing IR for military purposes. The object of this invention is to provide these capabilities, few of which have been found or described in the prior art.
Apart from flashlights and larger safety illumination devices, the most common attempts have been for animals: Knox, U.S. Pat. No. 2,721,257, depicts a collar with a single light. Chao, U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,201, is a leather, rubber and plastic collar with protruding lights, each covered by a flanged dome, powered by dry cell battery. Kuhnsman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,692, is an illuminated leash with a bundle of optical fibers extending inside a flexible, hollow tube. Hayden, U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,552, is an electrically lighted leash with electric lights running longitudinally through a transparent hollow tube and includes an integral choker collar. LoCascio, U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,110, is a collar having a light source and power source along a strap member, the electrical circuitry being completed only when the strap member is engaged around the pet's neck. Minotti, U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,189, is an illuminated collar with a self-fastening strip of material which includes a reflective strip or lights. Heyman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,456, is an illuminated collar comprising a hollow, flexible, light-permeable tube with a plurality of lights. Pennock et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,946, is an illuminable pet collar consisting of a hollow plastic tube containing miniature lights wired in parallel and a battery. Barbera et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,382, is a illuminated pet harness employing at least one bulb that transmits light through fiber optic core that projects illumination through lenses. Weintraub, U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,871 depicts a shoulder strap cushion intended for comfort but not safety illumination.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a light emitting safety device for low-level light conditions.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a light emitting safety device for low-level light conditions that can wrap longitudinally around a tubular structure or a strap.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a light emitting safety device for low-level light conditions that can wrap circumferencially about a user's wrist, head, leg, or other structure.
The present invention is an illuminated multi-purpose safety wrap. In use it is affixed to dog and cat collars, apparel for people involved in leisure, sporting, law enforcement, military, outdoor jobs and other potentially dangerous activities, wheelchairs, backpack straps and book bags, belts, fanny packs and numerous other devices commonly used during periods of limited visibility. It has a plurality of lights laid out at specific intervals along the top of the wrap, the number of which depends upon the wrap size.
The lights are wired in parallel, using any one of several types of wiring harnesses (e.g., separate wires, ribbon cable, flexible printed circuit board). Lights can be any color; however, certain primary colors such as blue and green do not show well at night; white, red, and yellow do. Any of several type lights can be employed, however the current technology of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) permits a very high MCD (milicandela) rating with very low amperage. A battery would serve as the power source. A microchip is programmed to flash each light separately, the pulse (flash) rate set to offer a balance between battery life and visibility of the safety wrap. A manual or remote on-off switch is employed. A sound chip with amplifier and speaker can be connected to the on-off switch for the blind to permit them to know that the collar on their guide dog is lit or not lit. The safety wrap can be fastened and adjusted about the animal's neck or person's body or clothing using hook and loop fastener, buckles, or combination buckle and hook and loop fasteners. Interior straps of hook and loop allow greater flexibility of uses for the device.
The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its structure and its operation together with the additional object and advantages thereof will best be understood from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless specifically noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the specification and claims be given the ordinary and accustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicable art or arts. If any other meaning is intended, the specification will specifically state that a special meaning is being applied to a word or phrase. Likewise, the use of the words “function” or “means” in the Description of Preferred Embodiments is not intended to indicate a desire to invoke the special provision of 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6 to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6, are sought to be invoked to define the invention(s), the claims will specifically state the phrases “means for” or “step for” and a function, without also reciting in such phrases any structure, material, or act in support of the function. Even when the claims recite a “means for” or “step for” performing a function, if they also recite any structure, material or acts in support of that means of step, then the intention is not to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6. Moreover, even if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6, are invoked to define the inventions, it is intended that the inventions not be limited only to the specific structure, material or acts that are described in the preferred embodiments, but in addition, include

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