Patent Application
20230288732
The invention relates to a wearable item with a customizable decorative illumination arrangement. The illumination arrangement includes a plurality of bulb sockets that permit bulbs of different colors and shapes to be installed, and optionally removed and replaced, for providing a variety of multi-color illumination effects and also to extend the life of the wearable item.
The wearable item is in the form of an eyeglass frame with bulb sockets that extend from, or are recessed into, the top of the frame. For safety, all wiring and electrical parts are enclosed within the frame. A variety of different illumination effects may be provided by varying the arrangement of wiring between a power source and the bulb sockets, and by optionally including a flasher circuit or controller to control illumination of individual bulb sockets.
Illuminated novelty eyeglass frames are popular accessories for holiday celebrations and parties, helping participants achieve a party spirit and fun atmosphere. The frames typically do not include lenses, and are intended to be worn for decorative effect rather than to correct vision.
The conventional illuminated novelty eyeglass frames rely on molded-in or encapsulated light sources. When a light source comes inoperative, the wearable item must be disposed of by the user. In addition, the light sources are generally uniform in color, without selectable patterns, colors, or illumination effects. An example of a conventional illuminated eyeglass frame, in which LED light sources are enclosed within the eyeglass frame, is described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020/0124877, entitled “Confetti Inlaid Wearable Novelty Items.”
In some wearable items, such as headbands, sockets are provided to receive the light sources. An example is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,561,217, entitled “Illuminated Headband.” Because of the need for flexibility, and resulting vulnerability to breakage, the battery and wiring for the bulb sockets are provided on the outside of the headband. Such an arrangement is not suitable for use in novelty eyeglass frames, which are relatively narrow in comparison with a headband, due to difficulty in locating electrical parts and wiring on the outside of the frame, the potential for electrical shock if electrical parts come into contact with the wearer, and also because the wiring and electrical parts detract from the aesthetic effect of the eyeglasses. As a result, eyeglass frames have not previously been able to include replaceable bulb sockets.
A need therefore exists for an illuminated novelty eyeglass frame in which electrical parts and wiring are completely enclosed within the frame, and yet that provides bulb sockets that extend out of the frame, allowing a user to vary the arrangement of light sources and/or bulbs, to achieve different color and illumination effects and, in case of replaceable light sources, to extend the useful life of the illuminated eyeglass frame by replacing burnt-out light sources or light source-containing bulbs.
It is accordingly a first objective of the invention to provide a wearable item, in the form of an illuminated novelty eyeglass frame, that is capable of providing a variety of illumination effects.
It is a second objective of the invention to provide an illuminated wearable item, in the form of an illuminated novelty eyeglass frame, that is attractive, durable, and safe.
It is a third objective of the invention to provide an illuminated eyeglass frame capable of multiple illumination effects, by including sockets at an upper surface of the frame to permit selected light sources and/or bulbs to be varied or replaced and, optionally, by also providing a flashing control circuit or processor, and in which all electrical parts, including a power source and wiring, are concealed within the eyeglass frame for safety and an improved appearance.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the illuminated novelty eyeglass frame includes a plurality of molded-in sockets extending from or recessed into the top of the frame, a battery provided in an internal compartment situated in the portion of the frame that rests on the wearer's nose (i.e., the nose bridge), an on-off switch having a push button or slider that extends through an opening in top of the nose bridge, and wiring that extends from the controller board to the sockets without being exposed to the outside of the frame.
As shown in
Polygonal sections 2 and 3 are connected by a bridge section 4 that fits over a wearer's nose to support the front of the frame, and that may include optional nosepieces 26, as shown in
Extending from the top of polygonal sections 2 and 3 are a plurality of bulb sockets 7-10. Sockets 7-10 are, in the example shown in
The illustrated bulbs 21-24 (
Included in the nose bridge section 4 is a battery compartment 12, which may contain a cylindrical battery or a plurality of button cells (not shown). Also included in the bridge section 4 is an on-off switch that includes a push button or slider 13 that extends through an opening at the top of the bridge section 4. The switch may be a simple on-off switch or may optionally be connected to an integrated circuit or controller (not shown) that controls supply of power to the bulb sockets 7-10 in such a way as to provide lighting effects such as flashing. The optional integrated circuit or controller may, for example, provide different lighting modes or flashing patterns, such as sequential or random flashing, and/or different flashing frequencies or duty cycles.
In the illustrated embodiment, the battery and switch are sealed within the frame, which may be injected molded and constructed of one or more layers or parts. Optionally, access may be provided to the battery compartment to enable batteries to be replaced, although it is also within the scope of the invention to seal the battery or batteries within the frame without enabling replacement. In addition to enclosing the battery and other electrical parts within the frame, all wiring is encapsulated within the upper portion of the frame to protect the wires from damage.
On the other hand, in the variation shown in
Finally, in the variation shown in
Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
