The present invention relates generally to sporting goods and, in particular, to a lighted sports ball. The invention also relates to a lighted sports ball kit including the lighted sports ball and a method of using the lighted sports ball.
Sports balls are used in a variety of individual recreational and team athletic activities including sports such as baseball, basketball, football, and the like. In certain circumstances, it can be desirable to enhance the visibility of a sports ball. For example, a user may desire to use a sports ball in low-light conditions or in a darkened environment where it can be difficult to keep track of a sports ball. Further, one may desire to make the sports ball more readily distinguishable against a background for players participating in a sporting event and/or spectators watching a sporting event.
Previous attempts have been made to enhance the visibility of a sports ball. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,821,196 discloses a luminous ball that is similar in appearance to a baseball or softball. However, said luminous ball exhibits various shortcomings. Particularly, the construction of the luminous ball requires a user to remove the light-emitting device from the ball and place a battery therein or remove a battery therefrom in order to turn the luminous ball on or off, respectively. Further, when turned on, the color of the light emitted by the luminous ball cannot be changed by the user at the user's discretion.
As can be readily discerned from the above description, previous attempts to enhance the visibility of a sports ball leave much to be desired. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved lighted sports ball.
To address these and other deficiencies, a lighted sports ball is disclosed. In one embodiment, the lighted sports ball includes an interior housing through which light can pass. The interior housing has an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface defines the bounds of a cavity within the interior housing. The lighted sports ball further includes a circuit board mounted to the inner surface of the interior housing and connected to a battery. The circuit board has at least one light module and a controller. The controller controls an output of the at least one light module. Additionally, an exterior cover is applied over the outer surface of the interior housing. The exterior cover has at least one aperture through which a light from the at least one light module can pass.
In a further embodiment, the interior housing further includes a first half portion and a second half portion. The first half portion and the second half portion combine at their respective peripheries to form the interior housing. Furthermore, the circuit board is mounted in a circuit board receiving area on the first half portion and the battery is mounted in a battery receiving area on the second half portion. Alternatively, the battery may not be located on the second half portion and, further, the battery receiving area may include an extended battery housing extending from the interior housing to cover a substantial portion of the battery. A wire connects the circuit board and the battery.
In yet a further embodiment, the controller is a push button that extends from the circuit board and through the interior housing such that the push button can be actuated from an exterior of the lighted sports ball. Additionally, the end of the push button that extends through the interior housing is covered by a protective cap. The end of the push button abuts the protective cap when the protective cap is depressed.
In still a further embodiment, actuating the push button causes the light module to emit the light. Further actuating the push button changes the color of the light emitted by the light module. Optionally. the controller can be addressed wirelessly to cause the light module to emit the light and to change the color of the emitted light.
In a further embodiment, the battery is rechargeable and, optionally, is capable of being recharged wirelessly. To charge the battery, the circuit includes a charging port. An end of the charging port is accessible from an exterior of the lighted sports ball. Moreover, a protective cap covers the end of the charging port and a portion of the protective cap is moveable to allow access to the charging port.
In yet a further embodiment, the exterior cover includes a first cover portion and a second cover portion. The first cover portion and the second cover portion are stitched together at a seam with a thread and combine to cover the interior housing.
In still a further embodiment, an outer appearance of the lighted sports ball may be that of a baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, or a soccer ball.
In another embodiment, a lighted sports ball kit is disclosed. The lighted sports ball kit includes a lighted sports ball. The lighted sports ball includes an interior housing through which light can pass. The interior housing has an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface defines the bounds of a cavity within the interior housing. Additionally, a circuit board is mounted to the inner surface of the interior housing and connected to a rechargeable battery that can be recharged wirelessly. The circuit board has at least one light module and a controller for controlling an output of the light module. Further, the lighted sports ball includes an exterior cover applied over the outer surface of the interior housing. The exterior cover has at least one aperture through which a light from the at least one light module can pass. Furthermore, the lighted sports ball kit includes a charging stand configured to receive the lighted sports ball thereupon and wirelessly charge the rechargeable battery of the lighted sports ball.
In still another embodiment, a method of using a lighted sports ball is disclosed. The lighted sports ball includes an interior housing through which light can pass. The interior housing has an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface defines the bounds of a cavity within the interior housing. Additionally, a circuit board is mounted to the inner surface of the interior housing and connected to a rechargeable battery. The circuit board has at least one light module and a push button for controlling an output of the at least one light module. Further the lighted sports ball includes an exterior cover applied over the outer surface of the interior housing. The exterior cover has at least one aperture through which a light from the at least one light module can pass. The method of using the lighted sports ball includes actuating the push button to cause the at least one light module to emit light. The method also includes further actuating the push button to change the color of the light emitted by the at least one light module.
The steps and elements described herein can be reconfigured and combined in different combinations to achieve the desired technical effects in different styles of lighted sports balls, as may be needed in the art. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be made apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description thereof.
Various additional features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description of one or more illustrative embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the one or more embodiments of the invention.
The exemplary embodiments described herein are provided for illustrative purposes and are not limiting. Other embodiments are possible, and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the Detailed Description is not meant to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
With reference to
Beginning with reference to
The embodiment of the lighted sports ball 10 pictured in
Referring now to
Further, as is shown in
Turning to
Further, the interior housing 14 may be formed of one or more portions. In the pictured embodiment, the interior housing 14 is formed of two portions—a first half portion 42 and a second half portion 44. The first and second half portions 42, 44 are roughly hemispherical. It is to be understood that the interior housing 14 could be made of more or fewer portions as determined to be appropriate for the particular sports ball. The first and second half portions 42, 44 combine at their peripheries to form the interior housing 14. The first and second half portions 42, 44 may be joined to each other by known means such as adhesives, mechanical fasteners, and/or friction fits.
Still referring to
The output of the light modules 50 is controlled by the controller 30. In the depicted embodiment, the controller 30 is a push button that extends from the cavity 40, through the interior housing 14, and to the exterior of the lighted sports ball 10 such that the controller 30 can be accessed and interfaced with (e.g., the push button actuated) from the exterior of the lighted sports ball 10. It is to be understood that the controller 30 may take on other forms besides a push button. For example, the controller 30 could include a wireless receiver and allow for a user to control (e.g., address) the light modules 50 from a distance as opposed to having to actuate a physical push button directly on the lighted sports ball 10. Wireless communication could be accomplished through Bluetooth, radio waves, Wi-Fi, or the like. In the depicted embodiment, actuating the push button controller 30 one time turns the light modules 50 on and causes the light modules 50 to emit a pre-selected, default light color. For example, white. Further actuating the push button controller 30 causes the light modules 50 to change color. For example, further actuating the push button controller 30 can cause the light modules 50 to change the color of the emitted light from white to red, blue, green, purple, and light blue. The light emitted by the light modules 50 may be static (e.g., stay a solid color until a new signal is received from the controller 30) or the emitted light may cycle through various colors offered by the light modules 50 (e.g., change in color until the controller 30 communicates the light modules 50 to stop changing color). In this way, the lighted sports ball 10 of the present disclosure offers variety and additional user customization not offered by some known enhanced visibility sports balls.
Still referring to
A lighted sports ball 10 with a rechargeable battery 54 can be recharged via the charging port 28 on the circuit board 46. The end 32 of the charging port 28 extends from the cavity 40, through the interior housing 14, and to the exterior of the lighted sports ball 10 such that the charging port 28 can be accessed and interfaced with from the exterior of the lighted sports ball 10. The charging port 28 accepts a charging cable 34 and communicates the power to the battery 54 via a wire 52 that connects the circuit board 46 and the battery 54. The charging port 28 may be a female USB Type-C connector. Alternatively, the charging port 28 could be a female micro-USB Type-B connector. It is to be understood that alternative types of charging port 28 connectors could be substituted. Regardless of the particular type of charging port 28 connector, the charging cable 34 would have a corresponding connector type (e.g., male USB type-C connector, male micro-USB type-B connector, etc.). For example, the charging cable 34 may provide a power input of 5 V and 1-2 A. Further, the battery 54 could be recharged (alternatively or additionally) via wireless charging and thus offer a user flexibility for charging the lighted sports ball 10. For example, the wireless charging could be inductive charging in accordance with the Qi wireless power transfer standard. However, it is to be understood that the rechargeable battery 54 could be wirelessly charged through a different means or standard of wireless power transfer.
Referring now to
Referring now to
To wirelessly charge the lighted sports ball 10, a user places the lighted sports ball 10 into the charging stand 60, as indicated by arrow A2. The charging stand 60 features a depression 62 with a complementary shape to that of the lighted sports ball 10 that is configured to receive a portion of the lighted sports ball 10. When seated in the charging stand 60, the lighted sports ball 10 will wirelessly recharge. Further, the charging stand 60 serves to display the lighted sports ball 10 when the lighted sports ball 10 is not in use. Though the embodiment of the light sports ball 10 illustrated in
Turning now to
While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of various embodiments and while these embodiments have been described in some detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the invention to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope of the general inventive concept.
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