Patent Grant
7682033
This invention is directed to the field of chemiluminescent lighting devices and, in particular, to the shaping of chemiluminescent vessels for purposes of enhancing illumination without increasing chemical levels.
Chemiluminescent devices are non-incandescent products which produce light from a chemical mixture. The basic chemiluminescent process produces light when two chemical solutions are combined. The solutions are kept physically separated prior to activation. Physical separation typically consists of a sealed frangible glass vial containing a first solution that is placed within a second solution, both of which are housed in a sealed flexible vessel. When the vessel is flexed, the glass vial is ruptured thereby releasing the vial solution wherein the admixed chemical creates a reaction that produces light.
The chemical solutions are generally referred to as the “oxalate” component and the “activator” component. A typical oxalate component consists of Dibutyl Phthalate, CPPO and CBPEA.
A typical activator solution contains Dimethyl Phthalate, T-butyl alcohol, 90% aq. Hydrogen Peroxide, Sodium Salicylate. The components may be separated by a vial, pellet, separating wall, and so forth. Despite the type of separation, the object of these devices is to produce usable light. For this reason, the outer vessel is made of a light-filtering plastic material which permits the light produced by the reaction to pass through the vessel walls.
Numerous patents exist that disclose improvements in the oxalate and activators, such patents extending or enhancing the illumination properties of chemiluminescent lighting devices. The unique lighting effects generated from chemiluminescent lighting devices are enhanced by the inherent optical properties of the containing vessel. The color, clarity and degree of effervescence, if any, serve to add to dissipation of light throughout the vessel wall. Some dyes or coloring agents can be used not only as color filters but as fluorescers. A fluorescent dye functions by converting light of one wavelength to another wavelength. For example, blue light from a chemiluminescent device might be converted to red light by employing an appropriate fluorescer. This red light could be produced even if there was little or no red light emitted by the chemiluminescent device. Most of these improvements strive for producing a brighter illumination of the device. If the vessel is actually made larger, the amount of chemical needed is increased thereby making the device uneconomical. The corners, as disclosed, act as light concentrators to give an enhanced lighting effect but is commercially unviable. Conventional chemical lighting devices are manufactured with polyethylene or polypropylene plastics. Other types of plastics such as vinyl's, acrylics, or such are not compatible with the solvents typically utilized by chemical lighting devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,851 shaped housing having distinct corners that concentrate light. The light concentration creates a fiber optic display-like effect which enhances the visibility of radiated light by concentrating the chemiluminescent light at each corner. The physical act of forming the polyethylene or polypropylene plastic containers described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,851 via extrusion or injection molding creates stress lines at the corners needed for the fiber optic effect. Additionally, the chemical light reaction forms, as a by-product, carbon dioxide gas. A normal chemical light device develops an internal pressure of as much as 50 psig internal pressure within 30 minutes of initiation of the chemical light reaction. Consumers will use chemical lighting devices under all weather conditions. Polyolefins that remain flexible at low temperatures (35 F) start to soften and loose physical properties at higher temperatures (140 F). It is very common for a consumer to store a chemical light device in the trunk of their automobile for possible roadside emergencies. A dark vehicle in bright sunlight can have a temperature within the trunk of over 160 F. A consumer activating a chemical light device manufactured per U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,851 and subjected to high temperatures would experience product failure, the stress lines resulting in the splitting and leaking of the container.
What is lacking in the art is a chemiluminescent device that enhances the illumination properties of chemiluminescent devices while reducing the weight, cost and rigidity of the device by altering the shape of the vessels.
The instant invention is a polygonal shaped vessel for containing of the “oxalate” and “activator” component. The shaped vessel permits the distribution of light in a controlled manner so as to allow for augmented illumination of the shape of the device without increasing the amount of chemical required. The vessels can be constructed from translucent polyethylene or polypropylene having a polygonal shape that enhances the light illuminating properties. The illuminated devices employ chemiluminescent means as lighting sources and may have four or more outer sides with either a form following or round shaped chemical holding section.
The shaped vessel of the instant invention may also include internal geometry which similarly provides a lighting device that appears larger than a conventional tubular shaped vessel without an increase in chemical usage. The vessel modifications, both internal or external, allow for the reduction in the amount of plastic yet allow for the increase in the apparent size of the vessel, as ascertainable by the human eye. The reduction in plastic reduces the manufacturing costs and reduces the rigidity of such vessels. The reduction in plastic allows for an increase in flexibility thereby permitting new and unique vessel shapes and sizes. The use of injected mold followed by scalloping of the side walls prevents stress cracks otherwise found in the prior devices.
The lighting effect generated by the chemiluminescent chemical is enhanced by the shape of the vessel which may have indicia placed thereon to further enhance the inherent optical properties of the vessel.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the instant invention to disclose the use of a polygonal shaped vessel for purposes of enhancing the distributing of chemiluminescent light without the need for additional chemical reagents.
It is a still another objective of this invention to teach the modification of the external geometry of chemiluminescent light vessels to provide a lighting device that appears significantly larger than a conventional chemiluminescent tubular shaped type vessel.
Another objective of this invention is to disclose how various modifications to chemiluminescent light vessels produce a new, unique, surprising and unexpected effect that creates visually enlarged chemiluminescent light devices ascertainable by the human eye.
Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein set forth, by way of illustration and example, are certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.
Although the invention is described in various specific embodiments, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that various modifications, rearrangements and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims appended hereto. With reference to
The box shaped vessel has an inner cavity 14 running from one end 16 through its center almost all the way to the second end 18. Further modify the exterior of device by scalloping each side of the long flat plane resulting in an inward curvature 22 and 24 and a peak 26 in the center of each long flat plane. In this manner, the final device retains the general physical structure of a rectangle with a square cross section but ends up with twice as many fiber optic “corners” as described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,851. Further, due to both the circular cross section of the inner annulus plus the plastic mass extending from the inner annulus to each corner, the final device resists physical failure at extreme temperatures.
In manufacturing of the polygonal chemiluminescent device, injection molding the plastic into a light-filtering container having four side walls and an inner cavity sized to support chemiluminescent reagents constitutes a first step. The side walls are then scalloped to form intersecting corners; an intersection corner of a scallop may be at each side wall corner or preferably between two scallops 22 & 24 as shown by the raised ridge 26. Reagents are inserted into the inner cavity 14 and sealed therein. Activation of the chemiluminescent reagents produces chemiluminescent light providing enhanced lighting at the intersecting corners 26, 27 & 29 from a given amount of said reagents. For ease of illustration, the intersecting corners are numbered on one side of the container, however, enhanced lighting occurs at each of the intersecting corners for each side wall. In the preferred embodiment, each side wall is about 1 inch wide and the intersecting corner is defined at each edge 27 and 29 of the side wall and between each edge 26 of said side wall.
The improved chemiluminescent device of the instant invention is a flexible, light-filtering injection molded container having an inner cavity which forms a chemical holding section which is sized to support chemiluminescent reagents and an outer shape that forms an augmented illumination surface which enhances the distribution of light from a given amount of the chemiluminescent reagents.
The outer shape of the vessel can also allow for a reduction in plastic yet create to the human eye the perception that the vessel size is enlarged without increasing the amount of chemical. The internal cavity may be varied, as embodied by the above mentioned external shapes, and provide similar visual results. The reduction in the amount of plastic allows enlarged light devices to be formed in diameters greater than 0.400 inches which is impractical with conventional light devices due to plastic rigidity. The inner cavity may also include a proliferation of ridges, prongs or extensions that extend inwardly from the vessel wall which provide directional transfer of radiated light.
Indicia, not shown, may be used to alter light diffusion to further enhance vessel illumination. For instance, the surface of the material may include a prismatic shape stamped or molded into the material which further operates to optimize available light and provides diffusion through the indicia. If the light is colored, the indicia provides shadows for highlighting of the indicia. In addition, depending on the container material and the type of chemiluminescent chemical employed, the indicia provides an alteration of the spectral light which can further allow the indicia to illuminate in a color distinctive of the remainder of the lighting device. Similarly, the placement of opaque indicia on an available flat portion of a formed container, allows the chemiluminescent light to provide a background for highlighting of the indicia.
It is to be understood that while we have illustrated and described certain forms of the invention, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification.
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080291658 A1 | Nov 2008 | US |
