Molded lighting device for use on apparel and apparel article having same
AssigneeHolicap, Inc.
InventorTravis Anton Bryant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lighting device for use on apparel includes a main body portion and a raised graphic portion at the front of the main body. Inside the device there is a graphic element in the raised portion that is translucent. Behind the graphic element and inside the main body of the device there is one or more lighting elements, a control circuit, and a battery. There is a power connector at a side of the main body, or in a remote connector, to charge the battery, and one or more switches either at the side of the main body or on the remote connector to allow a person to control the lighting operation of the device. The device is molded in the form of the graphic element and the graphic element, lighting element, battery, and circuitry are embedded in the molded body.
Claims18
A lighting device, comprising:
- a body comprised of a cured moldable material;
- at least one graphical element disposed in the cured moldable material of the body at a front of the body;
- a circuit board disposed behind the graphical element in the cured moldable material of the body, at least one switch disposed on the circuit board, and a power connector disposed on the circuit board;
- wherein a control portion of the at least one switch extends from inside of the cured moldable material of the body to an outside of the body, and wherein a connector portion of the power connector extends from inside of the cured moldable material of the body to outside of the body;
- a battery disposed in the cured moldable material of the body;
- at least one lighting element disposed in the cured moldable material of the body that is controlled by circuitry on the circuit board, responsive to operation of the at least one switch;
- and
- wherein the cured moldable material of the body fills a complete volume of the body around the at least one graphical element, circuit board, battery, at least one switch, power connector, and at least one lighting element.
A hat, comprising:
- an exterior surface;
- a lighting device attached to the exterior surface, the lighting device having:
- a body comprised of a cured moldable material having a main body portion and a raised portion at a front of the main body portion;
- at least one graphical element disposed in the cured moldable material of the body in the raised portion;
- at least one lighting element disposed in the cured moldable material of the body behind the graphical element in the cured moldable material of the body;
- a lighting control circuit disposed in the cured moldable material of the body behind the graphical element which is configured to control an operation of the at least one lighting element;
- and
- a battery disposed in the cured moldable material of the body, and that is operably coupled to the at least one lighting element and the lighting control circuit;
- and
- wherein the cured moldable material of the body fills a complete volume of the body around the at least one graphical element, lighting control circuit, battery, and the at least one lighting element.
A method of making a lighting device for use on an apparel article, comprising:
- providing a mold having a shape of an outline of a graphic element, the mold having a main body portion, and a raised portion extending downward at a bottom of the mold, the raised portion having a configuration that corresponds to the graphic element;
- placing the graphic element into the raised portion of the mold, the graphic element being translucent;
- placing at least one lighting element over the graphic element;
- placing a lighting control circuit into the mold that is operable coupled to the at least one lighting element;
- placing a battery in the mold that is operably coupled to the lighting control circuit and the at least one lighting element;
- pouring a curable transparent material into the mold, covering the graphic element, at least one lighting element, lighting control circuit, and battery;
- and
- curing the curable transparent material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.