Illuminated article and waterproof illuminated harness

An illuminated object having an outer surface comprising:

• a harness including:
• an electric power source housed in a waterproof housing;
• electrical conductors connectable to the electric power source;
• an illumination means attached in electrical contact with the electrical conductors;
• and
• a housing surrounding and forming a waterproof enclosure about the illumination means and the attached portion of the electrical conductors, the housing comprising:
• a preload insert formed of a moldable material, the preload insert having a slot configured to encompass the illumination means and the attached portion of the electrical conductors;
• and
• an outer body moldingly joined to and encompassing the preload insert, the illumination means and the attached portion of the electrical conductors;
• the harness mounted on the object with the illumination means being viewable from the outer surface.

An illuminated object having an outer surface comprising:

• a plurality of harnesses, each harness including:
• an electric power source housed in a waterproof housing;
• electrical conductors connectable to the electric power source;
• an illumination means attached in electrical contact with the electrical conductors;
• and
• a housing surrounding and forming a waterproof enclosure about the illumination means and the attached portion of the electrical conductors;
• the harness mounted on the object with the illumination means being viewable from the outer surface;
• means for interconnecting the electrical conductors of a plurality of harnesses to form an electrical circuit between the illumination means in the harnesses and the electrical power source, the interconnecting means comprising:
• a preload square, the preload square having slots formed therein for receiving the electrical conductors of a plurality of harnesses;
• means for connecting the electrical conductors of the plurality of harnesses together;
• and
• an interconnection plate surrounding and forming a waterproof enclosure about the preload square and interconnected ends of the electrical conductors of a plurality of harnesses.

An illuminated object having an outer surface comprising:

• a harness including:
• an electric power source housed in a waterproof housing;
• electrical conductors connectable to the electric power source;
• a plurality of illuminatible devices attached in electrical contact with the electrical conductors;
• a plurality of discrete housings, each surrounding and encapsulating an illuminatible device and the attached portions of the electrical conductors;
• the harness mounted on the object with the illumination means being viewable from the outer surface.

An illuminated object of in the form of an elongated band having an outer surface comprising:

• a harness including:
• an electric power source housed in a waterproof housing;
• electrical conductors connectable to the electric power source;
• and
• an illumination means attached in electrical contact with the electrical conductors;
• an aperture formed in the band;
• the illumination means disposed in the aperture and viewable from the outer surface of the band;
• and
• a housing molded over the band, through the aperture in the band and about the illumination means to encapsulate the illumination means and the attached portion of the electrical conductors adjacent to the illumination means.

An illuminated object having an outer surface comprising:

• a harness including:
• an electric power source housed in a waterproof housing;
• electrical conductors connectable to the electric power source;
• an illumination means attached in electrical contact with the electrical conductors;
• and
• a housing surrounding and forming a waterproof enclosure about the illumination means and the attached portion of the electrical conductors;
• the harness mounted on the object with the illumination means being viewable from the outer surface;
• the object including a woven fabric material layer;
• the illumination means being disposed in registry with one side of the fabric layer;
• and
• the housing moldingly impregnating and extending through both sides of the fabric material layer and encapsulating the illumination means.

A method of manufacturing an illuminatible harness comprising the steps of:

• attaching the leads of an illumination means to electrical conductors;
• positioning the illumination means and the attached portion of the electrical conductors in a mold;
• molding a single piece, waterproof housing around the illumination means and the attached portion of the electrical conductors adjacent to the illumination means;
• and
• connecting the ends of the electrical conductors to an electrical power source.

An illuminatible harness comprising:

• electrical conductors connectable to an electric power source;
• a plurality of illumination means disposed at spaced locations in electrical contact with the electrical conductors;
• and
• a plurality of housings, each housing surrounding and forming a waterproof body around one illumination means and the attached portion of the electrical conductors adjacent to the one illumination means.

An illuminatible harness comprising:

• electrical conductors connectable to an electric power source;
• a plurality of illumination means attached at spaced locations in electrical contact to the electrical conductors;
• and
• a housing surrounding and forming a single, molded, waterproof body encapsulating all of the illumination means and the attached portion of the electrical conductors adjacent to the illumination means.