Miniature centrifugal lighting assembly

A lighted wheel for an in-line skate with a plurality of axles, comprising:

• an axial hub mountable on an axle of an in-line skate;
• a generally solid elastomeric tire member having an axial hub passage therethrough, said hub axially mounted within said hub passage for rotation of said hub and said tire member about said axle;
• and
• a lighting module including a light emitting diode, two miniature batteries, a switch and conductor means providing an electrical circuit through said diode, batteries and switch, said lighting module positioned within said tire member in weight-balanced relationship about said hub whereby the weight of said lighting module is generally equivalent to the weight of elastomeric tire member displaced by said lighting module in said tire member.

A centrifugal switch for mounting in an in-line skate wheel having an axis of rotation to selectively conduct electrical energy therethrough from a battery power source to a light, comprising:

• a switch housing;
• a first electrical contact member having a first conductive connection;
• an elastic electrically conductive member having a second conductive connection thereon and spacedly separated from said first electrical contact member and having an elastically moveable first portion and a second portion fixed to said housing;
• and
• a mass of electrically conducting dense material unattached to said elastic conductive member, said mass comprising a second electrical contact member normally spaced from said first electrical contact member and configured to forcibly impinge on said elastic conductive member during rotation of the switch to deflect said elastic conductive member whereby said second electrical contact member contacts said first electrical contact member upon application of a predetermined centrifugal force in a radial direction.

A centrifugal switch for mounting in an in-line skate wheel having an axis of rotation to selectively conduct electrical energy therethrough from a battery power source to a light, said wheel having a central hub and an outer tire attached to said hub;

• said switch comprising:
• a switch housing;
• a first electrical contact member having a first conductive connection;
• an elastic electrically conductive member having a first portion with a second conductive connection thereon and spacedly separated from said first electrical contact member and having a second portion fixed relative to said housing;
• and
• a mass of electrically conducting dense material affixed to said first portion of said elastic conductive member, said mass comprising a second electrical contact member normally spaced from said first electrical contact member and configured to forcibly move said first portion of said elastic conductive member under centrifugal force during rotation of the switch to deflect said first portion of said elastic conductive member whereby said second electrical contact member contacts said first electrical contact member upon application of a predetermined centrifugal force in a radial direction;
• wherein said switch housing and battery source are encapsulated within said outer tire;
• and
• wherein the predicted life of said battery source is configured to be commensurate with the predicted life of said outer tire.