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  Illuminated flying discRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Toys, Aerodynamically Supported Or Retarded, Spinning Disc (e.g., Flying Saucer), With Electric Light Or SounderThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060160457. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/989,697 filed Nov. 16, 2004, which itself is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/607,786 filed Jun. 27, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,857,770 issued Feb. 22, 2005, which in turn claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/392,824 filed 28 Jun. 2002. The entirety of this provisional application is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention in general relates to an illuminated aerodynamic toy/athletic device, and, more particularly, to illuminated flying discs. [0004] 2. Statement of the Problem [0005] The FRISBEE.TM. and similar flying discs are well-known devices used as toys and in sports activities. Numerous attempts have been made to improve these flying discs by adding lighting systems to allow effective use of the flying disc in darkness or low light conditions. See, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,018 issued Mar. 13, 1973 to Peterson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,246 issued Jan. 15, 1974 to Johnson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,614 issued May 28, 1974 to Richard H. Harrington; U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,523 issued Apr. 6, 1976 to Henry G. Michael; U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,723 issued May 2, 1978 to Raymond L. Strawick; U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,031 issued Jan. 2, 1979 to Louis G. Psyras; U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,324 issued Jan. 23, 1979 to Miller et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,839 issued Mar. 27, 1979 to Joseph M. Sampietro; U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,702 issued Jun. 17, 1980 to Boatman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,010 issued Feb. 3, 1981 to Daniel W. Fox; U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,575 issued Mar. 10, 1981 to Arnold S. Gould; U.S. Design Pat. No. 260,786 issued Sep. 15, 1981 to Stanley C. Chaklos; U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,616 issued Nov. 24, 1981 to Terry J. Gudgel; U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,538 issued Dec. 29, 1981 to Keith S. Moffitt; U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,196 issued Feb. 14, 1984 to Mark R. Kutnyak; U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,917 issued Mar. 13, 1984 to William B. Lee; U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,570 issued May 7, 1985 to Edward R. Beltran; U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,160 issued Jan. 7, 1986 to William B. Lee; U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,850 issued Aug. 26, 1986 to Henry M. O'Riley; U.S. Design Pat. No. 286,657 issued Nov. 11, 1986 to Tom Fields; U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,428 issued Oct. 18, 1988 to Paul J. Wield; U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,749 issued Jul. 11, 1989 to Charles J. Petko; U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,098 issued Jul. 16, 1991 to Balogh et al.; U.S. Design Pat. No. 337,134 issued Jul. 6, 1993 to Scruggs et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,184 issued Mar. 1, 1994 to Balogh et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,531 issued Jun. 7, 1994 to Mark R. Kutnyak; U.S. Design Pat. No. 350,783 issued Sep. 20, 1994 to Jerry R. Bacon; U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,195 issued Jul. 16, 1996 to Bryan W. Stamos; U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,720 issued Mar. 18, 1997 to John Vandermaas; U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,166 issued May 11, 1999 to Charles L. R. Robb; U.S. Design Pat. No. 386,221 issued Nov. 11, 1997 to Steven R. Ybanez; U.S. Design Pat. No. 390,282 issued Feb. 3, 1998 to Brett Burdick; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,716 issued Aug. 3, 1999 to Hopkins et al. These attempts can be categorized into three basic approaches as follows. [0006] One of the earliest systems was to use "glow-in-the-dark" materials integrated into the structure of the disc or added by means of special coating materials. Although the disc produces a glow at night, the phosphorescent material is ineffective during the twilight hours due to high ambient light level. In addition, the glow is not long lasting and such discs require frequent and inconvenient "recharging" by exposure to a strong light source. [0007] Other systems employ chemilucent liquids as a light source, but these require bulky compartments to house the liquid and the liquid itself is heavy. In addition, once the chemical reaction is initiated, the usable light output only lasts a few hours and the chemilucent material must be discarded and replenished after each use. [0008] More recent illumination systems employ multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs). However, even with complex dimming, pulsing, or other energy conserving circuitry, the use of multiple LEDs creates a relatively large drain on any battery and requires substantially larger batteries and/or their frequent replacement. The additional mass and volume required to house multiple LEDs, metallic wiring, complex control circuitry, and bulky disposable batteries severely degrades the flight characteristics of the disc. In addition, the complex circuitry is susceptible to damage resulting in low durability and a short lifetime for the device. Further, the complexity of these systems significantly increases the cost of the flying disc. [0009] In addition to the bulky wiring configurations, some of these illumination systems employ screw-type caps that function as a switch by pressing the LED leads against the wiring connected to battery terminals as the cap is screwed down. Many times these screw-type caps are over-tightened, which flatten the electrical contacts and leads and cause deteriorating electrical connections. Further, these screw-type caps have battery compartments that are shaped to hold a battery, but not grip the battery tight, which allows the battery to slightly move from side to side inside its compartment. This movement further deteriorates the electrical contacts and leads inside the battery compartment. Furthermore, the switch could be accidentally activated when the user is closing the battery compartment. [0010] Despite the numerous attempts to provide an illuminated flying disc, there does not yet exist an illuminated disc that combines low power consumption, volume, and weight, with high durability, normal flying disc flight characteristics and relatively low cost. None of these provide for bright, long-lasting illumination of the entire disc without adding weight or bulk, which unduly affects the flight characteristics of the flying disc. Further, those designs that provide the most effective illumination suffer from low durability and high cost. Thus, there is needed a flying disc having an illumination system that combines low power consumption, volume, and weight, with high durability, normal flying disc flight characteristics and relatively low cost. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] The invention solves the above problem by providing an illuminated flying disc with a simple, compact lighting system. In the preferred embodiment, the illuminated flying disc has no protrusions on the flat disc and therefore performs like the best unlighted flying discs. One inventive feature is that the illuminated flying disc includes optical fiber material that has one end embedded in the LED casing to provide distribution of light throughout the disc without requiring the use of multiple LEDs. Preferably, the optical fiber material is contained in a translucent rib, and more preferably in a channel formed in the rib. Preferably, the channel does not go to the edge of the flying disc but abuts the inside of the translucent annular rim. A further inventive feature is that the leads of the LED chip contact the battery terminals directly, thereby providing substantially less wiring than the prior art and also affording solderless connections. [0012] The invention provides a flying disc comprising: a disc-shaped body member having a first surface and a second surface and terminating at its periphery in an annular rim; the first surface being essentially flat; the rim extending in a direction substantially away from the plane of the first surface and together with the second surface defining a semi-enclosed space; an electronics housing centrally located on the second surface, located entirely within the semi-enclosed space with no portion thereof protruding from the first surface, and having a maximum external housing radius of one-fourth or less of the radius of the annular rim; an electronic source of light located entirely within the electronics housing; and an optical fiber located to receive light from the light source. More preferably, the maximum external radius of the electronics housing is one-fifth or less of the radius of the annular rim. Most preferably, the maximum external radius of the electronics housing is one-seventh or less of the radius of the annular rim. Preferably, the electronics housing is circular. Preferably, the external radius of the circular electronics housing ranges from 0.75 inches to 1.5 inches. Preferably, the electronic source of light comprises an LED and a battery. Preferably, the flying disc further includes a dual battery adapter and there are two of the batteries located in the adapter. Preferably, the flying disc further includes a rib attached to the second surface and the optical fiber is located within the rib. Preferably, the electronic source of light includes a light switch. [0013] The invention also provides an aerodynamic toy/athletic device comprising: a gliding body terminating at its periphery in an annular rim; a light source attached to the gliding body, the light source including only one light emitting diode (LED), the LED comprising a semiconductor chip embedded in a dielectric casing; and a plurality of optical fibers attached to the gliding body, each optical fiber having one end embedded in the dielectric casing. Preferably, the LED is substantially centrally located on the gliding body. Preferably, the light source further includes a battery, the LED further includes a pair of electrical leads, and the electrical leads directly contact the battery. Preferably, the gliding body comprises a disc-shaped body member having a first surface and a second surface and terminating at its periphery in an annular rim; the rim extending in a direction substantially away from the plane of the first surface and together with the second surface defining a semi-enclosed space. Preferably, the aerodynamic toy/athletic device further includes a plurality of ribs attached to the second surface, and one of the optical fibers is located in each of the ribs. Preferably, each of the ribs further includes a channel formed in the rib and the optical fiber associated with the rib is located in the channel. Preferably, the channels do not penetrate the inside edge of the rim. Preferably, the disc-shaped body, the rim, and the channels are translucent. Preferably, the ribs further include an opening formed in the ribs wherein the opening has a smaller diameter than the channel. [0014] In another aspect, the invention provides an aerodynamic toy/athletic device comprising: a gliding body terminating at its periphery in an annular rim; and a light source attached to the gliding body, the light source comprising: a light emitting diode (LED), the LED comprising a semiconductor chip embedded in a dielectric casing; a pair of electrical leads attached to the semiconductor chip; and a battery source; wherein the electrical leads directly contact the battery source. Preferably, the gliding body further includes an optical fiber material attached to the gliding body and located to receive light from the light source. Preferably, the gliding body comprises a disc-shaped body member having a first surface and a second surface and terminating at its periphery in an annular rim; the rim extending in a direction substantially away from the plane of the disc and together with the second surface defining a semi-enclosed space. Preferably, the aerodynamic toy/athletic device further includes a plurality of ribs attached to the second surface, and wherein one of the optical fiber material is located in each of the ribs. Preferably, the channels abut but do not penetrate the inside edge of the rim. Preferably, the battery source comprises a dual battery assembly including a dual battery adapter and a first battery and a second battery located in the adapter; and the first lead contacts the first battery and the second lead contacts the second battery. [0015] In a further aspect, the invention provides a flying disc comprising: a disc-shaped body member having a first surface and a second surface and terminating at its periphery in an annular rim; the first surface being essentially flat; the rim extending in a direction substantially away from the plane of the disc and together with the second surface defining a semi-enclosed space; an electronics housing centrally located on the second surface; an electronic source of light located entirely within the electronics housing; a plurality of ribs attached to the second surface and extending radially from the electronics housing; and a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber located in one of the ribs. Preferably, each of the ribs further includes a channel formed in the rib and the optical fiber associated with the rib is located in the channel. Preferably, the channels abut but do not penetrate the inside edge of the rim. Preferably, the channels include a lip for retaining the optical fibers. Preferably, the electronics housing includes a base member, a battery, and a cap, wherein the battery is located between the base member and the cap. [0016] In yet another aspect, the invention also provides a method of making an illuminated flying disc, the method comprising: providing a gliding body having a disc-shaped member and an annular rim integrally formed with the disc-shaped member, the annular rim extending in a direction substantially away from the plane of the disc-shaped member; the inner surface of the rim and the lower surface of the disc-shaped member defining a semi-enclosed space; the gliding body including an aerodynamic surface including the upper surface of the disc-shaped member and the outer surface of the annular rim; and integrating an electronic illumination system into the flying disc without altering the aerodynamic properties of the aerodynamic surface. Preferably, the method further includes forming aerodynamic ridges in the aerodynamic surface. [0017] In still a further aspect, the invention provides a method of illuminating a flying disc, the method comprising: providing a flying disc having an electronics chamber and an LED within the electronics chamber, the LED including a semiconductor chip embedded in a dielectric and a first electrical lead and a second electrical lead attached to the semiconductor chip; placing a battery assembly in the electronics chamber so that a first conducting portion of the battery assembly directly contacts the first electrical lead; and directly contacting a second portion of the battery assembly with the second electrical lead. Preferably, the battery assembly comprises a single battery. Preferably, the battery assembly comprises a dual battery assembly. [0018] In still another aspect, the invention provides a switchable light source for a flying disc including a first surface and a second surface comprising: a base member including a plurality of base elements; a cap that covers the base elements; a battery assembly having a first terminal and a second terminal located between the base elements and the cap; and a light emitting diode (LED) having a first lead located in contact with the first terminal and a second lead located substantially adjacent to one of the base elements; wherein rotating the cap forces the one of the base elements towards the second terminal and the second lead into contact with the second terminal. Preferably, the cap is rotatable between a first position and a second position. Preferably, the cap includes a cam that doesn't engage the one of the base elements when the cap is in the first position and engages the one of the base elements when the cap is in the second position. Preferably, the one of the base elements is abbreviated to form an opening and wherein the cam is located substantially in the opening when the cap is in the first position. Preferably, the switchable light source further includes a detent engageable by the cap to hold the cap in the second position. [0019] In yet another aspect, the invention provides a flying disc comprising: a disc-shaped body member having a first surface and a second surface and terminating at its periphery in an annular rim; the first surface being essentially flat; the rim extending in a direction substantially away from the plane of the disc and together with the second surface defining a semi-enclosed space; an electronics housing located on the second surface; the electronics housing comprising: a base member including a plurality of flexible base elements; a cap that covers the base elements; a battery support creating an electronics recess between the battery and the second surface; and disc-illuminating electronics in the electronics recess; wherein the base members cap and battery support are located and adapted such that when the cap is placed on the base elements, the base elements and cap grip the battery forming a rigid electronic housing structure that protects the disc illuminating electronics. Preferably, the base elements extend substantially perpendicular from the second surface. Preferably, the base elements further include an outwardly extending ridge substantially parallel to the second surface, and the cap further includes an inner perimeter groove for engaging the ridges. Preferably, the battery support comprises a plurality of posts. Preferably, the cap includes a beveled surface located to contact the battery. Preferably, the electronics includes a light emitting diode (LED). [0020] The invention further provides a switchable light source for a flying disc comprising: an electronics housing including a plurality of non-conductive flexible base elements and a cap covering the base elements; and a switch mechanism comprising: a cam located on the cap; one of the base elements, and a conductive switch element in contact with the one base element; the cam, the one base element and conductive switch element located so that when the cap is rotated, the cam moves the base element to activate the switch. Preferably, the switchable light source further includes a battery located between the one of the base elements and the cap. Preferably, the battery includes a pair of terminals, the flying disc further including a light emitting diode (LED) having a first lead located in contact with one of the terminals and a second lead located substantially adjacent to one of the base elements. [0021] The invention also provides a method of illuminating a flying disc, the method comprising: providing a flying disc having an electronics housing, an electronics housing cap, and a light source; placing a battery in the electronics housing; securing the battery in the electronics housing by placing the cap on the electronics housing without turning on the light source; and rotating the cap to turn on the light source. Preferably, the electronics housing includes a plurality of flexible base elements wherein the securing comprises the cap bending the flexible base elements to grip the battery. Preferably, the placing comprises placing a dual battery assembly in the electronics housing. Continue reading... Full patent description for Illuminated flying disc Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Illuminated flying disc patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Illuminated flying disc or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Lighting emitting element and method for manufacturing the same Next Patent Application: Toy assembly having a quick-disconnect clip Industry Class: Amusement devices: toys ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Illuminated flying disc patent info. 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