U.S. patent application number 10/498183 was filed with the patent office on 2005-01-13 for harness for lighted sport article.
Invention is credited to Sullivan III, Earl W.
Application Number | 20050009650 10/498183 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23323861 |
Filed Date | 2005-01-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050009650 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sullivan III, Earl W |
January 13, 2005 |
Harness for lighted sport article
Abstract
A harness (10) for illuminating an article is provided. The
harness (10) includes elongate members (12) of elastic material
that can be releasably secured to an exterior surface of the
article. The elongate members (12) include light stick securing
portions (19) to releasably secure a light stick such as a
chemi-luminescent light stick (20).
Inventors: |
Sullivan III, Earl W; (Wall
Township, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HOFFMANN & BARON, LLP
6900 JERICHO TURNPIKE
SYOSSET
NY
11791
US
|
Family ID: |
23323861 |
Appl. No.: |
10/498183 |
Filed: |
June 7, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
December 3, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US02/38701 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60338207 |
Dec 7, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/570 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 43/06 20130101;
A63B 2225/74 20200801 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/570 |
International
Class: |
A63B 043/06 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A harness for attachment of lights to an article, comprising: at
least two elongate members having opposed interior and exterior
surfaces defining a wall therebetween and opposed ends, each of the
members having a hole through the wall, the hole being of a size to
securably hold a light source, wherein one of the surfaces is a
substantially planar surface; a first elongate connecting member
securably attached to one end of each of the elongate members; and
a second elongate connecting member securably attached to the other
end of each of the elongate members; wherein the elongate members
and the connecting members have elasticity to releasably secure the
harness over an external surface of the article.
2. The harness of claim 1, wherein the elongate members have a
plurality of holes for securably holding a light source.
3. The harness of claim 2, wherein the elongate members have at
least four holes for securably holding a light source.
4. The harness of claim 1, further including a pocket for securably
holding a light source; wherein a portion of the pocket is
connected to the interior surface of at least one of the elongate
members.
5. The harness of claim 1, wherein the elongate members have an
elastic portion.
6. The harness of claim 1, wherein the elongate members are elastic
members made from elastic material selected from the group
consisting of a natural rubber, a synthetic rubber, an elastic
plastic or an elastic textile.
7. The harness of claim 1, further including a light source capable
of releasable securement to the harness by frictional engagement
with portion of the elongate members proximal to the holes.
8. The harness of claim 7, wherein the light source is a
chemi-luminesent light stick.
9. The harness of claim 7, wherein the light source is an
electro-luminescent, battery-operated light stick.
10. The harness of claim 7, wherein the light source is an
incandescent, battery-operated light stick.
11. The harness of claim 9, wherein the harness further includes a
battery securing portion.
12. The harness of claim 10, wherein the harness further includes a
battery securing portion.
13. The harness of claim 1, wherein the article is a play toy
14. The harness of claim 1, wherein the article is a sport
article.
15. The harness of claim 13, wherein the sport article is a
ball.
16. An illuminated play toy comprising: a play toy having an
exterior surface; an elastic harness covering a portion of the
exterior surface of the play toy and releasably attached to the
play toy, the elastic harness comprising: at least two elongate
members having opposed interior and exterior surfaces defining a
wall therebetween and opposed ends, each of the members having a
hole through the wall, the hole being of a size to securably hold a
light source, wherein one of the surfaces is a substantially planar
surface; a first elongate connecting member securably attached to
one end of each of the elongate members; a second elongate
connecting member securably attached to the other end of each of
the elongate members; and a light stick securably attached to
portions of the elongate members proximal to the holes.
17. The play toy of claim 15, wherein the play toy is a sport
article.
18. The play toy of claim 15, wherein the sport article is a
ball.
19. The play toy of claim 13, wherein the light stick is a
chemi-luminescent light stick.
20. The play toy of claim 13, wherein the light stick is selected
from the group consisting of a chemi-luminescent light stick, an
electro-luminescent light stick or an incandescent light stick.
21. A method for illuminating a play toy comprising: forming an
elastically deformable harness having resilient elongate members;
providing a plurality holes through the elongate members of the
harness; providing light stick for securement to the harness;
weaving the light stick through the holes to secure the light stick
to the harness; and placing the harness over an exterior surface of
the play toy to releasably secure the harness to the play toy.
22. A harness for illuminating an article comprising: elastic,
light-emitting elongate members securably attached to one and the
other to form a harness, wherein the harness is releasably slidable
over the article.
23. The harness of claim 22, wherein the elastic, light emitting
members comprise light sources interconnected to elastic harness
portions.
24. The harness of claim 22, wherein the elastic, light-emitting
members comprise elastic, light sources.
25. The harness of claim 22, wherein the elastic, light-emitting
members include replaceable light sources.
26. The harness of claim 25, wherein the replaceable light sources
are refillable.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a lighted sport article.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a harness for
securably maintaining a light to a sports article, for example, a
recreational ball.
BACKGROUND OF RELATED TECHNOLOGY
[0002] Sport articles, such as balls, rackets and the like, have
been illuminated for recreational play during dark hours of the
evening or nighttime. Illuminated sports articles, however, are
often specifically designed and manufactured to provide such
lighted articles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,458 describes a
ball made of translucent material having a light source positioned
within the ball. When the light source is activated, the ball is
illuminated via its translucent material of construction. The ball,
however, is made of two releasable halves which connect to activate
the light source and to form the playing shape of the ball.
[0003] Other designs have included a light source within a ball
without having to assemble or disassemble the ball itself. For
example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,649 describes an inflatable play ball
having a preformed interior passage for receiving a light source,
such as a light stick. The ball, however, must be deflated for
placing the light source therein and must be subsequently inflated
to hold the light source within the ball during use of the ball.
Alternatively, to inflating and deflating a ball, U.S. Pat. No.
4,002,893 describes the press-fitting of a light source within a
hollow passageway of the ball. Moreover, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,776,587
and 5,066,012 describe a ball having a hollow passageway for
holding a light source. The passageway for the ball is covered by a
cap or collar after the light source is placed with the
passageway.
[0004] These illuminated sports balls, however, require specially
designed articles or hollow passageways with such articles for
holding their light source. Such designs complicate the design and
increase the cost for manufacturing an illuminated sports ball.
[0005] To avoid making hollow passageways within sports articles,
exterior portions of sports articles have been altered to provide
securement light sources. Grooves on exterior surfaces of sports
balls and croquet mallets have been described respectively in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 5,683,316 and 5,370,390. Clips for holding lights have
been molded to exterior surfaces of toys, for example a flying
saucer toy in U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,723. Moreover, lights have been
screwed onto sports articles, for example roller skates in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,855,382. All of these techniques, however, require
modification of a sports article's surface or a surface adapted for
securely receiving screws or the like for holding a light
source.
[0006] To avoid specially designed sports articles, a harness for
holding a light stick around a sports ball has been described in
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,751. The harness, however, requires hollow
tubular members for holding light sticks. Such hollow tubular
members make the harness bulky and also limit the type and size of
light stick useful to one that can be releasably secured within the
hollow tubular members.
[0007] Thus, there is a need in the art for a device for
illuminating a sports article without the disadvantages of the
prior art. More particularly, there is a need for a device for
illuminating a sports article that does not require modification of
the sports article itself and one that is not bulky.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention is a harness for releasably securing a
light source around a play toy or sport article. The harness
includes elastically resilient material. The harness is capable of
being securely fitted over an exterior surface of an article by
stretching the harness and slipping onto the article.
[0009] The harness of the present invention includes elastic
elongate members. These members are generally flat planar strips
and have at least one hole through the wall of the member. Portions
of the member proximal to the hole are configured to frictionally
engage a light stick and secure the light stick to the harness. The
harness is capable of snugly fitting over an article. Portions of
the light stick are thereby engaged between the interior of the
harness and the exterior of the surface to securely hold the light
stick in place during use of the article. Upon activation of the
light sticks, the article becomes illuminated.
[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, a harness for
attachment of lights to an article is provided. The harness
includes, but is not limited to, at least two elongate members
having opposed interior and exterior surfaces defining a wall
therebetween and opposed ends. Each of these members has a hole
through the wall. The hole is of a size to securably hold a light
source. Desirably, one of the surfaces is a substantially planar
surface. The harness may further include a first elongate
connecting member securably attached to one end of each of the
elongate members, and a second elongate connecting member securably
attached to the other end of each of the elongate members.
Desirably, the elongate members and the connecting members have
elasticity to releasably secure the harness over an external
surface of the article.
[0011] The harness of the present invention may have a plurality of
holes in the elongate members for securably holding a light,
source. Desirably, the elongate members of the present invention
have at least four holes for securably holding the light
source.
[0012] The harness of the present invention may further include a
pocket for securably holding the light source. A portion of the
pocket is connected to the interior surface of at least one of the
elongate members.
[0013] Moreover, the harness of the present invention may include
elongate members that have an elastic portion. The elastic portion
or, alternatively, the elastic members themselves may be made from
elastic material selected from the group consisting of natural
rubbers, synthetic rubbers, elastic plastics or elastic textiles.
The use of elastic materials facilitates the securement of the
harness over the article and further facilitates the securement of
the light source to the elongate members.
[0014] The harness of the present invention may further include a
light source capable of releasable securement to the harness by
frictional engagement with portion of the elongate members proximal
to the holes. Desirably, the light source is a chemi-luminesent
light stick, but other light sources may suitably be used. For
example, an electroluminescent, battery-operated light stick or an
incandescent, battery-operated light stick is useful with the
practice of the present invention. The harness of the present
invention may further include a battery securing portion.
[0015] Articles that may be illuminated with the harness of the
present invention include, but are not limited to, a play toy or a
sport article, such as a ball.
[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, an illuminated
play toy is provided. The play toy has an exterior surface for
securement of the inventive harness thereto. An elastic harness for
covering a portion of the exterior surface of the play toy and for
releasably attaching the harness to the play toy is also provided.
The elastic harness includes, but is not limited to, (1) at least
two elongate members having opposed interior and exterior surfaces
defining a wall therebetween and opposed ends, each of the members
having a hole through the wall, the hole being of a size to
securably hold a light source, wherein one of the surfaces is a
substantially planar surface; (2) a first elongate connecting
member securably attached to one end of each of the elongate
members; (3) a second elongate connecting member securably attached
to the other end of each of the elongate members; and (4) a light
stick securably attached to portions of the elongate members
proximal to the holes. The play toy may be, but is not limited to,
a sport article or a ball. The present invention is not limited to
any particular type of light stick, and a chemi-luminescent light
stick, an electro-luminescent light stick or an incandescent light
stick may suitably be used.
[0017] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for
illuminating a play toy is provided. The method includes, but is
not limited to, the steps of (1) forming an elastically deformable
harness having resilient elongate members; (2) providing a
plurality holes through the elongate members of the harness; (3)
providing light stick for securement to the harness; (4) weaving
the light stick through the holes to secure the light stick to the
harness; and (5) placing the harness over an exterior surface of
the play toy to releasably secure the harness to the play toy.
[0018] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a harness
for illuminating an article includes, but is not limited to,
elastic, light-emitting elongate members securably attached to one
and the other to form a harness, wherein the harness is releasably
slidable over the article. The elastic, light emitting members may
further include light sources interconnected to elastic harness
portions. Moreover, the elastic, light-emitting members desirably
include elastic, light sources. The elastic, light-emitting members
may also include replaceable light sources, which may be refillable
with light emitting devices or chemicals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0019] FIG. 1 is a top view of the harness of the present
invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a side view of the harness of FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the harness of FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the harness of
FIG. 1.
[0023] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a light stick secured to a
portion of the harness of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a portion of the harness having
a pocket for further securing a light stick.
[0025] FIG. 7 is an illustration of another aspect of the present
invention showing a harness with an incandescent light source.
[0026] FIG. 8 is an illustration of yet another aspect of the
present invention showing a harness with an electro-luminescent
light source.
[0027] FIG. 9 depicts an alternate means for securing a light stick
to the harness of the present invention.
[0028] FIG. 10 depicts another means for securing a light stick to
the harness of the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 11 depicts yet another means for securing a light stick
to the harness of the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 12 depicts a light source interconnected to portions of
the harness of the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 13A depicts a portion of an elastic transparent or
translucent portion of the harness of the present invention in a
quiescent state.
[0032] FIG. 13B depicts the portion of FIG. 13A in a stretched or
elongated position.
[0033] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the portion of FIG. 13A
showing a hollow cavity.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] The present invention is a harness for releasably securing
illuminating sources to an article, such as a play toy or a sport
article. The harness has elongate members for securing the
illuminating sources. The elongate members also have elasticity to
allow the members or portions of the members to be stretched and
securely fitted over the article.
[0035] Articles that can be illuminated with the harness of the
present invention, include, but are not limited to, sport articles,
such as a basketball, football, volley ball, soft ball, soccer
ball, wiffle ball, golf ball, tennis ball and the like, and play
toys, such as a basketball rim, a tennis racket, a baseball bat, a
wiffle ball bat and the like. The illuminating harness may also be
used as a safety device, such as providing illumination to joggers,
bicycles, sports shoes, helmets and the like. The harness is useful
with any article where illumination for safety, play or appearance
is desired.
[0036] FIG. 1 depicts a top view of a harness 10 of the present
invention. Harness 10 includes a plurality of elongate members 12.
Ends 13 of the elongate members 12 are connected to connecting
members 14.
[0037] FIG. 2 is a side view of the harness 10 of FIG. 1. Harness
10 is depicted as a generally circular harness. Elongate members 12
have a plurality of holes 16. As depicted in FIG. 4, the elongate
member 12 has a wall portion 19, defined between an exterior
surface 24 and an opposed interior surface 22, which is depicted in
FIG. 5. The elongate members 12 have a hole 16 through the wall
portion 19. Portion 18 of the elongate member 12 is interior
portion of the wall portion 19 defining the hole 16 and is
configured to frictionally engage an illumining source.
[0038] FIG. 5 depicts a light stick 20 releasably secured to the
elongate member 12. Light stick 20 is slipped or weaved or
otherwise placed through holes 16 of elongate members 12. Portions
18 of the elongate members 12 frictionally engage portions of the
light stick 20 to releasably secure the light stick 20 to the
elongate members 12. Furthermore, when the harness 10 is placed
over an article, such as a ball (not shown), the light stick 20 is
further secured between an exterior surface of the article and the
interior surface 22 of the elongate member 12. Moreover, as
depicted in FIG. 6, light stick 20 may terminate within pocket 23.
Pocket 23 is useful for securably holding the light stick 20
therein. Pocket 23 is depicted as being proximal to the interior
surface 22, but pocket 23 may suitably located at other locations
of the harness 10, such as, but not limited to the exterior surface
24.
[0039] The present invention is not limited to any specific type of
light stick. For example, in one aspect of the present invention
the light stick 20 may be a chemi-luminescent light stick.
Chemi-luminescent light sticks typically contain liquid chemical
separated by a frangible divider. A typical chemi-luminescent light
stick holds a hydrogen peroxide solution in one section and a
phenyl oxalate ester solution and a fluorescent dye in another
section. When the chemicals co-mingle upon breaking of the divider,
a chemical reaction between the chemicals produce light. Examples
of such light sticks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,597,362 and
3,539,794, whose contents are incorporated herein by reference.
These light sticks may be activated by bending, snapping or shaking
the light stick as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,751, whose
contents are incorporated herein by reference. Chemiluminescent
light sticks are also commercially available from, for example,
from Omniglow Corporation, W. Springfield, Mass.
[0040] Electro-luminescent light sticks are also useful with the
practice of the present invention. Electro-luminescent light sticks
or lamps consist of a dielectric layer and a light-emitting
phosphor layer sandwiched between two conductive surfaces. An
electric field is generated across the phosphor and dielectric
layers thereby exciting electrons which emit light as they return
to their ground state. Electro-luminescent lights may be powered by
direct current through use of an AC-DC converter. Both the
converter and the power source can be miniaturized by use, for
example, solid state electronics and lithium batteries.
Electro-chemical light sticks are commercially available from
Kriana Corp., Alpine, Calif.
[0041] As depicted in FIG. 8, the harness 10 of the present
invention may include a battery 30, an AC-DC converter 32 and an
electro-luminescent light stick 34. Alternatively, in another
aspect of the present invention as depicted in FIG. 7, the harness
10 may include a light source 26, an optical connector 28 for
transmitting light from the light source 26, and a light
transmitting member 36. The member 36 may be translucent plastic
tubing or strips, or may be a fiber optic cable for transmitting
light from the light source 26. The light source 26 may be a
chemi-luminescent, electro-luminescent or an incandescent light
source.
[0042] The harness 10, including elongate members 12 and connecting
members 14 or portions thereof, may suitably be constructed of
elastic materials. Such elastic materials include, but are not
limited to, natural rubber and synthetic rubber or plastics, such
as polyisoprene polymers, polybutadiene polymers, copolymers of
dienes and hydrocarbons or amorphous (non-crystalline) polyolefins,
and copolymers of acrylonitrile and a diene, such as butadiene.
These elastic materials may be molded to form portions of the
harness 10 of the present invention. Alternatively, portions of the
harness 10 may be a textile that is woven, braided or knitted from
an elastomeric fiber, such as Spandex.RTM..
[0043] The harness 10 of the present invention may be a unitary
structure, i.e., a unitary molded structure. Alternatively, the
connecting members 14 and the elongate members 12 may be securably
attached by other means, such as, but not limited to, adhesively
bonded, mechanically bonded, such as riveted and the like, or heat
bonded to form the harness 10 of the present invention. Moreover,
some or all of the connecting members 14 and the elongate members
12 may be releasably attached to one and the other. For example,
members may be mechanically attached in a releasable manner, such
as through the use of Velcro securement, snaps, ties and the like.
Furthermore, portions of the harness 10, such as portions of the
elongate members 12, may also have adhesive, for example, two-sided
adhesive tape, to further secure the harness 10 to an exterior
surface of an article.
[0044] A perspective view of the harness 10 is depicted in FIG. 4.
As depicted in FIG. 4, the harness 10 maybe capable of achieving a
generally spherical shape for securement over a ball (not shown).
The harness 10 need not be self-supporting, but only needs to be
capable of securement over a ball and maintaining a generally
spherical shape thereover. If the ball is not spherical, for
example a football, the harness 10 need not be capable of achieving
a spherical shape, but rather is capable of achieving a shape that
generally conforms to the external profile of the ball. The elastic
elongate members are generally configured as elongate strips having
at least one substantially planar surface. Such elongate members
exhibit a low profile such that the harness 10 does not
substantially interfere with the intended use of the ball.
[0045] Desirably, the harness 10 is sized to be slightly smaller
than the exterior portion of the ball or article over which it is
to be placed. For example, the exterior portion of a standard
college basketball has a diameter of approximately 9.5 inches. The
harness 10 of FIG. 4 may have a spherical diameter of about 8.3
inches, which is about five percent smaller than the diameter of
the ball. In such a manner, the harness 10 may be securely placed
over the ball by stretching elongate members 12 or connecting
members 14 and sliding the harness 10 over the ball. The degree of
undersizing the harness for securement over an article object,
however, is not limited to such a five percent undersizing. An
undersizing of twenty-five percent of less is useful with the
practice of the present invention. Desirably, an undersizing from
one to twenty percent is useful with the practice of the present
invention. Other undersizings, such as 1 to 15%, 1 to 10%, 5 to
10%, 15 to 20% and 1 to 5% may suitably be used. The degree of
undersizing depends, in part, on the elastic nature, i.e.,
stretchability, of the harness and shape of the article over which
the harness is to be placed.
[0046] In another aspect of the present invention, light stick 20
may be securably attached to the harness 10 without weaving the
light stick 20 through the holes 16 of the elongate members 12. As
depicted in FIG. 9, the light stick 20 may be securably fitted into
the elongate member 12. Alternately, as depicted in FIG. 10, the
light stick 20 may be securably attached to the elongate member 12
by connector 35. Connector 35 may be, but is not limited to, a
layer of adhesive or a strip of tape having adhesive on its opposed
planar surfaces for securably attaching the light stick 20 to the
connecting member 12. Moreover, connector 35 may releasably secure
the light stick 20 to the elongate member 12. For example,
connector 35 may consist of opposed Velcro strips (not shown)
capable of releasable engagement where one strip is attached to the
light stick 20 and the other strip is attached to the elongate
member 12. The strips may suitably be attached by adhesives or
other suitable techniques.
[0047] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the harness
of the present invention may be capable of securably holding the
light stick against the article. As depicted in FIG. 11, the
elongate member 12 is elastically deformable to secure light stick
20 to an external 37 of an article 38. In this aspect of the
present invention, the elongate member 12 or a portion thereof may
be made from a translucent or transparent material which allows
light from the light source 20 to be visible.
[0048] Although the present invention has been described with the
use of tubular light stick 20, the present invention is not so
limited. Other shaped light sources may suitable be used. For
example, a generally flat planar lights source would also be useful
with the practice of the present invention. Such a flat light
source may provide an overall lower profile to the lighted harness
of the present invention and may be secured to the harness by any
of the above-described techniques. Moreover, the shape of the light
source is not limited to an elongate shape, such as a light stick,
but could have greater breadth or width than an elongate light
stick.
[0049] Shapes having greater dimensional breadths or widths
include, but are not limited to, shapes such as circles, disks,
squares, rectangles, elliptical shape, irregular geometric shapes,
and the like. Such wider shapes also have the advantage of
illuminating a greater amount of light per unit length as compared
to thin elongate shapes. Such shape could also have an adhesive
containing side for securement purposes.
[0050] Furthermore, the light sources may also be used, in part, to
interconnect portions of the harness of the present invention. For
example, as depicted in FIG. 12, a light source 40 may interconnect
a portion of one elongate member 12 to a portion of another
elongate member 12 via connectors 42. Alternatively, light source
40 may be interconnected to a portion of one connecting member 14
and a portion of another connecting member 14, a portion of one
elongate member 14 to a portion of one connecting member 12, and
the like. The light source 40 may be connected to the harness
members by any of the above-described connecting means. Desirably,
such light sources are snap-fitted, such as frictional engagements
between the harness member and the light source via a connecting
member, or press-fitted, such as through the use of Velcro, to the
harness members.
[0051] Still furthermore, the harness of the present invention or
portions of the harness of the present invention may be made from
transparent or translucent elastic materials such as clear or
partially clear elastic plastics or polymers. Such transparent or
translucent elastic materials desirably contain a light source
therein. In this aspect of the present invention, the harness or
portions of the harness also act as the illuminating source. Such a
harness or portions of the harness may be a single-use light
source. Alternatively, multi-use elastic light sources may be
suitable be used. In such a case, the light source within the
elastic harness or elastic harness portion may be refilled with
chemi-luminescent chemicals and fluorescent dyes or refilled with
devices containing the same. For example, the chemi-luminescent
chemicals and fluorescent dyes may be separately contained in small
breakable beads or the like which could be placed within the
elastic harness or elastic harness portions.
[0052] Such aspects of the present invention are illustrated in
FIGS. 13A through 14. FIG. 13A depicts a transparent or translucent
elastic portion 44 in its quiescent or unstretched state. Portion
44 may be elastically stretched or elastically elongated as
depicted in FIG. 13B. Elastic portion 44 is a hollow member having
a hollow cavity 46, as depicted in FIG. 14, receptive for receiving
light emitting devices or chemicals (not shown).
[0053] Moreover, the low profile of the present invention may allow
a user to better grip an article over which the harness has been
placed. For example, the harness of the present invention may allow
one to better grip a basketball over which the inventive harness
has been placed. In such a case, the harness of the present
invention may be one as described in conjunction FIG. 11, where the
light stick is securably held between the harness and the article.
Desirably, such a harness has transparent or translucent portions
for emitting light therethrough.
[0054] Furthermore, the harness of the present invention may be
used to attach or secure other items in addition to the
above-described light sources. For example, decorative streamers or
sound-emitting whistles could also be suitably attached to the
harness.
[0055] The invention being thus described, it will be clear to
those persons of skill in the art that the same may be varied in
many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure
from the spirit and scope of the invention and all such
modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the
claims.
* * * * *