Ball with lighting device

Abstract

A ball includes an inflatable inner sphere and a receiving tube is located in the inner sphere so that a lighting device is received in the receiving tube. An outer layer is coated to the inner sphere and has a plurality of holes defined therethrough. The lighting device includes a switch unit, a power unit, an activation unit and a lighting unit, wherein the switch unit and the activation unit are electrically connected with the power unit, and the lighting unit is electrically connected with the activation unit so that when the switch unit is activated, the lighting device lights up.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a ball with a lighting device received therein which is activated by vibration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A conventional sport such as tennis includes at least two players and each player operates a tennis racket to hit a tennis ball fly over a net which is located at a mediate portion of a tennis court. The tennis ball does not have any lighting feature so that if the players want to play tennis at night, the tennis court needs to have a lot of lighting facilities to achieve the purpose. This is partially because the conventional tennis balls cannot be seen at night.

[0003] The present invention intends to provide a ball with a lighting device received therein which includes a plurality of lighting members which are activated by vibration. Therefore, when the players hit the ball, the lighting members light up.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention relates to a ball which comprises an inflatable inner sphere and a receiving tube is received in the inner sphere so as to receive a lighting device therein. An outer layer is coated to the inner sphere and has a plurality of holes defined therethrough so that light can be seen via the holes. The lighting device includes a cylindrical case in which a switch unit, a power unit, an activation unit and a lighting unit are received. The switch unit and the activation unit are electrically connected with the power unit. The lighting unit is electrically connected with the activation unit so that when the switch unit is activated, the power unit provides electrical power to the lighting unit. The lighting device lights up when the activation unit is activated.

[0005] The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the ball of the present invention;

[0007] FIG. 2 is an exploded view to show that the lighting device and a part of the ball of the present invention;

[0008] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the lighting device received in the ball of the present invention;

[0009] FIG. 4 shows that the lighting unit of the lighting device is a Light Emitting Diode which is connected to a circuit board;

[0010] FIG. 5 shows that the lighting device is connected to the receiving tube, and

[0011] FIG. 6 shows that the lighting device includes a replaceable battery.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0012] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the ball 1 of the present invention comprises an inflatable inner sphere 11 and a receiving tube 111 is engaged with a base 114 in the inner sphere 11 so as to receive a lighting device 2 therein. The inner sphere 11 is made by transparent material such as silicon rubber, rubber, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or the like. An outer layer 12 is coated to the inner sphere 11 and has a plurality of holes 121 defined therethrough so that the light can be seen via the holes 121. A valve 112 is connected to the inner sphere 11 so as to introduce air into the inner sphere 11.

[0013] The lighting device 2 is received in the receiving tube 111 and includes a cylindrical case 21 in which a switch unit 22, a power unit 23, an activation unit 24 and a lighting unit 25 are received. A cover 212 is connected to the cylindrical case 21 to seal the cylindrical case 21. The receiving tube 111 includes an enlarged head 1111 and a sleeve 113 is received in the enlarged head 1111. The sleeve 113 is located between the receiving tube 111 and the cylindrical case 21. The sleeve 113 has two L-shaped slots 1131 and the cylindrical case 21 includes two protrusions 211 which are movably engaged with the L-shaped slots 1131 so as to position the lighting device 2 in the receiving tube 111 as shown in FIG. 5. The switch unit 22 and the activation unit 24 are electrically connected with the power unit 23, and the lighting unit 25 is electrically connected with the activation unit 24 so that when the switch unit 22 is pushed to activate the activation unit 24, the power unit 23 provides electrical power to the lighting unit 25 and the lighting device 25 lights up.

[0014] The switch unit 22 includes a switch member 221, a spring 222, a mounting member 223 and a button 224. The switch member 221 is electrically connected with the power unity 23 so that when the button 224 is pushed, the mounting member 223 compresses the spring 222 to activate the switch member 221, and the mounting member 223 and the button 224 are then moved back by the spring 222. The power unit 23 includes a first conductive member 231, a second conductive member 232 and a replaceable battery 233. The first conductive member 231 is electrically connected to the switch member 221 and the second conductive member 232 is electrically connected to the activation unit 24. The battery 233 is connected between the first conductive member 231 and the second conductive member 232 so as to provide electrical power to the lighting device 2.

[0015] The activation unit 24 includes a circuit board 241, a conductive disk 242 and a spring 243. The circuit board 241 and the second conductive member 232 of the power unit 23 and the lighting unit 25 are electrically connected with the power unit 23. The circuit board 241 includes an activation circuit (not shown) and the conductive disk 242 and the spring 243 are connected to the activation circuit of the circuit board 241. When the activation unit 24 is activated, the spring 243 is shaken and in contact with the conductive disk 242 so as to light up the lighting unit 25.

[0016] The lighting unit 25 includes a lighting member 252 which is connected to the circuit board 251 having the activation unit 24. The lighting unit 25 includes at least one lighting member 252 which is connected to the circuit board 251 which is electrically connected to the activation unit 24. The at least one lighting member 252 can be a Light Emitting Diode (LED) or a small lamp. The light unit 25 can also be a lighting member which is directly connected to the circuit board 241 having the activation unity 24 as shown in FIG. 4.

[0017] A spring 3 is located between a closed end 213 of the lighting device 2 and a closed end 1112 of the receiving tube 111. The spring 3 biases the lighting unit 2 so that the protrusions 211 on the lighting unit 2 are securely engaged with the L-shaped slots 1131 in the receiving tube 111.

[0018] When in use, the user presses the button 224 of the lighting device 2 and the switch member 221 is activated to set the lighting device 2 in "ON" status. When the ball is hit by the user either by hands, feet or ratchets, the spring 243 of the activation unit 24 is shaken and in contact with the conductive disk 242 so as to activate the action circuit, and the lighting member 252 lights up. The light from the lighting member 252 can be single color or multiple colors, and can be flash type of consistent type. After a period of time, the lighting member 252 stops lighting until the ball is hit by the user again. If the button 224 is pressed second time, the switch member 221 sets the lighting device 2 to "OFF" status which means that the lighting device does not work by vibration.

[0019] When the power provided by the battery 233 is not sufficient to drive the activation unit 24, the battery 233 needs to be replaced with a new one. The user presses the lighting device 2 to rotate the lighting device 2 so that the protrusions 211 are disengaged from the L-shaped slots 1131, the lighting device 2 is then pushed upward by the spring 3. The cover 212 can be removed from the cylindrical case 21 and a new battery 233 is installed.

[0020] While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A ball comprising: an inflatable inner sphere and a receiving tube received in the inner sphere, an outer layer coated to the inner sphere and having a plurality of holes defined therethrough, and a lighting device received in the receiving tube and includes a cylindrical case in which a switch unit, a power unit, an activation unit and a lighting unit are received, the switch unit and the activation unit being electrically connected with the power unit, the lighting unit being electrically connected with the activation unit so that when the switch unit is activated, the power unit provides electrical power to the lighting unit, the lighting device lighting up when the activation unit is activated.

2. The ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sleeve is located between the receiving tube and the cylindrical case, the sleeve has two L-shaped slots, the cylindrical case includes two protrusions which are movably engaged with the L-shaped slots so as to position the lighting device in the receiving tube.

3. The ball as claimed in claim 2, wherein the receiving tube includes an enlarged head and the sleeve is received in the enlarged head.

4. The ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switch unit includes a switch member, a spring, a mounting member and a button, the switch member is electrically connected with the power unity so that when the button is pushed, the mounting member compresses the spring to activate the switch member, the mounting member and the button are then moved back by the spring.

5. The ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power unit includes a first conductive member, a second conductive member and a battery.

6. The ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein the activation unit includes a circuit board, a conductive disk and a spring, the circuit board and the lighting unit are electrically connected with the power unit, the circuit board includes the conductive disk and the spring connected thereto, when the activation unit is activated, the spring is shaken and in contact with the conductive disk so as to light up the lighting unit.

7. The ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lighting unit includes a lighting member which is connected to the circuit board having the activation unit.

8. The ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lighting unit includes a lighting member which is connected to the circuit board which is electrically connected to the activation unit.

9. The ball as claimed in claim 2, wherein a spring is located between a closed end of the lighting device and a closed end of the receiving tube, the spring biasing the lighting unit so that the protrusions on the lighting unit are securely engaged with the L-shaped slots in the receiving tube.