Abstract:
Decorative badges are disclosed that removably attach to a user&#39;s clothes and include a team logo and an illuminating element that can be switched on or off. In some examples, the illuminating decorative badge includes a switch that automatically causes the illuminating element to light when the badge is attached to the user&#39;s clothes. In some further examples, the decorative badge allows the team logo and illuminating element to be swapped, so as to allow the decorative badge to be repurposed for a variety of sports teams. The decorative badge is typically round in shape, but can be fashioned in a variety of different shapes to suit the user&#39;s purposes.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates generally to decorative badges designed to be worn over clothing. In particular, decorative badges that possess an illuminating ring and have a center decorative disc that can be replaced are described. 
         [0002]    Sports fans frequently desire to show support for their favorite teams. One of the ways dais support is shown is by the purchase and use of memorabilia of various kinds. Historically this memorabilia comprises hats, jackets, jerseys with team colors and a favorite player&#39;s number, other team-color themed apparel, foam novelty hands and head gear, as well as a variety of other items that are similarly team-themed. Fans will also often don makeup in their favorite team&#39;s colors to show their support in connection with memorabilia. Generally, any device that s a fan to unabashedly show their team spirit will be well received. There is, at present, few options for memorabilia that illuminates, which can make an exciting presence in a sports stadium or arena when lights are dimmed. Thus, there exists a need for sports fan memorabilia that illuminates. Examples of new and useful illuminating decorative badges relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below. 
         [0003]    Disclosure addressing one or more of the identified existing needs is provided in the detailed description below. Examples of references relevant to illuminating decorative badges include U.S. Patent References D660,368, D660,370, D661,745, D662,146, D681,78, and D681,739. The complete disclosures of the above. patents and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present disclosure is directed to a decorative badge that attaches to a user&#39;s clothes and includes a team logo and an illuminating element that can he switched on or off. In some examples, the illuminating decorative badge includes a switch that automatically causes the illuminating element to light when the badge is attached to the user&#39;s clothes. In some further examples, the decorative badge allows the team logo and illuminating element to be swapped, so as to allow the decorative badge to be repurposed for a variety of sports teams. The decorative badge is typically round in shape, but can be fashioned in a variety of different shapes to suit the user&#39;s purposes. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1A  is an exploded view of a first example of an illuminating decorative badge. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of the illuminating decorative badge shown in  FIG. 1A  depicting the assembled badge in conjunction with the backing plate used to attach it through clothing. 
           [0007]      FIGS. 2A-2C  are perspective views of various implementations of the illuminating element of the illuminating decorative badge shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
           [0008]      FIGS. 3A-3C  are overhead views of additional examples of alternative embodiments of illuminating decorative badges. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a preferred use of the illuminating decorative badge shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    The disclosed illuminating decorative badges will become better understood through review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the figures. The detailed description and figures provide merely examples of the various inventions described herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed examples may be varied, modified, and altered without departing from the scope of the inventions described herein. Many variations are contemplated for different applications and design considerations; however, for the sake of brevity, each and every contemplated variation is not individually described in the following detailed description. 
         [0011]    Throughout the following detailed description, examples of various illuminating decorative badges are Provided. Related features in the examples may be identical, similar, or dissimilar in different examples. For the sake of brevity, related features not be redundantly explained in each example. Instead, the use of related feature names will cue the reader that the feature with a related feature name may be similar to the related feature in an example explained previously. Features specific to a given example will be described in that particular example. The reader should understand that a given feature need not be the same or similar to the specific portrayal of a related feature in any given figure or example. 
         [0012]    The disclosed illuminating decorative badge is designed to be removably attached to a user&#39;s clothes, and includes a switch that causes the badge to illuminate upon attachment. The basic design includes a center design element that may include team colors and/or a team logo, which is surrounded by the illuminating element. The illuminating element may also reflect the desired team&#39;s colors. The illuminating element and design element may be made removable so as to facilitate interchanging with other illuminating and design elements reflective of other teams, thereby enabling the device to be used for multiple sports teams. 
         [0013]    With reference to  FIGS. 1A-4 , a first example of an illuminating decorative badge, badge  100 , will now be described. Badge  100  includes a housing  110 , an illuminating element  120 , a design element  130 , a transparent cover  140 , a backing plate  150 , a power source  170 , and switch  180 . In other examples, the badge  100  includes additional or alternative features, such as a radio receiver integrated into power module  175  that can flash the illuminating element  120  of the badge  100  upon receipt of an appropriate radio signal. 
         [0014]    As can be seen in  FIG. 1A , housing  110  includes a display surface  112  and an opposing lower surface  114 . Mounted either atop the display surface  112 , upon opposing lower surface  114 , or through housing  110  so as to sit flush with the opposing lower surface  114  are a plurality of magnetically attractive means that are implemented as depicted as buttons  154 , that are comprised of ferromagnetic material, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, alloys of these metals, or any other compound that exhibits magnetic attractive behavior in the presence of a magnetic field. The number and position of these buttons correspond to the number and position of magnets  152  that are mounted on backing plate  150 . Magnets  152  can be mounted on top of backing plate  150  or flush with either or both of its surfaces. Alternatively, buttons  154  could be replaced with a strip or ring of ferromagnetic material. Buttons  154  could also be magnets, arranged with complementary poles to magnets  152 . Likewise, the magnets  152  on backing plate  150  can alternatively be implemented by employing strips or a ring of magnetic material. In yet a further implementation, buttons  154  can be done away with by implementing housing  110  itself out of ferromagnetic material, so that magnets  152  are attracted to housing  110 . The magnets  152  and buttons  154  must be of sufficient strength so as to allow backing plate  150  to magnetically secure to housing  110  through clothing layer  160 , to hold badge  100  in place on the clothing layer  160  without slipping. 
         [0015]    It will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant art that the number and position of magnets  152  and buttons  154  are for example purposes only, and are not meant to be limiting. The ability of magnets  152  and buttons  154  to secure badge  100  in place on the clothing layer  160  without slippage depends on whether clothing layer  160  possesses any properties that may interfere with the magnetic attraction between magnets  152  and buttons  154 . Bulky garments may require stronger or a greater number of magnets  152  and a corresponding increase in the number of buttons  154 . Likewise, garments that are magnetically impermeable may interfere with the ability of magnets  152  to adhere to buttons  154 . For garments that are incompatible with magnetic attraction, magnets  152  and buttons  154  can be replaced with alternative attachment means, such as a pin and clasp as has been long used with decorative pin buttons that are well-known in the prior art. 
         [0016]    Also mounted atop the display surface  112  are the illuminating element  120 , which is preferably mounted so as to be adjacent to the perimeter of housing  110 , design element  130 , which is ideally positioned approximately centrally upon the display surface  112 , and the transparent cover  140 , which sits atop the design element  130 . Design element  130  includes the logo and/or colors of the user&#39;s selected sports team. The transparent cover  140  and design element  130  can be made removable so that the user of the badge  100  can swap out the design element  130  with a design element  130  implementing a different sports team&#39;s colors and/or logo. The transparent cover  140  can be made removable by a variety of methods, e.g. threaded into the side of the illuminating element  120 , held in place by snapping under illuminating element  120 , which in turn can be removed by unscrewing or unlatching from the housing  110 , thereby freeing up the transparent cover  140 , or any other method allowing the transparent cover  140  to be removed and replaced without damage to either it or the other components of badge  100 . 
         [0017]    In the example shown in  FIGS. 2A through 2C , illuminating element  120  is implemented as a ring that preferably is mounted so as to be adjacent to the perimeter of the housing  110 . As a ring, illuminating element  120  possesses a hollow center  122 , so as to surround the design element  130  when placed upon the center of the housing  110 . In one possible implementation of illuminating element  120 , the element is comprised of a strip of numerous individual lights  210 . Lights  210  are preferably light emitting diodes (LEDs), which have the advantages of low heat and power consumption, enabling a smaller power source and longer run time. Another possible implementation of illuminating element  120  is with a fiber optic cable  220 , which in turn is illuminated with an end lamp  230 . The person skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that these two possible implementations are examples only, and the illuminating element  120  can be implemented using any means now known or later devised for providing a selectively illuminated ring of light, such as OLEDs (organic LEDs), cold cathode lighting, fluorescent lighting, incandescent lamps, etc., or any other suitable lightweight battery-powered light source. 
         [0018]    Illuminating element  120  may be manufactured in a variety of colors that can reflect the colors of the user&#39;s selected sports team. As such, the color or colors of illuminating element  120  can reflect or complement the colors of design element  130 . The illuminating element  120  can be implemented in a single color, or with multiple colors in a variety of patterns. As shown in  FIG. 2C , the illuminating element  120  can be made removable by equipping it with a plug  250  and receptacle  240 , allowing the illuminating element  120  to be detached from the badge  100 , and a different illuminating element  120  installed. 
         [0019]    The illuminating element  120  is Dowered via power leads  190 . Power leads  190  are in turn connected to the power source  190  via switch  180  and power module  175 . In  FIG. 1A , power source  190  is depicted as a pair of cylindrical batteries; however, a person skilled in the prior art will appreciate that any power source capable of outputting sufficient voltage and current to illuminate the selected illuminating element  120  may be utilized. Some examples include button cells, rechargeable cells, super capacitors, an external battery pack, or any other portable power source now known or later devised. Power module  175  can be a simple box and contact set as is well known in the art that can accept the power source  170 . Power module  175  may equipped with a radio receiver that is capable modulating the power from the power source  170  upon receipt of an appropriate radio signal, such as causing the illuminating element  120  to flash temporarily, or switch or modulate color if the badge  100  is equipped with an illuminating element  120  capable of outputting changing or multiple colors, such as color-selectable LEDs. The radio receiver is preferably a Bluetooth receiver that can be directed by any appropriate Bluetooth-equipped device, such as a smartphone or computer. Alternatively, the radio receiver equipped power module  175  may be able to receive signals from a dedicated remote control. 
         [0020]    Switch  180  is preferably implemented as a magnetically-sensitive switch that causes the illuminating element  120  to be lit when the magnets  152  are brought in proximity, such as when the badge  100  in affixed to the user&#39;s clothes. Where buttons  154  are implemented as magnets that correspond to magnets  152 , the switch  180  may need to be relocated so as to not be affected by buttons  154 , or switch  180  may be located in a position corresponding to a magnet  152  in place of a corresponding button  154 . Alternatively, switch  180  can be implemented as a manually operated switch that can be toggled from the opposing lower surface  114 . 
         [0021]    Turning attention to  FIGS. 3A to 3C , additional possible examples of illuminating decorative badges will now be described. Badges  300  and  310  include identical features to badge  100 . Thus, for the sake of brevity, each feature of badges  300  and  310  will not be redundantly explained. Badge  300  depicts a badge implemented in a square or diamond shape, and badge  310  depicts a badge implemented in a hexagonal shape. It should be appreciated that the illuminating decorative badges disclosed herein can be manufactured in a multitude of shapes while still practicing the invention, including shapes that are potentially relevant to individual sports teams. 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  demonstrates the badge  100  in use. User  400  attaches badge  100  to his shirt  410  by inserting the backing plate  150  underneath the shirt  410 , and then bringing badge  100  into pros mite. The magnets  152  embedded into backing plate  150  are attracted to the buttons  154  and securely affix the badge  100  to the shirt  410 . Simultaneously, at least one of the magnets  152  interacts with the switch  180 , causing the illuminating element  120  to be energized by the power source  170  and thus to light. 
         [0023]    The disclosure above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in a particular form, the specific embodiments disclosed and illustrated above are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all hovel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed above and inherent to those skilled in the art pertaining to such inventions. Where the disclosure or subsequently filed claims recite “a” element, “a first” element, or any such equivalent term, the disclosure or claims should be understood to incorporate one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. 
         [0024]    Applicant(s) reserves the right to submit claims directed to combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed inventions that are believed to be novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of those claims or presentation of new claims in the present application or in a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to the same invention or a different invention and whether they are different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are to be considered within the subject matter of the inventions described herein.