Luminous golf balls and carrying case therefor

Luminescent golf balls and a carrying case. A luminous substance having a radiant color is mixed into a soltuion of compounds used to produce golf ball covers so that when the cover has been completed, it is impregnated with the luminous substance. An octagonal carrying case has a false bottom that divides the case into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The upper chamber is lined with a light-reflective material. A single layer of golf balls and a light source are disposed in the upper chamber of the case and a first power supply for the light source is disposed in the lower chamber. Solar panels on the lid of the case provide an alternative power supply.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to a luminous golf ball cover impregnated with a 
material containing phosphorous or phosphorogens so that the golf ball can 
be seen at night; it also relates to a carrying case that bathes a 
plurality of the novel golf balls in light. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Japanese Pat. No. 61-176369 discloses a golf ball impregnated with a 
light-accumulating pigment containing zinc and sulfur so that the balls 
may be used in night games. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,132 to Cunningham discloses a light-containing carrying 
case having a handle, a battery for power, and a reflector inside the 
case. A handle is used for carrying the case, and batteries power the 
light which is constructed and positioned to illuminate the interior of 
the case, including its contents, and a reflector plate is preferably 
provided at a location over the light to reflect the light and direct the 
light downwardly into the case. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,051 to Lowmann discloses a ball containing carrying 
case having a handle for carrying balls that are stacked up to five balls 
in height and five balls in width. The cover is transparent so that the 
balls are clearly visible from the outside of the case. U.S. Pat. Nos. 
4,779,725 to Gerber, 2,883,207 to Reich, 3,918,719 to Welch and 3,917,264 
to Davidson et al. are also of interest. 
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
A luminous substance is impregnated into the cover of a golf ball, golf 
tee, ball marker or other related items, at the time the item is 
manufactured. 
A plurality of balls are carried in a carrying case having at least one 
battery powered fluorescent light bulb therein. A false bottom divides the 
carrying case into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The balls and the 
light source are in the upper chamber whereas the battery pack for the 
light source is disposed in the lower chamber. Solar panels that generate 
electricity for the light source are mounted on the lid of the case. 
The interior of the upper chamber is lined with a reflective foil to 
disperse light from the bulb or bulbs throughout the interior of the upper 
chamber of the carrying case. The balls are disposed in the upper chamber 
in a single layer to insure that each ball is bathed in light emitted from 
the light source. 
The luminous substance is excited or activated when exposed to light. Thus, 
when a ball or other item is placed into the carrying case and the light 
source is activated, the luminous material is excited. 
The luminous material of this invention is phosphorescent; it glows in the 
dark for extended periods of time after being removed from the carrying 
case or other source of light and is repeatedly rechargeable. 
An important object of this invention is to provide luminescent golf balls 
and related items so that said items are visible under low light 
conditions. 
Another important object is to provide carrying cases for luminescent items 
that include light sources so that said items are recharged when stored in 
said cases. 
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, 
combination of elements and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified 
in the construction set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention 
will be set forth in the claims.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several 
views of the drawings. 
BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will there be seen that a golf ball 
treated with a luminous substance is denoted as a whole by the reference 
numeral 10. It should be noted at the outset, however, that other items 
such as golf tees and ball locators, for example, could also be treated 
with a luminous substance in accordance with the teachings and suggestions 
of this invention. 
The luminous substance is mixed with a radiant pigment and the mixture is 
thereafter impregnated into the cover 12 of ball 10. The impregnation is 
performed at the time the ball cover is manufactured, i.e., the mixture of 
radiant pigment and luminous substance is placed into the mixture that 
produces the cover. 
A minute amount of the pigment/luminous substance is required to produce 
the ball of FIGS. 1 and 2. It has been found that of the total 
constituents of the cover, only 0001-0.01 percent of said constituents 
need be the pigment/substance mixture to produce the luminescent golf 
balls of this invention. 
FIG. 2 depicts a plurality of particles of the pigmented luminous 
substance. The particles are collectively denoted 14. 
The preferred luminescent substance of this invention is a phosphorescent 
substance such as an inorganic zinc sulfide phosphor. Any material 
containing phosphorous or phosphorogens is suitable. 
The preferred carrying case is shown in plan view in FIG. 5 and is denoted 
16, generally. Although carrying case 16 is shown in octagonal form, 
having eight sides collectively denoted 18, it could be provided in 
different geometrical configurations. 
Case 16 carries up to ten balls 12 as depicted in FIG. 5. The balls are not 
stacked atop one another but are disposed in a single layer. The floor 20 
of case 16 that supports balls 12 is a false floor as will become clear as 
this description proceeds. 
Case 16 includes a lid 22 and a base 24 that are hingedly connected to one 
another by hinge 26. An annular fluorescent light bulb 28 is secured to 
the inside wall 30 of lid 22 by clip 32. Pivotally mounted latch 27 on 
base 24 and latch base 27a on lid 18 hold the lid closed when desired. 
Switch 29 (FIG. 3) is an on-off switch for bulb 28 and for the solar unit 
as hereinafter described. 
As shown in FIG. 3, a handle 34 is pivotally secured as illustrated or by 
other suitable fastening means to top exterior wall 36 of lid 22 to 
facilitate carrying of the case. 
The golf balls 12 are supported on the above-mentioned false bottom 20 of 
the case; a battery pack 38 is mounted below the false floor 20 atop the 
true bottom wall 40 of the case 16. Thus, false bottom 20 divides the base 
24 of carrying case 16 into an upper chamber 42 and a lower chamber 44 as 
shown. 
Battery pack 38, having a plurality of batteries, collectively denoted 46 
therein, is conductively coupled to a fluorescent light bulb 28. The light 
bulb 28 is positioned above the balls 12 as shown, in the upper chamber 42 
of the case. Any other source of visible light, ultraviolet light or other 
suitable sources of electromagnetic radiation may be employed. Metal 
contacts 31, 33, best shown in FIG. 5, complete the electrical circuit 
between bulb 28 and batteries 46 so that when lid 22 is open, no current 
can flow to bulb 28. 
The inside walls of the upper chamber 42 of case 16 are lined with a 
light-reflective foil denoted 48, generally. The lower chamber 44 is not 
so lined. The foil effectively bathes each ball 12 in light since the 
balls are not stacked atop one another. Moreover, by positioning the 
battery power pack in the lower chamber 44, there is nothing in the upper 
chamber 42 to obstruct the light from bulb 28, thereby insuring that each 
ball 12 is fully illuminated whenever the light source 28 is activated. 
True bottom wall 40 is recessed with respect to the bottom of case 16 as 
shown in FIG. 3 to accommodate hinge 54 of battery pack access door 56 and 
door opening means 58. 
To make the interior of case 16 substantially light tight, lid 22 and base 
24 have complementally formed edges that interlock with one another. For 
example, lid 22 may be provided with a downwardly depending flange 50 at 
its radially outermost edge as depicted in FIGS. 3 & 5, and base 24 may be 
provided with an upwardly projecting flange 52 that mates therewith when 
the lid is closed as clearly shown in FIG. 3. 
FIG. 4 further depicts the hinged interconnection between base 24 and lid 
22 and shows the closed position of latch 27 and its base 27a as well. 
FIG. 6 shows a solar panel unit 54 that is conductively coupled to lamp 28; 
unit 54 is mounted on top of lid 22. Switch 29 is a double throw switch so 
that power can be drawn from battery pack 38 or solar unit 54 at the 
election of the user. 
A commercial embodiment of the present invention employs Spot-Lite 
(trademark) phosphorescent materials available from Hanovia Corporation of 
Newark, N.J., a subsidiary of Canrad Inc. Specifically, the preferred 
phosphorescent material is Hanover's Glow-in-the-Dark (Glo) pigment Series 
1000. 
When one or more of the balls 12 are removed from case 16, it will glow 
brightly in the dark for an extended period of time. The intensity of the 
glow will diminish with time, but the luminescence will still be 
detectable by dark-adapted eyes for many hours thereafter. 
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made 
apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and 
since certain changes may be made in the above construction without 
departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters 
contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying 
drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover 
all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein 
described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a 
matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. 
Now that the invention has been described,