Abstract:
A device for illuminating the interior of a pumpkin, gourd or the like includes a housing having an interior region and a lighting assembly positioned at least in part within the interior region. The lighting assembly includes a rechargeable power source and a lighting element. The device includes a depending skirt extending from the housing and defining a recess. A photovoltaic collector is operably connected to the lighting assembly. The skirt is inserted into an opening in the pumpkin, gourd or the like, and the lighting element illuminates the interior of the pumpkin, gourd or the like. The photovoltaic collector recharges the rechargeable power source when exposed to ambient light.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Illuminated commercial and novelty devices have become quite popular. Such devices include garden and pathway lighting, as well as pendants, pins and the like. Many such devices have increased in popularity as a result of the decrease in cost for solid-state illumination devices, such as LEDs. In that LEDs require much less power than conventional illumination devices such as incandescent lamps, portable power sources such as batteries (whether rechargeable or not) last much longer, also reducing the overall costs for novelty illumination. 
     Illumination devices are known for use with pumpkins, gourds and the like. For purposes of the present disclosure, such vegetables and others are collectively referred to as pumpkins. The pumpkin can be opened, as by a cut-out made on the top of the pumpkin, the internal flesh carved out, and cut-outs made though the skin. Cut-outs often take the form of eyes and a mouth forming a jack-o-lantern. In this manner a light placed in the pumpkin shines through the cut-out to provide a pleasing or scary aesthetic effect. 
     In known jack-o-lanterns, the top of the pumpkin that is cut out is removed and a light, such as an incandescent lamp or candle, is placed inside to provide illumination. LED modules are also known that can be placed inside of the jack-o-lantern. In such instances, the top potion of the pumpkin (that portion of the pumpkin surrounding the stem) is placed back onto the top of the pumpkin for aesthetics and to close the pumpkin. One drawback to using an incandescent lamp is that such lamps generate heat and can cause burns if touched. Another, is that the heat from the lamp can accelerate the degradation of the pumpkin. Likewise, candles can cause burns if touched, and can be blown out by wind. 
     Those familiar with pumpkin carving know that the top of the pumpkin is often the first part to degrade. Exposure of the top to air usually results in the top and the surrounding flesh/skin portion of the pumpkin to discolor, soften and perhaps attract insects. One solution is to coat the exposed pumpkin flesh with, for example, a clear coating such as varnish or the like. However, care must be taken to assure that the varnish is dry prior to use. Moreover, some of the coating that are used may be hazardous to one&#39;s health and/or the environment. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a topper for a pumpkin, gourd or the like that provide illumination when the pumpkin or gourd is used as a jack-o-lantern. Desirably, such a topper uses low powered (low power requirement) illumination. More desirably still, such a topper serves as a partial seal for the pumpkin. Yet more desirably, such a topper can be used to mark the area on which the pumpkin, gourd or the like is cut. 
     SUMMARY 
     A device for illuminating the interior of a pumpkin, gourd or the like includes a housing having an interior region and a lighting assembly positioned at least in part within the interior region. The lighting assembly includes a rechargeable power source and a lighting element. A depending skirt extends from the housing and defines a recess in which the lighting element resides, at least in part. A photovoltaic collector is operably connected to the lighting assembly. 
     The skirt is inserted into an opening in the pumpkin, gourd or the like, and the lighting element illuminates the interior of the pumpkin, gourd or the like. The photovoltaic collector recharges the rechargeable power source when exposed to ambient light. In one illuminating device, the photovoltaic collector is mounted to the housing. 
     The illuminating device of claim  1  including a sensor operably connected to the lighting assembly, wherein the sensor detects the absence of ambient light to provide power to the lighting element. 
     In an embodiment, the skirt includes a free edge that is configured to mark the pumpkin, gourd or the like to form the opening therein. One free edge has an undulating or serrated profile. 
     The device can be formed as a hat, in which the housing is formed as a crown of the hat and a transition is formed as a brim of the hat. The skirt depends from the brim, opposite of the crown. The photovoltaic collector can be mounted to the crown of the hat. A cover can be disposed over the lighting element within the recess. 
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The benefits and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective illustration of a pumpkin, carved as a jack-o-lantern, having a novelty illuminated topper positioned thereon; 
         FIG. 2  is a partially cut-away view of the topper of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3 ,  4 A and  4 B and  5 - 6  are perspective views of alternate embodiments of the topper. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated. 
     It should be further understood that the title of this section of this specification, namely, “Detailed Description Of The Invention”, relates to a requirement of the United States Patent Office, and does not imply, nor should be inferred to limit the subject matter disclosed herein. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an illuminated novelty topper  10  is shown positioned on a pumpkin  12  carved as a jack-o-lantern  14 . It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the topper  10  is shown positioned on a jack-o-lantern  14 , the topper  10  can be used with a wide variety of other vegetables and other objects that are hollow or can be hollowed out and which have a sufficiently thick skin on which the topper  10  can be positioned. 
     In an embodiment, the topper  10  takes the form of a top hat  16  and includes a crown  18  and a brim  20 , and includes a depending skirt  22 . The crown  18  defines a housing  23  having an interior region  24 , and the brim  20  is formed at a juncture  26  of the crown  18  and the skirt  22 . The skirt  22  thus depends from the brim  20  opposite of the crown  18 . 
     A lighting assembly or illumination module  28  is positioned in the hat interior region  24 , preferably within the crown  18 . In the illustrated embodiment, the lighting assembly  28  includes one or more lighting elements  30 , such as LEDs and a power source  32 . One such power source  32  is a battery. The illustrated topper  10  includes a photovoltaic cell  34  (e.g., a photocell or collector), circuitry that can be provided on, for example, a circuit board  36 , and connectors  38  between the photocell  34 , the circuit board  36 , the battery  32  and the LED  30 , as appropriate. 
     In one contemplated embodiment, the photocell  34  is used to provide power to and to recharge the battery  32 , preferably .a rechargeable battery. Circuitry  40  can be configured to illuminate the LED  30  during the daytime, or it can be configured to recharge the battery  32  during the daytime and to illuminate the LED  30  during the evening hours. Those skilled in the art will recognize circuitry suitable to provide such nighttime illumination. A sensor  42 , which can be formed as part of or separate from the photocell  34 , can be used to sense the presence or absence of ambient light to illuminate the LED  30 . 
     In a present embodiment, the LED  30  is mounted within the topper  10  at about the same height as the brim  20 . The skirt  22 , which depends from the brim  20 , depends a distance greater than that of the LED  30 —that is, the LED  30  is positioned within a recess  44  formed by the skirt  22 . In this manner, the LED is protected from damage by the skirt. 
     The skirt  22  is formed with a free edge  46  opposite the juncture  26  with the brim  20 . In a preferred embodiment, the free edge  46  has an undulating or serrated-like profile as indicated at  48 . It is contemplated that the undulating edge  48  can be used as a template or marker, to mark the location (e.g., score the skin) on the pumpkin for cutting. It will be appreciated that using such a template or marker allows for making a cut in the pumpkin  12  such that the topper  10  has a close, snug fit in the pumpkin opening O, when placed on the jack-o-lantern  14 . This can prevent or reduce degradation of the pumpkin  12  flesh after it is cut, and may allow the jack-o-lantern  14  to have a longer useful life than it might otherwise. 
     It is anticipated that the topper  10  will be manufactured from commonly available plastic or polymeric materials which can, if desired by colored or dyed, to provide a pleasing aesthetic effect. 
     Optionally, the topper  10  can include a protective cover  50  that is positioned over the LED  30  when, for example, the topper  10  is used to mark out the pumpkin  12 . The cover  50  can be formed with any of a number of different mounting configurations, such as the illustrated bayonet mount  52 . Alternately, the cover  50  can be formed from a material that is transparent or translucent (e.g., clear or light emitting) so that the cover  50  can be left in place when the topper  10  is used to illuminate the jack-o-lantern  14 . 
     Alternate designs of hats  16  are shown in  FIGS. 3-6 . The hat can take the shape of a bowler  116  as shown in  FIG. 3 , a ball cap  216  as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , a conical pilgrim&#39;s hat  316  as shown in  FIG. 5 , and a chefs hat (or toque)  416  as shown in  FIG. 6 . The location of the photocell  34  in the bowler  116  of  FIG. 3  can be similar to the photocell  34  location as illustrated in the ball cap  216  of  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
     It will also be appreciated that while the present topper  10  is shown and described as a hat  16 - 416 , other configurations, shapes or designs can be used that incorporate the novel feature of the present topper  10 . It will also be appreciated that although the topper is shown and described as used with a pumpkin, gourd or other like object, it can also be used with a wide variety of other objects, such as a snowman and the like, which other configurations, shapes or designs and uses are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. 
     The present topper  10  provides a number of advantages over other, known ways in which a jack-o-lantern is made and illuminated. First, the use of a low power LED greatly reduces any heat that an incandescent lamp or candle may subject the jack-o-lantern to. As such, there is little to no chance that a person can be burned. And there is considerably less heat to which the jack-o-lantern is subjected, thus less degradation. The present topper  10  can also light the jack-o-lantern automatically once dusk (or night-time) is sensed, thus precluding the need to remember to light a lamp or candle. The topper will remain illuminated even in winds that would otherwise blow out a candle. 
     In addition, the edge  48  allows for closely marking the pumpkin  12  to better or more closely cut the pumpkin to fit the topper  10 . In that the skirt portion  22  depends from the brim  20  and is fitted into the pumpkin opening O, the topper will remain on the jack-o-lantern  14  once in position. 
     All patents referred to herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, whether or not specifically done so within the text of this disclosure. 
     In the present disclosure, the words “a” or “an” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular. 
     From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred.