Abstract:
A stroller lighting system is provided, comprising a light strip fastenable to the underside of a stroller; a power supply fastenable to a handle of the stroller; a wiring harness, fastenable to a frame of the stroller and configured to electrically connect the light strip to the power supply; and a switch electrically connected between the wiring harness and the power supply to activate and deactivate the light strip whereby, when the light strip is activated, ground beneath the stroller is illuminated. A baby stroller is also provided in which such a lighting system is integrated.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
       [0001]    The present application is related to and claims the benefit of commonly-owned and co-pending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/999,056 filed on Jul. 11, 2014, and entitled BABY STROLLER LIGHTING SYSTEM, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to baby strollers, carriages, and like carriers and, in particular, to lighting systems adapted for use with such carriers. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0003]    Baby strollers, carriages, and other carriers have been used for many decades to transport babies safely around the outside world and much development has gone into making them safe. For example, strollers are typically designed to be lightweight and collapsible with safety mechanisms in place to prevent the stroller from collapsing while a baby is a passenger. Materials and parts are selected to eliminate choking and other dangers. Typically, baby strollers have a canopy or other form of shade for protection from the sun and bright lights, seat belts to keep the baby from falling out, and no moving parts within a baby&#39;s reach so that tiny fingers and toes don&#39;t get injured. Shock absorbers are now standard in many model strollers to absorb much of the impact of going up and down stairs, on and off curbs, and over uneven terrain or cracks in pavement or concrete. 
         [0004]    While a baby stroller may be used most often during the daytime, there are instances when a parent takes the baby out at night or during periods of daylight hours when there is a lot of glare, for example in the late afternoon when the sun is setting. In these lower-visibility times, there is a risk that a motorist or bicyclist may not see the baby stroller. For example, when a baby stroller is made with materials that are dark in color, it may not be easily seen by someone driving a car during periods of low visibility, especially if there is glare in the driver&#39;s eyes. A pedestrian may have a chance to jump out of the way of a car whose driver doesn&#39;t see the pedestrian; however, a parent pushing a baby in a stroller may not. The weight and size of the stroller, in combination with the added weight of the baby and items that often accompany a baby stroller, such as a diaper bag and water bottles, make the baby and stroller a cumbersome, slow-moving vehicle in pedestrian and street traffic. While baby strollers are normally used on sidewalks rather than streets, crossing a street, even in a well-marked crosswalk and easily seen traffic signals, places the baby and parent at risk. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention provides a stroller lighting system, comprising a light strip fastenable to the underside of a stroller; a power supply fastenable to a handle of the stroller; a wiring harness, fastenable to a frame of the stroller and configured to electrically connect the light strip to the power supply; and a switch electrically connected between the wiring harness and the power supply to activate and deactivate the light strip whereby, when the light strip is activated, ground beneath the stroller is illuminated. 
         [0006]    The present invention also provides a baby stroller, comprising: a frame; a set of wheels attached to the frame; a baby compartment attached to the frame; a handle attached to the frame; a light strip fastenable to the underside of the stroller; a power supply fastenable to the handle of the stroller; a wiring harness, fastenable to the frame of the stroller and configured to electrically connect the light strip to the power supply; and a switch electrically connected between the wiring harness and the power supply to activate and deactivate the light strip whereby, when the light strip is activated, ground beneath the stroller is illuminated. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an embodiment of the stroller lighting system of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a view of the underside of a stroller to which the lighting system of  FIG. 1  has been fastened; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a view of a portion of the frame of the stroller of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the stroller of  FIG. 1  with the lighting system turned on. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0011]    The described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention. 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an embodiment of the stroller lighting system  100  of the present invention. The system  100  includes a power supply  102  enclosed in a protective housing  104 . The system  100  further includes one or more light strips  106 , such as light emitting diode (LED) strips or electroluminescence (EL) tape. The light strips  106  are electrically connected to one or more wiring harnesses  108  (one of which is shown in  FIG. 1 ). Connectors  106 A,  106 B on the light stripe  106  may be coupled with corresponding connectors  108 A,  108 B on the wiring harness  108 . The wiring harness  108  is connected to the power supply  102  through one or more connectors  110  mounted on the housing  104 . A switch  112 , also mounted on the housing  104 , completes the circuit to electrically connect the light strips  106  to the power supply  102  and permit a user to turn the light strips  106  on and off. The light strips  106 , the wiring harnesses  108 , and the power supply  102  may also be electrically connected using pig-tail connectors. 
         [0013]    Turning to  FIG. 2 , the light strips  106  may be fastened to a stroller  200  to any appropriate part of the underside  202  of the stroller  200 , such as the axles or the horizontal braces at the front and rear of the frame  204 , to project light downward. The light strips  106  may be fastened to the stroller with any appropriate fastener, such as zip ties  114  ( FIG. 3 ), double-sided tape, clamps, hook-and-loop material, among others, or a combination of fasteners for additional security. Alternatively, or in addition, light strips  106  may be fastened to or around the sides, front, and rear of the stroller  200  and project the light outward. In other embodiments, light strips  106  may be embedded in the stroller  200  material during manufacture. 
         [0014]    The wiring harnesses  108  may be fastened along the frame  204  of the stroller  200  in a fashion similar to the way the light strips  106  are fastened. The housing  104  may be secured in any appropriate manner to the handle  206  of stroller  200  where the switch  112  will be in a convenient location for the user to operate ( FIG. 4 ). 
         [0015]    When the switch  112  is turned on, the light strips  106  are powered on and illuminate  208  the ground underneath and around the stroller  200  and around the wheels  210 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0016]    The lighting system  100  may be provided with additional features. For example, a controller  116  in the housing  104  may allow the user to select different lighting modes, such as continuous, flashing, or sequential. The light strips  106  may include two or more different colored lights (or the LEDs may be able to emit different colored light) and the controller  116  may allow the user to selectively change the color and mode of the light, such as continuous, flashing, alternating colors, and sequential colors, among various possible modes. One of more additional light strips  106  may be fastened around the canopy  212  to softly illuminate the baby in the baby compartment  214  or to provide the baby with entertaining or pacifying lighting effects, activated by the user using the controller  116 . 
         [0017]    The power supply  102  may be a replaceable or rechargeable battery, such as a single 9 volt battery or a battery pack with multiple 1.5 volt batteries. If the battery or battery pack is rechargeable, it may be recharged by plugging a conventional wall charger into the housing  104  at home. Alternatively, or to supplement a wall charger, the battery or battery pack may be recharged using one or more solar panels  120  mounted on top of the stroller  200  ( FIG. 4 ). A small generator mechanically connected to a wheel  210  may also, or instead, be used to charge the battery or battery pack. An LED mounted in the housing  104  may provide an indication of the charge state of the power supply  102 . 
         [0018]    The lighting system  100  may also include a light strip  106  fastened to or near the handle  206  in a location visible to the user. A device in the controller  104 , such as a Bluetooth® receiver, may pair with a cellphone and activate the light strip  106  in a flashing mode when an incoming call is detected. In this way, the phone may placed in the silent mode so that incoming calls won&#39;t disturb the baby, but the user will be notified visually. Additionally, even with the phone ringer on, a user walking along a busy street may not be able to hear the ringing and the flashing light strip  106  will alert the user to incoming calls. An additional mode of the controller  104  may include a timing device, such as a timer, stopwatch, or alarm clock to provide a flashing light to indicate that a time programmed by the user has lapsed, such as a time to give the baby medicine or something to eat or drink. 
         [0019]    The lighting system  100  may be sold as an after-market accessory, easily installed by the consumer. The lighting system  100  may also be integrated into the design of the stroller  200  and sold with the stroller  200  as a built-in feature. 
         [0020]    The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.