Patent Publication Number: US-8992353-B1

Title: Illuminated rolling game ball

Description:
This utility patent application is based upon and claims the filing date benefit of U.S. provisional patent application (Application No. 61/698,828) filed on Sep. 10, 2012. 
    
    
     Notice is given that the following patent document contains original material subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile or digital download reproduction of all or part of the patent document, but otherwise reserves all copyrights. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention pertains to game equipment and more particularly, to game equipment that includes a ball rolled across the ground to a target or location and contacts other balls or objects. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Bocce ball is a popular game in which opposing players or teams attempt to roll a ball assigned to them to a position closer to a smaller target ball than the ball tossed by an opposing player or team. The game which is played in multiple rounds, which requires players take turns tossing and rolling their balls at the smaller target ball typically located 30 to 70 feet away. At the end of each round, the player who tosses the closest ball or balls to the target ball is awarded one or more points. The rounds are repeated until a player or team obtains the designated points needed to win the game, typically 10 or 15 points. 
     Recently, illuminated bocce balls have been developed that enable them to be visible at night or in dark environments from a distance of 30 to 70 feet. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,575,855, 6,712,721 and 6,723,013 each disclose a day and night croquet or bocce ball that uses a chemo-luminescent stick inserted into a bore that partially extends into the ball. 
     More recently, an battery energized illuminated bocce ball is disclosed in U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 13/546,396, (&#39;396 Application) filed on Jul. 11, 2012, which is incorporated by reference herein. The illuminated bocce ball disclosed in the &#39;396 Application uses an illuminated cap assembly axially aligned and partially extends into the ball&#39;s spherical body. The illuminated cap assembly includes an outer housing, and intermediate assembly, and a lower inner housing. Mounted on the intermediate assembly is a PCB with a multi-functional switch and a longitudinally aligned plunger. The intermediate assembly also includes a downward extend bridle with a downward extending LED bulb. Located inside the bridle is a plurality of stacked watch batteries. 
     One problem with the LED illuminated bocce ball disclosed in the &#39;396 Application referenced above it uses watch batteries that are difficult to replace in the dark and relatively expensive. What is needed is an improved LED illuminated bocce ball configured to use standard, inexpensive AAA batteries that are easy to replace. In addition, because only LED bulb is use, the illumination of the ball is reduced. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Designed herein is an improved LED illuminated rolling game ball designed to use three standardize AAA batteries. The ball includes a plastic, translucent or transparent spherical body with an axially aligned bore in which a multiple LED bulb light assembly is extended. The multiple LED bulb light assembly includes an outer tube, a cylindrical intermediate sleeve, a multiple AAA battery holder, a multiple LED bulb holder, a switch cap and an end cap. The outer tube, which is made of electrical conductive material in one embodiment, includes two opposite end openings that selectively connect to the switch and end caps that close the ends of the bore to create a watertight seal and also securely hold the outer tube in place in the ball. 
     Located inside the outer tube is the intermediate sleeve and located inside the intermediate sleeve is the multiple AAA battery holder. The multiple LED bulb holder includes a PCB with two or more LED arms. During assembly, the multiple AAA battery holder is placed inside the intermediate sleeve and the PCB is positioned transversely inside the outer tube and against one end of the intermediate sleeve and the battery holder. The LED arms on the multiple LED bulb holder extend inward and positioned in gutters formed in the intermediate sleeve which hold the LED bulbs through the bores formed on the outer tube. 
     When the outer tube is made of metal, the outer tube acts as an electrical conductor extending between a switch mounted on the switch cap and the PCB mounted on the multiple LED assembly. In another embodiment, the outer tube is made of non-conductive material, (ie. plastic, nylon, paper, etc) with a dual ring connector assembly located therein that acts as a conductor between the switch and the PCB. 
     After assembly, the multiple LED light assembly is coaxially aligned inside the bore formed on along the spherical body&#39;s axis. In the embodiment presented herein, the multiple LED bulb light assembly includes three LED bulbs radially aligned around the axis creating a spherical ball that glows uniformly in all directions and is balanced so it does not wobble when rolled. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to three LED bulbs. Also, the outer surface of the spherical ball is smooth and uniform enabling it to roll accurately. When the batteries are discharged, the battery holder may be easily removed from the intermediate member an the three AAA batteries may be easily replaced. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an improved LED illuminated rolling game ball. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the ball shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the spherical ball body. 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional side elevational view of the spherical ball body. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded said elevational view of the multiple LED light assembly. 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the intermediate sleeve showing the location of the LED arms in the gutters formed on the intermediate sleeve. 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the multiple LED bulb holder. 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded said elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the multiple LED light assembly in which the metallic outer tube is replaced by a non-metallic outer tube with a double ring connector located inside the plastic tube and with two sets of external threads manufactured on its opposite ends the engage internal threads manufactured on the switch cap and on the end cap. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the double ring connector used in the alternative embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Referring to the Figs, there is shown an improved LED illuminated rolling game ball  10  designed to use three standardize, inexpensive AAA batteries  150 . The ball  10  includes a plastic, translucent or transparent spherical body  12  in which a multiple LED bulb light assembly  25  is axially aligned and extends through the spherical body  12 . Mounted on the sides of the LED light assembly  25  are at least two or more laterally extending LED bulbs  98 . The spherical body  12  is sufficiently translucent and the LED bulbs  98  are sufficiently bright and uniformly positioned inside the ball  10  so that when the LED bulbs  98  are activated, the entire spherical body  12  glows uniformly. 
     The multiple LED light assembly  25 , shown more clearly in  FIGS. 2 and 5  includes an outer tube  30 , a cylindrical intermediate sleeve  50 , a multiple AAA battery holder  70 , a multiple LED bulb holder  90 , a switch cap  100  and an end cap  130 . The outer tube  30  is cylindrical with two opposite end openings  31 ,  33  each with internal threads  32 ,  34 , respectively, formed thereon. Formed on the sides of the outer tube  30  near the tube&#39;s mid-line axis are at least two small holes  38  each configured to receive an LED bulb  98  mounted on the multiple LED bulb holder  90  discussed further below. In one embodiment, the outer tube  30  is made of electrical conductive material which enables the outer tube  30  to act as an electrical conduit between the switch cap  100  that attaches to the end opening  31  on the outer tube  30  and the contacts on the printed circuit board  92  (PCB) mounted on a multiple LED bulb holder  90  that is inserted into the opposite end opening  33  on the outer tube  30 . 
     Both caps  100 ,  130  are attached to the opposite end openings  31 ,  33  on the outer tube  30 . Both caps  100 ,  130  are T-shaped and include a top flange plate  102 ,  132 , respectively, that presses against a recessed receiving cavity  14 ,  16 , respectively, formed on the spherical body  12  and coaxially aligned with axially aligned bore  20 , (see  FIG. 2 ). Both caps  100 ,  130  also include a perpendicularly aligned cylinder neck  104 ,  134 , respectively, that extends into the end openings  31 ,  33 , respectively. Each top flange plate  102 ,  132  includes an outer curved surface  106 ,  136 , respectively, that matches the adjacent curve surfaces on the spherical body  12  surrounding the end openings  31 ,  33 , respectively, on the axially aligned bore  20  to form a continuously spherical ball body  12  that rolls evenly in any direction. The neck  104 ,  143  on each cap  100 ,  130 , respectively, includes external threads  108 ,  138 , respectively, that the engage internal threads  32 ,  34  on the opposite end openings  31 ,  33 , respectively, on the outer tube  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the switch cap  100  includes a recessed outer cavity  109  with a momentary switch  110  mounted therein. The momentary switch  110  includes a plunger style button  111  partially concealed and extends outward into the recessed outer cavity  109 . The momentary switch  110  is connected to a spring-loaded battery connector  112  that extends inward from the inside surface of the switch cap  100  and into the outer tube  30  and contacts the main battery contact  72  on the battery holder  70  discussed further below. The momentary switch  110  also includes at least one electrical contact  113  that connects to the outer tube  30 . 
     The intermediate sleeve  50  is slightly smaller in diameter and shorter in length than the outer tube  30 . The intermediate member  50  is also configured to slide inside the outer tube  30  and extend around the battery holder  70 . When properly assembled, the intermediate sleeve  50  holds the battery holder  70  in a fixed position inside the outer tube  30 . The intermediate sleeve  50  includes two or more longitudinally aligned recessed gutters  56 . The gutters  56  are formed on the intermediate sleeve&#39;s outer surface and configured to receive a LED arm  95  on the multiple LED bulb holder  90  discussed further below. During assembly, the LED arms  95  slide over the gutters  56 . The intermediate sleeve  50  is then inserted into the outer tube  30  so that the gutters  56  support and hold the LED arms  95  outward and against the inside surface of the outer tube  30 . The gutters  56  are sufficiently deep so an LED bulb  98  attached to the distal end of each arm  95  is forced outward through a LED bore  38  formed on the outer tube  30 . A cylindrical ring spacer  65  may be placed inside the outer tube  30  to hold the intermediate sleeve  30  in position. 
     The battery holder  70  is configured to hold three longitudinally aligned AAA batteries  150  connected in a series to two battery contacts  72 ,  74  mounted on opposite ends of the battery holder  70 . When the battery holder  70  is placed inside the outer tube  30 , the contacts  72  and  74  are exposed and configured to connect to the contacts  112 ,  94  on the switch cap  100  and the multiple LED bulb holder  90 , respectively. 
     Also mounted inside the outer tube  30  and longitudinally aligned with the battery holder  70  is a multiple LED bulb holder  90 . As shown in  FIGS. 5-8 , the multiple LED bulb holder  90  includes a circular printed circuit board  92  (PCB) with two or more LED arms  95  attached thereto. In the embodiment shown in the Figs, three LED arms  95  and three LED bulbs  98  are used. The LED arms  95  are perpendicularly aligned and mounted on the perimeter edge of the PCB  92 . The PCB  92  is configured to fit tightly against the end opening  33  of the outer body  30 . Formed near the perimeter edge of the PCB  92  are electrical contacts  93  that connect to the edge of the outer tube  30 . Mounted coaxially and extending inward from the PCB  92  is a perpendicularly aligned, spring loaded electrical contact  94  that contacts to a lower battery connector  74  on the battery holder  70 . 
     Attached to the distal end of each arm  95  is an outward extending LED bulb  98 . The arms  95  are made of rigid, semi flexible material that enable them to extend inward and into a gutter  56  formed on the intermediate sleeve  50 . As discussed above, the gutters  56  then force the LED bulbs  98  outward and through the bulb bores  38  formed on the outer tube  30 . 
     The contacts  72 ,  74  on the battery holder  70  extend between electrical contacts  94 ,  112  on the PCB  92  and the momentary switch  110 , respectively. The momentary switch  110  includes contacts  113  that connect to the outer tube  30 . When the momentary switch  110  is closed, the electrical circuit between the batteries  150  and the LED bulbs  98  is closed thereby activating the LED bulbs  98 . When the momentary switch  110  is opened, the circuit between the batteries  150  and the LED bulbs  98  is opened, thereby deactivating the bulbs  98 . 
       FIG. 9  is an exploded said elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the multiple LED light assembly, denoted as  25 ′ in which the metallic outer tube  30  is replaced by an outer sleeve  160  made of non electrical conductive material, (such as plastic, nylon, glass, or paper) with a double ring connector assembly  170  located inside the outer sleeve  160 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , the double ring connector assembly  170  includes two metallic rings  172 ,  176  and a longitudinally aligned conductive strip  174  that extends between the two rings  172 ,  176 . The metallic rings  172 ,  176  are positioned on the opposite end openings  162 ,  164  of the outer sleeve  160  and contact the modified switch cap  100 ′ with a modified momentary switch  110 ′, respectively. The modified switch cap  100 ′ includes a circular groove configured to partially receive the edge of the outer tube  160 . A modified end cap  130 ′ is also used with a modified neck with internal threads the engage threads on the outer tube  160 . 
     After assembly, the momentary switch  110  is used to activate the three LED bulbs  98 . Because the button  111  is located inside the outer cavity  109  and partially concealed, the button  111  is not pressed when the ball  10  contacts the ground or other balls. When the batteries  150  are discharged and need to be replaced, the end cap  130 ,  130 ′ can be easily removed thereby enabling the battery holder  70  to be removed from the bore  20 . The discharged batteries  150  can then be removed and replaced with fully charged batteries  150 . The battery holder  70  is then inserted into the bore  20  and the end cap  130  or  130  is reattached. 
     In compliance with the statute, the invention described herein has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It should be understood however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown, comprises the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted under the doctrine of equivalents.