Patent Publication Number: US-8523380-B1

Title: Illuminated screen or window attachment

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The disclosure relates to screen and window attachments and more particularly pertains to a new decorative attachment for enhancing visibility of a screen or window to prevent accidental contact with the screen or window. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing, a power source positioned in the housing, a frame coupled to the housing, and a plurality of lights coupled to the frame. The lights, which may primarily include light emitting diode type lights (LEDs), are operationally coupled to the power source. A switch assembly is operationally coupled between the power source and the plurality of lights for selectively illuminating the plurality of lights. A first magnet is coupled to the housing. Thus, the housing is designed for coupling to a planar material such as metal screen or window. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an illuminated screen or window attachment according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure in use. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the power source compartment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, a new illuminated attachment embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the illuminated screen or window attachment  10  generally comprises a housing  12 , a power source  14  positioned in the housing  12 , a frame  16  coupled to the housing  12 , and a plurality of lights  18  coupled to the frame  12 . The plurality of lights  18  is operationally coupled to the power source  14 . The power source  14  is preferably a self-contained battery. A switch assembly  20  is operationally coupled between the power source  14  and the plurality of lights  18  for selectively illuminating the plurality of lights  18 . An attachment member  28  such as hook and loop fastener or a first magnet  22  is coupled to the housing  12 . Thus, the housing  12  is designed for coupling to a planar member  24  such as a metal screen, a fabric screen or a window pane. 
     A second magnet  26 , complimentary to the first magnet  22 , may be provided. Thus, the housing  12  is designed for being coupled to a planar member  24  positioned between the first magnet  22  and the second magnet  26 . This attachment means also allows the housing  12  to be selectively coupled to non-metallic materials such as fabric mesh, fabric screen and glass window panes. 
     The housing  12  may have an interior  30  and an opening  32 . A cap member  34  is selectively couplable to the housing  12  to cover the opening  32 . A first contact member  36  is positioned in the interior  30  of the housing  12 . A second contact member  38  is also positioned in the interior  30  of the housing  12  adjacent to the opening  32  so that the cap member  34  urges the second contact member  38  into contact with the power source  14  when the cap member  34  is coupled to the housing  12 . 
     A protrusion  40  is positioned between the cap member  34  and the second contact member  38 . The protrusion  40  may extend from the cap member  34  for facilitating contact between the cap member  34  and the second contact member  38 . The housing  12  may have housing threading  42  and the cap member  34  may have cap threading  44  complimentary to the housing threading  42  to allow the cap member  34  to be threadably couplable to the housing  12 . 
     The protrusion  40  may be centrally positioned with respect to the cap member  34  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the second contact member  38  may extend into the housing  12  from a side wall  46  of the housing  12 . The protrusion  76  may be offset from a center  48  of the cap member  34  such that the protrusion  76  is selectively positionable in contact with the second contact member  38  to bias the second contact member  38  into contact with the power source  14 . The second contact member  38  may include a bent medial portion  50  alignable with the protrusion  76  to facilitate contact between the second contact member  38  and the power source  14  when the cap member  34  is rotated to bring the protrusion  76  into contact with the crooked medial portion  50 . 
     The frame  16  may be comprised of a reflective material for enhancing visibility of the frame  16 . Moreover, the frame  16  may form a decorative design  52  and decorative material  54  may be coupled to the frame  16 . The plurality of lights  18  is then couplable to the material  54 . The lights  18  may be light emitting diodes (LEDs) and can be provided in a multitude of colors. 
     In use, the housing  12  is attached to a screen or window by the attachment member  28  or magnetically using the first magnet  22  and the second magnet  26  when necessary. The frame  16  provides visibility during the day or in lighted conditions. The frame  16  forms a decorative appearance and may be structured in a variety of shapes including but not limited to hearts, animals, birds, holiday or seasonal symbols such as a Christmas tree or pumpkin, and the like. At night or in otherwise darkened conditions, the cap member  34  may be rotated to complete a circuit and illuminate the plurality of lights  18 . Thus, the attachment  10  is an improvement over prior art because the attachment  10  illuminates to enhance visibility and increase safety by preventing unintended contact with a window or screen. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure.