Skate board Lighting System
A skateboard lighting system is provided which is mountable to a skateboard having a deck, a deck top surface, a deck bottom surface and a pair of supporting trolleys, each trolley being mounted to the deck bottom surface and defining a trolley wheel axis. The lighting system comprises a lighting system frame mountable to the deck bottom surface proximate a first trolley and at least one light mounted to the frame, the light including a first lighting element arrayed to direct light along a light axis, the light axis being substantially parallel to the trolley wheel axis. A power source is provided in electrical communication with the light.
Not Applicable
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable
BACKGROUNDThe present invention is directed to a lighting system for skateboards and, more particularly, to an under board lighting system that can illuminate portions of the skateboard and the adjacent ground area.
Skateboarding is becoming more and more popular with skate board parks being created on school grounds and public areas. Skateboarding also remains a popular activity in other areas as well, such as bike paths, sidewalks, parking areas, etc.
Given their small size, and propensity to flip, crash or be subject to harsh conditions of use, skateboards are typically constructed as simple, sturdy products. Use of enhanced features on skateboards has sometimes produced unsatisfactory results, as the features may not stand up well to the rugged use that many skateboards experience and may detract from the balance or performance of the skateboard. However, it remains desirable to provide for enhanced features, such as light features, useful to enhance visibility of skateboards to others on the same trails, walkways or other areas.
For example, under low light conditions bikers or joggers might not see an approaching skateboarder on the same trail until the skateboarder is relatively close. As such, it is desirable to provide a skateboard lighting system that enhances the visibility of a skateboarder to other skateboarders as well as pedestrians, cyclists, etc. As noted above, it is further desirable that any such lighting system be constructed in a manner that will provide little or no reduction in performance or balance of a skateboard, and is rugged enough to stand up to crashes, flips and other typical conditions of skateboard use.
In addition to safety advantages, skateboard lighting system can also provide aesthetic features that may be desirable to skateboard owners and to observers of skateboarding activities. Moreover, the use of different types of lighting bulbs/fixtures allows for creation of different types of lighting patterns and effects, as may be desirable for safety, aesthetic or identification purposes. Similarly, the lighting system may cooperate with other skateboard components to create additional aesthetic effects, e.g. illuminating translucent wheels.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide skateboards with durable lighting system that will not detract from performance or durability of the skateboard, yet enhance visibility and safety, and allow for other aesthetic effects. These and other objects and advantageous may be achieved through use of the present invention, which is described below in relation to the presently preferred embodiments.
BRIEF SUMMARYA skateboard lighting system is provided which is mountable to a skateboard having a deck, a deck top surface, a deck bottom surface and a pair of supporting trolleys, each trolley being mounted to the deck bottom surface and defining a trolley wheel axis. The lighting system comprises one or more lighting system frame(s) mountable to the deck bottom surface proximate the trolley. At least one light mounted to the frame to illuminate the ground area about and/or below the skateboard. A power source is provided in electrical communication with the light.
The light may include a first lighting element arrayed to direct light along a light axis, the light axis being substantially parallel to the trolley wheel axis.
The lighting system may include a switch mounted to the frame and in electrical communication with the light and the power source, the switch being operative to regulate illumination of the light.
The light may further include one or more second lighting element(s), arrayed to direct light in a direction(s) substantially transverse to the trolley wheel axis, to illuminate a ground area below and/or about the skateboard. A plurality of second lighting elements may be arrayed radially about the light axis.
The lighting system may further include a radio frequency receiver in electrical communication with the light, the receiver being operative to regulate illumination of the light in response to receipt of radio frequency signals from a handheld remote control. The receiver may be mounted to the frame.
The skateboard may include a pair of translucent skateboard wheels, and the light may be directed toward the translucent wheels to illuminate them.
In one embodiment the power source is a battery power source which may be mounted to the frame.
In another embodiment the power source may be an electrical generator connected to one or more of the skateboard wheels to generate electrical power in response to rotation of one or more of the skateboard wheels.
These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including various ways of types of light fixtures and various ways of mounting the light fixtures to the lighting system frame and/or the lighting system frame to the skateboard. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
As shown in more detail at
Such lights each include four to eight light side facing light elements 27 radially arrayed about the light axis 32, and an end light 29 oriented to direct light axially along the light axis 32. As used in the presently preferred embodiment, the axially disposed light elements (LED's) 27 direct light towards the lower surface 13 of the skateboard 10, as well as the ground area below and about the skateboard. The end light 29 illuminates the ground area further from the skateboard 10. The combination of end lights and radially arrayed lights may be oriented to define different patterns of light and shadow areas that travel with the movement of the skateboard, and vary with the orientation or tilt of the skateboard.
In one construction of the present invention, the skateboard wheels may be formed of a translucent material that can be illuminated as a result of proximity and orientation of the lights 27, 29. Other effects may be implemented using alternative lights and components of skateboard 10.
In the presently preferred embodiment the lights in other components of the lighting system are arrayed on a frame 20, which is formed to receive adjacent portions of the trolley frame 19, and is secured to the skateboard bottom surface 13 using the same fasteners used to secure the trolley base plate 16 to the skateboard. Such an arrangement, illustrated at
The lighting system frame 20 also includes switch 45, disposed on side wall 31. Switch 45 is operative to enable or disable the lighting system, in response to remote control signals from remote control 30 (
The lighting system frame 20 further includes a pair of flanges, 47, 49, which are matable to a surface area(s) of trolley 15. The flanges 47, 49 may be disposed above or below trolley mounting plate 16. In the construction shown at
Accordingly, the lighting system of the present invention may be secured to the skateboard by disengaging trolley fasteners and locating the lighting system frame such that frame apertures 53 are in registry with trolley apertures 55, then resecuring the fasteners to hold the frame in place.
Claims
1. A skateboard lighting system mountable to a skateboard having a deck, a deck top surface, a deck bottom surface and a pair of supporting trolleys, each trolley being mounted to the deck bottom surface and defining a trolley wheel axis, the lighting system comprising:
- a) a lighting system frame mountable to the deck bottom surface proximate a first trolley;
- b) at least one light mounted to the frame, the light including a first lighting element arrayed to direct light along a light axis, the light axis being substantially parallel to the trolley wheel axis, and
- c) a power source in electrical communication with the light.
2. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a switch mounted to the frame, the switch being in electrical communication with the light and the power source, for enabling illumination of the light.
3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the light further includes a second lighting element being arrayed to direct light in a direction substantially transverse to the trolley light axis.
4. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein the light includes a plurality of second lighting elements, the second lighting elements being arrayed radially about the light axis.
5. The system as recited in claim 4 wherein the second lighting elements are arrayed to direct light to a ground area below the skateboard deck bottom surface.
6. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein the second lighting elements are further operative to direct light to illuminate a ground area about the skateboard.
7. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a radio frequency receiver in electrical communication with the light, the receiver being operative to regulate illumination of the light in response to receipt of radio frequency signals from a remote control.
8. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein the receiver is mounted to the frame.
9. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first trolley includes a pair of translucent skateboard wheels, wherein the light is directed to illuminate the translucent wheels.
10. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the power source is mounted to the frame.
11. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein the power source is a battery power source.
12. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first trolley includes a pair of skateboard wheels and the power source is an electrical generator connected to one of the pair of skateboard wheels, the electrical generator being operative to generate electrical power in response to rotation of the one of the pair of skateboard wheels.
13. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first trolley includes a mounting plate for mounting the first trolley to the deck bottom surface, and wherein the lighting system frame is engaged to the mounting plate.
14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein a portion of the lighting system frame extends intermediate the deck bottom surface and the trolley mounting plate.
15. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the trolley defines a trolley frame, which is extendable through the lighting system frame.
16. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the lighting system frame and first trolley are mountable to the deck bottom surface by a common set of fasteners.
17. The system as recited in claim 1 further including first and second lights mounted on opposing sides of the lighting system frame, the first and second lights being arrayed to direct light along the light axis, in substantially opposite directions.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 18, 2010
Publication Date: Apr 19, 2012
Inventors: Vance Calhoun (Torrance, CA), Bryan Bartlett (Lomita, CA)
Application Number: 12/906,888
International Classification: A63C 17/26 (20060101);