Illuminating bicycle wheel device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11396339-B2
Application number	US-202117374828-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2021
Priority date	Jul 13, 2020
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed is an illumination device for use with spoked wheels, such as bicycle wheels, wherein the wheel includes a hub portion, a plurality of spokes, and a rim portion. The illumination device includes a power pack, at least one adaptor body, and at least one attachment portion. The power pack having at least one wire, a flexible button cap, a body housing, and circuit board with a switch. The at least one wire including a plurality of light sources. The at least one attachment portion including a clip portion providing for the installation of the at least one adaptor body to the bicycle spokes. The illumination device also includes a holder for the installation of the power pack to the bicycle wheel. Further, the illumination device may include a tubular body located in the internal cavity of the at least one adaptor body.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An illumination device for a bicycle wheel, the device comprising:
a power pack;
at least one adaptor body;
at least one attachment portion; and
a holder, the holder comprising a pocket portion,
wherein the power pack comprises at least one wire, a flexible button cap, a body housing, and a circuit board with a switch,
the body housing comprising a top portion, a central portion, and a bottom portion,
the top portion of the body housing attached to the flexible button cap,
the bottom portion of the body housing attached to the holder,
the circuit board with a switch located between the pocket portion of the holder and the flexible cap, and
the at least one wire comprising a plurality of light sources,

wherein each adaptor body comprises a proximal end, a distal end, and an internal cavity,
the internal cavity extending from the proximal end to the distal end, and the internal cavity adapted to receive at least one light of the plurality of light sources of the at least one wire,

wherein the at least one attachment portion comprises a first end, a second end, an internal cavity, and a clip portion,
the clip portion providing a surface for installation to the bicycle wheel, the bicycle wheel comprising a tire portion, a hub portion, a plurality of spokes, and a rim portion, each spoke of the plurality of spokes comprising two ends, one end of the spoke connecting to the hub portion and the other end of the spoke connecting to the rim portion,
the internal cavity of the at least one attachment portion adapted to attach to the adaptor body.

2. The illumination device as claimed in claim 1 , the power pack further comprising a spring and at least one battery, wherein the spring is adapted to provide contact between the circuit board with a switch and the at least one battery.

3. The illumination device as claimed in claim 1 , the power pack further comprising a O-ring, the O-ring located within the pocket portion of the holder.

4. The illumination device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the power pack is removably attached to the bicycle wheel by the holder, the holder further comprising an adjustable strap portion and at least two hook portions, wherein the adjustable strap portion is removably attached to at least one hook portion of the at least two hook portions.

5. The illumination device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the adjustable strap comprises a plurality of openings adapted to adjust the length of the strap for installation, each opening capable of accepting one hook portion of the at least two hook portions.

6. The illumination device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the power pack is removably attached to a circumference of the hub portion of the bicycle wheel by the adjustable strap portion of the holder.

7. The illumination device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the power pack is removably attached to at least two spokes of the plurality of spokes of the bicycle wheel by the adjustable strap portion of the holder.

8. The illumination device as claimed in claim 1 , the device further comprising at least one tubular body, the at least one tubular body located inside the internal cavity of the adaptor body and extending throughout the length of the adaptor body from the proximal end to the distal end of the adaptor body.

9. The illumination device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one wire extends throughout the internal cavity of the adaptor body from the proximal end to the distal end of the adaptor body.

10. The illumination device as claimed in claim 1 , the power pack comprising at least two wires wherein the plurality of light sources of each wire output a different frequency of light.

11. The illumination device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the internal cavity of one attachment portion is adapted to attach to the proximal end of the adaptor body and the internal cavity of a second attachment portion is adapted to attach to the distal end of the adaptor body.

12. The illumination device as claimed in claim 1 , each adaptor body further comprising a semi-opaque material allowing light from the plurality of light sources be visible.

13. The illumination device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the semi-opaque material color of the adaptor body matches the light color from the plurality of light sources.

14. The illumination device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the top portion of the body housing is removably attached to the flexible button cap.

15. The illumination device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion of the body housing is removably attached to the holder.

16. A method for illuminating a bicycle tire, the method comprising the steps:
a. placing an illumination device on a bicycle wheel,
the bicycle wheel comprising a tire portion, a hub portion, a plurality of spokes, and a rim portion, each spoke of the plurality of spokes comprising two ends, one end of the spoke connecting to the hub portion and the other end of the spoke connecting to the rim portion,
the illumination device comprising a power pack, at least one adaptor body, at least one attachment portion, and a holder,
wherein the holder comprises a pocket portion,
wherein the power pack comprises at least one wire, a flexible button cap, a body housing, and circuit board with a switch,
the at least one wire comprising a plurality of light sources,
the body housing comprising a top portion, a central portion, and a bottom portion, the top portion attached to the flexible button cap, and the bottom portion attached to the holder,
the circuit board with a switch located within the body housing,
wherein each adaptor body comprises a proximal end, a distal end, and an internal cavity, the internal cavity extending from the proximal end to the distal end,
wherein each attachment portion of the at least one attachment portion comprises a first end, a second end, an internal cavity, and a clip portion,
the internal cavity of each attachment portion of the at least one attachment portion is adapted to attach to the adaptor body,
the clip portion of each attachment portion of the at least one attachment portion provides a surface for installation to the bicycle wheel;

b. affixing the device to the bicycle wheel; and
c. affixing the clip portion of each attachment portion of the at least one attachment portion to a spoke of the plurality of spokes of the bicycle wheel.

17. The method for illuminating a bicycle wheel as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the holder comprises an adjustable strap portion and at least two hook portions, wherein the adjustable strap portion is removably attached to at least one hook portion of the at least two hook portions.

18. The method for illuminating a bicycle wheel as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the step of affixing the illumination device to the bicycle wheel comprises wrapping the adjustable strap portion of the holder around a circumference of the hub portion of the bicycle wheel.

19. The method for illuminating a bicycle wheel as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the step of affixing the device to the bicycle wheel comprises wrapping the adjustable strap portion of the holder around at least two spokes of the plurality of spokes.

20. The method for illuminating a bicycle wheel as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the step of depressing the flexible button cap causing electricity to flow to the plurality of light sources.

21. The method for illuminating a bicycle wheel as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the po

Assignees

• Brightz Ltd

Inventors

• Anderson Brent
• Finch Brian V

Classifications

• B62J43/30

  for providing power to equipment other than for propulsion · CPC title

• B62J43/20

  characterised by the mounting · CPC title

• F21Y2113/10

  of different colours · CPC title

• F21S9/02

  the power supply being a battery or accumulator · CPC title

• B62J6/26 Primary

  warning or informing other road users, e.g. police flash lights · CPC title