Body board with LED lights

Abstract

This invention is directed toward a body board, used for riding ocean waves, paddling through standing water, and other aquatic uses, which has one or more strings of optionally removable LED lights disposed in one or more channels that have been molded or routed into the top, bottom, or sides of the body board. The channels are, in one embodiment, removably covered with a water-resistant covering that can be opened to remove or exchange the LED lights. The body board also includes a cavity into which a battery (optionally, with a solar charger) is placed, where the battery powers the LED's, and means of controlling the LED's. The battery cavity, in the first embodiment, is also covered by a water-resistant covering that can be opened to access the battery for removal or replacement. In a second embodiment, the cover is permanent, allowing for a more waterproof cover.

Claims

1. A body board for surfing ocean waves with LED light decorations, comprising: a body board, where the body board has a deck, a bottom, a bow, a stern, and two rails, where the two rails comprise a port rail and a starboard rail, where the body board has a length, where the body board has a height, at least one channel, where the at least one channel is molded by a molding process, where the molding process created the at least one channel into the body board, at least one LED light string comprising LED lights, a cover, a battery, a battery compartment, and a battery compartment cover, where the at least one channel comprises a cavity with a cavity width, a cavity length, and a cavity depth, where the at least one LED light string is disposed in the at least one channel, and covered by the cover, and the battery is disposed in the battery compartment, and covered by the battery compartment cover, and where the at least one LED light string is electronically attached to the battery, where the cover is removable such that a user can remove a first type of LED light string and replace it with a second type of LED light string, where the body board additionally comprises one or more solar panels, and the one or more solar panels provides an amount of recharging energy to the battery whenever the body board is left in a sunny location, where the one or more solar panels are integrated into the deck of the body board, where the body board comprises at least three channels, where the at least three channels include a deck channel, a bottom channel, and a rail channel, and where the deck channel is located on the deck, where the bottom channel is located on the bottom, and where the rail channel is located on the rail, where the length is less than four feet.

2. The body board of claim 1, where the body board additionally comprises one or more grippers, where the one or more grippers removably retain the cover, such that a user of the invention can open the cover to replace at least one LED light string with a second LED light string.

3. The body board of claim 1, where the body board has a flexible core and has the capacity to remain unbroken when used in average six-foot surf where the height of the body board is less than two inches where the LED light string serves a decorative purpose only, and where the body board does not have any handles or straps.

4. A body board for surfing ocean waves with LED light decorations, comprising: a body board, where the body board has a deck, a bottom, a bow, a stern, and two rails, where the two rails comprise a port rail and a starboard rail, where the body board has a length, where the body board has a height, at least one channel, where the at least one channel was formed by a molding process, where the molding process created the at least one channel into the body board, at least one LED light string comprising LED lights, a cover, a battery, a battery compartment, and a battery compartment cover, where the channel comprises a cavity with a cavity width, a cavity length, and a cavity depth, where the at least one LED light string is disposed in the at least one channel, and covered by the cover, and the battery is disposed in the battery compartment, and covered by the battery compartment cover, and where the at least one LED light string is electronically attached to the battery and, where the cover is removable such that a user can remove a first type of light string and replace it with a second type of light string.

5. The body board of claim 4, where the body board does not have any handles or straps and where the height of the body board is less than two inches.

6. The body board of claim 4, where the body board additionally comprises one or more solar panels, and the one or more solar panels provided an amount of recharging energy to the battery whenever the body board is left in a sunny location, where the solar panels are integrated into the deck of the body board.

7. The body board of claim 4, where the body board comprises at least three channels, where the at least three channels include a deck channel, a bottom channel, and a rail channel, and where the deck channel is located on the deck, where the bottom channel is located on the bottom, and where the rail channel is located on the rail.

8. The body board of claim 4, where the body board comprises at least four channels, where the at least four channels include a deck channel, a bottom channel, and two rail channels, and where the deck channel is located on the deck, where the bottom channel is located on the bottom, and where one of the two rail channels is located on the port rail, and one of the two rail channels is located on the starboard rail.

9. The body board of claim 4, where the length is less than four feet.

10. The body board of claim 4, where the body board additionally comprises one or more grippers, where the one or more grippers removably retain the cover, such that a user of the invention can open the cover to replace at least one LED light string with a second LED light string.

11. The body board of claim 4, where the body board has a flexible core and has the capacity to remain unbroken when used in average six-foot surf.

12. The body board of claim 4, where the LED light string serves a decorative purpose only.

13. The body board of claim 4, the battery compartment cover is waterproof, and, where the battery compartment cover additionally comprises an access screw, where the access screw can be used to remove the battery compartment cover to allow access to the battery, and, where the cover is made from fiberclad material.

14. The body board of claim 4, where the cover additionally comprises one or more artistic embellishments, and, where the battery compartment cover additionally comprises a waterproof control button, where the waterproof control button can be pushed by the user to turn on and turn off the LED lights.

15. The body board of claim 4, where the at least one channel has a creative shape, where the creative shape is an eye-pleasing shape, where the battery compartment cover is permanent and waterproof, and where the battery compartment cover additionally comprises a waterproof control button, where the waterproof control button can be pushed by the user to turn on and turn off the LED lights.

16. The body board of claim 4, where the at least one channel has a creative shape, where the creative shape is an eye-pleasing shape, where the battery is waterproof battery and is electrically connected to a solar charging source, where the solar charging source is one or more solar panels, where the one or more solar panels are integrated into the deck of the body board.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a body board with embedded LED lights according to a preferred form of the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is a close-up view of the channel into which the LED light string is placed.

(4) FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a body board with embedded LED lights according to a preferred form of the invention.

(5) FIG. 4 is a top view of a body board with embedded LED lights according to a preferred form of the invention.

(6) FIGS. 5 through 7 are cross sectional views of the channel in which the LED lights are placed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(7) Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with references made to the drawings below. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the components of the present invention. Moreover, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts through the several views in the drawings. Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention are not limited in their application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments of the invention are capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways. In addition, the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

(8) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a body board with embedded LED lights according to a preferred form of the invention. The body board has a deck 1, rails 2, a bow 3 and a stern 4. On the deck 1 there is a battery compartment 9, into which the battery is removably secured. The battery compartment is waterproof due to a battery compartment cover 13, that can be removed through an access screw 10. The battery can be turned on and off through a waterproof control button 11 and can be charged through a waterproof charging port. From the battery, one or more strings of LED is dispensed in channels routed into the deck, rails and/or bottom of the body board. To use the invention, the user inserts LED lights into the channels, secures a waterproof cover, turns on the LED lights by pushing the waterproof control button, and goes bodyboarding.

(9) FIG. 2 is a close-up view of the channel 5 into which the LED light string is placed according to a preferred form of the invention.

(10) FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a body board with embedded LED lights according to a preferred form of the invention. In the particular embodiment, a decorative pattern 12 is created in the shape of a star. It should be noted that the LED light strings can be placed anywhere on the board, including the bottom, as shown here, the deck, the rails 2, and even the bow 3 and stern 4.

(11) FIG. 4 is a top view of a body board with embedded LED lights according to a preferred form of the invention. The battery compartment 9 is a cavity that has been molded or routed into the deck, in this case, of the body board. Inside the battery compartment is a battery (not shown in this figure), which is covered by a waterproof battery compartment cover 13. There are several possible embodiments of the battery. First, it could be a water-resistant battery enclosed in a removable, water-resistant cover such that the battery could be removed for recharging. Second, the battery could be permanently encased by a non-removable cover where the battery is electrically attached to one or more solar panels attached to the top, side, or bottom of the board, or even resting on or embedded in the cover itself. The battery and the LED light strings are controlled through a waterproof control button 11 which can be pushed to turn the LED light strings on and off. In another embodiment of the invention, the waterproof control button 11 has several different settings that cause different light patterns to illuminate in the LED light strings. The battery compartment cover 13 forms a waterproof seal over the battery compartment 9, and can be accessed through an access screw 10. Thus, before the user enters the water he/she can turn on the LED lights, then enjoy a water session, before returning to dry land and removing the battery for charging. In another embodiment, a waterproof charging station is included in the battery compartment cover 13 so that that user can charge the battery while the battery is still in the battery compartment. Again, it is contemplated that while a preferred embodiment of the invention calls for the LED light strings to form a decorative pattern on the bottom of the body board, as in FIG. 3, it is also contemplated that LED light strings could be places on the rails 2, deck 1, or even the bow 3 and stern 4. It is further contemplated that LED lights, including strong ones, could be mounted on the bow 3 of the body board to enhance the user's ability to see during low light and night time conditions.

(12) FIGS. 5 through 7 are cross sectional views of the channel in which the LED lights are placed. An LED light string 6 is placed in a channel 5. A waterproof cover 7, is secured with grippers 8, such that water does not flood the channel 5. If the user wishes to change the colors, or flashing pattern of the LED's, he/she need only to remove the waterproof cover 7, and replace the LED light string 6 with another one. In another embodiment, there are more than one color of lights in the channel, or the lights are capable of changing color, in which case it is not necessary to remove them from the channel, but rather a user can change the colors by merely pushing a control button or using a remote controller.

(13) It should also be noted that a non-replaceable, less expensive version of the invention is contemplated where the waterproof cover 7 is actually affixed permanently to seal the LED light string 5 into the channel 5. Along with the non-replaceable LED light string, it is contemplated that a permanently-enclosed battery, powered by an external solar charger, could also be embedded permanently in the board.

(14) It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.

(15) All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.