Abstract
The present invention refers to a hoop device comprising a tubular main body and lighting elements wherein the lighting elements are distributed on a circumference of the tubular main body and wherein some lighting elements face up and the remaining lighting elements face down. Furthermore, the tubular main body comprises a power supply unit for supplying the lighting elements with energy. In another aspect, the invention relates to a use of the hoop device characterized in that the power supply unit comprises storing means for storing energy wherein the storing means can be charged and re-charged.
Claims
1. Hoop device (10) comprising a tubular main body (12) and n lighting elements (14) characterized in that the n lighting elements (14) are distributed on a circumference of the tubular main body (12), wherein a lighting elements (14a) face up and na lighting elements (14b) face down, n and a representing natural numbers, n>1, n0 and wherein the tubular main body (12) comprises a power supply unit (16) for supplying the lighting elements (14) with energy.
2. Hoop device (10) according to claim 1 characterized in that n is an even number and a=.Math.n.
3. Hoop device (10) according to claim 1 and/or 2 characterized in that the n lighting elements (14) are regularly distributed on the circumference of the tubular main body (12) comprising an angle distance (18) of =360/n.
4. Hoop device (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the lighting elements (14) face up and down alternately.
5. Hoop device (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the power supply unit (16) is preferably formed from 1 to 5, more preferably from 2 to 4 and most preferably formed from 3 accumulators (30).
6. Hoop device (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the lighting elements (14) emit laser light (22) with a wave length in a visible range of 300 to 800 nm.
7. Hoop device (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the lighting elements (14) emit laser light (22) with one single wave length or different wave lengths.
8. Hoop device (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the a lighting elements (14a) facing up emit light with a first wave length and the n-a lighting elements (14b) facing down emit light with a second wave length.
9. Hoop device (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the tubular main body (12) comprises at least one switch (24) for switching on and off the lighting elements (14).
10. Hoop device (10) according to claim 9 characterized in that the switch (24) is a magnetic switch.
11. Hoop device (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the tubular main body (12) has an inner diameter (26) in a preferred range of 800 to 900 mm and a more preferred inner diameter (26) of 840 mm.
12. Hoop device (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the tubular main body (12) is formed from a tube (38) having an outer diameter (40) in a preferred range of 15 to 23 mm, in a more preferred range of 17 to 21 mm and a most preferred outer diameter (40) of 19 mm and/or having an inner diameter (42) in a preferred range of 13 to 18 mm, in a more preferred range of 15 to 16 mm and a most preferred inner diameter (42) of 15.5 mm.
13. Hoop device (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the tubular main body (12) comprises a preferred number of 28 to 44 lighting elements (14), a more preferred number of 32 to 40 lighting elements (14) and most preferred 36 lighting elements (14).
14. Use of a hoop device (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims comprising the following steps a) providing a hoop device (10), b) charging at least one accumulator (30) of the power supply unit (16) by connecting the power supply unit (16) to an energy source so that the hoop device (10) is charged, c) de-connecting the power supply unit (16) of the hoop device (10) from the energy source, d) operating the hoop device (10), wherein light (22) is emitted by the lighting elements (14) and the at least one accumulator (30) is discharged, wherein steps b) to d) can be repeated.
15. Use of the hoop device (10) according to claim 14 characterized in that the emission of light (22) by the lighting elements (14) is switched on or off by a switch (24).
Description
[0055] The invention will be described by the following figures:
[0056] FIG. 1: View of a preferred embodiment of the invention
[0057] FIG. 2: View of the hoop device (10) emitting laser beams (22) upwards and downwards
[0058] FIG. 3: Schematic view of an exemplary electrical circuit of the invention
[0059] FIG. 4: View of a section of a preferred embodiment of the invention
[0060] FIG. 5: View of a preferred embodiment of the invention
[0061] FIG. 6: Schematic view of the tube (38) forming the tubular main body (12)
[0062] FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the hoop device (10) according to the present invention. The ring-like tubular main body (12) forming the hoop device (10) is shown in which the lighting elements (14) are incorporated. In the preferred embodiment of the invention in FIG. 1, the hoop device (10) comprises 36 lighting elements (14) wherein 18 lighting elements face upwards (14 a) and 18 lighting elements face downward (14 b). In the shown preferred embodiment of the invention, the lighting elements facing upwards (14 a) and the lighting elements facing downwards (14 b) are arranged alternately on the circumference of the tubular main body (12). In the preferred embodiment according to FIG. 1, the angle distance (18) between two adjacent lighting elements (14) is 10. The inner diameter (26) of the tubular main body (12) is illustrated by the arrow with the two tips. In this preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner diameter (26) of the tubular main body (12) is 840 mm. FIG. 1 also shows the power supply unit (16) which is connected by electrical connecting means (28) to a connector device (36) for connecting the power supply unit (16) to an external energy source. Furthermore, the power supply unit (16) is connected by the electrical connecting means (28) to inlet devices (34) for the electrical energy which are incorporated into the tubular main body (12). The electrical connecting means (28) may, for example, be cables.
[0063] The tubular main body (12) is preferably formed from a hollow plastic tube (38). Within the hollow interior of the tubular main body (12), the inlet devices for the electrical energy (34) are connected by electrical connecting means (28) to energy storing means (20). In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, there are three energy storing means (20) which are distributed regularly on the circumference of the tubular main body (12) of the hoop device (10). Preferably, the energy storing means can be formed from accumulators (30) with a voltage U=3.6 V.
[0064] The preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 comprises a switch (24) which is integrated into the tubular main body (12) of the hoop device (10). This switch (24) can preferably be used for switching on or switching off the lighting elements (14) and thus starting and/or stopping the emission of laser light (22) by the lighting elements (14).
[0065] FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the hoop device (10) according to the present invention. The tubular main body (12) is shown comprising a number of lighting elements (14). In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the hoop device (10) comprises 36 lighting elements (14). In the example of the present invention shown in FIG. 2, 18 lighting elements (14 a) emit laser light (22) upwards. In the context of the present invention, this means that the laser light (22) is emitted perpendicularly to a virtual plane (not shown) spanned by the tubular main body (12) of the hoop device (10). The term facing upwards preferably describes a perpendicular relation between the laser light (22) emitted from the lighting elements (14 a) facing upwards to the virtual plane formed from the tubular main body (12), as a right angle (90) is preferably enclosed by the laser beams (22) emitted by the lighting elements (14 a) which face upwards and the virtual plane. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the remaining 18 lighting elements (14 b) emit laser light (22) downwards. These laser beams (22) stand perpendicularly on the virtual plane formed from the tubular main body (12). The laser beams emitted from the lighting elements (14 a) facing upwards and the lighting elements (14 b) facing downwards enclose an angle of 180 with each other and point into opposite directions. It is understood that the hoop device (10) can be turned around so that the lighting elements (14 b) which previously emitted laser light (22) downwards then send out laser light (22) in an upwards direction.
[0066] FIG. 3 shows an electrical circuit of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Shown in FIG. 3 are the lighting elements (14) which are connected by electrical connecting means (28) which may preferably be formed by cables. The exemplary electrical circuit comprises three voltage sources, i.e. energy storing means (20) which are formed in the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3 by accumulators (30) with a voltage of U=3.6 V. FIG. 3 also shows the arrangement of a switch (24) which is integrated into the exemplary electrical circuit. Furthermore, an IR marker (32) is shown in FIG. 3 with R.sub.IR.sub._.sub.LED=100 R.
[0067] FIG. 4 shows a section of a preferred embodiment of the hoop device (10) according to the present invention. FIG. 4 shows a tubular main body (12) comprising a hollow interior. The tubular main body (12) shown in FIG. 4 comprises two lighting elements (14) facing upwards. Additionally, a lighting element (14 b) facing downwards is shown in the middle of FIG. 4. FIG. 4 also shows an energy storing means (20) which may for example be formed from an accumulator (30). The components of the electrical circuit are connected to each other by electrical connecting means (28) which can preferably be formed from cables.
[0068] The section of the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 also comprises a switch (24) for switching on or off the lighting elements (14) which is also integrated into the electrical circuit in the interior of the tubular main body (12) of the hoop device (10) according to the present invention. Furthermore, an inlet device (34) for introducing the electrical energy into the electrical circuit is shown in FIG. 4. The inlet device (34) represents the female connector which may receive a male connector device which than can be connected to the power supply unit (16) by electrical connecting means (28). In FIG. 4, the male connector device is present in the female inlet device (34) which is preferably integrated and part of the tubular main body (12) of the hoop device (10).
[0069] FIG. 5 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention with three accumulators (30) as energy storing means (20). In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the three accumulators (30) are distributed regularly on the circumference of the tubular main body (12) of the hoop device (10). In the context of the present invention, a regular distribution of components preferably means that these components have equal angle distances. In the present example of the invention shown in FIG. 5, the angle distance between the three accumulators is 120. Thus, each accumulator (30) feeds twelve lighting elements (14) with electrical energy. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the lighting elements (14) are formed from laser sources. FIG. 5 also shows an IR marker (32) with R.sub.IR.sub._.sub.LED=100 R.
[0070] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the tube (38) forming the tubular main body (12). The tube (38) has an outer diameter (40) and an inner diameter (42). Central in the tube (38) forming the tubular main body (12) of the hoop device (10) is the hollow interior in which most of the electrical components of the present invention are preferably integrated.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
[0071] 10 hoop device [0072] 12 tubular main body [0073] 14 lighting elements [0074] 14 a lighting elements facing up [0075] 14 b lighting elements facing down [0076] 16 power supply unit [0077] 18 angle distance [0078] 20 energy storing means [0079] 22 laser light [0080] 24 switch [0081] 26 inner diameter of tubular main body (12) [0082] 28 electrical connecting means, for example cables [0083] 30 accumulator with U=3.6 V [0084] 32 IR marker with R.sub.IR.sub._.sub.LED=100 R [0085] 34 inlet device for electrical energy [0086] 36 connector device to external energy source [0087] 38 tube [0088] 40 outer diameter of tube (38) [0089] 42 inner diameter of tube (38)
