Illuminated mouth and tongue stud

Abstract

The present invention discloses a hollow tongue and mouth stud that includes an electrical circuit. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electrical circuit is an illumination circuit including a power source, an electrical sub-circuit electrically connected to the power source, and a light source such as an LED electrically connected to the electrical circuit. In one embodiment, the electrical circuit operates to power the light source in a constant fashion. In another embodiment, the electrical sub-circuit is a flasher circuit so that the electrical circuit operates to power the light source in an intermitent flashing manner.

The invention claimed is:  
     
         1 . A mouth and tongue stud comprising: 
 a bar;    a first end piece connected to one end of the bar;    a second end piece connected to an other end of the bar; and    an electrical circuit housed by the mouth and tongue stud.    
     
     
         2 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the electrical circuit includes a power source, an electrical sub-circuit electrically connected to the power source, and a first light source electrically connected to the electrical sub-circuit.  
     
     
         3 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the power source is housed within the second end piece, the first light source is housed within the first end piece, and the bar provides an electrical connection between the power source and the first light source.  
     
     
         4 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the second ball houses the power source in a cavity, and a flexible conducting diaphram electrically connects the power source to the bar and provides a seal to protect the power source from saliva.  
     
     
         5 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the electrical sub-circuit is a flasher circuit that operates to intermittantly flash the first light source when electrically connected to the power source.  
     
     
         6 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the electrical sub-circuit is a circuit that operates to constantly light the first light source when electrically connected to the power source.  
     
     
         7 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the electrical circuit includes a second light source electrically connected to the electrical sub-circuit and the electrical sub-circuit is a flasher circuit that operates to intermittantly flash both the first light source and the second light source when electrically connected to the power source.  
     
     
         8 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first light source is an LED.  
     
     
         9 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the first light source is a first color generating LED and the second light source is a second color generating LED.  
     
     
         10 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the first color generating LED generates light of a different color from the light generated by the second color generating LED.  
     
     
         11 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first end piece includes a transparent portion and contains the first light source so that light from the first light source is transmitted through the transparent portion when the first light source is lit.  
     
     
         12 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 1 , wherein either the first end piece or the second end piece are spherical in shape.  
     
     
         13 . A mouth and tongue stud as recited in  claim 1 , wherein either the first end piece or the second end piece are non-sphereical in shape.  
     
     
         14 . A mouth and tongue stud including a hollow portion, the mouth and tongue stud comprising: 
 a bar having male threads at each end;    a first end piece having female threads for engaging the male threads of one end of the bar;    a second end piece having female threads for engaging the male threads of the other end of the bar; and    an electrical circuit contained within the hollow portion of the mouth and tongue stud.    
     
     
         15 . An illuminated mouth and tongue stud comprising: 
 a bar;    a first end piece connected to one end of the bar;    a second end piece connected to an other end of the bar; and    an electrical circuit housed by the mouth and tongue stud, wherein the electrical circuit comprises a power source, an electrical sub-circuit electrically connected to the power source, and at least one light source electrically connected to and operated by the electrical sub-circuit.