Illuminated throwing toy

Abstract

An illuminated throwing toy is provided which is adapted to be thrown by a user for a flight through the air. The toy includes a hollow, inflatable, football-shaped head portion made of a flexible, translucent material, that is centered about a longitudinal axis, an elongate tail portion with fins that extend axially rearward from the head portion along the longitudinal axis, and a coupling, which interconnects the head and tail portions and allows the portions to be movable relative to each other, particularly to be rotatably movable about the longitudinal axis. The tail portion has a front section that is permanently affixed to rear of the football-shaped head portion and a rear section that comprises fins. The front section is permanently attached to the rear of the head portion and the rear section is removably attached to the front section. The front section of the tail portion comprises a light emitting diode (LED), batteries, a circuit for lighting the LED, and a switch for energizing the circuit with the batteries. The circuit has an off state, a first state in which it causes the LED to be continuously lit, and a second state in which it causes the LED to be periodically lit in a pulsed manne. The LED is in contact with the rear of the football-shaped head portion and when the LED is lit the translucent material from which the head portion is made conducts the light generated by the LED and appears to glow, causing the throwing toy to be visible under low light conditions.

1 . A toy comprising: 
 a ball; and    a light source external to the ball, the light source being energized to illuminate the ball.    
     
     
         2 . The invention in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising a tail portion that is attached to the outside of the ball and the light source is in the tail portion adjacent to the surface of the ball.  
     
     
         3 . The invention in accordance with  claim 2  wherein the ball is made of a translucent material, and light from the energized light source travels through the translucent material thereby causing the ball to be illuminated.  
     
     
         4 . The invention in accordance with  claim 3  further comprising a switch that is operable to energize the light source.  
     
     
         5 . The invention in accordance with  claim 4  wherein the switch is operable to cause the light source be extinguished, to emit light continuously, or to emit light in a pulsed manner.  
     
     
         6 . The invention in accordance with  claim 5  wherein the ball is football shaped and the tail portion is attached to one end of the football.  
     
     
         7 . The invention in accordance with  claim 3  wherein the ball is hollow and is inflatable.  
     
     
         8 . The invention in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising a switch that is operable to energize the light source.  
     
     
         9 . The invention in accordance with  claim 8  wherein the switch is operable to cause the light source be extinguished, to emit light continuously, or to emit light in a pulsed manner.  
     
     
         10 . The invention in accordance with  claim 9  wherein the ball is football shaped and the tail portion is attached to one end of the football.  
     
     
         11 . The invention in accordance with  claim 10  wherein the ball is made of a translucent material, and light from the energized light source travels through the translucent material thereby causing the ball to be illuminated.  
     
     
         12 . The invention in accordance with  claim 11  wherein the ball is hollow and is inflatable.  
     
     
         13 . The invention in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the ball is hollow and is made of a translucent material, and light from the energized light source travels through the translucent material thereby causing the ball to be illuminated.  
     
     
         14 . The invention in accordance with  claim 13  further comprising a switch that is operable to energize the light source.  
     
     
         15 . The invention in accordance with  claim 14  wherein the switch is operable to cause the light source be extinguished, to emit light continuously, or to emit light in a pulsed manner.  
     
     
         16 . The invention in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the ball is hollow and is inflatable.  
     
     
         17 . The invention in accordance with  claim 16  further comprising a tail portion that is attached to the outside of the ball and the light source is in the tail portion adjacent to the surface of the ball.  
     
     
         18 . The invention in accordance with  claim 17  wherein the ball is made of a translucent material, and light from the energized light source travels through the translucent material thereby causing the ball to be illuminated.  
     
     
         19 . The invention in accordance with  claim 18  further comprising a switch that is operable to energize the light source.  
     
     
         20 . The invention in accordance with  claim 19  wherein the switch is operable to cause the light source be extinguished, to emit light continuously, or to emit light in a pulsed manner.  
     
     
         21 . A toy comprising: 
 a hollow, inflatable ball; and    a tail portion that is attached to the outside of the ball.