Illuminated cane

Abstract

An illuminated cane, having a shaft arranged between a handle and lower end cap, the shaft may be solid or tubular formed, having a light source provided therein, and which light source may be permanently illuminated, by depressing of a button, or ignition switch, to illuminate the light and light the entire height of the shaft for the cane, or the light may be turned on either by depressing a switch in the vicinity of the hand grip or actuating a push button at the bottom of the cane, as when the cane is rested upon the surface of the ground. Or, a flasher may be included within the structure of the light source, which may include a battery, spring, ignition switch, or even a flasher, to provide for either permanent, temporary, or blinking lighting, along the height of the cane shaft.

1 . An illuminated cane including a shaft portion that extends a sufficient heighth to allow for support for its user, said shaft being at least in part formed of a transparent material, the upper end of the shaft having a handle portion, the bottom end of the shaft having a lower end, and illuminating means including a light means provided within the transparent shaft, which when illuminated, provides for lighting of the cane to provide for cautioning to those in the surrounding area the presence of an invalid, aged, or handicapped person.  
     
     
         2 . The illuminated cane of  claim 1  wherein the shaft is formed of fluted material to provide for enhanced reflection of light.  
     
     
         3 . The illuminated cane of  claim 1  wherein a switch is provided in the handle, and which when initiated, provides for illumination of the light means within the cane.  
     
     
         4 . The illuminated cane of  claim 3  and including battery means, which when contacted, provides for illumination of the cane light means.  
     
     
         5 . The illuminated cane of  claim 1  wherein a lower cap provided upon the lower end of the cane, said lower cap is shiftable relative to the shaft upon which it mounts, the lower cap having switch means provided therein, which when contacted, provides for energization and lighting of the lighting means.  
     
     
         6 . The illuminated cane of  claim 2  wherein the flutes provided upon the transparent shaft is etched therein.  
     
     
         7 . The illuminated cane of  claim 6  wherein the etching extends the full heighth of the transparent shaft.  
     
     
         8 . The illuminated cane of  claim 5  wherein the lower cap includes a spring, said spring normally biasing said light into a non-illuminated condition, and when the illuminated cane is pressured upon the ground, against the bias of the spring, the battery energizes the light for illumination.  
     
     
         9 . The illuminated cane of  claim 1  wherein the handle is threadedly engaged by means of a metal band to the cane shaft.  
     
     
         10 . The illuminated cane of  claim 5 , and including a push button provided extending from the lower cap of the cane, the push button normally biasing against the spring, to provide for contact of the battery means with the light to furnish its illumination, whereby upon raising of the cane off of the ground, the spring breaks contact with the battery and deenergizes the light into non-illumination.  
     
     
         11 . The illuminated cane of  claim 6 , wherein the etching is arranged horizontally upon the transparent shaft.  
     
     
         12 . The illuminated cane of  claim 6 , wherein the etching is provided spirally upon the transparent shaft.