Saber Apparatus With Deployable, Illuminated Blade

Abstract

A saber apparatus comprises a hilt assembly having a hilt body and a drive assembly. The saber apparatus further comprises a blade member connected to the drive assembly to selectively deploy and retract the blade member. The blade member is deployed in an arc shape and is stored in a flat shape wound up in a reel form within the hilt body. The drive assembly operates to deploy the blade member outward from the hilt body and retract the blade member into the hilt body. The blade member comprises a blade cap at a distal end of the blade member, and the hilt assembly comprises a light source within the hilt body. The light from the light source is directed through a lens axially outward towards the blade cap at the distal end of the blade member.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A saber apparatus, comprising:
 a hilt assembly comprising a hilt body, wherein the hilt body comprises a drive assembly; and   a blade member operatively connected to the drive assembly to selectively deploy and retract the blade member, wherein the blade member is flexible and is deployed in an arc shape, and wherein the blade member is stored in a flat shape wound up in a reel form on a spool gear, within the hilt body,   wherein the drive assembly operates in a first operating state to deploy the blade member outward from an opening in the hilt body and in a second operating state to retract the blade member into the hilt body through the opening in the hilt body,   wherein the blade member comprises a blade cap at a distal end of the blade member, and   wherein the hilt assembly comprises at least one light source within the hilt body, wherein light from the light source is directed through at least one lens axially outward towards the blade cap at the distal end of the blade member.   
     
     
         2 . The saber apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the blade member is tapered at proximal end, and wherein the blade member comprises a hole at the proximal end to attach the blade member to a shaft of the spool gear using a blade retention bolt passing through the hole at the proximal end of the blade member to the shaft of the spool gear. 
     
     
         3 . The saber apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the blade member is a single blade member, and wherein the arc of the blade member is of 270 degrees and wherein longitudinally opposing edges of the blade member has a gap of 90 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The saber apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the blade cap comprises a circular cross-section in a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the blade member, and wherein the blade cap at the distal end of the blade member comprises a reflective mirror having a hole in center to allow the light from the light source to pass through and illuminate the blade cap. 
     
     
         5 . The saber apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hilt assembly comprises a limit switch within the hilt body, and wherein the limit switch stops the drive assembly when the blade cap hits the limit switch during the retention of the blade member to complete the retention. 
     
     
         6 . The saber apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hilt assembly comprises a limit sensor within the hilt body, and wherein the limit sensor stops the drive assembly to complete deployment of the blade member. 
     
     
         7 . The saber apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hilt assembly comprises a cooling fan within the hilt body for cooling down the light source. 
     
     
         8 . The saber apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hilt assembly comprises a removable twist-lock hilt cap at top end of the hilt body. 
     
     
         9 . The saber apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hilt assembly comprises a removeable sleeve that covers the removeable twist-lock hilt cap at the top end of the hilt body, and wherein the removable sleeve allows for customization of the hilt assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The saber apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hilt assembly comprises the spool gear within the hilt body, wherein the spool gear comprises the shaft extending from one side of the spool gear, wherein the shaft of the spool gear comprises a retention slot that receives the proximal end of the blade member and retain the blade member using the blade retention bolt and a captive nut inside the shaft of the spool gear. 
     
     
         11 . The saber apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly comprises a motor gear attached to a motor, a transfer gear and the spool gear, wherein the motor gear is connected to the transfer gear at one end of the transfer gear and the transfer gear is connected to the spool gear from other end, and wherein the connection between the motor gear and the transfer gear changes orientation of force produced by the motor gear by 90 degrees. 
     
     
         12 . A laser sword system, comprising:
 a hilt assembly comprising a hilt body, wherein the hilt assembly comprises a drive assembly; and   a single blade member operatively connected to the drive assembly,   wherein the drive assembly comprises a motor gear attached to a motor, a transfer gear and a spool gear, wherein the drive assembly operates in a first operating state to selectively deploy the blade member outward from an opening in the hilt body and in a second operating state to selectively retract the blade member into the hilt body through the opening in the hilt body,   wherein the blade member is flexible and is deployed in an arc shape, and wherein the blade member is stored in a flat shape wound up in a reel form on the spool gear, within the hilt body,   wherein the blade member comprises a blade cap at a distal end of the blade member, and wherein the blade cap comprises a reflective mirror having a hole in center,   wherein the hilt assembly comprises a single LED light source within the hilt body, wherein light from the light source is directed through a single lens axially outward towards the blade cap at the distal end of the blade member to light up the blade cap and the blade member, and wherein the reflective mirror of the blade cap having the hole in the center allows the light from the light source to pass through;   wherein the blade member has a proximal end attached to a shaft of the spool gear; and   wherein the blade member and the spool gear are configured to permit user detachment of the blade member from the shaft of the spool gear.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , comprising a set of the blade members, each of the blade members being user attachable and detachable from the spool gear. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the hilt assembly comprises a limit switch within the hilt body, and wherein the limit switch stops the drive assembly when the blade cap hits the limit switch during the retention of the blade member to complete the retention. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the hilt assembly comprises a limit sensor within the hilt body, and wherein the limit sensor stops the drive assembly to complete deployment of the blade member. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the hilt assembly comprises a removable twist-lock hilt cap at a top end of the hilt body. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the hilt assembly comprises a removeable sleeve that covers the removeable twist-lock hilt cap at the top end of the hilt body, and wherein the removable sleeve allows for customization of the hilt assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the hilt assembly comprises a spool gear within the hilt body, wherein the spool gear comprises the shaft extending from one side of the spool gear, wherein the shaft of the spool gear comprises a retention slot that receives the proximal end of the blade member and retain the blade member using the blade retention bolt and a captive nut inside the shaft of the spool gear. 
     
     
         19 . A method of operating a saber apparatus with an illuminated blade member, the method comprising:
 operatively connecting a blade member with a drive assembly;   selectively deploying and retracting the blade member by operating the drive assembly in a first operating state to deploy the blade member outward from an opening in a hilt body and in a second operating state to retract the blade member into the hilt body through the opening in the hilt body, wherein the blade member is deployed in an arc shape;   storing the blade member in a flat shape wound up in a reel form on a spool gear, within the hilt body, and   directing a light from a light source through at least one lens axially outward towards a blade cap at a distal end of the blade member.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of stopping the drive assembly when a blade cap hits a limit switch during the deployment of the blade member to complete the deployment thereof.