Apparatus for a wearable garment with embedded illumination device

Abstract

An apparatus includes a glove, an illumination assembly partially disposed in a finger portion of the glove, and an actuator removably disposed in a portion of the glove. A housing of the illumination assembly includes a flange with a portion disposed in a region of the glove between the finger portion and a thumb portion and a mounting portion at least partially disposed within an aperture defined by the finger portion and coupled to an illumination member of the illumination assembly. The flange coupling the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture and to space the illumination member a non-zero distance from an exterior surface of the glove. The actuator transitionable between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a glove configured to be worn about a hand of a user, the glove including a finger portion and a thumb portion, the finger portion defining an aperture;   an illumination assembly partially disposed in the finger portion of the glove, the illumination assembly including an illumination member and a housing having a mounting portion coupled to the illumination member, the mounting portion at least partially disposed within the aperture such that the illumination member is spaced apart a non-zero distance from an exterior surface of the glove, the housing including a flange disposed within the glove and including a portion disposed in a region between the finger portion and the thumb portion, the flange coupling the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture; and   an actuator removably disposed in a portion of the glove and operably coupled to the illumination assembly, the actuator configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion defines a cavity, at least a portion of the illumination member being disposed in the cavity, at least a portion of the actuator being disposed in the cavity and coupled to the illumination member. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion defines a cavity, the cavity defining a longitudinal axis that forms an angle with a plane defined by a surface of the flange, the angle being less than about 90°. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between the illumination member and the exterior surface of the glove is a first distance, the mounting portion including a first end and a second end, the second end being coupled to the illumination member,
 the first end disposed a second distance from a surface of the flange, the second distance being less than the first distance, the second end disposed a third distance from the surface of the flange, the third distance being greater than the first distance.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the glove defines a resealable pocket, at least a portion of the actuator being removably disposed in the resealable pocket. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the finger portion of the glove includes a knuckle region, at least a portion of the illumination assembly being disposed in a distal position relative to the knuckle region. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the glove includes an inner layer having an external surface and an internal surface, and an outer layer having an external surface and an internal surface, at least a portion of the illumination assembly and at least a portion of the actuator being disposed between the internal surface of the outer layer and the internal surface of the inner layer, the external surface of the outer layer forming an external surface of the glove. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the finger portion of the glove is substantially symmetric about a first plane and the mounting portion of the housing is substantially symmetric about a second plane, the housing being coupled to the glove such that the first plane and the second plane are substantially coplanar. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a glove configured to be worn about a hand of a user, the glove including a finger portion and a thumb portion, the finger portion defining an aperture;   an illumination assembly partially disposed in the finger portion of the glove, the illumination assembly including an illumination member and a housing having a flange disposed in the glove and a mounting portion disposed in the aperture, a portion of the flange disposed in a region of the glove between the finger portion and the thumb portion, the flange coupling the housing to the glove, the mounting portion defining a cavity, at least a portion of the illumination member being disposed in the cavity to couple the illumination member to the mounting portion, the cavity having a longitudinal axis that forms an angle with a plane defined by a surface of the flange, the angle being less than about 90°; and   an actuator removably disposed in the glove, the actuator including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being disposed in the cavity defined by the mounting portion and operably coupled to the illumination member, the second portion of the actuator configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member, via the first portion.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the flange couples the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the angle is between about 15° and about 35°. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the angle is about 26°. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first portion of the actuator forms a set of conductive wires, the second portion of the actuator being physically and electrically coupled to a first end portion of the set of conductive wires, the illumination member being physically and electrically coupled to a second end portion of the set of conductive wires, the actuator including a power source,   the second portion of the actuator closing an electric circuit when in the second configuration, the power source delivering electric power to the illumination member via the set of conductive wires when the electric circuit is closed.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the housing is monolithically formed. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the mounting portion of the housing includes a first end disposed a first distance from the plane defined by the surface of the flange and a second end disposed a second distance from the plane, the second distance being greater than the first distance, the angle formed between the longitudinal axis of the cavity and the plane being defined by a difference between the first distance and the second distance, the illumination member being coupled to the second end. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a glove;   a housing partially disposed in a finger portion of the glove, the housing having a monolithic construction including a flange disposed in the glove and a mounting portion disposed, at least in part, within an aperture defined by the finger portion, the flange coupling the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture, the mounting portion defining a cavity having a longitudinal axis that forms an angle with a plane defined by a surface of the flange, the angle being less than about 90°;   an illumination member coupled to the mounting portion of the housing and having a first electric power state and a second electric power state, at least a portion of the illumination member being disposed in the cavity defined by the mounting portion; and   an actuator disposed in the glove, the actuator including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being disposed in the cavity defined by the mounting portion and operably coupled to the illumination member, the second portion of the actuator configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which the illumination member is in the first electric power state and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member, via the first portion, to transition the illumination member to the second electric power state.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the flange defines an opening, the actuator being partially disposed within the opening to dispose the first portion in the cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein a first portion of the flange is disposed in the finger portion and a second portion of the flange is disposed within a portion of the glove substantially outside of the finger portion. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein substantially the entire flange is disposed in the finger portion of the glove. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the first portion of the actuator includes a set of conductive wires at least partially disposed in the cavity and electrically coupled to the illumination member,
 the second portion of the actuator includes a switch, the switch configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which the electric power is delivered to the illumination member via the first portion.