1. A customizable writing instrument comprising:
a writing element;
a hollow container that forms the body of the writing instrument substantially enclosing said writing element;
at least one decorative element; and
means for connecting said decorative element to said writing element and means for aligning said decorative element with respect to said hollow container.
2. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein said writing element comprises a tube that includes a marking means such as ink, highlighter fluid, pencil lead, or crayon, and is attached to a conical cap, with a narrow end of said cap having a hole that allows for a component to extend out that transfers said marking means onto a medium, and the wide end of the cap having the capability to attach to said body.
3. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein said body comprises a transparent, elongated hollow barrel-style body.
4. The writing instrument of claim 1, further comprising at least one opening on said body to permit removal of said writing element and allow for insertion of said decorative element into said body of said writing instrument.
5. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein said decorative element comprises of beads that include a central opening.
6. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein said means for connecting said decorative item to said writing element consists of a central opening in said decorative item disposed such that said writing element passes through said central opening resulting in said decorative items being placed in a stacked arrangement substantially parallel to a length of said writing element.
7. The writing instrument of claim 1 wherein said means for aligning provides for fixing the alignment of the decorative elements against axial rotation, such that a desired face of said decorative element can be displayed at a desired orientation within said body of the writing instrument.
8. The writing instrument of claim 1, further comprising a means for fixing the decorative items’ alignment against rotation within the writing instrument, comprising:
An extruded tongue on the inside surface of the body wall; and
A groove on the decorative item that is substantially congruent to the tongue on the inside surface of the body that will allow the decorative item to slide substantially parallel to the central axis created by the writing surface, but prevent axial rotation around the writing element such that the decorative item’s alignment will be secured as viewed through the body wall.
9. The writing instrument of claim 1, further comprising a means for fixing the decorative item’s alignment against rotation within the writing instrument, comprising:
A groove on the inside surface of the body wall; and
An extruded tongue on the decorative item that is substantially congruent to the groove on the inside surface of the body that will allow the decorative item to slide substantially parallel to the central axis created by the writing surface, but prevent axial rotation around the writing element such that the decorative items’ alignment will be secured as viewed through the body wall.
10. A customizable writing instrument comprising:
a writing element;
a hollow container that forms the body of the writing instrument substantially enclosing said writing element;
a plurality of beads disposed over said writing element and within said body; and
tongue and groove means for aligning said decorative element with respect to said body.
11. The writing instrument of claim 10, wherein said writing element comprises a tube that includes a marking means such as ink, highlighter fluid, pencil lead, or crayon, and is attached to a conical cap, with a narrow end of said cap having a hole that allows for a component to extend out that transfers said marking means onto a medium, and the wide end of the cap having the capability to attach to said body.
12. A customizable writing instrument comprising:
a transparent, elongated hollow barrel-style body including an opening in at least one end and a raised extrusion on an inner surface of said body;
a writing element disposed within said body;
a plurality of beads located within said body,
wherein said beads include a central opening and are disposed such that said writing element passes through said central opening resulting in said beads being placed in a stacked arrangement substantially parallel to a length of said writing element; and further wherein a side of each of said beads includes at least one groove that is adapted to mate with said raised extrusion in order to hinder rotation of said bead around said writing element
wherein said body is sized such that an outer edge of said beads are substantially flush with an inner surface of said body and has sufficient space to contain simultaneously both a writing element and said beads.
13. The writing instrument of claim 12, wherein said writing element comprises a tube that includes a marking means such as ink, highlighter fluid, pencil lead, or crayon, and is attached to a conical cap, with a narrow end of said cap having a hole that allows for a component to extend out that transfers said marking means onto a medium, and the wide end of the cap having the capability to attach to said body.
14. The writing instrument of claim 12, further comprising a gripping surface on the outside of said body to enhance grip while utilizing the writing instrument.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An LED-based light assembly, comprising:
a plurality of LEDs;
an elongate housing for the LEDs, the housing having an outer surface at least partially defined by a first lens;
a second lens, the second lens removably attachable to the outer surface of the housing such that at least a portion of the second lens overlays the first lens in a spaced relationship; and
at least one connector arranged at an end of the housing, the connector configured for engagement with a socket of a fluorescent light fixture.
2. The LED-based light assembly of claim 1, wherein the second lens has an open cross sectional profile and is resiliently flexible, such that the second lens is configured to be manually forced to an open position for arrangement around the outer surface of the housing, and to be released for attachment to the outer surface of the housing.
3. The LED-based light assembly of claim 2, wherein the second lens has an interior surface and includes at least one tab projecting radially inwardly from the interior surface, with the tab defining a point of attachment to the outer surface of the housing when the second lens is released.
4. The LED-based light assembly of claim 3, wherein:
the housing defines a groove at the outer surface, the groove bordered by an edge,
the second lens includes a pair of spaced tabs projecting radially inwardly from the interior surface, and
the second lens is configured to be released for attachment to the outer surface of the housing in a first attachment position, where the pair of spaced tabs is positioned in the groove, and to be released for attachment to the outer surface of the housing in a second attachment position, where the pair of spaced tabs is positioned on both sides of the edge.
5. The LED-based light assembly of claim 4, wherein the portion of the second lens for overlaying the first lens is further spaced from the first lens with the second lens released for attachment to the outer surface of the housing in the second attachment position compared to when the second lens is released for attachment to the outer surface of the housing in the first attachment position.
6. The LED-based light assembly of claim 1, wherein the second lens is removably attachable to the outer surface of the housing by a friction fit, without using fasteners or adhesives.
7. The LED-based light assembly of claim 1, wherein the portion of the second lens for overlaying the first lens is translucent.
8. The LED-based light assembly of claim 1, wherein the portion of the second lens for overlaying the first lens includes light diffusing ridges.
9. The LED-based light assembly of claim 1, wherein the portion of the second lens for overlaying the first lens includes a reflector.
10. A method of modifying the light diffusion characteristics of an LED-based light with a plurality of LEDs, an elongate housing for the LEDs having an outer surface at least partially defined by a first lens, and at least one connector arranged at an end of the housing configured for engagement with a socket of a fluorescent light fixture, the method comprising:
removably attaching a second lens to the outer surface of the housing, such that at least a portion of the second lens overlays the first lens in a spaced relationship.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
removing the second lens from the outer surface of the housing; and
removably attaching a third lens to the outer surface of the housing, such that at least a portion of the third lens overlays the first lens in a spaced relationship.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second lens has an open cross sectional profile and is resiliently flexible, further comprising:
forcing the second lens to an open position;
with the second lens in an open position, arranging the second lens at least partially around the outer surface of the housing; and
with the second lens arranged at least partially around the outer surface of the housing, releasing the second lens for attachment to the outer surface of the housing.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second lens has an interior surface and includes at least one tab projecting radially inwardly from the interior surface, further comprising:
arranging the second lens at least partially around the outer surface of the housing, with the at least one tab facing the outer surface of the housing; and
with the second lens arranged at least partially around the outer surface of the housing and the at least one tab facing the outer surface of the housing, releasing the second lens for attachment to the outer surface of the housing, wherein the at least one tab securely engages the outer surface of the housing.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the housing defines a groove at the outer surface bordered by an edge, the second lens has an open cross sectional profile and is resiliently flexible, and the second lens includes a pair of spaced tabs projecting radially inwardly from the interior surface, further comprising:
forcing the second lens to an open position;
with the second lens in an open position, arranging the second lens at least partially around the outer surface of the housing; and
with the second lens arranged at least partially around the outer surface of the housing, releasing the second lens for attachment to the outer surface of the housing in a first attachment position, where the pair of spaced tabs is positioned in the groove.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:
forcing the second lens from the first attachment position to an open position;
with the second lens in an open position, rearranging the second lens at least partially around the outer surface of the housing; and
with the second lens rearranged at least partially around the outer surface of the housing, releasing the second lens for attachment to the outer surface of the housing in a second attachment position, where the pair of spaced tabs is positioned on both sides of the edge.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the portion of the second lens overlaying the first lens is further spaced from the first lens with the second lens released for attachment to the outer surface of the housing in the second attachment position compared to when the second lens is released for attachment to the outer surface of the housing in the first attachment position.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein the removable attachment of the second lens to the outer surface of the housing is by a friction fit, without using fasteners or adhesives.
18. An LED-based light assembly, comprising:
a plurality of LEDs;
an elongate housing for the LEDs, the housing having an outer surface at least partially defined by a first lens and defining a first groove on a first side of the lens and a second groove on an opposing side of the lens, with the first groove bordered by a first edge of the outer surface and the second groove bordered by a second edge of the outer surface;
a second lens, the second lens having two opposing end portions and an interior surface extending between the two end portions, with first and second opposing pairs of spaced tabs projecting radially inwardly from the interior surface, wherein the second lens is resiliently flexible such that the second lens is configured to be arranged around the outer surface of the housing in at least one of:
a first attachment position, where the first pair of spaced tabs is positioned in the first groove, the second pair of spaced tabs is positioned in the second groove, and at least a portion of the second lens overlays the first lens in a first spaced relationship, or
a second attachment position, the first pair of spaced tabs is positioned on both sides of the first edge, the second pair of spaced tabs is positioned on both sides of the second edge, and at least a portion of the second lens overlays the first lens in a second spaced relationship different from the first spaced relationship; and
at least one connector arranged at an end of the housing, the connector configured for engagement with a socket of a fluorescent light fixture.
19. The LED-based light assembly of claim 18, wherein the second lens is removably attachable to the outer surface of the housing by a friction fit in either the first attachment position or the second attachment position, without using fasteners or adhesives.