Brightness controllable flashlights
First Claim
1. In a flashlight, the combination comprising:
- a battery;
a switch having an OFF position not connected to said battery, a first ON position connected to said battery, and a second ON position connected to said battery;
an electrical component in circuit with said battery when said switch is in said first ON position and not in circuit with said battery when said switch is in said second ON position;
a light emitter assembly; and
a controller in circuit with said battery, said switch and said light emitter assembly, for detecting whether or not said electrical component is in circuit with said battery when said switch is in either one of said first ON position and said second ON position, and for controlling electrical power to said light emitter assembly for producing a first light output when said electrical component is detected and for producing a second light output when said electrical component is not detected.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Flashlights having selectively controllable brightness levels, preferred embodiments of which comprise in combination: a battery; a switch having an OFF position not connected to the battery, a first ON position connected to the battery, and a second ON position connected to the battery; an electrical component (such as a resistor or an inductor) in circuit with the battery when the switch is in its first ON position and not in circuit with the battery when the switch is in its second ON position; a light emitter assembly; and a controller in circuit with the battery, the switch and the light emitter assembly, for detecting whether or not the electrical component is in circuit with the battery when the switch is in either one of its first ON position and its second ON position, and for controlling electrical power to the light emitter assembly for producing a first light output when the electrical component is detected and for producing a second light output when the electrical component is not detected.
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Citations
97 Claims
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1. In a flashlight, the combination comprising:
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a battery;
a switch having an OFF position not connected to said battery, a first ON position connected to said battery, and a second ON position connected to said battery;
an electrical component in circuit with said battery when said switch is in said first ON position and not in circuit with said battery when said switch is in said second ON position;
a light emitter assembly; and
a controller in circuit with said battery, said switch and said light emitter assembly, for detecting whether or not said electrical component is in circuit with said battery when said switch is in either one of said first ON position and said second ON position, and for controlling electrical power to said light emitter assembly for producing a first light output when said electrical component is detected and for producing a second light output when said electrical component is not detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
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88. In a flashlight, the combination comprising:
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a battery;
a switch having an OFF position not connected to said battery, a first ON position connected to said battery, and a second ON position connected to said battery;
a light emitter assembly;
a controller in circuit with said battery, said switch and said light emitter assembly, said controller controlling electrical power to said light emitter assembly for producing a first light output when said switch is in said first ON position and for producing a second light output when said switch is in said second ON position; and
a switch actuator coupled to said switch and translatable by a first distance placing said switch in said first ON position and translatable by a second distance placing said switch in said second ON position. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91)
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92. A method of indicating near exhaustion of a battery in a flashlight including a light emitter, comprising:
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regulating power from the battery to the light emitter for providing constant brightness of light output over time;
detecting near exhaustion of the battery; and
abruptly reducing power to the light emitter for providing an abrupt decrease in light output when near exhaustion of the battery is detected. - View Dependent Claims (93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
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Specification