Flashlight

• US 20070133197A1
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wen-Chin Shiau
• Original Assignee: Wen-Chin Shiau
• Inventors: Shiau, Wen-Chin
• Granted Patent: US 7,367,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/157
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/027 the light sources being a LED
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/767 the planes containing the fins or blades having directions perpendicular to the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A flashlight includes a battery housing, a lamp seat, a lamp unit, a heat-conductive casing, and a heat-dissipating plate. The lamp seat is mounted on one end of the battery housing. The lamp unit includes a substrate having a first side provided with a metal layer, and an LED lamp mounted on a second side of the substrate opposite to the metal layer. The heat-conductive casing is attached to the battery housing, and is disposed around the lamp seat and the lamp unit. The heat-dissipating plate is sandwiched between the lamp seat and the metal layer of the substrate, and is in contact with the heat-conductive casing. Heat generated by the lamp unit is dissipated via the metal layer, the heat-dissipating plate, and the heat-conductive casing.

Claims

1. A flashlight comprising:

a battery housing;

a lamp seat mounted on one end of said battery housing;

a lamp unit including a substrate having a first side provided with a metal layer, and an LED lamp mounted on a second side of said substrate opposite to said metal layer;

a heat-conductive casing attached to said one end of said battery housing and disposed around said lamp seat and said lamp unit; and

a heat-dissipating plate sandwiched between said lamp seat and said metal layer of said substrate, and in contact with said heat-conductive casing, wherein heat generated by said lamp unit is dissipated via said metal layer, said heat-dissipating plate, and said heat-conductive casing.

2. The flashlight as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat-dissipating plate includes a central part, and a plurality of fins extending outwardly and radially from said central part and contacting an inner surface of said heat-conductive casing.

3. The flashlight as claimed in claim 2, wherein said substrate of said lamp unit further has an outer periphery formed with a plurality of angularly spaced apart notches, said heat-dissipating plate further including at least two anchoring fingers each extending radially and outwardly from said central part between two adjacent ones of said fins, each of said anchoring fingers being folded backward and extending to said second side of said substrate through one of said notches.

4. The flashlight as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a protective cover having a cover wall disposed inside said heat-conductive casing, said cover wall surrounding said lamp unit, said heat-dissipating plate, and said lamp seat, said fins penetrating said cover wall and having bent end parts that extend axially and outwardly of said cover wall and that are sandwiched between said cover wall and said heat-conductive casing.

5. The flashlight as claimed in claim 4, wherein said protective cover has two cover components which cooperate with each other to form said cover wall and each of which has apertures for outward extension of said bent end parts of said fins.

6. The flashlight as claimed in claim 3, wherein said substrate further includes first and second electrodes, said lamp seat including a support base in contact with said heat-dissipating plate, a lamp seat central hole formed in said support base, a lamp seat inner tubular wall extending from said lamp seat central hole in a direction away from said heat-dissipating plate, a lamp seat outer tubular wall extending laterally from said support base around said lamp seat inner tubular wall, a first groove extending axially in said lamp seat outer tubular wall, a second groove extending radially in said support base and connected to said lamp seat central hole, a first conductor connected to said first electrode and extending into said first groove, and a second conductor connected to said second electrode and extending into said second groove.

7. The flashlight as claimed in claim 6, wherein said one end of said battery housing has a housing wall formed with an external screw thread, said heat-conductive casing being sleeved around said housing wall and engaged threadedly with said external screw thread, said lamp seat outer tubular wall being inserted into said housing wall.