Clothing attachable light

• US 20070159809A1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SureFire LLC (Surefire Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: SureFire LLC (Surefire Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Kim, Paul Y., Mitchell, Travis S., Tang, Laichang
• Granted Patent: US 7,549,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/044 Lighting devices, e.g. helmets with lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/08 Devices for easy attachment to any desired place, e.g. clip, clamp, magnet
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/0885 for portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49895 Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]

Abstract

A light adapted for attachment to an article of clothing such as a strap of an assault or MOLLE vest. A preferred light embodiment includes a clip for removable attachment to the strap, and a light body removably securable to a docking base pivotally secured to the clip.

Claims

1. A light comprising:

a mount assembly removably attachable to an article of clothing, said mount assembly including a docking base adapted to lockably engage a light body; and

a light body adapted to lockably engage said docking base, said light body including at least one light source.

2. The light of claim 1, wherein:

said mount assembly includes a clip adapted to be attached to the article of clothing, said docking base secured to said clip.

3. The light of claim 2, wherein:

said docking base is pivotally secured to said clip.

4. The light of claim 1, wherein:

said mount assembly includes a clip removably attachable to the article of clothing and a pivot assembly pivotally securing said docking base to said clip.

5. The light of claim 1, wherein:

said mount assembly includes a pivot assembly adapted to engage said docking base in a selected one of a plurality of alternative fixed orientations with respect to said clip.

6. The light of claim 5, wherein:

said docking base includes at least one arm pivotally engaging said pivot assembly.

7. The light of claim 5, wherein:

said docking base includes at least one ring rotatably cooperating with said pivot assembly.

8. The light of claim 7, wherein:

said pivot assembly includes at least one stationary ring, said at least one stationary ring and said at least one ring of said docking base cooperatively configured for permitting rotation of said at least one ring of said docking base with respect to said at least one stationary ring.

9. The light of claim 7, wherein:

said at least one ring of said docking base includes a plurality of radially spaced ridges and valleys, said pivot assembly includes at least one ring including radially spaced valleys and ridges engaging said ridges and valleys of said at least one ring of said docking base.

10. The light of claim 9, wherein:

said at least one ring of said docking base is biased against said at least one ring of said pivot assembly.

11. The light of claim 10, wherein:

said at least one ring of said docking base is carried by at least one arm included by said docking base and said at least one ring of said pivot assembly is carried by at least one bracket secured to said clip.

12. The light of claim 11, wherein:

said pivot assembly includes a pivot pin pivotally securing said at least one arm to said at least one bracket.

13. The light of claim 2, wherein:

said clip includes at least one pair of legs.

14. The light of claim 13, wherein:

one leg of said at least one pair of legs includes a catch directed toward the other leg of said at least one pair of legs.

15. The light of claim 13, wherein:

an end of one leg of said at least one pair of legs is tapered toward the other leg of said at least one pair of legs.

16. The light of claim 4, wherein:

the article of clothing comprises an assault vest.

17. The light of claim 4, wherein:

the article of clothing comprises a MOLLE vest.

18. The light of claim 4, wherein:

the article of clothing comprises a strap.

19. The light of claim 18, wherein:

said clip includes a pair of legs having a catch on one of said legs for capturing a portion of the strap between said legs of said pair of legs.

20. Light apparatus comprising:

an article of clothing including a strap secured therealong;

a mount assembly including a clip and a docking base pivotally secured to said clip, said clip removably attached to said strap;

a light body including at least one light source; and

a first attachment device carried by said docking base and a second attachment device carried by said light body, said first attachment device and said second attachment device adapted for cooperatively attaching said light body to said mount assembly when said light body is applied to said docking base and displaced in a predetermined direction with respect thereto.

21. The light apparatus of claim 20, wherein:

said article of clothing comprises an assault vest.

22. The light apparatus of claim 20, wherein:

said article of clothing comprises a MOLLE vest.

23. The light apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

one of said first attachment device and said second attachment device includes an actuator for releasing said light body from said mount assembly when actuated and said light body is displaced with respect to said docking base in a direction opposite said predetermined direction.

24. The light apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

one of said first and second attachment devices includes a channel and the other of said first and second attachment devices includes a rail for cooperating with said channel when said light body is applied to said docking base and displaced in said predetermined direction.

25. A method of attaching a light to an article of clothing, comprising:

providing an article of clothing with a strap secured therealong;

providing a mounting assembly including a clip and a docking base;

providing a light body including at least one light source;

placing said article of clothing for being worn by a user with said clip attached to said strap; and

the user grasping the light body with one hand and, in a substantially continuous motion of that one hand,

aligning said light body with said docking base,

sliding said light body onto said docking base, and

releasably locking said light body to said docking base.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

said light body includes a battery housing, and the aligning step includes the user tactually using said battery housing to orient said light body with respect to said docking base.

27. The method of claim 25, further including the steps of:

the user grasping said light body with one hand and, in a substantially continuous motion of that one hand,

unlocking said light body from said docking base, and

sliding said light body off said docking base.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the unlocking and sliding steps are performed without visual reference by the user.

29. A mount assembly for mounting a light body to an article of clothing, comprising:

a clip including at least one pair of legs removably attachable to an article of clothing;

a pivot assembly including two opposed brackets secured to said clip, two fixed adjustment rings respectively in said brackets, and a pivot pin extending between said fixed adjustment rings;

a docking base adapted to lockably engage the light body, said docking base including two opposed arms each including an adjustment ring cooperatively configured to said fixed adjustment rings and pivotally mounted to said pivot pin; and

a spring carried by said pivot pin biasing said arms away from one another.

30. The mount assembly according to claim 29, wherein:

said clip includes two pairs of legs.

31. The mount assembly according to claim 29, wherein:

the article of clothing includes a strap; and

said at least one pair of legs is removably attachable to the strap.

32. The mount assembly according to claim 31, wherein:

the article of clothing comprises an assault vest.

33. The mount assembly according to claim 31, wherein:

the article of clothing comprises a MOLLE vest.