POWER SENSING IN A FLASHLIGHT

• US 20080013308A1
• Filed: 06/22/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pelican Products Incorporated (Pelican Products Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pelican Products Incorporated (Pelican Products Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ali, Shahid, Lee, Kiem T., Kang, Sukwon Greg
• Granted Patent: US 7,503,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/205
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/027 the light sources being a LED
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/085 Pocket lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0421 the switch being part of, or disposed on the tail cap portion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A flashlight includes a battery and a circuit for operation to signal to a user that the battery voltage is at selected voltage or power level. There can be two switches each being for operating a light emitting source of the flashlight. The switches are linked 3-way switches and have momentary-on functionality. An enlarged head is located above the barrel and there is the intermediate portion between the head and the barrel. The intermediate portion receives part of the first switch. The second switch is located in part of the tail cap of the flashlight.

Claims

1. A flashlight comprising:

a body for receiving a battery, the body having a longitudinal axis and a top and a base;

a head on the body having a reflector and a light emitting source;

contacts below the head for making connection with contacts on a recharger device;

a circuit for operation to signal to a user that the battery voltage is at selected voltage or power level; and

at least one switch, the switch acting relative to the body to open and close an electric circuit between the battery and the light emitting source.

2. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the signal is activated when the voltage level is at a selectively low threshold, such threshold being preferably at a relatively low level relative to a full voltage level.

3. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the signal is a flashing on and off repeatedly for a selected time period before the light emitting source is extinguished.

4. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the barrel is for receiving the switch such that a manually operable portion of the switch extends through a radial aperture and wherein the manually operable portion is operable radially inwardly and outwardly to activate and deactivate the switch.

5. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the switch includes a switch device including a manually operable portion, the manually operable portion extending transversely radially from one side of the flashlight.

6. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 including a contact strip extending between at least one switch and a battery in the barrel, the contact strip acting to electrically connect the switch device with the light emitting source, and selectively a second switch.

7. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 including a spring extending from the switch device to the top of the battery and a spring extending from the base area of the body to the battery, and both of the springs being part of an electrical circuit between the battery and the light emitting source.

25. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the low voltage includes sensing of detecting low voltage or power, by detecting a voltage or power drop rate at a relatively faster rate than a normal drop rate prior to voltage or power being close to a low voltage or power level.

26. A flashlight as claimed in claim 25 including having a system detect one or more voltage or power drops in a row, and thereafter activating. the low voltage or power signal.

27. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 including an auto reset system wherein a reset occurs after the signaling has started, the auto-rest system being activated when there is no longer a predetermined number of voltage or power rate drops in a predetermined time period.

8. A flashlight comprising:

a body for receiving a battery, the body having a longitudinal axis and a top and a base;

the body including a barrel;

a head on the body having a reflector and a light emitting source;

a circuit for operation to signal to a user that the battery voltage is at selected voltage or power level; and

at least two switches for selectively opening and closing a circuit between the battery the light emitting source, a first switch being in a first location on the flashlight and a second switch in a different location on the body.

20. A flashlight as claimed in claim 8 wherein the signal is activated when the voltage level is at selectively low threshold, and wherein the signal is a flashing on and off repeatedly for a selected time period before the light emitting source is extinguished.

9. A flashlight comprising:

a body for receiving a battery, the body having a longitudinal axis and a top and a base;

a head on the body having a first reflector and an LED;

a circuit for operation to signal to a user that the battery voltage is at selected voltage or power level;

at least two 3-way switches, a first switch being a side switch and a second switch being a tail switch,

an electrical circuit between the switches to open and close an electric circuit between the battery and the LED; and

an LED module including a heat sink, and selectively a metal core printed circuit board for permitting receipt of a different LED, the first reflector being part of the module, and a circuit board, the circuit board having at least one of thermal fold back and short circuit protection, and whereby the first reflector is exchangeable for a second reflector having characteristics different to the first reflector.

21. A flashlight as claimed in claim 9 wherein the signal is activated when the voltage level is at selectively low threshold, and wherein the signal is a flashing on and off repeatedly for a selected time period before the light emitting source is extinguished.

10. A flashlight comprising:

a body for receiving a rechargeable battery, the body having a longitudinal axis and a top and a base;

a head on the body having a reflector and a light emitting source;

a circuit for operation to signal to a user that the battery voltage is at selected voltage or power level;

at least two 3-way switches, a first switch being a side switch and a second switch being a tail switch;

each switch including electrical contacts for connection with an electrical circuit between the switches to open and close an electric circuit between the battery and the light emitting source, the switches acting to move inwardly and outwardly relative to the body to open and close the electric circuit between the battery and the light emitting source;

a first spring extending downwardly from the area of the first switch to the top of a battery and a second spring between the bottom of a battery and a base of the body,

an electrical contact strip connection directed along the side on the inside of the barrel from the battery bottom to one contact on the side of the light emitting source; and

a light emitting source module including a heat sink for thermal management.

22. A flashlight as claimed in claim 10 wherein the signal is activated when the voltage level is at selectively low threshold, and wherein the signal is a flashing on and off repeatedly for a selected time period before the light emitting source is extinguished.

11. A flashlight comprising:

a body for receiving a battery with a battery top and a battery bottom, the body having a longitudinal axis and a top and a base;

a circuit for operation to signal to a user that the battery voltage is at selected voltage or power level;

a head on the body having a reflector and a light emitting source;

at least two 3-way switches, a first switch being a side switch and a second switch being a tail switch;

a switch device with electrical contacts, the switch device being between the body and the head portion, the switch device acting to move radially inwardly and outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis of the body to open and close an electrical circuit between the battery and the light emitting source;

a stud-like first contact member between the switch device and the battery top being part of the electrical circuit;

a first spring in contact with the top of the battery; and

a second spring between the battery bottom and the base of the body, the second spring not constituting part of the electric circuit.

23. A flashlight as claimed in claim 11 wherein the signal is activated when the voltage level is at selectively low threshold, and wherein the signal is a flashing on and off repeatedly for a selected time period before the light emitting source is extinguished.

12. A flashlight comprising:

an elongated battery barrel having a front end and a tail-end opposite the front end;

a lamp assembly located at said front end of said elongated battery barrel and including a light emitting source and light emitting source reflector pointing longitudinally away from the elongated battery barrel;

a circuit for operation to signal to a user that the battery voltage is at selected voltage or power level;

a tail-end 3-way switch for the flashlight on the battery barrel at the tail-end and electrically connectible to the light emitting source;

the light emitting source being a Zenon bulb or an LED; and

a 3 way switch being a switch on the side of the barrel.

13. A flashlight as claimed in claim 12 wherein the 3-way switch function allows the flashlight to be turned on using the side switch and turned off with the tail switch and vice versa.

14. A flashlight as claimed in claim 12 including having at least one and preferably both switches operate with a momentary on function, the momentary on function being for turning on the flashlight when the switch is operated with a predetermined amount of manual pressure and turning off when the manual pressure is reduced below the predetermined amount.

15. A flashlight as claimed in claim 12 including contacts on a battery pack assembly that connect the tail switch thereby to operate with the side switch, and preferably do not serve a function of the battery power.

16. A flashlight as claimed in claim 12 wherein with an LED, there is an LED module including an aluminum heat sink as part of the LED module for thermal management.

17. A flashlight as claimed in claim 12, wherein with an LED, there is a metal core printed circuit board for accepting different LEDs, and selectively the reflectors are interchangeable whereby a modular reflector system is capable of being swapped out for different reflectors for different angles, and other characteristics, and selectively there is a built in circuit board with thermal fold back and short circuit protection.

18. A flashlight as claimed in claim 12 including an integrated heat sink with LED, selectively part of an LED unit, and wherein the circuit is such that, in the event of overheating, the circuit can drop down to less power, selectively, 50% power, and remain operable.

24. A flashlight as claimed in claim 12 wherein the signal is activated when the voltage level is at selectively low threshold, and wherein the signal is a flashing on and off repeatedly for a selected time period before the light emitting source is extinguished.

19. A flashlight comprising:

a battery barrel having a front end and a tail-end opposite said front end;

a light emitting source assembly located at said front end of said elongate battery barrel and including a light emitting source and light emitting source reflector pointing longitudinally away from the battery barrel;

a circuit for operation to signal to a user that the battery voltage is at selected voltage or power level; and

at least one 3 way switch for said flashlight;

a Zenon bulb or an LED being the light emitting source in the light emitting source assembly; and

at least one switch having a momentary on function, the momentary on function being for turning on the flashlight when the switch is operated under manual pressure and turning off when the switch is essentially released from the pressure.