Light including an electro-optical "photonic" selector switch
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A light comprising:
- a housing;
a rotatable selector disposed in an opening in said housing and both rotatably and axially movable therein, said rotatable selector including a member rotatable therewith for providing an indication of the rotational position of said rotatable selector;
wherein one of said housing and said rotatable selector has a projection that engages one or more recesses in the other of said housing and said rotatable selector when said rotatable selector is in an axial position proximate said housing, and wherein the projection does not engage the one or more recesses when said rotatable selector is in an axial position distal said housing; and
a spring biasing said rotatable selector axially towards said housing,wherein said rotatable selector must be pulled away from said housing against the bias of said spring to disengage the projection from the one or more recesses and to rotate said rotatable selector.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A light and/or selector may comprise a selector rotatable and axially movable in a housing with a member rotatable therewith for indicating rotational position. A projection engages one or more recesses when the rotatable selector is proximate the housing and does not engage the recesses when the rotatable selector is distal the housing. A spring biases the rotatable selector towards the housing so that the rotatable selector must be pulled away from the housing against the bias of the spring to disengage the projection from the one or more recesses and to rotate.
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Citations
57 Claims
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1. A light comprising:
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a housing; a rotatable selector disposed in an opening in said housing and both rotatably and axially movable therein, said rotatable selector including a member rotatable therewith for providing an indication of the rotational position of said rotatable selector; wherein one of said housing and said rotatable selector has a projection that engages one or more recesses in the other of said housing and said rotatable selector when said rotatable selector is in an axial position proximate said housing, and wherein the projection does not engage the one or more recesses when said rotatable selector is in an axial position distal said housing; and a spring biasing said rotatable selector axially towards said housing, wherein said rotatable selector must be pulled away from said housing against the bias of said spring to disengage the projection from the one or more recesses and to rotate said rotatable selector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A selector comprising:
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a housing; a rotatable selector disposed in an opening in said housing and both rotatable and axially movable therein, said rotatable selector including a member rotatable therewith for providing an indication of the rotational position of said rotatable selector; wherein one of said housing and said rotatable selector has a projection that engages one or more recesses in the other of said housing and said rotatable selector when said rotatable selector is in an axial position proximate said housing, and wherein the projection does not engage the one or more recesses when said rotatable selector is in an axial position distal said housing; and a spring biasing said rotatable selector axially towards said housing, wherein said rotatable selector must be pulled away from said housing against the bias of said spring to disengage the projection from the one or more recesses and to rotate said rotatable selector. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A light comprising:
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a plurality of light sources; a photo-transmitter and a photo-receiver positioned for optical communication therebetween; a selector having a member movable for interrupting optical communication between the photo-transmitter and the photo-receiver; a circuit responsive to optical communication between the photo-transmitter and the photo-receiver and to interruption thereof by the member for selecting one or ones of said plurality of light sources and responsive for selectively applying electrical power to the selected one or ones of said plurality of light sources. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A selector comprising:
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a selector housing having an opening therein; a rotatable selector disposed in the opening in said selector housing, wherein said rotatable selector is rotatable in the opening relative to the selector housing and is movable axially in the opening relative to the selector housing, said rotatable selector including a member rotatable therewith for providing an indication of the rotational position of said rotatable selector in the opening of said selector housing; wherein one of said selector housing and said rotatable selector has one or more projections that engage one or more recesses in the other of said selector housing and said rotatable selector when said rotatable selector is in an axial position proximate said selector housing, and wherein the one or more projections do not engage the one or more recesses when said rotatable selector is in an axial position distal said selector housing; and a spring bearing on said selector housing and said rotatable selector for biasing said rotatable selector axially towards said selector housing, an electrical switch that is coaxial with said rotatable selector and having a pushbutton and actuator movable in said rotatable selector in the axial direction thereof; wherein said rotatable selector must be pulled away from said selector housing against the bias of said spring to disengage the one or more projections from the one or more recesses and to rotate said rotatable selector relative to said selector housing. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A light comprising:
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a plurality of light sources; at least one photo-transmitter and at least one photo-receiver positioned for optical communication therebetween; a selector having a selector ring rotatable about an axis and having a member rotatable therewith for interrupting optical communication between the at least one photo-transmitter and the at least one photo-receiver, said rotatable selector ring having at least two detent positions; an electrical switch actuatable by a pushbutton disposed in said selector ring and movable axially therein; and a circuit responsive to optical communication between the photo-transmitter and the photo-receiver and to interruption thereof by the member for selecting one or ones of said plurality of light sources and responsive for selectively applying electrical power to the selected one or ones of said plurality of light sources. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A light comprising:
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a plurality of light emitting diode light sources; first and second pairs each including a respective photo-transmitter and a photo-receiver positioned for optical communication therebetween; a selector having a selector ring rotatable about an axis and having a baffle rotatable therewith to interrupt optical communication between the respective photo-transmitter and photo-receiver of each of said first and second pairs of a photo-transmitter and a photo-receiver, said rotatable selector ring having at least two detent positions; an electrical switch actuatable by a pushbutton disposed in said selector ring and movable axially therein; and a circuit responsive to optical communication between the respective photo-transmitter and photo-receiver of each of said first and second pairs and to interruption thereof by the baffle for selecting one or ones of said plurality of light emitting diode light sources and responsive to said electrical switch for selectively applying electrical power to the selected one or ones of said plurality of light emitting diode light sources. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A light comprising:
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a plurality of light emitting diode light sources; at least one pair including a photo-transmitter and a photo-receiver positioned for optical communication therebetween; a selector having a selector ring rotatable about an axis and having a reflective pattern rotatable therewith to interrupt and/or partially interrupt optical communication between the photo-transmitter and photo-receiver of said at least one pair including a photo-transmitter and a photo-receiver, said rotatable selector ring having at least two detent positions; an electrical switch actuatable by a pushbutton disposed in said selector ring and movable axially therein; and a circuit responsive to optical communication between the photo-transmitter and photo-receiver of said at least one pair and to interruption and/or partial interruption thereof by the reflective pattern for selecting one or ones of said plurality of light emitting diode light sources and responsive to said electrical switch for selectively applying electrical power to the selected one or ones of said plurality of light emitting diode light sources. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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Specification