Tactical lighting system

• US 20090251889A1
• Filed: 04/23/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glenn Bushee
• Original Assignee: Glenn Bushee
• Inventors: Bushee, Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 8,152,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/112
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0087 the high-energy beam being a bright light, e.g. for dazzling or blinding purposes F41H13/0056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/36 for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/42 of illuminating type, e.g. carrying flares

Abstract

Portable projectable infrared lights are used to mark and illuminate dark areas such as rooms in a building or cells in a prison. The lights cannot be seen with the unaided eye but are brilliantly visible with the aid of night vision goggles and similar infrared receivers and light transducers which convert infrared light to visible light. In those cases where potentially hostile individuals are equipped with night vision apparatus, the infrared lights can be used to temporarily blind, stun and/or disorient them.

Claims

1. A portable electric light constructed to be thrown through the air and operate after landing, comprising:

a housing;

a battery carried by said housing;

an infrared light-emitting diode carried by said housing and powered by said battery;

a switch electrically connected to said battery and to said light-emitting diode for turning said light emitting diode on; and

a light cover provided on said housing and aligned with said light-emitting diode to transmit infrared light from said housing.

2. The electric light of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a substantially spherical housing.

3. The electric light of claim 2, wherein said spherical housing comprises a two-piece housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion.

4. The electric light of claim 3, wherein said first and second housing portions each comprises portions of a sphere.

5. The electric light of claim 4, wherein said first and second housing portions are asymmetrical with respect to each other.

6. The electric light of claim 5, wherein said first and second housing portion are interconnected with a threaded interconnection.

7. The electric light of claim 6, wherein said light comprises a center of gravity located in said first housing portion, and wherein said light cover is provided on said second housing portion, such that at rest on a horizontal planar surface, said light emitting diode projects infrared light upwardly and away from said planar surface.

8. The electric light of claim 7, further comprising a parabolic mirror provided in said second housing portion.

9. The electric light of claim 1, wherein said switch comprises a strobe light circuit.

10. A tactical infrared light comprising:

a substantially spherical housing having first and second separable housing portions;

an infrared light-emitting diode carried in said housing;

a light cover carried on said housing and extending over said light emitting diode;

said light having an eccentric center of gravity such that when said light is at rest on a flat horizontal surface, said light will project an infrared light beam upwardly from said horizontal surface.

11. The light of claim 10, wherein said center of gravity is located in said first housing portion and said light-emitting diode is located in said second housing portion.

12. The light of claim 10, further comprising a battery provided in said housing and a switch electrically connected to said battery and to said light-emitting diode for turning on said light-emitting diode.

13. The light of claim 10, further comprising a transparent light cover provided on said housing.

14. The light of claim 10, further comprising a parabolic mirror mounted in said housing adjacent said light-emitting diode.

15. The light of claim 10 further comprising a threaded connection provided between said first and second housing portions.

16. A method of illuminating an area with infrared light, using a portable projectile comprising an infrared light source, wherein said method comprises;

activating the infrared light source with a switch; and

projecting the portable projectile through the air toward a preselected area.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said area comprises a room in a building and said method further comprises projecting the portable projectile into the room.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the projecting of the portable projectile further comprises manually tossing the portable projectile into the room.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said portable projectile comprises a substantially spherical housing and said method further comprises rolling the portable projectile over the preselected area.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising a propelling apparatus, and wherein said method further comprises projecting the portable projectile with the propelling apparatus.