Flashlight

• US 20190011089A1
• Filed: 07/06/2018
• Published: 01/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schumacher Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Schumacher Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Whiting, John S., Clarke, Patrick J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,690,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0862 characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/12 Starting of engines by means of mobile, e.g. portable, starting sets
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/14 Starting of engines by means of electric starters with external current supply F02N11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/027 the light sources being a LED
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/085 Pocket lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/025 in portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/012 Housings with variable shape or dimensions, e.g. by means of elastically deformable materials or by movement of parts forming telescopic extensions of the housing body
• 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: F21V 21/0925 for portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/0965 for portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0428 the switch being part of, or disposed on the lamp head portion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2107/40 on the sides of polyhedrons, e.g. cubes or pyramids
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/00 Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0032 disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running

Abstract

A flashlight having a housing, a light-end assembly, and a user interface. The light-end assembly, which may be coupled to an end of the housing, may comprise a flexible light component having a proximal end and a distal end. A first plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) may be distributed on the first flexible light component between the proximal end and the distal end. The flexible light component may include a flexible, semi-rigid structure to maintain the flexible light component in a desired shape or position.

Claims

1. A flexible flashlight comprising:

a housing having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the housing defines a hollow cavity to house a battery;

a light-end assembly having a flexible light component and a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs),

wherein the light-end assembly is coupled to the distal end of the housing, and

wherein the flexible light component has a proximal end and a distal end, the plurality of LEDs being distributed along the flexible light component between its proximal end and its distal end; and

a user interface positioned on an external surface of the housing, the user interface being configured to control a function of the flexible flashlight.

2. The flexible flashlight of claim 1, wherein the light-end assembly is configured to couple detachably with the distal end of the housing via a detachable connector.

3. The flexible flashlight of claim 1, wherein the flexible light component includes a flexible, semi-rigid structure to maintain the flexible light component in a desired shape or position.

4. The flexible flashlight of claim 1, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery and said flexible flashlight comprises a charging circuit to charge said rechargeable battery.

5. The flexible flashlight of claim 4, wherein the charging circuit is coupled to a wireless receiver circuit configured to charge said rechargeable battery wirelessly using power received from an external wireless transmitter.

6. The flexible flashlight of claim 1, further comprising a tail attachment having (1) a flexible, semi-rigid core coated with a flexible material or (2) a spring-metal core coated with a flexible material.

7. The flexible flashlight of claim 2, wherein the light-end assembly comprises an auxiliary battery to power the plurality of LEDs when the light-end assembly is detached from the housing.

8. The flexible flashlight of claim 1, wherein the plurality of LEDs is divided into a plurality of LED arrays that can be independently activated or deactivated.

9. The flexible flashlight of claim 8, wherein the user interface is configured to adjust a desired amount of light around a longitudinal axis defined by the flexible light component by selectively activating one or more of the plurality of LED arrays.

10. The flexible flashlight of claim 9, wherein the user interface has a first extreme position and a second extreme position, wherein (1) each of the plurality of LED arrays is deactivated when the user interface is in the first extreme position, and (2) each of the plurality of LED arrays is activated when the user interface is in the second extreme position.

11. The flexible flashlight of claim 10, wherein the user interface is configured to activate or deactivate the plurality of LED arrays incrementally as the user interface transitions between the first extreme position and the second extreme position.

12. The flexible flashlight of claim 11, wherein the flexible light component is configured to generate up to 360 degrees of light about the longitudinal axis.

13. A flashlight comprising:

a housing having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the housing defines a hollow cavity to house a battery;

a light-end assembly having a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), wherein the light-end assembly is configured to couple detachably with the distal end of the housing via a detachable connector;

an auxiliary battery situated in or on the light-end assembly, the auxiliary battery being configured to power the a plurality of LEDs when the light-end assembly is detached from the housing, wherein the battery is configured to charge the auxiliary battery when the light-end assembly is attached to the housing; and

a user interface positioned on an external surface of the housing, the user interface being configured to control a function of the flashlight.

14. The flashlight of claim 13, wherein the at least one LED is a surface mounted light emitting diode electrically mounted to a flexible printed circuit board (PCB).

15. The flashlight of claim 13, further comprising a charging circuit coupled to a wireless receiver circuit configured to charge said battery wirelessly using power received from an external wireless transmitter.

16. The flashlight of claim 13, further comprising a DC port to output a jump starting current from the battery to jump start an engine of a vehicle.

17. The flashlight of claim 13, wherein the plurality of LEDs comprises a first LED that is configured to be controlled independently of a second LED.

18. The flashlight of claim 17, wherein the first LED and the second LED are positioned to direct light in opposite directions of one another.

19. A flashlight comprising:

a housing defining a hollow cavity to house a battery;

a light-end assembly having at least one light emitting diode (LED), wherein the light-end assembly is coupled to the housing;

a communication module operatively coupled with a processor, wherein the communication module is configured to communicate commands or data wirelessly between the flashlight and an external communication device; and

a user interface positioned on an external surface of the housing, the user interface being configured to control a function of the flashlight.

20. The flashlight of claim 19, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) transmitter or receiver to track or monitor a location of the flashlight dynamically, wherein the flashlight is configured to communicate the location of the flashlight to the external communication device via the communication module.