Compact, battery-powered light

• US 3,876,970 A
• Filed: 01/14/1974
• Issued: 04/08/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert B. Schweitzer
• Original Assignee: Robert B. Schweitzer
• Inventors: Schweitzer, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matthews, Samuel S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mathews, Alan
• Application Number:
  US05/432,975
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 240/6.4R,6.42,1.6R,10.66,67,68,70,84,25 248/156 52/165
• US Class Current: 362/205
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/022 Emergency lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/007 with provision for shipment or storage
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/0824 Ground spikes
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/109 of gardens

Abstract

A compact, self-supporting, battery-powered light, primarily designed for use by campers and outdoorsmen, is disclosed. The battery-powered light includes an elongated tubular body formed for receipt of battery means therein, an electrically actuated light bulb mounted proximate a first end of the body, and an integral, collapsible ground stake means. The elongated ground stake is mounted to the body of the light for selective movement to and from an extended position and a stored position. The pointed stake end is positioned in close proximity to the body of the light upon collapsing of the stake for compactness and safety. In a preferred embodiment the ground stake is formed as a tube mounted for reciprocation about the body of the light, and in another embodiment the ground stake is pivotally mounted to the body of the light.

Claims

1. In a compact, battery-powered light for campers including an elongated tubular body formed for receipt of battery means therein, and electrically actuated light emitting means mounted proximate a first end of said body and adapted for electrical connection to battery means positioned in said body, the improvement comprising:

elongated ground stake means formed with a pointed stake end adapted to be urged into a supporting surface and an opposite stake end adapted for mounting of said ground stake means to said body, said light emitting means being formed for the illumination of an area of said supporting surface proximate said ground stake means, said body having an overall length substantially equal to the combined length of battery means to be positioned in said body and said light emitting means, and said ground stake means having a length less than said body and being mounted to said body by said opposite stake end for selective positioning in and movement to and from an extended position and a stored position, said pointed stake end extending outwardly of said body for support of said light in said extended position, and said ground stake means being further mounted to said body to locate both said pointed stake end and said opposite stake end between said first end of said body and an opposite second end of said body and in close proximity to said body in said stored position to maximize compactness and to minimize possible damage or injury from said pointed stake end when said light is not in use.

2. A compact, battery-powered light as defined in claim 1 wherein, said ground stake means is pivotally mounted to said body for movement to and from said stored position and said extended position.

3. A compact, battery-powered light as defined in claim 2 wherein, said body is formed with a substantially circular horizontal cross-section, and said ground stake means includes a member having a surface substantially conforming to and mating with said body along the length of said body and terminating in a pointed end, said member being mounted to said body for resilient displacement outwardly away from said body and being mounted for pivotal movement substantially in a plane passing tangentially to the circular cross-section of said body and slightly outwardly of said body and being further mounted for resilient securement in locked relation to said body in said stored position and said extended position by mating engagement of said member with said body in both positions.

4. A compact, battery-powered light as defined in claim 1 and light actuating switch means mounted to said body and adapted for actuation of said light emitting means independently of the operation of said ground stake means, said switch means being formed as an electrically insulating element mounted for movement to and from a position electrically interposing said element between said light emitting means and said battery means.

5. In a compact, battery-powered light for campers including an elongated tubular body formed for receipt of battery means therein and having a first end and an opposite second end, and electrically actuated light emitting means mounted proximate said first end of said body and adapted for electrical connection to battery means positioned in said body, said body having an overall length about equal to the combined length of said battery means and said light emitting means, the improvement comprising:

elongated ground stake means formed with a pointed stake end adapted to be urged into a supporting surface and an opposite stake end adapted for mounting of said ground stake means to said body, said ground stake means being formed as a tubular member having a length less than the length of said body, said ground stake means being reciprocally mounted to the exterior of said body for selective positioning in and movement to and from an extended position and a stored position, said pointed stake end extending axially from said second end of said body for support of said light in said extended position, said light emitting means being formed for the illumination of an area of said supporting surface proximate said ground stake means when said ground stake means is in extending position and said light is supported on said supporting surface by said ground stake means, and said ground stake means being formed for reciprocation to a mating position with said body with said pointed stake end and said opposite stake end both positioned intermediate said first end of said body and said second end of said body in said stored position to maximize compactness and to minimize possible damage or injury from said pointed stake end when said light is not in use.

6. A compact, battery-powered light as defined in claim 5 wherein, said ground stake means includes at least one tubular member telescopically mounted on the exterior of said body and detent means formed to releasably secure said tubular member in said extended position formed with pointed end to provide said pointed stake end.