Flashlight with a rotatable lamp holder

• US 4,129,899 A
• Filed: 10/06/1977
• Issued: 12/12/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George W. Dunbar
• Original Assignee: George W. Dunbar
• Inventors: Dunbar, George W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US05/840,020
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 362/109, 362/119, 362/120, 362/197-201
• US Class Current: 362/109
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/045 Pocket lamps

Abstract

A flashlight has a battery holder provided with battery leads and a lamp holder having lamp socket leads. A connection between the two holders permits the lamp holder to be burned on an axis at right angles to the axis of the lamp socket. The connection may be a shaft carrying the leads of one holder and contacts within the other holder and in engagement with the contacts of its leads or the connection may be externally of both holders with the contacts within it and holding the appropriate contacts in engagement.

Claims

1. A flashlight including a battery-receiving hollow casing including a head portion and rear portion dimensioned to accommodate at least one battery, a lamp holder having an optically open end and including a lamp socket, and a rotatable connection between said head portion and said holder enabling said holder to turn in a fore and aft direction with said optically open end at right angles to the axis of said connection, said flashlight including a switch controlled battery circuit in which a battery, when within the rear portion, is included and which includes sections in the head portion, each section including a contact, and said lamp holder including a pair of sections each including first and second contacts, the first contacts placing the lamp in the battery circuit when the lamp in said socket and the second contacts are in engagement with the appropriate one of said contacts of said sections as the holder turns, said second lamp socket contacts carried by said rotatable connection.

2. The flashlight of claim 1 and a detachable connection between the head and rear portions of the casing and battery, the circuit includes a second connection detachably clamped between said portions and provided with a pair of contacts, one for each of the first contacts of said sections.

3. The flashlight of claim 1 in which the rotatable connection includes a shaft connecting said holder to said body through said seat and rotatable relative thereto and said shaft includes within the head portion the second pair of lamp socket contacts and leads connecting the appropriate ones of the first and second lamp socket contacts.

4. The flashlight of claim 2 in which the battery circuit includes a switch controlled contact within the rear portion and the second connection is a disc including a central button as a contact engageable with an end battery terminal, an annular portion in engagement with the switch controlled contact, and an intermediate annular insulator separating said button therefrom.

5. The flashlight of claim 3 in which the head portion includes two sections having complemental portions between which the shaft of the holder is clamped when said two sections are united.

6. The flashlight of claim 3 in which the lamp holder includes two sections, one section including said shaft and both sections include at least one channel and the lamp socket includes a flange entrant of said channels and held thereby when the two holder sections are united.

7. The flashlight of claim 6 in which the two holder sections include a second channel between the first named channel and the open end of the holder, and the second channel, when the holder sections are united, define an open-ended slideway and a lens is removably confined therein.

8. The flashlight of claim 1 in which the connections include a member on the head portion establishing the axis of rotation and within which the second contacts of the sections are exposed, one spaced from the other, a member on the lamp holder within which the second contacts of the lamp socket are exposed, and means interconnecting said member and permitting the members to turn, one relative to the other, the second contacts of the lamp socket each spaced and arranged then to be held against the appropriate one of the second contacts of the sections as the lamp holder is turned on its axis.

9. The flashlight of claim 7 in which both members of the connection have inner and outer circular series of slots, those of one member opening into the head portion and those of the other member opening into the lamp holder, and a pair of contacts, one for each series of slots, each contact including a series of tabs dimensioned to pass through the slots of a particular one of the slot series, one tab establishing the appropriate one of the circuit section, and the other tabs anchoring tabs, corresponding ones of the contacts of the head portion section and holder section held in engagement.

10. The flashlight of claim 8 in which the members are separate parts and both the head portion and the lamp holder have circular series of slots to register with those of said members and the tabs extend therethrough.

11. The flashlight of claim 9 in which the contacts for both outer series of slots are rings and the other contacts are discs dimensioned to fit freely therein.

12. The flashlight of claim 9 in which the members have portions engageable as snap fits, one within the other.