Hand-held light with swivel head

• US 4,447,863 A
• Filed: 01/24/1983
• Issued: 05/08/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BRK Brands Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pittway Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Fenne, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lechert, Jr., Stephen J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Locker, Howard J.
• Application Number:
  US06/460,590
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 362/199, 362/200, 362/197, 362/371, 362/269, 362/187, 362/188, 362/287
• US Class Current: 362/199
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/04 characterised by the provision of a light source housing portion adjustably fixed to the remainder of the device

Abstract

A flashlight has a battery housing and a head on which is mounted a bulb socket. Forwardly directed legs on the housing pivotally engage forwardly directed legs in the head so as swivelly to mount the head to the body.

Claims

1. A hand-held light comprising a handle, a support for said handle, a head having an interior, a bulb socket mounted in said head on the interior thereof, at least one leg on said support and extending into the interior of said head, and pivot means in said head disposed entirely in the interior thereof and rotatably attached to said leg at a location spaced from said support, thereby swivelly mounting said head to said support.

2. A battery operated flashlight comprising a housing for the battery, a head having an interior, a bulb socket mounted in said head on the interior thereof and coupled to the battery, at least one leg on said housing and extending into the interior of said head, and pivot means in said head disposed entirely in the interior thereof and rotatably attached to said leg at a location spaced from said housing, thereby swivelly mounting said head to said housing.

3. The flashlight of claim 2, and further comprising means for retaining said head at a selected orientation with respect to said housing.

4. The flashlight of claim 2, wherein said leg is unitary with said housing.

10. The flashlight of claim 2, wherein said housing has a curved front end portion, and said head includes a curved rear wall portion having a curvature that substantially matches the curvature of said front end portion, and further including a plurality of ridges on one of said portions, and a finger on the other of said portions being biased toward said one portion and carrying a detent which springingly enters the space between adjacent ridges corresponding to a selected orientation of said head.

5. A battery operated flashlight comprising a housing for the battery, a head having an interior, a bulb socket mounted in said head on the interior thereof and coupled to the battery, a pair of forwardly directed housing legs on said housing and extending into the interior of said head, a pair of forwardly directed head legs on said head in the interior thereof and located respectively adjacent to said housing legs, and pivot means disposed entirely in the interior of said head rotatably attaching said head legs respectively to said housing legs at locations spaced from said housing, thereby swivelly mounting said head to said housing.

6. The flashlight of claim 5, wherein said housing legs are outwardly biased and bear respectively against said head legs.

7. The flashlight of claim 5, wherein said housing legs are unitary with said housing, and said head legs.

8. The flashlight of claim 5, wherein said head has a pair of spaced-apart slits, said housing legs extending through said slits and into the interior of said head, said slits accommodating said head legs therein throughout the entire extent of swivelling of said head.

9. The flashlight of claim 5, wherein each of the head legs has a hole near the outer end thereof, said pivot means being a pin on each housing leg and unitary therewith, said pins being respectively journaled into said holes.

11. A battery operated flashlight comprising a housing for the battery, a head having an interior, a bulb socket mounted in said head on the interior thereof and coupled to the battery, a pair of forwardly directed housing legs on said housing and extending into the interior of said head, a pair of forwardly directed head legs on said head in the interior thereof and located respectively adjacent to said housing legs, said housing legs being resilient and being outwardly biased to bear respectively against said head legs, each of said head legs having a pivot portion, and pivot means carried by said housing legs and disposed for resilient snap-fitting engagement with said pivot portions of said head legs for rotatably attaching said head legs respectively to said housing legs, thereby swivelly mounting said head to said housing.

12. The flashlight of claim 11, wherein each of said pivot portions comprises a hole near the outer end of the associated head leg, said pivot means being a pin on each housing leg, said pins being respectively journaled into said holes.

13. The flashlight of claim 12, wherein said housing legs and said pins are unitary with said housing and said head legs are unitary with said head.