Flashlight

• US 4,768,138 A
• Filed: 08/05/1987
• Issued: 08/30/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Cloverline Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Cloverline Incorporated
• Inventors: Leopoldi, Norbert, Heinrich, William P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cross, E. Rollins
• Application Number:
  US07/081,684
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 362/189, 362/202, 362/205, 362/200
• US Class Current: 362/189
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0414 specially adapted to be used with portable lighting devices

Abstract

A squeeze-on flashlight in which a pair of batteries is provided in a plastic housing, one of the batteries having an outer metallic covering for selective electrical connection with a pair of elongated flexible finger elements positioned about the one battery. The finger elements extend from a spiral mount formed by a pair of loops which loops threadingly receive the threaded mounting cap of a light bulb mounted at the end of the housing remote from the end housing the one battery. By squeezing the outer plastic housing, the finger elements are urged into contact with the outer metallic cover of the one battery, to thereby close an electric circuit in series with the light bulb.

Claims

1. A squeeze-on flashlight, comprising;

a hollow main housing;

a first battery housed within said housing;

bulb means mounted at one end of said housing, said bulb means having a threaded cap means for mounting purposes;

means urging said first battery toward said cap means for providing electrical connection therebetween;

said first battery comprising an outer, exposed cover of metal;

switch means for mounting said cap means and for effecting the energization of said bulb means, said means for mounting comprising a spiral means comprising at least two loops thereof, each of said loops having an inner diametric extension for threadingly receiving therein the threads of said threaded cap means, said means for mounting further comprising two elongated flexible coil-wire finger elements integrally connected with and projecting from said at least two loops, one said finger element projecting from one said loop, and another said finger element projecting from another said loop;

each said finger element extending substantially along the length of said housing and defining a free end portion juxtapositioned adjacent a first end portion of said first battery for movement toward and away from said first battery;

an annular spacing ring circumscribing a second end portion of said first battery for normally spacing each said free end portion from the outer cover of said first battery;

said housing being made of flexible electrically-insulating material, whereby upon the squeezing of said housing, said flexible finger elements are caused to touch the outer metallic cover of said first battery to close a circuit in series with the bulb means;

a second battery mounted in series with said first battery in said housing having an outer electrically-insulating cover, said second battery being mounted closer to said cap means than said first battery;

said spacing ring being positioned about said second end portion of said first battery adjacent said second battery;

said second battery having a diametric extension greater than that of said first battery;

said two finger elements being arcuately spaced about said first and second batteries along substantially the entire lengths of both.