Lamp or flashlight for use in cigaret lighter shell

• US 5,359,505 A
• Filed: 12/29/1992
• Issued: 10/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Satellite Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zippo Manufacturing Company (Zipcorp Incorporated)
• Inventors: Murray, Donald W., Story, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US07/998,057
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 362/109, 362/186, 362/200, 362/201, 362/207, 362/208, 362/253, 362/802, 362/204, 362/205, 362/155
• US Class Current: 362/200
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 27/00 Lighting devices or systems, employing combinations of electric and non-electric light sources; Replacing or exchanging electric light sources with non-electric light sources or vice versa in lighting devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/047 by using spare light sources comprised in or attached to the lighting device and being intended to replace a defect light source by manual mounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/82 Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment [WEEE]

Abstract

A lighting assembly for use in a cigaret lighter shell is disclosed. The lighting assembly comprises an insulative case for housing a power supply, such as batteries, and conductors for establishing an electrical circuit that includes the batteries, the conductors, a light bulb, and the cigaret lighter shell. A reflector and lens may be provided to focus and direct the beam generated by the bulb. A resilient portion of one of the conductors is biased against a wall of the cigaret lighter shell to close the electrical circuit. An insulative tip is provided on an end of the conductor and may be manually manipulated to remove the conductor from contact with the shell wall to open the electrical circuit and place the flashlight in an unlocked off position. A groove may be provided in the case to receive the tip and maintain an open circuit to place the flashlight in a locked off position. When a lid of the cigaret lighter is closed, the lid engages the tip to remove the conductor from contact with the shell wall and turn the flashlight off.

Claims

1. A flashlight comprising:

an insulative case adapted for insertion into a cigaret lighter shell and having an aperture for retaining a power supply;

a light bulb secured to an upper portion of said case;

a conductor having a proximal end disposed within said case for establishing an electrical contact with said power supply, and having a resilient distal end extending from said case; and

means for completing an electrical circuit to permit electricity to pass from said power supply through said light bulb and said conductor;

said distal end of said conductor being movable between a first position in which said conductor is in contact with said means for completing an electrical circuit and a second position in which said conductor is removed from contact with said means for completing an electrical circuit.

2. The flashlight of claim 1 wherein said means for completing an electrical circuit comprises a metal cigaret lighter shell.

3. The flashlight of claim 2 further comprising an insulative tip secured to said distal end of said conductor.

4. The flashlight of claim 3 wherein:

said shell has a base and a lid, movable between an open and a closed position;

said conductor contacts said base of said shell when said conductor is in said first position; and

said tip is disposed to engage said lid when said lid is moved to said closed position so that said lid forces said conductor to said second position, removed from contact from said base.

5. The flashlight of claim 4 wherein:

said case has a top, a bottom, a front wall, and a channel extending through said case near said front wall;

said proximal end of said conductor is disposed within said case near said bottom of said case;

said conductor has a resilient medial portion, and said medial portion and said distal end of said conductor extend through said channel to form an acute angle with an inner wall of said channel.

6. The flashlight of claim 5 wherein said acute angle is less than approximately five degrees when said conductor is in said first position.

7. The flashlight of claim 5 wherein said tip is secured to said distal end of said conductor so that said tip extends above said top of said base to permit said conductor to be manually moved between said first and second positions when said lid is in said open position.

8. The flashlight of claim 7 wherein said case has a groove disposed near said top of said front wall of said case to nestingly engage said tip to retain said conductor in said second position.

9. The flashlight of claim 8 further comprising:

a lever hingedly secured to an upper portion of said case; and

a bracket rigidly secured to an inner wall of said lid;

said lever being adapted to slidably engage said bracket to permit said lid to be moved to said open and said closed positions, and said lever being configured to fit within said bracket when said lid is in said closed position for retaining said lid in said closed position.

10. The flashlight of claim 9 wherein said power supply comprises at least one battery.

11. A flashlight comprising:

a shell having a base and a lid which may be placed in an open or closed position;

an insulative case nested within said shell, said case having an aperture for retaining a power supply;

a light bulb secured within said case;

means for establishing an electrical circuit to pass electricity from said power supply through said light bulb and through at least a portion of said base, said means for establishing an electrical circuit including a resilient conductor having a proximal end disposed within said case and a distal end extending outwardly from said case, said conductor being movable between a first position, in which said conductor contacts said base to close said electrical circuit and to place said flashlight in an on position, and a second position in which said conductor is removed from contact with said base to open said electrical circuit and to place said flashlight in an unlocked off position;

an insulated tip secured to said distal end of said conductor and disposed so that, when said lid is in said open position, said tip allows said conductor to contact and bias against said base to close said electrical circuit, and when said lid is in said closed position, said tip engages said lid to move said conductor to said second position.

12. The flashlight of claim 11 wherein said case has a groove adapted to nestingly engage said tip to retain said conductor in a third, locked off, position in which said conductor is removed from contact with said base.

13. The flashlight of claim 12 wherein said container comprises a cigaret lighter container.

14. The flashlight of claim 13 wherein said power supply comprises two batteries.

15. A lighting assembly comprising:

an insulative case adapted to be inserted into a cigaret lighter shell, said case having an aperture for receiving a power supply, means for receiving a light bulb, and a channel extending through said case near a front wall of said case, said front wall having an aperture extending through an upper portion of said front wall to said channel;

a conductor having a proximal end disposed within said case and having a resilient distal end extending upwardly through said channel and having a medial, protruding portion which protrudes toward said front wall of said case, said protruding portion registering with said aperture of said front wall of said case to permit said protruding portion to pass through said front wall aperture to contact said shell when said case is inserted into said shell;

weans adapted for establishing an electrical circuit to pass electricity from said power supply and through said light bulb, said conductor, and said shell, when said case is inserted into said shell;

said distal end of said conductor being movable between a first position, in which said protruding portion of said conductor is adapted to contact said shell to close said circuit when said case is inserted into said shell, and a second position, in which said protruding portion of said conductor is adapted to be removed from contact with said shell to open said circuit when said case is inserted into said shell.

16. The lighting assembly of claim 15 further comprising:

a metal cigaret lighter shell;

a power supply; and

a light bulb.

17. The lighting assembly of claim 16 wherein said shell has a base and a lid movable between an open and a closed position;

and further comprising an insulative tip secured to said distal end of said conductor and disposed to engage said lid when said lid is in said closed position so that said lid forces said conductor away from said base to remove said protruding portion of said conductor from contact with said shell, thereby placing said conductor in said second position.

18. The lighting assembly of claim 17 wherein said case has a groove adapted to nestingly engage said tip to retain said conductor in a third, locked off, position in which said protruding portion of said conductor is removed from contact with said base.

19. The lighting assembly of claim 18 further comprising:

a lever hingedly secured to an upper portion of said case; and

a bracket rigidly secured to an inner wall of said lid;

said lever being adapted to slidably engage said bracket to permit said lid to be moved between said open and said closed positions, and said lever being configured to fit within said bracket when said lid is in said closed position to reduce movement of said case relative to said container.

20. The lighting assembly of claim 19 wherein said case has an aperture for receiving and storing a spare light bulb.

21. A flashlight comprising:

a case adapted for insertion into a shell which includes a lid movable between open and closed positions, said case including means for retaining a power supply;

a light bulb secured to said case;

a conductor having a first end portion disposed for establishing an electrical contact with the power supply and having a resilient second end portion;

means for completing an electrical circuit to permit electricity to pass from said power supply through said light bulb and said conductor; and

means responsive to opening of the lid for moving said second end portion of said conductor from a first position in which said conductor is removed from contact with said means for completing an electrical circuit to a second position in which said conductor is in contact with said means for completing an electrical circuit.

22. The flashlight of claim 21 wherein said shell is a cigaret lighter shell.