Combined umbrella handle and flashlight

• US 5,816,685 A
• Filed: 04/24/1997
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hsien-Te Hou
• Original Assignee: Hsien-Te Hou
• Inventors: Hou, Hsien-Te
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ciric, Ljiljana V.
• Application Number:
  US08/842,364
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 362/102, 362/202, 362/205, 362/120, 362/118, 362/116, 362/194, 362/208
• US Class Current: 362/205
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 3/02 with illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0004 Personal or domestic articles

Abstract

A flashlight that forms a handhold of an umbrella is provided that includes a thimble threadedly connected to a sleeve barrel coupled to the shaft of an umbrella. A transparent disc, a lamp assembly and two batteries are disposed in the thimble. A conducting seat is positioned adjacent the lamp assembly and has a hollow sleeve through which a push rod passes to turn the flashlight on and off.

Claims

1. A combined umbrella handle and flashlight, comprising:

a sleeve barrel having opposing first and second open ends and an internal septum dividing said sleeve barrel into two compartments, said septum being coupled to an umbrella shaft extending through said second open end;

a thimble member threadedly connected to said first open end of said sleeve barrel to form a flashlight housing, said thimble member being formed by a hollow longitudinally extended tube having a pair of opposing open ends, one of said ends having a drawn-in rim and the opposing end having an external thread formed thereon with a sealing lip disposed at a root of said external thread, said thimble member having a plurality of fins formed longitudinally on an internal wall surface of said thimble member;

a transparent disc disposed within said flashlight housing adjacent a distal end thereof, said transparent disc having a planar contour with a plurality of notches formed in a peripheral edge thereof for respectively receiving said plurality of fins therein and being disposed contiguous said drawn-in rim;

a lamp set disposed within said flashlight housing adjacent said transparent disc, said lamp set including a pair of batteries and a light bulb; and

,

a conducting seat disposed within said flashlight housing adjacent said lamp set for electrically coupling said pair of batteries to said light bulb responsive to a tightening of said threaded engagement of said thimble member to said sleeve barrel.

2. The combined umbrella handle and flashlight as recited in claim 1 where said lamp set includes a shade holder with said light bulb being centrally positioned therein and a plurality of notches formed in a peripheral edge thereof for respectively receiving said plurality of fins therein, said shade holder having a pair of sleeves formed on a rear side thereof for holding the pair of batteries therein, said lamp set including a pair of conducting strips, a first of said pair of conducting strips being disposed in one of said pair of sleeves and having an extending end portion thereof contacting a side terminal of said light bulb, a second of said pair of conducting strips being disposed in the other of said pair of sleeves and having an extending end portion thereof being disposed adjacent a rear terminal of said light bulb.

3. The combined umbrella handle and flashlight as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

a push rod, said conducting seat having a disc shaped contour with a centrally disposed hollow sleeve portion extending from a front surface thereof, said push rod extending through said hollow sleeve portion of said conducting seat for displacing said end portion of said second conducting strip into contiguous contact with said rear terminal of said light bulb for turning on said light bulb;

a small spring disposed between said push rod and said septum of said sleeve barrel for applying a bias force to said push rod; and

,

a large spring disposed between said conducting seat and said septum of said sleeve barrel for applying a bias force to said conducting seat.

4. The combined umbrella handle and flashlight as recited in claim 3 where said sleeve barrel has an internal thread formed on said first open end for coupling with said external thread of said thimble member, said push rod being displaced to turn on said light bulb responsive to a tightening of said threaded connection between said thimble member and said sleeve barrel.

5. The combined umbrella handle and flashlight as recited in claim 4 where said sleeve barrel has a centrally disposed socket formed on said septum with an opening for receiving an umbrella shaft therein and a radially directed post extending from a side wall of said socket with a threaded bore extending therethrough in open communication with said opening of said socket for receiving a screw therein to secure the umbrella shaft.

6. The combined umbrella handle and flashlight as recited in claim 5 further comprising a button extending through an opening formed through said sleeve barrel, said button having a slot formed in a bottom surface thereof for engaging a trigger member of the umbrella to displace the trigger member responsive to displacement of said button and thereby automatically open the umbrella.