Flashlight with gas permeable membrane and battery polarization
First Claim
1. A battery powered flashlight, comprising:
- a battery housing for holding a plurality of batteries each having positive and negative terminals;
a bulb;
socket means connected to the battery housing for holding the bulb;
a reflector surrounding the bulb; and
a carriage slidable into and out of the battery housing for supporting the batteries so that only if the batteries are correctly polarized will a circuit be completed to allow current from the batteries to energize the bulb.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flashlight that includes a substantially watertight battery housing, a bulb mounted in a socket assembly, a reflector, and a lens covering a forward end of the reflector. A plurality of batteries are supported in the housing so that only if the batteries are correctly polarized will a circuit be completed to allow current from the batteries to energize the bulb. This reduces the emission of flammable gas or corrosive liquid from the batteries. A membrane seals a vent port in the battery housing and is made of a material that permits a flammable gas generated by the batteries within the housing to continuously escape from the housing through the membrane without permitting water to enter the housing through the membrane. Pellets are mounted inside the battery housing for neutralizing the effects of any flammable gas emitted within the battery housing that may have nevertheless been produced and not adequately vented.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A battery powered flashlight, comprising:
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a battery housing for holding a plurality of batteries each having positive and negative terminals; a bulb; socket means connected to the battery housing for holding the bulb; a reflector surrounding the bulb; and a carriage slidable into and out of the battery housing for supporting the batteries so that only if the batteries are correctly polarized will a circuit be completed to allow current from the batteries to energize the bulb. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A battery powered flashlight, comprising:
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a battery housing for holding a plurality of batteries each having positive and negative terminals; a bulb; socket means connected to the battery housing for holding the bulb; a reflector surrounding the bulb; and means mounted in the battery housing for supporting the batteries so that only if the batteries are correctly polarized will a circuit be completed to allow current from the batteries to energize the bulb, including a plurality of negative conductive contact members configured so that they will not make electrical contact with a positive terminal of any of the plurality of batteries when they are fully inserted into the housing.
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12. A battery powered flashlight, comprising:
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a battery housing having a hollow interior; a bulb; a reflector surrounding and supporting the bulb; a cylindrical barrel twistable over a cylindrical forward neck of the battery housing, the barrel surrounding the reflector and supporting a lens adjacent the bulb; a carriage slidable into and out of the hollow interior of the battery housing for supporting a plurality of batteries each having positive and negative terminals so that only if the batteries are correctly polarized can a circuit be completed to allow an electrical current from the batteries to energize the bulb; and an electrical circuit including an ON/OFF switch actuated by twisting the barrel for connecting the bulb to the batteries supported by the carriage for energizing and de-energizing the bulb.
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13. A battery powered flashlight, comprising:
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a generally elongate cylindrical battery housing; a bulb; a reflector surrounding and supporting the bulb; a cylindrical barrel twistable over a cylindrical forward neck of the battery housing, the barrel surrounding the reflector and supporting a lens adjacent the bulb; an elongated carriage slidable into and out of the battery housing for supporting a plurality of generally cylindrical batteries so that only if the batteries are correctly polarized can a circuit be completed to allow current from the batteries to energize the bulb, the carriage having plurality of sub-compartments defined by opposite end walls and at least one divider, the compartments being dimensioned for receiving and holding the batteries in an end-to-end relationship, the carriage further having at least one elongate conductor running between the end walls of the carriage substantially along an entire length of the carriage for providing an electrical connection to a terminal of a rearmost one of the batteries; and an ON/OFF switch actuated by rotating the barrel relative to the neck to make and break an electrical contact in a conductive path that includes the elongate conductor rug between the end walls of the carriage. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A battery powered flashlight, comprising:
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an elongate tubular battery housing defining a hollow interior and having a closed rearward end and a forward open end; a bulb; a reflector surrounding and supporting the bulb; a cylindrical barrel threadable over a cylindrical forward neck at the open end of the battery housing to seal the interior in a watertight fashion, the barrel surrounding the reflector; an elongated carriage slidable into and out of the interior of the battery housing through the open end for supporting a plurality of generally cylindrical batteries in an end-to-end series relationship, the carriage having at least one elongate conductor running substantially along an entire length of the carriage for providing an electrical connection to a terminal of a rearmost one of the batteries; and the barrel and neck being configured so that by rotating the barrel a circuit including the bulb, the batteries and the elongate conductor can be made and broken to energize and de-energize the bulb, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification