Disposable planar flashlight

• US 5,927,846 A
• Filed: 01/06/1995
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Iain Sinclair
• Original Assignee: Iain Sinclair
• Inventors: Sinclair, Iain
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/369,719
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 362/189, 362/200, 362/201, 362/205
• US Class Current: 362/189
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 2/00 Systems of electric lighting devices systems employing both electric and non-electric light sources or exchangeable light sources F21L27/00

Abstract

A thin, disposable, extremely bright flashlight is constructed around a thin, planar dry cell battery. The battery, a switch, and miniature incandescent lamps are sealed within a flexible cover of approximately the size of a playing card. The sealed construction removes any danger from electrical sparks in a flammable atmosphere. A window of translucent or transparent material is provided at one end of the package. Two miniature lamps, which may be overdriven to increase their brightness, are located behind this window. The lamps are sufficiently bright that a beam collimation system is unnecessary. Squeezing the package at a designated location closes a dome switch, causing the lamps to light. Releasing pressure on the dome switch opens the circuit so that the light cannot be inadvertently left on.

Claims

1. A miniature planar flashlight comprising:

a battery assembly comprising;

a planar dry cell battery;

a dome switch; and

two miniature electric lamps connected in series, overdriven to operate at more than 1.5 times their rated wattage, and operationally connected with the dome switch and the dry cell battery so that applied pressure causes the dome switch to close, energizing the lamps; and

a flexible cover allowing pressure to be applied to the switch, accepting printed indicia, and having a window at one end, the window covered with a translucent material, said cover cut from a sheet of flexible, yet resilient material, folded over the battery assembly and sealed at first, second and third edges with the translucent material, folded, and disposed over the lamps.

2. A compact planar flashlight comprising:

a planar battery having a thickness of approximately one eighth of an inch;

a lamp assembly operably connected to said planar battery, including a pressure sensitive switch for electrically connecting and disconnecting said lamp assembly to said planar battery; and

a resilient cover formed from a folded sheet and enclosing said lamp assembly and said planar battery, said folded sheet further comprising a window disposed on said folded sheet such that said lamp assembly is positioned adjacent said window when said resilient cover is folded over said planar battery and lamp assembly.

3. The compact planar flashlight of claim 2 wherein said window is positioned at the center of said sheet such that said sheet, when folded in half, positioned the window at an edge of said resilient cover.

4. The compact planar flashlight of claim 2 wherein said window is translucent.

5. The compact planar flashlight of claim 2 wherein the resilient cover comprises a cardboard sheet with a hole, and a translucent material placed over said hole at said lamp assembly, said translucent material serving as said window.

6. The compact planar flashlight of claim 2 wherein said resilient cover further comprises graphics on an outer surface thereof.

7. The compact planar flashlight of claim 2 wherein said planar battery is approximately two and one-half inches wide by three and one quarter inches long.

8. The compact planar flashlight of claim 2 wherein said pressure sensitive switch is disposed beneath said resilient cover when said resilient cover encloses said lamp assembly, and where graphics on said flexible cover indicate a location of the pressure sensitive switch.

9. The compact planar flashlight of claim 2 wherein the lamp assembly is overdriven to at least one and one-half times its nominal voltage.

10. A lightweight disposable flashlight comprising:

a flat battery of generally rectangular dimensions;

a lamp operably connected to said flat battery, said battery having a voltage at least one and one-half times a rated voltage of said lamp;

a switch electrically connecting and disconnecting said lamp from said flat battery; and

a flexible cover enclosing said light generating unit, said flexible cover folded from a sheet and formed into a flat pocket for receiving said light generating unit, said flexible cover having first and second surfaces each having separate first, second, and third edges, a mutual fourth edge defined by a fold in said sheet.

11. A miniature planar flashlight comprising:

a flexible cover means for accepting printed indicia and with a window of translucent material for transmitting light; and

a battery assembly sealed within the flexible cover, the battery assembly comprising;

a planar dry cell battery;

a pressure sensitive switch; and

a first miniature electric lamp disposed beneath the window and operationally connected with the pressure sensitive switch and the dry cell battery so that pressure exerted through the flexible cover will cause the pressure sensitive switch to close, energizing the first miniature electric lamp, the first miniature electric lamp further over driven to operate at more than 1.5 times its rated wattage.

12. The miniature planar flashlight of claim 11 further comprising a second miniature electric lamp connected in series with the first miniature electric lamp.

13. The miniature planar flashlight of claim 12 wherein said second miniature electric lamp is over driven to operate at more than 1.5 times its rated wattage.

14. A miniature planar flashlight comprising:

a battery assembly comprising;

a planar dry cell battery;

a pressure sensitive dome switch; and

light source means operationally connected with the pressure sensitive switch and the dry cell battery so that applied pressure causes the pressure sensitive switch to close, energizing the lamps, said light source means comprising at least one miniature electric lamp and at least one of said miniature electric lamps are over driven to operate at more than 1.5 times their rated wattage;

and;

a flexible cover means for allowing pressure to be applied to the pressure sensitive switch, for accepting printed indicia and having a translucent window for transmitting light, said cover formed from a sheet of flexible, yet resilient material, and foldingly sealed over the battery assembly with the translucent window disposed over the lamps.

15. A miniature planar flashlight comprising:

a planar dry cell battery;

a pressure sensitive switch;

two miniature electric lamps overdriven to operate at more than 1.5 times their rated wattage, said lamps operationally connected with the pressure sensitive switch and the dry cell battery so that applied pressure causes the pressure sensitive switch to close, energizing the lamps; and

a flexible cover means for allowing pressure to be applied to the pressure sensitive switch, for accepting printed indicia, and having a window at one end, the window covered with translucent material, said cover cut from a sheet of flexible, yet resilient material, folded over the battery assembly and edge sealed with the translucent material folded and disposed over the lamps.