Latching switch for compact flashlight providing an easy means for changing the power source

• US 6,394,621 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William Henry Iii Hanewinkel
• Original Assignee: William Henry Iii Hanewinkel
• Inventors: Hanewinkel, William Henry III
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, BAO Q
• Application Number:
  US09/539,128
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 362/200,800,201-205,116,187,188,35,372 200/60,316,313,317,310
• US Class Current: 362/200
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/005 the device being a pocket lamp F21L4/022, F21L4/045, F21L4/085 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0414 specially adapted to be used with portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A latching power switch for a light emitting diode (“LED”) flashlight is disclosed which includes a vessel comprising upper and lower components for receiving and containing a lithium cell battery, a means of using the anodic and cathodic leads from the LED, an aperture provided through the said vessel, and a switching mechanism comprising a rotating cam movable through the vessel aperture. The switching device comprises an on-off switch. The switch operates by rotating a biwire LED in which its leads are formed to surround a lithium coin cell power source. The LED wire leads pass through holes in an electrically nonconductive cam which has both a protuberance for operating the cam and a lobe for latching against a surface of the aperture through which it passes. The cam latches the wire leads against their proper corresponding coin cell surfaces thus activating the circuit and causing the illumination of the LED.

Claims

1. A flashlight comprising:

a flat housing sized and shaped to receive a battery therewithin and having a side, front and top apertures;

a LED having bifurcated wire leads, said LED operably associated with said flat housing in a rotatable relationship, said wire leads extending into said flat housing through at least one aperture in said flat housing; and

a battery contained within said flat housing, said battery accessible through a side aperture in said flat housing, said battery constrained within said flat housing in such a manner that when said LED is rotated, electrical contact is made simultaneously with said battery'"'"'s sides causing powering of said LED and consequently illumination thereof.

2. The flashlight of claim 1 further comprising a cover for closing the battery access side aperture.

3. The of flashlight claim 1 wherein said flat housing is comprised of a lower and an upper section halves permanently affixed to one anther.

4. The flashlight of claim 3 further comprising a rotating cam of an electrically nonconducting material and having holes through which the LED bifurcated leads pass and whereby rotation of said cam imparts a rotational motion to the LED.

5. The flashlight of claim 4 wherein said cam has a protuberance for manual actuation and said flat housing has an upper aperture allowing the protuberance to pass through to the outside for access.

6. The flashlight of claim 4 wherein said cam has a lobe shape whereby rotation of the cam in a first position provides an over center set against one side of the upper aperture in the said flat housing to maintain the LED biwire leads in contact with the battery'"'"'s sides without external forces.

7. The flashlight of claim 4 wherein the cam has two holes which allows passage of the two LED biwire leads and which creates a sub-assembled component made up of the cam and the LED.

8. The flashlight of claim 2 wherein the cover has a groove created between 2 protruding bosses on its inner broad surface that engages a thin shelf on the said flat housing and 2 protruding bosses on each long end of the cover that are constrained against similar features on the said flat housing which creates a temporary retention of the cover to the said flat housing.

9. The flashlight of claim 8 wherein the cover, when associated with said flat housing, maintains the battery'"'"'s lateral position in one direction.

10. The flashlight of claim 2 wherein the lower shell section of said flat housing comprises a planar surface for the sliding action of one surface of the battery.

11. The flashlight of claim 10 wherein the lower section of said flat housing further comprises a pair of radially shaped protruding walls extending therefrom, said radially shaped walls keeping the lateral position of the battery constant relative to the LED and said cam.

12. The flashlight of claim 10 wherein the lower section of said flat housing further comprises a stepped surface about its perimeter for self locating with a corresponding stepped surface feature in the upper section of the said flat housing.

13. The flashlight of claim 10 wherein the lower section of said flat housing further comprises a pair of protruding saddles for holding and locating the LED and cam subassembly thus allowing for the precise rotation of the LED.

14. The flashlight of claim 2 wherein the upper section of said flat housing has a front aperture of a half circle shape for allowing pass through of the LED and for keeping the said LED and cam subassembly in the saddles of the lower section of said flat housing upon permanent mating of the upper and lower sections of said flat housing.

15. The flashlight of claim 14 wherein the upper section of said flat housing in conjunction with said lower section of said flat housing is oriented such as to maintain the vertical position of the said battery relative to the LED.

16. The flashlight of claim 15 wherein the upper section of said flat housing has a top surface having three apertures for closing the flat housing and containing the battery, the LED, and cam subassembly.

19. The flashlight of claim 1 wherein said battery is a single coin cell battery.

17. An improvement in a flashlight of the type having a light emitting diode (“

LED”

) having LED biwires, said LED, upon actuation, powered by a battery, said battery contained within a flat housing, which flat housing orients the LED and LED biwire, so that, upon completion of a circuit between said LED biwires and said battery, light is emitted in a direction along a generally longitudinal axis of the flashlight, the improvement comprising;

actuating the flashlight by rotating the LED axially about the longitudinal axis of the flashlight so as to bring the LED biwires into simultaneous contact with the electrodes of the battery, causing completion of a circuit between the LED and the battery causing said LED to emit light.

18. The improvement of claim 17 wherein the LED'"'"'s biwires are contained within a cam associated with said flat housing in a movable relationship wherein the cam is movable in a first and a second direction, which cam, when moved in the first direction, brings the LED biwires into simultaneous contact with the respective electrodes of said battery, thus actuating said LED to emit light.

20. A flashlight comprising:

a housing sized and shape to receive a battery therewithin and having said, front and top apertures;

said housing consisting of lower and upper section halves permanently affixed to one another;

a LED having bifurcated wire leads, said LED operably associated with said housing in a rotatable relationship with a rotating cam of an electrically non-conductive material, said rotating cam having apertures through which the bifurcated leads pass and wherein rotation of said rotating cam imparts a rotational motions to the LED, said bifurcated wire leads extending into said housing through at least one aperture in said housing; and

a battery contained within said housing, said battery accessible through the said aperture, said battery constrained within said housing in such a manner that when said LED is rotated via said rotating cam, electrical contact is made simultaneously with said battery'"'"'s sides causing powering of said LED and consequently illumination thereof.