Miniature flashlight device having housing with outer and inner enclosures

• US 6,454,426 B1
• Filed: 01/09/2001
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lumatec Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lumatec Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Altman, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US09/757,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20020089845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 362/116, 362/189, 362/201
• US Class Current: 362/116
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/005 the device being a pocket lamp F21L4/022, F21L4/045, F21L4/085 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0414 specially adapted to be used with portable lighting devices

Abstract

A miniature flashlight device includes a housing having a base and a cover adapted to interfit with the base so as to form therewith an outer enclosure for receiving an electric bulb and an inner enclosure within the outer enclosure for receiving a button-cell battery. The cover has a flexible portion overlying the inner enclosure and capable of being depressed by a user from an outer relaxed configuration to an inner flexed configuration in which the flexible portion of the cover is deflected toward the inner enclosure and capable of returning to the outer relaxed configuration upon release by the user.

Claims

1. A housing for a miniature flashlight device, comprising:

(a) a base including an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall of circular configuration being disposed within said outer sidewall and merging therewith at opposite side portions of said outer sidewall, said outer and inner sidewalls having respective forward portions being spaced apart so as to define a cavity therebetween for receiving an electric bulb in said base, said outer and inner sidewalls also having respective rearward portions and opposite top and bottom portions, said top portions of said outer and inner sidewalls being open, said base also including a bottom wall rigidly attached to and covering all of said bottom portion of said inner sidewall and rigidly attached to and covering at least most of said bottom portion of said outer sidewall including said forward portion thereof; and

(b) a cover including an upper panel adapted to overlie and close all of said top portion of said inner sidewall of said base and to overlie and close at least most of said top portion of said outer sidewall of said base including said forward portion thereof so as to form an outer enclosure enclosing said cavity that receives the electric bulb, said cover also including a lower sidewall of circular configuration rigidly attached to and extending downwardly from said upper panel and open at a lower end and adapted to interfit within said circular inner sidewall of said base so as to form therewith and with said bottom wall of said base and said upper panel of said cover an inner enclosure within said outer enclosure for receiving a button-cell battery, said upper panel of said cover having a flexible portion overlying said inner enclosure and capable of being depressed by a user from an outer relaxed configuration to an inner flexed configuration in which said flexible portion is deflected toward said inner enclosure and capable of returning to said outer relaxed configuration upon release by the user.

2. The housing of claim 1 wherein at least one of said base and cover are made of a translucent material.

3. The housing of claim 1 wherein said base further includes a pair of honeycomb structures provided in said outer enclosure in said cavity defined between said respective forward portions of said outer and inner sidewalls and spaced apart from one another and rigidly attached to said outer sidewall and bottom wall of said base to as to reinforce said base and define a channel between said honeycomb structures for positioning the electric bulb therein and adapting a pair of conductive leads of the electric bulb to be extended from said channel into said inner enclosure.

4. The housing of claim 1 wherein said outer and inner sidewalls of said base are spaced apart at said rearward portions thereof so as to define a passage therebetween through said base not closed by said upper panel of said cover nor said bottom wall of said base for receiving a keychain through said base.

5. A housing for a miniature flashlight device, comprising:

(a) a base including an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall of circular configuration disposed within said outer sidewall and merging therewith at opposite side portions of said outer sidewall, said outer and inner sidewalls having respective forward portions being spaced apart so as to define a cavity therebetween for receiving an electric bulb in said base, said outer and inner sidewalls also having respective rearward portions and opposite top and bottom portions, said top portions of said outer and inner sidewalls being open, said base also including a bottom wall rigidly attached to and covering all of said bottom portion of said inner sidewall and rigidly attached to and covering at least most of said bottom portion of said outer sidewall including said forward portion thereof, said base further including a pair of honeycomb structures provided in said outer enclosure in said cavity defined between said respective forward portions of said outer and inner sidewalls and spaced apart from one another and rigidly attached to said outer sidewall and bottom wall of said base to as to reinforce said base and define a channel between said honeycomb structures for positioning the electric bulb therein and adapting a pair of conductive leads of the electric bulb to be extended from said channel into said inner enclosure; and

(b) a cover including an upper panel being adapted to overlie and close all of said top portion of said inner sidewall of said base and to overlie and close at least most of said top portion of said outer sidewall of said base including said forward portion thereof so as to form an outer enclosure enclosing said cavity that receives the electric bulb, said cover also including a lower sidewall of circular configuration rigidly attached to and extending downwardly from said upper panel and open at a lower end and adapted to interfit within said circular inner sidewall of said base so as to form therewith and with said bottom wall of said base and said upper panel of said cover an inner enclosure within said outer enclosure for receiving a button-cell battery, said upper panel of said cover having a flexible portion overlying said inner enclosure and capable of being depressed by a user from an outer relaxed configuration to an inner flexed configuration in which said flexible portion is deflected toward said inner enclosure and capable of returning to said outer relaxed configuration upon release by the user.

6. The housing of claim 5 wherein at least one of said base and cover are made of a translucent material.

7. The housing of claim 5 wherein said rearward portion of said outer sidewall of said base extends rearwardly from said opposite side portions of said outer sidewall and is spaced apart from said rearward portion of said inner sidewall of said base so as to define a passage therebetween through said base not closed by said upper panel of said cover nor said bottom wall of said base for receiving a keychain through said base.

8. A miniature flashlight device, comprising:

(a) a housing including

(i) a base having an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall of circular configuration disposed within said outer sidewall and merging therewith at opposite side portions of said outer sidewall, said outer and inner sidewalls having respective forward portions being spaced apart so as to define a cavity therebetween for receiving an electric bulb in said base, said outer and inner sidewalls also having respective rearward portions and opposite top and bottom portions, said top portions of said outer and inner sidewalls being open, said base also including a bottom wall rigidly attached to and covering all of said bottom portion of said inner sidewall and rigidly attached to and covering at least most of said bottom portion of said outer sidewall including said forward portion thereof, and

(ii) a cover including an upper panel adapted to overlie and close all of said top portion of said inner sidewall of said base and to overlie and close at least most of said top portion of said outer sidewall of said base including said forward portion thereof so as to form an outer enclosure enclosing said cavity that receives the electric bulb, said cover also including a lower sidewall of circular configuration rigidly attached to and extending downwardly from said upper panel and open at a lower end and adapted to interfit within said circular inner sidewall of said base so as to form therewith and with said bottom wall of said base and said upper panel of said cover an inner enclosure disposed within said outer enclosure for receiving a button-cell battery, said upper panel of said cover having a flexible portion overlying said inner enclosure and capable of being depressed by a user from an outer relaxed configuration to an inner flexed configuration in which said flexible portion is deflected toward said inner enclosure and capable of returning to said outer relaxed configuration upon release by the user;

(b) a button-cell battery disposed within said inner enclosure of said housing and having first and second spaced apart portions of respective positive and negative polarities;

(c) a dome switch disposed within said inner enclosure of said housing between said cover and said f first portion of said battery and in response to application of force thereto capable of being deformed from an unflexed configuration to a flexed configuration and in response to release of force therefrom capable of returning to said unflexed configuration; and

(d) an electric bulb disposed within said cavity of said outer enclosure of said housing and having a pair of conductive lead elements extending therefrom into said inner enclosure of said housing, one of said lead elements having a portion disposed in electrical contact with said second portion of said battery and the other of said lead elements having a portion disposed between said cover and said dome switch such that said battery, dome switch and lead elements of said electric bulb will normally form an open electrical circuit with said cover in said outer relaxed configuration and said dome switch in said unflexed configuration whereas by depressing said cover to said inner flexed configuration said cover will force said dome switch into said flexed configuration and into electrical contact with said first portion of said battery so as to establish an electrical connection between said portion of said other lead element and said first portion of said battery via said dome switch and thereby form a closed electrical circuit between said battery, dome switch and lead elements of said electric bulb.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein at least one of said base and cover of said housing are made of a translucent material.

10. The housing of claim 8 wherein said base further has a pair of honeycomb structures provided in said outer enclosure in said cavity defined between said respective forward portions of said outer and inner sidewalls and spaced apart from one another and rigidly attached to said outer sidewall and bottom wall of said base to as to reinforce said base and define a channel between said honeycomb structures for positioning the electric bulb therein and adapting said conductive leads of said electric bulb to be extended from said channel into said inner enclosure.

11. The housing of claim 8 wherein said outer and inner sidewalls of said base are spaced apart at said rearward portions thereof so as to define a passage therebetween through said base not closed by said upper panel of said cover nor said bottom wall of said base for receiving a keychain through said base.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein an insert disc is disposed in said inner enclosure between said bottom wall and said battery.