Miniature flashlight

• US 6,523,973 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2001
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nite Ize Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Robert D. Galli
• Inventors: Galli, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zeade, Bertrand
• Application Number:
  US09/769,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 362/200, 362/119, 362/201, 362/116, 362/189, 362/196, 362/208, D26/38
• US Class Current: 362/200
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/005 the device being a pocket lamp F21L4/022, F21L4/045, F21L4/085 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/027 the light sources being a LED
• 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 miniature flashlight consists of a housing, a light emitting diode (LED), a pair of batteries, and a flexible cover and a contact clip that acts as a switch. The LED has a head portion and two contact arms. One of the contact arms is shorter than the other and is displaced at a slight angle relative to the longer contact arm. The LED is received in a seat formed in the housing with the head portion of the diode received in an aperture in the side wall of the housing. The longer contact arm is captured in a channel formed in the bottom wall. The shorter contact arm rests on a shoulder that forms part of the LED seat. A pair of coin cell batteries are received within another seat formed in housing. The lower battery sits on top of the longer contact arm captured in the channel of the bottom wall. A resilient plastic cover is assembled with the housing to maintain the diode and the batteries within the housing. The first end of the contact clip is frictionally engaged in the walls of the seat within the housing and engages the second contact of the diode, while the opposing second end is disposed in spaced relation over the upper surface contact of the upper battery. The cover is selectively depressible, i.e. deformable, to selectively move the second end of the contact strip into electrical communication with the upper surface of the upper battery to energize the diode.

Claims

1. A housing for a flashlight assembly comprising:

a base having a bottom wall and a outer sidewall extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said bottom wall and said sidewall defining an open cavity; and

a flexible cover having a top wall adapted to overlie and substantially close said open cavity, said flexible cover including mating formations,

said mating formations interfittingly engaging within said open cavity of said base to retain said base and said flexible cover in assembled relation,

said mating formations further including inwardly facing surfaces that cooperate to define an interior cavity within said open cavity for receiving a coin cell battery therein, said mating formations further being configured to interfittingly engage said battery to retain said battery in a stationary position within said open cavity when received therein,

said top wall of said cover being sufficiently resilient to be depressed by a user between an outer relaxed configuration to an inner flexed configuration.

2. The housing for a flashlight assembly of claim 1, wherein said mating formations on said cover include outwardly facing surfaces, that interfittingly engage inwardly facing surfaces of said outer sidewall to retain said base and said cover in assembled relation.

3. The housing for a flashlight assembly of claim 1, wherein said inwardly facing surfaces of said mating formations comprise a plurality of discontinuous wall segments that cooperate to define said interior cavity.

4. The housing for a flashlight assembly of claim 1, wherein said interior cavity is substantially circular.

5. The housing for a flashlight assembly of claim 1, wherein a front portion of said base includes a seat within said open cavity for receiving a lighting element.

6. The housing for a flashlight assembly of claim 1, said mating formations further comprising:

tabs on said cover, said tabs have outwardly facing surfaces that engage with inwardly facing surfaces on the outer side wall frictionally retaining said cover to said housing, said tabs having inwardly facing surfaces that engage the peripheral edge of the batteries.

7. A flashlight assembly comprising:

a base having a bottom wall and a outer sidewall extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said bottom wall and said sidewall defining an open cavity;

a coin cell battery received within said open cavity, said battery having first and second contact surfaces;

a lighting element received within said open cavity, said lighting element having first and second contact leads, said first contact lead of said lighting element being in electrical communication with said first contact surface of said battery;

an electrically conductive contact member having a first contact surface in constant electrical communication with the second contact lead of the lighting element, and having a second contact surface, said second contact surface being normally biased to an open position in spaced relation to said second contact surface of said battery; and

a flexible cover having a top wall adapted to overlie and substantially close said open cavity, said base and said flexible cover including mating formations that interfittingly engage within said open cavity to retain said base and said flexible cover in assembled relation, said mating formations having inwardly facing surfaces that cooperate to define an interior cavity within said open cavity for receiving a coin cell battery therein, said mating formations further being configured to interfittingly engage said battery to retain said battery in a stationary position within said open cavity when received therein, said top wall of said cover being sufficiently resilient to be depressed by a user between an outer relaxed configuration to an inner flexed configuration wherein inward deflection of said cover causes said second contact surface of said switch to move from said open position to a deflected position in electrical communication with said second contact surface of said battery to selectively energize said lighting element.

8. A flashlight assembly comprising:

a housing having a bottom wall and a sidewall extending upwardly from said bottom wall;

a light emitting diode having a head portion and first and second spaced contact arms extending rearwardly from said head portion, said second contact arm having a shorter length than said first contact arm, said diode being received within said housing with said head portion of said diode being received in an aperture in said side wall of said housing, said first contact arm extending along said bottom wall of said housing and being captured within a channel formed in said bottom wall, said second contact arm resting on a raised shoulder of formed within said housing;

a battery having a first and second contacts, said battery being received within said housing with said second contact in electrical communication with said first contact arm of said diode; and

an electrically conductive contact clip having first and second ends, said first end being fixed in a stationary position in electrical communication with said second contact arm of said diode, said second end of said contact strip being normally biased to a first open position in spaced relation to said first contact of said battery, said second end of said contact clip being selectively movable between said normally open first position and a second closed position in electrical communication with said first contact of said battery to selectively energize said diode.

9. The flashlight assembly of claim 8, wherein said second contact arm is angled from the plane containing the first contact arm and perpendicular to the bottom housing and remains in a parallel relation to the bottom wall of the housing.

10. A flashlight assembly comprising:

a housing having a bottom wall and a sidewall extending upwardly from said bottom wall;

a light emitting diode having a head portion and first and second spaced contact arms extending rearwardly from said head portion, said diode being received within said housing with said head portion of said diode being received in an aperture in said side wall of said housing, said first contact arm extending along said bottom wall of said housing, said second contact arm resting on a raised shoulder of formed within said housing;

a battery having a first contact on an upper surface thereof and second contact on a lower surface thereof, said battery being received within said housing with said second contact in electrical communication with said first contact arm of said diode;

a flexible cover received in assembled relation with said housing to maintain said diode and said battery within said housing; and

an electrically conductive contact clip positioned adjacent to an inner surface of said cover, said contact clip having a first end received in electrical communication with said second contact of said diode and an opposing second end which is disposed in spaced relation over the first contact of the battery,

said flexible cover being selectively depressible to selectively move said second end of said contact strip into electrical communication with the first contact of the battery to selectively energize the diode.

11. The flashlight of claim 10, wherein said second contact arm of said diode has a shorter length than said first contact arm.

12. The flashlight of claim 10 wherein said first contact arm is captured in a channel formed in the bottom wall of said housing.

13. The flashlight of claim 11 wherein said first contact arm is captured in a channel formed in the bottom wall of said housing.

14. A flashlight assembly comprising:

a housing having a bottom wall and a sidewall extending upwardly from said bottom wall;

a light emitting diode having a head portion and first and second contact arms extending rearwardly from said head portion, said second contact arm having a shorter length than said first contact arm, said diode being received within a first seat formed in said housing with said head portion of said diode being received in an aperture in said side wall of said housing, said first contact arm extending along said bottom wall of said housing and being captured within a channel formed in said bottom wall, and said second contact arm being displaced from the plane containing the first contact so as to rest on a raised shoulder of formed within said housing;

a battery having a first contact on an upper surface thereof and second contact on a lower surface thereof, said battery being received within said housing with said second contact in electrical communication with said first contact arm of said diode;

a flexible cover received in assembled relation with said housing to maintain said diode and said battery within said housing; and

an electrically conductive contact clip positioned adjacent to an inner surface of said cover, said contact strip having a first end received in electrical communication with said second contact of said diode and an opposing second end which is disposed in spaced relation over the first contact of the battery,

said flexible cover being selectively depressible to selectively move said second end of said contact strip into electrical communication with the first contact of the battery to selectively energize the diode.