LED flashlight with clip opposite LED

• US 6,824,292 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2003
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Armament Systems and Procedures Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Armament Systems and Procedures Incorporated
• Inventors: Parsons, Kevin L., Reeves, W. Clay
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US10/446,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20030223229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 362/116, 362/800, 362/200, 362/196, 362/205, 362/157, 362/190, 362/191, 362/396, 362/208
• US Class Current: 362/157
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 15/00 Key-rings
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• 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 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 21/08 Devices for easy attachment to any desired place, e.g. clip, clamp, magnet
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/0885 for portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0414 specially adapted to be used with portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/08 for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A flashlight having a light-emitting diode light source with first and second leads extending therefrom, a power source, a power source frame enclosing at least a portion of the power source; a housing containing the light source and power source, a switch located adjacent the power source and operable to close a circuit including the light source and the power source, and wherein one or all of the following may be included 1) a keyring extension extending from a power source frame or the housing with the keyring extension having an opening whereby an article can be attached to the keyring extension and includes a keyring lock wherein upon exerting a force against the keyring lock, the keyring lock is opened to permit the article to be attached to the keyring extension; 2) the housing is comprised of translucent material; and 3) the housing includes at least one side cover which is not integral with the housing and the at least one side cover being selected from anodized aluminum, anodized metal, anodized metal which includes indicia, die struck metal, laser engraved metal, and a side cover having a separate medallion attached thereto.

Claims

1. A flashlight comprising:

a light source;

a disk-shaped power source;

a body enclosing at least a portion of the light source and the power source, said body having an elongated axis with the light source disposed on a first elongated end of the body with the light source emitting light substantially parallel to the elongated axis, said body having a second, flattened axis that is orthogonal to the elongated axis and that is substantially defined by a thickness of the disk-shaped power supply, said body having an intermediate axis, orthogonal to the elongated axis and to the flattened axis, the intermediate axis substantially defined by a diameter of the disk-shaped power source;

a switch disposed on a flattened side of the body and operable to close a circuit including the light source and the power source; and

a clip attached to the body and extending from a second elongated end of the body opposite the light source, said clip defined by first and second discrete members extending outwardly from the body with a distal end of the first member looping back to meet the distal end of the second member.

2. The flashlight as in claim 1 wherein the light source emitting light parallel to the elongated axis further comprises a spacing separating an axis of emission of light from the light source and the elongated axis.

3. The flashlight as in claim 1 wherein the body further comprises an oblong shape in cross-section in all three dimensions.

4. The flashlight as in claim 1 wherein the clip further comprises a keyring clip.

5. The flashlight as in claim 4 wherein the first and second members further comprise a periphery of a keyring opening.

6. The flashlight as in claim 5 wherein the first member further comprises a keyring extension.

7. The flashlight as in claim 6 wherein the keyring extension further comprises a relatively rigid structure.

8. The flashlight as in claim 7 wherein the body further comprise a power source frame integral with the keyring extension.

9. The flashlight as in claim 7 wherein the body further comprise a power source frame housing integral with the keyring extension.

10. The flashlight as in claim 8 wherein the second member further comprises a keyring lock.

11. The flashlight as in claim 10 wherein the keyring lock further comprises a pivotal support for the keyring lock disposed on the power source frame.

12. A flashlight comprising:

a light source;

a disk-shaped power source;

a body having an elongated shape defined by a pair of opposing flattened sides, said opposing sides enclosing the power source and at least a portion of the light source disposed on an elongated end of the body;

a switch disposed on one of the pair of flattened sides of the body and operable to close a circuit including the light source and the power source; and

a keyring clip integral with the body and extending from the body on an opposing elongated end of the body opposite the light source, said keyring clip defined by first and second discrete members extending outwardly from opposing edges of the body in an initially parallel relationship with a distal end of the first member thereafter looping back to meet a distal end of the second member.

13. The flashlight as in claim 12 wherein the first and second members further comprise a periphery of a keyring opening.

14. The flashlight as in claim 13 wherein the first member further comprises a keyring extension.

15. The flashlight as in claim 14 wherein the keyring extension further comprises a relatively rigid structure.

16. The flashlight as in claim 15 wherein the body further comprises a power source frame integral with the keyring extension.

17. The flashlight as in claim 15 wherein the body further comprises a power source frame housing integral with the keyring extension.

18. The flashlight as in claim 16 wherein the second member further comprises a keyring lock.

19. The flashlight as in claim 18 wherein the keyring lock further comprises a pivotal support for the keyring lock disposed on the power source frame.

20. A flashlight comprising:

a body having an elongated shape along a first axis, a flattened second axis orthogonal to the first axis and an intermediate axis orthogonal to the first and second axis;

a light source disposed on an elongated end of the elongated shape with an axis of emission of the light source parallel to the first axis;

a disk-shaped power source disposed within the body with a thickness of the disk-shaped power source disposed between opposing sides defining the flattened second axis and a diameter of the disk-shaped power source disposed between opposing edges defining the intermediate axis;

a switch located within one of the opposing sides of the body and operable to close a circuit including the light source and the power source; and

a keyring clip integral with the body on an end opposite the light source and having an opening defined by a keyring extension and a keyring lock, whereby a keyring can be attached to the keyring clip, and wherein, upon exerting a force against the keyring lock, the keyring clip is opened to permit a keyring to be inserted into the opening within the keyring clip.

21. The flashlight as in claim 20 wherein the keyring extension further comprises a relatively rigid structure.

22. The flashlight as in claim 20 wherein the body further comprises a power source frame integral with the keyring extension.

23. The flashlight as in claim 20 wherein the body further comprises a power source frame housing integral with the keyring extension.

24. The flashlight as in claim 20 wherein the keyring lock further comprises a pivotal support on the power source frame.