LED flashlight including a housing having a translucent portion

• US 7,217,003 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward; John Anthony
• Application Number:
  US10/614,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20040105253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 362/800, 362/200, 362/116, 362/196, 362/205, 362/201
• US Class Current: 362/196
• 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:

an LED located at a distal portion of the flashlight;

a power source, the LED being capable of being brought into electrical contact with the power source to cause light to be emitted from the LED without having to move the power source relative to the LED;

a body in which the power source is received;

a key ring support member integral with the body; and

a structural component that is separate and distinct from both the LED and the body, the structural component defining at least a portion of an exterior surface of the flashlight and being formed from a translucent material.

2. The flashlight of claim 1, wherein the keyring support member is integrally formed as a portion of the body.

3. The flashlight of claim 1, wherein the keyring support member comprises first and second members that extend away from the body.

4. The flashlight of claim 1, wherein the keyring support member comprises first and second members that extend away from the body, the first and second members extending away from the body in an initially parallel manner.

5. The flashlight of claim 1, wherein the keyring support member comprises first and second members that extend away from the body, a distal end of one of the first and second members looping back toward a distal end of the other of the first and second members.

6. The flashlight of claim 1, wherein the keyring support member comprises first and second members that extend away from the body, end portions of the first and second members releasably interlocking with each other.

7. The flashlight of claim 1, wherein the keyring support member comprises first and second members that extend away from the body, one of the first and second members comprising a spring biased keyring lock.

8. The flashlight of claim 1, wherein the keyring support member comprises first and second members that extend away from the body, one of the first and second members comprising a spring biased keyring lock, the keyring lock being pivotable about an axis.

9. The flashlight of claim 1, wherein the keyring support member comprises first and second members that extend away from the body, one of the first and second members comprising a spring biased keyring lock, the keyring lock being pivotable about a circular post.

10. The flashlight of claim 1, wherein the keyring support member is located at a distal portion of the flashlight opposite to the LED.

11. The flashlight of claim 1, further comprising an electrically conductive element that is generally convex in shape.

12. The flashlight of claim 1, further comprising an electrically conductive element that is dome shaped.

13. The flashlight of claim 1, further comprising an electrically conductive element that is disposed in a first position wherein an open circuit exists between the power source and the LED and that is movable to a second position to close the circuit and thereby cause light to be emitted from the LED.

14. The flashlight of claim 1, wherein light can be emitted from the LED without creating physical contact between the LED and the power source.

15. The flashlight of claim 1, further comprising an electrically conductive and an elastomeric element, the electrically conductive element being moved from a first position to a second position by applying pressure to the elastomeric element.

16. The flashlight of claim 1, further comprising an electrically conductive and an elastomeric element, the electrically conductive element being moved from a first position to a second position by applying pressure to the elastomeric element, the elastomeric element being in physical contact with the electrically conductive element when the electrically conductive element is in the second position.