Multi-switch flashlight

• US 7,441,920 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2007
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pelican Products Incorporated (Pelican Products Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pelican Products Incorporated (Pelican Products Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ali, Shahid, Lee, Kiem T., Kang, Sukwon Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton; Anabel
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAN, JASON
• Application Number:
  US11/767,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 362205-206, 362/295
• US Class Current: 362/205
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/085 Pocket lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0414 specially adapted to be used with portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks

Abstract

A flashlight includes a battery and two switches each being for operating a light emitting source of the flashlight. The switches are linked 3-way switches and have momentary-on functionality. There are contacts on an intermediate portion of the barrel for contact with a recharging device. There is a spring member between the switching device above the barrel and the top of the battery and a spring member on the base of the barrel at the bottom of the battery. An enlarged head is located above the barrel and there is the intermediate portion between the head and the barrel. The intermediate portion receives part of the first switch. The second switch is located in part of the tail cap of the flashlight.

Claims

1. A flashlight comprising:

an elongated member for housing a power source, the member having a front end and a tail end at an opposite end of the member, and a side wall between the front end and the tail end and wherein the member comprises a head and a tail cap;

the member further housing a light emitting source and a three-way switch circuit connecting the power source to the light emitting source;

the three-way switch circuit having a first three-way switch located on the side wall, wherein the first three-way switch is closer towards the front end of the member than the tail end, and a second three-way switch located on the tail end, wherein the three-way switch circuit allows the flashlight to be turned on using the first three-way switch and turned off using the second three-way switch and vice versa, and wherein at least one of the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch includes a momentary on function;

the first three-way switch being a side switch and the second three-way switch being a tail switch;

the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch both including an electrical connection with the three-way switch circuit, the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch acting to open and close the three-way switch circuit between the battery and the light emitting source;

the power source being a rechargeable battery;

a first spring extending from the location of the first three-way switch to the rechargeable battery and a second spring between the rechargeable battery and the tail end of the member;

the side wall having an inner surface and an outer surface relative to the member; and

the three-way switch circuit being directed from the battery to an electrical contact on the light emitting source, and wherein the member defines a length from the tail end to the front end, and

wherein the first three-way switch is on the side wall located approximately ⅔

of the length of the flashlight from the tail end.

2. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein both of the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch have a momentary on function, the momentary on function being for closing the three-way switch circuit when manual pressure used to operate the three-way switch reaches a predetermined threshold and for opening the electrical circuit when manual pressure is reduced below the predetermined threshold.

3. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tail cap excludes a battery housing.

4. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flashlight defines an axial direction from the head to the body to the tail and wherein the tail cap includes a single switch and no other switch, the single switch being directed for operation to switch on and off by pressure in an axial direction of the flashlight.

5. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light emitting source is an LED.

6. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery includes a battery pack is part of the circuit between the first switch and the second switch.

7. A flashlight as claimed in claim 6, wherein the battery pack comprises a casing and a plurality of electrical terminals.

8. A flashlight comprising:

a body member for housing a power source, the body member having a leading end and a base end at an opposite end of the body, and a side wall between the leading end and the base end;

a head for engaging the leading end, the head housing a light emitting source and excluding a switch assembly;

a tail for engaging the base end and having a tail end;

a three-way switch circuit connecting the power source to the light emitting source, the three-way switch circuit having a first three-way switch located on the side wall, wherein the first three-way switch is closer towards the leading end of the body member than the base end, and a second three-way switch located on the tail end, wherein the three-way switch circuit allows the flashlight to be turned on using the first three-way switch and turned off using the second three-way switch and vice versa, and wherein at least one of the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch includes a momentary on function;

the first three-way switch being a side switch and the second three-way switch being a tail switch;

the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch both including an electrical connection with the three-way switch circuit, the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch acting to open and close the three-way switch circuit between the battery and the light emitting source;

the power source being a rechargeable battery;

a first spring extending from the location of the first three-way switch to the rechargeable battery and a second spring between the rechargeable battery and the tail;

the three-way switch circuit being directed from the battery to an electrical contact on the light emitting source, and wherein the body member defines a length from the base to the leading end, and

wherein the three-way switch on the body member is closer to the leading end of the body member than to the base of the body member.

9. A flashlight as claimed in claim 8 wherein the tail excludes a battery housing.

10. A flashlight as claimed in claim 8 wherein the flashlight defines an axial direction from the head to the body to the tail and wherein the tail end includes a single switch and no other switch, the single switch being directed for operation to switch on and off by pressure in an axial direction of the flashlight.

11. A flashlight as claimed in claim 8 wherein both of the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch have a momentary on function, the momentary on function being for closing the three-way switch circuit when manual pressure used to operate the three-way switch reaches a predetermined threshold and for opening the electrical circuit when manual pressure is reduced below the predetermined threshold.

12. A flashlight as claimed in claim 8 wherein the light emitting source is an LED.

13. A flashlight as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rechargeable battery includes a battery pack is part of the circuit between the first switch and the second switch.

14. A flashlight as claimed in claim 13, wherein the battery pack comprises a casing and a plurality of electrical terminals.

15. A flashlight comprising:

an elongated member for housing a power source, the member having a front end and a tail end at an opposite end of the member, and a side wall between the front end and the tail end and wherein the member comprises a head and a tail cap;

the member further housing a light emitting source and a three-way switch circuit connecting the power source to the light emitting source;

the three-way switch circuit having a first three-way switch located on the side wall and a second three-way switch located on the tail cap, wherein the three-way switch circuit allows the flashlight to be turned on using the first three-way switch and turned off using the second three-way switch and vice versa, and wherein each of the three-way switches also operates in the three-way switch circuit independently of the other three-way switch so as to be able to independently switch the light emitting source on or off;

the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch both including an electrical connection with the three-way switch circuit, the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch acting to open and close the three-way switch circuit between the battery and the light emitting source;

the power source being a rechargeable battery; and

the three-way switch circuit being directed from the battery to an electrical contact on the light emitting source, wherein both the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch have a momentary on function, the momentary on function being for closing the three-way switch circuit when manual pressure used to operate the three-way switch reaches a predetermined threshold and for opening the electrical circuit when manual pressure is reduced below the predetermined threshold.

16. A flashlight as claimed in claim 15, wherein the rechargeable battery includes a battery pack is part of the circuit between the first switch and the second switch, wherein the battery pack comprises a casing and a plurality of electrical terminals.

17. A flashlight as claimed in claim 15 wherein the tail cap excludes a battery housing.

18. A flashlight as claimed in claim 15 wherein the flashlight defines an axial direction from the head to the body to the tail and wherein the tail cap includes a single switch and no other switch, the single switch being directed for operation to switch on and off by pressure in an axial direction of the flashlight.

19. A flashlight comprising:

an elongated member for housing a power source, the member having a front end and a tail end at an opposite end of the member, and a side wall between the front end and the tail end and wherein the member comprises a head and a tail cap;

the member further housing a light emitting source and a three-way switch circuit connecting the power source to the light emitting source;

the three-way switch circuit having a first three-way switch located on the side wall and a second three-way switch located on the tail cap, wherein the three-way switch circuit allows the flashlight to be turned on using the first three-way switch and turned off using the second three-way switch and vice versa, and wherein each of the three-way switches also operates in the three-way switch circuit independently of the other three-way switch so as to be able to independently switch the light emitting source on or off;

the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch both including an electrical connection with the three-way switch circuit, the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch acting to open and close the three-way switch circuit between the battery and the light emitting source;

the power source being a rechargeable battery; and

wherein both the first three-way switch and the second three-way switch have a momentary on function, the momentary on function being for closing the three-way switch circuit when manual pressure used to operate the three-way switch reaches a predetermined threshold and for opening the electrical circuit when manual pressure is reduced below the predetermined threshold.

20. A flashlight as claimed in claim 19 wherein the first three-way switch is located on the side wall closer to the head of the elongated member than to the tail cap and the second three-way switch is located with the tail cap.