Clothing attachable light

• US 7,549,763 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SureFire LLC (Surefire Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: SureFire LLC (Surefire Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Mitchell, Travis S., Tang, Laichang, Kim, Paul Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Gunyoung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/594,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103, 362/105, 362/106, 362/108, 362/396, 362/190, 362/191, 362/197, 362/199, 362/269, 362/427, 362/457, 362/458, 248/229.13, 248/229.16, 248/231.81, 248/292.12, 248/292.13, 216/0, 220/913
• US Class Current: 362/106
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/044 Lighting devices, e.g. helmets with lamps
• 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: Y10T 29/49895 Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]

Abstract

A light adapted for attachment to an article of clothing such as a strap of an assault or MOLLE vest. A preferred light embodiment includes a clip for removable attachment to the strap, and a light body removably securable to a docking base pivotally secured to the clip.

Claims

1. A mount assembly for mounting a light body to an article of clothing, comprising:

a clip including at least one pair of legs removably attachable to an article of clothing;

a pivot assembly including two opposed brackets secured to said clip, two fixed adjustment rings respectively in said brackets, and a pivot pin extending between said fixed adjustment rings;

a docking base for lockably engaging the light body, said docking base including two opposed arms each including an adjustment ring cooperatively configured to said fixed adjustment rings and pivotally mounted to said pivot pin; and

a spring carried by said pivot pin biasing said arms away from one another.

2. The mount assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

said clip includes two pairs of legs.

3. The mount assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

the article of clothing includes a strap; and

said at least one pair of legs is removably attachable to the strap.

4. The mount assembly according to claim 3, wherein:

the article of clothing comprises an assault vest.

5. The mount assembly according to claim 3, wherein:

the article of clothing comprises a vest including the strap.

6. Light apparatus for attachment to an article of clothing, comprising:

a clip for being removably attached to the article of clothing;

a pivot assembly including two opposed brackets secured to said clip, two fixed adjustment rings respectively in said brackets, and a pivot pin extending between said fixed adjustment rings;

a docking base including two opposed arms each including an adjustment ring cooperatively configured to said fixed adjustment rings and pivotally mounted to said pivot pin;

a spring carried by said pivot pin biasing said arms away from one another;

a light body including at least one light source;

two spaced-apart parallel channels in one of said docking base and said light body; and

two spaced-apart parallel rails on the other one of said docking base and said light body, said two parallel rails alignable with said two parallel channels and slidably engagable therealong for attaching said light body to said docking base.

7. The light apparatus according to claim 6, including:

a U-shaped channel joining said two parallel channels; and

a U-shaped rail joining said two parallel rails, said U-shaped rail complementary to said U-shaped channel for engagement therewith.

8. The light apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

said rings of said docking base each includes a plurality of radially spaced ridges and valleys, said rings of said pivot assembly each includes radially spaced valleys and ridges engaging said ridges and valleys of said rings of said docking base.

9. The light apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

said two parallel channels and said U-shaped channel are in said docking base; and

said two parallel rails and said U-shaped rail are on said light body.

10. Light apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

said docking base and said light body are adapted for automatically locking said light body to said docking base with said U-shaped rail engaging said U-shaped channel and with said two parallel rails engaging said two parallel channels.

11. The light apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said docking base includes an actuator for releasing said light body from said docking base when actuated.

12. Light apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

said pivot assembly secures said docking base to said clip for engaging said docking base in a selected one of a plurality of alternative fixed orientations with respect to said clip.

13. The light apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

said clip includes at least one pair of legs.

14. The light apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

one leg of said at least one pair of legs includes a catch directed toward the other leg of said at least one pair of legs.

15. The light apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

an end of one leg of said at least one pair of legs is tapered toward the other leg of said at least one pair of legs.

16. The light apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the article of clothing comprises an assault vest.

17. The light apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the article of clothing comprises a vest including a strap.

18. The light apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the article of clothing comprises a strap.

19. The light apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

said clip includes a pair of legs having a catch on one of said legs for capturing a portion of the strap between said legs of said pair of legs.