Flashlight having plural switches and a controller
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electrical flashlight comprising:
- a housing having a head end and a tail end and having a cavity for receiving a battery;
an electrical light source disposed toward the head end of said housing;
a first pushbutton switch disposed toward the head end of said housing for providing at least a first switch contact;
a second pushbutton switch disposed toward the tail end of said housing for providing at least a second switch contact; and
a controller disposed in said housing and electrically connected to said electrical light source and to the battery when a battery is provided in the cavity of said housing for selectively coupling electrical power from the battery to said electrical light source,wherein said controller is electrically connected to said first pushbutton switch and is responsive to closure, or opening, or both, of the first switch contact for controlling electrical power to said electrical light source at least for selectively energizing and de-energizing said electrical light source when the battery is present in the cavity of said housing, andwherein said controller is electrically connected to said second pushbutton switch and is responsive to closure, or opening, or both, of the second switch contact for controlling electrical power to said electrical light source at least for selectively energizing and de-energizing said electrical light source when the battery is present in the cavity of said housing,whereby said electrical light source of said flashlight may be selectively energized and de-energized responsive to either or both of said first and second pushbutton switches without electrical power to energize the light source flowing through the first and second pushbutton switches.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical switch comprises first and second switch elements including respective first and second electrically conductive flexible domes for selectively making electrical connections. The second switch element is disposed adjacent the first switch element with an electrical conductor therebetween. An actuator is movable for exerting force on the second switch element via a spring, and for exerting force on the first switch element via the spring and the second switch element. The second flexible dome may have an actuating force that is less than the actuating force of said first flexible dome.
235 Citations
43 Claims
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1. An electrical flashlight comprising:
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a housing having a head end and a tail end and having a cavity for receiving a battery; an electrical light source disposed toward the head end of said housing; a first pushbutton switch disposed toward the head end of said housing for providing at least a first switch contact; a second pushbutton switch disposed toward the tail end of said housing for providing at least a second switch contact; and a controller disposed in said housing and electrically connected to said electrical light source and to the battery when a battery is provided in the cavity of said housing for selectively coupling electrical power from the battery to said electrical light source, wherein said controller is electrically connected to said first pushbutton switch and is responsive to closure, or opening, or both, of the first switch contact for controlling electrical power to said electrical light source at least for selectively energizing and de-energizing said electrical light source when the battery is present in the cavity of said housing, and wherein said controller is electrically connected to said second pushbutton switch and is responsive to closure, or opening, or both, of the second switch contact for controlling electrical power to said electrical light source at least for selectively energizing and de-energizing said electrical light source when the battery is present in the cavity of said housing, whereby said electrical light source of said flashlight may be selectively energized and de-energized responsive to either or both of said first and second pushbutton switches without electrical power to energize the light source flowing through the first and second pushbutton switches. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A flashlight comprising:
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a housing having a head end and a tail end and having a cavity for receiving a battery; an electrical light source disposed at the head end of said housing; a first switch disposed toward the head end of said housing; a second switch disposed toward the tail end of said housing; an electrical circuit electrically connected to said first and second switches, to said electrical light source and to the battery when a battery is provided in the cavity of said housing for selectively coupling electrical power from the battery to said electrical light source, wherein said electrical circuit is responsive to said first switch for controlling electrical power to said electrical light source at least for selectively energizing said electrical light source in at least a momentary ON condition and a continuous ON condition and for de-energizing said electrical light source in an OFF condition, wherein said electrical circuit is responsive to said second switch for controlling electrical power to said electrical light source at least for selectively energizing said electrical light source in at least a momentary ON condition and a continuous ON condition and for de-energizing said electrical light source in an OFF condition; said electrical circuit including a controller electrically connected for selectively coupling electrical power from the battery to said electrical light source when a battery is in the cavity of said housing, whereby said flashlight may be selectively energized and de-energized in response to either or both of said first and second switches for operating said electrical light source in at least the momentary ON condition, the continuous ON condition, and the OFF condition. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A flashlight comprising:
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a housing having a head end and a tail end and having a cavity for receiving a battery; an electrical light source disposed at the head end of said housing; a first switch disposed toward the head end of said housing; a second switch disposed toward the tail end of said housing; and a controller; wherein said controller, said first and second switches, said electrical light source and the battery are electrically connected in circuit for selectively coupling electrical power from the battery to said electrical light source when the battery is in the cavity of said housing, wherein said electrical light source is responsive to said first switch for being selectively energized in at least a momentary ON condition and a continuous ON condition and de-energized in an OFF condition when the battery is in the cavity of said housing, wherein said electrical light source is responsive to said second switch for being selectively energized in at least a momentary ON condition and a continuous ON condition and de-energized in an OFF condition when the battery is in the cavity of said housing, whereby said flashlight may be selectively energized and de-energized responsive to either or both of said first and second switches for operating said electrical light source in at least a momentary ON condition, a continuous ON condition, and an OFF condition. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A flashlight comprising:
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a housing having a head end and a tail end and having a cavity for receiving a battery; a light emitting diode light source disposed at the head end of said housing; a first pushbutton switch disposed at a relatively forward location of said housing for selectively actuating said light emitting diode light source; a second pushbutton switch disposed at a relatively rearward location of said housing for selectively actuating said light emitting diode light source; and a controller disposed rearward of said light emitting diode light source and forward of the battery cavity of said housing, wherein said controller is electrically connected to said light emitting diode light source and to the battery for selectively coupling electrical power from the battery to said electrical light source, when the battery is in the cavity of said housing, wherein said controller, said first pushbutton switch, said second pushbutton switch, and said light emitting diode light source are electrically connected in an electrical circuit, and wherein the battery is electrically connected in the electrical circuit when the battery is in the battery cavity of said housing, wherein the electrical circuit is responsive to said first pushbutton switch for controlling electrical power from the battery to said light emitting diode light source selectively energizing and de-energizing said electrical light source at least in a momentary ON condition and in a continuous ON condition, when the battery is in the cavity of said housing, wherein the electrical circuit is responsive to said second pushbutton switch for controlling electrical power from the battery to said light emitting diode light source for selectively energizing and de-energizing said electrical light source at least in a momentary ON condition and in a continuous ON condition, when the battery is in the cavity of said housing, whereby said electrical light source of said flashlight may be selectively energized and de-energized responsive to either or both of said first and second pushbutton switches, and wherein said controller selectively causes said light emitting diode light source to flash ON and OFF. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A flashlight comprising:
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a housing for a power source, the housing having a front end and a tail end at an opposite end of the housing; a light emitting source at the front end of the housing; an electrical circuit for connecting the power source to the light emitting source, the circuit having a first switch located toward the front end of the housing and a second switch located on the tail end of the housing, wherein the circuit allows the light emitting source to be turned on using the first switch and to be turned off using the second switch and vice versa, and wherein each of the switches also operates in the circuit independently of the other switch so as to be able to independently switch the light emitting source on or off; and a controller in the electrical circuit and connected to the power source and to the light emitting source for selectively controlling the operation of the light emitting source, wherein both the first switch and the second switch includes a momentary ON function, the momentary ON function being for closing the electrical circuit when a first pressure is used to operate either of the switches and for opening the electrical circuit when the first pressure is reduced. - View Dependent Claims (41)
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42. A flashlight comprising:
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a housing for a power source, the housing having a front end and a tail end at an opposite end of the housing; a light emitting source disposed toward the front end of the housing; an electrical circuit for connecting the power source to the light emitting source, the circuit having a first switch located toward the front end of the housing and a second switch located on the tail end of the housing, wherein the circuit allows the light emitting source to be turned ON using the first switch and to be turned OFF using the second switch and vice versa, and wherein each of the switches also operates in the circuit independently of the other switch so as to be able to independently switch the light emitting source ON or OFF; and a controller in the electrical circuit and connected to the power source and to the light emitting source for selectively controlling the operation of the light emitting source, wherein both of the first switch and the second switch includes a momentary ON function, the momentary ON function being for closing the electrical circuit when pressure used to operate the switch reaches a first pressure and for opening the electrical circuit when the pressure is reduced below the first pressure, and wherein both of the first switch and the second switch are biased toward an OFF state, such that the bias must be overcome by application of pressure greater than a second pressure to change the at least one switch from the OFF state to an ON state, the second pressure being greater than the first pressure. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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Specification