Flashlight having a controller providing programmable operating states

• US 8,662,701 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Streamlight, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Streamlight, Inc.
• Inventors: Sharrah, Raymond L., Ziegenfuss, Peter J., Snyder, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US13/751,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20130135849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 362204-206, 200/60, 200/302.2, 200/1.B
• US Class Current: 362/205
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/48 using buckling of disc springs
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/503 Stacked switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/002 superimposed
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/041 the light-intensity of the source H05B39/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/30 in which the lamp is fed by pulses, e.g. flash lamp
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/345 Current stabilisation; Maintaining constant current
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source

Abstract

An electrical light or flashlight may comprise: a housing for receiving a battery; an electrical light source in the housing; an electrical switch including an electrically conductive flexible dome providing a switch contact; a controller for selectively energizing and de-energizing the electrical light source, wherein said controller is programmable responsive to closures or openings or both of the electrical switch, or to a time therebetween, or to continuous closure or opening thereof, or to a combination thereof, for operating the light source in predetermined operating states.

Claims

1. An electrical light comprising:

a housing having a cavity for receiving a battery;

an electrical light source disposed in said housing;

a first electrical switch disposed on said housing and including an electrically conductive flexible dome providing at least one switch contact;

a controller disposed in said housing and electrically connected to said electrical light source and to the battery for selectively coupling electrical power from the battery to said electrical light source,

wherein said controller is programmable responsive to one or more closures or openings or both of the at least one switch contact of said first electrical switch, or to a time between closure or opening or both of the at least one switch contact of said first electrical switch, or to a time of continuous closure or continuous opening or both of the at least one switch contact of said first electrical switch, or to a combination thereof, for selectively operating said electrical light source in one or more predetermined operating states, and

wherein said electrical light source of said electrical light is selectively energizable and de-energizable in one or more predetermined operating states responsive to said first electrical switch.

2. The electrical light of claim 1 further comprising:

a second electrical switch disposed on said housing and including an electrically conductive flexible dome providing at least one switch contact;

wherein said controller is programmable responsive to one or more closures or openings or both of the at least one switch contact of said second electrical switch, or to a time between closure or opening or both of the at least one switch contact of said second electrical switch, or to a time of continuous closure or continuous opening or both of the at least one switch contact of said second electrical switch, or to a combination thereof, for selectively operating said electrical light source in one or more predetermined operating states, and

wherein said electrical light source of said electrical light is selectively energizable and de-energizable in one or more predetermined operating states responsive to either or both of said first and second electrical switches.

3. The electrical light of claim 2 wherein:

said first electrical switch is disposed toward a head end of said housing; and

said second electrical switch is disposed toward a tail end of said housing.

4. The electrical flashlight of claim 2 wherein either or both of said first and second electrical switches comprise:

a switch element including the electrically conductive flexible dome for providing a normally open switch contact and having a given actuating distance; and

an actuator movable for exerting force on the electrically conductive flexible dome of said switch element via a spring,

wherein said actuator moves a distance for closing the normally open switch contact that is substantially longer than the actuating distance of the flexible dome.

5. The electrical light of claim 1 wherein:

said first electrical switch is disposed toward a head end of said housing or is disposed toward a tail end of said housing.

6. The electrical flashlight of claim 1 wherein said first electrical switch comprises:

a switch element including the electrically conductive flexible dome for providing a normally open switch contact and having a given actuating distance, and

an actuator movable for exerting force on the electrically conductive flexible dome of said switch element via a spring,

wherein said actuator moves a distance for closing the normally open switch contact that is substantially longer than the actuating distance of the flexible dome.

7. The electrical flashlight of claim 1 wherein said controller is programmable to predetermined operating states for energizing said electrical light source momentarily, for energizing said electrical light source continuously, for de-energizing said electrical light source, for causing said electrical light source to alternate repetitively between energized and de-energized conditions, for causing said electrical light source to change from a more energized condition to a less energized condition, for causing said electrical light source to change from a less energized condition to a more energized condition, or for any combination of the foregoing.

8. The electrical flashlight of claim 1 wherein said controller is programmable to control said electrical light source to a momentary ON operating state, to a continuous ON operating state, to an OFF operating state, to a flashing operating state, to a dimmed operating state, or to an un-dimmed operating state, or to any combination thereof.

9. A flashlight comprising:

a housing having a cavity for a battery;

a light emitting diode light source disposed on said housing;

a first electrical switch disposed at a first location of said housing and including an electrically conductive flexible dome providing a switch contact for selectively actuating said light emitting diode light source;

a controller disposed in said housing, wherein said controller is responsive to said first switch for selectively energizing said light emitting diode light source;

wherein said controller, said first electrical switch, said battery and said light emitting diode light source are electrically connected in an electrical circuit;

wherein said controller is programmable responsive to said first electrical switch for controlling electrical power from the battery to said light emitting diode light source for selectively energizing and de-energizing said light emitting diode light source at least in a momentary ON operating state and in a continuous ON operating state;

whereby said light emitting diode light source of said flashlight may be selectively energized and de-energized responsive to said first electrical switch, and

wherein said controller is programmable responsive to one or more closures or openings or both of the switch contact of said first electrical switch, or to a time between closure or opening or both of the switch contact of said first electrical switch, or to a time of continuous closure or continuous opening or both of the switch contact of said first electrical switch, or to a combination thereof, for selecting one or more additional operating states for said light emitting diode light source,

whereby said flashlight is programmable for selectively operating said light emitting diode light source in one or more predetermined operating states responsive to said first electrical switch.

10. The flashlight of claim 9 further comprising:

a second electrical switch disposed at a second location of said housing and including an electrically conductive flexible dome providing a switch contact for selectively actuating said light emitting diode light source;

wherein said second electrical switch is connected in the electrical circuit with said controller, said first electrical switch, said battery and said light emitting diode light source,

wherein said controller is programmable responsive to said second electrical switch for controlling electrical power from the battery to said light emitting diode light source for selectively energizing and de-energizing said light emitting diode light source at least in a momentary ON operating state and in a continuous ON operating state;

wherein said controller is programmable responsive to one or more closures or openings or both of the switch contact of said second electrical switch, or to a time between closure or opening or both of the switch contact of said second electrical switch, or to a time of continuous closure or continuous opening or both of the switch contact of said second electrical switch, or to a combination thereof, for selecting one or more additional operating states for said light emitting diode light source,

whereby said flashlight is programmable for selectively operating said light emitting diode light source in one or more predetermined operating states responsive to said first electrical switch, to said second electrical switch or to both said first and second electrical switches.

11. The flashlight of claim 10 wherein applying a first pressure to said first electrical switch or to said second electrical switch causes said light emitting diode light source to produce light and releasing the first pressure causes said light emitting diode light source to cease to produce light, and wherein applying a second pressure greater than the first pressure to said first electrical switch or to said second electrical switch and releasing the greater second pressure causes said light emitting diode light source to continue to produce light.

12. The flashlight of claim 10 wherein either or both of said first electrical switch and said second electrical switch is a pushbutton switch comprising:

the electrically conductive flexible dome; and

an actuator movable for exerting force on the electrically conductive flexible dome via a spring,

wherein the actuator moves a distance for closing the switch contact provided by the electrically conductive flexible dome that is substantially longer than an actuating distance of the electrically conductive flexible dome.

13. The flashlight of claim 10 wherein said controller selectively energizes and de-energizes said light emitting diode light source responsive to either or both of said first and second electrical switches without electrical power to energize said light emitting diode light source flowing through the first and second electrical switches.

14. The flashlight of claim 9 wherein said controller is programmable for operating said light emitting diode light source in additional operating states including a flashing operating state, in a dimmed operating state, an un-dimmed operating state, or any combination thereof.

15. The flashlight of claim 9 wherein said first electrical switch is a pushbutton switch comprising:

the electrically conductive flexible dome; and

an actuator movable for exerting force on the electrically conductive flexible dome via a spring,

wherein the actuator moves a distance for closing the switch contact provided by the electrically conductive flexible dome that is substantially longer than an actuating distance of the electrically conductive flexible dome.

16. The flashlight of claim 9 wherein said controller is programmable to control electrical power to said light emitting diode light source for energizing said light emitting diode light source momentarily, or for energizing said light emitting diode light source continuously, or for de-energizing said light emitting diode light source, or for causing said light emitting diode light source to alternate repetitively between energized and de-energized conditions, or for causing said light emitting diode light source to change from a more energized condition to a less energized condition, or for causing said light emitting diode light source to change from a less energized condition to a more energized condition, or for any combination of the foregoing.

17. The flashlight of claim 9 wherein said controller selectively energizes and de-energizes said light emitting diode light source responsive to said first electrical switch without electrical power to energize said light emitting diode light source flowing through the first electrical switch.

18. A flashlight comprising:

a housing including a power source;

a light emitting source in the housing;

an electrical circuit for connecting the power source to the light emitting source, the circuit having a first switch at a location on the housing and a second switch located on a different location on the housing, wherein at least one of said first and second switches includes an electrically conductive flexible dome providing a switch contact; 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 said controller is programmable responsive to one or more closures or openings or both of the switch contact of said first switch and/or of the second switch, or to a time between closure or opening or both of the switch contact of said first switch and/or of said second switch, or to a time of continuous closure or continuous opening or both of the switch contact of said first switch and/or of said second switch, or to a combination thereof, to provide plural predetermined operating states, the operating states including at least a momentary ON operating state, a continuous ON operating state, and a flashing ON operating state and an OFF operating state; and

wherein the electrical circuit allows the light emitting source to be programmed into any operating state using the first switch, the second switch or both the first and second switches, and wherein each of the switches operates in the electrical circuit independently of the other switch so as to be able to independently program the light emitting source to any one or ones of the operating states.

19. The flashlight of claim 18 wherein said controller is programmable for operating said light emitting source in dimmed and un-dimmed operating states.

20. The flashlight of claim 18 wherein said controller selectively energizes and de-energizes said light emitting source responsive to either or both of said first and second electrical switches without electrical power to energize said light emitting source flowing through the switch contacts of said first and second electrical switches.