Miniature flashlight

• US 5,143,441 A
• Filed: 12/18/1991
• Issued: 09/01/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MAG Instrument Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MAG Instrument Incorporated
• Inventors: Maglica, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US07/809,846
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 362/187, 362/194, 362/197, 362/203, 362/205, 200/60
• US Class Current: 362/203
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 2/00 Systems of electric lighting devices systems employing both electric and non-electric light sources or exchangeable light sources F21L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/005 the device being a pocket lamp F21L4/022, F21L4/045, F21L4/085 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/00 Lighting devices intended to be free-standing F21S9/00, F21S10/00, F21S13/12 take precedence lighting devices specially adapted to be transported from place to place, e.g. lighting devices carried on wheeled supports F21L; details of supports for lighting devices F21V21/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/02 the power supply being a battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/025 in portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/045 in portable lighting devices
• 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 23/0414 specially adapted to be used with portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/00 Gas-tight or water-tight arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/005 Sealing arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/03 with provision for venting for vehicle head lights F21S45/33; for vehicle rear lights F21S41/192
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/58 with contact-driving member rotated step-wise in one direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/048 using a sealing boot, e.g. the casing having separate elastic body surrounding the operating member and hermetically closing the opening for it

Abstract

A miniature flashlight comprising a barrel, tail cap, head, bulb holder, bulb and an electrical circuit. The bulb holder is positioned at one end of the barrel such that the bulb extends into the head. The head includes a parabolic reflector surrounding the bulb such that the rotation of the head relative to the barrel changes the focus of the flashlight beam. A rotary switch associates the bulb holder with the barrel to control opening and closing of the electrical circuit. Rotation of the head away from the barrel closes the electrical circuit. The head is not a part of the electrical circuit and its removal exposes the bulb for substantially spherical illumination. The head assembly is removable from the barrel for use as a base into which the tail cap and barrel is inserted to stand the miniature flashlight in its "on" condition, as a lamp.

Claims

1. A flashlight powered by at least one battery, comprising

a barrel for retaining the at least one battery, said barrel having first and second ends;

a lamp bulb having two contacts and a filament;

a socket for holding said lamp bulb, said socket being retained at least partially within said barrel adjacent said first end thereof and being adapted to locate said bulb filament axially beyond said first end;

a substantially parabolic reflector having a central opening therein adapted to receive said lamp bulb;

a substantially planar lens;

a head assembly for retaining said reflector and said lens in a mutually fixed relationship and being rotatably disposed at said first end to be controllably axially translatable along said barrel such that the relative positional relationship between said reflector and said lamp bulb may be varied, thereby varying a reflection dispersion of a light beam emanating through said lens from said lamp bulb;

a tail cap being engageable with said barrel at said second end;

an electrical circuit for coupling said two contacts of said lamp bulb with first and second electrodes of at least one battery positioned in said barrel, said electrical circuit not including conduction through said head assembly wherein relative motion of said head assembly in the axial direction away from said barrel separates said head assembly from said barrel to expose said lamp bulb and allow for a dispersion of substantially spherical illumination with said head assembly removed from said first end of said barrel;

a rotary switch in said electrical circuit, said rotary switch selectively opening and closing said electrical circuit with the at least one battery retained within said barrel, said switch including one of said first and second ends of said barrel as a first switch contact.