Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-14
2001-08-07
Tolin, Gerald (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
C200S060000, C362S158000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272004
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The current invention provides a watertight flashlight with an adjustable intensity that finds application for a wide variety of uses such as scuba divers, auto mechanics and soldiers. Prior art provides a flashlight with a rotary switch offering “ON” and “OFF” positions. It does not provide a momentary “ON” position. The prior art switch is not easily accessible by the thumb of a user. It does riot provide a variety of output light modes. The activator or switch is not easily visible to a user making it difficult for a user to know its mode. The prior art design does not provide a means to continuously vary the intensity of the emitted light within a range of intensities. Prior art provides a watertight design with a seal at the switch but no disclosure is made regarding the ability of the prior art seal to release the internal hydrogen gas from its case to avoid a safety hazard. The switch on the prior art design does not include a means to lockout movement to prevent accidental switch activation. The contacts for the switch are part of the case. Therefore, worn or pitted contacts are not easily replaced if they become corroded. Prior art does not provide a means for the lens to assume control of the intensity of the lamp thereby permitting a user with large gloves to operate the light. Prior art does not provide a means to permit the position of the lens to limit the intensity of the emitted light.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Embodiment of the current invention solve the many aforementioned problems of the prior art design. The current design discloses a flashlight with a power control means that is easily activated by the thumb of an operator. Additionally, the operator can easily use his thumb to achieve different intensity levels as well as a momentary “ON” mode. If the operator has gloves and cannot move the activator lever of the current design, he can still use the flashlight and control its intensity by rotating the lens. The flashlight is watertight and remains watertight even if the lens is partially unscrewed to adjust the intensity. An optional lockout is provided to assure that the activator lever does not accidentally energize the lamp during shipping and storage of the flashlight. A two direction seal is provided to permit hydrogen gas to escape the flashlight and avoid an explosion hazard while simultaneously sealing the flashlight against the entry of water.
The present invention describes a flashlight including; a case, a power supply, a light module comprising a lamp and a power control means. The flashlight is capable of a plurality of functions. The power control means usually comprises an activator and an electrical controller. The electrical controller is a switch, rheostat or potentiometer which is activated or controlled by the activator. The electrical controller normally includes a movable plunger which upon a deflection changes a parameter—usually its resistance—of the electrical controller to change the voltage to the lamp. The operator controls the power supplied to the lamp by manually moving the activator which in turn moves the plunger of the electrical controller and thereby adjusts the electrical controller which regulates the voltage applied to the lamp. The electrical controller employs a plunger which requires a linear movement to change its characteristics. However, other plungers requiring rotary or other movements could also be employed. The activator means is fastened to the case of the flashlight and the electrical controller fastened to the light module. This embodiment is advantageous In that the activator is not electrically connected to or physically fastened to the light module. This permits the light module to be easily removed from the flashlight for repair or when changing batteries. It also permits rapid maintenance as the electrical controller is contoured within the light module a component which is easily replaced.
The power control means turns the flashlight “ON” and “OFF”. It also permits the flashlight to remain “ON” when unattended. It also permits the intensity to be varied within a range of intensities. It also provides a spring loaded momentary “ON” mode whereby the flashlight automatically extinguishes the lamp when its activating lever is released by the user. The momentary “ON” mode can also be employed by the user to pulse or flash the light or to send a coded signal with the output beam.
If the activator lever of the power control means is positioned at the “ON” position the control of the power to the lamp of the flashlight can be regulated by the position of the lens of the flashlight relative to the case. Thus an operator can regulate the intensity by a movement of the lens. This is desirable for those situations where a user has gloves and cannot easily manipulate the compact activating lever. Additionally, the intensity of the emitted light relating to a selected position of the rotary activator can be altered by the location of the lens of the flashlight relative to the case. Thus an operator can control the maximum intensity achievable with the activator by rotating the lens to a desired position relative to the case.
The activating lever usually provides both a clockwise and a counterclockwise rotation to permit the user to select different modes of operation. A cam is also normally provided with dual lobes or contours so that the power control function functions differently contingent upon the user selected direction of activator rotation.
Finally, the cam is usually designed to move a follower so that the rotary movement of the activator lever results in a linear movement of the follower resulting in a linear movement of the rheostat plunger. A linear movement of the follower is a desirable means of moving the rheostat plunger located at the light module because it avoids the application of rotary forces to the rheostat plunger. Unwanted rotary forces or torques can result in jamming and excess wear of the rheostat plunger which requires a linear movement. The cam can optionally move the rheostat plunger directly without employing a follower. This, as previously indicated, applies unwanted lateral forces to the plunger but it does beneficially reduce the manufacturing cost of the flashlight. Also for some embodiments the rheostat can employ a plunger that requires non-linear movement or a rotation in order to change its resistance.
Some embodiments employ a switch in place of the rheostat. This change reduces the cost but limits the output mode of the flashlight lamp to full “ON” or full “OFF”.
Since flashlights are stored in a variety of locations, it is always a concern that the power control means can be accidentally activated. In order to avoid this problem, the current invention includes a lockout that prevents accidental movement of the activator lever from the “OFF” to the “ON” position. The lockout generally includes a spring loaded slider that automatically snaps into a mating track whenever the movable lever of the activator aligns with the “OFF” position. The lockout then prevents rotation of the lever until the operator deliberately moves the slider from the track. The lockout can also be designed to function without a spring. This would avoid the lockout slider automatically moving into the lockout mode each time the user aligned the activator lever with the “OFF” position. In this case, the operator would move the slider both into the locked position and out of the locked position according to his needs.
The activator can optionally include a seal such as an O-ring or U shaped seal to provide for a watertight or sealed flashlight.
Battery powered lights can create a hazard when they are sealed to be made watertight. Batteries can, on occasion, emit hydrogen gas. This gas can cause an explosion when subjected to a spark such as that generated by the switching of the lamp from “ON” to “OFF”. If a flashlight is not sealed the hydrogen gas does not normally create a hazard because it can escape from the battery compartment. However, a watertight flashlight is sealed and t
Bloom Leonard
Tolin Gerald
LandOfFree
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