Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Combined pivoted and reciprocating contact
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-14
2001-04-24
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Combined pivoted and reciprocating contact
C200S060000, C200S043130, C200S315000, C200S321000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06222138
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The subject invention relates to battery operated appliance, flashlight and switching systems.
BACKGROUND
Even though battery operated appliances and flashlights and electric switches go back to the nineteenth century, there is room for improvement, as this disclosure will show.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the invention to provide improved battery operated appliances.
It is a germane object of the invention to provide improved power supply systems for battery operated appliances.
It is a related object of the invention to provide improved flashlight systems.
It is also an object of the invention to provide improved electric switches.
Other objects of the invention become apparent in the further course of this disclosure.
The invention resides also in a method of operating an electrical ON-OFF switch having an ON-OFF position push-button switch actuator and a rotary switch actuator, and, more specifically, resides in the improvement comprising, in combination, effecting electrical ON and OFF switching with the rotary switch actuator, rotating that rotary switch actuator past an OFF switching rotary motion to a further OFF position, and releasably blocking the ON-OFF position push-button switch actuator in an OFF position with that rotary switch actuator in that further OFF position of that rotary switch actuator.
From a related aspect thereof, the invention resides in an electrical ON-OFF switch having an ON-OFF position push-button switch actuator and a rotary switch actuator, and, more specifically, resides in the improvement comprising a rotary motion-to-translatory motion translator in said rotary switch actuator, and a releasable specifically, resides in the improvement comprising a rotary motion-to-translatory motion translator in said rotary switch actuator, and a releasable ON position blocker extending from the rotary switch actuator to the ON-OFF position push-button switch actuator and blocking that push-button switch actuator in an OFF position with the rotary motion-to-translatory motion translator and including said rotary motion-to-translatory motion translator.
The invention resides also in a method of providing an electric light source having a housing including a tail end with a bistable OFF and ON switching function and with a momentary ON switching function for said electric light source, and, more specifically, resides in the improvement comprising, in combination, unifying the bistable OFF and ON switching function and the momentary ON switching function into one electric toggle switch having an external switch actuating lever having a stable first position in which the electric light source is OFF, a stable second position in which the electric light source is ON, and a momentary third position biased toward the first position so that the electric light source is momentarily ON only as long as the external switch actuating lever is manually held in the third position against the biasing toward the first position, forming in a side of the tail end a recess having a side wall for laterally protecting the external switch actuating lever against accidental interference, and mounting the electric toggle switch in the tail end inside that recess so that such side wall protects the actuating lever against accidental interference.
From a related aspect thereof, the invention resides in an electric light source having a housing including a tail end, and, more specifically, resides in the improvement comprising, in combination, a recess in a side of that tail end, and a toggle switch mounted in the tail end inside of that recess and having an external switch actuating lever in that recess having a stable first position in which the electric light source is OFF, a stable second position in which the electric light source is ON, and a momentary third position biased toward first position so that the electric light source is momentarily ON only as long as the external switch actuating lever is manually held in its third position against the bias toward its first position.
The invention resides also in various combinations of these aspects. By way of example, the invention resides also in a method of casting a light beam with a flashlight, comprising, in combination with other aspects of the invention herein disclosed, casting a first light beam with a first lamp and reflector assembly, removing that first lamp and reflector assembly and substituting therefor an alternative second lamp and reflector assembly, and alternatively casting a second light beam of a different configuration with that alternative second lamp and reflector assembly.
The invention similarly resides in a flashlight, comprising, in combination with other aspects of the invention herein disclosed, a first light-beam-casting lamp and reflector assembly, a different light-beam-casting second lamp and reflector assembly, and a common receptacle in the flashlight for the first light-beam-casting lamp and reflector assembly and alternatively for the second lamp and reflector assembly.
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Extended Range Flashlights catalog sheets dated Dec. 1, 1997 by Laser Products.
Kim Paul Youngcho
Matthews John Wallace
Friedhofer Michael
Laser Products Ltd.
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