Illumination – Self powered lamp – Cylindrical flashlight casing
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-14
2003-09-02
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Self powered lamp
Cylindrical flashlight casing
C362S206000, C200S060000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06612715
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a flashlight, more particularly to a flashlight with a tail cap switch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional flashlight
1
is shown to comprise a conductive barrel
11
, a tail cap switch
12
, a lamp unit
13
and a battery unit
14
. The barrel
11
has a front end portion
111
and an externally threaded rear end portion
112
with a distal rear end face
113
. The battery unit
14
has a first electrode and a second electrode opposite to the first electrode in a longitudinal direction. The lamp unit
14
includes a lamp having a first lamp terminal
132
connected electrically to the barrel
11
, and a second lamp terminal
131
connected electrically to the first electrode of the battery unit
14
.
The tail cap switch
12
is mounted threadedly on the rear end portion
111
of the barrel
11
, and includes a tail cap member
121
, a push button member
122
and a conductive biasing member
123
. The tail cap member
121
has an end wall
1211
formed with a button hole
1210
, and a tubular wall
1212
extending from a periphery of the end wall
1211
in the longitudinal direction.
The push button member
12
has an operating portion
1221
slidably extending through the buttonhole
1210
, a conductive contact portion
1224
connected to the operating portion
1221
and disposed to confront the distal rear end face
113
of the barrel
11
in the longitudinal direction, and a tubular support
1222
extending from the conductive contact portion
1224
and slidably into the rear end portion
112
of the barrel
11
.
The conductive biasing member
123
has a first biasing end for contacting electrically the second electrode of the battery unit
14
, and a second biasing end disposed in the tubular support
1222
and electrically connected to the conductive contact portion
1224
.
When the push button member
122
is not pressed and the tail cap member
121
is not thoroughly screwed on the barrel
11
, the conductive biasing member
123
will bias the push button member
122
such that the conductive contact portion
1224
is spaced apart from the distal rear end face
113
of the barrel
11
, thereby breaking electrical connection between the barrel
11
and the second electrode of the battery unit
14
. On the other hand, when the push button member
122
is pressed or the tail cap member
121
is thoroughly screwed on the barrel
11
to the extent that the conductive contact portion
1224
abuts against the distal rear end face
113
of the barrel
11
, electrical connection will be made between the barrel
11
and the second electrode of the battery unit
14
.
The following are some of the drawbacks of the conventional flashlight
1
:
1. When the tail cap switch
12
is removed, such as during replacement of the battery unit
14
, the push button member
122
and the conductive biasing member
123
may fall out since there is no mechanism for preventing undesired removal of the same, thus resulting in inconvenience or even loss of components.
2. Accidental or unintentional pressing of the push button member
122
of the tail cap switch
12
will result in waste of battery power.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a flashlight that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the conventional flashlight.
Accordingly, a flashlight of this invention comprises:
a conductive barrel adapted to receive a battery unit therein, the barrel extending in a longitudinal direction and having a front end portion and an externally threaded rear end portion with a distal rear end face, the battery unit having a first electrode and a second electrode opposite to the first electrode in the longitudinal direction;
a lamp unit mounted in the front end portion, the lamp unit including a lamp having a first lamp terminal connected electrically to the barrel and a second lamp terminal adapted to be connected electrically to the first electrode; and
a tail cap switch mounted on the rear end portion of the barrel, the tail cap switch including
a tail cap member having an end wall and a tubular wall extending from a periphery of the end wall in the longitudinal direction, the end wall being formed with a button hole, the tubular wall having an inner wall surface formed with an internally threaded segment that is spaced apart from the end wall in the longitudinal direction and that cooperates with the end wall to form a contact receiving space, the internally threaded segment threadedly engaging the rear end portion of the barrel and forming an annular shoulder at a boundary with the contact receiving space,
a push button member having an operating portion slidably extending through the button hole, a conductive contact portion connected to the operating portion and extending into the contact receiving space, the conductive contact portion being disposed to confront the distal rear end face of the barrel in the longitudinal direction, and a tubular support extending from the conductive contact portion and slidably into the rear end portion of the barrel,
an insulator unit for preventing electrical connection between the conductive contact portion and the barrel via the tail cap member,
a conductive biasing member having a first biasing end adapted to contact electrically the second electrode of the battery unit, and a second biasing end disposed in the tubular support and electrically connected to the conductive contact portion, and
an annular contact blocking member made of an insulator material, disposed around the rear end portion of the barrel and within the contact receiving space, and abutting against the annular shoulder.
The tail cap member is adjustable relative to the barrel to one of a normally closed position, a normally open position, and a switch on/off position between the normally closed position and the normally open position.
When the tail cap member is at the normally closed position, the contact blocking member does not project rearwardly relative to the distal rear end face of the barrel, and the end wall of the tail cap member presses the conductive contact portion of the push button member to abut against the distal rear end face of the barrel and thus form a closed electrical circuit.
When the tail cap member is at the switch on/off position, the contact blocking member does not project rearwardly relative to the distal rear end face of the barrel, and the biasing member biases the push button member such that the conductive contact portion abuts against the end wall of the tail cap member and is spaced apart from the distal rear end face of the barrel to break electrical connection between the conductive contact portion and the barrel in a non-operated state of the push button member. The push button member is movable in the longitudinal direction against biasing action of the biasing member to abut the conductive contact portion against the distal rear end face of the barrel and make electrical connection therebetween when an external pressing force is applied on the operating portion.
When the tail cap member is at the normally open position, the contact blocking member is disposed to project rearwardly relative to the distal rear end face of the barrel so as to prevent the conductive contact portion of the push button member from abutting against the distal rear end face of the barrel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5629105 (1997-05-01), Matthews
patent: 5752764 (1998-05-01), Shiau
patent: 6222138 (2001-04-01), Matthews et al.
patent: 6296371 (2001-10-01), Shiau
patent: 6386732 (2002-05-01), Shiau
patent: 6474834 (2002-11-01), Lai
patent: 6513947 (2003-02-01), Huang
Choi Jacob Y.
O'Shea Sandra
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