Illuminated screwdriver
AssigneeTweezer-Lite, Inc.
InventorsA. Eugene Nalbandian, James P. Sullivan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein is an illuminated screw driver or hand tool. The hand tool has a hollow handle body within which is disposed at least one light bulb, one power source and a spring for biasing the light bulb and the power source out of contact with one another. Rotation of an end cap switch moves the power source towards contact with the light bulb thereby completing the circuit and lighting the bulb. Alternate embodiments illustrate illuminated screwdrivers having one, two or three such light bulbs and power sources and spring means for biasing each bulb and power source out of contact with one another. In the embodiment having three light bulbs there is provided a mechanism for selectively turning on one, two or all three of the light bulbs.
Claims15
An illuminated hand tool comprising a tool member mounted at the front end of a hollow handle body in which are disposed a pair of two terminal light sources, a pair of spring members having a first end and a second end, and a pair of two terminal power sources;
- each of said spring members being disposed between a respective light source and power source, the first end of each spring contacting one terminal of its respective light source, the second end of each spring being in electrical contact with one terminal of its respective power source, each said spring acting to bias the other terminal of each respective light source out of contact with the other terminal of each respective power source;
- a single switch means rotatably mounted on the back end of said body for causing movement of said power sources upon rotation of said switch means so as to cause the other terminal of each respective power source to independently contact the other terminal of each respective light source thereby completing the respective circuits and lighting the respective light sources either serially or simultaneously.
An illuminated hand tool member comprising a tool blade mounted at the front end of a hollow handle body in which are disposed three light sources each having a first terminal and a second terminal, three spring members each having a first end and a second end, and three power sources each having a first and a second terminal;
- each of said spring members being disposed between a respective light source and power source, the first end of each spring contacting one terminal of its respective light source, the second end of each spring being in electrical contact with one terminal of its respective power source, each said spring acting to bias the other terminal of each respective light source out of contact with the other terminal of each respective power source;
- a single switch means rotatably mounted on said body for causing movement of said power sources upon rotation of said switch means so as to cause the other terminal of each respective power source to independently contact the other terminal of each respective light source thereby completing each respective circuit and lighting the respective light sources either serially or simultaneously.
In an illuminated hand tool comprising a hollow handle body, a tool blade mounted at one end of said body and a plurality of light bulbs and respective batteries, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of springs, each of slightly different strength, each such spring being disposed between a light bulb and its respective battery so as to bias the light bulb out of contact with its respective battery;
- a cap member threadingly mounted at the other end of said handle body;
- and
- a washer member disposed between said cap member and said plurality of batteries and provided with an axial protrusion extending between said washer and said cap member, said protrusion functioning as a pivot;
- whereby rotation of said cap member advances said cap against the protrusion of said washer which in turn advances said batteries against their respective bias springs to sequentially contact their respective light bulbs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.