US 4,495,550 AGranted

Flexible flashlight

OwnerJoseph Viscianoinventor

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Abstract

A flexible flashlight which may provide light at any angle even in an environment in which the area in which to position a flashlight is extremely limited. A bellows is provided one end of which is threaded onto the body tube of a flashlight, the other end of which contains a bulb along with a lens and bezel. The bellows is made of a semi-rigid material so that once its curvature is formed it will remain fixed indefinitely until reformed by the user. The flexible flashlight may be placed on any flat surface or may be attached to any ferro-magnetic surface. In either case once the flashlight has been positioned both hands are free to perform work. An internal coiled helical cord is provided inside the bellows section to assure good electrical connection and to minimize the possibility of damaging the electrical pathway due to frequent flexion of the bellows.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A flexible flashlight, comprising in combination:

(a) a body tube which contains at least one battery cell;
(b) a threaded end cap which threads on to a mating threaded body tube to end cap section;
wherein when said battery cell is installed into the invention said threaded end cap is installed thereby fixing said battery in place;
(c) a switch, whereby said flexible flashlight is turned on and off;
(d) a threaded body tube socket located at the opposite end of said body tube from said end cap;
whereby a bellows type extension may be installed;
(e) a bellows which is attached to said threaded body tube socket by a mating threaded bellows to body tube socket;
(f) a threaded bellows to bezel adapter located at the end of said bellows furthest from said threaded bellows to body tube socket;
wherein said threaded bellows to bezel adapter contains a bulb mounted coaxially at the center of saidthreaded bellows to bezel adapter whereby when said bellows in flexed said bulb radiates light in the direction extending away from the open end of said threaded bellows to bezel adapter;
(g) a bezel ring with an inside thread which mates with the outside thread on said threaded bellows to bezel adapter whereby said bezel ring has an aperture into which is fitted an optically transmitting lens;
(h) means for fixing the position of said bellows in a rigid position once it has been flexed;
(i) means for preventing said body tube from rolling off a surface once said body tube has been placed in position;
and,
(j) means for attaching said body tube to any surface which contains ferro-magnetic material;
(k) means for connecting said battery to said bulb in such manner as to prevent said connecting means from breaking under frequency flexion.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.