Tailcap switch-focus flashlight
AssigneeMag Instrument, Inc.
InventorsAnthony Maglica, Robert J. DeLong, Armis L. Lewis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flashlight having a switch and beam adjustment mechanism located in the tailcap whereby the flashlight may be turned on and focused with one hand without changing the grip on the flashlight by that hand. Batteries of "AAAA" size are contemplated for use in one embodiment of the flashlight.
Claims16
A flashlight comprising:
- a barrel for retaining one or more dry cell batteries;
- a head assembly positioned at one end of the barrel and containing a lens, a reflector and a lamp having a positive contact and a ground contact;
- means for electrically coupling the positive contact of the lamp to a first battery electrode and the ground contact of the lamp to a second battery electrode;
- means for switching the electrical circuit on or off which includes a tail cap, an outer housing rotatably positioned within the tail cap, an inner housing positioned within the outer housing, an electrical contact, and means for making and breaking electric contact between the second electrode and the contact, said means being positioned at a second end of the barrel, and at said same second end means for moving the lamp relative to the reflector and thereby adjusting the focus of the light emitting through said lens of the flashlight.
A hand held flashlight including a barrel for retaining series arranged dry cell batteries, a face cap, a lens, a parabolic reflector, a lamp, a tail cap, and a push button switch for establishing and breaking an electrical circuit and means for moving the lamp in relation to the parabolic reflector to vary the dispersion of the reflected beam of light, the improvement comprising the push button switch and the means for moving the lamp to vary the dispersion being positioned in the tail cap.
The flashlight of claim 5 further comprising means positioned in the tailcap for causing longitudinal movement of the lamp relative to the reflector.
The flashlight of claim 7 wherein the push button switch comprises a push button, an indexer, an indexee, a spring, and a plunger positioned to cooperate in producing two-stage longitudinal movement of the plunger upon actuation of the push button, and further wherein one of the two-stages establishes the electrical circuit and the other of the two-stages breaks the electrical circuit.
A hand held flashlight having a barrel, a tail assembly, a reflector and a lamp, the improvement comprising:
- a means located in the tail assembly for switching the flashlight on or off through longitudinal movement of batteries along the barrel;
- and
- beam adjusting means also located in the tail assembly for causing relative movement between the reflector and the lamp independently from the longitudinal movement of the batteries.
A flashlight comprising:
- a barrel for retaining one or more dry cell batteries;
- a head assembly positioned at one end of the barrel and containing a lens, a reflector and a lamp having a positive contact and a ground contact;
- and circuit means for electrically coupling the positive contact of the lamp to a first battery electrode and the ground contact of the lamp to a second battery electrode;
- switch means positioned at a second end of the barrel and for moving the batteries longitudinally along the barrel for opening and closing the circuit means in response to the movement of the batteries;
- and
- beam adjusting means at said second end for moving the lamp relative to the reflector independently of the longitudinal movement of the batteries effected by said switch means to thereby adjust the focus of the light emitting through said lens of the flashlight whereby the adjusted focus of the light is unaffected by the operation of said switch means.
A hand held flashlight including a barrel for retaining series arranged dry cell batteries, a face cap, a lens, a parabolic reflector, a lamp, a tail cap, means for establishing and breaking an electrical circuit and means for moving the lamp in relation to the parabolic reflector to vary the dispersion of the reflected beam of light, the improvement comprising the means for establishing and breaking the electrical circuit and the means for moving the lamp to vary the dispersion being positioned at the tail cap and capable of causing movement independent of each other whereby the flashlight may be switched from an on position to an off position and returned to an on position without affecting the position of the lamp with respect to the reflector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.