Flashlight with tail cap switch

A flashlight comprising:

• an elongated casing for holding one or more power cells, said casing having a head-end and an open tail-end;
• a light bulb mounted at the head-end of said casing;
• an electrical circuit including electrical switching means for connecting and disconnecting said light bulb to and from the power cells, said switching means being mounted in the open tail-end so as to retain the power cells in said casing;
• means for retaining said electrical switching means in the tail-end such that said switching means can be easily removed and re-mounted;
• an imperforate flexible boot for enclosing a portion of said switching means, said flexible boot having an open end including a peripheral sealing portion formed to fit between said switching means and said casing so as to from a watertight seal therebetween when said switching means is mounted in the tail-end of said casing;
• and
• the said electrical switching means comprising a pushbutton switch, the said pushbutton switch comprising
• a switch housing,
• a first resilient contact mounted in said switch housing,
• a second resilient contact mounted in said housing and electrically isolated from said first resilient contact,
• a third resilient contact coupled to said second resilient contact and mounted exteriorly on an end wall of said switch housing so as to contact a terminal of one of the power cells when said switching means is mounted in the tail-end of said casing, and retractable bridging means for coupling and uncoupling said first and second resilient contacts.

A flashlight comprising:

• an elongated casing for holding one or more power cells, said casing having a head-end and an open tail-end;
• a light bulb mounted at the head-end of said casing;
• an electric circuit including electrical switching means for connecting and disconnecting said light bulb to and from the power cells, said switching means being mounted in the open tail-end so as to retain the power cells in said casing;
• means for retaining said electrical switching means in the tail-end such that said switching means can be easily removed and re-mounted;
• the said retaining means comprising
• a first plurality of helical threads formed in the interior of said elongated casing near the tail end thereof, and
• a second plurality of mating helical threads formed on the exterior of the electrical switching means, and
• an imperforate flexible boot for enclosing a portion of said switching means, said flexible boot having an open end including a peripheral sealing portion formed to fit between said switching means and said casing so as to form a watertight seal therebetween when said switching means is mounted in the tail-end of said casing,
• said peripheral sealing means of the boot being located between the open tail-end of the casing and said threads whereby when said electrical switching means is threaded into the tail-end of said casing, said boot excludes direct and moisture from said threads.

A flashlight comprising:

• an elongated casing for holding one or more power cells, said casing having a head-end and an open tail-end;
• a light bulb mounted at the head-end of said casing;
• an electric circuit including electrical switching means for connecting and disconnecting said light bulb to and from the power cells, said switching means being mounted in the open tail-end so as to retain the power cells in said casing;
• means for retaining said electrical switching means in the tail-end such that said switching means can be easily removed and re-mounted;
• an imperforate flexible boot for enclosing a portion of said switching means, said flexible boot having an open end including a peripheral sealing portion formed to fit between said switching means and said casing so as to form a watertight seal therebetween when said switching means is mounted in the tail-end of said casing;
• the said light bulb comprising a filament, a base contact connected to one end of said filament and a foot contact connected to the other end of said filament;
• the said electric circuit comprising
• a first circuit leg connected at one end to the base contact and terminating at the other end in said electrical switching means, and
• a second circuit leg including the power cells connected at one end to the foot contact and terminating at the other end in said electrical switching means,
• the said electrical switching means comprising a pushbutton switch, the said pushbutton switch comprising
• a switch housing,
• a first resilient contact mounted in said switch housing for terminating said first circuit leg,
• a second resilient contact mounted in said switch housing for terminating said second circuit leg, said second resilient contact being electrically isolated from said first resilient contact, and
• bridging means for electrically coupling and uncoupling said first and second resilient contacts, whereby said light bulb is connected and disconnected from the power cells.

For a flashlight of the type including a machined aluminum barrel for holding at least one power cell, a light bulb disposed at one end of said barrel, and wherein the barrel has an internally-threaded open tail-end;

• a tail cap mounted in the open tail-end for retaining the power cell in the barrel, said tail cap including:
• switching means formed in said tail cap for connecting and disconnecting said light bulb to and from the power cell;
• external threads for mating with said internally threaded tail-end to retain said tail cap in the tail-end such that the tail cap can be easily installed and removed;
• and
• an imperforate flexible boot for enclosing at least a portion of said tail cap, said flexible boot having an open end including a peripheral sealing portion formed to fit between the tail cap and the barrel so as to form a watertight seal therebetween when the tail cap is mounted in the tail-end.

A tail cap for a machined aluminum flashlight as recited in claim 16 wherein said switching means comprises:

• a switch housing formed of a non-conductive material and having an opening in a sidewall thereof;
• a first resilient contact mounted in said switch housing such that a portion of said first resilient contact protrudes through the sidewall opening in said switch housing so as to interface with the barrel when the tail cap is installed therein;
• a second resilient contact mounted in said switch housing and electrically isolated from said first resilient contact;
• a third resilient contact coupled to said second resilient contact and mounted exteriorly on an end wall of said switch housing so as to contact a terminal of the power cell when the tail cap is mounted in the barrel;
• and
• bridging means for selectively coupling and uncoupling said first and second resilient contacts, whereby the light bulb is connected and disconnected from the power cell.