US 5,309,336 AGranted

Universal connector and automotive cigarette lighter assemblies and rechargeable flashlight incorporating same

AssigneeMillennia Corporation

InventorsJoseph Hartt, Joseph E. Velazquez

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Abstract

A rechargeable flashlight for automotive use having a universal connector for drawing power from any type of cigarette lighter receptacle. The universal connector includes a ring-shaped portion which establishes a friction connection with the positive feed portions of the cigarette lighter receptacles, and a cylindrical portion for establishing a friction fit with the cylindrical inner housing of the receptacles to establish contact with the negative feed or ground. The rechargeable flashlight and the universal connector can be integral in a single body, the body housing a rechargeable battery, lens/lamp assembly and spare bulbs. A magnetic foot is hingedly attached to the flashlight body for permitting the flashlight to be mounted on any magnetically responsive material and providing a directable flashlight beam. Alternatively, the universal connector can be separate and provide current to any desired electrical appliance.

A device for drawing current from either one of two electric cigarette lighter receptacles, each of which has a cylindrical inner surface serving as a negative contact surface for each of two respective cigarette lighters with an open outer end and a closed inner end to which is connected to a U-shaped spring bracket that is electrically insulated from the inner surface and formed with spaced spring prongs extending toward the open outer end and serving as a pair of positive contacts for each of the two respective cigarette lighters, the prongs in the first one of the two receptacles having a first greater spacing from each other so as to engage the first cigarette lighter and the prongs in other of the two receptacles having a second lesser spacing from each other so as to engage the second cigarette lighter, said device comprising:

a generally cylindrical housing having a first end with a conductive surface, said housing being receivable in the receptacle so that said conductive surface of said housing is brought into electrical contact with the negative contacting surface of the receptacle, said housing having a second end;
and
a conductive cylindrical ring, having an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface, connected to and extending from said second end of said housing, which is electrically insulated from said conductive surface of said housing, said ring having a diameter intermediate the spacing between the prongs of the one receptacle and the spacing between the prongs of the other receptacle so that when said second end of said housing is inserted into the first receptacle said outer periphery surface of said cylindrical ring makes positive electrical contact with the prongs in the first receptacle and when said second end of said housing is inserted into the second receptacle said inner peripheral surface of said cylindrical ring makes positive electrical contact with the prongs of the second receptacle.

Abstract

Claims19