Combat-oriented flashlight
AssigneeLaser Products Corporation
InventorJohn Wallace Matthews
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Flashlights are provided with a mode of operation enabling switching at a thumb area of a human hand while retaining that flashlight with fingers of that human hand during switching of that flashlight at that thumb area. The flashlight has a battery barrel provided with a tail-end switch. That battery barrel is also provided with a reduced diameter portion spaced from that tail-end switch, and with a retention element projecting from that reduced diameter portion for engagement by at least one of the fingers of the human hand during switching of the flashlight at the thumb area.
Claims51
In a method of providing a flashlight including an elongate battery barrel having a front end and a tail end opposite said front end, with a mode of operation enabling switching of said flashlight at a thumb area of a human hand while retaining said flashlight with fingers of said human hand during switching of said flashlight at said thumb area, the improvement comprising in combination:
- locating at said front end of said elongate battery barrel a lamp assembly including a lamp and lamp reflector pointing longitudinally away from said elongate battery barrel;
- providing said battery barrel at said tail end with a tail-end switch for said flashlight;
- providing said battery barrel with a reduced diameter portion spaced from said tail-end switch;
- and
- providing said battery barrel with a retention element projecting from said reduced diameter portion beyond a maximum lateral dimension of said barrel for retention of the flashlight between two adjacent ones of said fingers of the human hand during switching of said flashlight at said thumb area.
In a flashlight, the improvement comprising in combination:
- an elongate battery barrel having a front end and a tail end opposite said front end;
- a lamp assembly located at said front end of said elongate battery barrel and including a lamp and lamp reflector pointing longitudinally away from said elongate battery barrel;
- a tail-end switch for said flashlight on said battery barrel at said tail end and electrically connectible to said lamp;
- a reduced diameter portion on said battery barrel spaced from said tail-end switch;
- and
- a retention element projecting from said reduced diameter portion beyond a maximum lateral dimension of said barrel and adapted for retention of the flashlight between two adjacent fingers of a human hand during switching of said flashlight with said tail-end switch at a thumb area of said human hand.
In a method of providing a flashlight including an elongate battery barrel having a front end and a tail end opposite said front end, with a mode of operation enabling switching of said flashlight at a thumb area of a human hand while retaining said flashlight with fingers of said human hand during switching of said flashlight at said thumb area, the improvement comprising in combination:
- locating at said front end of said elongate battery barrel a lamp assembly including a lamp and lamp reflector pointing longitudinally away from said elongate battery barrel;
- providing said battery barrel at said tail end with a tail-end switch for said flashlight;
- providing said battery barrel with a reduced diameter portion spaced from said tail-end switch;
- providing said battery barrel with a retention element projecting from said reduced diameter portion beyond a maximum lateral dimension of said barrel for retention of the flashlight between two adjacent ones of said fingers of the human hand during switching of said flashlight at said thumb area;
- and
- making said flashlight adaptable to various human hand sizes by rendering said retention element adjustable in position on said reduced diameter portion relative to said tail-end switch.
In a method of providing a flashlight including an elongate battery barrel having a front end and a tail end opposite said front end, with a mode of operation enabling switching of said flashlight at a thumb area of a human hand while retaining said flashlight with fingers of said human hand during switching of said flashlight at said thumb area, the improvement comprising in combination:
- locating at said front end of said elongate battery barrel a lamp assembly including a lamp and lamp reflector pointing longitudinally away from said elongate battery barrel;
- providing said battery barrel at said tail end with a tail-end switch for said flashlight;
- providing said battery barrel with a reduced diameter portion spaced from said tail-end switch;
- providing said battery barrel with a retention shoulder between said reduced diameter portion and said tail-end switch;
- providing said battery barrel with a retention element projecting from said reduced diameter portion for retention of the flashlight between two adjacent ones of said fingers of the human hand during switching of said flashlight at said thumb area;
- and
- retaining said retention element with said shoulder.
In a flashlight, the improvement comprising in combination:
- an elongate battery barrel having a front end and a tail end opposite said front end;
- a lamp assembly located at said front end of said elongate battery barrel and including a lamp and lamp reflector pointing longitudinally away from said elongate battery barrel;
- a tail-end switch for said flashlight on said battery barrel at said tail end and electrically connectible to said lamp;
- a reduced diameter portion on said battery barrel spaced from said tail-end switch;
- and
- a retention element projecting from said reduced diameter portion and adapted for retention of the flashlight between two adjacent fingers of a human hand during switching of said flashlight with said tail-end switch at a thumb area of said human hand;
- said retention element adapted to be adjustable in position on said reduced diameter portion relative to said tail-end switch.
In a flashlight, the improvement comprising in combination:
- an elongate battery barrel having a front end and a tail end opposite said front end;
- a lamp assembly located at said front end of said elongate battery barrel and including a lamp and lamp reflector pointing longitudinally away from said elongate battery barrel;
- a tail-end switch for said flashlight on said battery barrel at said tail end and electrically connectible to said lamp;
- a reduced diameter portion on said battery barrel spaced from said tail-end switch;
- a shoulder on said battery barrel between said reduced diameter portion and said tail-end switch;
- and
- a retention element projecting from said reduced diameter portion and adapted for retention of the flashlight between two adjacent fingers of a human hand during switching of said flashlight with said tail-end switch at a thumb area of said human hand;
- said retention element adapted for retention by said shoulder.
In a flashlight, the improvement comprising in combination:
- an elongate battery barrel having a front end and a tail end opposite said front end;
- a lamp assembly located at said front end of said elongate battery barrel and including a lamp and lamp reflector pointing longitudinally away from said elongate battery barrel;
- a tail-end switch for said flashlight on said battery barrel at said tail end and electrically connectible to said lamp;
- a reduced diameter portion on said battery barrel spaced from said tail-end switch and having in an axial direction of said barrel a length at least equal to the width of a finger of a human hand, for retention of said reduced diameter portion between two adjacent fingers of said human hand;
- and
- a retention element projecting from said reduced diameter portion and adapted for retention of the flashlight between said two fingers during switching of said flashlight with said tail-end switch at a thumb area of said human hand.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.