Miniature electric generator and lighting apparatus

A miniature electric generator and lighting apparatus for a power-driven tool, wherein the tool includes a rotary output shaft, the apparatus comprising:

• a rotor including a permanent magnet affixed to the rotary output shaft of the tool;
• a stator including a pair of electrically conductive arms extending on opposite sides of the rotor, an electrically conductive shank connecting the arms together, and a winding of electrically conductive wire supported on the shank and presenting a pair of opposed ends;
• a lamp;
• electrical conductors connecting the ends of the winding to the lamp to form a circuit for supplying current to the lamp upon rotation of the rotor within the stator;
• a housing supporting the stator on the tool, the housing including a means for securing the housing in place on the tool, and a positioning means for positioning the stator relative to the magnet of the rotor to prevent contact between the stator and the magnet during rotation of the output shaft;
• and
• a support plate including a central cutout sized for receipt of the output shaft of the tool, and first and second axially opposed, generally planer side surfaces, the stator being secured to the first surface of the support plate so that the support plate and stator are together held against contact with the magnet of the rotor by the positioning means.

A miniature electric generator apparatus for use on a mechanism, wherein the mechanism has a shaft that is rotated during use, the apparatus comprising:

• a rotor including a permanent magnet affixed to the shaft;
• a stator including a pair of electrically conductive arms spaced radially outwardly from the magnet and extending on opposite sides of the shaft, an electrically conductive shank connecting the arms together, and a winding of electrically conductive wire supported on the shank and presenting a pair of opposed ends across which a current can be drawn during rotation of the shaft of the mechanism;
• a positioning means for positioning the stator around the magnet to prevent contact between the stator and the magnet during rotation of the magnet within the stator;
• and
• a tubular housing for supporting the stator on the mechanism, the housing presenting radially opposed inner and outer surfaces, and being sized for receipt over the output shaft of the mechanism, the positioning means, including a step protruding radially inward from the inner surface of the housing, and a first biasing means for biasing the stator axially toward the step and a second biasing means disposed between the stator and the step for opposing the force of the first biasing means.