Flashlight having a switch for programming a controller

A flashlight comprising:

• a housing having a cavity for receiving a battery;
• a light emitting diode light source disposed on said housing;
• a first electrical switch disposed at a relatively forward location of said housing including an electrically conductive flexible dome providing a switch contact for selectively actuating said light emitting diode light source;
• a controller disposed in said housing, wherein said controller is electrically connected to said light emitting diode light source and to the battery for selectively coupling electrical power from the battery to said electrical light source, when the battery is in the cavity of said housing,
• wherein said controller, said first electrical switch, and said light emitting diode light source are electrically connected in an electrical circuit, and wherein the battery is electrically connected in the electrical circuit when the battery is in the battery cavity of said housing,
• wherein said controller is responsive to said first electrical switch for controlling electrical power from the battery to said light emitting diode light source for selectively energizing and de-energizing said light emitting diode light source at least in a momentary ON condition and in a continuous ON condition, when the battery is in the cavity of said housing,
• whereby said light emitting diode light source of said flashlight may be selectively energized and de-energized responsive to said first electrical switch, and
• wherein said controller is programmable responsive to plural closures or openings or both of the switch contact of said first electrical switch, or to a time between closure or opening or both of the switch contact of said first electrical switch, or to a time of continuous closure or continuous opening or both of the switch contact of said first electrical switch, or to a combination thereof, for selecting an operating state wherein said light emitting diode light source flashes ON and OFF.

A flashlight comprising:

• a housing for a power source, the housing having a front end and a tail end at an opposite end of the housing;
• a light emitting source at the front end of the housing;
• an electrical circuit for connecting the power source to the light emitting source, the circuit having a first switch located toward the front end of the housing and a second switch located on the tail end of the housing, wherein at least one of said first and second switches includes an electrically conductive flexible dome providing a switch contact, wherein the circuit allows the light emitting source to be turned on using the first switch and to be turned off using the second switch and vice versa, and wherein each of the switches also operates in the circuit independently of the other switch so as to be able to independently switch the light emitting source on or off;
• and
• a controller in the electrical circuit and connected to the power source and to the light emitting source for selectively controlling the operation of the light emitting source,
• wherein said controller is programmable responsive to plural closures or openings or both of the switch contact of said first switch or of the second switch, or to a time between closure or opening or both of the switch contact of said first switch or of said second switch, or to a time of continuous closure or continuous opening or both of the switch contact of said first switch and of said second switch, or to a combination thereof, to provide plural predetermined operating states, the operating states including at least a momentary ON operating state, a continuous ON operating state, and a flashing ON and OFF operating state.