JP4436788B2 - Portable light - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable lamp, and more particularly to a portable lamp suitable for use in an emergency such as a disaster.

  In a conventional portable electric light, a battery stored as a power source thereof is one type, for example, a single type battery. When such a portable electric light is used in an emergency such as a typhoon or an earthquake, the battery is exhausted and cannot be used. For example, in a portable light using a single type battery, when there is a reserve for a single type battery, it can be made usable by replacing the battery. However, the reserved battery is a single type battery or an AA type battery. In this case, the battery cannot be exchanged and cannot be used.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of conventional portable electric lights, battery mounting portions 101 corresponding to a plurality of types of battery sizes are provided in multiple stages as shown in FIG. A battery box 103 in which a pair of common conductor portions 102a and 102b are arranged, and a light source 104 that is integrally attached to one end side of the battery box 103 and electrically connected to the opposing common conductor portions 102a and 102b. A light source holder 105 provided with a light source 104, a reflector 106 that is disposed on the light source holder 105 by projecting the light source 104, and condenses and radiates light emitted from the light source 104 forward, and is integrated with the other end of the battery box 103. Portable light (flashlight) having a switch box 108 equipped with a mechanism 107 for opening and closing an electrical circuit for the light source 104 Has been proposed (Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-40402

  The prior art described in Patent Document 1 can be prepared for use in an emergency by incorporating a plurality of batteries having different battery sizes, and even if all the batteries are exhausted, a battery of one type is available at hand. In this case, the portable electric lamp can be used by using this.

  However, the above-described conventional technique has a problem in that the batteries having different battery sizes stored at the same time are brought into conduction by the common conductor portions 102a and 102b, and the deterioration of the battery is accelerated. In other words, if batteries with different battery sizes are connected in parallel and there is a voltage difference between the batteries due to use, the battery on the low voltage side may be charged by another battery during lighting. There is a problem that gas is generated in the interior, and the insulator may be damaged by the internal pressure, or heat generation, liquid leakage, and the like may occur, thereby deteriorating the battery.

  Further, in the above prior art, the battery box (battery case) 103 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and all three types of batteries, for example, a single type battery, a single type battery, and an AA type battery are accommodated therein. Therefore, there is a problem that the battery box (battery case) 103 is large and is difficult to hold and inconvenient to use.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a portable lamp capable of solving the above-mentioned problems while having the advantages of the above-described conventional technology.

In order to achieve the above object, the portable electric light of the present invention includes a battery case in which a plurality of battery storage portions corresponding to a plurality of battery sizes are formed, and a plurality of size batteries stored in each battery storage portion. A common lead that conducts in common with the one-side terminal, a plurality of individual leads that individually conduct with the other-side terminal of each of the batteries of the plurality of battery sizes, and is arranged in the battery case, and is selected for each individual lead Switching lead that conducts electrically, a light source, a common lead side connection means that conducts the one side terminal of the light source and the common lead, and a switching lead side connection that conducts the other side terminal of the light source and the switching lead And a switching means for switching the switching lead from the outside of the battery case, the switching means having a position for individually connecting the switching lead to a plurality of sizes of batteries. And conducting not "OFF" position is provided at a predetermined distance from the "OFF" position, characterized in that it is selectively switched.

  According to the present invention, since a plurality of batteries having different battery sizes can be simultaneously stored in the battery case, it can be used for a long time, is suitable for use in an emergency, and is intended to be used in an emergency. In addition, even when these batteries are exhausted and cannot be used, if a battery of any one of a plurality of battery sizes is available at hand, a portable electric light can be used using this battery. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is not always necessary to use all types of batteries in a battery case, and at least one type of battery can be stored in a battery case and used. When the battery is consumed, not only a battery of the same size but also a battery of another size can be exchanged and used, which is suitable for use of an emergency portable electric light.

In addition, according to the present invention, even when a plurality of batteries of a plurality of battery sizes are housed in the battery case and used, only the batteries of a specific size are switched from the “OFF” position set to that of the switch means. In this case, the light source can be turned on by switching to the conductive position, and at this time, the conductive relationship between the battery of another size and the battery of the specific size can be cut off. That is, as shown in FIG. 9 , by operating the switch means 1 from the outside of the battery case, the switching lead 2 inside the battery case is brought into a position where it is connected to the individual lead 4a that is connected to the battery 3a of a specific size from the off position. When operated so as to be switched, the battery 3a of a specific size and the lamp 8 as the light source are: one side terminal 5a of the battery 3a → common lead 6 → common lead side connection means 7 → one side terminal 8a of the lamp 8 → lamp. 8 is connected in the order of the other terminal 8b → the switching lead side connecting means 9 → the switching lead 2 → the individual lead 4a → the other terminal 10a of the battery 3a, and the lamp 8 is lit using the battery 3a of the specific size. . On the other hand, the batteries 3b and 3c of other sizes are not used for lighting the lamp 8 because the conduction between the switching lead 2 and the individual leads 4b and 4c is cut off. During this time, the conduction is cut off. Therefore, according to the present invention, when the lamp is turned on, the conduction between the battery of a specific size and the battery of another size is cut off, so that the problem in the above-described prior art that accelerates the deterioration of the battery does not occur.

  In the present invention, the switch means is fixed in the battery case, and the end portions of the individual leads are arranged and held at a predetermined interval on the circumference, and the arc-shaped plate-like end portions of the switching lead side connection means are A switch base that is disposed and held over a predetermined range on the circumference, a first contact portion that is rotatably supported in the battery case and selectively contacts an end portion of each individual lead, and the switching lead side connection means A rotating plate holding a switching lead having a second contact portion that is always in contact with the arcuate plate-shaped end portion, and coupled to the rotating plate through the battery case so as not to allow relative rotation, and positioning in the rotation direction outside the battery case A configuration having an operation dial held in a possible manner is preferable. With this configuration, it is possible to easily select and use a plurality of sizes of batteries by rotating the operation dial outside the battery case, and to include a compact switch means that can reliably prevent conduction between batteries of different battery sizes. A portable electric light can be provided.

  In the above invention, each of the plurality of battery storage portions has a cylindrical space shape suitable for storing a cylindrical battery of a corresponding battery size, and is formed such that the center lines are parallel and communicate with each other. The outer shape of the cross section of the battery housing portion is formed in a concave and convex shape connecting the outer peripheral arc portions of each battery housing portion, and is substantially the same as the diameter of the battery housing portion outside the end of one of the battery housing portions. It is preferable that the operation dial having a diameter of 1 is arranged. With this configuration, the battery case may be of a minimum size, and the operation dial can be accommodated in the extended space outside the end of one of the battery storage parts, so that the portable electric light can be made compact. In addition, the outer shape of the cross section of the battery housing part of the battery case is formed in a concave and convex shape connecting the outer peripheral arc portions of each battery housing part, so that it is easy to grasp the portable electric light and the operation dial The operation is also easy and can be convenient for use.

  Further, in the above invention, an end face of an operation dial disposed outside an end of one of the plurality of battery storage portions, and an end face of the battery case on the end side of the other one of the plurality of battery storage portions. It is preferable that the surfaces are the same height. With this configuration, the end face of the operation dial and the end face of the battery case can be used as installation surfaces, and the portable electric lamp can be used while standing on the floor surface. For example, in the event of an emergency, the portable electric lamp can be placed on the floor surface. Thus, it is possible to achieve a state in which upward illumination is possible.

In the present invention, as described above, a plurality of battery sizes are simultaneously stored , and the light source is turned on individually using the switching operation from the “OFF” position of the switch means to the position where only a specific size battery is conducted. In addition , the portable electric lamp can be used for a long time, and can be exchanged with a battery of a different size when the battery is consumed, so that a portable electric lamp useful as an emergency portable electric lamp can be provided.

  Further, the present invention can solve the problem of battery deterioration due to conduction of batteries of different sizes.

  Furthermore, the present invention can provide a portable electric light that is compact and convenient to use while simultaneously storing batteries of a plurality of battery sizes.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  The portable electric light of this embodiment includes two types of batteries having different battery sizes, ie, a single type battery 3a, a single type battery 3b, and an AA type battery 3c, in the battery storage portions 11a, 11b, and 11c. It can be stored.

  A lighting unit 13 is disposed at the front end portion 12f of the battery case 12 made of synthetic resin, and the switch means 1 is disposed at the rear end portion 12r. The battery housing portion is disposed at the intermediate portion 12m. 11a, 11b, and 11c are formed.

  The lighting unit 13 is configured by integrally assembling well-known constituent elements such as a lamp 8, which is a light source, a frame member 14, a reflecting plate 15, and a cover lens 16, and a lamp support 17 described later. The lighting unit 13 is detachably attached to the tip of the battery case 12 by a screwing portion 32.

  The battery storage portion 11a for storing two single-type batteries 3a formed in the battery case 12 in series has a cylindrical space shape having a minimum diameter and length required to store these two batteries. Is formed. Battery storage portions 11b and 11c for storing two AA batteries 3b and AA batteries 3c formed in the battery case 12 in series are similarly formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, these battery storage portions 11 a, 11 b, and 11 c are formed so that their centerlines are parallel to each other and communicate with each other. The out-of-plane shape is a concavo-convex shape in which the outer peripheral arc portions of the battery storage portions 11a, 11b, and 11c are connected.

  A common lead 6 that is electrically connected to all of the positive terminals (one side terminals) 5a, 5b, and 5c of the three types of batteries 3a, 3b, and 3c is disposed on the front end surfaces of the battery storage portions 11a, 11b, and 11c. . As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the common lead 6 is made of a metal plate and is fixed to a lamp support 17 made of synthetic resin. The lamp support 17 has a socket portion 18 in which the lamp 8 is mounted and is a component of the lighting unit 13.

  A tongue piece (common lead side connecting means) 7 extending inwardly from the common lead 6 is elastically contacted with a cap eyelet portion (one terminal of the lamp) 8a of the lamp 8 attached to the socket portion 18. The base eyelet 8a of the lamp 8 and the positive terminals 5a, 5b, 5c of the three types of batteries 3a, 3b, 3c are always electrically connected.

  A lead piece 9a made of a metal plate is elastically contacted to the outer peripheral portion (the other terminal of the lamp) 8b of the lamp 8 and fixed to the lamp support 17. A lead wire 9c described later is connected to the lead piece 9a.

  Individual leads 4a, 4b, and 4c individually connected to the negative terminals (the other terminals) 10a, 10b, and 10c of the three types of batteries 3a, 3b, and 3c on the rear end surfaces of the battery storage portions 11a, 11b, and 11c, respectively. Is arranged. Since the three types of batteries 3a, 3b, and 3c have different lengths and need to be adjusted, the elastic contact portions 19a of the individual leads 4a, 4b, and 4c with the battery bottom surfaces (minus terminals) 10a, 10b, and 10c are provided. , 19b, 19c are coil spring shapes.

  These individual leads 4a, 4b, and 4c are held by a switch base 20 made of synthetic resin, as shown in FIGS. The switch base 20 includes base portions 21a, 21b, and 21c that support the respective coil spring-shaped elastic contact portions 19a, 19b, and 19c, and has a cylindrical portion 22 and is fixed to the battery case 12. The cylindrical portion 22 is located behind the battery storage portion 11a that stores the single battery 3a.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each individual lead 4a, 4b, 4c has an extending portion that reaches the cylindrical portion 22 from the elastic contact portions 19a, 19b, 19c, and ends of these extending portions. 23a, 23b, and 23c are disposed and held on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 22 at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction.

  An arc-shaped lead plate (arc-plate-like end portion of the switching lead-side connecting means) 9b made of a metal plate is provided at an opposite location where the end portions 23a, 23b, 23c are disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 22. Arranged and held. The arc-shaped lead plate 9 b has a length extending over about 180 ° on the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 22. The lead piece 9a fixed to the lamp support 17 and the arc-shaped lead plate 9b are electrically connected by a lead wire 9c having a sufficient length in consideration of attachment / detachment of the lighting unit 13 to / from the battery case 12. It is connected to the.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a synthetic resin rotating plate 24 is rotatably held in the cylindrical portion 22 of the switch base 20. The rotating plate 24 is always in elastic contact with the first contact portion 2a that selectively and elastically contacts the end portions 23a, 23b, and 23c of the individual leads 4a, 4b, and 4c and the arc-shaped lead plate 9b. A switching lead 2 having a second contact portion 2b and formed by bending a belt-shaped metal plate is held. The first contact portion 2 a and the second contact portion 2 b protrude slightly outward from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating plate 24 and are formed at symmetrical positions with the center of the rotating plate 24 sandwiched therebetween. This switching lead 2 is always connected to the other terminal (base outer peripheral portion) 8b of the lamp 8 through the switching lead side connecting means 9 constituted by the lead piece 9a, the lead wire 9c and the arc-shaped lead plate 9b. ing.

  The rotating plate 24 is coupled to an operation dial 25 made of a synthetic resin, which is held outside the battery case 12 so as to be able to be positioned in the rotation direction, so that the battery case 12 is penetrated so that relative rotation is impossible. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the operation dial 25 is rotatably held by the bottomed cylindrical projecting tube portion 12a of the battery case 12 at a location behind the rear end of the battery housing portion 11a that houses the single battery 3a. The operation dial 25 and the rotary plate 24 are coupled to each other by using the hole 26 provided in the projecting cylinder portion 12a, and fastening by the screw 27 and engagement by the square hole fitting portion 28. The diameter of the operation dial 25 is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the battery storage portion 11a. The rear extensions 12b and 12c of the battery case 12 behind the battery storage portions 11b and 11c for storing the AA batteries 3b and the AA batteries 3c are as shown in FIGS. In addition, the end surface 29 is extended to a position where the end surface 29 is flush with the end surface 25 a of the operation dial 25 so as to maintain the integral relationship.

  Inner side surfaces 30 of the rear extension portions 12b and 12c are formed as arcuate surfaces along the outer peripheral surface of the operation dial 25, and the end surface 29 of the rear extension portions 12b and 12c is positioned in the rotational direction of the operation dial 25. “OFF”, “single”, “AA”, and “AA” are printed at predetermined angular positions. The operation dial 25 is configured such that it can be positioned at any one of the four rotational direction positions using the pointer recess 31 formed on the end face 25a. Note that the means for holding the operation dial 25 in the battery case 12 so as to be capable of positioning in the rotational direction is not shown, but a known click mechanism may be used.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the switch means 1 that enables the switching operation of selectively switching the switching lead 2 to the individual leads 4a, 4b, and 4c by an external operation is the switch base configured as described above. 20, the rotary plate 24 and the operation dial 25. However, the switch means 1 may be a rotary switch having another configuration, or may be configured by using a slide type switch or a remote control type switch.

  Next, the usage method and operation of the portable electric light of this embodiment will be described.

  When the batteries are stored in the battery storage portions 11 a, 11 b, 11 c in the battery case 12, the lighting unit 13 is removed from the battery case 12. Then, after storing three types of batteries in the battery storage portions 11a, 11b, and 11c, or storing two or one type of batteries, the lighting unit 13 is screwed into the battery case 12 and assembled. Thus, the portable electric lamp is made usable. Since the portable lamp of the present invention is characterized in that even if batteries of all sizes are accommodated in the battery case 12, there is no conduction relationship between batteries of different sizes, the following are the batteries 3a, 3b of all sizes. A case where 3c is accommodated will be described.

  When the lamp 8 is turned on, the battery housing part in the battery case 12 having the outer cross-sectional shape shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is grasped with one hand as a gripping part, and the operation dial 25 is rotated with the other hand. When the operation dial 25 is rotated from the “OFF” position to a position where “single” is displayed, for example, the first contact 2a of the switching lead 2 held on the rotating plate 24 is electrically connected to the single battery 3a. It connects only to the end 23a of 4a. Accordingly, the outer peripheral portion (the other terminal) 8b of the lamp 8 is electrically connected to the lead piece 9a, the lead wire 9c, the arc-shaped lead plate 9b, and the switching lead 2 (the second contact 2b is always connected to the arc-shaped lead plate 9b. It is electrically connected only to the minus terminal (the other terminal) 10a of the single battery 3a through the individual lead 4a. The cap eyelet part (one side terminal) 8a of the lamp 8 is always connected to the plus terminal (one side terminal) 5a of the single battery 3a through the tongue piece (common lead side connecting means) 7 and the common lead 6. Therefore, the lamp 8 is lit using only the single battery 3a (see FIG. 9).

  If it is desired to use the AA battery 3b or the AA battery 3c to turn on the lamp 8, the operation dial 25 may be rotated to the position labeled “AA” or “AA”. If it is desired to turn off 8, the operation dial 25 may be rotated to the position where “OFF” is displayed.

  In the portable lamp of this embodiment, the end face 25a of the operation dial 25 and the end face 29 of the battery case 12 are formed on the same plane. Therefore, the portable lamp is set up on the floor using these end faces 25a and 29 as installation surfaces. It is suitable for up-lighting in an emergency.

  The present invention can be configured in various modes other than those shown in the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiment, the battery is configured to accommodate three types of batteries having different sizes, but can be configured to store two types, four types, or the like of batteries having different sizes. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the light source was comprised with the lamp | ramp 8, even if it uses LED instead of the lamp | ramp 8 (it uses by connecting resistance in series as needed), it will be included in this invention. Nor.

The longitudinal section front view showing the portable electric light concerning the embodiment of the present invention. II-II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. The perspective view of the said portable electric light. The structure of a lamp | ramp support body location is shown, (a) is the vertical front view, (b) is a right view. The structure of a switch base part is shown, (a) is the left view, (b) is a longitudinal front view, (c) is a right view. The perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the principal part of a switch means. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of a switch means location. The right view of the said portable electric light. The circuit diagram which shows a lamp lighting circuit theoretically. The conceptual diagram which shows a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Switch means 2 Switching lead 2a 1st contact 2b 2nd contact 3a, 3b, 3c Battery 4a, 4b, 4c Individual lead 5a, 5b, 5c One side terminal (plus terminal) of battery
6 Common lead 7 Common lead side connection means (tongue piece)
8 Light source (lamp)
8a One side terminal of lamp (base eyelet part)
8b Terminal on the other side of the lamp (outer part of the base)
9 Switching lead side connection means 9b Arc plate-shaped end (arc-shaped lead plate)
10a, 10b, 10c The other terminal of the battery (minus terminal)
11a, 11b, 11c Battery compartment 12 Battery case 24 Rotating plate 25 Operation dial

Claims (4)

A battery case in which a plurality of battery storage portions corresponding to a plurality of battery sizes are formed;
A common lead that conducts in common with one terminal of each of the batteries of a plurality of sizes housed in each battery compartment;
A plurality of individual leads individually conducting with the other terminal of each of the batteries of the plurality of battery sizes;
Switching leads arranged in the battery case and selectively conducting to the individual leads;
A light source;
Common lead side connection means for conducting the one side terminal of the light source and the common lead;
Switching lead side connection means for conducting the other side terminal of the light source and the switching lead;
Switch means for switching the switching lead from outside the battery case;
The switch means is provided with a position at which the switching leads are individually connected to batteries of a plurality of sizes and an “OFF” position at which the switching leads are not connected at a predetermined interval from the “OFF” position , and can be selectively switched. Electric light. The switch means is fixed in the battery case, and the end portions of the individual leads are arranged and held at a predetermined interval on the circumference, and the arc plate-like end portions of the switching lead side connection means are arranged on the circumference. A switch base arranged and held over a predetermined range;
A first contact part that is rotatably supported in the battery case and selectively contacts the end part of each individual lead, and a second contact part that always contacts the arcuate plate-like end part of the switching lead side connection means A rotating plate holding a switching lead having
An operation dial that penetrates the battery case to the rotating plate and is coupled so as not to be relatively rotatable, and is held outside the battery case so as to be capable of positioning in the rotational direction.
The portable electric light according to claim 1. The plurality of battery storage portions are cylindrical space shapes suitable for storing cylindrical batteries of the corresponding battery sizes, and are formed such that the center lines are parallel and communicate with each other.
The outer shape of the cross section of the battery housing part of the battery case is formed in a concave and convex shape connecting the outer peripheral arc portions of each battery housing portion,
The portable electric light according to claim 2, wherein an operation dial having a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the battery housing portion is disposed outside an end portion of one of the plurality of battery housing portions. The end surface of the operation dial disposed outside the end of one of the plurality of battery storage portions and the end surface of the battery case on the other end side of the plurality of battery storage portions have the same height. The portable electric light according to claim 3, wherein the portable electric lamp is a surface.

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