US2534945A

US2534945A - Flashlight

Info

Publication number: US2534945A
Application number: US754143A
Authority: US
Inventors: Samuel J Booth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-06-12
Filing date: 1947-06-12
Publication date: 1950-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 1967-12-19

Description

S. J- BOOTH FLASHLIGHT Dec. 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 12, 1947 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. SAMUEL J. BOOTH A TORNEY Dec. 19, 1950 s. J. BOOTH 2,534,945

FLASHLIGHT Filed June 12, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 me. 9' 77 FIG. l0

INVENTOR SAMUEL J. BOOTH FIG. 8 BY %4 g /g Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT Samuel J. Booth, Cleveland, Ohio Application June 12, 1947, Serial No. 754,143

9 Claims. i

This invention pertains to a flashlight, and more particularly to a flashlight which is adapted for use in an enclosed space, such as in a woman's purse or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive yet sturdy and reliable flashlight.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flashlight particularly adapted for illuminating the interior of a womans purse, or a like enclosure.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a flashlight which produces a broad diffuse light for illuminating the entire interior of a womans purse, or the like. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a flashlight to be clipped into a purse, which flashlight may easily be removed from the purse for throwing a limited light beam on the ground or on a keyhole.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims and to the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a face view of a flashlight embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the flashlight shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an isometric view of two portions of the flashlight.

Figure 6 is a face view of a modified form of the flashlight.

Figure 7 is a side view of the modified form.

Figure 8 is an end view of the flashlight shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along line 99 of Figure 7, and Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along line I0|0 of Figure 9, but with the flashlight case removed.

. With reference to the drawing there is shown in Figure 1 a plan view of the flashlight which may comprise a comparatively thin generally rectangularly-shaped housing ll having an opening substantially entirely across its bottom narrow edge face l2 and through which opening there extends a transparent visor I3. Around the top end of the'case ll there is a groove l4 and a similar groove l5 extends around the case near the bottom. A top fits into place to close the top end of the case and it carries a switch actuating push button 2|. On the back of the case there is connected by means of small rivets, spot welding or the like, a broad clip 22 for hanging the flashlight on the edge of a compartment within a purse or the like. When hanging in this location, the push botton 2| is upper-most and the flashlight may be easily switched on where-,

upon light through the visor l3 floods the interior of the purse. From this position, the flash light may easily be removed in order to illuminate a keyhole or the ground. I

Figures 3 and 4 show the details of the interior of the flashlight. A plate 23 having downwardly extending side walls 24 is connected to the underneath surface of the top 20 of the flashlight by means of a plurality of small nuts and bolts 25, rivets, or the like, and each end of the plate is bent downwardly to form a spring clip 26. Each of the spring clips has an upwardly extending raised portion 27 which when the top is in posi--.

tion engages the inner walls of the grooves l4;

in the case II thus holding the entire top struc-,

ture in place. The bolt 25 extends through .a'

first insulator 38, a metal strip 3i, and a second.

insulator 32 for holding the metal strip 3|.

tightly against the top 32 and for electrically; insulating the strip from the flashlight case.

The bolt 25' extends through the top wall 20 of, the case Ii, through the plate 23, through an through a metal spring contact 38, through the wall of a light bulb socket 39, and through an insulating washer 43 positioned within the light bulbsocket thereby connecting all of the aforesaid parts rigidly together.

The push button 2! is secured to the top plate 26 of the flashlight by means of a plurality of small screws 44 or the like which extend upv through a metal plate 45 thereby holding the metal plate 45 tightly against the metal plate 23 and holding the push button 2| down against A slot 43 is provided in the top platethe top 26. 20 and in the metal plate 23 to permit the screws 44 to slide slideways as the button 2| is pushed. The metal plate 45 carries a spring metal contact arm 46 at one end so that as the button 2I is pushed towards the right in Figure 3 the metal arm 46 comes in contact with the top horizontally extending portion of the strip 34 thereby grounding the battery 50 to the case I I. Insulating

washers

33, 35 prevent the battery 56 from making electrical contact with the case II until the arm 46 is slid into contact with the metal strip (H. The battery 56 is suspended by the metal strips 3I and 34 and the strip 34 is provided at its back edge with inwardly extending ears 5| which help to hold the battery in place. The strip 3I is bent inwardly toward the center of the case and is then bent outwardly whereby a slight amount of spring tension is applied longitudinally of the battery thereby also helping to hold the battery in place and to assure positive electrical contact between the battery and the metal strips 3I, 34. The metal strip 3I also includes a small cup-shaped depression 52 adapted to fit the hot terminal of the battery to help hold the battery in place and tomake good electrical contact therewith. A light bulb 53 is screwed into the permanently attached socket 39.

The lower edge I2 of the battery case II includes a broad opening through which the visor I3 extends. The visor I3 preferably is comprised of a formable plastic material but may also be of glass or any other light transparent material. The visor I3 is generally cup-shaped and it has side walls 55 which extend up into the rectangular housing II forming a channel extending the length of the housing II. The visor I3 also includes a laterally extending portion 56 at each of its ends which rest against the bottom portion I2 of the housing. A reflector 60 made of polished spring steel or the like is positioned within the housing. The reflector 66 in its assembled position is shown in Figure 5. It is flat and at each of its ends it is folded back upon itself as at BI and the end portion 62 is then turned away from the reflector at an angle of about 90. The center portion 65 of the reflector is of slightly greater width than the main portion 66 so that when the reflector is in place the center portion 66 may be positioned between the upwardly extending side walls 55 of the visor I3 but the center portion 65 is too wide to allow the entire reflector to slide down into the visor as is shown particularly in Figure 3. When the flashlight is assembled with the light bulb in its socket 39 extending through a hole 6! in the center of the reflector 60 the reflector is bent and its two ends 62 engage the inner walls of the groove I5 in the walls of the case I I thereby hold ing the reflector in place, and the reflector rests against the horizontally extending portions 56 of the visor to hold the visor in place with its cup-shaped bottom extending out of the hole in the case II.

- In order to turn the flashlight on, push button 2I is slid toward the right in Figure 3 to cause the spring arm 46 to contact the metal strip 34 thereby grounding the battery 50 to the case II. The other side of the electric circuit extends from the center terminal of the battery to the metal strip 3| to the rivet 36 which extends through a hole in the end of the strip 34 without touching it to the inside of the base 39 of the light bulb 53. The spring arm 38 contacts the metal reflector 60 and through it grounds the light bulb socket 39 to the flashlight case I I.

The second sheet of drawing illustrates another embodiment of my invention wherein one edge of the generally rectangularly shaped case II (Figure 6) is curved and the top surface thereof defines an opening I5. A transparent visor I6 is positioned to close this opening. The narrow edge of the curved face of the housing II includes an opening 1! which is closed by a second transparent visor I8 which may be held in place by metal clips I9, shown in Figure 9, spot welded to the interior of the housing II. Within the case H and spot welded to the back face thereof is a reflector having an upwardly turned end BI which extends across the interior of the case II and engages the visor I6 to help hold the visor in place. The reflector portion 8I preferably is straight, as shown in Figure 9, although it is within the scope of this invention to make it curved, and it is also within the scope of this invention to make the reflector portion 80 curved. The portion 8I of the reflector has a hole through it into which a light bulb socket 82 is connected. The reflector is so positioned with respect to the transparent visors I6, I8 that its flat portion 80 reflects light out through the visor I6 and its upstanding edge portion 8| reflects light out through the visor I8 thus throwing the light in two broad beams. When this flashlight is mounted within a purse by means of the clip 22 light through the visor I6 will shine outwardly away from the wall of the purse to which the light is connected thereby throwing light on the side of the purse opposite the flashlight and the visor 78 will throw light downwardly into the purse. A metal plate 83 is connected to the back wall 34 of the housing II by means of rivets 85, spot welding or the like, and the plate carries an upwardly turned side portion 86. Battery retaining means 81 preferably formed of metal are connected to the plate 86 and extend around the battery 50 for holding the battery in position, and the paper battery jacket 90 insulates the battery case from the retaining means. A metal arm 9| carrying a contact 92 is connected to the battery retaining means 81 by a spot weld and the contact 92 is in good electrical contact with the bottom metal portion of the battery case. The arm BI is connected to a spring contact arm 93 which extends back toward the push button 2I. A spring contact 46 is connected to the push button 2| so that as the push button 2| is moved to the left in Figure 9 the spring contact 46 engages the contact arm 93 to ground the battery to the flashlight case II. The hot side of the battery circuit is comprised of a metal clamp 95 which fits over the end of the paper battery jacket 90 and which holds a contact 96 in engagement with the center terminal 01 the battery 50. The clamp 95 includes a contact arm 9! which is permanently in engagement with the center contact 93 of the light bulb socket 82. Thus the electrical circuit extends from the center terminal of the battery 50 through contact 96 and contact arm 9'! to the center terminal 98 of the light bulb socket 82 to the light bulb 53, and through the bulb socket 82 to the reflector BI and thence to the flashlight case I I. When the switch 2I closes the

contacts

46, 93 the case II is grounded to the outside terminal, or case, of the battery 50.

While the drawings show the two visor portions 16, I8 as separate pieces it is within the scope of the invention to make them integral. The corner 99 of the metal case II may then be disposed with and light will come out of the flashlight along its edge where the two visor portions are joined together as well as from the visors 16, I8.

While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularly it is to be understood that changes can be made in the various parts and in their arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A flashlight comprising, in combination, a thin flat case defining a generally rectangular enclosure one of whose narrow edge faces includes an opening extending over one-half the length of said edge, long, narrow cup-shaped light transmitting means mounted on said case for closing said edge opening with the bottom and side edges of said cup-shaped means projecting outwardly from said rectangular opening, battery means mounted longitudinally within said case, long narrow reflector means comprised of spring material curved in an arc and parallel to its axis of curvature mounted within said case adjacent said open narrow edge thereof with the ends of said reflector biased by the curvature of said spring material against the side walls of said case, said reflector having a hole therethrough, a light bulb, means mounting said light bulb within said case and extending through said hole in the reflector means with its longitudinal axis extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said battery means and substantially midway between the ends of said battery means, said light transmitting means being bowed outwardly from said case and the tip of said bulb being positioned within said cup-shaped means and outside said case whereby light from said bulb is substantially non-directional, and means for connecting said light bulb to said battery.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1, further characterized by said reflector means comprising an arcuately bent substantially rectangular strip of polished spring steel whose end portions are bent back about 180 degrees upon themselves and are bent at about 90 degrees to extend away from the back surface thereof, and said case includes notched means with which the ends of said reflector engage when the said reflector is bent into position.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1, further characterized by said reflector means comprising a strip of metal extending lengthwise within said case, the length of said reflector being about four times its width.

4. A flashlight comprising, in combination, a thin flat case defining a generally rectangular enclosure one of whose narrow edge faces includes an opening extending over one-half the length of said edge, a light transmitting visor which has a generally cup-shaped portion mounted on said case with the lip of the cup engaging the case and the bottom of the cup extending outwardly from said rectangular enclosure, a reflector comprising a length of flat spring metal having a hole through its center portion, the length of said reflector being greater than the length of the said open edge of said case, said reflector being mounted within said enclosure with the ends of said reflector engaging the walls of said enclosure and engaging said visor to help to hold said visor in place and with the central portion of said reflector bowed inwardly from said visor, a light bulb mounted through the hole in said reflector with the light producing end of said bulb positioned within the said visor but outside the confines of said recsaid enclosure behind said reflector with the longitudinal axis of the battery extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of extension of the longitudinal axis of said light bulb, and means for electrically connecting said light bulb to said battery.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4, further characterized by the said reflector having a central portion which is Wider than its end portions, and the said visor includes a channel portion integral with said cup-shaped portion, the narrower end portions of said reflector fitting down into the said channel portion of said visor, and the said wider central portion resting on the upper edges of said channel when said reflector is in a bent position.

6. The invention set forth in claim 5, further characterized by said reflector comprising a length of polished spring steel whose end portions are bent back about 180 degrees upon themselves and are bent at about 90 degrees to extend away from the back surface thereof, and said case includes notched means with which the ends of said reflector engage when the said reflector is in its bent position.

7. A flashlight comprising, in combination, a

thin flat case defining a generally rectangular enclosure one of whose narrow edge faces includes an opening extending over one-half the length of said edge, a light transmitting visor which has a generally cup-shaped portion mounted on said case with the lip of the cup engaging the case and the bottom of the cup extending outwardly from said rectangular enclosure, a spring reflector having a hole through its center portion mounted within said enclosure, a battery having a case and a center electrode, first support means one end of which is insulatedly connected to the inside of said case and in electrical contact with the center electrode of said. battery, a light bulb socket, the other end of said first support means being permanently electrically connected to said light bulb socket, second support means one end of which is insulatedly connected to the inside of said case and is in electrical contact with the case of said battery and the other end of which is permanently insulatedly connected to said light bulb socket, a bulb in said socket extending through the hole in said reflector, and switch means for electrically connecting said light bulb socket to said reflector and through said reflector to said case.

8. The invention set forth in claim 7 further characterized in that said switch means connects said second support means to said thin flat case.

9. A flashlight comprising, in combination, a thin flat case defining a generally rectangular enclosure one of whose narrow edge faces includes an opening extending over one-half the length of said edge, said case having notched means in the wall portions thereof near said opening, light transmitting means secured to said case and closing said opening, reflector means comprising a substantially rectangular strip of polished spring metal whose ends rest against and cooperate with said notch means in said case for securing said reflector means in said case, said reflector means being bent arcuately away from said light transmitting means, a battery, first support means insulatedly connected to said case and in engagement with the central terminal of said battery for supporting tangular enclosure, a battery mounted within said battery within said case, light bulb means 7 including a socket electrically and supportingI-y connected to said support means, said light bulb being positioned between said reflector means and said light transmitting means, second support means insulatedly connected to said case and engaging the outer terminalof said battery for supporting said battery in said case, switch means for selectively grounding said second support to said case, and means for grounding said light bulb socket through said reflector to said case.

- SAMUEL J. BOOTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Ix u-mber g UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Freed et a1 Nov. 4, 1919 Mailloux Sept. 7, 1937 David et a1 July 9, 1940 Muldoon Feb. 3, 1942 Whiting et a1. Dec. 8,1942 Berman May 28, I946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Oct. 1, 1917 France Mar. 22, 1937