US2677022A

US2677022A - Flashlight switch assembly

Info

Publication number: US2677022A
Application number: US217141A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lester J Fleming
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-03-23
Filing date: 1951-03-23
Publication date: 1954-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 1971-04-27

Description

April 27, 1954 J. FLEMING FLASHLIGHT SWITCH ASSEMBLY Filed March 25, 1951 5 INVENTOR. 4 55m? J. FLEMING.

A TTORNEK Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES iATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in flashlights. The object of this invention is to provide a flashlight construction which incorporates the following desirable and advantageous features:

1. A reflector and bulb holding assembly which has a. socket-shaped contact member to receive the terminal post of the battery cell and to prevent lateral shifting thereof. The socket-shaped contact member which receives the terminal post centers the cell in the casing.

2. A switch which is located at the bottom end of the casing, that is, at the end opposite the lens assembly. In conventional flashlights the switch is generally located in the side of the casing.

3. A. positive loci: in the switch assembly which locks the switch either in open or closed position.

4. Provision for an auxiliary switch in the event that the permanent switch goes out of order. The auxiliary switch may comprise a household key or a safety pin or any other suitable metal object which may be inserted into an opening which is formed for that purpose in the bottom retaining cap of the casing.

A preferred form of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a flashlight made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 a top View thereof, looking at the lens of said flashlight.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through said flashlight.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through said flashlight and through the battery sheathing.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the flashlight casing, including a fragmentary view of the reflector.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on the line 65 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a transverse section through the flashlight casing on the line l''! of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the flashlight, looking at the switch mechanism.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the bottom end of the casing, showing the hook-shaped end of one of the conductor bars.

The flashlight ill herein claimed comprises a tubular casing H which is open at both ends. Longitudinally extending grooves i l are formed in the inside wall of said casing and said grooves are provided with enlargement it at their respective ends. Mounted in these grooves and fixed therein are conductor bars It which are provided with hooks 20 at both ends. These hooks are disposed within the enlarged ends it of the grooves. It will hereinafter be seen that these hooked bars serve two functions: the first is to secure the lens assembly 22 to one end of the casing and the switch assembly 2% to the opposite end of the casing, and the second is to serve as electrical conductors between said assemblies.

The bulb and reflector assembly 4% is supported in the casing by the lens assembly.

The switch assembly 2 comprises the following elements: a cap-shaped housing 58 which not only supports the switch mechanism but also the battery 60 as will hereinafter appear, a shell 62 which is mounted within said switch housing 58, a plurality of radially extending pins E i which secure said shell to said switch housing, a pair of brackets 86 on said shell, a bell-crank-shaped contact member 88 pivotally mounted on said brackets 66, and a floating contact plate it? which is movable upwardly and downwardly in said shell 62. It will be noted that pins 5d project radially outwardly from said switch housing and that they are engageable with hool-zs 2d at the lower ends of conductor bars 58 to secure said switch housing to the lower end of the casing. The contact plate it is set in an annular rim 12 which extends along its entire peripheral edge and which prevents said contact plate from making direct contact with the floor of shell 52.

Mounted atop the floating contact plate 15! is a compression spring "a l which bears up against battery fill and supports said battery in the flash light casing. The central terminal post l3 of the battery projects upwardly into socket-shaped contact member 5d, and it is held. in tensioned contact therewith by said spring i l, The socketshaped contact member not only conducts current from the battery to the bulb through spring 52 but it also prevents lateral shifting of the battery in the casing. It will, of course, be understood that this battery till is simply an ordinary flashlight battery or dry cell intended for flashlight use. It will also be understood that more than one cell may be mounted in a flashlight made in accordance with this invention and that the single cell flashlight shown in the drawing is merely illustrative of the invention.

The flashlight casing, the lens housing 26, shell 48, switch housing 58 and rim E2 are all made of electrically non-conductive material, such as plastics. The conductor bars l8, pins 32, reflector '42, tubular member it and flange id, spring 52, socket-shaped contact member 56, spring l l, contact plate 'Hl, shell 8'2, brackets 68, pivotally mounted contact member 68, and pins fi l are all made of electrically conductive material and it is these latter elements which combine with bulb 54 and battery 69 to form the electrical circuit of the flashlight herein claimed.

The manner in which the switch mechanism operates is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It will be noted that in whatever position pivotally mounted member 68 happens to be, it is always situated within switch housing 58. The bottom of the switch housing may be described as being flat so that it can be made to stand upon a flat horizontal surface. Member 68 is provided with a contact arm 680., a second, electrically insulated arm 6%, and a small prominence ($80 which is situated intermediate the two arms 68a and 682). This prominence is engageable by ones finger in order to pivot said member 68 in either direction. When it is pivoted to its Fig. 3 position, arm 68a is in contact with contact plate 70 and the circuit is closed. When it is pivoted to its Fig. 4 position, arm 62a is out oi engagement with contact plate 79 and the circuit is open.

It will be noted in Fig. 8 that looking member 18 comprises a slide 89 and a pair of slide retainers or guides 82 which are secured to the bottom of switch housing 58. Slide 80 is slidably movable into and out of engagement with insulated arm 6% of pivoted contact member 68. When said pivoted contact member is in its Fig. 3 position, slide 89 may be pushed into engagement with the top side of arm 68?) to hold said pivoted member in said position. When the pivoted member 98 is in its Fig. 4 position, slide 80 may be pushed into engagement with the bottom side of arm 68b in order to hold said pivoted contact member in said position.

In the event that switch arm or pivoted arm 68 is not in working order, the circuit may be closed by simply pushing a household key or other suitable metal object through slot 84 in shell 62 until contact is made both with said shell and with contact plate 70.

A wire bail H2 is pivotally secured to the outside of the flashlight casing by means of bracket H4. It will be noted that this bracket is secured a spaced distance from both ends of the casing. Member H2 may be hung upon a belt or button for carrying purposes.

It will be understood that the preferred form of this invention above described may be modified in many respects within the broad spirit of the invention and scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a flashlight of the character described, a battery retaining cap and switch assembly, comprising a cap-shaped switch housing, a floating contact plate in said switch housing, a bracket, and a contact member pivotally mounted on said bracket for movement into and out of electrical contact with said contact plate.

2. In a flashlight in accordance with claim 1, a slidably mounted locking member on said switch housing which is movable into engagement with one side of the pivotally mounted contact member to maintain said contact member in engagement with contact plate, and which is movable into engagement with the opposite side of said pivotally mounted contact member to maintain said contact member out of engagement with the contact plate.

3. In a flashlight in accordance with claim '1, a rubber diaphragm extending across the switch housing to provide a moisture resistant seal, and a slit in said diaphragm through which the pivotally mounted contact member is movable into and out of contact with the contact plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PAIENTS Number Name Date 581,139 Rhind Apr. 20, 1897 1,294,485 Kuen Feb. 18, 1919 1,589,759 Kuen June 22, 1926 1,622,437 Freund Mar. 29, 1927 1,666,420 Koretzky Apr. 17, 1928 1,696,266 Coote Dec. 25, 1928 1,699,344 Buchholz Jan. 15, 1929 1,845,764 Pryor Feb. 16, 1932 1,855,015 Fraser et al Apr. 19, 1932 1,932,352 Moran Oct. 24, 1933 1,977,086 Pryor Oct. 16, 1934 1,990,504 Stimson Feb. 12, 1935 2,229,495 Desimone Jan. 21, 1941 2,364,433 Zimmer 1- Dec. 8, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 149,156 Austria Nov. 15, 1936 458,272 Great Britain Dec. 16, 1936