US3015719A

US3015719A - Electric hand lamp

Info

Publication number: US3015719A
Application number: US1044A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fredrick J Kirkman
Original assignee: Servel Inc
Current assignee: Servel Inc
Priority date: 1960-01-07
Filing date: 1960-01-07
Publication date: 1962-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 1979-01-02

Description

Jan. 2, 1962 F. J. KIRKMAN 3,015,719

ELECTRIC HAND LAMP Filed Jan. 7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 2, 1962 F. J. KIRKMAN ELECTRIC HAND LAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 7, 1960 www@ WRNNI United States Patent 3,015,719 ELECTRIC HAND LAMP Fredrick J. Kirkman, Freeport, lll., assignor to Servel,

Inc., Evansville, Ind., a corporation of Delaware V Filed Jan. 7, 1960, Ser. No. A1,044 6 Claims. (Cl. 24U-10.63)

This invention relates to electric hand lamps and more particularly a multicell lamp using a plurality of separate batteries of, for example, the iiashlight type, and aim's to provide' an improved and simplified ystructure of this type.

ln an important aspect, the present invention contemplates, as here shown, a separable two-part structure that embodies a battery receptacle andan offset frame, the latter including a cover part for the receptacle while at the same time providing a handle for the lamp and carrying terminals making electrical contacts with the batteries in the receptacle by a sliding interconnection of the cover with the receptacle. A contact assembly in the bottom of the battery receptacle is removable for cleaning, repair or replacement in the event of damage due, for example, to cell leakage. The frame also carries a pivotally mounted lamp head and switch parts including a switch button.

` The advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, showing an illustrative embodiment of the invention. Y

ln the drawings'- FIG. l is a side elevational View of the lamp;

FIG. 2 is a front View thereof;

FEG. 3 is a view of the frame separated from the batter'y receptacle;

FIG. 4 is a view' of the under-face of the fra'me shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end View thereof;

FIG. 6 is a view of the upper end of the battery vreceptacle broken away to save space and for descriptive purposes:

FIG. 7 is a plan View of the battery receptacle looking into its interior, the position of the batteries being indicated in dotted lines;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary end view of parts shown in FlGS. 6 and 7; and

FIVG. 9 is an enlarged elevational sectional View of the lamp, as shown in FIG. 1, broken away to conserve space. ,A

Referring in detail to the illustrative construction shown in the drawings, numeral 11 indicates a metal re-v ceptacle for the' batteries (cells) Afor the lamp.V The receptacle', as best see'niriy FIG. 9, is elongated to receive a plurality of dry cells of,v for example', theV ordinary ilashlight type. Three

dry cells

12, 13' and 14` are lhere aligned in a row longitudinally/'of the can and are placed in electrical seriesl by havingthe end cells 1'2 and 14 upright and the middle' cell 13 inverted.

Spring contact members for the cells are arranged in the bottom of the receptacle 11 on alaminate'd insulating base pad 15. As herel shown, at one end of the spring contact 16, which is riveted to the base pad 1S at 17, makes contact by its springtongue lda'with the negative terminal 14a of the cell 14 at 18, and, by its tail end 16h, makes a groun'drcont'act at 19` with a portion 20 of the battery receptacle. As shown in the example, this connection is advantageously madeV with the ribvof the pad being sloped, as at 34a, to press the cells like overlapping portion of the sheet metal of the reoepat 26 engages the positive central terminal 13a o'f.in'

Patented Jan. 2, 1962 2, vetted een 1'3, and springtongiie 2s at 27 engages' the 'negative-can terminal 12a of cell 12'. Thus, terminals 12a and 13a are .electrically connected. y

It will be noted from FIG. 9 that the pad 15 assembly in the bottom of the battery receptacle is not permanently fastened in place by fixed means but is, rather, securely held 'in' its proper position by means of the tail 1'6`b of conductor lstrip 16 acting as a latch. This arrangement provides a very convenient and therefore inexpensivel mearis for assembling the receptacle', 'the pad subassembly ymerely being` pressed downl into position. As this is done, the end 16h of the conductor strip scrapes and tightly engages the inner surface of the metal receptacle with av continuing pressure to insure a reliable electrical contact. For greaterl assurance against unintended liftig of this pad, dimplesn 11a may be impressed inwardly near the bottom of the receptacle to Vserve as additional retaining means for the pad.

The frame is indicated generally by the numeral 28. At its top where it is openl andadapted to intereng'age with the frame, the receptacle 1 1 along its longitudinal edges has a pair of outwardly directed llanges 29 that are conveniently formed integrally with the side members of the receptacle respectively, and at its rear end the upper edge is rectilinearly notched as at 30, all for 4a pur'- pose presently explained. Frame 2S includes kan elongated plate 31, that, as next described, serves as a cover for the battery receptacle, and also includes a bail-like wardly curled but open iianges 33 that ride, end-'to-e'nd,

onto the flanges 29 of the receptacle. The cover slides into engagerner'itv with the battery container inthe direction indicated' by arrow A (iFIG. 3) until the cover '351 closes the receptacle 11 as iri'FIGS. l' and 9;y the frame and can before intereilgagement being provisionally related as in FIGS. 3 and 6 taken together. Removal of the frame, including the coverV 31', for `access to the interior of the can to replace the lcells is veffected by sliding the frame inthe opposite direction, as indicated by arrowB (FIG. l).

Cover plate 31, best seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 9, on its underface carriesy an elongated insuiating runner or pad 34, which, in t-urn,V carries metallic Contact strips 3S and 36 on its face. The pad is provided wit-h recesses 34h ori thetop sidel thereof and contact strips are secured to the pad in this instance by being-passed through slots 37 inthe'pad'into recess 34b`andthe ends bent back' onto the bodyiof' the pad as at 38. Contact strip 35S is relatively shorthut of a dimension to make contact with the positive4 central terminal y12b of the cell .12', While contact strip v36 is longenough'to electrically intereconnect two of the cells and for this purpose to make contactgwith both the negative can terminal 13b of the cell 13 and the ypositive terminal 141) of cell 14. Pushing the framev onto the battery receptacle presses the contacts carried by thev cover against the cells .and presses the cellsagainst the' spring contact tongues in the bottom of the can, already referred to, the forward edge downwardly as the cover is slid onto the receptacle.

When the frame is slid onto the receptacle 11 as previously explained', notchy or cutout 30 in the rear wall of Vthe receptacle accommodates the insulator member 34 of the cover plate 31' astheV latter is slid onto the can `andpermit'stlieV cover'arid can tomake'the interengaging connection. The cover plate has a'- turnedV down rear lip 39 that covers the'notch`30 when the frame and can are a'ssefhbld.A f

Rivets 40 thatl holdthe insulatory runner 34toy the underside of the cover 3-1 also clamp thereto the bail-like part 32 of the frame by turned-in ends 4l of the latter which the rivets pass through, the member 32 being substantially wider than it is thick. Bail-like member 32 is bent up lalong each side of the longitudinal edges of its upper reach 42 to provide a trough 43 which is closed by handle cap 44 that embraces trough 43. Trough 43 and cap 44 together not only form a handle part agreeable to the hand but provide a hollow carrier for the switch terminals 45 `and 46 and for the exposed switch actuator or button 47 and its bridge contact means, as next explained.

Terminal members

45 and 46, here shown in the form of metallic rivets carried by the cap 44, are electrically insulated from the latter by headed insulating sleeves 48, respectively, that pass through the cap upper wall 44a under the switch button 47. Terminal rivets 4S and 46 also pass through an insulating plate 49 that is secured to the underface of the cap beneath the switch button 47 by the rivets.

Switch button 47 is shown elongated in the direction of the lamp handle and has a depending boss 50 that enters and plays in a slot 51 that is formed jointly in the upper Wall 44a of the cap and in the plate 49 and is 1ocated between

terminals

45 and 46.

Rivets

45 and 46 also clamp to the plate 49 the soldering clips 45a and 46a respectively to which conductors, presently described, are soldered. Secured to the boss S by a self-threading screw 52 is a bridging spring contact member 53 elongated similarly to the switch button and slideable with it. Sliding switch button 47 has a thumb rest 47a and is appropriately knurled at 47b.

The front reach of bridge contact 53 has a dent 54 formed therein adapted to resiliently receive the head of rivet 45 and the rear reach is similarly dented 'as at 55 to receive the head of rivet 46. The front reach of bridge contact 53 is at its extremity ared as at 56 to guide the bridge contact onto the rivet head 4'5 when the button 47 is slid forwardly, having previously broken contact therewith when button v47 was retracted t0 the position shown in FIG. 9. Spring tail 57 adjacent socket dent 55 is extended to maintain the bridge contact in engagement with the rivet head 46 at all times. Depression S releasably holds the switch button in o position and depression 54 in on position, thus providing detents for these two positions of the button, the bridge contact 53 being engageable with and releaseable therefrom by its spring character.

Side walls 43 of the handle trough are forwardly extended to form brackets 58 on which are pivoted, on pin 58a, the arms of a clevis 59 that mounts a metallic lamp head 60. Lamp head 60 carries the usual reflector 61 (FIG. 2), lamp bulb 62, glass lens 63, and bezel element 63a, the latter being desirably made of plastic material as is also the switch button 47.

When the parts are assembled as shown in FIGS. l and 9 and the switch button 47 is moved forwardly from the position shown in FIG. 9 to the position in which the bridge contact member 53 receives `the rivet terminal 45 in its socket depression 54, a circuit is established through insulated Wire lead 64 that is soldered to clip 45a at 6'5 and that extends downwardly along the frame member 32 and is soldered as at 66 to contact 35, through cell 12 to tongue 25 of contact 21, through tongue 24 of the latter to cell 13, through cell 13 to contact ystrip 36, from contact 36 through cell 14 to tongue 16a of contact 16, from end 16h of the latter through ground `19 to the metal battery container 11, thence through metal frame member 32, clevis 59, metal lamp head 60, through the metal lamp bulb socket (not shown), through the filament of the lamp bulb 62, and through insulated Wire lead 67 (that emerges from the lamp head through outlet 66a) to soldering clip 46a, rivet terminal 46, and back to bridge contact 53, whereupon the lamp will be lighted. When the switch button 47 is retracted to the position shown in FIG. 9, the circuit is broken and the light is extinguished.

The arrangement here described provides a compact and efficient hand lamp, of a practical shape and enhanced utility, ease of insertion of the batteries in the can and closure by the frame being facilitated. When so closed and assembled the switch parts are desirably` isolated from the battery can so that fortuitous leakage of the cells, if such should occur, will not injure the switch parts.`

The invention is not intended to be limited to details of construction shown for purposes of exemplitication and it is to be understood that such changes, including modications or additions, maybe made as fall within the scope of the appended claims, without departing therefrom.

What is here claimed is:

l. As an article of manufacture, a multicell operated electric hand lamp comprising an elongated cell receptacle, a plurality of cells arranged in a row in said recep tacle, a frame removably mounted on said receptacle, said frame including a cover part for the receptacle having a sliding mechanical and electrical interengaging connection with said receptacle and a bail-like handle structure spanning said cover part, and adapted to support a lamp head at the forward extremity thereof and switch parts including a switch button thereon and electrical contact members carried on the under face of the cover part and insulated therefrom and arranged to make electrical connections with the cells simultaneously with the securing of the cover part to said receptacle by sliding the cover part onto said receptacle.

2. The lamp of claim l including an insulating pad in the bottom of the receptacle and wherein vertically resilient electrical contact members are mounted in said pad and vertical dimensions for the accommodation of the cells are such that the cover part is ladapted to exert downward pressure upon said cells to insure good electrical connection with the terminals of the cells.

3. In an electric hand lamp, an elongated metallic battery receptacle, aplurality of electric cells of the flashlight battery type arranged in a. row in said receptacle, an insulating pad in the bottom of said receptacle, electric contact members carried by said pad and arranged to electrically ground the terminal of Ian end cell of the row to said receptacle and electrically connect the terminals of the balance of the cells in a part of -a series circuit, a frame including a handle Vfor the lamp and a cover for said receptacle, said frame being adapted to support a lamp head and a switch, an insulating pad secured to the underside of said cover, electric contact members carried by said last-mentioned pad and exposed along the bottom surface thereof and engaging the upwardly facing terminals of said cells in said receptacle, said receptacle and said cover having cooperating llanges along the sides thereof for sliding interengagement whereby to mechanically secure said receptacle to said cover and frame and simultaneously make electrical contact and establish series circuit connections with said cells in said receptacle, and a switch lead wire carried 4by said frame and connected with the contact member which is in `engagement with the upwardly facing terminal of the cell remote from the cell having a terminal grounded to said receptacle.

4. Structure in accordance with claim 3 wherein the pad secured to the co-ver is provided with recesses on the top side thereof facing said cover `and the contact members carried by said pad `are secured thereto by end portions passing through said pad int-o said recesses and therein ilanged vfor clamping engagement of said contact members with said pad.

5. Structure in accordance with claim 3 wherein the yforward edge of the pad secured to the receptacle cover `is sloped to cause said cells within said receptacle to be pressed downwardly as the cover is slid onto the recep- Itacle.

IFT." i

, 6 6. Structure in accordance with claim 3 wherein the strip and vsaid receptacle and frictionally latch said pad electric contact member carried by the pad in thebottom in position. of the receptacle and arranged to ground a cell terminal to said receptacle comprises `zt metal-lic strip extending References Cited inthe le of this patent Slighily byOIld al1 6nd 0f Said pad, the eXIlded end 0f 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS said strip abutting the inside surface of said receptacle with pressure engagement to electrically connect said 2,628,305 Talbot et al.- Feb. l0, 1953