US2816215A - Folding flashlight - Google Patents

Description

FOLDING FLASHLIGHT Filed A ril 20, 1956 is I 4% i7 2 3 I O FF INVENT0R.V

CALVIN E A A222:

A I I OENEYS FOLDING FLASHLIGHT Calvin E. Jarred, Seattle, Wash.

Application April 20, 1956, Serial No. 579,599

2 Claims. (Cl. 24010.6)

This invention relates to improvements in flashlights, and more particularly to an improved folding flashlight adapted to be carried in the users pocket, purse, or to be carried in any other location where only limited space is available.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved portable flashlight of the folding type, said flashlight being simple in construction, being easy to manipulate, and being arranged so that the lamp thereof becomes energized responsive to the rotation of one segment relative to the other segment slightly beyond a position wherein the segments are in axial alignment.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved folding flashlight which is inexpensive to manu facture, which is rugged in construction, which is arranged so that the batteries thereof may be readily replaced, and which is further arranged so that the lamp thereof will become energized responsive to the arrangement of one segment of the flashlight at a predetermined angular position with respect to the other segment, which may be readily accomplished with the foldable flashlight held in one hand of the user.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved flashlight constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view, similar to Figure 2, but showing the flashlight in folded position.

Figure 6 is an end view of the flashlight, taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates an improved flashlight according to the present invention, said flashlight comprising a first tubular housing segment 12 of suitable rigid insulating material, formed at one end thereof with a rounded tip 13 having a central aperture to receive the tip portion 14 of a conventional flashlight bulb 15, with said tip portion 14 projecting through said central aperture, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 5. Rigidly secured in the tubular housing segment 12 is a longitudinally extending conductive plate element 16 formed at one end thereof with the spaced hinge loops 17, said hinge loops being exposed at the open end of the housing segment 12 and being located closely adjacent to the plane of said open end, as shown in Figure 5. Integrally formed with the plate member 16 at its other end is the socket shell element 18, internally threaded to receive the shell 19 of the flashlight bulb 15.

The segment 12 is dimensioned to slidably receive a first flashlight battery cell 20 and to support said battery cell with its center contact 21 aligned with and registrable with the center contact 22 of the flashlight bulb 15. The

nited Sttes Patent 0 Patented Dec. 10, 1957 ice length of the internal bore of the segment 12 is just suflicient to receive the cell 20 with the center contact 21 thereof in engagement with the lamp bulb center contact 22, with the end wall of the casing of the cell 20 substantially flush with the open end of the housing segment 12, as shown in Figure 2.

Designated at 23 is a second tubular housing segment having a rounded end 24 andlformed with an integral bore shaped to receive a second flashlight battery 25. Secured in the housing segment 23 is the longitudinally extending conductive plate member26 formed at its outer end with hinge loops interengageable with the hinge loops 17 of the plate member 16, and hingedly connected thereto by a transverse hinge pin 27. The inner end of the plate member 26' is formed with' the resilient contact lug 28 located adjacent the inner surface of the end wall 24 and angled toward the open end of the housing segment 23, as shown in Figure 2, whereby to resiliently engage the end wall of the casing of the flashlight battery 25, as illustrated. The flashlight battery 25 is received in the housing segment 23 with its center contact 29 exposed and projecting outwardly beyond the plane of the open end of housing segment 23, as is clearly shown in Figures 2 and 5.

The respective housing segments 12 and 23 are formed with flattened longitudinally extending surface portions 30 and 31 arranged in alignment, with the hinge axis defined by the hinge pin 27 extending transversely across the aligned flattened surface portions 30 and 31, as shown in Figure l.

The flashlight assembly may be normally carried in the folded position thereof shown in Figure 5, whereby said assembly requires relatively little space, and may be conveniently carried in a pocket, purse, or the like. Alternatively, the flashlight may be normally positioned with the segments 12 and 23 in alignment, as shown in Figure 1, and may rest on the flattened surface portions 30 and 31.

To use the flashlight, namely, to energize the flashlight bulb 15, it is merely necessary to rotate the housing segment 23' slightly beyond the position of axial alignment thereof with respect to the housing segment 12, as shown in dotted view in Figure 2, whereby the center contact 29 of the flashlight cell 25 is forced into engagement with the end of the casing of the flashlight 20, and whereby the center contact 21 of the flashlight cell 20 is forced against the center contact 22 of the bulb 15. Since the shell 19 of the bulb is conductively connected by the socket element 18, the plate member 16, the hinge structure, the plate member 26, and the spring contact 28 to the casing of the flashlight cell 25, an energizing circuit is thus established for the lamp bulb, and the lamp bulb will remain energized as long as suflicient force is applied to retain the housing segment 23 in its angled position, shown in dotted view in Figure 2, with respect to the housing segment 12. As will be readily apparent, the assembly may be held in the users hand, and finger pressure may be applied to angle the housing segment 23 sufliciently to energize the lamp bulb, when desired.

While a specific embodiment of an improved foldable flashlight has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable flashlight comprising a first tubular housing segment open at one end, a flashlight bulb socket mounted in the closed end of said segment, a first hinge segment of conductive material mounted in the housing segment conductively secured to the shell portion of the socket and having a hinge loop located externally adjacent'the open end of said housing segment, a second tubular housing segment open at one end, a second hinge s gment of conductive material mounted in the second tubular housing segment ,and having a hinge loop-located externally adjacentuthenopen .end thereof, pin means pivotally connecting said hinge loops, and a resilient lug element on the inner end .of said secondnhinge segment, said lug element being angled toward the ,open end of said second segment and. being conductively engageable with the end of a battery cell in ,said second housing segment, said first housing segment being formed and arranged to receive another batterycell. in ,a position wherein the end of said second-.namedbattery cell will be .engagedby thecentercontactof the first-named battery cell.

.2. vA foldable flashlight comprising a. first tubular housing segment openuat onesen d,.a flashlight bulbv socket mounted in the closed end of saidsegment, a-first hinge segment of conductive material mounted in the housing segment and conductively secured to the, shell portion of the socket and having ,a hinge looplocated externally adjacent the ,open end of saidhousing segment, va first .batterycell axially disposed in said housing segment and having a center contact aligned with said bulb socket, .a second tubular housing segment open at oneend, a second battery cell axially disposed in said secondchousin g segment and having a center contact, a second hinge segment of conductive material mounted in the second tubular housing segment and having a hinge loop located externally adjacent the open end thereof, pin means pivotally connecting said hinge loops, and a resilient lug element on the inner end of said second hinge segment, said lug element being angled toward the open end of said second segment and conductively engaging the end of the second-named cell, said tubular segments being formed to receive the respective battery cells in positions such that the center contact of the second cell is engageable with the end wall of the first cell when the second housing segment is rotated to a predetermined position with respect to the first-named housing segment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,124,075 Swallow Jan. 5, 1915 1,297,654 Burgess Mar. 18, 1919 1,720,228 Malum July 9, 1929 1,875,956 Thiel Sept. 6, 1932 1,974,294 Walsh Sept. 18, 1934 2,405,384 White Aug. 6, 1946 2,522,660 ,Bledsoe Sept. 19, 1950 2,598,153 Fiuraitis May 27, 1952

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