Patent ID: 9671098
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: F21L,F21V,F21Y

Claim:
1. A rechargeable lighting device, comprising: a housing having a forward end which contains a light source and a tail end which contains a switch opposite the forward end; a rechargeable power source with a front end and a rear end, the rear end being more proximate the tail end than the forward end when the rechargeable power source is held in the housing, said rechargeable power source having a first negative electrode located at its front end and both a second negative electrode and a positive electrode located at its rear; a first printed circuit board (“PCB”) located in the tail end, said rechargeable power source being located between the light source and the first PCB when the rechargeable power source is held within the housing; a microcontroller located on the first PCB; a first and a second charging contact located on the exterior of the rechargeable lighting device at or near its tail end; a main power circuit that powers the light source of the rechargeable lighting device and includes the positive electrode and the first negative electrode; and a charging circuit that is configured to be enabled upon the rechargeable lighting device engaging a charging device and includes the positive electrode and the second negative electrode; wherein the main power circuit is activated by the switch which causes the microcontroller to turn the main power circuit on; wherein the charging circuit is activated by inserting the rechargeable lighting device into a charging cradle which causes the microcontroller to turn the charging circuit on when a cradle detection circuit detects that at least one of the first and the second charging contacts is engaging an electrical contact in the charging cradle; and wherein the first charging contact is part of the main power circuit and is isolated from a charging ground path when the main power circuit is turned on and the charging circuit is not turned on but acts as part of the charging ground path when the charging circuit is turned on.