Patent ID: 6220720
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: F21L

Abstract:
A flashlight comprising:a battery compartment having first and second opposite ends, and an internal space for containing an electrical energy source having a pair of terminals, the compartment being entirely closed except for a opening at one of the opposite ends, and having threads adjacent the opening;a head assembly comprising a lens, the head assembly having threads engaged with the threads of the battery compartment and providing a fluid-tight closure for the opening of the battery compartment, the head assembly being rotatable on an axis and movable, by the threads as it is rotated, relative to the battery compartment along the axis;a light bulb; anda bulb carrier assembly, supporting the light bulb and receivable through the opening of the battery compartment, the bulb carrier including a reflector arranged to direct light generated by the light bulb through the lens of the head assembly;in which the bulb carrier is engageable by the head assembly and movable thereby along the axis;in which the bulb carrier has a pair of electrical terminals engageable with the terminals of the electrical energy source, a normally open switch comprising at least two contacts, one of which is movable relative to the bulb carrier, and all of which are carried by the bulb carrier, and conductors connected to provide a series circuit through the bulb, the switch and the pair of electrical terminals; andin which the battery compartment has an interior wall and includes a molded shelf formed on the interior wall of the battery compartment, the molded shelf being engageable with the movable contact of the normally open switch and positioned to urge the movable contact in a direction to close the series circuit when the head assembly moves the bulb carrier in a first direction, along the axis, relative to the battery compartment.