Patent ID: 7300173
Filing Date: 2007-11-27
Classification: F21K,F21L,F21V,F21Y,H05B,Y02B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An illumination device, such as a flashlight, comprising: (a) a light reflector including (i) light reflecting surface segments which circumscribe a given area and which define a forwardly extending central axis of illumination and (ii) a rearward facing edge; (b) an illumination assembly including (i) a printed circuit board having a front surface and a back surface, (ii) at least one solid state light source on the front surface of said printed circuit board, and (iii) control circuitry connected with said solid state light source and printed on at least one of the surfaces of said printed circuit board for connecting the solid state light source to a source of power in order to control the illumination of said solid state light source; and (c) a housing arrangement including a first housing portion thereof connected with said light reflector and a second housing portion connected with said illumination assembly (i) such that said first housing portion and said light reflector are movable together relative to said second housing portion and said illumination assembly, (ii) such that the solid state light source is disposed within said given area in a way which causes light from said solid state light source to emanate out of said given area in the general direction of said forwardly extending central axis of illumination and (iii) such that the rearward facing edge of said light reflector engages a bearing surface defined by said illumination assembly during at least some of said relative movement, wherein said relative movement of said first and second housing portions includes both rotational movement about and simultaneous axial movement along said central axis, said first housing portion supporting said reflector for rotation therewith such that the rearward facing edge of the reflector engages in a sliding manner on said bearing surface during at least some of the rotation of said first housing portion relative to said second housing portion and wherein said illumination assembly is configured such that said bearing surface is movable in a direction parallel with said central axis between a first position for disconnecting said circuitry and said solid state light source from said source of power and a second position for connecting said circuitry and solid state light source to said source of power, and wherein the rotation of said housing portion causes the rearward facing edge of said reflector to move said bearing surface from said second position to said first position as it slidably engages said bearing surface.