Abstract:
A lighted rod apparatus comprising a power unit having at least one switch, and least one power source, an elongated shaft having a leading end, a tail end, an elongated section between the ends, the section including at least a rigidly flexible shaft, and a passage defined within the section, at least one light source electrically connected to the power unit and adapted to externally illuminate substantially all of the section and a tip, whereby the lighted rod can be easily shaped to a desired form to illuminate difficult areas and can be manipulated to penetrate areas difficult to illuminate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    None. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a flexible light apparatus for providing light in hard to light areas. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus that provides light along the length of the flexible light apparatus for lighting hard to access areas such as inside a wall when electricians are pulling wires, under the hood of a car, or in a house underneath furniture. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The invention relates to an apparatus for penetrating and lighting difficult areas. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus that allows a user to adapt the light to a desired configuration wherein the light remains in the desired position to light the desired area. The flex light apparatus  100  may be configured in a straight position and used as a fishing tape to penetrate unlit areas such as inside walls and extended such that it can be used for locating holes and pulling electrical wiring through walls and the attic. Traditionally, flashlights and the like may shine into hard to reach areas and only provide light in the direction of the light beam or they are too bulky to be placed in hard to reach areas. Additionally, the light beam may not fully illuminate the desired area. For example, an electrician may create a hole in the ceiling to install wiring and shine a flashlight through the hole to indicate to a second person in the attic where the hole is located. Because of the intervening insulation, the light cannot be seen by a second person. Also, prior art devices it required two people to install wiring. In general, prior art teaches various devices from simply providing localized light using luminous rods having some sort of coating that stores and emits lighting or focused lighting with fishing rods containing a screw-on lighted tip. 
         [0004]    There have thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0005]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in this application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0006]    Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic representation of a preferred embodiment of an extendable flex light apparatus. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a view of a flex light handle with batteries, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a view of a flex light handle with an AC to DC converter, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a view of a flex light handle with a battery charger, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5A  is a view of a flex light lighted section with threaded female connections, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5B  is a cross-section view of a flex light lighted section with threaded female connections, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a view of a flex light lighted section with threaded female and male connections, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a view of a flex light lighted section with quick disconnect female and male connections, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a side view of a flex light threaded male adapter for connecting two female sections, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of a flex light threaded male adapter for connecting two female sections, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a view of a threaded male removable tip, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a view of a threaded female removable tip, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a view of a quick disconnect female removable tip, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is an electronic schematic of the lighting circuit, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic representation of a embodiment of an extendable flex light apparatus. The flex light apparatus  100  may consist of a battery power handle  200 , internally threaded light sections  500  each having length “L,” male threaded adapter  800 , and a threaded male removable tip  1000 . The current embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  includes a battery power handle  200 , three internally threaded light sections  500 , two male threaded adapters  800 , and a threaded male removable tip  1000 . In other embodiments, the flex light apparatus  100  allows the user assemble a flex light apparatus  100  for a desired application by selecting a battery power handle  200 , a desired number of sections, and a threaded male removable tip  1000 . The battery power handle  200  is a preferred embodiment of the handle but other alternate embodiments of the handle are described in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The internally threaded light section  500  is a preferred embodiment of a lighted female threaded section but other alternate embodiments of the lighted section are described in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The internally threaded light section  500  may have a length L wherein one skilled in the art determines the appropriate length. Also, one skilled in the art may determine there may be varying lengths L to accommodate different purposes. 
         [0022]    The threaded male removable tip  1000  is shown in  FIG. 10  but alternate embodiments are shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . The tip  1000  is capable of receiving different types of accessories that allow the user to configure the flex light apparatus  100  for a number of desired purposes. For example, a user may configure and use the flex light apparatus  100  to provide light behind book shelves and underneath furniture when searching for lost items. Additionally, an electrician may assemble the flex light apparatus  100  with a portable battery power handle  200 , multiple internally threaded light sections  500 , and a threaded male removable tip  1000  wherein a wire gripper is threadedly attached to the threaded male removable tip  1000 . The electrician feeds the apparatus up through the wall into the attic and through the insulation where the lighted section illuminates the area where the flex light apparatus  100  penetrated the attic making it easy for the electrician to find where the wires need to be installed. In this current embodiment, the battery power handle  200  may house batteries, which provides power to light the individual LEDs  509 , which may be located on an LED strips  508  along internally threaded light sections  500 . At the end of the handle of this embodiment is a power switch  212  and intensity control  216  to activate the LEDs  509  and control their brightness, which will be further described in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  shows a flex light apparatus battery power handle  200 , according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. The battery-powered detachable handle  200  may consist of a housing  202 , a housing cavity  204 , an end cap  206 , a threaded connection  208 , a handle battery  210 , a spring  220 , a ground  222  and a power  224  connection. The end cap  206  may house a power switch  212 , a power indicator  214 , and a light intensity control  216 . The power switch  212  may be selected from one of the following types of switches including toggle, pushbutton, slide, rotary, in-line and rocker but is not limited to these specific switches. The end cap  206  may consist of a male threaded section which threadedly connects to the female threaded end cap retainer  218  inside the housing  202 . The end cap  206  is removed from the housing  202  to allow for the installation of at least one handle battery  210 . The handle battery  210  is placed inside the housing cavity  204  and pushed to the end where the positive end of the handle battery  210  is in direct contact with the power  224  connection and the negative side of the battery is connected through the spring  220  to the ground  222  that extends outward through a threaded connection  208 . 
         [0024]    The threaded connection  208  allows the user to mechanically connect multiple lighted sections  500  or  600  to the handle and provide electrical power through the power  224  and ground  222  connections in order to light the LEDs  509  in a section  500 ,  600 . In the end cap  206  as described above, the power switch  212  may be a push button switch or any other type of appropriate switch known to one skilled in the art for providing power to an apparatus. It would be obvious to one skilled in the art to use a female threaded connection instead of a male threaded connection  208  to mechanically connect multiple lighted sections. 
         [0025]    Additionally, attached to the end cap  206  may be an intensity control  216  that allows the adjustment of the intensity of the LED strip  508 . The intensity control  216  may come in the form of a thumbwheel or a rotary type switch to control the intensity. It would be apparent to one skilled in the art as to other devices that would be able to perform the function of controlling the intensity of the LED strip  508 . 
         [0026]    The end cap  206  may contain a power indicator  214  to show when the power is on at the power  224  connection. This indicator may come in many forms apparent to one skilled in the arts but the preferred embodiment would be colored LED to show when the power is on. The user would not want to connect internally threaded light sections  500  while the power was applied at the threaded connection  208  through the power  224  and ground  222  connections because of the possibility of shorting or creating a shocking hazard for the user. This embodiment illustrated a portable battery power handle  200  to supply power and provide control to the flex light apparatus  100 , wherein the apparatus may be used anywhere with the only limitation being the life of the batteries. Additionally, the apparatus allows for the batteries to be easily and quickly replaced. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a view of flex light AC/DC power handle  300  with an AC to DC convertor, an alternate embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the AC/DC power handle  300  is akin to the battery-powered handle in  FIG. 200  with modifications. The handle battery  210  inside the housing cavity  204  may be replaced with an AC to DC convertor to provide power to the flex light apparatus  100 . The AC/DC power handle  300  is connected to a wall outlet using the AC plug  310  that then supplies power to the end connection  304  through a power cord connection  306 . This power cord connection  306  then transfers the AC power through the AC internal power connection  308  to the AC/DC convertor  302  housed inside the housing cavity  204  of the handle housing  202 . The AC/DC convertor  302  provides a positive power  224  connection and a ground  222  connection to light the LED strip  508  in an internally threaded light section  500 . The AC/DC power handle  300  provides power to an internally threaded light section  500  through a power switch  312 . The intensity of the LED strip  508  may be selected by positioning the intensity control  216  on the outside of the housing  202  to a desired level chosen by the user. In addition to both of these controls, there may be a power indicator  214  to alert a user that power is active at the power  224  connection. This embodiment limits the movability of the flex light apparatus  100  to areas where an AC outlet is available, but it provides the added benefit of having constant power to the LED strip  508  and provide a constant lighting whereas in  FIG. 2  in the preferred embodiment you could actively go anywhere but you were limited to the power consumption and the battery capacity within the battery power handle  200 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is a view of a flex light handle with a battery charger, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment of a battery charger handle  400  with a battery charger  402  positioned inside the housing cavity  204  is similar to the two previous handles and a combination thereof. The battery charger handle  400  has a housing  202  and a housing cavity  204  wherein the battery charger  402  resides within this housing  202 . The battery charger handle  400  may be connected to a car cigarette lighter receptacle using a male car cigarette plug  406  allowing the handle battery  210  to be charged while not in use. Additionally, it would be apparent to one skilled in the art that the battery charger  402  may use AC input power for charging the handle battery  210 . The male car cigarette plug  406  supplies DC power through the power cord connection  306  through the DC internal power connectors  404  that connect to the battery charger  402 . 
         [0029]    The battery charger handle  400  has a power switch  312 , and may have an intensity control  216 , and a power indicator  214  as did the others described above in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Additionally, the end connection  304  may be threadedly attached to the housing  202  which allows the end connection  304  to be removed from the housing  202  and the handle battery  210  replaced when it no longer has the capacity to retain a charge. This battery charger handle  400  connects in the same way as the other handles through the male threaded connection  208  providing power through the power  224  connection and a return through the ground  222  connection. Furthermore, the battery charger handle  400  as with the other handles may utilize a quick disconnect as will be described hereinafter in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0030]    As an example, the user, an electrician, of the battery charger handle  400  may connect it to the car&#39;s cigarette plug on the way to job site wherein the battery charger  402  charges the handle battery  210  as they are proceeding to the job site. Once they arrive at the job site, they can disconnect the power cord connection  306  from the end connection  304  wherein the battery charger handle  400  would perform similarly to the battery powered handle  200  described in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 5A  is a view of a flex light lighted section  500  with threaded female connections according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is constructed using an elongated shaft  502  with a passage  504 , a semirigid member  506  within the passage  504 , an LED  508  strip located on within the passage  504  preferably placed on either side of the semi-rigid member  506 . The elongated shaft  502  may be constructed using materials including fiberglass, plastic, carbon fiber, polyester, metal alloy and epoxy but not limited to the specific materials. At either end of the elongated shaft  502  are female threaded connections  512  for receiving a male threaded connection  208  from a handle  200 ,  300 ,  400 , receiving a threaded male removable tip  1000  and receiving a female to male threaded section  600 . The handle  200 ,  300 ,  400  may have diameter greater than elongated shaft  502  and one skilled in the art may possibly taper to make a smooth transition from the handle  200 ,  300 ,  400  to the section  500 ,  600 . 
         [0032]    Additionally, the female threaded connection  512  may also receive a male threaded adapter  800  that threadedly connects one internally threaded light section  500  to a second internally threaded light section  500  thereby increasing the overall length of the flex light apparatus  100 . Additional internally threaded light sections  500  and male threaded adapters  800  may be added until the flex light apparatus  100  reaches the desired length for the user. 
         [0033]    Also contained with inside the passage  504  are two power distribution plates  510 . The power distribution plates  510  allow for ground and power to be supplied to the LED strip  508  to light the LEDs  509  and also provides for power to the next internally threaded light section  500  of LED lighting. A section  500 ,  600 ,  700 , may be configured to house a section battery  514  to provide additional power as more sections  500 ,  600 ,  700  are attached. Without the additional section battery  514  in an internally threaded light section  500 , the overall flex light apparatus battery life would be reduced causing the user to either reduce the LED intensity to preserve battery life or accept the overall reduction in operating time. In one embodiment that contains only one section  500 , the section battery  514  in a section  500  may be removed and the section  500  receive power only from the battery power handle  200 . The section battery  514  configuration in an internally threaded light section  500  is similar to the configuration in the battery power handle  200  wherein there is a power  224  connection and a ground  222  connection and a spring  220  that connects the power distribution plate  510  to the negative side of the section battery  514 . The handle battery  210  in the battery power handle  200  is electrically connected in parallel with the section battery  514  in an internally threaded light section  500  as is further illustrated in  FIG. 13 . 
         [0034]    In the preferred embodiment, the lighting source is LED strips  508 , which are placed on either side of the semi-rigid member  506  and bend with the semi-rigid member  506  as it is manipulated to conform to the desired shape of the user. The lighting source may be selected from a group including incandescent, light emitting diodes (LEDs), neon, and laser but is not limited to theses specific sources of lighting. Additionally, it is preferable that the intensity of the lighting source be adjustable. Multiple LED strips  508  may be installed within the housing cavity  204  to increase the overall light intensity of the internally threaded light section  500 . 
         [0035]    The semi-rigid member  506  allows an internally threaded light section  500  to be manipulated to a desired shape and retain that shape until the user changes the shape. This allows a user such as an electrician to configure the flex light apparatus  100  to penetrate walls, insulation, and other obstructions when pulling wires. Additionally, it allows a user to place light in a desired location whereas a flashlight and similar type of lighting would not be able to light a desired area due to obstructions or the configuration of the light. 
         [0036]      FIG. 5B  is an end view of a flex light lighted section  500  showing multi-layered construction. This embodiment of the lighted section  500  may be constructed using multiple layers including but not limited to a protective layer  516 , a diffusing layer  518 , and a semi-rigid layer  520 . The protective layer  516  may be designed to protect a diffusing layer  518 , a semi-rigid layer  520 , and the internal components such as the LED strips  508  from damage. The diffusing layer  518  may be capable of diffusing the light created by the LED strip  508  and provide more uniform lighting along the length of the internally threaded light section  500 . A semi-rigid layer  520  could replace the semi-rigid member  506  or be used in conjunction with the semi-rigid member  506  to provide additional rigidity as desired by the user. 
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is a view of a flex light lighted section  600  with a threaded female and male connections according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 6  shows an alternate embodiment wherein one end of the elongated shaft  502  has a threaded female connection  512  and at the other end is a male threaded connection  602 . The female-to-male threaded section  600  is similar to internally threaded light section  500  in that it has an elongated shaft  502 , a passage  504 , LED strips  508  and a semi-rigid member  506  that lie within the passage  504 . However, the female to male threaded section  600  includes a threaded male connection  602  to threadedly attaching to another internally threaded light section  500 ,  600  and provides LED power  604  connection and a ground  222  connection. The LED power  604  connection and a ground  222  connection protrude through to the threaded male connection  602  to contact the power distribution plate  510  in the next internally threaded light section  500  thereby providing power from one internally threaded light section  500  to the next all the way through until multiple internally threaded light section  500  have power. 
         [0038]      FIG. 7  is a view of a flex light lighted section  700  with quick disconnect female and male connections according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. This alternate embodiment with a female-to-male quick disconnect section  700  is similar to the embodiments with a female-to-female connection  500  and a female-to-male threaded connection  600  in  FIGS. 5  and  FIG. 6 . The quick disconnect section  700  has an elongated shaft  502  with a passage  504 , a semi-rigid member  506  and LED strips  508  contained with inside the passage  504 . Also, contained in the passage  504  is the power distribution plate  510  that provides power to the LED strip  508  and also provides grounding for the circuit. The quick disconnect section  700  has a male mating shaft  702  that would slide into a female receiver  708  to provide a mechanical connection between the two quick disconnect sections  700 . Attached to the male mating shaft  702  is a retainer pin  704  and a spring  706  that causes the retainer pin  704  to remain in position in the retainer holder  710  on the female receiver  708  thereby preventing the quick disconnect sections  700  from coming apart until a user desires to separate the quick disconnect sections  700 . One skilled in the art may use other devices that are readily apparent for the quick disconnect retaining mechanism. A user may push in the retainer pin  704  to quickly release the retainer pin  704  from the retainer holder  710  to separate the quick disconnect sections  700 . A user may quickly assemble several quick disconnect sections  700  to create the desired length of the flex light apparatus  100  and quickly disconnect the sections for ease of transportability and storage. 
         [0039]      FIG. 8  is a side view of a flex light threaded male adapter  800  for connecting two female internally threaded light section  500  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The male threaded adapter  800  connects female-to-female threaded sections  500  together to create a desired length for the user. The male threaded adapter  800  may have threaded connection  802  running on the outside and along the length of the male threaded adapter  800 . This threaded connection  802  may be used to engage the companion threads on the threaded female connections  512  in the end of the internally threaded light sections  500 . This threaded connection provides both a mechanical and electrical connection. The male threaded adapter  800  has a power conduit  804  wherein power is supplied by the handle battery  210  up through an internally threaded light sections  500 , through the power conduit  804 , to additional internally threaded light sections  500 , and then returning through the ground conduit  806  to the negative side of the handle battery  210  to complete the circuit and light the LEDs  509  when switched on. It would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that an adapter may also be a female threaded adapter. 
         [0040]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of a flex light threaded male adapter  800  for connecting two female sections according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 9  further illustrates the male-threaded adapter  800  from a cross-sectional view showing the threaded connection  802 , the power conduit  804  and the ground conduit  806 . Additionally,  FIG. 9  shows a dielectric insulator  900  that separates the power conduit  804  from the ground conduit  806  in order to prevent a short and possible catastrophic failure of the batteries. It would be apparent to one skilled in the art to select the appropriate dielectric material for the varying use of the flex light apparatus  100 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 10  is a view of a threaded male removable tip  1000  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The threaded removable tip  1000  may be used with the internally threaded light section  500  in  FIG. 5  and the threaded female and male section in  FIG. 6 . The threaded male removable tip  1000  may consist of a male threaded male connection  1002 , a round tip  1004 , and a threaded attachment point  1006 . The threaded male removable tip  1000  may be threadedly attached to an internally threaded light section  500  wherein the threaded male connection  1002  of the removable tip  1000  is screwed into the female threaded connection  512 . The threaded removable tip  1000  is rounded which allows it to be maneuvered easily through walls and other obstructions and to penetrate things such as insulation when trying to pull wires. One skilled in the art may choose other shapes depending on the purpose of the flex light apparatus  100 . In the round tip  1004  is a threaded attachment point  1006  that allows for different accessories to be threadedly attached to the threaded male removable tip  1000 . These accessories may include a hook, a wire grabber, a magnet, and other accessories known to one skilled in the art. 
         [0042]      FIG. 11  is a view of a threaded female removable tip  1100  according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. The threaded female removable tip  1100  may consist of a threaded female connection  1102 , a round tip  1004 , and a threaded attachment point  1006 . The threaded female removable tip  1100  may be a companion piece to the female to male threaded section  600  in  FIG. 6  allowing it to be mechanically connected to the section. The threaded female removable tip&#39;s  1100  threaded attachment point  1006  as illustrated has the same function as it does in the threaded male removable tip  1000  wherein it utilizes different threaded accessories for different purposes. The accessories for this tip  1100  would be the same as for the tip in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 12  is a view of a quick disconnect female removable tip  1200  according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. The quick disconnect female removable tip  1200  may consist of a female receiver  1202 , a retainer holder  1204 , a round tip  1004 , and a threaded attachment point  1006 . The quick disconnect female receiver  1202  allows a male mating shaft  702  to slip into the female receiver  1202  and be retained by the retainer pin  704  mechanically engaging the retainer holder  1204 . This tip  1200  is similar to the tips above in that it is a round tip  1004  and also has a threaded attachment point  1006  for the same type of accessories noted above. 
         [0044]      FIG. 13  is an electronic schematic of a lighting circuit  1300  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The electrical schematic  1300  illustrates a handle circuit  1302  and a LED section circuit  1304 . The handle circuit  1302  is comprised of a battery power handle  200  and one internally threaded light section  500  wherein the circuit may include a battery, switch, LEDs, a ground connection and section connectors. The LED section circuit  1304  may contain a battery, LEDs, a ground connection and section connectors. Power flows from the positive side of the handle battery  210  through a power switch  212  continuing on through the intensity control  216  and power indicator  214  to the LED strips  508  and to the ground  222  completing the circuit. The power switch  212  applies battery power to the LED strips  508  and the intensity control  216  determines the brightness of the internally threaded light section  500 . 
         [0045]    Additional internally threaded light sections  500  may be attached to the handle circuit  1302 . The attachment may require three connections including a section power connection  1306 , a section LED connection  1308 , and a section ground connection  1310 . The power connection  1306  is connected to the positive side of the handle battery  210 . This connection provides an electrical connection from the positive side of the section battery  514  to the positive side on the handle battery  210 . A ground section connection  1310  provides a connection between the negative side of the handle battery  210  and the negative side of the section battery  514 . These connections place the batteries in parallel, keeping the voltage constant, increasing the overall current capacity, and operating time of the flex light apparatus  100 . A connection between the LED strip  508  inputs on the handle circuit  1302  and the section LED strip  508  inputs is made through the LED section connection  1308 . In this embodiment, the internally threaded light section  500  has a section battery  514  installed wherein current flows from the positive side of the section battery  514  through the power connection  1306  to combine with the current from the handle battery  210  through the power switch  212 , the intensity control  216 , and power indicator  214  to the LEDs  509  and then to ground  222  causing the LEDs  509  to illuminate. If no section battery  514  is installed all the power will be supplied by the handle battery  210 . Additional internally threaded light sections  500  may be added to create the desired length for the user. Section batteries  514  may be installed in each of the sections to keep the intensity of the LEDs  509  at an acceptable level. However the system is designed such that the handle battery  210  may provide power to the LEDs  509  through multiple sections of the desired length but with a possible degradation of the overall brightness of the LEDs  509  as operating time increases. One skilled in the art may find other methods to implement the electrical circuit to allow for controlling the LEDS  509  and adding additional lighting sections. 
         [0046]    The purpose of the abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
         [0047]    Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. While various methods of use and structures of the present invention are described herein, any methods or structures similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety and for all purposes. In addition, while the foregoing advantages of the present invention are manifested in the illustrated embodiments of the invention, a variety of changes can be made to the configuration, design and construction of the invention to achieve those advantages including combinations of components of the various embodiments. Hence, reference herein to specific details of the structure and function of the present invention is by way of example only and not by way of limitation. 
         [0048]    While the invention has been shown, illustrated, described and disclosed in terms of specific embodiments or modifications, the scope of the invention is not limited by the precise embodiments or modifications therein shown, illustrated, described or disclosed. Such other embodiments or modifications are intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope of the claims herein appended.