Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to a flashlight apparatus including a base module having a mount adaptor mountable on a firearm, a modular headpiece attached to the base module, a power source module removably attached to the base module, and a light source module removably attachable to the headpiece.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/591,886, filed Nov. 1, 2006. This application also claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/920,109 filed Mar. 26, 2007. The aforementioned applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to a modular flashlight for a firearm. In one embodiment, a flashlight apparatus is provided including a base module having a mount adaptor mountable on a firearm, a modular headpiece attached to the base module, a power source module removably attached to the base module, and a light source module removably attachable to said headpiece. 
     In another embodiment, a flashlight apparatus is provided including a base module having a mount adaptor mountable on a firearm, a modular headpiece attached to the base module, a flashlight module removably attachable to said headpiece, and an electrical connection module for powering the light source module using an outside power supply. The outside power supply being electrically coupled to the firearm to provide power to the flashlight apparatus. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The invention may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an assembled modular flashlight embodiment herein. 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are isometric views of the  FIG. 1  embodiment, with the battery pack and light source removed. 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom isometric view of the embodiment appearing in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the embodiment appearing in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a rear isometric view of the embodiment appearing in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom isometric view of an alternative embodiment having a 4-pin connector configuration. 
         FIGS. 8 and 9  are exploded isometric views of the modular flashlight embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded isometric view of the base assembly and modular head piece portions of the modular flashlight embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         FIG. 11  is an isometric view of a flashlight system incorporating separate light source and battery modules mounted on a firearm and incorporating a handgrip actuator. 
         FIG. 12  is an exploded isometric view of a firearm and unattached modular light source and battery. 
         FIGS. 13-15  are isometric views of a flashlight system incorporating the embodiment of  FIG. 4  or  FIG. 7  mounted on a firearm and incorporating a handgrip actuator. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawing  FIGS. 1-10  wherein like reference numerals refer to like components throughout the several views, a flashlight module  10  includes a modular base assembly A, a modular headpiece B, a light source module C, and a modular power supply assembly D. 
     The base assembly A includes a clamp  12  adapted for mounting on an offensive weapon such as a military rifle, handgun, or the like. In a preferred embodiment, the clamp  12  is adapted to be removably mounted to an accessory rail  18  of a military rifle  20 , as seen in  FIGS. 11-15 . In an especially preferred embodiment, the clamp  12  includes a mount  14  adapted to mount to a Picatinny rail interface (e.g., as specified in MIL-STD-1913), such as the three point fastener described in U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/855,928 filed Nov. 1, 2006 or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/933,887 filed Nov. 1, 2007, which applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. However, it will be recognized that the present invention may be adapted for use with all manner firearms, including without limitation rifles, handguns, machine guns, mortars, etc., and that the mounting system may be modified to accommodate other rail interface systems or weapon accessory mounting systems. 
     The base A includes a housing  16  housing circuit components, such as a printed circuit board or other circuit-carrying substrate. The base A includes an upstanding mounting member  22  for removably receiving the modular headpiece B and mounting the light source module C. The interchangeable headpiece B is attached to the upstanding member  22  via one or more threaded fasteners  23   a ,  23   b ,  23   c , and  23   d . The upstanding portion may include a series of fins  24  and channels  26  which may serve to reduce the weight of the unit and/or operate as a heat sink member for the dissipation of heat generated by the light source module C. The light source module C may be threadably mounted to the headpiece B. The headpiece B may be exchanged with other headpieces specifically adapted for a desired light source module C. 
     The base member A may include a switch  28  which is coupled to the circuit board within the base member for switching operation of the light source module C between strobe and continuous beam operation (e.g., having a 6 Hz blink rate, although other blink rates are contemplated). In an especially preferred embodiment, strobe circuitry may be incorporated in the interior circuitry, housed in base A, thereby providing strobe functionality to any selected light source module C, including those which may otherwise lack strobe functionality. 
     The light source module C may be of any desired wavelength or wavelengths, including wavelengths in the visible and infrared (IR) regions. The light source module C may be used for example, as a target illuminator, tactical light, or the like. The light source module C may be, for example, one or more incandescent (including halogen) lamps or light-emitting diode (LED) light source, and may be comprised of one or more illumination elements located at or near the focal point of the reflector surface defined by the first and second reflectors  58  and  60  to generate a conical light pattern. The modular nature of the unit  10  makes it possible to replace the light source module C with another module C having a flashlight with a desired wavelength and/or illumination pattern. 
     The circuit board, not shown, housed in base A provides power from the battery module D to contacts  30   a  and  30   b  which are coupled to aligned power supply contacts or terminals on headpiece B to power the light source module C. A signal from an actuator, such as a handgrip actuator  50  (see  FIG. 11 ) or other remote actuator may be transmitted via conductors carried within a rail interface to a connector  32  with contacts  33  located on the base member A (see  FIG. 4 ). In an alternative embodiment, a 4-pin connector  34  having a first pair of contacts  35  and a second pair of contacts  37  is provided (see  FIG. 7 ) wherein one of the pairs of contacts  35  and  37  carries an actuation or control signal from a remote actuator and the other pair of contacts  35 ,  37  provides power to other weapon mounted modules, such as a laser module or the like, via a rail mounted electrical interface. The electrical rail interface may be as described in U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/879,777 filed Jan. 10, 2007, entitled “Weapon Video Display with Floating Rail, Quick Change Power Supply, and Thermal Camera”; U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/879,897, filed Jan. 11, 2007, entitled “Modular Weapon Video Display System”; U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/920,106, file Mar. 26, 2007, entitled “Floating Rail System”; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/972,426 filed Jan. 10, 2008, entitled “Floating Rail System”; each of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     In the depicted embodiment, a plug connector port  36  is provided for receiving a connector from an external actuator, such as a handgrip actuator  50  for attachment to the firearm and having one or more switches  52  or like actuators for selectively actuating the light source module C. In certain embodiments, the actuator may include a selector switch for selecting between multiple light sources. For example, one light source may be an illumination light source such as the light source module C and another light source may be a laser light source, such as a laser sight.  FIG. 6  illustrates such a port  36  for electrically coupling a pressure pad actuator, for allowing the light source C to be actuated using a standard or conventional pressure pad actuator. Electrical power is supplied to the light source by power supply module D, which contains one or more batteries or battery packs. Power supply module D is preferably of a quick connect and disconnect type to permit the power supply to be rapidly changed. 
     In certain embodiments, the hand grip unit  50  may be as described in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/651,743 filed Jan. 10, 2007, entitled “Hand Grip Apparatus for Firearm”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the power supply module D is removably affixed to the base module A via a foot and shoe type mounting system. A mounting foot  38  on the base member A includes a tapered dovetail shaped attachment mechanism  40  and electrical contacts  42 . A mounting shoe  44  includes a complimentary member  46  with a tapered opening and electrical contacts  48 . In operation, the attachment mechanism  40  of the mounting foot  38  is inserted into the opening of the member  46  to removably attach the power supply module D to the base module A. The electrical contacts  42  couple the power supply module D to the circuit board in the base module A to provide power to the light source module C via the headpiece module B and additional control circuitry for controlling the optical output of the light sources of light source module C. 
     The power supply module D contains a quick release button  56  to enable the power supply to be quickly replaced when the battery runs out. Alternatively, additional power supplies may be attached to power supply module D via the mounting foot  38  located on the top of each power supply and the mounting shoe  44  located on the bottom of each power supply, as seen on power supply module D. When additional power supplies are added an electrical (e.g. parallel) connection is formed via electrical contacts  42  and  48 . Thereby allowing the operator to have a power supply with a longer life or enabling the operator to attach additional power supplies to power supply module D when the battery is running low or has run out. 
       FIGS. 11 and 12  show an alternative method of powering flashlight module  10  by attachment of the power supply module D directly to a firearm  20  via a power mounting member  64 , which may be as described in the aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/972,426 filed Jan. 1, 2008. The power supply module D can be attached at any desired position on the firearm  20  to give the user more versatility in positioning and arranging the accessory devices. Once attached to a desired position on the rails  18 , the electrical contacts  48  of the power supply module D form an electrical connection to the rail circuit board  64  via the longitudinally-extending rail conductors on the rail circuit board  64 . 
     Also shown in  FIGS. 11-15  is the handgrip actuator  50  which is connected to the bottom rail  62 . Once the handgrip actuator  50  is at the desired position on a rail  18 , an electrical connection is created via the rail circuit board  64 , thereby providing an electrical coupling between the power supply module D and the handgrip actuator  50 . In certain embodiments, a signal bus may also be provided, wherein signals are transmitted via signal conductors on the rail circuit board  64 , thereby allowing signals to be sent from handgrip actuator  50  to control other attached accessory devices. 
     The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.