Abstract:
A flashlight formed of a bottom barrel, a top barrel, an inner socket, a driving socket, a lamp circuit assembly and a compression spring is disclosed and driven to switch on/off the LED of the lamp circuit assembly when the user moves the top barrel axially forwards/backwards relative to the bottom barrel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     (a) Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to a flashlight and more particularly, to such a flashlight, which can easily be switched on/off by moving the top barrel axially forwards/backwards relative to the bottom barrel.  
         [0003]     (b) Description of the Prior Art:  
         [0004]     A variety of flashlights are commercially available. These flashlights may have a different circuit design, however they commonly use a press button switch or rotary switch for on/off control.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is the main object of the present invention to provide a handy flashlight, which can easily be switched on/off by moving the top barrel axially forwards/backwards relative to the bottom barrel. It is another object of the present invention to provide a handy flashlight, which saves power consumption. According to one aspect of the present invention, the flashlight is comprised of a bottom barrel, a top barrel, an inner socket, a driving socket, a lamp circuit assembly, and a compression spring. The lamp circuit is so design that the LED of the lamp circuit assembly is switched on when the user moves the top barrel axially forwards from the bottom barrel, or switched off when the user moves the top barrel axially backwards to the bottom barrel. According to another aspect of the present invention, a resistor is installed in the lamp circuit assembly for use as conductor means in the circuit to save power consumption. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a flashlight according to the present invention.  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the flashlight according to the present invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the lamp circuit assembly of the flashlight according to the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the flashlight according to the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the lamp circuit assembly according to the present invention, showing the LED switched off.  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the lamp circuit assembly according to the present invention showing the LED switched on.  
         [0012]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the present invention, showing the flashlight switched off.  
         [0013]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the present invention, showing the flashlight switched on.  
         [0014]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view of a part of the present invention, showing the extended status of the top barrel.  
         [0015]      FIG. 10  is a sectional view of a part of the present invention, showing the received status of the top barrel.  
         [0016]      FIG. 11  is an exploded view of an alternate form of the flashlight according to the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 12  is an assembly view of the flashlight shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     Referring to FIGS.  1 ˜ 3 , a flashlight in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a top barrel  1 , a bottom barrel  2 , an inner socket  3 , a driving socket  4 , a lamp circuit assembly  5 , and a compression spring  6 .  
         [0019]     The top barrel  1  is a hollow cylindrical cover member fitting over and capped on the inner socket  3 .  
         [0020]     The bottom barrel  2  is a hollow cylindrical cover member having a tapered annular bottom fitting  21  through which the LED  551  of the lamp circuit assembly  5  is moved out of the flashlight, and an inner thread  22  extended around the inside wall near the top end for receiving the driving socket  4 .  
         [0021]     The inner socket  3  comprises two longitudinal sliding slots  31  symmetrically disposed at two opposite sides near the bottom, an opening  32  spaced between the longitudinal sliding slots  31  near the top, a first stop rod  33  vertically suspended in the top side of the opening  32 , and a second top rod  34  vertically suspended in the bottom side of the opening  32 .  
         [0022]     The driving socket  4  comprises an outer thread  41  extended around the periphery near the bottom end and threaded into the inner thread  22  of the bottom barrel  2 , two pegs  42  symmetrically disposed at two opposite sides, a top slot  43  formed in the top end, an open chamber  44  disposed in communication with the top slot  43 , an arched guide block  442  suspended in the open chamber  44  at the top near the top slot  43 , a coupling groove  441  defined in the open chamber  44  at the bottom side of the arched guide block  442 , and a push block  45  pivotally coupled to the coupling groove  441 . The push block  45  is a curved member having a top working portion  452 , a bottom working portion  453 , and two pivot rods  451  symmetrically disposed at two opposite sides.  
         [0023]     Referring to FIGS.  4 ˜ 6  and FIGS.  1 ˜ 3  again, the lamp circuit assembly  5  comprises a stepped hollow copper casing  51 , a threaded metal connector  52  threaded into the top end of the copper casing  51 , a hollow press button  53 , a metal lock nut  54  threaded onto the threaded metal connector  52  to hold the press button  53 , a LED holder block  55  mounted inside the casing  51 , a LED  551  fastened to the LED holder block  55  and protruded over the bottom end of the copper casing  51 , a plurality of battery cells  56  connected in series and mounted inside the copper casing  51  above the LED holder block  55 , an insulative cap  58  mounted in between the threaded metal connector  52  and the hollow press button  53 , a metal spring  57  supported between the battery cells  56  and the insulative cap  58 , a metal cap  59  stopped between the insulative cap  58  and the hollow press button  53 , and a resistor  7  mounted in the insulative cap  58 . The resistor  7  has one end connected to the metal spring  57 , and the other end extended out of the insulative cap  58  and connected to the inside wall of the metal cap  59  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). Normally, the metal spring  57  imparts an upward pressure to the insulative cap  58  and the metal cap  59  and the press button  53 , thereby supporting the press button  53  in the extended position. At this time, a gap A is left between the metal cap  59  and the metal lock nut  54 , and therefore the lamp circuit assembly  5  is off (see  FIG. 5 ). However, when the user pressed the press button  53 , the metal cap  59  is lowered to touch the metal connector  54 , thereby closing the circuit, and therefore the LED  551  is on (see  FIG. 6 ). Referring to FIGS.  7 ˜ 10 , the driving socket  4  is inserted into the inner socket  3  inside the top barrel  1  with the two pegs  42  respectively coupled to the longitudinal sliding slots  31  of the inner socket  3 . Therefore, the top barrel  1  and the inner socket  3  can be moved axially relative to the driving socket  4  within a distance corresponding to the length of the longitudinal sliding slots  31 . During axial movement of the inner socket  3  relative to the driving socket  4 , the first stop rod  33  and second stop rod  34  of the inner socket  3  will press or push the top working portion  452  or the bottom working portion  453 . When the second stop rod  34  pushes the top working portion  452  of the push block  45 , the bottom working portion  453  of the push block  45  will press the press button  53  of the lamp circuit assembly  5  to push the LED  551  out of the bottom barrel  2  and to switch on the LED  551 . However, when the first stop rod  33  presses the bottom working portion  453 , the press button  53  is released from the constraint and returned to its former position by the compression spring  6 , and therefore the LED  551  is switched off and received inside the bottom barrel  2 .  
         [0024]     The push block  45  is moved along the arched guide block  442  by the first top rod  33  or second stop rod  34  to force the bottom working portion  453  against the press button  53  or to release the bottom working portion  453  from the press button  53 .  
         [0025]     According to the present invention, in addition to the function of working as a conductor to transmit electricity, the resistor  7  saves power consumption by means of the characteristic of its resistance. A metal conducting plate may be used to substitute for the resistor  7 .  
         [0026]     As the flashlight has a compact design, it is handy and convenient for carrying on the user&#39;s pocket.  
         [0027]      FIGS. 11 and 12  show an alternate form of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the top barrel, referenced by  1   a , has a locating groove  11   a  extended around the periphery near the top end, and a hanging member  8  is fastened to the top barrel  1   a  for hanging. The hanging member  8  has a hooked portion hooked in the locating groove  11   a , and a swivel ring  82  for hanging on a chain  83  or the like.  
         [0028]     A prototype of flashlight has been constructed with the features of FIGS.  1 ˜ 12 . The flashlight functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.  
         [0029]     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.