Abstract:
A miniature flashlight includes a high intensity light source supported on a non-conductive battery frame that defines a recess opening outwardly of the battery frame and adapted to receive a replaceable modular self-contained power source, such as a modular battery pack. The battery frame includes a switch side plate which supports a switch slide plate for movement between an “off” position, a first position enabling momentarily closing of a circuit including the light source and battery pack, and a second circuit closing position to continuously energize the light source in response to actuation of an externally exposed switch push button. Side covers are retained on opposite sides of the battery frame and have outer exposed surfaces for receiving indicia thereon. A keyring extension is formed at one end of the battery frame and has a keyring lock that permits keys or other items to be attached to the keyring extension and also facilitates convenient attachment and detachment of the flashlight from clothing items and the like.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to flashlights, and more particularly to a miniature flashlight utilizing a light emitting diode (“LED”) light source and a replaceable modular battery pack operative in response to switch actuation to effect momentary or continuous energizing of the LED.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Conventional general-purpose flashlights are well known and find wide application by both law enforcement personnel and civilians. For example, flashlights are often used by law enforcement personnel during traffic stops to illuminate the interior of a stopped vehicle or to complete a police report in the dark. They are also used to facilitate searches of poorly lit areas and may be used to illuminate dark alleys or stairwells. Law enforcement personnel also use flashlights to check or adjust their equipment when positioned in a darkened area or at nighttime. Flashlights may also be used to send coded signals to one another. Thus, it is essential that law enforcement personnel carry a flashlight along with other law enforcement equipment such as a sidearm, handcuffs, and an expandable baton. With such a large number of items, it is often difficult and cumbersome for law enforcement personnel to carry all of the items on their person.  
           [0003]    Conventional flashlights generally include an incandescent lightbulb and drycell batteries enclosed in an elongated tubular casing typically consisting of a body section and a head section. Flashlights of this type are often bulky and cumbersome. Law enforcement personnel frequently use a holster to carry a flashlight on their person. The size and weight of conventional flashlights can inhibit the mobility of law enforcement personnel when carried along with the other law enforcement equipment, and sometimes leads to the flashlight being purposely or inadvertently left behind. This presents a problem when the need for a flashlight arises and one is not readily accessible.  
           [0004]    In addition to the use of flashlights by law enforcement personnel, civilians also use flashlights for a number of reasons. Besides the traditional home uses of flashlights, smaller flashlights are used for various security purposes. For example, when going to one&#39;s car late in the evening, it is not uncommon for an individual, especially a female, to carry a small flashlight with her. She can use the flashlight to assist in locating the keyhole in the dark. Additionally, she can use the flashlight to check whether someone is hiding in the back seat before getting into the car. Even small conventional flashlights, however, are cumbersome and inconvenient to carry for this purpose.  
         DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
         [0005]    Although not proven particularly useful to law enforcement personnel, there exists in the prior art a small flashlight known as the Photon Micro Light. The Photon Micro Light consists of two flat, circular 3-volt batteries, a light emitting diode (“LED”) and an outer shell that encloses the batteries and leads of the LED. The Micro Light uses a slide switch or pressure switch that activates the light by moving the leads of the LED into direct engagement with the batteries. The outer shell consists of two hard plastic shell halves disposed on opposite sides of the batteries and held together with threaded screws. The Micro Light has a number of disadvantages in that it lacks the durability required for a miniature flashlight, and also lacks an internal structure for protecting and securing the batteries and LED, having only the hard plastic outer shell to protect the internal components. The Micro Light may therefore be adversely affected when subjected to shock. Further, the use of screws to assemble the outer shell halves together increases the time and cost of assembly. In addition, the Micro Light has a very small keyring hole that is not well adapted for securing the flashlight to a keychain, or to otherwise readily attach and release the flashlight from one&#39;s clothing.  
           [0006]    Another major drawback with the Micro Light is that it uses either a slide switch or pressure switch which upon activation brings both leads of the LED into direct engagement with the batteries. This results in increased fatigue on the leads of the LED and ultimately results in failure. Moreover, because of its external shape and hard plastic outer shell construction, the Micro Light is not suitable for receiving markings or engravings on the outside surfaces thereof. In many instances it is desirable to color code the exterior of the flashlight, or to provide engravings, markings, or other indicia on the exterior surface. The Micro Light is not well suited for any such color coding or desired markings or engravings.  
           [0007]    The aforedescribed drawbacks experienced with prior conventional flashlights and the reduced size Photo Micron Light created a need for a compact, reliable and lightweight flashlight that assures long life and can be readily carried on the person of a law enforcement officer or civilian, such as being easily releasably attachable to one&#39;s clothing or a keychain to insure that the flashlight remains in possession of the user and can be quickly accessed when needed. This need has been met in large part by the miniature LED flashlight disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,018 that is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is incorporated herein by reference.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The subject invention is directed to a small, compact flashlight useful to both law enforcement personnel and civilians. The flashlight includes a light source, which is preferably a high intensity LED having a pair of leads extending therefrom, and a non-conductive power source frame, also termed a battery frame, having a cavity or recess opening outwardly of the battery frame and adapted to releasably receive a modular self-contained power source, such as a modular battery pack. The battery frame also has a recess for receiving and at least partially enclosing the LED such that the LED leads extend into the battery frame.  
           [0009]    The battery frame includes a switch side plate which defines a side boundary of the recess that receives the modular battery pack, and has a guide slot to receive a switch slide plate or striker. The switch slide plate is longitudinally movable between an “off” position and a first position enabling momentary closing of a circuit including the LED and battery pack so as to momentarily energize the LED in response to actuation of an externally accessible push button. Continued movement of the switch slide plate to a second position responsive to actuation of the push button closes the circuit to continuously energize the LED until the switch side plate is returned to its off position. A pair of side covers are retained on opposite sides of the battery frame by side shell members so that outer surfaces of the side covers are exposed for receiving indicia thereon. The switch push button is received through a suitable opening in the side cover adjacent the switch side plate and is connected to the switch slide plate so as to enable an operator to actuate the push button to effect momentary or continuous interconnection of the LED to the battery pack without either lead of the LED physically contacting the battery pack. The battery frame protects the modular battery pack and positions it in precise relation to the light source and the switch slide plate. The battery frame also cushions the internal elements from the adverse affects of any shock the flashlight might be subjected to.  
           [0010]    The battery pack power source has sufficient power to energize the LED and preferably includes a pair of circular batteries having generally flat sides, frequently referred to as coin cells. A pair of stacked long-life 3-volt batteries of the coin cell type are enclosed within a non-conductive battery holder sized to be slidingly inserted within the similar size recess in the battery frame. The battery holder and battery frame are mutually cooperable to prevent fall insertion of the battery pack into the recess unless the battery holder is disposed in a predetermined orientation, thus assuring proper positioning of the positive and negative terminals of the batteries relative to the LED leads. The battery holder has a boss or pusher member thereon that extends into an opening in the battery frame so that a pusher member on a similar battery pack can be inserted into the opening from externally of the flashlight to initiate removal of a battery pack disposed within the recess.  
           [0011]    As noted, the light source is preferably an LED that has a high luminous intensity. Manufacturers of LEDs grade the LED according to its quality. The highest quality LEDs are given an “E” grade. The next highest quality is a “D” grade. LEDs with a “D” grade can be equipped with a lens to approximate the quality of an “E” grade LED. Although the flashlight of the present invention can be used with any conventional LED, an “E” grade LED or lensed “D” grade LED is preferred. Such a high intensity LED may be obtained from Nichia Corporation Tokushima, Japan, and has from three to five times the luminous intensity of a conventional LED. The LED preferably emits blue light, although the present invention may be used with any color LED. Blue light helps to preserve a user&#39;s night vision compared with conventional flashlights emitting white light. The use of a high intensity LED as the light source provides significant advantages over conventional filament type flashlight bulbs. A LED light provides a soft general illumination as compared to the bright glare or “white out” experienced with traditional filament lamps. This is particularly important in police and security work where a police officer requires lighting, such as in a vehicle, but for security reasons does not want to use a bright light, that lights up the inside of the vehicle and makes the office a “target” as experienced with traditional flashlights. Moreover, the bright light of traditional filament type flashlight makes it hard to write a report due to glare and grossly inhibits the officer&#39;s night vision. For other applications bluegreen LEDs can be used, for example, in situations where compatibility with night vision equipment is desired. Other LED colors can also be used. Red LEDs can be used in applications where the preservation of night vision is desired or for use by pilots and photographers. Infrared LEDs can be used where special signaling capabilities are required or for use with equipment that senses infrared light.  
           [0012]    As aforedescribed, the switch push button is activated by applying a thumb or figure force to the push button to move it generally longitudinally of the flashlight to close a circuit that includes the leads of the LED and the modular battery pack. The requirement that the switch push button be intentionally moved longitudinally is particularly significant. In using a flashlight that is activated, i.e., turned “on”, by depressing a push button, the push button can readily be inadvertently depressed to create a flash of light. Where a police or security officer is involved in a stakeout or other covert activity, a flash of light can give away the location of the officer and subject him/her to life threatening danger. The switch push button employed in the present invention requires an intentional movement longitudinally of the flashlight and virtually eliminates unintentional or inadvertent actuation that will energize the light source.  
           [0013]    One lead of the LED engages an electrical conductor contact that is supported by the battery frame so as to contact a negative terminal of a battery pack in the battery frame recess through an opening in the battery holder. The other LED lead is adapted to be contacted by a second electrical conductor contact that is supported by the switch side plate so that a portion of the second contact is adjacent but normally out of contact with the corresponding LED lead. The second conductor contact contacts the positive terminal of the battery pack through an opening in the battery holder and is adapted to be engaged by the switch slide plate in response to actuation of the switch push button so that the second conductor contact contacts the associated LED lead to close the circuit to the LED. In this manner, the LED leads are never flexed to make direct contact with the batteries in the battery pack. The switch slide plate or striker and the slide slot in the switch side plate have mutually cooperable detents that establish the “off”, momentary light, and continuous light modes of the flashlight and enable the operator to sense or “feel” when the flashlight is in its off, momentary light, and continuous light modes. The switch arrangement thus reduces wear and possible fatigue failure of the leads of the LED, thereby increasing the life and overall reliability of the flashlight.  
           [0014]    The battery frame may have a plurality of pegholes located about the periphery of each side to receive correspondingly positioned pegs or pins formed on the inner periphery of the side shells to facilitate attachment. The mating pegs and pegholes facilitate assembly of the flashlight by allowing the parts to be precisely aligned during assembly. It has been found that gluing the side shells to the battery frame to secure the side covers against the opposite sides of the battery frame may also provide a suitable assembly technique. Alternately, ultrasonic welding can be used to attach the non-metallic parts. Unlike the prior art, separate screws are not needed to secure the parts in assembled relation.  
           [0015]    The side covers are fixed against opposite sides of the battery frame by the outer open side shells or frames so as to lie in substantially parallel planes and preferably have generally flat outer surfaces that are capable of receiving engravings or markings. For example, a company or individual may wish to engrave or imprint the side covers with surface indicia such as a company logo, name of a product or other promotional or advertising indicia on either or both of the side covers. A die struck medallion could also be affixed to one or both side covers. The side covers can be made of a variety of materials, such as metal, plastic, or other protective materials, but are preferably made of a suitable strength aluminum. Aluminum side panels provide additional protection to the internal components of the flashlight, can be of different contrasting colors as between themselves and between themselves and the outer periphery of the battery frame and/or open side shells, and can be easily engraved or imprinted as by laser engraving, silk screening, inking, pad printing, or other known printing or marking techniques.  
           [0016]    The battery frame is provided with a keyring extension that is preferably formed integral with the battery frame. The keyring extension extends outwardly from an end of the battery frame opposite the LED and includes a keyring lock such that when a force is exerted against the keyring lock, the keyring extension is opened to permit keys or a keyring to be attached to the keyring extension. The keyring lock is preferably spring-biased and may be pivotally mounted on the battery frame. The keyring extension also facilitates attachment and detachment of the flashlight from any number of items, such as the zipper actuator of a coat or backpack, the handle of a purse or briefcase, a beltloop, or any other handle or case.  
           [0017]    The flashlight of the present invention is preferably made sufficiently small, flat and compact to be readily carried in the palm of one&#39;s hand or in a pocket or purse, on the clothing, or on the keychain of law enforcement personnel or civilians. In this manner, the flashlight may be quickly and readily retrieved and operated.  
           [0018]    One of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a flashlight that is of a small, relatively flat and compact size, is exceptionally durable and reliable, and utilizes a battery frame to support and protect a light source, preferably a high-intensity LED, a power source in the form of a replaceable modular battery pack, and a switch mechanism that is operative to close a circuit including the battery pack and LED to enable momentary or continuous energizing of the LED without the LED leads physically contacting batteries of the battery pack.  
           [0019]    Further objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the several view.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flashlight constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the flashlight depicted in FIG. 1;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the flashlight of FIGS. 1 &amp; 2;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of one side of the power source battery frame employed in flashlight of FIG. 1;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the opposite side of the battery frame of FIG. 4;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a front view of one-half of the battery holder that receives the battery of FIG. 20 to form the modular battery pack shown in FIG. 3;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 7 shows the opposite side of the battery holder of FIG. 6;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  of FIG. 7;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 9 is a front view of the other half of the battery holder that forms the modular battery pack;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 10 shows the opposite side of the battery holder half of FIG. 9;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line  11 - 11  of FIG. 10;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the switch side plate that cooperates with the battery frame to establish the modular battery pack recess, and supports the switch slide plate shown in FIGS.  15 - 19 ;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 13 shows the opposite side of the switch side plate of FIG. 12;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the switch side plate taken along the line  14 - 14  of FIG. 13 looking in the direction of the arrows;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 15 is a front view of the switch plate employed with the switch side plate of FIG. 12;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 16 illustrates the opposite side of the switch slide plate of FIG. 15;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 17 is a bottom view of the switch slide plate taken along line  17 - 17  of FIG. 16;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 18 is a transverse sectional view taken along line  18 - 18  of FIG. 15;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 19 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, taken along line  19 - 19  of FIG. 16;  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 20 is an edge view of a two-battery power source of the coin type that is enclosed within the battery holder to create the battery pack shown in FIG. 3;  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 21 illustrates an LED light source having leads extending therefrom as employed in the flashlight of FIG. 1;  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 22 is a side view of a side cover having an opening to receive the switch push button shown in FIGS.  29 - 30 ;  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 23 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line  23 - 23  of FIG. 22;  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 24 is a side view of a second side cover;  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 25 is an elevational view of a side shell open frame used to retain a side cover against the battery frame;  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 26 is a top edge view taken along line  26 - 26  of FIG. 25;  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 27 is a side edge view taken along line  27 - 27  of FIG. 25;  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 28 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the keylock shown in FIG. 3;  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 29 is a plan view of the switch push button;  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 30 is an edge view of the push button of FIG. 29, a portion being broken away for clarity;  
         [0050]    [0050]FIGS. 31A and 31B are edge and plan views, respectively, of a conductor contact for interconnecting a first lead of the LED to the battery pack; and  
         [0051]    [0051]FIGS. 32A and 32B are edge and plan views, respectively, of a conductor contact for interconnecting a second lead of the LED to the battery pack. 
     
    
       [0052]    While the present invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereof are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0053]    Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS.  1 - 3 , a miniature handheld flashlight made in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally at  10 . Very generally, and as illustrated in the exploded view of FIG. 3, the flashlight  10  has a housing which, in the preferred embodiment, includes a battery frame  12  that supports a high intensity light source  40  at a front end of the battery frame and to which is attached a switch side plate  14 , side covers  18  and  20 , and open centered side shells or frames  22  and  24  that retain the side covers against opposite side of the battery frame. The battery frame  12  and switch side plate  14  cooperate to define a recess or chamber  30  that extends into the battery frame and opens outwardly of an edge surface  32  of the battery frame to facilitate sliding insertion of a replaceable battery pack as indicated at  44 .  
         [0054]    A keyring extension  36  is formed on an end of the battery frame  12  opposite the light source  40  and includes a keyring lock  38  that enables attachment of keys or a keychain to the keyring extension, or attachment of the flashlight to one&#39;s clothing or other item. As shown, the battery frame  12 , side covers  18 ,  20 , side shells  22 ,  24  and keyring extension define a housing that is relatively thin or flat in edge profile has substantially greater longitudinal length than height, as considered in FIG. 2.  
         [0055]    As will be described, the side cover  20  is adapted to slidingly support a switch push button  50  that is exposed outwardly of the side cover  20  so as to enable one to selectively move the push button longitudinally of the battery frame to close a circuit that includes the light source  40  and the modular battery pack  44  when inserted within the recess  30 . By selectively moving the push button  50  relative to the side cover  20 , the light source can be energized momentarily or flashed, or can be continuously energized when a longer period of light is desired.  
         [0056]    Turing now to a more detailed description of the various components of the flashlight  10 , and referring particularly to FIGS. 4 and 5, the battery frame  12  is preferably made of a non-conductive material, such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene “ABS”, which provides exceptional durability and toughness. The battery frame  12  may also be made of other non-conductive materials having suitable strength and durability characteristics. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the battery frame  12  has a first side defining a portion of the recess  30 . In the illustrated embodiment, the recess  30  has a semi-circular bottom surface portion  30   a  which terminates at its upper ends in parallel rectilinear walls surfaces  30   b  and  30   c . The lower curved wall surface  30   a  intersects a bottom or lower edge surface  54  of the battery frame to form a generally rectangular opening  56  that provides access to the recess  30 . The battery frame has a front wall surface  58  that lies in a plane inclined to the upper end surfaces  32  and  54 , respectively, of the battery frame and terminates at its upper end in a recess or chamber  60  configured to receive the light source  40 .  
         [0057]    As illustrated in FIG. 21, the light source  40  preferably comprises a high intensity light emitting diode (“LED”)  62  having first and second leads  64  and  66 . The LED  62  has an annular ring  62   a  thereon which couples with a semi-annular grove  60   a  formed in the recess  60  so as to maintain the LED and substantially fixed relation to the battery frame  12  when inserted into the recess  60 . The LED light source provides significant advantages over conventional neon or incandescent filament light sources since it requires much less energy, is smaller in size, more resistant to shock, and provides a soft general illumination without “white out” or glare as experienced with traditional filament type light sources. The LED also generates significantly less heat and is more durable than a conventional light source. LED&#39;s are widely available, inexpensive, and can be readily replaced. In a preferred embodiment, the LED is a high intensity LED having a light luminous intensity emitting blue light, preferably a LED “E” grade or a lensed “D” grade.  
         [0058]    Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, taken in conjunction with FIGS. 2 and 28, the keyring extension  36  is preferably made of the same ABS material as the remainder of the battery frame  12  and is formed integral with the remainder portion. The keyring extension  36  preferably blends into the upper edge surface  32  of the battery frame and is of greater transverse width at that point so as to define arcuate edge surfaces  70   a  and  70   b  that will eventually mate with correspondingly curved surfaces on the open center side shells or frames  22  and  24  so as to form a smooth and aesthetically pleasing exterior surface of the flashlight  10 . The keyring extension  36  extends from its upper end in an inclined direction generally parallel to the front end surface  58  of the battery frame. This portion of the keyring is of generally cylindrical configuration and formed with a rounded lower corner  36   a  so as to terminate in a notched end  72  having an upstanding short wall  74  of less width than the diameter of the end  36   a  of the keyring extension.  
         [0059]    The battery frame  12  has a cylindrical boss or hub  78  formed integral thereon so as to extend transversely of the longitudal axis of the battery frame. The boss  78  pivotally supports the keyring lock  38  through a cylindrical bore  80  (FIG. 28) in the keyring lock. As illustrated in FIG. 28, the keyring lock  38  has an arm  38   a  that lies in a plane disposed generally transverse to the axial center of the bore  80  and has a length sufficient to cause a notched end  82  of the arm  38   a  to releasably couple with the upstanding wall  74  on the notched end  72  of the keyring extension  36   a  when the keyring lock is in a closed position as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, a coil compression spring  84  is interposed between a boss  86  formed on the battery frame  12  and a boss (not shown) on an arm  38   b  of the keyring lock  38  so as to bias the keyring lock into a releasable locking or engaging position with the end  72  of the keyring extension  36   a . The keyring extension  36  and keyring lock  38  cooperate to define a generally rectangular opening  88  that readily enables keys or a keychain to be inserted into the opening  88  for connection to the keyring extension by depressing the keyring lock against the compression spring  84 . The opening  88  is also sufficiently sized to enable the flashlight to be connected to one&#39;s clothing, such as over a pocket edge, through a belt loop, or through a buttonhole.  
         [0060]    As aforedescribed, the recess  30  formed in the battery frame  12  opens outwardly from a side edge  32  of the battery frame, as shown in FIG. 3. The switch side plate  14  is adapted for mounting on the battery frame  12  to become a part of the battery frame and define a boundary surface of the recess  30  opposite a planar wall surface  30   d  shown in FIG. 4. To this end, and referring to FIGS. 13 and 14 taken in conjunction with FIG. 4, the switch slide plate  14  is made of a non-conductive material, such as a moldable polycarbonate, and has a planar surface  14   a  having a peripheral boundary substantially the same as the recess  30  formed in the battery frame  12 . The switch side plate has a forward inclined edge surface  90  that terminates at its upper edge in a recess  92  that compliments the recess  60  in the battery frame  12  to complete the LED mounting chamber for the whistle when the switch side plate is mounted on the battery frame. To facilitate mounting on the battery frame, the switch side plate  14  preferably has a plurality of generally cylindrical mounting pins or pegs formed thereon, such as indicated at  96   a - d  in FIG. 13, that are inserted into correspondingly located pegholes formed in the battery frame  12 . The mounting pegs and associated pegholes may couple in a friction fit or be secured by a suitable adhesive.  
         [0061]    As seen in FIG. 13, the switch side plate  14  has a recess  98  formed therein, a portion  98   a  of which extends fully through the switch side plate. The recess  98  and corresponding through-portion  98   a  are configured to facilitate mounting of a conductive contact therein which is adapted to interconnect one of the leads of the LED to a positive terminal of the battery pack without effecting physical contact of the lead with the battery, as will be described.  
         [0062]    The side of the switch side plate  14  opposite the side illustrated in FIG. 13 is shown in FIG. 12 and has an elongated slot  100  formed therein having semi-circular end surfaces  100   a  and  100   b  interconnected through rectilinear edge surfaces  100   c  and  100   d . Two pairs of laterally opposed detent recesses, indicated at  102   a  and  102   b , are formed in the rectilinear edges  100   c  and  100   d  and serve to establish a first “off” position and a second “closed circuit” position for a slide switch striker plate to be described in conjunction with FIGS.  15 - 19 .  
         [0063]    As illustrated in FIG. 12, the portion  98   a  of the recess  98  formed in the planar surface  14   a  of the side switch plate opens into the slot  100 . A grove or slot  106  is formed in the switch side plate  14  in parallel relation to the longitudinal axis of slot  100  so as to enable placement of one of the LED leads into slot  106 . The slot  106  accommodates a sufficient length of the LED lead so that it extends slightly beyond the major axis of the opening  98 . An opening (not shown) is preferably provided in the end wall of slot  106  to receive an end of the LED lead ands thereby maintain the lead in fixed relation in slot  106 .  
         [0064]    As noted, the switch side plate  14  is adapted to support a conductive contact that facilitates indirect connection of a lead of the LED to the positive terminal of the battery pack  44  when installed within the battery frame recess  30  and with the switch side plate mounted on the battery frame. Referring to FIGS. 31A and 31B, a first contact, termed the battery bottom-to-LED contact, is indicated generally at  110 . The contact  110  is made from a generally thin electrically conductive metallic material  112 , such as  301 - 302  stainless steel that is fully hardened after forming into the configuration of FIGS.  31 A-B. Contact  110  has a generally rectangular plan configuration, as shown in FIG. 31B except for two laterally outwardly extending arms  112   a  and  112   b  that are inclined angularly downwardly at approximately 30° angles of incline relative to a corresponding planar portion  112   c  of the contact. The contact  110  has a lateral width sized to enable an upwardly inclined offset end tab  112   d  of the contact to be inserted through a rectangular opening  104  formed in the switch side plate  14  so that the end  112   d  is parallel to and spaced from the base of the slot  106  sufficiently to allow a LED lead to extend into the slot  106  without being intentionally contacted by the tab end  112   d  of the contact  110 . With the contact  110  inserted in the slot  104 , the arms  112   a  and  112   b  are received within a rectangular portion of opening  98   a  to prevent lateral movement of the contact relative to the switch side plate. The contact  110  has a V-bend portion  112   e  that is configured to engage the surface of a battery within the battery pack  44  through an opening in the battery holder when inserted into the recess  30 . In this condition, the offset portion  112   d  of contact  110  is spaced from the LED in slot  106  so an open circuit condition exists between the LED light source  40  and the battery pack power source.  
         [0065]    To effect movement of the offset contact end  112   d  of contact  110  with the LED lead disposed in the slot  106  so as to close a circuit between the LED and battery pack, a switch slide plate or striker, indicated at  120  in FIGS.  15 - 19 , is adapted for selective longitudinal sliding within the slot  100  so as to engage the contact end  112   d  and force it into releasable contact with the LED lead. As illustrated in FIGS.  15 - 19 , the switch slide plate or striker  120  includes a slide plate  122  having semicircular ends  122   a  and  122   b  and generally rectilinear parallel edge surfaces  122   c  and  122   d . The switch slide plate or striker  120  is made of a suitable nonconductive material, such as polycarbonate suitable for molding, and, as shown in FIG. 17, has a transverse width or thickness generally equal to the depth of the slot or recess  100  formed in the switch side plate  14 . The striker plate  122  has a longitudinal length less than the longitudinal length of the slot  100  and has a transverse height, as considered in FIGS. 18 and 19, so that the upper and lower edges  122   c  and  122   d  slidingly engage the rectilinear edge surfaces  100   c  and  100   d  of slot  100 . The striker plate  122  has a generally annular boss  124  extending outwardly from an outer exposed surface of the striker plate when mounted in the slot  100 . The annular boss  124  is adapted for a frictional fit with the pushbutton  50  as will be described.  
         [0066]    The striker plate  122  has an upstanding arm  126  formed integral therewith. The arm  126  is generally coplanar with the striker plate  122  and is adapted to slide in a slot  108  formed in the outer face of the switch side plate  14 , as shown in FIG. 12, so as to overlie the slot  106  and thus the offset end  112   d  of the conductive contact  110  when inserted through the rectangular opening  104  in the switch side plate spaced from the LED lead that is disposed within the slot  106 . As shown in FIG. 19, the arm  126  has an inclined cam surface  126   a  formed thereon that intersects a planar surface  126   b  on the arm  126  so that the surfaces  126   a  and  126   b  face the slot  106  when the striker plate  122  is mounted in the switch side plate recess  100 . The striker plate  122  has a pair of semicircular projections  128   a  and  128   b  having centers that lie in common plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the striker plate and are adapted to mate with the pairs of detents  102   a, b  formed in the recess  100  to establish a first position of the striker plate wherein the end  122   b  engages the end  100   b  of recess  100 , and a second position with the projections  128   a, b  in detents  102   b  to establish a position wherein the planar surface  126   b  of striker plate arm  126  is in overlying relation to and engages the offset contact end  112   d  to urge it into contacting engagement with the LED lead disposed within slot  106 .  
         [0067]    The striker plate  122  is maintained in assembled relation within the recess  100  in the switch side plate  14  by the side cover  20  when mounted against the battery frame  12 . To establish a relatively low friction sliding relationship of the striker plate  122  within the slot  100  while retained therein by the side cover  20 , the striker plate  122  preferably has a portion of its longitudinal length formed to extend outwardly from the rear surface of the striker plate as indicated at  130   a, b  in FIG. 19. Additionally, a plurality of short length bosses are formed on the outwardly facing surface of the striker plate  122 , as indicated at  132 , to engage the opposing planar surface of the side cover  20  in low friction contact.  
         [0068]    [0068]FIGS. 22 and 24 are side views of the side covers  20  and  18 , respectively, which are substantially mirror images of each other and are adapted to be placed against opposite sides of the battery frame  12  when having the battery frame  14  mounted thereon as aforedescribed. To this end, the outer peripheries of the side covers  18 and  20  are sufficient to overlie the opposite sides of the battery frame and be secured thereagainst by the open-centered side shells or frames  22  and  24  which are substantially mirror images of each other and are adapted to be secured to the battery framein a manner similar to the technique for attaching the housing sides  140  and  150  disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,018 to the corresponding power source frame  22 ; namely, by forming pegs on the inner surfaces if the of the side shells  22  and  24  which are inserted into and retained within suitably positioned peg holes in the battery frame  12 .  
         [0069]    The side covers  18  and  20  are generally flat so as to form generally planar surface areas  18   a  and  20   a , respectively, that preferably lie in parallel plans when assembled onto the battery frame  12  and retained thereagainst by the side shells  22  and  24 . The side shells  22  and  24  substantially seal the peripheral edges of the side covers  18  and  20 . The side covers  18  and  20  are made of a suitable strength material including metal, rubber, and plastic. The side covers are preferably made of aluminum, such as anodized 6061 aluminum, and their generally planar surfaces are suitable for putting indicia thereon by engraving or printing as aforedescribed.  
         [0070]    The side cover  20  has a circular opening  140  formed therethrough and sized to receive a collar portion  50   a  of the push button  50 , as shown in FIGS. 29 and 30. The opening  140  is positioned so that when the side cover  20  is mounted on the side of the battery frame  12  on which the switch side plate  14  is mounted, the opening  140  overlies and exposes the boss  124  on the switch slide plate  120 . The collar  50   a  on the push button  50  has an axial bore  50   b  formed therein of a diameter to receive the annular boss  124  in a tight frictional relation sufficient to maintain the push button secured on the switch side plate. The push button  50  is made of a suitable polycarbonate and has an outer dome shaped surface  50   c  having a diameter greater then the opening  140  to enable sliding movement of the push button along the planar surface  20   a  of the side cover sufficient to effect longitudinal movement of the slide plate  120  between its off position and forward position wherein the projections  128   a,b  are disposed within the detents  102   b  in the recess  100 .  
         [0071]    FIGS.  6 - 8  illustrate one-half of a battery holder, indicated at  144 , that is preferably made of ABS and has a circular bottom end wall  144   a  that blends into parallel side walls  144   b  and  144   c  all of which are integral with a planar outer wall  144   d  of the battery holder. The sidewalls  144   b,c  and outer wall  144   d  are connected to an upper transverse rim  144   e  having an upper surface that forms one-half of the battery pack upper surface  46 . The upper transverse rim 144   e  extends slightly beyond the adjacent sidewall  144   c  to define a portion of a projection  146  on the battery holder that is adapted to be received in a recess or notch  30   d  formed in the upper surface  46  of the battery frame  12 , as considered in FIG. 4 , thereby requiring a predetermined orientation of the batter pack in order to insert it fully into the recess  30  in the battery frame.  
         [0072]    FIGS.  9 - 11  illustrate the other half of the battery holder  44 , indicated at  114 ′. FIG. 9 shows the outer surface of the battery holder half  144 ′, and FIG. 10 shows the opposite inner surface. The battery holder half  144 ′ is a substantial mirror image of the holder half  144  so that the battery holder halves can be secured together to form a holder having a circular interior chamber to receive a pair of stacked coin type batteries  150   a  and  150   b  as shown in FIG. 20. The planar wall  144   d  of the battery holder half  144  has a rectangular opening  148  formed therethrough which is preferably chamfered at its outer periphery in the outer exposed wall  144   d . The rectangular opening  148  is adapted to expose the positive terminal of a pair of stacked batteries disposed within the battery holder and is positioned to receive the V-shaped portion  112   e  of the conductor contact  110  in continual contact with the battery terminal when the battery pack is disposed within the battery frame recess  30 .  
         [0073]    The battery holder half  144 ′ has a rectangular opening  152  that is adapted to expose the negative terminal of the battery pack and is positioned to receive a ground conductor contact as indicated at  154  in FIGS. 31 A and 3 lB. The contact  154  is also preferably made of 301-302 stainless steel and has a pair of flat integrally joined arm portions  156  andl 58  which enable the contact  154  to be mounted in suitable groves form in the battery frame  12  as shown in FIG. 4  so that a generally V-shaped portion  156   a  projects into the opening 152  in the battery pack to constantly contact the negative battery terminal when the battery pack is inserted in the recess  30 .  
         [0074]    A cylindrical post  160  is formed an the battery pack, such as on the bottom of battery holder half  144 ′, that can be inserted into the battery pack recess opening  56  in the battery frame  12  to partially eject a battery pack when fully inserted into the recess. In this manner, a replacement battery pack can be used to assist in ejecting a battery pack from the battery frame to facilitate replacement.  
         [0075]    It can thus be seen that the flashlight in accordance with the present invention can be readily operated by intentional sliding movement of the push button  50  to move the switch slide plate  120  from its off position to a position wherein the cam surface  126   a  can effect engagement of the contact end  112   d  with the LED lead in the slot  106  to cause momentary closing of a circuit the includes the LED and the battery pack. If desired, further movement of the push button to a position wherein the projections  128   a,b  on the switch slide plate engage the detents 102   b  in the recess  100  will cause the surface  126   b  on the slide plate arm  126  to continually press the contact end  112   d  against the LED lead in slot  106  to provide a continuously closed circuit to the LED until the push button is returned to its off position. This feature, coupled to the replaceable battery pack feature, presents a small flat flashlight that is a marked improvement over known flashlights.  
         [0076]    While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects.