Lamp module

A lamp module to be used within a battery operated flashlight and lantern for supporting a lightbulb. The lightbulb is fixed mounted within a base which is integrally connected to a reflector. The base and the reflector are constructed of an electrically conductive metal. An insulator is mounted within the base with the lightbulb being mounted within the insulator. A positive electrical contact is mounted on the insulator which connects with the lightbulb. The base includes an annular flange which is to facilitate connection with a hydrogen absorbing pellet assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1) Field of the Invention 
The field of this invention relates to hand holdable flashlights and 
lanterns and more particularly for a lamp module that is utilized within 
flashlights and lanterns. 
1) Description of the Prior Art 
Hand holdable battery operated lanterns and flashlights have long been 
known. The only difference between a lantern and a flashlight is a lantern 
is usually larger in size and more powerful as to the amount of light that 
is emitted. Both lanterns and flashlights include housings within which is 
included the battery(s) and a lightbulb(s). A manually operated switch is 
included on the housing which is movable between an on and off position. 
With the switch in an off position the lightbulb is not illuminated. With 
the switch in the on position the lightbulb is illuminated. 
The lightbulb is mounted within what is called a lamp module within the 
lantern and flashlight. The lightbulb is fixedly within the lamp module 
but removable in case the lightbulb fails and requires replacement. It is 
the function of the lamp module to not only provide a mounting for the 
lightbulb but also to be included within the electrical circuit in order 
to operate the lightbulb. 
Another function of the lamp module is to direct the emitted light in a 
given direction. This is accomplished through the use of a cone shaped 
reflector which concentrates the light and directs it along a beam. This 
reflector is constructed to be integral with the base of the lamp module. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The structure of the present invention is directed to a lamp module to be 
used in conjunction with a lantern and flashlight wherein the lamp module 
is primarily constructed of electrically conductive metallic material. The 
lamp module includes a base which is integral with a cone shaped 
reflector. A through opening is provided within the base and is centrally 
mounted. An insulator is mounted within this through opening with the 
lightbulb screw threadingly mounted within the upper end of the insulator 
and an electrical contact located at the lower end of the insulator. This 
electrical contact is to connect with an appropriate battery source. The 
size and shape of the base and the reflector are constructed so as to 
function as a heat sink in order to dissipate heat. The heat generated 
from the lightbulb can be damaging and seriously affect the life of the 
lightbulb so it is important that the heat generated is dissipated away 
from the lightbulb. The base includes an annular flange with a plastic 
ring to be mounted on this annular flange. At least one hydrogen absorbing 
pellet is to be mounted on the plastic ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SHOWN EMBODIMENT 
Referring particularly to the drawing there is shown the lamp module 10 of 
the present invention. The lamp module 10 comprises a base 12 which has a 
centrally located internal through hole 14. The base 12 has a lower 
chamferred lower end 16 and a planer bottom 18. The upper end of the base 
12 is integrally connected to cone shaped reflector 20. The reflector 20 
is constructed of the same material as the base 12 with both being 
electrically conductive. A preferable type of material for the base 12 and 
reflector 20 would be aluminum. The inside of the reflector 20 defines a 
reflecting surface 22. This reflecting surface 22 is to be highly polished 
to reflect light in a axial outward direction into the ambient along a 
path generally parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the through 
opening 14. 
Fixedly mounted within the through opening 14 is an insulator 24. Typical 
material construction for the insulator 24 would be a ceramic. The lower 
end of the insulator 24 is secured in place to the base 12 by an annular 
ceramic adhesive 26. The insulator 24 includes a lightbulb receiving 
opening 28 within which is appropriately internally screw threaded a 
lightbulb 30. Mounted within the insulator 24 is an electrically 
connecting wire 32. The wire 32 electrically connects with the base of the 
lightbulb 30. The wire 32 also is in electrical connection with the base 
12 forming the grounding electrical connection for the lightbulb 30. 
The positive electrical connection to the lightbulb 30 is provided through 
an electrical contact plate 34 which is fixedly mounted within the ceramic 
insulator 24 and is to abut against the positive centrally located 
electrical contact "not shown" on the lightbulb 30. The contact plate 34 
is electrically connected to a second wire 36. Wire 36 is electrically 
connected to metallic pin 38. Metallic pin 38 forms the positive 
electrical connection for the lightbulb 30 within the insulator 24. The 
head of the pin 38 is located within a recess 40 which is mounted within 
the lower end of the insulator 24. It is the head of the pin 38 that is to 
electrically connect with the positive terminal of the battery (not 
shown). 
To always insure that there is this positive electrical contact with the 
positive terminal of the battery, there is located between the head of the 
pin 38 and the battery terminal (not shown) an electrically conductive 
coil spring 42. This spring 42 exerts a bias maintaining a positive 
electrical connection between the pin 38 and the terminal of the battery. 
It is the function of the reflector 20 to absorb heat generated from the 
lightbulb 30 and to dissipate this heat away from lightbulb 30. This 
dissipation is facilitated by the transference of heat through the base 12 
into the body of the flashlight or lantern (not shown). The fact that heat 
is readily dissipated exteriorly of the lamp module 10 greatly extends the 
usable life of the lightbulb 30. 
Exteriorly formed on the base 12 in between the base 12 and the reflector 
20 is an annular ledge 44. The annular ledge 44 is located about a 
cylindrical post 46. Removably, snapingly engaged about the post 46 is a 
plastic ring 48. The plastic ring 48 includes a pellet receiving chamber 
50 which is formed within a housing 52 which is integrally mounted on the 
ring 48. Fixedly mounted within the chamber 50 are a pair of hydrogen 
absorbing pellets 54. It has been known in the past that flashlights and 
lanterns may create a hydrogen gas during their operation. In most 
flashlights and lanterns, the battery compartment is not sealed and 
therefore the hydrogen gas dissipates into the ambient which poses no 
hazard. It is well known that hydrogen gas is exceedingly explosive. It 
only takes a small amount of gas and a slight spark to cause an explosion. 
Some flashlights and lanterns have battery compartments which are sealed 
and are intended to not only be airtight but also watertight so that the 
flashlights and lanterns can be used under water. In these types of 
flashlights, the hydrogen gas that is generated cannot escape into the 
ambient. There are instances where users, such as scuba divers, grasp the 
flashlight, turn it on, and the flashlight or lantern will explode in the 
divers hand. Such an explosion cause injury to the operator. 
It is been found in the past that is desirable to include some kind of 
device in conjunction with the flashlight or lantern to insure that any 
hydrogen gas that is generated by the batteries is either removed or 
rendered harmless. One way in which to render the hydrogen gas harmless is 
to locate a pellet 54 within the internal chamber of the flashlight or 
lantern with this pellet being constructed of material which is designed 
to absorb hydrogen. The position of the pellet 54 is held in place by the 
housing 52 of the ring 48. There is actually utilized two in number of the 
pellets 54. These pellets will deteriorate within a period of time, such 
as a year, after which the pellets 54 are to be replaced. 
Hydrogen is known to react with the oxide of chlorides of many metals 
including silver, copper, lead, bismuth, mercury to produce the free 
metals. Hydrogen reduces some salts, such as nitrates, nitrites and 
cyanides of sodium and potassium, to the metallic state. It reacts with a 
number of elements, with metals and non-metals, to yield hydrides. The 
pellets 54 are constructed of a substance defined as a substrate such as 
alumina oxide. Incorporated in conjunction with the substrate are one or 
more precious metals which are to function as catalysts which will cause 
the hydrogen to combine with the oxygen of the alumina oxide substrate. 
This substrate is to be covered with an ambient protective film (not 
shown) which is to function to keep the reaction proceeding at a slow pace 
rather than a rapid pace. 
The basic shape of each of the pellets 54 is cylindrical. However, it is 
considered to within the scope of this invention that any shape could be 
utilized.