Attachable illumination device

A flashlight housing and bracket system that is selectively and removably coupled to a support member of a non-motorized recreational vehicle or another structure. The system includes a light source that is selectively actuated or deactuated by a user and a flashlight housing that houses a light source and a power source. The housing includes two portions that couple a bracket system having gripping fingers to a support member. The rotation of a first portion of the housing with respect to the second portion selectively actuates or deactuates the light source depending on the direction of the rotation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an attachable illumination device. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a flashlight housing and bracket system that is selectively and removably coupled to a support member of a non-motorized recreational vehicle, such as a scooter, or other structure. In this disclosure, reference is made to a light source that provides illumination. In this disclosure and in the appended claims the term “light source” refers to any component or device that is capable of emitting light, including a light bulb, a light emitting diode (“LED”), laser, etc., each of which being an example of means for providing illumination. A reflector, such as a parabolic reflector, may be employed about the light source to concentrate the illumination of the light source into a beam of light. While the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 - 4 B correspond to a flashlight that is selectively and removably coupled to a handlebar of a scooter (illustrated in FIG. 2 ), embodiments of the present invention embrace illumination devices that that may be selectively and removably coupled to a variety of different support members of various structures. Also, the embodiments of the present invention embrace a variety of different shapes and sizes, a variety of different electrical circuits, and/or a variety of different components to implement the features of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 1, a perspective view is illustrated of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrated as flashlight 10 . Flashlight 10 comprises a housing, which may house a power source, one or more light sources, and a variety of other components as desired. For purposes of this disclosure and in the claims, the term “housing” shall refer to a structure that houses at least a portion of one or more components of the flashlight therein or thereon. The housing of flashlight 10 is preferably comprised of two threadedly and selectively coupled housing portions, namely housing portions 11 and 13 that house selected components. Each housing portion is part of a module. Housing portion 11 is part of head module 12 and housing portion 13 is part of body module 16 . Housing portions 11 and 13 collectively serve as an example of a flashlight housing that houses a power source and at least one light source electrically coupled thereto. A bracket system 14 is interposed between a surface of housing portion 11 and a surface of housing portion 13 to couple the bracket system 14 to a support member, as will be further explained below. In the illustrated embodiment, the first housing portion 11 and second housing portion 13 comprise a conductive material, such as metal. In a further embodiment, the first housing portion 11 and second housing portion 13 comprise aircraft-grade aluminum. Other embodiments of the present invention embrace housing portions that comprise a non-conductive material, such as plastic. When the housing comprises a non-conductive material, modifications may be required to the electrical circuit to make the circuit completely internal in relation to the non-conductive housing, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and are embraced by embodiments of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , flashlight 10 further comprises head module 12 and body module 16 . Head module 12 comprises a light source 24 that may be selectively actuated to provide illumination. As provided above, the light source may be any component or device that is capable of emitting light, such as a light bulb, an LED, a laser, etc. Head module 12 further comprises a reflector 22 that is positioned about the light source 24 so as to assist in concentrating, focusing and/or directing the illumination into a generally linear beam of light through a lens 22 . Reflector 22 may comprise a variety of materials that may be used in projecting a direct beam of light in a generally linear direction. In one embodiment, the reflector is a parabolic reflector to maximize the concentration of the light from the light source. Lens 22 may comprise any transparent or semi-transparent material, such as glass, plastic, etc., to allow a beam of light to shine therethrough. In one embodiment, lens 22 is a polycarbonate lens that is shatterproof and scratch resistant. Furthermore, the polycarbonate lens provides optical clarity for a pure lighted view. While the illustrated embodiment comprises a single light source 24 that provides the illumination that is focused into a beam of light, embodiments of the present invention embrace the utilization of a plurality of light sources for providing the illumination, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, head module 12 and body module 16 are threadedly coupled and enable a light source to be electrically coupled to a power source to provide illumination, as will be further explained below. In the illustrated embodiment, body module 16 has a threaded male end (illustrated as male end 36 in FIG. 3A ) that is threadedly coupled to a female end of head module 12 (illustrated as female end 34 of FIG. 3B ). Bracket system 14 comprises a first bracket portion 14 a and a second bracket portion 14 b . The first bracket portion 14 a includes a cylindrical coupling ring 15 a and a gripping finger 18 a extending therefrom. Likewise, the second bracket portion 14 b includes a cylindrical coupling ring 15 b and a gripping finger 18 b extending therefrom. The two bracket portions 14 a and 14 b are mirror images of each other and reside about the male end of body module 16 when head module 12 and body module 16 are coupled. Gripping fingers 18 a and 18 b are designed to securely hold the flashlight 10 coupled onto a support member when bracket system 14 is tightly held together by head module 12 and body module 16 . Cylindrical coupling rings 15 a and 15 b are collectively an example of a coupling portion of a bracket system, wherein the bracket system is configured to selectively and removably couple a flashlight to a support member. Furthermore, gripping fingers 18 a and 18 b are collectively an example of a gripping portion extending from the coupling portion. The bracket system is configured such that the coupling of a flashlight housing to the coupling portion couples the gripping portion to the support member. In the illustrated embodiment, bracket system 14 comprises a non-conductive material, such as plastic. Other embodiments embrace bracket systems that comprise a conductive material, such as metal, and/or a different shape. The light source 24 of head module 12 is actuated or deactuated by a user rotating head module 12 with respect to body module 16 . Light source 24 is actuated as an internal spring (illustrated as spring 42 of FIG. 3B ) closes the electrical circuit in response to a user rotating the head module 12 in a first direction in relation to body module 16 . Similarly, light source 24 is deactuated when the electrical circuit is opened in response to a user rotating the head module 12 in a second opposite direction with respect to the body module 16 . As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, embodiments of the present invention embrace a variety of other manners and/or devices for actuating and/or deactuating a light source, including using a variety of different switches or buttons that may be employed by a user. With reference now to FIG. 2, a perspective view is provided of a flashlight 10 selectively and removably coupled to a support member of a non-motorized recreational vehicle. In FIG. 2 , the non-motorized recreational vehicle illustrated is a scooter 30 and the support member is a handlebar 32 . While FIG. 2 illustrates flashlight 10 coupled to a scooter, embodiments of the present invention may be removably coupled to a variety of devices, such as bicycles, tricycles, trailers, beams, poles, tables, tents, backpacks, head gear, various other types of camping, recreational hiking, scientific and medical equipment, motorized scooters, automobiles and other structures. When head module 12 and body module 16 are loosely coupled together and bracket system 14 is interposed between a surface of head module 12 and a surface of body module 16 , gripping fingers 18 a and 18 b may receive a support structure, such as handlebars 32 of FIG. 2 . Once gripping fingers 18 are placed about handlebar 32 , head module 12 and body module 16 may be threaded more closely together, thereby pushing the bracket portions 14 a and 14 b of bracket system 14 together. When firmly together, head module 12 and body module 16 hold gripping fingers 18 about handlebar 32 . In one embodiment, the inner surfaces of respective gripping fingers 18 , which contact handlebar 32 , comprise a grip to facilitate holding onto handlebars 32 . Therefore, rather than using one or more fasteners to secure a flashlight, embodiments of the present invention utilize a flashlight that holds gripping fingers about a support member. Embodiments of the present invention require no tools for attaching or fastening the flashlight. Instead, head module 12 and body module 16 are simply threadedly coupled such that the male end of body module 16 is coupled to the female end of head module 12 , thereby pushing bracket system 14 together. As such, a child who would be riding the scooter, for example, is able to quickly and easily couple, adjust, and/or decouple flashlight 10 from scooter 30 . With reference now to FIGS. 3A and 3B , an exploded view is provided of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 . Head module 12 comprises a first housing portion, a lens, a reflector, and a light source. In FIG. 3 A, light source 25 is a high intensity light source compared to light source 24 of FIG. 1 . As provided above, the light source may be any component or device that is capable of emitting light, such as a light bulb, an LED, a laser, etc. Head module 12 has a female end 34 having internal threads that may be coupled to external threads of male end 36 of body module 16 . Further, the illustrated embodiment comprises a grip 33 a and 33 b respectively illustrated on head module 12 and body module 16 . The grip 33 facilitates rotating head module 12 with respect to body module 16 . While FIG. 3A illustrates head module 12 as being capable of being threadedly coupled to body module 16 , other manners exist to couple head module 12 to body module 16 , such as by clipping, snapping, screwing, friction fit, bonding, etc., as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure. Thus, threads, clips, snap fitting parts, friction fitting parts, and other connection parts are examples of coupling portions configured to couple a first portion of a flashlight housing to a second portion of the housing. Bracket system 14 resides about male end 36 of body module 16 and a power source is generally contained within body module 16 . In the illustrated embodiment, the power source used to illuminate the light source in head module 12 is a series of batteries 40 that reside in body module 16 when head module 12 and body module 16 are coupled. While FIG. 3A illustrates two batteries, namely batteries 40 a and 40 b , embodiments of the present invention embrace the use of one battery, more than two batteries, or another power source, such as a solar cell, or a mechanism that uses a moving tire or wheel to generate electrical power. With reference to FIG. 3B, a back view of head module 12 is provided to illustrate female end 34 . In FIG. 3B an internal spring 42 is electrically coupled to a contact of the light source. When the positive end 41 of batteries 40 is in electrical contact with spring 42 , the electrical circuit is closed to thereby actuate the light source in head module 12 . The process of actuating or deactuating the light source in head module 12 is performed by rotating head module 12 with respect to body module 16 . With reference now to FIGS. 4A and 4B , a schematic representation is provided of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 . FIG. 4A provides an open circuit in which light source 24 in head module 12 is deactivated and FIG. 4B provides a closed circuit in which light source 24 in head module 12 is actuated so as to provide illumination. While FIGS. 4A and 4B and the corresponding discussion are intended to provide a brief, general description of an exemplary schematic representation of an electrical circuit that is used to provide features of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced using a variety of different components and/or circuit configurations to implement features of the present invention. In FIG. 4A a schematic representation is provided of an open circuit and a deactuated light source 24 . As illustrated, light source 24 is electrically connected to a conductive plate 44 , which is electrically coupled to head module 12 . The rotation of head module 12 onto male end 36 electrically couples head module 12 to body module 16 when the first housing portion 11 of head module 12 and the second housing portion 13 of body module 16 comprises a conductive material. Body module 16 is electrically coupled to the negative end of the series of batteries 40 by pin 46 , which resides therebetween. However, since no contact is made between the male end of the series of batteries 40 and light source 24 , as illustrated at spring 42 , the light source 24 is deactuated and does not provide illumination therefrom. While the illustrated embodiment provides spring 42 mounted to light source 24 , those of skill in the art will appreciate that spring 42 may be oriented in a variety of different manners, such as, for example, mounted to the positive end of battery 40 a. Alternatively, in FIG. 4B a schematic representation is provided of a closed circuit that actuates light source 24 so as to provide, with the assistance of reflector 22 , a direct beam of light through lens 20 . As illustrated in FIG. 4 B, light source 24 is electrically connected to a conductive plate 44 , which is electrically coupled to head module 12 . The rotation of head module 12 onto male end 36 electrically couples head module 12 to body module 16 when the housing of head module 12 and the housing of body module 16 comprises a conductive material, such as metal. Body module 16 is electrically coupled to the negative end of the series of batteries 40 by pin 46 , which resides therebetween. However, in contrast to FIG. 4 A, the circuit in FIG. 4B is closed since an electrical contact is made between the male end of the series of batteries 40 and light source 24 . The contact is made by spring 42 , which is interposed between the male end of the series of batteries 40 and light source 24 when the coupling of head module 12 and body module 16 push bracket system 14 together to cause spring 42 to electrically couple light source 24 with the positive end of the series of batteries 40 . With the electrical circuit being closed, the light source is actuated and provides illumination that is focused as a beam of light through lens 20 . FIGS. 4A and 4B further illustrate an example of a flashlight housing configured to receive a bracket thereon. The flashlight housing comprises a hollow member such as body module 16 that includes a coupling portion 47 (e.g., threads) a first exterior surface 48 and a second exterior surface 50 that is raised with respect to the first exterior surface 48 . The flashlight housing further comprises another hollow member, such as head module 12 , that includes a coupling portion 52 (e.g., threads) which is configured to couple to coupling portion 47 , and an exterior surface 54 that is raised with respect to exterior surface 48 . While coupling portions 47 and 52 are threadedly coupled, other manners of coupling may be employed such as clip fitting parts, snap fitting parts, friction fitting parts, and other connection parts. Therefore, a bracket system, such as bracket system 14 of FIG. 1 may be placed on the exterior surface 48 and the coupling of head module 12 to body module 16 couples the bracket system 14 of FIG. 1 to a support member, such as handlebar 32 of FIG. 2 . As shown by coupling rings 15 a and 15 b between surfaces 50 and 54 , bracket system 14 can be coupled to a support member. Thus, the present invention relates to an attachable illumination device that is selectively and removably coupled to a support member of, for example, a non-motorized recreational vehicle or other structure. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.