Abstract:
A multi-purpose light is disclosed. The multi-purpose light includes a housing, an illumination mechanism provided in the housing for illuminating the mailbox interior and a switch provided on the housing for reversibly activating the illumination mechanism. Aa pivot contact having a generally cylindrical pivot portion is rotatably mounted in the housing and engaged by the switch. A contact extension extends from the pivot portion. The switch is moveable between a first position wherein the contact extension disengages the illumination mechanism and the illumination mechanism is extinguished, and a second position wherein the pivot contact rotates in the housing and the contact extension engages the illumination mechanism to activate the illumination mechanism. An activation clip embodiment of the multi-purpose light is also disclosed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to portable lights and more particularly, to a multi-purpose light which can be quickly and easily removably installed on a mailbox, purse or other enclosure to facilitate automatically or selectively illuminating and viewing the interior of the enclosure when the door of the enclosure is opened. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Womens&#39; purses are typically provided with a spring-loaded jaw which is manually pried open to open the purse and which snaps shut to close the purse when released. Even when opened, however, the interior of the purse is typically dark. This renders it difficult to locate objects such as makeup, lipstick and other items, especially when the purse is opened inside poorly-illuminated buildings. 
   While mail is typically delivered during daylight hours in the United States, persons may retrieve mail from their mailboxes in the late evening, during hours of darkness. Consequently, it is frequently necessary to hand-feel the dark mailbox interior to ensure that all the delivered mail has been retrieved from the mailbox. This, however, has limitations since important mail-delivered notices such as those appearing on flat postcards or sheets of paper can evade detection by feel and thus, inadvertently remain in the mailbox. Moreover, many persons are reluctant to thrust their hands into dark mailboxes for fear of striking sharp objects or unwittingly encountering spiders or insects. 
   Accordingly, a multi-purpose light is needed which can be removably attached to the interior of a purse, mailbox or other enclosure to facilitate selectively or automatically lighting the enclosure interior when opened. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is generally directed to a multi-purpose light which is useful for illuminating the interior of a mailbox, purse or other enclosure, for example. In one embodiment, the multi-purpose light is selectively activated and includes a housing, an illumination mechanism provided in the housing for illuminating the mailbox interior and a switch provided on the housing for reversibly activating the illumination mechanism. A pivot contact having a generally cylindrical pivot portion is rotatably mounted in the housing and engaged by the switch. A contact extension extends from the pivot portion. The switch is moveable between a first position wherein the contact extension disengages the illumination mechanism and the illumination mechanism is extinguished, and a second position wherein the pivot contact rotates in the housing and the contact extension engages the illumination mechanism to activate the illumination mechanism and illuminate the interior of the enclosure. The invention further includes an activation clip embodiment of the multi-purpose light which is automatically activated upon opening of the enclosure. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a switch-operated multi-purpose light of the present invention, with the multi-purpose light energized; 
       FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the multi-purpose light shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an interior view of the right housing panel element of the switch-operated multi-purpose light, with a preferred battery assembly for energizing the light bulb element, and the switch element shown breaking electrical contact between the batteries of the battery assembly to extinguish the light bulb; 
       FIG. 4  is an interior view of the right housing panel element of the multi-purpose light, with the switch element of the light shown establishing electrical contact between the batteries to energize the light bulb; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a pivot contact element of the multi-purpose light for reversibly establishing electrical contact between the batteries of the battery assembly; 
       FIG. 6  is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along section lines  6 — 6  in  FIG. 5 , of the pivot contact element of the multi-purpose light; 
       FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of an activation clip-operated multi-purpose light of the present invention, with the multi-purpose light energized; 
       FIG. 8  is a rear perspective view of the multi-purpose light illustrated in  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 9  is an interior view of the right housing panel element of the multi-purpose light, with a preferred battery assembly for energizing the light bulb element, and the activation clip element shown breaking electrical contact between the batteries of the battery assembly to extinguish the light bulb; 
       FIG. 10  is an interior view of the right housing panel element of the multi-purpose light, with the extended, spring-loaded activation clip element of the light shown establishing electrical contact between the batteries to energize the light bulb; 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the switch-operated embodiment of the multi-purpose light of the present invention, removably attached to a post-type mailbox (in phantom) and selectively illuminating the mailbox interior after opening of the mailbox door; 
       FIG. 12  is an interior perspective view of a right housing panel element of the multi-purpose light; and 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the activation clip-operated embodiment of the multi-purpose light of the present invention, removably attached to a post-type mailbox (in phantom) and illuminating the mailbox interior upon opening of the mailbox door. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring initially to  FIGS. 1–6  and  12  of the drawings, a switch-operated embodiment of the multi-purpose light of the present invention is generally illustrated by reference numeral  1 . The multi-purpose light  1  includes an elongated, generally rectangular, typically plastic housing  2 , having a front end  2   a  and a rear end  2   b  and constructed of a front housing panel  3  which engages a complementary rear housing panel  4  typically in a snap-fit. As illustrated in  FIG. 12 , the interior of the rear housing panel  4  has a rectangular battery compartment  4   a  for containing a battery assembly  19 , as will be hereinafter described. A neck seat  4   b  communicates with the battery compartment  4   a  in the right housing panel  4 , and a generally beveled, concave or dish-shaped reflection surface  10  is shaped in the rear housing panel  4  at the front end  2   a  of the housing  2 , the purpose of which neck seat  4   b  and reflection surface  10  will be hereinafter described. The front housing panel  3 , similar in shape to the rear housing panel  4  and having an interior battery compartment (not illustrated) complementary in size and shape to the battery compartment  4   a  of the rear housing panel  4 , is characterized by a panel bevel  3   a  and a pair of spaced-apart, tapered panel extensions  3   b  that contribute to the concavity of the reflection surface  10  of the rear housing panel  4  when the front housing panel  3  is attached to the rear housing panel  4 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . In a preferred embodiment, the reflective surface  10  of the rear housing panel  4  and the panel bevel  3   a  and panel extensions  3   b  of the front housing panel  3  are coated with a white or silver reflective paint or other light-reflective medium, according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art. A neck notch (not shown) is shaped in the front housing panel  3 , between the panel extensions  3   b  for purposes which will be hereinafter described. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a flexible attachment clip  5  is typically provided on the outside surface of the rear housing panel  4  for removably attaching the housing  2  to the right side wall  25  of the mailbox  22  in an illustrative application of the multi-purpose light  1 , as illustrated in  FIG. 11  and hereinafter described. The attachment clip  5  is typically generally flush with the flat rear end  2   b  of the housing  2 , and is disposed on the housing  2  opposite the reflection surface  10 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . As illustrated in  FIG. 12 , a pivot pin  45  extends from the rear housing panel  4 , into the battery compartment  4   a  and inserts in a pivot pin receptacle (not illustrated), provided in the front housing panel  3 , for purposes hereinafter described. 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the battery assembly  19  is contained in the assembled housing  2  as hereinafter further described, and includes a first battery  8 , having a negative terminal  8   a  and a positive terminal  8   b ; and a second battery  18 , having a negative terminal  18   a  and a positive terminal  18   b . A typically plastic bulb harness  21  of the battery assembly  19  includes an elongated, flat harness base  21   a  and a perpendicularly-extending harness neck  21   b , which harness base  21   a  is fitted on the bottom end thereof with a metal negative contact  26  that engages the negative terminal  8   a  of the first battery  8 . The harness base  21   a  is further provided with a metal positive contact  27  which engages the positive terminal  18   b  of the second battery  18 . The threaded bulb base  20   a  of a light bulb  20  is threaded into the harness neck  21   b  of the bulb harness  21 . The negative contact  26  and positive contact  27  each extends from the bottom surface of the harness base  21   a  and terminates inside the harness neck  21   b  of the bulb harness  21 , where the negative contact  26  establishes electrical contact between the negative terminal  8   a  of the first battery  8  and the bulb base  20   a  of the light bulb  20 , and the positive contact  27  establishes electrical contact between the positive terminal  18   b  of the second battery  18  and the bulb base  20   a  of the light bulb  20 . 
   As further illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , an elongated, plastic spring mount plate  15  of the battery assembly  19  is fitted with a metal contact spring  9  which extends through a spring opening (not illustrated) provided in the spring mount plate  15  and is disposed in electrical contact with the positive terminal  8   b  of the first battery  8 . The cylindrical contact base  16   a  of a metal clip contact  16  extends through an opening (not illustrated) provided in the spring mount plate  15  and is disposed in electrical contact with the negative terminal  18   a  of the second battery  18 . The battery assembly  19  is seated in the battery compartment  4   a  ( FIG. 12 ) of the rear housing panel  4  and in the complementary battery compartment (not illustrated), provided in the front housing panel  3 , with the harness neck  21   b  of the bulb harness  21  extending through the neck seat  4   b  of the rear housing panel  4  and the complementary neck notch (not illustrated) of the front housing panel  3 . Accordingly, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the light bulb  20  is disposed adjacent to the reflection surface  10  of the rear housing panel  4  and the panel bevel  3   a  and panel extensions  3   b  of the front housing panel  3 . 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 2–4 , a switch slot  76  is provided in the rear end  2   b  of the housing  2  of the multi-purpose light  1 , and a switch  75  is slidably mounted in the switch slot  76 . A switch connector  77 , which is preferably a flexible rubber or plastic material, is attached to the switch  75  and extends through a connector opening  78  provided in the rear end  2   b  of the housing  2 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The extending end of the switch connector  77  is attached to a pivot contact  36  which is pivotally mounted in the housing  2  as hereinafter further described. 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the pivot contact  36  includes a pivot contact body  37  which is typically plastic. The pivot contact body  37  includes a generally cylindrical pivot portion  38  and an elongated contact extension  41  which extends from the pivot portion  38 . A pivot pin opening  39  extends through the pivot portion  38 , and a spring attachment tab  44  typically extends from the contact extension  41 . An electrically-conductive coating  40 , which may be copper or aluminum, for example, is provided on the pivot portion  38 , the contact extension  41  and the spring attachment tab  44  of the pivot contact body  37 . An elongated attachment slot  42 , the purpose of which will be hereinafter described, is provided in the pivot portion  38  of the pivot contact body  37 . 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , when the front housing panel  3  is mounted to the rear housing panel  4 , the pivot contact  36  is pivotally mounted on the pivot pin  45 , which extends from the rear housing panel  4  ( FIG. 12 ) and through the pivot pin opening  39  ( FIG. 5 ) of the pivot portion  38 . The contact spring  9  is attached to the spring attachment tab  44  of the pivot contact  36 , and the switch connector  77  of the switch  75  is inserted in the attachment slot  42  and secured therein using techniques known to those skilled in the art. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the switch  75  is normally positioned in the switch slot  76  to orient the pivot contact  36  in such a position that the contact extension  41  does not contact the clip contact  16 . Upon sliding of the switch  75  in the direction indicated by the arrow if  FIG. 3 , by actuation of the switch connector  77 , the contact portion  38  pivots in the clockwise direction on the pivot pin  45  such that the contact extension  41  contacts the clip contact  16 , thus establishing electrical communication between the first battery  8  and second battery  18  through the contact spring  9  and clip contact  16 , thereby illuminating the light bulb  20  of the multi-purpose light  1 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Upon sliding of the switch  75  in the opposite direction, by actuation of the switch connector  77  the contact portion  38  pivots in the counterclockwise direction on the pivot pin  45  such that the contact extension  41  is moved out of contact with the clip contact  16 , thereby extinguishing the light bulb  20 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
   Referring next to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  11  of the drawings, in one possible application the multi-purpose light  1  is attached to the right side wall  25  of a post-type mailbox  22  with the housing  2  extending into the mailbox interior  24 , by inserting the right side wall  25  of the mailbox  22  between the attachment clip  5  and the outside surface of the right side panel  4 . Accordingly, the reflection surface  10  faces the mailbox interior  24 . After opening the mailbox door  23 , a user (not shown) slides the switch  75  in the switch slot  76 , causing contact of the contact extension  41  of the pivot contact  36  with the clip contact  16  and illuminating the light bulb  20 , as heretofore described with respect to  FIG. 4 . The mailbox interior  24  is therefore sufficiently illuminated to enable the user to view the contents of the mailbox interior  24 . It will be appreciated from a consideration of  FIG. 4  that the beveled or concave reflection surface  10 , in combination with the panel bevel  3   a  and panel extensions  3   b , reflects or scatters the light from the light bulb  20  to illuminate substantially the entire mailbox interior  24 . After removing the mailbox contents from the mailbox interior  24 , the user then slides the switch  75  in the opposite direction in the switch slot  76 , causing the contact extension  41  of the pivot contact  36  out of contact with the clip contact  16  and extinguishing the light bulb  20 , as heretofore described with respect to  FIG. 3 . It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the multi-purpose light  1  can be attached to the interior of a variety of enclosures including a purse (not illustrated), for example, for selective illumination of the interior of the enclosure by manipulation of the switch  75 , depending on the desires of the user. 
   Referring next to  FIGS. 7–10  of the drawings, an alternative embodiment of the multi-purpose light of the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral  1   a . The multi-purpose light  1   a  includes an activation clip  11  which is attached to the pivot portion  38  of the pivot contact  36 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . The activation clip  11 , which is constructed of an electrically-conductive metal, includes a long segment  12 , the extending end of which typically terminates in a loop  12   a . An angled short segment  13  extends from the other end of the long segment  12 . The extending end of the short segment  13  is inserted in the attachment slot  42  ( FIG. 5 ) of the pivot contact  36  and secured therein according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art. An L-shaped, typically plastic sheath  14  is bonded or otherwise attached to the outside surfaces of the long segment  12  and short segment  13 , respectively, of the activation clip  11 . The short segment  13  of the activation clip  11  extends through a left panel clip notch (not illustrated) and an aligned right panel clip notch  7 , provided in the front housing panel  3  and attached rear housing panel  4 , respectively, of the housing  2  at the rear end  2   b  thereof. The contact spring  9  is attached to the spring attachment tab  44  of the pivot contact  36 . Accordingly, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the activation clip  11  can be pressed against the housing  2  with the long segment  12  thereof seated in a clip depression  11   a  ( FIG. 8 ) provided in the front end  2   a  of the housing  2 , wherein the pivot contact  36  is disposed in such a position that the contact extension  41  disengages the clip contact  16 , thereby breaking electrical contact between the positive terminal  8   b  of the first battery  8  and the negative terminal  18   a  of the second battery  18  and extinguishing the light bulb  20 . As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , upon release, the pivot portion  38  of the pivot contact  36  rotates in the clockwise direction on the pivot pin  45  and the activation clip  11  extends from the clip depression  11   a  by operation of the contact spring  9 . The contact extension  41  of the pivot contact  36  contacts the clip contact  16 , thereby establishing electrical contact between the positive terminal  8   b  of the first battery  8  and the negative terminal  18   a  of the second battery  18  and energizing the light bulb  20 . 
   Referring next to  FIGS. 9 ,  10  and  13  of the drawings, in one possible application the multi-purpose light  1   a  is attached to the right side wall  25  of a post-type mailbox  22  with the housing  2  extending into the mailbox interior  24 , by inserting the right side wall  25  of the mailbox  22  between the attachment clip  5  and the outside surface of the right side panel  4 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Accordingly, the reflection surface  10  faces the mailbox interior  24 . When the mailbox door  23  of the mailbox  22  is in the closed position, the mailbox door  23  presses the activation clip  11  against the rear end  2   b  of the housing  2 , with the long segment  12  of the activation clip  11  seated in the clip depression  11   a  ( FIG. 8 ) of the housing  2 . The contact extension  41  of the pivot contact  36  is spaced from the clip contact  16 , breaking electrical contact between the first battery  8  and second battery  18 . Upon opening of the mailbox door  23  as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , the spring-biased activation clip  11  is released, whereupon the activation clip  11  pivots outwardly from the clip depression  11   a  of the housing  2  as the contact spring  9  rotates the pivot portion  38  of the pivot contact  36  in the clockwise direction on the pivot pin  45  and the contact extension  41  of the pivot contact  36  contacts the clip contact  16 . The pivot contact  36  therefore establishes electrical contact between the positive terminal  8   b  of the first battery  8  and the negative terminal  18   a  of the second battery  18  to energize the light bulb  20 . Upon closing of the mailbox door  23 , the mailbox door  23  pushes against the activation clip  11  at the loop  12   a  of the long segment  12  thereof to seat the long segment  12  in the clip depression  11   a  of the housing  2 . Accordingly, as heretofore described with respect to  FIG. 9 , the pivot portion  38  of the pivot contact  36  rotates in the counterclockwise direction on the pivot pin  45  such that the contact extension  41  disengages the clip contact  16 , against the bias of the contact spring  9  exerted against the contact extension  41 , to break electrical contact between the first battery  8  and the second battery  18  and extinguish the light bulb  20 . It will be appreciated that the loop  12   a  end of the long segment  12  of the activation clip  11  can be bended beyond the plastic sheath  14  to enhance the contact capability of the activation clip  11  with the mailbox door  23 , as needed in the event that the activation clip  11  partially loses its shape after repeated use. It will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art that the multi-purpose light  1   a  can be attached to the interior of a variety of enclosures including a purse (not illustrated), for example, for automatic illumination of the interior of the enclosure by release of the activation clip  11 . 
   Referring again to  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  9  and  10  of the drawings, it is understood that the multi-purpose light  1  and  1   a  of the present invention can be constructed using light bulbs  20  of any suitable type, including those capable of being energized using one battery. In that case, the first battery  8  is provided in electrical contact with the light bulb  20  through the negative contact  26  ( FIG. 9 ) of the bulb harness  21 , and in electrical contact with the pivot contact  36  through the contact spring  9 , as heretofore described, except the second battery  18  is omitted from the battery assembly  19  and the clip contact  16  is provided in direct electrical contact with the light bulb  20 , through the positive contact  27  ( FIG. 9 ) of the bulb harness  21 . 
   While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications can be made in the invention and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.