Patent Publication Number: US-6213618-B1

Title: Lighting device convertible between reading light and pen light configurations and having single light actuating switch

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Reference is hereby made to a copending patent application entitled “Lighting Device Convertible Between Reading Light And Flashlight Configurations And Having Separate Light Actuating Switches” by Bjarki Hallgrimsson et al, U.S. Ser. No. 09/490,977, filed Jan. 24, 2000 and assigned to the same assignee as this application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to portable lighting devices and, more particularly, is concerned with a lighting device convertible between reading light and pen light configurations and having a single off/on light actuating switch. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Lighting devices variously configured as miniature flashlights and as book or reading lights are well known in the prior art. Examples of lighting devices which are configured as book or reading lights are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,042 to Zeller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,340 to Dwosh et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,681 to Fisherman et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,622 to Sottile, U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,416 to Hartley et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,528 to Vandenbelt. A drawback of these and other prior art lighting devices is that their designs restrict them to a single type of use or purpose, either as a flashlight or as a reading light. They are configured to function as one or the other, not both. This requires consumers to purchase more than one lighting device for different functions or uses which results in higher cost to them and more devices which must be carried with them. 
     Consequently, a need exists for a lighting device having dual functionality or use, both as a flashlight and as a book or reading light, which will overcome the drawbacks of the prior art without introducing any new problems in place thereof. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a lighting device designed to satisfy the aforementioned need by being convertible between reading light (or book/magazine light) and pen light (or flashlight) configurations. Further, the convertible lighting device of the present invention has only a single off/on light actuating switch for the user to operate regardless of which configuration the lighting device is in. The convertible lighting device of the present invention reduces the number of devices that must be purchased and carried by consumers to serve these two functions or uses. This results in a more cost-effective and efficient approach in fulfilling the diverse lighting needs of consumers. 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a convertible lighting device which comprises: (a) a main body having opposite front and rear ends; (b) a pivoting arm having opposite front and rear ends; (c) hinge means pivotally mounting the rear end of the pivoting arm to the rear end of the main body for allowing pivotal movement of the pivoting arm between an erect position angularly spaced from the main body and a lowered position adjacent to the main body; (d) illumination means mounted to the pivoting arm adjacent to the front end thereof for providing light therebelow when the pivoting arm is in the erect position and being exposed at the front end of the main body for providing light directly forwardly of the main body when the pivoting arm is in the lowered position; (e) means for supplying power to the illumination means being mounted to the main body and electrically connected to the illumination means; and (f) means mounted to the main body and connected to the power supplying means and illumination means for switching the illumination means between off and on states. 
     The main body has a recess at the front end in which the illumination means is inserted and exposed when the pivoting arm is in the lowered position. The main body also includes a base member and a top member. The base member has a bottom wall with opposite front and rear ends that defines a compartment in the base member and a first portion of the recess of the main body at the front end of the bottom wall. The top member has a top wall with opposite front and rear ends and is mounted on the base member and encloses the compartment of the base member. The top wall of the top member at the front end defines a second portion of the recess of the main body complementary to the first portion of the recess defined at the front end of the bottom wall of the base member such that the base and top members together define the recess of the main body. 
     The power supplying means includes one or more batteries. The base member of the main body has an opening defined in the bottom wall through which one or more batteries are inserted into and removed from the compartment within the base member of the main body. The device further comprises a compartment door attachable to and removable from the bottom wall of the base member of the main body for covering and uncovering the opening in the bottom wall. The device further comprises a compartment door locking member slidably mounted to and through an extension of the opening in the bottom wall of the base member of the main body adjacent to the compartment door. The slidable locking member is operable by being manually slid in one direction to engage with and prevent the compartment door from being removed from the bottom wall of the base member of the main body and by being manually slid in an opposite direction to disengage from and allow the compartment door to be removed from the bottom wall of the base member of the main body. 
     The base member of the main body also has a hole defined in the bottom wall. The switching means includes a switch member and a switch button mounted to the switch member. The switch member makes operable contact with one or more batteries of the power supplying means and the illumination means. The switch button is disposed through the hole of the bottom wall of the base member of the main body for a user to contact to move the switch member and the switch button together between first and second conditions such that the illumination means is thereby turned off and on. 
     The hinge means includes a plurality of aligned holes defined through the rear ends of the pivoting arm and main body, and a hinge pin fitted through the holes so as to pivotally couple the pivoting arm to the main body for undergoing the pivotal movement between the erect and lowered positions. 
     The illumination means includes a mounting element having opposite ends and being mounted at one of the opposite ends to the pivoting arm, and a light generating element mounted to the other of the opposite ends of the mounting element. The device further comprises a light reflecting shield hingedly attached to the pivoting arm adjacent to the illumination means such that the shield is pivotally movable between a retracted position in which the shield is disposed against the pivoting arm when the pivoting arm is in the lowered position and an extended position in which the shield partially surrounds the illumination means such that light provided by the illumination means is directed downwardly therefrom when the pivoting arm is in the erect position. 
     The device further comprises a clip mounted to the top wall of the top member of the main body. The pivoting arm has an opening for passage of the clip therethrough when the pivoting arm is moved to the lowered position. 
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following detailed description reference will be made to the attached drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a convertible lighting device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the lighting device of FIG. 1 assembled and converted to a reading light configuration. 
     FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lighting device shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the lighting device converted to a pen light configuration. 
     FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the lighting device as seen along line  5 — 5  of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the lighting device as seen along line  6 — 6  of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the lighting device taken along line  7 — 7  of FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1,  2  and  4 , there is illustrated a convertible lighting device, generally designated  10 , of the present invention being convertible between a reading light configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, and a pen light configuration, as shown in FIG.  4 . Basically, the convertible lighting device  10  includes a main body  12 , a pivoting arm  14 , hinge means  16 , illumination means  18 , power supplying means  20  and switching means  22 . The main body  12  has opposite front and rear ends  12 A,  12 B and defines a recess  24  at the front end  12 A. The pivoting arm  14  has opposite front and rear ends  14 A,  14 B. The hinge means  16  pivotally mounts the rear end  14 B of the pivoting arm  14  to the rear end  12 B of the main body  12  for allowing pivotal movement of the pivoting arm  14  between a raised or erect position angularly spaced from the main body  12 , being the reading light configuration of FIGS. 2 and 3, and a lowered position adjacent to the main body  12 , being the pen light configuration of FIG.  4 . The illumination means  18  is mounted to the pivoting arm  14  adjacent to the front end  14 A thereof for providing light therebelow when the pivoting arm  14  is in the erect position of FIGS. 2 and 3 and being insertable within the recess  24  of the main body  12  and is exposed only at the front end  12 A of the main body  12  for providing light directly forwardly of the main body  12  when the pivoting arm  14  is in the lowered position. The power supplying means  20  for powering the illumination means  18  is mounted to the main body  12  and electrically connected to the illumination means  18 . The switching means  22  is mounted to the main body  12 , connected to the power supplying means  20  and illumination means  18 , and is actuatable for switching the illumination means  20  between off and on states. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1 to  7 , the main body  12  of the lighting device  10  includes a base member  26  and a cover or top member  28 . The base member  26  of the main body  12  includes an elongated bottom wall  30  with opposite front and rear ends  30 A,  30 B providing the base member  26  with a substantially curved or semicylindrical configuration, though it may have any other suitable shape. The bottom wall  30  of the base member  26  tapers from the rear end  30 B to the front end  30 A. Also the base member  26  defines a compartment  32  therewithin and a first portion  24 A of the recess  24  of the main body  12  at the front end  30 A of the bottom wall  30 . The compartment  32  extends substantially the entire length of the base member  26 , though need not be so limited. 
     The base member  26  of the main body  12  further includes an intermediate partition  34  and a rear end partition  36  disposed within the compartment  32 . The intermediate partition  34  is disposed closer to the front end  30 A than to the rear end  30 B of the bottom wall  30 , though need not be so limited. The intermediate partition  34  is formed by a pair of spaced apart forward and rearward transverse walls  38 ,  40 . The transverse walls  38 ,  40  are disposed in substantially parallel relation to one another, though need not be so limited. The forward transverse wall  38  defines a substantially vertical slot  42  closer to one end of the forward transverse wall  38  than to the other end thereof, though the vertical slot  42  may be defined in any other suitable location in the forward transverse wall  38 . The rearward transverse wall  40  defines an opening  44  formed centrally therethrough or in any other suitable location in the rearward transverse wall  40 . The vertical slot  42  and the opening  44  are out of alignment with one another. The rear end partition  36  is formed by a pair of spaced apart forward and rearward transverse walls  46 ,  48 . The transverse walls  46 ,  48  are in substantially parallel relation to one another, though need not be so limited. The forward transverse wall  46  defines a forward opening  50  formed centrally therethrough or in any other suitable location in the forward transverse wall  46 . The rearward transverse wall  48  defines a rearward opening  52  formed centrally therethrough or in any other suitable location in the rearward transverse wall  48 . The forward opening  50  is wider than but aligned with the rearward opening  52 . 
     The base member  26  of the main body  12  further includes a mounting portion  54  attached to and forming a continuation or extension of the rear end  30 B of the bottom wall  30  of the base member  26 . The mounting portion  54  defines a rear end cavity  56  in communication with the compartment  32  through openings  50 ,  52  in the transverse walls  46 ,  48  of the rear end partition  36 . The rear end cavity  56  has a transverse width less than that of the compartment  32 . The mounting portion  54  has a configuration substantially similar to but smaller than the bottom wall  30 , though may have any other suitable shape. The first portion  24 A of the recess  24  defined by the bottom wall  30  of the base member  26  has a semicircular configuration, though may have any other suitable shape. 
     The base member  26  of the main body  12  also has an opening  58  and a hole  60  defined in the bottom wall  30  thereof. The opening  58  is disposed in the bottom wall  30  symmetrically along a longitudinal centerline of the bottom wall  30  between the intermediate and rear end partitions  34 ,  36  of the base member  26  closer to the intermediate partition  34  than to the rear end partition  36 , though need not be so limited. The opening  58  is a cutout of bottom wall  30  and so has a configuration substantially similar to the configuration of bottom wall  30  but appears to have a substantially rectangular configuration in a top plan view. The opening  58  leads into the compartment  32  and must be of a size large enough to fit one or more conventional AAA batteries therethrough, though may otherwise have any other suitable shape and size. The hole  60  is disposed symmetrically along the centerline of the bottom wall  30  between the intermediate partition  34  of the base member  26  and the front end  30 A of the bottom wall  30  closer to the intermediate partition  34  than to the front end  30 A, though need not be so limited. The hole  60  has a substantially circular configuration, though may have any other suitable shape. The hole  60  is substantially smaller in size than the opening  58 , though need not be so limited. 
     The top member  28  of the main body  12  includes an elongated top wall  62  with opposite front and rear ends  62 A,  62 B. The top wall  62  is fixedly mounted upon the base member  26  so as to overlie and enclose the compartment  32  of the base member  26 . The top wall  62  at the front end  62 A thereof defines a second portion  24 B of the recess  24  of the main body  12  at the front end  28 A complementary to the first portion  24 A of the recess  24  defined by the front end  30 A of the bottom wall  30  of the base member  26  such that the base and top members  26 ,  28  together define the recess  24  of the main body  12 . The top wall  62  has a substantially flat configuration, though may have any other suitable shape. 
     The top member  28  of the main body  12  also includes a mounting portion  64  at the rear end  62 B of the top wall  62  thereof. The mounting portion  64  attached to and forming an extension or continuation of the top wall  62  substantially complements the mounting portion  54  of the base member  26  and encloses the rear end cavity  56  of the base member  26 . The top wall  62  has a relief portion  66  formed thereon which is disposed closer to the rear end  62 B than to the front end  62 A thereof, though need not be so limited. The relief portion  66  is elongated and has opposite ends spaced inwardly from the front and rear ends  62 A,  62 B of the top wall  62  and has a hump  68  formed closer to the rear end  62 B than to the front end  62 A of the top wall  62 . The second portion  24 B of the recess  24  defined by the top wall  62  has a substantially semilunar configuration which converges rearwardly from the front end  62 A to a point spaced rearwardly from the front end  62 A of the top wall  62 , though may have any other suitable shape. 
     The pivoting arm  14  of the lighting device  10  has elongated opposite side walls  70  which are continuous with one another around the front end  14 A of the pivoting arm  14 , an elongated top wall  72  extending between and interconnecting the opposite side walls  70 , and a pair of opposite tabs  74  formed on the opposite side walls  70  at the rear end  14 B of the pivoting arm  14 . The top wall  72  has a substantially flat configuration, though may have any other suitable shape. The pivoting arm  14  tapers from the rear end  14 B to the front end  14 A thereof and has a length and a width substantially the same as the length and the width of the main body  12 . The pivoting arm  14  has an opening  76  disposed centrally through the top wall  72  such that when the pivoting arm  14  is in the lowered position the opening  76  is disposed over part of the relief portion  66 , including the hump  68 , of the top member  28  of the main body  12 . The opening  76  has a substantially oblong configuration, though may have any other suitable shape, and has a size smaller than that of the relief portion  66  of the top member  28 . 
     The hinge means  16  of the lighting device  10  includes a plurality of aligned holes  78  and a hinge pin  80 . The holes  78  are four in number, though may be of any other suitable number. A pair of the holes  78  are defined at the rear end  14 B of the pivoting arm  14  through the opposite tabs  74  thereon and another pair of the holes  78  are defined at the rear end  12 B of the main body  12  through the opposite sides of the mounting portions  54 ,  64  of the base and top members  26 ,  28  thereof. The holes  78  have substantially circular configurations and receive the hinge pin  80  of similar configuration therethrough. The hinge pin  80  is fitted through the holes  78  and through the rear end cavity  56  of the base member  26  of the main body  12  and is retained therethrough by a screw  82  on a cover  84  so as to pivotally mount the pivoting arm  14  to the main body  12  permitting the pivoting arm  14  to undergo the pivotal movement between the erect and lowered positions. 
     The illumination means  18  of the lighting device  10  includes a mounting element  86  and a light generating element  88 . The mounting element  86  is mounted at holes  86 A on opposite sides  86 B thereof to the pivoting arm  14  adjacent to the front end  14 A thereof and under the top wall  72  and between the opposite sides  70  thereof. The light generating element  88  is mounted to holes  90  in the front end of the mounting element  86 . The light generating element  88  may be of any conventional type and may have a lens focusing element for concentrating the light beam generated by the light generating element  88 . The light generating element  88  has a pair of leads  88 A inserted into the holes  90  formed in the front end of the mounting element  86 . The light generating element  88  is the portion of the illumination means  18  that inserts into the recess  24  of the main body  12  when the pivoting arm  14  is pivoted to the lower position. 
     The power supplying means  20  of the lighting device  10  includes at least one and, preferably, a pair of batteries  92 . Each battery  92  is preferably of the AAA type, but the lighting device  10  could be designed to use any other suitable type of battery. The batteries  92  are insertable into and removable from within the compartment  32  through the opening  58  in the bottom wall  30  of base member  26  of main body  12 . 
     The power supplying means  20  of the lighting device  10  further includes elements required for providing an electrical circuit for making an electrical connection between the illumination means  18 , batteries  92  and switching means  22 . These elements include a first contact plate  94 , second contact plate  96  and electrical conductors  98  made of electrically conductive material. The first contact plate  94  has a substantially L-shaped configuration, though need not be so limited, and is mounted between the forward and rearward transverse walls  38 ,  40  and through the vertical slot  42  of the forward transverse wall  38  of the intermediate partition  34  within the compartment  32  of the base member  26  of the main body  12 . The second contact plate  96  has a substantially U-shaped configuration, though need not be so limited, and is mounted between the forward and rearward transverse walls  46 ,  48  and through the forward opening  50  of the forward transverse wall  46  of the rear end partition  36  within the compartment  32  of the base member  26  of the main body  12 . The batteries  92  are disposed end-to-end between the first and second contact plates  94 ,  96  such that an end of one battery  92  contacts the first contact plate  94  and an end of the other battery  92  contacts the second contact plate  96 . 
     The switching means  22  of the lighting device  10  includes a switch member  100  and a switch button  102  mounted to the switch member  100 . The switch member  100  is mounted by the bottom wall  30  of the base member  26  to make operable contact with the first contact member  94  of the power supplying means  20 . The switch button  102  is disposed through the hole  60  of the bottom wall  30  of the base member  26  of the main body  12  for a user to manually contact to move the switch member  100  and the switch button  102  together between first and second conditions. The electrical conductors  98  of the power supplying means  20  (only being partially shown) are mounted along the underside of the top wall  72  of the pivoting arm  14  adjacent to the opposite side walls  70  thereof so as to extend and connect at one ends to the mounting element  86  of the illumination means  18 , and also are mounted along the bottom wall  30  through the compartment  32  so as to extend and connect at opposite ends to the second contact plate  96  and switch member  100 . The electrical conductors  98  thereby form the electrical circuit with the light generating element  88 , batteries  92 , first and second contact members  94 ,  96  and switch member  100  such that by switching the switch member  100  between the first and second conditions the light generating element  88  is thereby turned off and on. In the first condition, the switch member  100  does not make electrical contact with the first contact plate  94  and thus interrupts the electrical circuit such that the light generating element  88  is not turned on. In the second condition, the switch member  100  makes electrical contact with the second contact plate  96  and thus makes the electrical circuit such that the light generating element  88  is turned on. 
     The lighting device  10  further includes a compartment door  104  and a compartment door locking member  106 . The compartment door  104  is movably mounted to the bottom wall  30  of the base member  26  of the main body  12  for covering and uncovering the opening  58  in the bottom wall  30 . The compartment door  104  has a configuration which is similar to and a continuation of the bottom wall  30  of the base member  26 , though it may have any other suitable shape. The compartment door  104  has a tongue member  108  extending from one end of the door  104 . 
     The compartment door locking member  106  is slidably mounted to and through the opening  58  of the bottom wall  30  of the base member  26  of the main body  12  adjacent to the end of the compartment door  104  where the tongue member  108  is located such that sliding movement of the locking member  106  in one direction causes the locking member  106  to overlap an edge of the compartment door  104  preventing it from being removed from the bottom wall  30  of the base member  26  of the main body  12  whereas sliding movement of the locking member  106  in an opposite direction clears the locking member  106  from overlapping the compartment door  104  allowing it to be removed from the bottom wall  30 . An outer portion  106 A of the locking member  106  is contacted by a user outside the compartment  32  for manually sliding the locking member  106 . 
     The lighting device  10  further includes a light reflecting shield  110  hingedly attached to the pivoting arm  14  at its forward end  14 A and adjacent to the illumination means  18  such that the shield  110  is pivotally movable between a retracted position in which the shield  110  is disposed against the pivoting arm  14  when the pivoting arm  14  is in the lowered position and an extended position in which the shield  110  partially surrounds the illumination means  18  such that light provided by the illumination means  18  is directed downwardly therefrom when the pivoting arm  14  is in the erect position. The light reflecting shield  110  has a substantially U-shaped configuration, though may have any other suitable shape, and generally conforms to the shape of the front end  14 A of the pivoting arm  14 . The light reflecting shield  110  is positioned such that a round intermediate front portion  110 A of the U-shape is directed forwardly and such that opposite ends  110 B of the U-shape are directed rearwardly along the opposite sides  86 B of the mounting element  86 . The light reflecting shield  110  has holes  110 C at its opposite ends  110 B where the shield  110  together with the mounting element  86  at the holes  86 A on the opposite sides  86 B are hingedly attached to and between the opposite side walls  70  of the arm  14 . 
     The lighting device  10  further includes a clip  112  mounted to the top wall  62  of the top member  28  of the main body  12 . The clip  112  is particularly mounted to the relief portion  66  of the top member  28  of the main body  12 . The clip  112  has an upper curved portion  112 A and a lower straight portion  112 B bent under the upper curved portion  112 A. The lower straight portion  112 B is particularly mounted to the hump  68  of the relief portion  66 . The upper curved portion  112 A has a length substantially greater than the length of the lower straight portion  112 B. The clip  108  further has an inclined end portion  112 C angled away from the relief portion  66 . The clip  112  is moved through the opening  76  of the top wall  72  of the pivoting arm  14  when the latter is moved to the lowered position so as to be exposed for use in temporarily attaching the lighting device  10  to the user&#39;s clothing when worn in a clothing pocket. The clip  112  also can be used as a book light clip when the arm  14  is in the erect position. 
     It is thought that the present invention and many of its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely preferred or exemplary embodiment thereof.