Patent Publication Number: US-6908209-B2

Title: Miniature flashlight and keyholder

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 09/849,410, filed on May 7, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,616, which claims priority upon provisional patent application having Ser. No. 60/205,582, filed on May 22, 2000, all of said applications being owned by a common assignee. 

   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   N/A 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Numerous types of flashlights have been developed, assembled, manufactured, and marketed for some time. In fact, many such flashlights have been made of the miniaturized type, so as to conveniently fit within any available but yet small capacity storage space, such as a glove department in an automobile, in a pocket book, or even in the pocket. One such flashlight is shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,490 relating to an encased flashlight and which is assigned to a common assignee. In the structure of that device, the resiliency of the cap and casing of the back of the flashlight, at the rear end of the battery, contains sufficient resiliency to provide for the contact providing for conduction of the charge, and lighting of its held lamp. 
   The current invention provides improved means for facilitating in the shifting of the operative components of the flashlight together, but arranging most of the electrical contacting components secured at the frontal end of the flashlight, to assure adequate but sufficient electrical contact for illumination of its light. 
   Other United States patents showing related type of technology can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,359 entitled flashlight having resilience sleeve. This invention includes a resilience sleeve that surrounds the conductive casing, for the light. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,368, to Humbert, shows a keyhole illuminating apparatus. This is a small type of flashlight, of the keyhole type, having an ignition button at its back end, for forcing the battery forwardly, and includes means for contacting the biasing spring, surrounding the light, with the casing of the battery, through the usage of a retainer disk. 
   The early patent to Feldman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,244,871 shows another type of pocket flashlight. It is configured in what appears to be a soda bottle, in its structure. 
   The United States patent to Swanson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,258,074, shows another form of flashlight. The problem, though, is that its biasing spring is in close contact with the positive end of the battery terminal, and therefore, could easily cause a short during its operations. 
   Another patent is the U.S. Pat. No. 2,150,644, to Batcheller. This device apparently requires that the entire sleeve of the device shift, in order to cause the lamp to make contact for illumination. 
   Finally, the patent to Hopkins, U.S. Pat. No. 1,591,627, discloses a hand lamp, which is a more standard appearing type of flashlight, very old in the art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates primarily to a miniaturized flashlight, and more specifically, to a small scale flashlight wherein the various operative components that provide for conduction are associated and secured generally with the frontal end of the flashlight, so as to minimize the amount of pressure and conducted charge needed to achieve electrical contact. 
   This invention contemplates the formation of a small flashlight, generally one incorporating a single battery, such as a small triple A or double A type of 1.5 volt battery, more or less. Although, the essence of this invention ay be incorporated into flashlights of a larger scale and intensity. The novel flashlight includes a casing, end caps, generally formed of polymer or vinyl, with one of the end caps having an aperture therethrough for projection of a lamp, while the opposite end cap holds the battery in place, within the casing. Furthermore, this last said end cap includes a pressing pin, and likewise, includes an integral sleeve that holds the battery centrally in place, within its casing, so as to prevent any shorting. Thus, the various means provided within the structure of this flashlight, for providing for its actuation, energization, to conveniently space and properly position the operative an electrical components, generally are formed of polymer, or other vinyl, and can function to provide a convenient set of operative components for furnishing the actuation and electrical contact required for operations of this miniaturized flashlight. 
   Simply by pushing upon the stem extending through the back end cap, the entire battery is forced forwardly, to provide for its ignition. But, the resilient sleeve biasing means that normally maintains the lamp separate from the battery, to achieve a steady state turn-off of the flashlight, likewise provides for positioning, centrally, of the battery along the central axis of the flashlight sleeve. In addition, the rear end cap, which has the ignition stem extending therethrough, provides for centralization of the ignition stem, and likewise, the ignition stem includes an integral sleeve like member that contiguously and snuggly fits onto the battery, also positions its centrally at this location, so as to prevent any shorting for the flashlight as when not in use, or even when it is depressed into an activated position. 
   It is, therefore, among the objects of the present invention to provide a small flashlight which can be activated into operation through an external compression of a push button or stem, which likewise positions the energization battery centrally within the flashlight casing, when assembled. 
   Another object of this invention is to provide a miniaturized flashlight that dispenses with the need of any type of mechanical switch for providing for its energization and illumination. 
   Among the other object of this invention includes a unique biasing resilient member that tightly secures upon the upper front edge of the battery, and extends forwardly, for separating the light contact terminal from the upper end of the battery, so as to sustain the flashlight normally inoperative, as when not in use. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide such a flashlight incorporating a key retainer ring on one end. 
   Still another object of this invention is to provide a flashlight fabricated from various non metallic components, such as polymer, and vinyl, acrylics, and other non conducting parts that make up the miniature flashlight of this invention. 
   Still another object of this invention is to provide for a miniaturized flashlight which is fabricated from various resilient and polymer or rubber like components, and which are easy to assemble during usage, due to their expandable qualities, to afford the necessary contact, when subjected to pressure, to provide for illumination of its light, when assembled for usage. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide a flashlight with relatively few parts that is very easy to assemble during the manufacturing process. 
   Still another object of this invention is to provide a miniaturized flashlight that can function quite beneficially as a consumer promotional product. 
   These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the summary of the invention as provided herein, and upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment, in view of the drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In referring to the drawings, 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the miniature flashlight and keyholder of this invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the various components aligned for assembly when the miniature flashlight of this invention is assembled; and 
       FIG. 3  shows a side view of the flashlight of this invention containing multiple batteries. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   In referring to the drawings, and in particular  FIG. 1 , the flashlight F of this invention is readily disclosed. It includes a body or casing  1  which may be fabricated of any type polymer, and either be transparent, or have coloration, in its structure. Preferably, the casing will also be fabricated of a polymer, or vinyl, or other non conductive material. The casing is made of a tubular material, with an inner bore, having a length somewhat greater than the combined length of the base of the lamp or frontal portion  2 , the battery  3  enclosed within the casing, in addition to the back end closure  4 , as can be noted. Generally, and preferably, all of these components will be made of a polymer material, although it may be fabricated from other tubular or sleeve type stock material, when made. The forward end of the casing  1  includes the closure or front cap  2 , which can be integral, or a cap as shown, and which has an aperture  5  provided therethrough, formed through its front wall  6 , so as to allow for projecting forwardly of the lamp  7 , to provide for its ready observance and illumination, when the flashlight is energized. This front cap will be made of a resilient type of polymer, such as a vinyl, so that it can be snugly inserted and applied to the front of the casing  1 , when the flashlight is assembled, and have sufficient tenacity so as to provide for the cap to remain fixed, to the front, unless it is forcefully removed. 
   At the back end of the flashlight is the rear closure or cap  4 , as aforesaid that tightly embraces upon the back end of the shown casing  1 , of the flashlight, when assembled. The rear closure or cap  4 , just like the front cap  3 , may be fabricated of any type of resilient polymer, such as a vinyl, in order to allow for its tight fitting relationship upon the back end of the casing, when assembled, as can be understood. 
   In addition, there is an aperture  8  provided through the back wall  9  of the rear cap  4 , and through this aperture  8  extends the push stem  10  that allows for the battery  3  to be shifted forwardly, against the bias of the resilient sleeve  11 , thereby allowing contact with the terminal  12  of the battery with the back end  13  of the lamp  14 , to provide for its illumination. But, when the push stem  10  is released, and the bias of the resilient sleeve  11  forces the battery  3  and the push stem  10  rearwardly, this disengages the electrical contact, allowing for the lamp to turn off, as can be understood. 
   One of the unique advantages of this invention is that the push stem  10  has a forwardly extending integral portion  15  that resiliently connects onto the back of the battery  3 , to embrace it, hold it centrally located within the casing  1 , upon installation. 
   A further uniqueness of this invention, in addition to utilizing the type of push stem  10  as described, is that the electrical aspect of this flashlight are embodied primarily at its frontal portion, through the arrangement of the resilient sleeve  11 , which has a unique design, and which provides all the electrical contact needed, at the front of the battery, to achieve illumination, or turn off, of its lamp  14 . For example, the front  16  of the sleeve  11  is designed to tightly engage onto the threaded end  17  of the lamp, as can be understood. The back of the sleeve, as at  18 , is designed for tightly embracing around the front edge  19  of the battery, as so to keep it centralized, in its location within the casing  1 . Hence, since batteries of this type normally have a metal clad outer surface, which wraps around the back end of the battery, but that the metal clad surface is isolated from the terminal  12 , by means of the insulator  20 , once the resilient sleeve is located upon the lamp  14 , and also arranged upon the front edge of the battery jacket, as explained, the only contact that need to be made to illuminate the light is the contact of terminal  12  of the battery with the contact point  13  of the lamp, as understood. 
   Hence, through the combination of the resilient sleeve  11 , and the push stem  10  that embrace both the frontal and the back ends of the battery, the battery is maintained centralized within the casing  1 , once installed, and throughout the time the flashlight is utilized. 
   In the fabrication of this flashlight, it should obviously be recognized that either one, two, or more batteries can be used within the light, so as to enhance its intensity, and this all depends upon the length of the casing  1 , as used in its structure. In addition, and other than the arrangement of the battery(s)  3  within the flashlight, all of its components may be made of a polymer, which makes it particularly useful when fabricating the flashlight as a specialty or promotional item, since polymers can be doped with a variety of brilliant colors, have advertising indicia applied thereto, and are readily acceptable for use for that particular purpose, when assembled. 
   Furthermore, the unique structure of the push stem  10 , which provides a rear stem portion  21  that projects through the aperture  8 , of the rear end cap, and then the push stem expands into a wider dimension, for forming the embracing sleeve  15 , that grasp onto and holds in place the back of the battery  3 , adds to the integrity of this flashlight, when fabricated, and used. This prevents any shorting from occurring. 
   Furthermore, as can be noted the structure of the rear end cap, which includes an integral extending tab  22 , which incorporates an aperture  23  therethrough, and through which a key ring, or the like, may locate, for holding keys, so this particular item can also be used as a key holder, when employed. These are all advantages obtained from the fabrication of this polymer miniaturized flashlight, when assembled for usage. 
     FIG. 3  discloses a variation to the flashlight  24  of this invention. As shown, the flashlight includes the usual components as previously described for this particular invention. But in this modification, there are a pair, or more, of batteries  25  and  26  contained in the casing  27 . The back end closure  28  is formed in the manner as described for the closure  4 , previously, while the front cap  29  is the same as previously described. In this particular instance, the spring  30  engages the lamp, along its base, in the manner as previously defined, but the spring, or resilient sleeve, as shown, not only engages the outer jacket of the battery  26 , as can be noted at  31 , but further includes an extension  32  that extends rearwardly, and likewise tightly engages the outer jacket  33  of the battery  25 , by means of the formed spiral  34 . In this manner, electrical contact is provided for all of the batteries, to the base of the lamp, and when the batteries are urged forwardly, as by a manual push exerted upon-the stem  35 , electrical contact is made with the back end or electrode of the lamp  36 , to illuminate said lamp. Obviously, if more than two batteries are applied within the flashlight, similar type of contact will be made through the usage of the spring  30 , in the manner as shown herein. It may just require further extensions  31 , to attain such contact with supplementally aligned batteries. 
   Variations or modifications to the subject matter of this invention may occur to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the disclosure as provided herein. Such variations, or modifications, if within the scope of the invention as defined herein, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the claims to invention made for this assembly. The description of the preferred embodiment, in addition to their depiction in the drawings, is provided for illustrative purposes only.