Patent ID: 7670023

Claim:
A flashlight comprising: a housing having a first and second end and a length and defining at least one opening at the first end; a photovoltaic panel arranged generally within the opening such that incident light can pass through the opening and impinge the photovoltaic panel and such that the photovoltaic panel extends along the length of the housing; at least one power storage element comprising a rechargeable battery cell secured within the housing so as to define a mass asymmetry of the flashlight such that gravity acts to induce the photovoltaic panel generally towards an upwards facing orientation; a reserve power storage element operable to provide supplemental power for the flashlight; a multi-position switch configured to allow a user to select between power storage elements for operating power of the flashlight; an indicator to indicate a currently selected power storage element; and an indicator configured to indicate when the photovoltaic panel is generating electrical energy.