U.S. patent number RE37,092 [Application Number 08/890,079] was granted by the patent office on 2001-03-13 for flashlight and recharging system therefor.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Streamlight, Inc.. Invention is credited to Charles W. Craft, Raymond L. Sharrah.
United States Patent |
RE37,092 |
Sharrah , et al. |
March 13, 2001 |
Flashlight and recharging system therefor
Abstract
A guide plate on the head of the flashlight provides an
alignment feature which aligns a pair of flashlight charging
contacts with a pair of terminals in charging unit for releasably
holding the flashlight in its charging receptacle. The flashlight
is held within the charging receptacle in a consistent orientation,
so that the flashlight switch may be easily found when the
flashlight is grasped. The charging receptacle grips the head
portion of the flashlight with a pair of spring-loaded jaws. A
battery assembly is provided which presents both positive and
negative terminals at the forward end of the battery unit.
Connections are made from the forward end of the battery to an
interconnection module within the flashlight head assembly.
Inventors: |
Sharrah; Raymond L.
(Collegeville, PA), Craft; Charles W. (Lansdale, PA) |
Assignee: |
Streamlight, Inc. (Norristown,
PA)
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Family
ID: |
21707171 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/890,079 |
Filed: |
July 9, 1997 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
003704 |
Jan 13, 1993 |
05432689 |
Jul 11, 1995 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
362/183; 362/191;
362/205; 439/929 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02J
7/0045 (20130101); H02J 7/0042 (20130101); H01M
10/0422 (20130101); H01M 50/50 (20210101); H01M
6/44 (20130101); F21V 23/00 (20130101); F21V
19/047 (20130101); F21V 23/0414 (20130101); H01M
50/213 (20210101); H02J 7/0044 (20130101); B60Q
3/88 (20170201); F21L 4/085 (20130101); Y02E
60/10 (20130101); H01M 6/42 (20130101); H01M
10/46 (20130101); Y02P 70/50 (20151101); Y10S
439/929 (20130101); H01M 50/543 (20210101) |
Current International
Class: |
F21L
4/08 (20060101); F21L 4/00 (20060101); H02J
7/00 (20060101); H01M 2/20 (20060101); H01M
2/10 (20060101); H01M 10/42 (20060101); H01M
10/46 (20060101); H01M 6/42 (20060101); F21L
007/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;362/183,190,191,205,202,208 ;320/2,3 ;439/680,929,374 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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4116604 |
|
Nov 1992 |
|
DE |
|
764049 |
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Dec 1956 |
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GB |
|
962341 |
|
Jul 1964 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Quach; Y.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Berryhill; John Dann, Dorfman,
Herrell and Skillman P.C.
Claims
That which is claimed is:
1. A flashlight comprising:
a barrel having a forward end and a rear end adapted to receive at
least one battery;
a head assembly connected to the forward end of the barrel, said
head assembly having an enlarged portion relative to the
barrel;
a light source within said head assembly;
first and second charging contacts on the enlarged portion of said
head assembly adapted to contact respective terminals on a charging
receptacle; and
connecting means in the head assembly for providing an electrical
connection between the charging contacts and said battery and for
providing an electrical connection between said battery and said
light source, the connecting means comprising an insulating module
having conductive members selectively plated on surfaces of said
insulating module.
2. The flashlight of claim 1 wherein said connecting means
comprises a spring and said insulating module comprises spring
retaining means for retaining said spring.
3. A flashlight comprising:
a barrel having a forward end and a rear end adapted to receive at
least one battery;
a head assembly connected to the forward end of the barrel, said
head assembly having an enlarged portion relative to the
barrel;
a light source within said head assembly;
first and second charging contacts on the enlarged portion of said
head assembly adapted to contact respective terminals on a charging
receptacle; and
connecting means in the head assembly for providing an electrical
connection between the charging contacts and said battery and for
providing an electrical connection between said battery and said
light source, the connecting means including a switch for operating
the flashlight, positioned on the enlarged portion of the head
assembly.
4. The flashlight of claim 3 in which at least one of the charging
contacts is located substantially on an opposite quadrant of the
enlarged portion of the head assembly from the switch.
5. A charging unit for charging a rechargeable flashlight that has
a head portion with a light source therein and a charging contact
on the head portion, the charging unit comprising:
head holding means, for releasably holding the head portion of the
flashlight having the light source therein, the head holding means
including gripping means for gripping the head portion of the
flashlight and said gripping means includes a pair of pivotally
mounted jaws for releasably holding the head portion of the
flashlight;
terminal means supplying electrical energy to the charging contact
on the head portion of the flashlight, the terminal means being
located along the head holding means for mating with the charging
contact; and
alignment means located along the head holding means for guiding
the head portion of the flashlight into a desired peripheral
alignment to have the charging contact on the head portion mate in
radial alignment with the terminal means of the charging unit.
6. A flashlight comprising:
a barrel having a forward end and a rear end adapted to receive at
least one battery;
a head assembly connected to the forward end of the barrel;
a light source within said head assembly;
a guiding member extending radially from said head assembly for
guiding said head assembly into radial alignment with a charging
receptacle;
at least one charging contact on said head assembly; and
connecting means in the head assembly for providing an electrical
connection between said charging contact and said battery and for
providing an electrical connection between the battery and the
light source, said connecting means comprising an interconnection
module in said head assembly having spring retaining means, and
spring means having a pair of concentric springs extending
rearwardly from said spring retaining means for electrical
connection with said battery.
7. A charging unit for charging a rechargeable flashlight that has
an enlarged head portion with a light source therein and a pair of
charging contacts on the enlarged head portion, the charging unit
comprising:
head holding means for releasably holding the enlarged head portion
of the flashlight; and
a pair of charging terminals for supplying electrical energy to the
charging contacts on the enlarged head portion of the flashlight,
the charging terminals being located along the head holding means
in alignment with the charging contacts.
8. The charging unit of claim 7 in which the unit further includes
an alignment means to orient the enlarged head portion of the
flashlight in a desired orientation for having the charging
terminals contact the charging contacts of the flashlight.
9. The charging unit of claim 8 in which the charging terminals are
point contacts adapted to mate with point charging contacts on the
enlarged head..Iadd.
10. A flashlight comprising:
a barrel having a forward end and a rear end, the barrel adapted to
receive at least one battery having electrodes;
a head assembly connected to the forward end of the barrel;
a light source within said head assembly; and connecting means in
the head assembly for providing an electrical connection between
the battery and the light source, said connecting means comprising
spring retaining means in the head assembly, and a pair of
concentric springs extending rearwardly from said spring retaining
means and connecting to the electrodes of the battery for
electrical connection with the battery..Iaddend.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rechargeable flashlight and
recharging unit. More specifically, the invention relates to a
compact recharging unit having an alignment feature and a
rechargeable flashlight which employs a custom battery assembly and
a recharging fixture.
BACKGROUND
Metal flashlights, such as machined aluminum flashlights, are
commonly finished, such as by surface anodization or bright
dipping, to protect the surface of the flashlight and to impart an
aesthetic quality to the flashlight. The body of such flashlights
commonly includes a threaded tail cap for providing access to the
battery compartment and which also serves as a battery terminal
contact. Since the body of such flashlights usually provides part
of the electrical circuit between the batteries and the light bulb,
it is necessary for such electrically and physically mating
surfaces as the body and the tail cap to be machined subsequent to
surface finishing, such as anodizing, so that the electrical path
through the body will have a low resistance. Machining the mating
surfaces of the flashlight after surface finishing increases the
cost of fabricating the flashlight due to the expense of a further
machining step after anodizing and occasional damage to the
finished surface of the flashlight during such further machining.
To avoid further machining, it would be desirable to provide a
battery assembly which presents both positive and negative contacts
at the forward end of the flashlight so that the body of the
flashlight would not need to be used as part of the electrical
circuit. Hence, all machining of parts could be achieved before
anodization.
It is known in the art to provide flashlights with rechargeable
batteries. In prior art arrangements, when the flashlight is in the
charger unit, the switch may be covered and inaccessible or the
flashlight may be oriented (i.e. about the roll axis) in a wide
variety of orientations. Hence the switch for operating the
flashlight may be in a wide variety of orientations with respect to
the charger unit. However, flashlights are often needed when it is
dark in the vicinity of the flashlight in the charger unit. Hence,
it would be desirable to provide a recharging system for a
rechargeable flashlight which consistently presents the flashlight
to the user with a known orientation of the operating switch on the
flashlight in order to minimize fumbling for the switch on the
flashlight in a dark environment.
It is recognized that a flashlight that is tightly held within a
recharging unit in order to withstand vibration may be difficult to
remove from the charging unit. This latter problem is increased if
the flashlight is of compact size. Hence, it would be desirable to
provide a rechargeable flashlight which is tightly held within a
recharging unit while being easily removable to remove from the
charging unit when needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention an elongated, tubular
battery assembly has both positive and negative terminals located
at the same end of the assembly. The battery assembly is composed
of stacked cells of the sub-C NiCd rechargeable type. The stack of
cells is preferably surrounded or wrapped in a first layer of
shrink wrap tubing, which leaves exposed the positive contact of
the top cell and the negative contact of the bottom cell. A
conductive terminal extension member is preferably attached to the
negative contact of the stack. An elongated conductor electrically
connects the conductive extension member to an annular collar which
forms the negative contact of the battery assembly and holds the
elongated conductor in place. Preferably, a further layer of shrink
wrap tubing holds the elongated conductor in place and covers the
conductor along the side of the assembly.
According to another aspect of the invention, an interconnection
module located in the head of the flashlight provides
interconnection of the battery assembly, the lamp, and a pair of
charging contacts. The interconnection module is a
three-dimensional "circuit boardp" formed of a single piece of
selectively-plated plastic. Contact is made between the
interconnection module and the battery assembly by suitable
conductors. The interconnection module mates with a switch module
inside the head of the flashlight.
According to another aspect of the invention, the rechargeable
flashlight is provided a guide means in the form of a guide plate
which mates with alignment surfaces of the charging unit. The
mating action of the guide plate and the alignment surfaces
provides mating of the charging contacts on the head of the
flashlight with the charging terminals of the charging unit. The
charging contacts on the flashlight have concave surfaces which
mate with convex surfaces of the charging terminals to assure the
charging conditions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed
description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, will
be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the flashlight and a perspective
view of its charging unit in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the charging unit of FIG. 1 taken
along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the flashlight of FIG. 1 taken along
line 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is another sectional view of a battery assembly of FIG. 3
with the electrical connections for the assembly enlarged for
clarity;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the conductive connection member of
the battery assembly of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the interconnection module taken along
line 6--6 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the interconnection module taken
along line 7--7 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the interconnection module taken along
line 8--8 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the interconnection module taken
along line 9--9 of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 10 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating the electrical
connections of physical components of the flashlight shown in FIGS.
1, 3, and 6-10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a flashlight 20 and a charging
unit 40. The flashlight 20 includes a head assembly 28, a barrel
26, and a tail cap 24. A guide means, such as triangular guide
plate 32, is mounted on the side of the head 28. A pair of charging
contacts such as concave contacts 34 and 36 are located in the
guide plate 32. The guide plate mates with an alignment recess 50
of the charging unit 40, when the flashlight 20 is placed into the
charging unit 40. The charging unit 40 includes a pair of jaws 46,
a receptacle generally designated 38 which includes the alignment
recess 50, and a pair of convex charging terminals 52 and 54 in the
alignment recess 50. The recess 50 is shaped to receive and align
the guide plate 32, so that the charging terminals 52 and 54 of the
charging unit 40 mate with respective charging contacts 34 and 36,
when the flashlight is received or mounted in the charging unit 40.
The jaws 46 snugly grip the head 28 of the flashlight 20 with a
gripping action described in greater detail hereinafter. The
gripping action of the jaws 46 is adapted to securely hold the
flashlight 20 and to allow the charging unit 40 be mounted in any
desired orientation without the flashlight separating from the
charging unit. The gripping action of the jaws 46 further allows
the charging unit 40 to be mounted upon surfaces subject to
vibration such as occurs within an automobile or other vehicle, and
urges the contacts 34 and 36 securely against charging terminals 52
and 54.
The charging unit 40 further includes an LED 42 for indicating when
the flashlight 20 is being charged, a power plug (not shown) for
connecting the charging unit to a source of electrical energy such
as an automotive electrical system, and a pair of screw holes 48
which extend through the charging unit 40. The screw holes 48
receive elongated screws which facilitate the charging unit being
conveniently mounted upon a surface, such as a kick plate of an
automobile passenger compartment. A charging circuit (not shown) is
contained within the charging unit 40. The charging circuit may
provide a trickle current to maintain the charge of the batteries,
or it may include other features of battery charging circuits which
are well-known to those skilled in the art.
Although the guide plate 32 and the recess 50 are shown in FIG. 1
with mating V-shaped surfaces, it should be appreciated that
various other interlocking geometries may be employed within the
scope of the invention to guide and align the flashlight in the
charging unit for mating the charging contacts 34 and 36 of the
flashlight with terminals 52 and 54 of the charging unit 40. As an
alternative, a projecting member upon the charging unit may be
formed to mate with a recessed surface of the flashlight in order
to provide the functionality of the guide plate 32 and alignment
recess 50. It is likewise noted that the concave and convex mating
surfaces of the respective charging contacts and terminals may be
of other configurations than that shown in FIG. 1.
It should be apparent that the flashlight is preferably inserted in
charging unit 40 by pressing the barrel 26 between the jaws 46 and
moving the head of the flashlight axially to mate the head within
the jaws and the guide plate 32 into the alignment recess 50. The
flashlight 20 may be removed from the charging unit 40 by gripping
the barrel 26 and applying a levering action to the barrel 26 using
the head 28 as the fulcrum. Since the flashlight 20 is preferably
of compact size, such as from 5 inches to 8 inches in length, the
location of the guide plate 32 upon the head of the flashlight 20
provides greater leverage for removing the flashlight from the
charging unit 40 than would otherwise be available if the charging
contacts 34 and 36 and the guide plate 32 were located at a lower
position on the flashlight, such as on the taper 22 or the barrel
26. Alternatively, the flashlight 20 may be removed from the
charging unit 40 by sliding the flashlight upward within the
receptacle 38 and then moving the barrel 26 out of the receptacle
thus reversing the action of inserting the flashlight into the
charging unit 40.
The gripping mechanism of the jaws 46 of the charging unit 40 is
best seen in FIG. 2. Each of the jaws 46 includes a protruding
curved portion 46a and an integral elongated portion 46b which
extends into the interior of the charging unit 40. The jaws 46 are
mounted about pivots 56 at the junction between the curved portions
46a and the elongated portions 46b. The elongated portion 46b of
each jaw 46 is provided with a retaining groove 66 for holding one
end of a compression spring 64 which extends between the two
elongated portions 46b. The compression spring 64 biases the jaws
46 against the exterior walls 74 of the charger unit 40. The gap 47
between the jaws 46 is of sufficient size to accommodate the barrel
26 as the flashlight 20 is placed into the charger. As the
flashlight 20 is placed into the charging unit 40, guide plate 32
is lowered into the alignment recess 50 and the curved portions 46a
of the jaws 46 are pushed apart by the taper portion 22 of the
flashlight. When the guide plate 32 has been completely lowered
into the alignment recess 50, the jaws 46 snugly grip only the head
portion 28a of the flashlight. In alternative embodiments, the jaws
46 may be maintained in the position shown by inward pressure of
the curved portions 46a against lips 76 rather than by outward
pressure of the elongated portions 46b against exterior walls 74.
The use of a single compression spring between the two jaws 46
provides a balanced gripping action of the jaws so that the
flashlight is not biased to one side as it is removed from the
charging unit 40. In alternative embodiments, a single pivoting jaw
may be used or each of the jaws may be provided with a separate
spring.
The configuration of the charging terminals 52 and 54 is
exemplified by the view of the charging terminal 52 seen in FIG. 2.
The charging terminal 52 has a rounded end attached to a shaft 60.
The shaft 60 extends through the anterior wall of the guide recess
50 and is secured by a retaining ring 62. A compression spring 58
positioned behind the rounded head of the charging terminal 52
urges the rounded end to extend into the guide recess 50. Such
spring-loaded mounting of the charging terminals 52 and 54 allows
the charging terminals to retract into the charging unit 40 as the
guide plate 32 is lowered into the charging position. As the
charging terminals 52 and 54 are aligned with the charging contacts
34 and 36 of the flashlight 20, the charging terminals 52 and 54
are biased into mating arrangement with the charging contacts 34
and 36.
Turning now to FIG. 3, it is shown that the charging contacts 34
and 36 are preferably formed of screws which are threaded or
pressed into the head 28 and secure the guide plate 32 thereto.
Before being threaded or pressed into the head 28, the slotted
surfaces of the screws may be machined, if necessary, to form the
concave depressions of the charging contacts 34 and 32.
The head assembly 28 of the flashlight 20 includes a lens cap 30
with a knurled outer surface for ease of turning the lens cap 30.
The head assembly 28 houses a socket assembly made of a switch
module 95, which is interlocked with an interconnection module 90.
The interconnection module 90 provides one form of connecting means
for electrical interconnection between the battery assembly 100,
the switch module 95, the charging contacts 34 and 36, and a lamp
82. The lamp 82, preferably a bi-pin halogen lamp, is plugged into
the socket assembly and extends through an opening in a parabolic
reflector 82. The parabolic reflector 82 is press-fitted into the
lens cap 30. The portion of the parabolic reflector 82 which mates
with the interior surface of the head 28 is threaded so that as the
lens cap 30 is turned, the parabolic reflector 82 is axially
translated relative to the lamp 81, thus projecting a beam having a
variable angle of divergence. The parabolic reflector 82 and the
lamp 81 are protected by a lens 80, which is preferably made an
acrylate polymer such as LEXAN. The lens 80 may be transparent or
selectively transparent to some portion of the light produced by
the lamp 81, such as by tinting or polarization. The lens cap or
ring 30, includes a sleeve 30a which surrounds the forward end of
the head portion 28a. An o-ring 78 is mounted within a groove in
the head portion 28a between the sleeve 30a and the head portion
28a. The o-ring 78 provides a water-tight seal between the head
portion 28a and the sleeve of the lens cap 30. The o-ring 78 also
stiffens the joint between the head and the lens cap sleeve 30a to
prevent vibration and to frictionally maintain the focus of the
beam. The lens cap and the parabolic reflector may be completely
unscrewed from the forward end of the flashlight to provide access
to the lamp 81.
The switch module 95 is preferably molded of a polymer material,
such as an ABS plastic. The switch module 95 includes a
"press-on/press-off" switch mechanism of a well-known type having a
plunger cap 86 and ratchet 155, which applies downward pressure
upon a spring 156 and, in turn, a plunger contact 88 when the
switch is actuated. The plunger 88 rides upon another spring 157
which rests against a plated conductive plunger shaft 150. When
pressed down onto the shaft 150, the plunger 88 locks into an "on"
or "off" position according to the original state of the switch.
The bottom portion of the plunger 88 provides a conductive surface
which completes an electrical connection between two segments or
traces that may be plated into the switch well 214 as described in
greater detail hereinafter. The switch module 95 is protected from
moisture by a flanged rubber seal 84 which is secured over the cap
86 between the switch module 95 and the interior surface of the
head 28. The flanged rubber seal 84 is located on the opposite side
of the flashlight 20 with respect to the charging contacts 34 and
36 for ease of finding the switch when the flashlight is removed
from the charging unit 40.
The barrel 26 of the flashlight 20 is hollow and contains a tubular
battery assembly or unit 100. The battery assembly 100 includes a
center battery terminal 104 at the forward or head end of the
assembly. The center battery terminal 104 is surrounded by an
annular battery terminal 102 as shown in FIG. 4. The center battery
terminal 104 is preferably the positive terminal and the annular
battery terminal 102 is preferably the negative terminal.
Electrical connection between terminal 104 and the interconnection
module 90 is established by contact spring 108, which is retained
by the interconnection module 90 within a contact spring recess
110. Electrical connection between terminal 102 and the
interconnection module 90 is established by contact spring 106
which is retained by the interconnection module 90 upon a contact
spring retainer 112.
The tailcap 24 is threaded onto the distal or rear end of the
barrel 26, so that the tailcap 24 may be unscrewed for removal of
the battery assembly or for retrieval of a spare lamp 83 stored
within a hollow compartment 85 in the tailcap 24. The threaded
connection between the rear end of the barrel 26 and the tailcap 24
need not be machined after the metal surfaces of the flashlight
have been finished as has commonly been the practice heretofore.
Since both terminals of the battery assembly 100 are made at the
forward or head end of the battery assembly 100, the threaded
connection between the barrel 26 and the tailcap 24 is not employed
to complete any electrical circuit between the battery assembly 100
and the lamp 81. It is noted, however, that such use of a tailcap
as part of the electrical circuit may be practiced in alternate
embodiments employing other aspects of the invention.
The battery assembly 100 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 4. The
battery assembly includes a stack of cells generally designated 118
forming a battery of electrochemical voltaic cells 114, 115, and
116. The cells 114, 115, and 116 are preferably secondary, or
rechargeable cells of the Nickel-Cadmium type, although other
electrochemical materials, such as Nickel-Metal Hydride, Lithium,
or other types of cells may be employed. The cells are most
preferably three sub-C size NiCd cells. Sub-C NiCd cells are widely
available, sufficiently compact, and exhibit a superior energy
density. The stack typically operates at a capacity of 1 Ah to 2 Ah
at 3 V to 4 V. The cells 114, 115, and 116 have respective top
contacts 104, 101, and 103, and respective bottom contacts 120,
121, and 122. The cells are stacked in series so that the top
contact 104 of the top cell 114 provides the contact to one pole of
the stack 118, while the bottom contact 122 of the bottom cell 115
provides contact to the other pole of the stack 118. The top
contact 104 is oriented toward the forward or head end of the
flashlight 20 when the battery assembly 100 is inserted in use into
the barrel with the tail cap removed.
The stack 118 is surrounded by a sheath 130 which insulates the
stack 118 and provides mechanical support or holds the cells
together. The sheath 130 is preferably formed of shrink-wrap
tubing. The sheath 130 tightly surrounds the stack 118, leaving at
least portions of the top cell contact 104 and the bottom cell
contact 122 exposed.
In order to provide both terminals of the battery assembly 100 at
the forward or head end of barrel 26, a terminal extension member
or piece 128 provides a conduction path from the bottom cell
contact 122 to the annular battery terminal 102. The terminal
extension piece includes a conductive tab 126 which is attached to
the bottom cell contact 122, an elongated conductor 125 attached to
the conductive tab 126, and a terminal end 124 adjacent to and
surrounding but spaced and insulated from the top contact 104 of
the battery assembly 100. The top surface of the terminal end 124
serves as the forward or negative terminal 102 of the battery
assembly 100. As may be seen in FIG. 5, the terminal end 124 of the
terminal extension piece 128 is preferably is in the form of an
annular collar. The elongated conductor 125 may be of a single
piece with the terminal end 124 or may alternatively be formed of a
separate strap which is suitably attached, such as by spot welding,
to the terminal end. In other embodiments, a plurality of elongated
conductors may be employed. The conductive tab 126 may be formed by
bending the lower end of the elongated conductor 125.
Returning to FIG. 4, the annular collar of the terminal end 124 is
fitted over the annular shoulder 134 at the top of the stack 118.
The conductive tab 126 is attached to the portion of the bottom
contact 122, which was left exposed by sheath 130. The conductive
tab 126 is attached to the bottom contact 122 by a suitable
attachment procedure which maintains electrical continuity such as
spot welding or soldering.
After the terminal extension piece 128 is fitted to the stack, the
battery assembly 100 is wrapped in a second sheath 132 surrounding
both the stack and the terminal extension piece 125. The second
sheath 132 is preferably formed of shrink-wrap tubing, which is of
sufficient length to leave the terminal 102 of the terminal
extension piece 128 exposed. The second sheath provides further
insulation and mechanical support to the battery assembly and also
serves to protect the terminal extension piece 128 from damage due
to impact against the interior surface of the barrel 26 or during
shipment. The second sheath is preferably of sufficient thickness
to provide a snug fit of the battery assembly 100 within the barrel
26 so that the battery assembly 100 does not vibrate within the
barrel 26 and detract from the solid "feel" of the flashlight.
Returning to FIG. 3, it is seen that the battery assembly 100 is
constrained from axial translation within the barrel 26 by the
contact springs 108 and 106 which are respectively attached to the
interconnection module within contact spring recess or retainer 110
and upon respective contact spring retainer 112 as previously
mentioned. The interconnection module 90 is preferably made of a
platable engineering resin, such as RYTON. The interconnection
module 90 preferably provides a unitary three-dimensional circuit
board for connecting the battery assembly with the lamp 81 and with
the charging contacts 34 and 36. Conductors are preferably
selectively plated upon the surface of interconnection module 90
and through openings therein. As shown in FIG. 6, electrical
contact from the battery assembly 100 to the interconnection module
90 is made by the contact springs 108 and 106 to respective spring
contact pads 200 and 202 which are plated upon the bottom of the
interconnection module 90. The central contact pad 202 has a
retainer 110 thereon for for contacting the spring 108 and hence
battery terminal 104. Tabs 206 extend outward from the periphery of
the interconnection module 90 in order to secure the module 90 into
grooves (not shown) cut into the interior surface of the head
28.
The contact pad 202 is connected to trace 208 which extends to the
leftward edge of the bottom of the module 90. Turning to FIG. 7, it
may be seen that conductor 210 contacts trace 208 at the leftward
edge of the bottom of the module 90. The trace 210 connects, at one
end, to trace 211 and, at the other end, to trace 224. Trace 211
connects to trace 213 which leads into the switch well 214 and then
connects to plunger shaft 150. When the switch contact plunger 88
is depressed into the switch well 214, electrical connection is
made from trace 213 to trace 218 through post 150, spring 157, and
plunger 88. Trace 218 is raised above the floor of switch well 214,
and consequently is raised above trace 213 and extends partially
around the periphery of the switch well 214 and connects to trace
218a. As best seen in FIG. 8, trace 218a connects to trace 219
which extends toward the base of spring housing 220. Returning to
FIG. 7, it is shown that the interior of spring housing 220
contains a spring clip 221. The interior of spring housing 220 is
metal plated to provide a socket for one prong of the bi-pin lamp
which is secured into position by spring clip 221. Thus it may be
seen that one side of the lamp circuit is completed from contact
pad 202 via trace 208; to traces 210, 211, and 213; to post 150 and
spring 157 to contact plunger 88 and across the switch well 214 to
traces 218 and 218a; and then to the spring housing 220 via trace
219. In the preferred embodiment, the branch of the lamp circuit
just described is the branch of positive polarity.
The trace 210 also provides connection to trace 224 which extends
to a plated hole or opening 225 in which one lead of a blocking
diode 216 is soldered. The blocking diode 216 prevents the battery
voltage from being present at the charging terminals when the
flashlight is not being charged. The blocking diode 216 extends
from plated hole or opening 225 to plated hole or opening 222.
Plated hole 222 extends through the module 90 into a recess 227 as
seen best in FIG. 9. Within recess 227, contact is made from plated
hole 222 to trace 224. Trace 224, in turn, leads to trace 228.
Trace 228 is connected to trace 229 which extends outward from the
bottom of the recess 227. Trace 229 connects to trace 231 which
leads to plated hole or opening 230. Plated hole 230 is the hole or
opening which receives the screw that forms charging contact 36.
The other charging contact 34, which is preferably the negative
contact, is screwed into plated hole 232. Turning to FIG. 7, it is
seen that the interior side of plated hole 232 is surrounded by
trace 234. Trace 234, as seen in FIG. 8, contacts forked trace 236.
One fork of forked trace 236 completes one side of the negative
circuit to recess 238 in which is contained spring clip 239. Plated
spring recess 238 forms the negative socket for one of the pins of
the bi-pin lamp. The other fork of forked trace 236 extends toward
the shelf 223 of the module 90. Referring again to FIG. 7, it can
be seen that forked trace 236 connects to trace 240 which extends
to the top surface of the shelf 223. At the surface of the shelf,
trace 240 joins with trace 242, as shown in FIG. 8, and extends
across the shelf 223. At the edge of the module 90, trace 242 joins
with trace 244. Turning again to FIG. 7, trace 244 extends toward
the rear surface of the module 90 and connects to trace 245. Trace
245 extends to the edge of the module 90 and connects with trace
247. Finally, trace 247 connects to the contact pad 200, thus
completing the negative branch of the lamp circuit.
To further clarify the configuration of the lamp and charging
circuit, the diagram of FIG. 10 illustrates the schematic
arrangement of the traces described in connection with the
preceding figures. Each trace of the circuit shown in FIG. 10 is
drawn as an individual conductive element with the appropriate
trace indicated thereon. Indeed, the module 90 may be alternatively
constructed using interconnected conductive elements or segments,
rather than plated traces to complete the circuit.
From the foregoing disclosure and the accompanying drawings, it can
be seen that the present invention provides certain novel and
useful features that will be apparent to those skilled in the
pertinent art. In particular, there has been described a compact
rechargeable flashlight employing a unitary molded electrical
interconnection module; a battery assembly which simplifies the
fabrication of the flashlight; and a charging unit which provides
ease of insertion and removal of a compact flashlight. It should
also be apparent that the flashlight oriented in the charger unit
by the guide plate and alignment recess, orients the switch of the
flashlight in the same, accessible position when charging the
flashlight. Accordingly, if the flashlight is grasped in a dark
environment, the person removing the flashlight from the charger
unit can easily know where the switch is located and find it for
ready use upon removing the flashlight from the charger unit, as
used by police officers in their vehicles in emergencies.
The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as
terms of description and not of limitation and there is no
intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any
equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions
thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are
possible within the scope of the invention claimed.
* * * * *