US3809321A - Flashlight unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A flashlight unit comprises a housing having upper, lower, front and rear sides. A battery is provided in the housing. A handle is mounted on the upper side of the housing. A plurality of lamps are mounted in the front, rear and lower sides. A multiposition switch in the housing has an actuating member at a side of the housing. A circuit in the housing connects the battery, the switch and the lamps in a manner whereby any desired combination of lamps is selectively actuated by the switch.

Description

United States Patent [191 [73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, NY.

[22] Filed: May 16, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 360,792

[52] U.S. Cl 240/10.63, 240/112 R, 240/54 A [51] Int. Cl. F211 7/00 [58] Field of Search .1 IMO/10.6 R, 10.63, 8.16, 240/1 1.2 R, 22, 54 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,274,713 8/1918 Hoffmann et a1 240/l0.63

2,673,925 3/1954 Braun 240/10.63

2,991,349 7/1961 Garland 240/l0.63

2,761,960 9/1956 Musselman 240/10.63

Rundberg 1 May 7, 1974 FLASHLIGHT UNIT 1,446,133 2 1923 Sloan 240/10.63

[75] Inventor: Sten I. Rundberg, Grand Valley, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS C010- 862,986 12/1040 France 240/l0.63

1.347.134 ll/l963 France... IMO/10.63

Primary Examiner-Joseph F Peters, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Daniel Jay Tick [57] ABSTRACT A flashlight unit comprises a housing having upper, lower, front and rear sides. A battery is provided in the housing. A handle is mounted on the upper side of the housing. A plurality of lamps are mounted in the front, rear and lower sides. A multiposition switch in the housing has an actuating member at a side of the housing. A circuit in the housing connects the battery, the switch and the lamps in a manner whereby any de sired combination of lamps is selectively actuated by the switch.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEBI 7 I974 FIGZ FIGS

r GD

, FLASHLIGHT UNIT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a flashlight unit.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a flashlight unit which illuminates the area under the flashlight as well as areas in front of and behind the flashlight to enable the user to illuminate a large area by utilizing only one hand to hold the flashlight thereby permitting the user to have a free hand for holding other equipment, such as fishing equipment, which flashlight unit is of simple, but efiicient effective and reliable structure, and is easy, simple, facile and convenient to use. I

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein: I

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the flashlight unit of the invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 of the flashlight unit of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 of the flashlight unit of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the circuit of the flashlight unit of the invention.

In the FIGS., the same components are identified by the same reference numerals.

The flashlight unit of the invention comprises a housing 1 (FIGS. 1 to 4) having an upper side 2 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3), a lower side 3 (FIG. 3), a front side 4 (FIGS. 2 to 4) and a rear side 5 (FIGS. 2 and 3). A battery 6 (FIG. 5) is provided in the housing 1. A handle 7 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) is mounted on the upper side 2 of the housing 1. A plurality of lamps 8, 9 and 10 are mounted in the front side 4, the rear side 5 and the lower side 3, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

A multiposition switch 11 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) of any suitable known type, is provided in the housing and has an actuating member such as, for example, a sliding button, at the upper side 2 of the housing 1.

A circuit, as shown in FIG. 5, and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive leads 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, connects the battery 6, the switch 11 and the lamps 8, 9 and 10 in a manner whereby any desired combination of lamps is selectively actuated by the switch.

A first lamp 8, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, is

mounted in the front side 4 at a downwardly extending angle and is positioned to direct a beam of light to the ground ahead of the unit when the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane. A second lamp 9, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, is mounted in the rear side 5 at a downwardly extending angle and is positioned to direct a beam of light to the ground behind the unit when the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane. The third lamp 10, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, is mounted in the lower side 4 at substantially right angles to the lower side and is positioned to direct a beam of light to the ground directly beneath the unit when the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane.

While the invention has been described by means of a specific example and in a specific embodiment, I do not wish to be limited thereto for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A flashlight unit, comprising a housing having upper, lower, front and rear sides;

a battery in the housing;

a handle on the upper side of the housing;

a plurality of lamps mounted in the front, rear and lower sides, a first lamp being mounted in the front side at a downwardly extending angle, a second lamp being mounted in the rear side at a downwardly extending angle and a third lamp being mounted in the lower side at substantially right angles to the lower side;

a multiposition switch in the housing and having an actuating member at a side of the housing; and

circuit means in the housing connecting the battery, the switch and the lamps in a manner whereby any desired combination of lamps is selectively actuated by the switch.

2. A flashlight unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first lamp is positioned to direct a beam of light to the ground ahead of the unit when the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane, the second lamp is positioned to direct a beam of light to the ground behind the unit when the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane and the third lamp is positioned to direct a beam of light to the ground directly beneath the unit when the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane.

Claims (2)

1. A flashlight unit, comprising a housing having upper, lower, front and rear sides; a battery in the housing; a handle on the upper side of the housing; a plurality of lamps mounted in the front, rear and lower sides, a first lamp being mounted in the front side at a downwardly extending angle, a second lamp being mounted in the rear side at a downwardly extending angle and a third lamp being mounted in the lower side at substantially right angles to the lower side; a multiposition switch in the housing and having an actuating member at a side of the housing; and circuit means in the housing connecting the battery, the switch and the lamps in a manner whereby any desired combination of lamps is selectively actuated by the switch.

2. A flashlight unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first lamp is positioned to direct a beam of light to the ground ahead of the unit when the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane, the second lamp is positioned to direct a beam of light to the ground behind the unit when the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane and the third lamp is positioned to direct a beam of light to the ground directly beneath the unit when the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane.

Images