US3731084A - Portable flashlight - Google Patents

Abstract

A flashlight integral with a harness so it can be supported from the shoulders of a person and child so that their hands are free for other tasks. The device consists of a flashlight unit equipped with an electric lamp and dry cell battery which is attached to a pair of flexible hollow stems each of which is secured to an adjustable shoulderband and a mercury actuated switch pivotally attached to one of the shoulder bands.

Description

nted States Patent [1 1 'lrevorrow PORTABLE FLASHLIGHT [76] Inventor: Blanche P. Trevor-row, 1090 Baxter,

Waukesha, Wis. 53186 [22] Filed: Mar. 20, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 236,066

[52] US. Cl. ..240/6.4 W, 240/59 [51] Int. Cl ..F2lv 33/00, F2lv 21/00 [58] Field of Search ..240/2 R, 2.14, 6.4 R,

240/6.4 B, 6.4 W, 41.5, 59, 81; 224/5, 5 E, 5 H, 5 P, 5 MA, 5 S, 5 V, 5 BC, 25; 24/3 M, 3

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,403,378 1/1922 Bason ..240/59 X 1,234,607 7/1917 Berkowitz 3,225,982 12/1965 Melton ..240/59 X 2,119,854 6/1938 Day ..249/6.4 R 1,130,689 3/1915 Atkinson ..224/5 V 2,603,134 7/1952 Bumam ..224/5 V X 1,474,728 1 H1923 Nelson ..224/5 MA 3,009,613 11/1961 Noland ....224/25 R 2,854,563 9/1958 Catching ..240/6.4 W

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 26,376 1 1/1912 Great Britain ..240/2. 14

Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews Assistant Examiner Richard M. Sheer [57] ABSTRACT A flashlight integral with a harness so it can be supported from the shoulders of a person and child so that their hands are free for other tasks. The device consists of a flashlight unit equipped with an electric lamp and dry cell battery which is attached to a pair of flexible hollow stems each of which is secured to an adjustable shoulderband and a mercury actuated switch pivotally attached to one of the shoulder bands.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PORTABLE FLASHLIGHT This invention relates generally to portable flashlight devices.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a flashlight which is attached to a harness so it can be worn by any person or child so that their hands are free to do other things while the flashlight is held to aim light in a desired direction.

Another object is to provide a portable flashlight which accordingly is ideal for children to light their way to a bathroom if they get up at night, and allow their hands free to open doors and do other things.

Another object is to provide a portable light which is ideal for students or other persons who wish to read in bed without disturbing others in the room, and which allows their hands free to hold the book or papers while the flashlight is adjusted to aim the light at the same.

Another object is to provide a portable light which is ideal for persons whose hands are busy and need a light aimed in the direction of the work, such as a lady sewing, or a craftsman making some object and needing a very close light so to better see.

Yet another object is to provide a portable light which is ideal for rural children walking home along a road at dusk and their hands are occupied with school books, the lamp being directed around aside of them so to warn approaching traffic of their presence.

Other objects are to provide a portable flashlight which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use, and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily apparent upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention worn by according to present invention, wherein there is a flashlight case 1 1 containing a lamp l2 anddry cell batteries 13. The case is supported by a pair of flexible hollow stems 14 which as attached to a pair ofshoulder bands 15 that are self-adjustable at 16 shape to the shoulders of a wearer. One of the shoulder bands may contain amercury switch 17 for automatically closing a circuit to the lamp when the wearer assumes a position for operating the device, but which automatically opens the circuit when a wearer changes his position, such as when a person slumps over asleep while trying to read in a chair or bed. The switch is connected to the battery and lamp by awire 18 that runs through the follow stem.

As shown in FIG. 3, the top electric contact inside the mercury switch comprises a ring 19 located above the mercury when the switch is in erect position.

The shoulder bands are pivotable at 20 respective to the hollow stem so the gooseneck and flashlight may be directed upward more directly if desired.

In FIG. 4, the portable flashlight 21 includes themercury switch 17 being mounted pivotally on arivet 22 so that a person can recline at any desired an le and adan operative position. us it will just the switch for work for persons when erect, or laying prone as well. Also thebatteries 13 may be stored in the shoulder band where there is more room for holding more of them, and the lamp unit 23 is thus made smaller so to hold only thelamp 12 which thus is lighter on the end of the goosenecks and less obstructs the view. Thus a modified design of the invention is shown.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it is understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as is defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A portable light comprising in combination a flashlight unit, said flashlight unit comprising a case, a dry cell battery and an electric lamp electrically connected to said battery, said case enclosing said battery and lamp; a harness comprising a pair of flexible hollow stems having first and second ends, each of said first ends' of said hollow stems being attached to said casing, and a pair of shoulder bands, one of said shoulder bands being attached to each of said hollow stems at said second end, said shoulder bands being self-adjustable to the contour of a wearers shoulder; a mercury accuated switch electrically connected to said battery and lamp for opening and closing a circuit between said battery and said lamp; and support means pivotably mounting said switch on one of said shoulder bands so that a wearer can assume a position at a predetermined angle and adjust said switch for closing a circuit to said lamp and said switch will automatically open a circuit to said lamp when a wearer assumes a position at an angle other than the predetermined angle.

Claims (1)

1. A portable light comprising in combination a flashlight unit, said flashlight unit comprising a case, a dry cell battery and an electric lamp electrically connected to said battery, said case enclosing said battery and lamp; a harness comprising a pair of flexible hollow stems having first and second ends, each of said first ends of said hollow stems being attached to said casing, and a pair of shoulder bands, one of said shoulder bands being attached to each of said hollow stems at said second end, said shoulder bands being self-adjustable to the contour of a wearer''s shoulder; a mercury accuated switch electrically connected to said battery and lamp for opening and closing a circuit between said battery and said lamp; and support means pivotably mounting said switch on one of said shoulder bands so that a wearer can assume a position at a predetermined angle and adjust said switch for closing a circuit to said lamp and said switch will automatically open a circuit to said lamp when a wearer assumes a position at an angle other than the predetermined angle.

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