The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 27, 1998
Filed:
Jul. 24, 1996
Gary W Kibler, Flower Mound, TX (US);
Nordic Lights, Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for selectively focusing a flashlight are provided. The apparatus includes a flashlight (10) having a flashlight body (12) with a cavity (32) therein and further having an actuator-receiving opening (204) through a portion of the flashlight body. A reflector (90) for reflecting light and a lamp (24) for producing light are disposed within the cavity (32). A housing assembly (302) is disposed within the cavity and moveable therein. The housing assembly includes a housing (34). An actuator (30) extends into the actuator-receiving opening and couples to the housing. The lamp and reflector are associated with the housing assembly whereby movement of the housing assembly allows relative movement of the lamp and the reflector to allow focusing of light from the lamp when an operator causes the actuator to move. According to the method of the invention, a flashlight (10) is selectively focused by selectively sliding an actuator (30) that is connected to a moveable lamp assembly (302) having a lamp (24). The actuator is on the exterior surface of the flashlight body and is slid in a direction approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the flashlight body. In this manner the lamp housing assembly is selectively positioned relative to the reflector (90).