Patent Application
20070070619
The present invention relates generally to a flashlight that is configured in a manner that includes an integrated mounting interface. More specifically, the present invention relates to a compact, high intensity flashlight assembly that is highly durable and includes an integrated mounting interface, thereby making the flashlight capable of being utilized as an accessory for a variety of devices such as standard military style rail type mount for example.
In the prior art, flashlights for use in military applications have typically been constructed in a standard fashion utilizing a tubular outer housing. As a consequence, in order to facilitate mounting of the flashlight onto other devices, such as military weapons, a relatively large mounting assembly was required. Usually, the prior art mounting assembly that is used in connection with a flashlight having conventional construction includes a heavy gauge band that is wrapped around the entire outer housing of the flashlight. In addition, these bands include projections from at least one side where a large thumbscrew is positioned to allow a user to tighten the band around the flashlight. The difficulty encountered with this construction is that in some cases it creates a greater opportunity for the flashlight and mounting assembly to be caught on clothing or brush while the firearm is being carried, thereby knocking the flashlight out of alignment, dislodging the flashlight from the firearm or damaging the flashlight. Further, the interface between the outer tubular housing and the mounting band leaves the potential that the flashlight may slide or rotate within the band requiring frequent repositioning. While this may be acceptable for a sport type firearm, it is not acceptable for a firearm employed for field use, such as hunting or combat environments where immediate, fully aligned use of the flashlight assembly is required.
A further drawback associated with the prior art style flashlight mounts is that they do not provide a modular integrated mounting platform that allows the flashlight to be incorporated into a military weapons system. In other words, the prior art systems do not allow quick removal and reattachment of a flashlight with respect to a military firearm system. Additionally, the prior art systems do not include a modular arrangement that in turn allows integration of the flashlight into other environments such as integration for use as a helmet mounted light.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art devices, there is a need for a assembly that provides an improved method of compactly and reliably mounting a flashlight onto a firearm. There is a further need for an interfaceable flashlight assembly that provides an improved engagement method for firearms that has the ability to consistently and quickly engage, and provide accurate alignment, while providing a reduced profile, thereby reducing potential interference with other devices and attachments. There is still a further need for an interfaceable flashlight system that is modular in nature allowing for the flashlight to be easily utilized with a variety if different equipment.
In this regard, the present invention provides for a novel modular flashlight assembly that includes an interface integrated into the housing thereof to facilitate mounting of the flashlight to a variety of different equipment. Generally, the flashlight includes at least a pair of engagement surfaces formed on the housing thereof, which are engaged by an interface clamp that in turn facilitates mounting of the flashlight to the desired device. In the preferred embodiment, the engagement surfaces are formed as a pattern of alternating raised ribs and recesses that are radially arranged around the exterior of its housing in a manner that allows the flashlight to have an aesthetic appearance even when being used as a stand alone device. The interface clamp is configured to be mounted onto the desired substrate and includes clamping members that releasably engage the engagement surfaces on housing of the flashlight. In this manner, the ribs on the flashlight housing provide the engagement surface by which the flashlight can be clamped without the need for a band that extends entirely around the barrel of the flashlight as was the case in the prior art.
The novel clamping arrangement and the manner in which it engages the housing of the flashlight allows for the flashlight to be easily mounted onto any variety of different modular interface systems such as the interface rail that is integrated onto modern type firearms. In the alternative, clamping assemblies may be provided in other locations, such as mounted to the side of a military style helmet thereby allowing the flashlight to be transferred between mounting positions both on the firearm and on the user's helmet.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flashlight having a housing that includes a mounting interface that is integrated into the construction of its housing. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flashlight having at least two recesses formed in the housing thereof to facilitate engagement of the flashlight using a clamping assembly. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a mounting interface that is received as a modular accessory in a military weapon system and serves to releasably engage and retain a flashlight in the desired location adjacent the barrel of a firearm. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a modular mounting system using a base member that is configured to engage a substrate and includes releasable clamping means for receiving and retaining a flashlight.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.
In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:
Now referring to the drawings, the flashlight mounting assembly is shown and generally illustrated at 10 in the figures. In particular, the principal components of the flashlight mounting assembly 10 can be seen in
The flashlight 12 component of the present invention could be any type of flashlight known in the art having a housing 16 that is constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. More particularly, the flashlight 12 generally includes a housing 16, a light source, a power source and a means for selectively completing a circuit between the light source and power source in order to energize the light source. The light source may be any suitable type of light source commonly found in flashlights including but not limited to incandescent, xenon, halogen, standard light emitting diodes, high output light emitting diodes and any multiple or combination thereof. The light output of the light source may fall anywhere within the visible color range and may also include infrared or ultraviolet. Preferably, the output will be in the visible white range either by using an Indium Gallium Nitride/Gallium Nitride chip with a phosphor coating such as a Nichea white LED. Similarly, as would be obvious in the art other white LED's could easily be substituted for the same effect. For example, an Aluminum Indium Gallium Arsenide LED could easily be substituted.
The flashlight 12 may also include auxiliary lighting functions in combination with or in place of the white light element. The present invention may also include a red light diode for night vision operations, an infrared diode for use in conjunction with night vision goggles or a laser diode for automated firing or targeting systems. Any of these features may be included either alone or in combination in the flashlight 12 of the present invention. Further, the power source may be any suitable power source for use in conjunction with portable lighting devices such as alkaline batteries, lithium batteries, rechargeable batteries of any known chemistry and/or chemical fuel cells. In certain applications, the flashlight 12 may also derive its power from a remote power source such as may be provided on a military weapons system.
The flashlight housing 16 and the mounting interface 18 may be milled or cast from metallic materials. Similarly, the housing 16 and mounting interface 18 may be molded from high strength polymer materials. Finally, the housing 16 and mounting interface 18 may be insert molded using a combination of metallic and polymer components as may be necessary to create the durability and strength demanded by the application.
As was stated above, in the context of the present invention, it is important that the housing 16 of the flashlight 12 include at least two engagement surfaces 14 to facilitate engagement between the flashlight 12 and the mounting interface 18. Turning now to
It can be seen by viewing both
Turning to
Regardless of the form that the second side 22 mounting interface 18 takes or the receiving surface to which the mounting interface 18 will be attached, the interaction between the mounting interface 18 and the flashlight 12 remains the same. The flashlight housing 16, as was stated earlier, includes at least two interface surfaces 14 formed thereon. The interface surfaces 14 are configured and arranged in a manner so as to be inclined at a slight oblique angle relative to one another. The reason for angling the engagement surfaces 14 relative to one another is that once the flashlight 12 is engaged in the mounting interface 18, the angled interface surfaces 14 firmly lock the flashlight 12 between the clamping arms 24, 26 and prevent the flashlight 12 from being knocked therefrom. In the preferred embodiment, the flashlight housing 16 includes at least two ribs 34 extending from the exterior surface of the housing 16 wherein the ribs 34 are disposed at an oblique angle relative to one another. It is still more preferred that the ribs 34 are arranged radially relative to the flashlight housing 16 such that the engagement surfaces 14 are parallel to a line extending through the center of the flashlight housing 16. It is most preferred that the engaging surfaces 14 be formed as an array of alternating ribs 34 and recess 36 uniformly arranged in a radial array around the exterior surface of the flashlight housing 16. In this configuration, the engagement surfaces 14 are provided in a manner that allows the flashlight 12 to be installed into the mounting interface 18 reliably and in virtually any orientation. In addition, the formation of the ribs 34 and recesses 36 provide for a flashlight housing 16 that is effective for mounting yet still appears as aesthetically pleasing for stand alone use while also including a rugged grip pattern that makes the flashlight 12 easy to hold when not received in the mounting interface 18.
The second side 22 of the mounting interface 18 in its simplest form may be flat and attached to a receiving surface using threaded fasteners 38 as are depicted in
Generally, such modern type firearms include an interface rail 116 integrated therein for the mounting of auxiliary devices. The rail 116 is known in the art as a Weaver type interface and takes the form of a rail 116 having a dovetail cross-sectional profile that extends over the upper receiver 104 of the firearm 100. Additionally, there are several supplemental rail systems that mount onto such firearms 100 by interfacing with the Weaver rail 116 on the firearm 100 and extending along the barrel 108 to provide additional interface rails 116 both along the top of the firearm 100 as well as at the 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions around the barrel 108. All of the interface rails 116 are provided having a standardized profile and are configured specifically for the mounting of various accessories depending on the type environment in which the firearm 100 will be used. Accordingly, the formation of the dovetail profile on the second side 22 of the mounting interface 18 allows the mounting interface 18 to be received and retained on the interface rail 116 provided on the firearm 100.
When the flashlight assembly 10 is mounted onto a firearm 100 the lower portion 22 dovetail may be formed as a rigid profile that is simply slid onto the firearm 100 accessory rail 116 and retained in place using setscrews. In the alternative, the dovetail interface may be formed as a clamping assembly to engage the accessory rail 116 on the firearm 100. In this configuration, the mounting interface 18 may include a single tightening mechanism that engages both the second clamping arm 26 that engages the flashlight 12 and the rail interface clamp at the same time. Similarly, the mounting interface 18 may have a separate dedicated clamping member for the dovetail interface. The tightening mechanism for both the clamping arm 26 and the dovetail interface may be set screws, thumb screws, quick release type mechanisms or combinations thereof to allow easy mounting and demounting of the flashlight 12 relative to the firearm 100.
It can therefore be seen that the present invention provides a novel flashlight assembly 10 that includes integrated mounting surfaces that allow the flashlight 12 to be received into a durable low profile mounting interface 18. Further, the present invention can be modified to accommodate a number of standard mounting environments through simple changes to the second side 22 of the mounting interface 18 while maintaining a standard configuration on the first side 20 of the mounting interface 18 thereby allowing modular use of a single flashlight 12 design. For these reasons, the instant invention is believed to represent a significant advancement in the art, which has substantial commercial merit.
While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.
This application is related to and claims priority from earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/694,732, Jun. 28, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60694732 | Jun 2005 | US |
