WEAPON MOUNTED LIGHT AND OPERATION THEREOF

摘要

A flashlight assembly includes a bistable safety bail to prevent inadvertent depression of an operational push button switch. The flashlight assembly further includes a bistable pivoting mode selection lever which controls operational modes of the flashlight. Further, the flashlight operates with a thermal optimization circuit which automatically, over time, reduces the duty cycle of the control circuit to reduce the temperature of the LED junction, improve LED performance and increase battery life.

主权项

1. A flashlight comprising:
an elongate body having a head portion at one end and an opposing tapered tail portion; a clamping assembly on a bottom side of said body, said tail portion of said body tapering rearwardly towards said tail end and downwardly towards said bottom side of said body; a push-button switch mounted within said tapered tail portion; and a flexible U-shaped safety bail pivotably mounted to said tapered tail portion of said body, said safety bail having a central portion spanning a width of said body and having two opposing legs which straddle said tail portion, said legs of said safety bail and said tail portion of said body including cooperative bistable cam elements which provide bistable rotation of the safety bail between a clear position wherein said safety bail is positioned downwardly toward said bottom side of said body and operation of said push-button switch is unimpeded, and a blocking position wherein said safety bail is positioned upwardly away from said bottom side and spans across said tapered tail portion and over said push-button switch such that operation of said push-button switch is mechanically impeded, said flexible U-shaped safety bail providing a natural inward spring bias during rotation of said safety bail to urge the bistable cam elements into said clear and blocking positions.