Mountable light having interchangeable clamping elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11506366-B2
Application number	US-202117394101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2021
Priority date	Aug 7, 2020
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

A mountable light includes a light body and a mounting arrangement including first and second clamping members from a set of pairs of clamping members. The light body has first and second opposing receptacles in which the respective clamping members are respectively removably disposed to move toward and away from each other. One clamping member may be fastened in its receptacle so as to be a fixed clamping member while the other clamping member is movable. A clamping mechanism may move the clamping members closer together to engage a mounting rail or away from each other to release the rail. An interchangeable key member may be provided between the clamping members, and may be selected from a set of interchangeable key members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mountable light comprising:
a light body having a cavity for receiving a source of electrical power, having a pair of receptacles therein located on opposite sides of the light body for receiving respective clamping members therein;
wherein each of the pair of receptacles has a configuration including a base end that is larger than an opening thereof that is opposite the base end;
a light source supported by the light body for providing light;
a switch supported by the light body for selectively energizing the light source to produce light; and
a set of clamping members including at least two pairs of clamping members wherein each pair of clamping members includes a fixed clamping member and a movable clamping member each having a base of the same configuration as the pair of receptacles of the light body and each having a rail interface feature compatible with the same firearm rail, and wherein different pairs of clamping members have different rail interface features compatible with different firearm rails;
a mounting arrangement on the light body including:
a fixed clamping member of a first pair of clamping members selected from the set of at least two pairs of clamping members, the fixed clamping member having its base removably disposed in a first of the pair of receptacles, the fixed clamping member having a rail interface extending from the base thereof, wherein the base thereof is larger than is the dimension thereof at a location intermediate the base end thereof and the rail interface thereof in substantially the same size and shape as a first of the pair of receptacles;
a fastener retaining the fixed clamping member in the first of the pair of receptacles;
a movable clamping member of the first pair of clamping members selected from the set of at least two pairs of clamping members, the movable clamping member being slidably disposed in a second of the pair of receptacles so as to be movable toward and away from the fixed clamping member, the movable clamping member having a rail interface extending from the base thereof, wherein the base thereof is larger than is the dimension thereof at a location intermediate the base end thereof and the rail interface thereof in substantially the same size and shape as the second of the pair of receptacles so that the movable clamping member is movable in the second of the pair of receptacles toward and away from the fixed clamping member; and
a clamping mechanism coupled between the fixed clamping member and the movable clamping member for moving the movable clamping member toward and away from the fixed clamping member,

wherein the fixed clamping member and the movable clamping member of the mounting arrangement on the light body are selected from the set of pairs of clamping members to interface with a particular firearm rail.

2. The mountable light of claim 1 wherein each of the pair of receptacles has a trapezoidal shape and wherein the respective bases of the fixed clamping member and the movable clamping member have substantially the same trapezoidal shape and size as each of the pair of receptacles.

3. The mountable light of claim 1 wherein the clamping mechanism comprises:
a clamping screw having a head and a threaded shaft, wherein the threaded shaft of the clamping screw is disposed through a hole in one of the fixed clamping member and the movable clamping member and engages a threaded hole in the other of the fixed clamping member and the movable clamping member.

4. The mountable light of claim 1 further comprising:
a removable key disposed in a key receptacle between the pair of receptacles,
whereby the removable key is disposed between the fixed clamping member and the movable clamping member; and
wherein the removable key is configured to interface with the firearm rail with which the fixed clamping member and the movable clamping member are compatible.

5. The mountable light of claim 4 further comprising:
a set of interchangeable keys wherein each interchangeable key has a base of the same configuration as the key receptacle for receiving a removable key and has a keying feature compatible with a particular firearm rail, and wherein different ones of the interchangeable keys of the set thereof have respective keying features compatible with different firearm rails,
wherein the removable key is selected from the set of interchangeable keys.

6. A mountable light comprising:
a light body having forward and rearward ends, having a cavity for receiving a source of electrical power, and having a pair of receptacles therein located on first and second opposite sides of the light body, wherein each receptacle of the pair of receptacles has a predetermined shape;
a light source at the forward end of the light body for providing light;
an actuator at the rearward end of the light body for selectively energizing the light source to produce light; and
a set of pairs of clamping members including at least two pairs of clamping members, wherein each pair of clamping members includes a first clamping member and a second clamping member each having a base of the predetermined shape and each having a rail interface feature compatible with the same firearm rail, and wherein different pairs of clamping members have different rail interface features compatible with different firearm rails,
a mounting arrangement on an upward side of the light body comprising:
a pair of clamping members including a first clamping member and a second clamping member selected from the set of pairs of clamping members each having a base of the predetermined shape and a rail interface feature;
wherein the predetermined shape of the base of each of the first and second clamping members is complementary to the predetermined shape of each receptacle of the pair of receptacles, and wherein the respective predetermined shapes of the bases of the first and second clamping members and of each receptacle of the pair of receptacles restricts the upward and downward movement and the forward and rearward movement of the first and second clamping members in their respective receptacles relative to the light body while permitting movement of the first and second clamping members toward and away from one another; and
a clamping mechanism coupled between the first and second clamping members for moving the first and second clamping members toward and away from each other,

wherein the first and second clamping members of the mounting arrangement on the light body are selected from the set of pairs of clamping members to interface with a particular firearm rail.

7. The mountable light of claim 6 wherein the base of each of the first and second clamping members has a dimension at a base end thereof that is larger than is the dimension thereof at a location intermediate the base end thereof and the rail interface of the first and second clamping members in substantially the same shape and size as each of the pair of receptacles.

8. The mountable light of claim 6 wherein each of the pair of receptacles has a trapezoidal shape and wherein the respective bases of the first and second clamping members have substantially the same trapezoidal shape and size as each of the pair of receptacles.

9. The mountable light of claim 6 wherein the clamping mechanism comprises:
a clamping screw having a head and a threaded shaft, wherein the threaded shaft of the clamping screw is disposed through a hole in one of the first and second clamping members and engages a threaded hole in the other of the first and second clamping members.

10. The mountable light of claim 6 wherein the first clamping member is fastened to the light body to be retained in a first of the pair

Assignees

• Streamlight Inc

Inventors

• Sharrah Raymond L
• Worman William D

Classifications

• F41G11/004

  Mountings with clamping means on the device embracing at least a part of the firearm, e.g. the receiver or a dustcover (F41G11/003 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F41G1/35 Primary

  for illuminating the target {, e.g. flash lights} · CPC title

• F41G11/003

  Mountings with a dove tail element, e.g. "Picatinny rail systems" · CPC title

• F21V21/0885 Primary

  for portable lighting devices · CPC title