Modular light mountable on a handgun

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9772163-B2
Application number	US-201514726849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2015
Priority date	Jan 15, 2015
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A light mountable on a handgun may comprise: a light module including one or more light sources, a cavity for a source of electrical power, a switch, a circuit for energizing the light sources; and an outer housing having complementary parts configured to enclose the light module and a part of the handgun. The outer light housing may include an access cover that is openable when the light is mounted on a handgun, for placing and removing the source of electrical power. Light sources may include an illumination source and an aiming source. A lighting circuit includes a controllable electronic device in series with a power terminal of a controller, wherein operation of the switch causes the controller to maintain the electronic device conductive, whereby the controller then remains powered; and wherein the controller responds to a subsequent operation of the switch to render the electronic device nonconductive, whereby the controller is then unpowered even when electrical power is received.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light mountable on a handgun comprising:
a light module including in a light module housing one or more light sources, a cavity for receiving a source of electrical power, at least one electrical switch, and a control circuit for selectively energizing said one or more light sources;
an outer light housing having first and second complementary housing parts enclosing said light module, the first and second complementary housing parts cooperating when together to define at a first end of the outer light housing a cavity configured to correspond to the size and shape of a part of the handgun;
whereby said light is mountable to the part of the handgun when the first and second complementary housing parts of the outer light housing are attached together with the part of the handgun in the cavity thereof;
said outer light housing having one or more openings at a second end thereof through which light produced by said one or more light sources may be emitted;
said outer light housing having an opening through which the at least one electrical switch of said light module is actuatable from outside said outer light housing;
said outer light housing including an access cover on an exterior surface thereof that is not adjacent the handgun, said access cover being openable when said light is mounted on a handgun for placing a source of electrical power into the light module housing and for removing the source of electrical power from the light module housing; and
a movable member disposed between said access cover and a side of the source of electrical power, wherein said movable member biases the source of electrical power against said light module.

2. The light mountable on a handgun of claim 1 wherein the one or more light sources of said light module include:
an illumination light source, or
a laser aiming light source; or
an illumination light source and a laser aiming light source.

3. The light mountable on a handgun of claim 1 wherein the first and second complementary housing parts of said outer light housing are attached together by one or more threaded fasteners, wherein tightening the one or more threaded fasteners clamps the part of the handgun in the cavity therefor defined by said first and second complementary housing parts.

4. The light mountable on a handgun of claim 1 wherein the part of the handgun for which the cavity of said outer light housing is configured includes a trigger guard.

5. The light mountable on a handgun of claim 1 wherein;
said access cover is closable to retain the source of electrical power in said light module housing; or
said access cover is pivotably attached to one of the first and second complementary housing parts of said outer light housing; or
said access cover is closable to retain the source of electrical power in said light module housing and is pivotably attached to one of the first and second complementary housing parts of said outer light housing.

6. The light mountable on a handgun of claim 1 wherein said movable member biases the source of electrical power against an electrical contact of said light module so that the side of the source of electrical power makes an electrical connection to the electrical contact.

7. The light mountable on a handgun of claim 1 in combination with at least a second outer light housing having first and second complementary housing parts for enclosing said light module, the first and second complementary housing parts of said second outer light housing cooperating when together to define at a first end of the outer light housing a cavity configured to correspond to the size and shape of a part of a different handgun than does the outer light housing of claim 1 .

8. The light mountable on a handgun of claim 1 wherein said light module includes an azimuth adjusting screw and an elevation adjusting screw for aiming said laser light source in azimuth and elevation, respectively, said outer light housing having one or more openings through which the azimuth adjusting screw and the elevation adjusting screw can be adjusted.

9. The light mountable on a handgun of claim 1 wherein the control circuit of said light module comprises:
a control processor having a control input for receiving a signal, having a first control output, having a second control output for selectively energizing said one or more light sources, and having first and second power terminals at which electrical power to operate said control processor is received;
at least one electrical switch contact of the at least one electrical switch of said light module selectively connecting one of first and second terminals at which electrical power is received from the source of electrical power to the control input of said control processor to cause said control processor to selectively energize said one or more light sources;
a first controllable electronic device having a controllable conduction path connected between said first terminal and the first power terminal of said control processor, and having a control electrode coupled to the first control output of said control processor;
wherein when electrical power from the source of electrical power is received at said first and second terminals, said control processor is responsive to a closure or to an opening or to both a closure and an opening of said at least one electrical switch contact to provide a control voltage at the first control output that is coupled to the control electrode of said first controllable electronic device to maintain said first controllable electronic device conductive, whereby said control processor then remains in a powered condition; and
wherein said control processor is responsive to a subsequent closure or to a subsequent opening or both a subsequent closure and a subsequent opening of said at least one electrical switch contact to remove the control voltage at the first control output that is coupled to the control electrode of said first controllable electronic device to render said first controllable electronic device nonconductive, whereby said control processor is then in an unpowered condition even when electrical power is received at said first and second terminals.

10. A light mountable on a handgun comprising:
a light module including in a light module housing, an illumination light source and a laser aiming light source, a cavity for receiving a source of electrical power, at least one electrical switch, and a control circuit for selectively energizing said illumination light source and said laser aiming light source;
an outer light housing having first and second complementary housing parts enclosing said light module, the first and second complementary housing parts cooperating when together to define at a first end of the outer light housing a cavity configured to correspond to the size and shape of a part of the handgun;
whereby said light is mountable to the part of the handgun when the first and second complementary housing parts of the outer light housing are attached together with the part of the handgun in the cavity thereof;
said outer light housing having one or more openings at a second end thereof through which light produced by said illumination light source and said laser aiming light source may be emitted;
said outer light housing having an opening through which the at least one electrical switch of said light module is actuatable from outside said outer light housing;
an access cover on an exterior surface of said outer light housing that is not adjacent the handgun, said access cover being openable when said light is mounted on a handgun for placing a source of electrical power into the light module and for removing the source of

Assignees

• Streamlight Inc

Inventors

• Sharrah Jonathan R
• Zeisler Jon

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

• H05B45/44

  with an active control inside an LED matrix · CPC title

• H05B33/0824

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/0809

  Electricity · mapped topic