Portable fluorescent lantern

Claim 2

an electrical cord in said first casing connected at one end in series with said fluorescent lamp, switch means and said ballast transformer and having at the other end an electrical plug adapted for connection with an AC power supply receptacle for operating said fluorescent lamp therefrom; m. an electrical receptacle mounted in the front wall of said insert structure and adapted to receive said electrical plug for operating said fluorescent lamp from said battery in said second casing when said first and second casings are joined together or detached from one another with one casing placed in a location remote from the other casing; and n. means for making electrical connection between said electrical receptacle and said battery in said second casing.

Claim 3

A portable fluorescent lantern comprising, in combination: a. a first rectangular casing having top and bottom walls and an open forward and rearward end; b. a second rectangular casing having top and bottom walls, an open forward end and a closed rearward end, said first and second casings being normally joined together with the forward end of said second casing facing the rearward end of said first casing; c. a fluorescent lamp; d. a reflector mounted inside said first casing, said fluorescent lamp being positioned in front of said reflector; e. a lens mounted within the open forward end of said first casing; f. a rectangular basal structure mounted within the open rearward end of said first casing, said basal structure including a rear wall which covers the open rearward end of said first casing and a pair of wall members which lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to said rear wall at opposite ends thereof and which protrude within said first casing in close proximity to the top and bottom walls of said first casing; g. a pair of lamp holders one of each of which is mounted on one of said pair of wall members for holding said fluorescent lamp in front of said reflector; h. switch means mounted on a portion of said basal structure and extending through an opening within a corresponding wall portion of said first casing; i. a ballast transformer for starting said fluorescent lamp mounted on said basal structure within said first casing; j. an insert structure mounted within a portion of said second casing, said insert structure including a front wall and a partition member which lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to said front wall at one end thereof and which defines a separate compartment within said second casing for containing a battery; k. means for detachably joining said first and second casings together whereby said lantern may be operated with said first and second casings being joined in one assemblage or detached from one another with one of said casings being placed at a location remote from the other casing;

Claim 4

A portable fluorescent lantern comprising, in combination: a. a first rectangular casing having top and bottom walls and an open forward and rearward end; b. a second rectangular casing having top and bottom walls, an open forward end and a closed rearward end, said first and second casings being normally joined together with the forward end of said second casing facing the rearward end of said first casing; c. a fluorescent lamp; d. a reflector mounted inside said first casing, said fluorescent lamp being positioned in front of said reflector; e. a lens mounted within the open forward end of said first casing; f. a rectangular basal structure mounted within the open rearward end of said first casing, said basal structure including a rear wall which covers the open rearward end of said first casing and a pair of wall members which lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to said rear wall at opposite ends thereof and which protrude within said first casing in close proximity to the top and bottom walls of said first casing; g. a pair of lamp holders one of each of which is mounted on one of said pair of wall members for holding said fluorescent lamp in front of said reflector; h. switch means mounted on a portion of said basal structure and extending through an opening within a corresponding wall portion of said first casing; i. a ballast transformer for starting said fluorescent lamp mounted on said basal structure within said first casing; j. an insert structure mounted within a portion of said second casing, said insert structure including a front wall and a partition member which lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to said front wall at one end thereof and which defines a separate compartment within said second casing for containing a battery; k. means for detachably joining said first and second casings together whereby said lantern may be operated with said first and second casings being joined in one assemblage or detached from one another with one of said casings being placed at a location remote from the other casing;

Claim 5

A portable fluorescent lantern as defined by claim 1, wherein said basal structure includes partition wall members which protrude within said first casing and which Define separate compartments for said switch means, ballast transformer and said electrical cord.

Claim 6

A portable fluorescent lantern as defined by claim 2, wherein the rear wall of said basal structure includes an opening communicating with the compartment containing said electrical cord and through which said cord extends for making electrical connection with the AC power supply receptacle or said electrical receptacle mounted within said insert structure in said second casing.

Claim 7

A portable fluorescent lantern as defined by claim 1, wherein said insert structure includes a wall member which protrudes inside said second casing and wherein the means for detachably joining said first and second casing together includes a slidable latch mounted in said wall member and extending through an opening within a corresponding wall portion of said second casing.

Claim 8

A portable fluorescent lantern as defined by claim 4, wherein said means for making electrical connection between said electrical receptacle and said battery includes leaf springs mounted within the partition member of said insert structure and adapted to resiliently contact the terminals of said battery.

Claim 9

A portable fluorescent lantern as defined by claim 5, wherein a cover is mounted within the open forward end of said second casing overlying the compartment containing said battery and wherein said insert structure includes means for locking said cover in place.

Claim 10

A portable fluorescent lantern comprising, in combination: a. a first rectangular molded plastic casing having top and bottom walls and an open forward and rearward end; b. a second rectangular molded plastic casing having top and bottom walls, an open forward end and a closed rearward end, said first and second casings being complementary in both size and shape and being normally joined together with the forward end of said second casing facing the rearward end of said first casing, said first and second casings having openings in the top walls thereof adjacent to the open rearward end of said first casing and to the open forward end of said second casing respectively, said openings being coincident when said first and second casings are normally joined together; c. a fluorescent lamp; d. a rectangular parabolic reflector mounted inside said first casing, said fluorescent lamp being positioned in front of said reflector; e. a rectangular molded plastic transparent lens mounted within the open forward end of said first casing; f. a rectangular molded plastic basal structure mounted within the open rearward end of said first casing, said basal structure including a rear wall which covers the open rearward end of said first casing and a pair of wall members which lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to said rear wall at opposite ends thereof and which protrude within said first casing in close proximity to the top and bottom walls of said first casing; g. a pair of lamp holders one of each of which is mounted on one of said pair of wall members for holding said fluorescent lamp in front of said reflector; h. switch means mounted on one of said wall members and extending through said opening in the top wall of said first casing; i. a ballast transformer for starting said fluorescent lamp mounted on the rear wall of said basal structure within said first casing; j. a rectangular molded plastic insert structure mounted within the uppermost portion of said second casing, said insert structure including a front wall, a top wall and a bottom partition member, said top wall and bottom partition member lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to said front wall at opposite ends thereof, said top wall protruding within said second casing in close proximity to the top wall of said second casing, said bottom wall defining a separate compartment within the lowermost portion of said second casing for containing a battery; k. a cover overlying said separate compartment for said battery; l. A slidable latch mounted in the top wall of said insert structure and extending through said opening in the top wall of said second casing, said latch being adapted to detachably join said first and second casings together whereby said lantern may be operated with said first and second casings being joined in one assemblage or detached from one another with one of said casings being placed at a location remote from the other casing; m. an electrical cord in said first casing connected at one end in series with said fluorescent lamp, switch means and said ballast transformer and having at the other end an electrical plug adapted for connection with an AC power supply receptacle for operating said fluorescent lamp therefrom, said electrical cord extending through an opening in the rear wall of said basal structure; n. an electrical receptacle mounted in the front wall of said insert structure and adapted to receive said electrical plug for operating said fluorescent lamp from said battery in said second casing when said first and second casings are joined together or detached from one another with one casing placed in a location remote from the other; and o. means for making electrical connection between said electrical receptacle and said battery in said second casing.

Claim 11

A portable fluorescent lantern comprising, in combination: a. a first rectangular molded plastic casing having top and bottom walls and an open forward and rearward end; b. a second rectangular molded plastic casing having top and bottom walls, an open forward end and a closed rearward end, said first and second casings being complementary in both size and shape and being normally joined together with the forward end of said second casing facing the rearward end of said first casing, said first and second casings having openings in the top walls thereof adjacent to the open rearward end of said first casing and to the open forward end of said second casing respectively, said openings being coincident when said first and second casings are normally joined together; c. a fluorescent lamp; d. a rectangular parabolic reflector mounted inside said first casing, said fluorescent lamp being positioned in front of said reflector; e. a rectangular molded plastic transparent lens mounted within the open forward end of said first casing; f. a rectangular molded plastic basal structure mounted within the open rearward end of said first casing, said basal structure including a rear wall which covers the open rearward end of said first casing and a pair of wall members which lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to said rear wall at opposite ends thereof and which protrude within said first casing in close proximity to the top and bottom walls of said first casing; g. a pair of lamp holders one of each of which is mounted on one of said pair of wall members for holding said fluorescent lamp in front of said reflector; h. switch means mounted on one of said wall members and extending through said opening in the top wall of said first casing; i. a ballast transformer for starting said fluorescent lamp mounted on the rear wall of said basal structure within said first casing; j. a rectangular molded plastic insert structure mounted within the uppermost portion of said second casing, said insert structure including a front wall, a top wall and a bottom partition member, said top wall and bottom partition member lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to said front wall at opposite ends thereof, said top wall protruding within said second casing in close proximity to the top wall of said second casing, said bottom wall defining a separate compartment within the lowermost portion of said second casing for containing a battery; k. a cover overlying said separate compartment for said battery; l. A slidable latch mounted in the top wall of said insert structure and extending through said opening in the top wall of said second casing, said latch being adapted to detachably join said first and second casings together whereby said lantern may be operated with said first and second casings being joined in one assemblage or detached from one another with one of said casings being placed at a location remote from the other casing; m. an electrical cord in said first casing connected at one end in series with said fluorescent lamp, switch means and said ballast transformer and having at the other end an electrical plug adapted for connection with an AC power supply receptacle for operating said fluorescent lamp therefrom, said electrical cord extending through an opening in the rear wall of said basal structure; n. an electrical receptacle mounted in the front wall of said insert structure and adapted to receive said electrical plug for operating said fluorescent lamp from said battery in said second casing when said first and second casings are joined together or detached from one another with one casing placed in a location remote from the other; and o. means for making electrical connection between said electrical receptacle and said battery in said second casing.

Claim 12

A portable fluorescent lantern as defined by claim 7, wherein said basal structure includes partition wall members which protrude within said first casing and which define separate compartments for said switch means, ballast transformer and said electrical cord.

Claim 13

A portable fluorescent lantern as defined by claim 8, wherein said first casing is integrally formed with a plurality of rib structures which support said parabolic reflector and which coincide with the partition wall members of said basal structure defining the separate compartments in said first casing.

Claim 14

A portable fluorescent lantern as defined by claim 9 wherein said means for making electrical connection between said electrical receptacle and said battery includes leaf springs mounted within the bottom partition member of said insert structure and adapted to resiliently contact the terminals of said battery.