LED flasher for battery cell-powered lamp

Claim 2

In a lamp powered by self-contained electric cells and having an auxiliary light source to aid in finding the lamp in the dark, the combination in said auxiliary light source comprising: (a) a flasher circuit contained within said lamp; (b) means automatically connecting said flasher circuit directly to said self-contained electric cells upon installation of said cells; and (c) a light-emitting diode mounted in a visible location at the outer body of said lamp and connected directly to said flasher circuit, the flasher circuit being selected with components to provide a flashing rate to said light-emitting diode of at least 1 Hertz with an average current drain from said electric cells of less than 1.0 milliamperes.

Claim 3

The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lamp is a flashlight.

Claim 4

The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lamp is an emergency wall lamp.

Claim 5

The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein the LED is positioned proximate a switch which operates the emergency wall lamp.

Claim 6

A flashlight comprising: (a) a body having a first end and a second end; (b) an endcap which attaches to the body at the first end; (c) a head which attaches to the body at the second end; (d) a module containing an LED flasher circuit attached to an inside of the endcap wherein a substantial portion of an LED is visible; (e) a first conductor running from a switch for a lamp to a portion of the body proximate the first end; (f) a second conductor attached to the module, connected to the LED flasher circuit, adapted to be connected to a cathode of a cell, and having a portion which automatically connects to the first conductor when the endcap is attached to the body; (g) a third conductor running substantially from the first end to the second end of the body; (h) a fourth conductor located in the endcap, connected to the LED flasher circuit, and having a portion which automatically connects to the third conductor when the endcap is attached to the body; and (i) connection means to automatically connect the fourth conductor with a conducting member which is connected to an anode terminal of the lamp.

Claim 7

A flashlight comprising: (a) a body having a first end and a second end; (b) an endcap which attaches to the body at the first end; (c) a head which attaches to the body at the second end; (d) a module containing an LED flasher circuit attached to an inside of the endcap wherein a substantial portion of an LED is visible; (e) a first conductor running from a switch for a lamp to a portion of the body proximate the first end; (f) a second conductor attached to the module, connected to the LED flasher circuit, adapted to be connected to a cathode of a cell, and having a portion which automatically connects to the first conductor when the endcap is attached to the body; (g) a third conductor running substantially from the first end to the second end of the body; (h) a fourth conductor located in the endcap, connected to the LED flasher circuit, and having a portion which automatically connects to the third conductor when the endcap is attached to the body; and (i) connection means to automatically connect the fourth conductor with a conducting member which is connected to an anode terminal of the lamp.

Claim 8

A flashlight as claimed in claim 5 wherein the LED flasher circuit is a semiconductor circuit drawing less than 1.0 milliamp of average current.

Claim 9

The combination as claimed in claims 2, 3, 4, or 1 wherein said light-emitting diode is connected to operate continuously while active electric cells are in said lamp.