Flashlight with battery tester

Claim 2

A portable lantern having a built-in battery tester comprising: (a) a lantern housing for holding batteries; (b) an electrically-powered light source mounted in said housing for energizing by the batteries in said housing; (c) a battery-testing means mounted in said housing with indicator means of the battery-testing means detectable from outside said housing; (d) a three-way-switch means mounted in said housing placed in a first position to connect the light source with the batteries, in a second position to connect the battery-testing means with the batteries, and in a third position to disconnect the batteries; (e) first conductor means for electrically connecting said light source to said switch means and the batteries when said switch means is in said first position; and (f) second conductor means for electrically connecting said battery-testing means to said switch means and the batteries when said switch means is in said second position.

Claim 3

The portable lantern according to claim 1 wherein said electrically-powered light source is an incandescent lamp.

Claim 4

The portable lantern according to claim 1 wherein said electrically-powered light source is a fluorescent lamp.

Claim 5

The portable lantern according to claim 1 wherein said electrically-powered light source is a light-emitting gas-discharge tube.

Claim 6

The portable lantern according to claim 1 wherein said battery-testing means is a voltmeter.

Claim 7

The portable lantern according to claim 1 wherein said battery-testing means is an ammeter.

Claim 8

The portable lantern according to claim 1 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a battery-monitoring circuit that monitors the voltage of the battery for brief pulses at predetermined time intervals, a voltage-comparator circuit that compares the battery voltage with a standard reference voltage, and a signal-means circuit that emits a signal when the voltage-comparator circuit detects that the battery voltage has fallen below said standard reference voltage.

Claim 9

The portable lantern according to claim 7 wherein the signal means generates an audible signal.

Claim 10

The portable lantern according to claim 7 wherein the signal means generates a visual signal.

Claim 11

The portable lantern according to claim 1 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a liquid-crystal cell with a transparent window that yields a visual phase change when the battery voltage exceeds a predetermined value.

Claim 12

The portable lantern according to claim 1 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a light-emitting diode that illuminates when the battery voltage is above a predetermined value.

Claim 13

The portable lantern according to claim 1 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a color-indicating redox cell which indicates a predetermined voltage value by color.

Claim 14

The portable lantern according to claim 12 wherein the color-indicating redox cell comprises a hollow sealed cell having a central chamber, a transparent window, and two spaced-apart electrodes, one end of each electrode terminating in the central chamber of said cell in a spacedapart relationship, the central chamber containing a chemical composition that undergoes a redox reaction at a predetermined voltage level which causes a color change to the chemical composition.

Claim 15

A portable electric lantern having a built-in battery tester comprising: (a) a lantern housing for holding batteries; (b) an electrically-powered light source mounted in said housing for energizing by the batteries in said housing; (c) a battery-testing means mounted in said housing with indicator means of the battery-testing means detectable from outside said housing; (d) a three-way-switch means mounted in said housing placed in a first position to connect the light source to the batteries, in a second position to connect said light source and said battery-testing means to the batteries, and in a third position to disconnect the batteries from said light source and said testing means; (e) first conductor means for electrically connecting said light source to said switch means and the batteries when said switch means is in said first position; and (f) second conductor means for electrically connecting said battery-testing means to said switch means and the batteries when said switch means is in said second position;

Claim 16

A portable electric lantern having a built-in battery tester comprising: (a) a lantern housing for holding batteries; (b) an electrically-powered light source mounted in said housing for energizing by the batteries in said housing; (c) a battery-testing means mounted in said housing with indicator means of the battery-testing means detectable from outside said housing; (d) a three-way-switch means mounted in said housing placed in a first position to connect the light source to the batteries, in a second position to connect said light source and said battery-testing means to the batteries, and in a third position to disconnect the batteries from said light source and said testing means; (e) first conductor means for electrically connecting said light source to said switch means and the batteries when said switch means is in said first position; and (f) second conductor means for electrically connecting said battery-testing means to said switch means and the batteries when said switch means is in said second position;

Claim 17

The portable lantern according to claim 14 wherein said electrically-powered light source is an incandescent lamp.

Claim 18

The portable lantern according to claim 14 wherein said electrically-powered light source is a fluorescent lamp.

Claim 19

The portable lantern according to claim 14 wherein said electrically-powered light source is a light-emitting gas-discharge tube.

Claim 20

The portable lantern according to claim 14 wherein said battery-testing means is a voltmeter.

Claim 21

The portable lantern according to claim 14 wherein said battery-testing means is an ammeter.

Claim 22

The portable lantern according to claim 14 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a battery-monitoring circuit that monitors the voltage of the battery for brief pulses at predetermined time intervals, a voltage-comparator circuit that compares the battery voltage with a standard reference voltage, and a signal-means circuit that emits a signal when the voltage-comparator circuit detects that the battery voltage has fallen below said standard reference voltage.

Claim 23

The portable lantern according to claim 20 wherein the signal means generates an audible signal.

Claim 24

The portable lantern according to claim 20 wherein the signal means generates a visual signal.

Claim 25

The portable lantern according to claim 14 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a liquid-crystal cell with a transparent window that yields a visual phase change when the battery voltage exceeds a predetermined value.

Claim 26

The portable lantern according to claim 14 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a light-emitting diode that illuminates when the battery voltage is above a predetermined value.

Claim 27

The portable lantern according to claim 14 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a color-indicating redox cell which indicates a predetermined voltage value by color.

Claim 28

The portable lantern according to claim 14 wherein the color-indicating redox cell comprises a hollow sealed cell having a central chamber, a transparent window, and two spaced-apart electrodes, one end of each electrode terminating in the central chamber of said cell in a spacedapart relationship, the central chamber containing a chemical composition that undergoes a redox reaction at a predetermined voltage level which causes a color change to the chemical composition.

Claim 29

A portable lantern having a built-in battery tester comprising: (a) a lantern housing for holding batteries; (b) an electrically-powered light source mounted in said housing for energizing by the batteries in said housing; (c) a battery-testing means mounted in said housing with indicator means of the battery-testing means detectable from outside said housing; (d) a switch means mounted in said housing placed in a first position to connect the light source with the batteries and in a second position to disconnect the batteries; (e) first conductor means for electrically connecting said light source to said switch means and the batteries when said switch means is said first position; and (f) second conductor means for electrically connecting said battery-testing means to the batteries when said switch means is in said second position.

Claim 30

A portable lantern having a built-in battery tester comprising: (a) a lantern housing for holding batteries; (b) an electrically-powered light source mounted in said housing for energizing by the batteries in said housing; (c) a battery-testing means mounted in said housing with indicator means of the battery-testing means detectable from outside said housing; (d) a switch means mounted in said housing placed in a first position to connect the light source with the batteries and in a second position to disconnect the batteries; (e) first conductor means for electrically connecting said light source to said switch means and the batteries when said switch means is said first position; and (f) second conductor means for electrically connecting said battery-testing means to the batteries when said switch means is in said second position.

Claim 31

The portable lantern according to claim 27 wherein said electrically-powered light source is an incandescent lamp.

Claim 32

The portable lantern according to claim 27 wherein said electrically-powered light source is a fluorescent lamp.

Claim 33

The portable lantern according to claim 27 wherein said electrically-powered light source is a light-emitting gas-discharge tube.

Claim 34

The portable lantern according to claim 27 wherein said battery-testing means is a voltmeter.

Claim 35

The portable lantern according to claim 27 wherein said battery-testing means is an ammeter.

Claim 36

The portable lantern according to claim 27 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a battery-monitoring circuit that monitors the voltage of the battery for brief pulses at predetermined time intervals, a voltage-comparator circuit that compares the battery voltage with a standard reference voltage, and a signal-means circuit that emits a signal when the voltage-comparator circuit detects that the battery voltage has fallen below said standard reference voltage.

Claim 37

The portable lantern according to claim 33 wherein the signal means generates an audible signal.

Claim 38

The portable lantern according to claim 33 wherein the signal means generates a visual phase change signal.

Claim 39

The portable lantern according to claim 27 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a liquid-crystal cell with a transparent window that yields a visual phase change when the battery voltage exceeds a predetermined value.

Claim 40

The portable lantern according to claim 27 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a light-emitting diode that illuminates when the battery voltage is above a predetermined value.

Claim 41

The portable lantern according to claim 27 wherein said battery-testing means comprises a color-indicating redox cell which indicates a predetermined voltage value by color.

Claim 42

The portable lantern according to claim 38 wherein the color-indicating redox box cell comprises a hollow sealed cell having a central chamber, a transparent window, and two spaced-apart electrodes, one end of each electrode terminating in the central chamber of said cell in a spaced-apart relationship, the central chamber containing a chemical composition that undergoes a redox reaction at a predetermined voltage level which causes a color change to the chemical composition.