Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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LIGHT ASSEMBLY OF PRE-DEFINED SHAPE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates, in general, to the field of lighting devices.
More particularly, it concerns a light assembly of pre-defined shape, for
removable attachment to a mating guide.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the art, there are many designs of single purpose light assemblies
which are or can be mounted on specific devices. There are also many
designs of light assemblies which are used as independent light
assemblies. However, few of them are designed to be readily removably
mounted on any suitable device while being able to be readily used
separately, as an independent light assembly.
More particularly, in the specific field of weapons. there has been a
number of target illumination and/or aiming accessories, such as lasers,
sights, flashlights or other accessories which can be mounted on firearms
since, in this case, one major concern is proper target illumination and/or
aiming at the target of interest. Most of these accessories use various
forms of locking screws, captive screws, nut and bolt clamps or other
similar techniques to clamp the accessory to the weapon, as opposed to a
latch and rail groove mechanism which would safely guide and lock the
accessory to the weapon. Examples of such prior art accessories are
given in US patents or patent applications nos. US 2001/0027620 A1; US
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2001/0045046 A1; US 5,555,662; US 5,584,137; US 5,941,489; and US
6,565,226.
As can be appreciated, the just-mentioned target illumination and/or
aiming accessories present a number of caveats. Accordingly, such
accessories can not be readily mounted on and detached from the
weapon. In most cases, such mounting and detaching require the use of
specific tools, or of both hands. Therefore, the weapon user can not simply
grip the target illumination and/or aiming device with one hand and readily
mount it on his/her weapon in order to proceed to a precise triggering.
Other related prior art documents also present significantly different types
of attachment methods to weapons or involve weapons that do not have a
standard rail which can be interfaced with target illumination and/or aiming
accessories. Examples of such prior art accessories are given in US
patents nos. US 2002/0007581 A1; US 2002/0100204 A1; US 4,707,772;
US 4,777,754; US 5,040,322; US 5,727,346; US 5,816,683; US
5,822,905; US 6,318,014; and US 6,574,901. The problem of such prior
art devices is again the cumbersome mounting process as well as the
bulkiness of such devices. More specifically, if the accessories can not be
readily mounted on the weapon, they have to be provided with their
specific mounting device thus decreasing the motility of the weapon user.
Also known in the prior art is a clamping mechanism for attaching an
auxiliary apparatus to the frame of a weapon, which is further
characterized in that the actual attachment or removal of the apparatus
can be accomplished by a user with one hand, without using separate
brackets or other mechanical components. These elements are disclosed
in US patent no. US 5,430,967 (Woodman et al.).
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Further, prior art target illumination and/or aiming devices are all suited
for
use as an independent hand held light assembly, because of their
protruding clamping mechanism, which makes them non-ergonomic.
Further, their exposed clamping mechanism is often prone to breakage if
shocked and to contamination from exposure to dust, water, and other
contaminants.
It is thus apparent, from the above-mentioned prior art documents, there is
a lack for a light assembly which can be readily mounted on a mating
guide, which, in a preferred application, is provided on a weapon, and
which can be readily used separately, as an independent light assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a light assembly which
satisfies the above-mentioned needs.
More specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a light
assembly to be readily mounted on a mating guide provided on any
convenient device and be readily removed therefrom while resuming its
original pre-defined shape, in order to be usable as a separate entity.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is achieved with a
light assembly having a pre-defined shape, for removable attachment to a
mating guide provided on a weapon or other device on which the light
assembly is to be mounted. The light assembly comprises a housing,
provided with suitable optics having a light source at one end thereof and
batteries for powering the light source through a switch. The housing of
the light assembly has a pair of lateral members which can both be moved
between a retracted position and an extended position. When the lateral
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members are in the retracted position, the light assembly has the above-
mentioned pre-defined shape. When the lateral members are in the
extended position, these members are adapted to engage the mating
guide provided on the weapon or other device on which the light assembly
is to be mounted. When the lateral members are in the extended position
they are locked in place by a latch lock. Preferably, each one of the lateral
members is provided with a longitudinal rail groove which is shaped and
sized to slidably engage a corresponding flange on the mating guide. The
housing of the light assembly of the present invention further has means
for preventing longitudinal movement of the light assembly on the mating
guide.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mating
guide is provided with a plurality of cross-slots and each one of the lateral
members further includes a latch having an upper portion and a lower
portion. The upper portion and the lower portion of the latch have an inner
face adjacent to the side of the housing and an outer face. The lower
portion of the latch also has a latch projection projecting inwardly from the
inner face of the lower portion of the latch, for engaging any one of the
above-mentioned cross-slots. The latch is pivotable between an operative
and an inoperative position so that when the latch is in the operative
position, it is normally inwardly biased, with the latch projection protruding
into the side of the housing, thus providing the means for preventing
longitudinal movement of the light assembly on the mating guide. When
the latch is in the inoperative position, the upper portion is pivoted
inwardly
toward the housing while the lower portion is pivoted outwardly away from
the housing, thereby preventing the latch projection from engaging the
cross-slots.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mating
guide is provided on a weapon.
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According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is also
provided a method for removably attaching the light assembly as defined
above, to a mating guide.
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The method for removably attaching the light assembly, as defined above,
to a mating guide comprises the steps of:
a) providing a light assembly as described above;
b) depressing the latches to the inoperative position so as to allow
the lateral members to slide until they are in the extended position and the
latch lock engaged ;
c) engaging the longitudinal rail grooves of the light assembly into
the flanges of the mating guide;
d) moving and maintaining the latches in their inoperative position,
while sliding the light assembly on the mating guide; and
e) moving the latches in their operative position so as to lock the
light assembly in place on the mating guide.
Preferably, the method for removably attaching the light assembly further
comprises the step of detaching the light assembly from the mating guide,
the step of detaching comprising the sub-steps of:
f) moving and maintaining the latches in their inoperative position,
while sliding the light assembly longitudinally off the flanges of the mating
guide; and
g) depressing the latch lock so that the latches slide back into the
light assembly, so that the light assembly resumes its pre-defined shape.
In a further preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the initial
step of mounting the mating guide on a weapon.
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As can be appreciated, the light assembly according to the invention is
very versatile, as it can be mounted on any suitably shaped mating guide
(either integrated into or mounted through appropriate fasteners) provided
on any suitable device while still being usable as a separate entity aside
from the device and the mating guide.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention
will be better understood upon reading the following non-restrictive
description of preferred embodiments thereof, made with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1A is a side view of a light assembly, according to a preferred
embodiment of the invention.
Figure 1 B is a front view of the light assembly shown in Figure 1A, the
lateral members being in the extended position.
Figure 1C is a front perspective view of the light assembly of Figure 1A.
Figure 1 D is a front perspective view of the light assembly shown in Figure
1 B.
Figure 2A is a side perspective view of the light assembly of Figure 1A
which is mounted on a generic weapon guide.
Figure 2B is a side perspective view of the light assembly of Figure 1A
which is mounted on a long gun such as a rifle guide.
Figure 2C is a side perspective view of the light assembly of Figure 1A
which is mounted on a hand gun guide.
While the invention will be described in conjunction with preferred
embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope
of the invention to such embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to
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cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents which may be
included, as defined by the appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the following description, similar features in the drawings have been
given similar reference numerals and, in order to lighten the figures, some
elements are not referred to in some figures if they were already identified
in a previous figure.
Throughout the present description, the light assembly of the present
invention will mostly be described and illustrated with respect to a mating
guide provided on a weapon, but it should be understood that such a
mating guide could be provided on any suitable device, such as for non
limitative examples, a paintball gun, a bicycle, a protecting helmet (for use
in mining, caving or other applications) or other headgear, a watercraft, a
wristband, scuba diving gear, a belt clip, a building, a post or other
construction, a tent, or any other device which could advantageously malee
use of a lighting assembly.
Referring to Figures 1A to 1 D, and 2A to 2C, there is shown a light
assembly 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention. The light assembly 10 has a pre-defined shape, and is
removably attachable to a mating guide 20, which is preferably provided
on a weapon. Any mating guide, preferably provided with parallel flanges
22 can be used to slidably engage the longitudinal rail groove 32 on the
lateral members of the light assembly's housing. This allows any guide,
such as a railing system (an example of which is the M-1913
(Picatinny)rail) or any equivalent thereof, to engage a light assembly while
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being mounted on the device of interest, advantageously on the weapon of
interest.
The light assembly 10 comprises a housing, preferably with two sides.
Each side of the housing of the light assembly 10 is provided with a pair of
lateral members 30, preferably received by corresponding channels 40
provided on each side of the housing. As shown in Figures 1A to 1 D, each
channel 40 preferably comprises a back face 42 and stop screw 41 for
maintaining the lateral member 30 within each channel 40. Alternatively
and as shown in Figures 2A to 2C, the channel 40 can be substantially U-
shaped and sized to receive a corresponding lateral member 30. This
channel 40 is provided with guiding members 46 protruding from the
channel 40, preferably from the back face 42 thereof, for slidably engaging
corresponding grooves 48.
The lateral members 30 are movable between a retracted position, as
shown in Figure 1 C, and an extended position, as shown in Figure 1 D, by
a distance at least equal to distance x. Distance x is the distance between
the longitudinal rail groove 38 and the lowest point A of the housing, as
shown in Figures 1 B and 1 D.
In order for the lateral members 30 to remain in the retracted position,
locking means are provided by the latch lock 31. Similarly, locking means
are provided to prevent the lateral members 30 from extending beyond the
extended position by stop screws 41.
When the lateral members 30 are locked in their retracted position, these
lateral members 30 are adapted to engage the housing. Referring
especially to Figure 1 D, one can appreciate that each channel 40
comprises a back face 42 and sidewalls 44.
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When the lateral members 30 are locked in their extended position, they
are positioned so that the lowest point A of the housing is as close as
possible to the mating guide 20 in order to allow the eventual sliding
movement of the light assembly 10 on the mating guide 20. Referring
more specifically to Figure 1 B, one can appreciate that each lateral
member 30 comprises an inner substantially inner planar face 32. The
inner planar face 32 of the lateral members 30 is further characterized in
that it is adjacent to the side of the housing and provided with a
longitudinal rail groove 38. The longitudinal rail groove 38 is shaped and
sized to slidably engage a corresponding flange 22 of the mating guide 20.
Preferably, the mating guide is provided with a plurality of cross-slots 60
and each lateral member 30 further includes a latch 70 with an upper
portion 72 and a lower portion 74. Each one of the upper portion 72 and
the lower portion 74 has an inner face, adjacent to the side of the housing,
and an outer face.
Each latch further has a latch projection 78 projecting inwardly from the
inner face of the lower portion 74 of the latch, for engaging any one of the
cross-slots 60. Each latch 70 is further characterized in that it is
preferably
rotatable about a pivot between an operative position and an inoperative
position.
Without departing from the scope of the present invention, it will be
apparent for any person skilled in the art that the means for preventing
longitudinal movement of the light assembly can comprise at least two,
and preferably a plurality of projections protruding downwardly and
outwardly from the area below the housing closest to the guide. Such
projections would serve the same purpose as the latch projections 78 in
their operative position.
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Referring again to Figures 1 B to 1 C, the housing is provided with a
suitable optics 12 having a light source 14 at one end thereof and batteries
16 for powering the light source 14, such as a LED assembly,
incandescent light bulb and/or laser or a combination thereof, through a
5 switch, such as a push button switch 19. The switch can be any type of
electro-mechanical switching device including, but not limited to, a
mechanically activated, electronically activated, or radio-frequency
controlled switch. The light assembly 10 is further characterized in that the
suitable optics, the batteries and the switch, enclosed in the housing, pre-
10 define the shape of the light assembly 10. By "pre-defined shape", it will
be
understood that the light assembly 10 has an advantageously
uninterrupted profile when considered as a whole. More specifically, the
uninterrupted profile of the light assembly 10 means that all the
components of the housing have the same general shape, even though
the optical piece is larger than the battery portion which, in turn, is
smaller
than the switch portion of the housing. The light assembly 10 may
advantageously have an ergonomic shape so that the user can
comfortably grip it with one hand. The light assembly 10 may thus have a
rectangular, oval or triangular shape, but preferably, a substantially
cylindrical shape.
As can also be appreciated from Figures 1A and 1 C, the uninterrupted
profile of the light assembly is best depicted when the lateral members 30
are in the retracted position. More specifically, the outer face of both the
upper and lower portions 72, 74 of the latch, as well as the outer face of
the lateral members, are shaped so that they form this uninterrupted
profile with the rest of the housing.
Furthermore, the light assembly 10 may advantageously be of dimensions
similar to the dimensions of the mating guide 20, as best shown in Figures
2A to 2C More specifically, the width of the light assembly 10 is preferably
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somewhat similar to the width of the mating guide. As can be understood,
the width of the light assembly and the guide is determined along the axis
perpendicular to the main axis of each of these elements. It is thus clear
that, in the particular field of target illumination and/or aiming, the
present
invention alleviates the need to use bulky light assemblies as target
illumination and/or aiming device accessories, which are not practical on
site where vigilance, accuracy and rapidity are of the essence.
The present invention also provides a method for removably attaching the
light assembly, as defined above, to a mating guide, preferably provided
on a weapon. The method comprises the steps of:
a) providing a light assembly as described above;
b) depressing the latches to the inoperative position so as to allow the
lateral members to slide to the extended position and the latch lock
engaged;
c) engaging the longitudinal rail grooves of the lateral members into the
flanges of the guide;
d) moving and maintaining the latches in their inoperative position, while
sliding the light assembly on the guide; and
e) moving the latches in their operative position so as to lock the light
assembly in place on the guide.
Preferably, the method for removably attaching the light assembly further
comprises the step of detaching the light assembly from the mating guide.
This step comprising the following sub-steps of:
f) moving and maintaining the latches in their inoperative position, while
sliding the light assembly longitudinally off the flanges off the guide; and
g) depressing the latch lock so that the latches slide back into the light
assembly so that the light assembly resumes its pre-defined shape.
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Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been
described in detail herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it
is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise
embodiments and that various changes and modifications may be effected
therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention.
It is clear from the present description that the proposed light assembly is
particularly useful for mounting on a weapon. It should however be
understood that the light assembly of the present invention is not limited to
be used on a weapon and that any convenient applications such as
mounting on a bicycle, or on a protecting helmet, for example, are also
envisaged and are encompassed by the present invention.
