Night hunting spotlight with rear-located controls for intensity, zoom-flood, and lock

Abstract

A night hunting spotlight has a fixed lens, a fixed bezel, and a light-emitting diode (LED) movable in relation to the fixed lens so as to broaden or narrow the beam, respectively. The LED may be movable using telescoping mechanisms, rotating mechanisms, knobs, linear actuators (manually actuated or electronically controlled), or other mechanisms capable of moving the LED along the longitudinal axis of the night hunting light to approximate the lens or move distally therefrom.

Claims

1. A night hunting spotlight comprising: a fixed bezel; a fixed lens coupled to the fixed bezel; a light-emitting diode (LED) coupled to an inner housing, the inner housing slidable within an outer housing to a retracted position and an extended position; a focal grip coupled to the inner housing on an end opposite the LED; a lock to prevent axial and longitudinal movement of the inner housing, the lock comprising a jam nut that (a) loosens to allow movement of the inner housing and (b) tightens to prevent movement of the inner housing; wherein when the inner housing is in the retracted position, the LED is at a first position, proximal to the fixed lens; and wherein when the inner housing is in an extended position, the LED is in a second location, distal to the fixed lens.

2. The night hunting spotlight of claim 1, wherein the inner housing further comprises a battery.

3. The night hunting spotlight of claim 1, wherein the focal grip rotates to longitudinally extend and retract the inner housing.

4. The night hunting spotlight of claim 1, further comprising one or more colored LEDs.

5. The night hunting spotlight of claim 1, wherein the fixed lens is spherical.

6. The night hunting spotlight of claim 1, wherein the fixed lens is planar.

7. The night hunting spotlight of claim 1, wherein a tail cap portion further comprises an intensity controller.

8. A night hunting spotlight comprising: a bezel portion comprising: a fixed bezel, a front cover coupleable to the bezel, a fixed lens interposed between the front cover and the fixed bezel, and a light-emitting diode (LED) module; a body portion comprising; an outer housing, and an inner housing comprising a battery therein, the inner housing slidable within the outer housing, the inner housing coupled to the LED module; a tail cap portion comprising; a focal grip coupled to the inner housing at an end opposite the LED module, the focal grip rotatable to extend or retract the inner housing in relation to the outer housing; wherein when the focal grip is rotated in a first direction, the inner housing with the LED module moves closer to the fixed lens and when the focal grip is rotated in a second direction, the inner housing with the LED module moves away from the fixed lens.

9. The night hunting spotlight of claim 8, wherein the body portion further comprises a lock to prevent axial and longitudinal movement of the inner housing.

10. The night hunting spotlight of claim 9, wherein the lock comprises a jam nut that (a) loosens to allow movement of the inner housing and (b) tightens to prevent movement of the inner housing.

11. The night hunting spotlight of claim 9, wherein the tail cap portion further comprises an intensity controller.

12. The night hunting spotlight of claim 8, wherein the LED module comprises one or more colored LEDs.

13. The night hunting spotlight of claim 8, wherein the inner housing comprises a protrusion slidable within a groove of the outer housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a night hunting spotlight;

(2) FIG. 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of a night hunting spotlight;

(3) FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a night hunting spotlight with a tail cap portion and power supply removed therefrom;

(4) FIG. 4A illustrates a side elevation view of a night hunting spotlight in an extended configuration;

(5) FIG. 4B illustrates a side elevation view of a night hunting spotlight with a bezel removed therefrom in an extended configuration

(6) FIG. 5A illustrates a side elevation view of a night hunting spotlight in a retracted configuration;

(7) FIG. 5B illustrates a side elevation view of a night hunting spotlight with a bezel removed therefrom in a retracted configuration;

(8) FIG. 6 illustrates a top plan view of an outer housing of a night hunting spotlight; and

(9) FIG. 7 illustrates a top perspective view of an outer housing of a night hunting spotlight.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

(10) The following descriptions depict only example embodiments and are not to be considered limiting in scope. Any reference herein to “the invention” is not intended to restrict or limit the invention to exact features or steps of any one or more of the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the present specification. References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “various embodiments,” and the like, may indicate that the embodiment(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an embodiment,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may.

(11) Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Unless otherwise expressly defined herein, such terms are intended to be given their broad, ordinary, and customary meaning not inconsistent with that applicable in the relevant industry and without restriction to any specific embodiment hereinafter described. As used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. When used herein to join a list of items, the term “or” denotes at least one of the items, but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. For exemplary methods or processes, the sequence and/or arrangement of steps described herein are illustrative and not restrictive.

(12) It should be understood that the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence, arrangement, or with any particular graphics or interface. Indeed, the steps of the disclosed processes or methods generally may be carried out in various sequences and arrangements while still falling within the scope of the present invention.

(13) The term “coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.

(14) The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments, are synonymous, and are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including, but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes, but is not limited to,” etc.).

(15) As discussed earlier, there is a need for a night hunting spotlight that 1) may easily be adjusted to zoom—flood by a user, 2) may zoom—flood without adjusting the bezel, and 3) be secured in a desired zoom—flood position. The present disclosure seeks to solve these and other problems.

(16) In the prior art, typical hunting spotlights adjust the zoom—flood via a rotational mechanism coupled to the bezel. In other words, to adjust the spotlight, a user has to rotate the bezel, extending and retracting the bezel, which can change the projection angle of the light beam. When the spotlight is coupled to a firearm, even a slight angle change of the light beam may frustrate a user due to a user needing to reacquire the target.

(17) On the other hand, the night hunting spotlight described herein generally comprises a mechanism that extends or retracts an LED module in relation to the bezel, instead of the bezel itself. In one example, a telescoping rotator is the mechanism used to move the LED module, although other mechanisms may be used. It will be appreciated that the telescoping rotator limits unwanted movement of the beam of the night hunting spotlight, allowing a user to stay on target and make quick, easy adjustments.

(18) In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, a night hunting spotlight 100 comprises a bezel portion 102, a body portion 104, and a tail cap portion 106. The night hunting spotlight 100 may be manufactured from aluminum, plastic, carbon fiber, etc. The bezel portion 102 comprises a bezel 108, a lens 110, and front cover 112 coupleable to the bezel 108. The lens 110 may be a spherical lens, a planar lens, a Fresnel lens, a collimated amplified lens system, or any other type of lens. The bezel portion 102 further comprises an LED (light-emitting diode) module 114 having one or more colored LEDs 115 (e.g., green, white, red, etc.). While an LED module 114 may be shown, it will be appreciated that a laser, light emitting plasma, chip on board, or any other light producing device may be used. The LED 115 may be housed within an LED housing 113.

(19) The body portion 104 comprises an inner housing 116 and an outer housing 118. The inner housing 116 is positionable and slidable inside the outer housing 118 (e.g., telescoping). The outer housing 118 may comprise a grip material on an outer surface. For example, the grip material may be a rubber material or may be grooves cut into the outer surface of the outer housing, or other texturing. The inner housing 116 may comprise a power supply 121 (e.g., a battery) therein. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the tail cap portion 106 may be removed so as to gain access to the power supply 121. Accordingly, the power supply 121 may be replaceable; however, in some embodiments, the power supply 121 may be rechargeable via a charging port. In one embodiment, the battery may be external to the housing and coupled using a power cable, allowing a user the ability to lighten the weight of the night hunting spotlight 100 as well as use additional batteries without disassembling the night hunting spotlight 100. The inner housing 116 may be coupleable to the LED module 114, allowing the module to be in electrical communication with the power supply 121, such as via spring 128 and other known mechanisms.

(20) Further, the inner housing 116 functions as a telescoping rotator, which may axially extend or retract within the outer housing 118 and, ultimately, move the LED 115 farther from, or closer to, both the bezel 108 and lens 110. In other words, the bezel 108 and lens 110 remain stationary while the LED module 114 (or at least the LED 115) moves along the longitudinal axis of the night hunting spotlight 100. The rotation of the inner housing 116 may be achieved by a focal grip 117, which is coupled to inner housing 116 while remaining exposed so that a user may manipulate the inner housing 116 using the focal grip 117. In one embodiment, the inner housing 116 may comprise one or more protrusions 119 on the outer surface for interacting with one or more grooves 111A, 111B (shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) inside of the outer housing 118 (i.e., the grooves spiral along the longitudinal axis of the inner surface of the outer housing 118). As the protrusion 119 moves inside the groove 111A in the outer housing 118, the inner housing 116 extends (FIGS. 4A and 4B) or retracts (FIGS. 5A and 5B). FIG. 4A illustrates the exposed inner housing 116 when extended, which results in the inner housing being distanced from the lens 110, as shown in FIG. 4B where the portion of the inner housing 116 nearest the lens is withdrawn into the outer housing 118. In contrast, when the inner housing 116 is retracted, it is not exposed to a user, as shown in FIG. 5A. However, as shown in FIG. 5B, when retracted, the upper portion (nearest the lens 110) of the inner housing 116 protrudes from the outer housing 118 nearest the lens 110, as shown in FIG. 5B, thereby positioning the LED 115 closer to the lens 110.

(21) The night hunting spotlight 100 may further comprise a lock 120 to fix the position of the LED module 114 in relation to the lens 110 by securing the position of the inner housing 116. In other words, the lock 120 may be operably coupled to the inner housing 116 so as to prevent axial and longitudinal movement of the inner housing 116. The lock 120 may comprise a jam nut 123 or any other suitable securing mechanism. It will be appreciated that the lock 120 eliminates unwanted movement of the LED module 114 via accidental rotation of the exposed focal grip 117. For example, if the lock 120 is comprises a jam nut 123, the lock 120 may be loosened by unthreading, thereby allowing the jam nut 123 to be freed, which allows a user to rotate the focal grip 117 in a first direction. Because the focal grip 117 is coupled to the inner housing 116, the protrusion 119 moves inside a groove within the outer housing 118, moving the LED module 114 and LED 115 closer to the bezel 108 and lens 110, flooding the light. Once the desired position is achieved, the user may then thread the lock 120, engaging the jam nut 123, which then secures the focal grip 117 and inner housing 116, preventing both from moving. To change the beam zoom-flood position and/or intensity, a user may again loosen the lock 120 and then actuate the focal grip 117 accordingly.

(22) Referring to FIGS. 4A-4B, the inner housing 116 is shown in an extended position (extending rearwardly, away from the lens 110, from the outer housing 118), thereby narrowing the light beam. In FIGS. 5A-5B, the inner housing 116 is retracted (extending frontwardly from the outer housing, as shown in FIG. 5B), positioning the LED module 114 closer to the bezel 108 and lens 110, thereby widening the light beam. It will be appreciated that the inner housing 116 may be adjusted to any position between the fully-retracted and fully-extended positions by rotating the focal grip 117 and securing the position with lock 120.

(23) While a rotation of the inner housing 116 inside of the outer housing 118 is shown and described, it will be appreciated that the inner housing 116 may extend and retract within the outer housing 118 without rotating. For example, it may be a push and pull motion instead of a twisting/rotating motion. Additionally, other mechanisms may be used which do not include telescoping action. For example, a lever may extend out of a channel in the side of the outer housing 118, allowing a user to directly slide the LED module 114 or LED 115 coupled to the lever without extending a portion of the housing. The lever may also include locking mechanisms, such as a screw lock (e.g., set screw), tension lock, cam lock, or other mechanism. Further, while discussed herein as being manually actuated, the linear actuation of the LED module 114 may be achieved with electronic means, such as using a motor driven linear actuator. In such a scenario, the motor may be powered by the battery 121 that also powers the LED 115 and may be controlled using buttons or switches. In other words, a night hunting spotlight 100 comprises a fixed lens 110, a fixed bezel 108, and an LED 115 movable in relation to the fixed lens 110 so as to broaden or narrow the beam, respectively. The LED 115 may be movable using telescoping mechanisms, rotating mechanisms, knobs, linear actuators (manually actuated or electronically controlled), or other mechanism capable of moving the LED 115 along the longitudinal axis of the night hunting light to approximate the lens or move distally therefrom.

(24) When the LED module 114 and/or LED 115 moves toward or retracts away from the fixed lens 110, the light beam will broaden or narrow (i.e., flood or zoom). Additionally, while not required, the tail cap portion 106 may comprise an intensity controller (e.g., rheostat 122, potentiometer, etc.), which may adjust the light intensity. Knob 125 may be used to control the rheostat 122. The intensity controller may be in contact with a battery 121 via contact 124 and spring 126. The opposite end of the battery 121 contacts spring 128 to close the circuit and power the printed circuit board (PCB) 130, which controls the LED 115. Other components, such as springs, washers, O-rings, etc. may be used and illustrated, but are not numbered.

(25) The prior art spotlights typically have a rotatable (manually screwing in or out) bezel as a method for changing the focal point between the fixed position LED and bezel-housed lens, which in turn broadens or focuses the light beam. This causes unwanted movement of the light and its focal point. The night hunting spotlight 100 described herein improves the process and keeps the bezel 108 fixed with no movement and uses the movable LED module 114, which changes the focal point based on its distance from the lens 110. When the LED module 114 moves closer to the lens or retracts from the lens, the light beam will broaden or narrow, respectively.

(26) By completely eliminating the rotational and torquing forces associated with cumbersome rotation of the entire bezel assembly, as found in the prior art, to achieve zoom—flooding of the light beam, the night hunting spotlight 100 eliminates the loss of light beam centering (off center axis). Often, this occurs when the bezel is deflected from 0 degrees off centerline in relation to the fixed LED when the bezel is rotated, due to 1) manufacturing tolerances, 2) the leverage expended by hand rotating, 3) the incidental torquing effect on the bezel, and 4) the weight of the bezel.

(27) Further, the night hunting spotlight 100 eliminates adjustable light mount limitations as related to their sensitivities to the leverage expended by hand rotating and the incidental torquing effect on the bezel. In contrast, the bezel weight and adjustability in the prior art are such that internal spring compression can occur, and minute angle of degree offsets are induced during rotation, which shift the light beam adjustment and trajectory during bezel rotation off center axis as previously discussed.

(28) The design and location of the bezel zoom—flood mechanism found in the prior art is problematic. The physical mechanics of the operator having to rotate the large spotlight bezel, which is located at the front of the light, are burdensome while peering through a scoped weapon. Additionally, by applying torque to the bezel, located at the front of the light, a user is more likely to break cheek-weld and force the crosshairs and beam off target. As previously discussed, the night hunting spotlight 100 eliminates these burdens by shifting the zoom—flood control to the rear of the spotlight, typically within 1-3 inches of the users dominate eye while looking through a scope. The reposition of the zoom—flood control disclosed herein results in a much more desirable and ergonomically placed control, with significant reduction in rotation mechanism size and rotation resistance. The reduction of distance, size, and force all aid in maintaining proper cheek-weld on a weapon and virtually eliminate related torquing sensitivities, keeping the light beam on center axis, which are all improvements over the prior art.

(29) It will also be appreciated that systems and methods according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include, incorporate, or otherwise comprise properties or features (e.g., components, members, elements, parts, and/or portions) described in other embodiments. Accordingly, the various features of certain embodiments can be compatible with, combined with, included in, and/or incorporated into other embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, disclosure of certain features relative to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure should not be construed as limiting application or inclusion of said features to the specific embodiment unless so stated. Rather, it will be appreciated that other embodiments can also include said features, members, elements, parts, and/or portions without necessarily departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

(30) Moreover, unless a feature is described as requiring another feature in combination therewith, any feature herein may be combined with any other feature of a same or different embodiment disclosed herein. Furthermore, various well-known aspects of illustrative systems, methods, apparatus, and the like are not described herein in particular detail in order to avoid obscuring aspects of the example embodiments. Such aspects are, however, also contemplated herein.

(31) Exemplary embodiments are described above. No element, act, or instruction used in this description should be construed as important, necessary, critical, or essential unless explicitly described as such. Although only a few of the exemplary embodiments have been described in detail herein, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in these exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages herein. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention.