Rail mounted multi-function flashlight

Abstract

A flashlight having an outer housing that includes both an integrated means for interfacing the flashlight with a firearm and a surface thereon that serves as a handgrip for assisting a user in holding the firearm itself. In this manner, the flashlight can be slidably received onto a rail interface adjacent a firearm barrel. The flashlight is multi-functioned in that it includes at least a white light flashlight and an infrared illuminator. Additionally, the flashlight includes a plurality of batteries arranged in two functional banks and contained in a battery compartment within the housing such that they are positioned transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the flashlight causing them to be transverse to the longitudinal axis of the firearm as well in order to preserve the batteries in operational condition.

1 . A flashlight configured to be received on a dovetail rail mounting interface comprising:
 a housing having a first end and a second end,   a channel extending from said first end to said second end, said channel having a dovetail profile configured to engage with said dovetail rail mounting interface;   at least one light emitting diode received within the first end of the housing;   a power supply disposed within said housing; and   a user interface affixed to said housing to allow a user to selectively energize and control a mode of operation of the light emitting diode.   
   
   
       2 . The flashlight of  claim 1 , wherein said channel has one fixed side and one movable side such that said movable side can be opened relative to said fixed side to install said flashlight onto said rail and said movable side can be closed to engage said dovetail rail mounting interface. 
   
   
       3 . The flashlight of  claim 1 , wherein said channel is slidable received about said dovetail rail mounting interface. 
   
   
       4 . The flashlight of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a clamping mechanism for engaging said dovetail rail interface to selectively retain said flashlight in an installed position.   
   
   
       5 . The flashlight of  claim 4 , wherein said clamping mechanism is a screw. 
   
   
       6 . The flashlight of  claim 5 , wherein said screw is positioned in a compartment within said housing for containing said power supply. 
   
   
       7 . The flashlight of  claim 5 , wherein said clamping mechanism has a locking feature that prevents accidental rotation thereof. 
   
   
       8 . The flashlight of  claim 1 , wherein said power supply is at least one battery disposed within said housing. 
   
   
       9 . The flashlight of  claim 8 , wherein said flashlight has a longitudinal axis extending from said first end to said second end and said at least one battery has a longitudinal axis extending from a first terminal to a second terminal thereof, the longitudinal axis of the battery being transverse to the longitudinal axis of the flashlight when said at least one battery is received within said housing. 
   
   
       10 . The flashlight of  claim 8 , wherein said flashlight has a longitudinal axis extending from said first end to said second end and corresponding to a longitudinal axis of a firearm on which said flashlight is mounted, said at least one battery has a longitudinal axis extending from a first terminal to a second terminal thereof, the longitudinal axis of the battery being transverse to the longitudinal axis of the flashlight and the firearm when said at least one battery is received within said housing. 
   
   
       11 . The flashlight of  claim 8 , wherein said flashlight has a longitudinal axis extending from said first end to said second end and corresponding to a longitudinal axis of a firearm on which said flashlight is mounted, said at least one battery is positioned within said housing such that recoil energy travelling along the longitudinal axis of said firearm is transverse to a longitudinal axis of said battery extending from a first terminal to a second terminal thereof. 
   
   
       12 . The flashlight of  claim 1 , wherein said power supply is a plurality of batteries disposed within said housing said plurality of batteries being configured into at least two separate battery banks wherein a user can selectively choose which of said plurality of battery banks is used to energize said flashlight. 
   
   
       13 . The flashlight of  claim 1 , wherein said power supply is a plurality of batteries disposed within said housing said plurality of batteries being configured into at least two separate battery banks wherein a first of said plurality of battery banks is actively used to energize said flashlight and the remaining of said plurality of battery banks are reserve. 
   
   
       14 . The flashlight of  claim 1 , wherein said light emitting diode emits a high-powered visible light. 
   
   
       15 . The flashlight of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one light emitting diode is at least two light emitting diodes emitting different energies from each other, the energy selected from the group consisting of: visible white, visible red, visible blue, visible green, ultraviolet, infrared and laser. 
   
   
       16 . The flashlight of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one light emitting diode is three light emitting diodes, a first light emitting diode emitting visible light, a second light emitting diode emitting infrared energy and a third light emitting diode emitting laser energy.