The present invention describes a compact flashlight comprising a power control means which provides a plurality of lighting functions. The flashlight includes: a case, a battery, a bezel or lens, a light module and a power control means. The power control means comprises an activator and an electrical controller. The light module incorporates a lamp. The power control means provides an activator for a user of the flashlight to energize the lamp to any intensity within a range of intensities the lamp will remain energized at a selected intensity without further effort of the user. The power control means additionally permits the user to momentarily energize the lamp and for the lamp to extinguish upon release of the rotary switch by the user. The activator includes a lockout means to prevent inadvertent activation of the flashlight. The activator further includes a seal means to prevent entrance of water into the flashlight. The seal means optionally comprises a venting means to permit hydrogen gas emitted from the battery to escape from the flashlight before it creates unacceptable internal pressure and a related safety hazard.

A combination flashlight and high intensity light source has a case containing a flashlight bulb, a high intensity flash lamp such as a Xenon flashlamp, and circuit means for selectively energizing the bulb and lamp to continuously illuminate the bulb and/or flash the lamp. The preferred embodiment is a hand-held self-contained battery powered flashlight having an elongate tubular case with a rear battery compartment for containing dry cells in end-to-end series relation and a front enlarged head portion containing a common reflector for the light bulb and flash lamp and a circuit board mounting the flash lamp flash circuit.

The current lighting device incorporates a seal which prevents water under external pressure from entering the device while permitting hydrogen gas under low pressure to exit. A power control activator permits the hydrogen gas to bypass the seal, thus reducing the explosive hazard. An o-ring or u-seal are used as the seals, which act as one-way valves. The lighting device has a case with a battery, electrical element and power control therewithin.

A method and apparatus are provided for simulating an open flame in a hand-held device. The method and the device resulting therefrom includes attaching a lamp to an electrical circuit contained within a housing, the circuit adapted to randomly vary at least one of a voltage, a current, and a resistance of a direct current supplied to said lamp by at least one battery, and transmitting the light from the lamp in at least a hemispherical pattern through a faceted cap surrounding said lamp.

The invention concerns a flash-light comprising a control membrane, one or several reserve batteries (20), an emergency lighting (22), display means, and a managing electronic circuit comprising: means for controlling the level of the batteries to display their charge level and switch the battery or batteries (20) on the emergency bulb (22) if the main bulb is connected but the level of the cells (12) is insufficient; means for controlling the bulb, the circuit displaying the bulb condition (in order/out of order) or a charge level of the batteries (12) when the flash-light is on; means for controlling the charge level of the battery or batteries (20) to connect the battery or batteries (20) on the cells (12) and for recharging it or them if the level of the battery or batteries (20) is insufficient, said supply being interrupted as soon as the level of the battery of batteries (20) is above a threshold.