For some, the advantages will outweigh the disadvantages. One of those advantages is that, as long as the pocket clip is intact, if the light ever slips out of your pocket it will turn on. You’re much more likely to notice an illuminated light laying on a couch than a dark tube.
Plus, if some flashlight manufacturers put forward the effort, several of the disadvantages could be minimized or eliminated. Lights could be made so that you can replace the batteries. Optimized clip & body shapes and materials would improve the reliability and contamination resistance of the contact points (which in my design on the Microstream USB are pretty crude and yet already pretty reliable).
I think it’s a good concept,that can be improved upon. Maybe instead of an exposed contact, a momentary switch that the clip pushes down on to activate the light. Would remedy some of the issues, but will cost more to implement.
Yeah GDF. Since a switch directly under the clip would have pressure on it whether or not it’s clipped to something I’ve thought of maybe a lever type system (so when the clip is clipped the outward pressure pushes the top into an electronic switch). Seems like that would be very dependent upon clip tension though (since many materials you’ld be clipping it to are thin), and you’d be out of luck if your pocket clip got bent at all. I’m convinced that if some good engineers put their heads together we could have ultra reliable clip switched lights in the near future.
Please comment if you like the idea of a clip switch. Even if you don’t have something clever to say, your interest just might help make clip switches commonplace.
Don’t take this the wrong way , it’s great to see people thinking outside the box - but maybe the market just doesn’t exist in these circles (mainly enthusiasts on here).
I mean people have all sorts of disabilities, including forgetfulness and arthritis (making it hard to push the clicky) may be that you got more interest in those circles? Just an idea
On another note……
I also wondered……… is there a way to have it/one switch on when you pick it up (and so long as you hold it, it stays on) - I mean is it doable? like a touch switch (the whole body) rather than clip, I know you can get lamps that do it, you just touch them with your hand and they come on / go off. Then you wouldn’t have to remember to switch it off…OR leave it on (like your system)
Already exists, I had one many years ago. I had one where it was similar to this in the respect you used the clip, but it switched it on whilst being held (and only whilst being held)
Interesting idea. Always nice to see creative thoughts on how to do things differently. Your idea, as apposed to the four click lockout, or the quarter of a turn of the tail cap to manually lockout. The later two ideas are really good, because the user gets to decide exactly when the light gets turned on. And, which brightness level is used at turn on (memory mode).
One scenario: What if the user is not ready for the light to be turned on, they just want to grab the flashlight in hand to be prepared in case they might need to use it.
Just my humble thoughts. I still have a lot to learn about torches, so my thinking might be way off… Anyways, the world keeps turning due to creative minds. Keep up the great work. And, “bright” ideas (pun intended).
Agreed.
Ok, as I see it from the vids, the light is ALWAYS on unless there is something breaking the contact between body and clip - correct?
So, when you are not using it, something will have to be between the clip and the body, at all times or the light will be on. So you can’t just ‘put it down’ you still have to remember to switch it off, just not with the clicky - a piece of plastic or something to hand wedged between the clip and body.
Before someone says ‘well switch it off with the clicky’ no lol! - the idea of this light is that it is always on and ready to use because people forget to switch it off in the first place, if you are then going to switch it off anyway with the clicky it negates the entire idea.
Please correct me if I’m wrong on this lol maybe I have this whole thing wrong! :person_facepalming:
Swabs, if the user isn’t ready for the light to be turned on they can switch it off with the tail clicky and back on with the tail clicky when they want it.
G0OSE, I looked into making a “touch” light like you’re describing a while back. I think it’s possible although I don’t know much about the technology. But it’d be cool for sure! The biggest downside to it would be wet or gloved hands, but I think some people would be willing to make the tradeoff (or you could have a switch that manually turns the light on or off overriding the touch portion). Vinh with Skylumen had a light called the Tange (version 1) with a capacitive switch but it wasn’t the whole light. Energizer also has a “Touch Tech LED Flashlight” but it’s more of a squeeze switch.
As for the ClipSwitch, the clicky shuts the light off (another design could use a twisty). No need to put something between the clip and the body when you set it down or put it in your pocket. The point is that as long as the light is on when you clip it to something (your pocket, a pocket organizer, a bag, etc.) it will come back on automatically when you unclip it. OR you could use it like a normal flashlight (turning it on and off with the clicky tailcap) and the clip switch would simply prevent you from draining the batteries if you accidentally forgot to shut it off before clipping it to your pocket, organizer, etc.
Think on a car mechanic who has the flashlight in the pocket and is constantly taking out the flashlight of the pocket, turning it on, pointing to the work area and, when done, reverse process…
This idea simplifies and makes things fast and easy.
I want to test one of those microstrem usb!!!
Each time I think more about the clipswitch, it makes me thing how no one did it before!…
I was thinking of other more reliable ways to activate a switch, and I thought of laptops and flip-phones that have magnetic sensors that turn the screen on/off when you open or close them. It may be possible to achieve the same with a clip that is magnetized. I did a bit more reading, and mechanical reed switches were originally used in older laptops and flip-phones, and as technology advanced they used Hall sensors, and now MR sensors. This article explains it better:
I’m no engineer and I don’t know the feasibility of this approach, but I thought it was interesting enough to mention.
