Two Stage Switch patent?

[Anto]

I know McGizmo was making these a while back for the E series and was promptly asked by SF to stop producing these - the same type of switch that's found on the LX2 - pressure sensitive (soft press = low light, hard press = max light).

Wondering.. is the design switch actually patented?
I mean, there are a bunch of p60 dropins & clicky switch replacements (mcgizmo, netkidz), etc that fit the SF and they don't go after them..so why can they go after someone that makes a tailcap replacement switch?

I've seen the same types of pressure sensitive switches on PS3 and Xbox controllers. The concept can't be what's patented.. maybe the construction of the switch?

IIRC the original switches were for Eseries only, so theoretically, what's stopping McGizmo from making this for a 6p sized light?

 

[psychbeat]

hmmm
seems like it would be a standard part no?

its such a simple nice UI Id def hit it.

Im more into 1 mode modules these days
rather than 3mode w memory but would
love to try a 2stage McClicky or ANTO

 

[jk037]

Perhaps SF have the driver patented, rather than the switch itself?

Can't imagine many others have developed a driver that responds to the input from such a switch (presumably some sort of piezo arrangement?).

 

[Kestrel]

IIRC the original switches were for Eseries only, so theoretically, what's stopping McGizmo from making this for a 6p sized light?

The McC2S was also available, with a larger diameter resistor-mounting disc plus a larger diameter 'button' that fits inside the larger switch boot of the P/C series Z41 tailcaps.

While I lack knowledge of the specifics with respect to this particular situation, I have a little patent experience and I would guess that a patent of the SureFire two-stage tailcap switch would read something like:

Switch mechanism in a flashlight or flashlight component [...]
Wherein said switch contains a resistor or resistors which are used in one or more parts of the electrical circuit [...]
to moderate electrical current through the circuit(s)
with the goal of obtaining multiple output levels [...]
etc etc.
​

I'd bet that the patent was written to be as inclusive as possible with regards to various techniques to enable multiple outputs such as applied pressure and/or resistors in the electrical circuit.

If I was to go about circumventing said patent, my first attempt would be to create a design that used piezoelectric materials (as was mentioned above) in a solid-state switch rather than electrical resistors in a mechanical switch.


Edit: Or perhaps using two separate electronic drivers in the tailcap circuit, alternating between them via a physical displacement mechanism??

The genius of the SureFire / McGizmo switch designs is that the two-level switch operates flawlessly while displacement is in the process of occuring (but prior to the 'switch' from low to high actually taking place), with zero flickering / output instability during the actuation process.

This occurs because the 'lower level' component of the circuit is never electrically disconnected from the circuit while in either switch position (or in the interim for that matter), it's just that another current path (with no resistor) becomes available upon a certain displacement - and this additional current path short-circuits the resistored portion of the circuit. Just brilliant.

 

[Anto]

I've been looking up diagrams here and there of the two stage mechanics. Genius idea.
Was the McC2S an exact copy of SF's switch design?
Haven't had much time to examine the diagrams in detail.

BTW - was the McE2S or McC2S ever a clicky?