Rail mountable gun light with aiming light and rotationally keyed mount assembly

Abstract

Rail mountable gun light having an aiming light with a rotationally keyed mount assembly for maintaining the light in a desired rotational orientation at a variety of locations on the gun.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gun light assembly for mounting a light on a gun mounting rail, comprising:
 a gun light including:
 a light body having a head end and an opposing tail end with a longitudinal axis extending therebetween; 
 an aiming light source disposed at the head end, the aiming light source configured to generate a beam of light along an aiming source axis to illuminate a point on a selected target; 
 first and second aiming light source adjustment members disposed on the light body and operably connected to the aiming light source, the adjustment members operable to move the aiming light source within the light body to adjust the orientation of the aiming light source relative to the light body; and 
 at least two light body registration surfaces disposed on the light body, each disposed at a different angular location about the longitudinal axis on the light body; and 
   a mount assembly operably connected to the gun light, the mount assembly including a mounting clamp for attachment to the gun mounting rail and a including clamp sleeve operably attached to the light body to retain the light body therein, the clamp sleeve having at least two sleeve registration surfaces each disposed at a different angular location about the longitudinal axis on the clamp sleeve, each clamp sleeve registration surface configured to slidingly receive therein a corresponding one of either one of the at least two light body registration surfaces.   
     
     
         2 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the aiming light source comprises a laser. 
     
     
         3 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the aiming source axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first aiming light source adjustment member comprises a set screw extending through the light body and having a screw head accessible externally to the light body. 
     
     
         5 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second aiming light source adjustment members are offset from one another by 90 degrees in an arc about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         6 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second aiming light source adjustment members are configured to adjust windage and elevation orientations of the aiming light source. 
     
     
         7 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two light body registration surfaces comprises eight surfaces, the eight surfaces adjoined to one another and having the shape of a regular octagon in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         8 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two clamp sleeve registration surfaces provide a cavity therebetween for receiving the at least two light body registration surfaces therein. 
     
     
         9 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the head end, tail end, and clamp sleeve each have a respective dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the clamp dimension less than that of the head and tail ends. 
     
     
         10 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the tail end includes a tailcap threaded onto the light, the tailcap having an outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the clamp sleeve to prevent the clamp sleeve from sliding off the tail end of the light body when the tailcap is threaded onto the light. 
     
     
         11 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two sleeve registration surfaces each include a plurality of openings extending therethrough. 
     
     
         12 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting clamp includes a cavity disposed therein for receiving the gun mounting rail, the cavity having a generally planar surface extending along the longitudinal axis and disposed proximate the light body, the generally planar surface disposed parallel to a selected one of the light body registration surfaces. 
     
     
         13 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , comprising a cavity disposed in the light body for receiving a power source therein for energizing the aiming light source, and a switch at the tail end disposed in electrical communication with the aiming light source and power source to selectively provide power from the power source to the aiming light source. 
     
     
         14 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the head end includes an illumination light source for providing illumination in a direction extending away from the head end. 
     
     
         15 . The gun light assembly of  claim 14 , comprising one or more switches at the tail end respectively disposed in electrical communication with the aiming light source and the illumination light source to selectively provide electrical power to one or both of the aiming light source and illumination light source. 
     
     
         16 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the gun light comprises a flashlight. 
     
     
         17 . The gun light assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting clamp includes a fixed clamp member and a movable clamp member each operably connected with the clamp sleeve, the fixed and movable clamp members being disposed in opposition to one another and movable relative to one another in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis to clamp the mounting rail therebetween. 
     
     
         18 . The gun light assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the fixed clamp member and clamp sleeve comprise a one-piece, unitary part. 
     
     
         19 . The gun light assembly of  claim 17 , comprising a biasing device disposed between and operably connected to the fixed and movable clamp members, the biasing device operable to move the fixed and movable clamp members relative to one another. 
     
     
         20 . The gun light assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the biasing device comprises a screw. 
     
     
         21 . The gun light assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the movable clamp member has a hole therethrough, and wherein the fixed clamp member has a hole therein aligned with the hole through the movable clamp member, the biasing device comprising a shaft disposed in the hole through the movable clamp member and having a threaded end disposed in the hole of the fixed clamp member. 
     
     
         22 . The gun light assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the fixed clamp member has one or more posts extending therefrom in a direction toward the movable clamp member, wherein the movable clamp member has one or more holes aligned for receiving the posts of the movable clamp member. 
     
     
         23 . The gun light assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the posts comprise screws.