The present invention relates to an LED flambeau for religious and/or public gatherings.

It is known in the technical sector of mobile illumination devices to use so-called flambeau, namely naked-flame candles which are carried by hand by the participants during religious processions or civil marches.

It is also known that the flambeau of the known type have numerous drawbacks arising from the fact that they normally consist of wax bodies, or bodies made of similar material, which have at their free end a wick which burns with a naked flame and is protected by a bell member with a hole in the bottom for connection to the flambeau; when the flambeau is lit, the naked flame melts all the wax which falls onto the arms and legs of the person carrying the flambeau, resulting in burns and/or damage to their clothing.

These drawbacks are increased in view of the fact that the persons carrying the flambeau may be old persons, children and persons with physical disabilities which reduce their capacity to carry correctly the flambeau in order to avoid the aforementioned drawbacks.

A further problem arises from any adverse atmospheric conditions in that the flambeau of the known type are substantially unutilizable in the case of bad weather.

A battery candle according to the preamble of Claim 1 is also known from US 2011 057583.

The technical problem which is posed therefore is to provide a flambeau which is safe, can be easily handled also by persons who are disabled and can also be used in the case of adverse atmospheric conditions .

In connection with this problem it is also required that the flambeau should be light, be easy and inexpensive to produce and assemble, and also be able to be used several times.

These results are obtained according to the present invention by a flambeau according to the characteristic features of Claim 1.

A flambeau according to the invention comprises:

- an internally hollow body which contains arranged coaxially :

• a control circuit comprising at least one printed circuit board to which at least one LED is connected;

• a switch for switching the LED on/off;

• at least one power supply battery;

• conducting means for forming the electric circuit for powering the flambeau;

- an element for closing the bottom of the hollow body;

- an element for closing the top of the hollow body and for supporting a transparent element for covering the LED as well as a transparent coaxial bell member for providing protection and diffusing the light emitted by the LED;

inside the body there is a U-shaped guide for supporting at least one of the said conducting means, which extends in the longitudinal direction beyond the bottom end of the body towards the bottom of the flambeau.

According to preferred embodiments of the invention it is envisages: - the connection between said cylindrical body and the bottom closing element and top closing element is of the screw/female thread type;

- the flambeau comprises a ring for connecting together the cylindrical body and the bottom closing element, provided with a bottom thread and top thread respectively;

- 0-ring seals are arranged between the body and the connecting ring and top closing ring;

- an axial spacer is arranged between the printed circuit board and the LED support.

Preferably said conducting means comprise a first electrical-contact opposition spring axially arranged between the switch and the positive pole of the battery and/or a second opposition spring axially arranged between the battery and the printed circuit board.

The transparent element may have an ogival shape. Preferably the connection between said cylindrical body and the bottom closing element and top closing element is of the snap or elastic deformation engaging type, elastic type or friction type.

According to further preferred embodiments:

- the longitudinal arms of the U-shaped guide form the guide elements for joining together with a cover for closing the bottom of the body;

- the transverse section of the guide projects in the longitudinal direction beyond the bottom end of the cover and has an eyelet suitable for inserting a safety strap;

- a transverse bowl is present between the longitudinal arms of the U and has, formed on its annular edge, a longitudinal groove which is designed to form the guide element for a corresponding sliding shoulder of the cover; - the top end part of the body is formed as a collar provided with a longitudinal rib having outwardly directed seats and with a longitudinal seat .

- the pushbutton for operating the switch is axially housed inside the longitudinal seat of the collar from which it projects radially outwards and is movable translatably from an OFF position into an ON position and vice versa.

- the internal annular surface of the top ring has radially inwardly projecting teeth for operating the pushbutton, said teeth having a hollow body for forming guides of corresponding radially inwardly projecting longitudinal reliefs of the bottom hole of the transparent body, which longitudinal reliefs may have an undercut suitable for forming an end- of-travel stop in the longitudinal direction for joining together of the relief and the cavity of the tooth.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the switch is of the electrical contact type activated only by a precise spatial orientation of the switch itself .

According to a further preferred embodiment, the cylindrical body has an inset seat provided with guides and fastener elements, for engagement with a corresponding clip element or similar element for fastening to an external body.

Further details may be obtained from the following description of a non-limiting example of embodiment of the subject of the present invention, provided with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a first embodiment of a flambeau according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a view of the flambeau according to Fig. 1 in the assembled condition;

Figure 3 shows a cross-section along a longitudinal plane indicated by III-III in Fig. 2;

Figure 4 shows an exploded view of a second embodiment of a flambeau according to the present invention;

Figure 5 shows a cross-section along a vertical longitudinal plane of the flambeau according to Fig. 4 in the assembled condition;

Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional half-view of the flambeau according to Fig. 4 in the assembled condition;

Figure 7 shows a top plan view of the flambeau according to Fig. 4;

Figure 8 shows an enlarged detail of the connection between the bell member of the flambeau with operation of the switch for switching on said flambeau; and

Figure 9 shows an enlarged detail of the connection between the flambeau body and an element for retaining the bell member of the flambeau together with the bottom closing element;

Figures 10a, 10b show a perspective view of assembly of the ON/OFF switch inside the flambeau body in the OFF and ON position, respectively, and

Figures 11a, lib show a schematic cross-section of the flambeau assembled together with the switch in the OFF and ON position, respectively.

As shown in Figs. 1-3 and assuming as conventional references a longitudinal axis Z-Z and a top part corresponding to the light emitting part and a bottom part opposite to the top part, a first embodiment of a flambeau according to the present invention comprises essentially:

-) a cylindrical body 10 which is internally hollow and which is provided at the bottom end with a female thread 10a for engagement with a first thread 15a of a first connecting ring 15 which has a second thread 15b suitable for engagement with the female thread 13a of a second ring 13 for closing the bottom end of the flambeau.

The second bottom closing ring 13 has a coaxial through-hole 13b for the pushbutton 21 of an electric switch 20 so that said pushbutton may be operated externally by the user.

A plastic sealing cap 22, suitable for preventing electrical parts from coming into contact with moisture from the external environment, is arranged between the switch 20 and the closing ring 13.

At the opposite end to that of the switch 20, the body 10 has a third top closing ring 14 provided with a female thread 14a suitable for engagement with a thread 10b of the cylindrical body 10.

The third top closing ring 14 has, in turn, a through-hole 14b for a transparent element 30 which preferably has an ogival shape and is axially held in position by tightening of the top ring 14 on the cylindrical body 10; said tightening action also retaining a transparent bell member 80 for providing protection and diffusing the light emitted by the LED.

An electronic apparatus 50 for controlling generation of the light emitted by an LED 40 is arranged between the bottom switch 20 and the transparent element 30.

Said control apparatus has conducting means comprising a bottom opposition spring 52 radially contained inside a U-shaped insulating body 12 acting between the switch 20 and the positive pole of a battery 60, the negative, axially opposite, pole of which is in turn in contact with a top opposition spring 53 which reacts against a first surface of a printed circuit board 54 with the electronic circuits for controlling the LED 40, arranged below the transparent element 30.

An insulating spacer 54a is conveniently arranged between the printed circuit board 54 and the LED 40.

With reference to this configuration the operating principle of the flambeau is now explained:

- after unscrewing the connecting ring 12 from the cylindrical body 10, the assembly comprising, in addition to the ring 12 itself, the rubber cap 22, the switch 20, the second bottom ring 13, the insulating body 12 and the bottom opposition spring 52, is extracted;

- at least one battery 60 is inserted inside the cylindrical body 10 and the assembly described above is inserted again, with tightening again of the connecting ring 12;

- by operating the switch 21 the LED 40 for using the flambeau is switched ON/OFF.

Preferably it is envisaged that sealing O-rings 70 for ensuring the moisture-tightness of the flambeau are arranged between the connecting ring 12 and top closing ring 14 and body 10.

In addition the electronic control 50 of the LED 40 is able to modulate the emission also of flickering light which accurately simulates the light of a naked flame, while maintaining the optical effects of the latter.

Figures 4 to 9 show a second embodiment of the flambeau according to the present invention, which comprises essentially:

-) a body 110 which is approximately cylindrical, with a tapered side surface, from the top towards the bottom, and internally hollow for housing batteries 60.

Inside the body 110 there is a U-shaped guide 112 which extends longitudinally outside the body 110 towards the bottom of the flambeau.

The longitudinal arms 112a of the U-shaped guide 112 form the guide elements for joining together with a cover 113 for closing the bottom of the body 110.

Preferably the transverse section 112b of the guide

112 projects in the longitudinal direction beyond the bottom end of the cover 113 and has an eyelet

112c suitable for inserting a safety strap, not shown .

A transverse bowl 116 is also present between the longitudinal arms 112a of the U 112 and has, formed on its annular edge, a longitudinal groove 116b which is designed to form the guide element for a corresponding sliding shoulder 113b of the cover

113.

The bowl 116 forms the seat for housing the bottom end 152a of a conducting element, the top end 152b of which is inserted inside a special metalized hole of a printed circuit board 154 described below .

At its top end opposite to the end with the guide 112, the body 10 is formed as a collar 111 provided with a longitudinal rib 111a and a longitudinal seat 111b which are mutually arranged in positions preferably diametrically opposite to each other. Two seats 111c, the function of which will become clear below, are formed in the outwardly directed surface of the rib 111a.

The following are housed inside the collar:

- a top opposition spring 153 for exerting an axial pushing force on the batteries 60;

- a printed circuit board 154 which contains the electronic circuits for controlling the LED 40 and against the bottom surface of which the spring 153 reacts, coming into contact with the negative pole of the batteries 60 and a corresponding conducting surface of the said printed circuit board;

- the switch 120 for switching the LED 40 on/off, these being both fixed to the said printed circuit board 154.

In greater detail the printed circuit board 154 is contained inside the collar 111 between said rib 111a making contact in the radial direction and said longitudinal seat 111b so that the pushbutton 121 for operating the switch 120 suitably projects radially outwards for operation thereof; preferably the switch is of the slide type with pushbutton 121 which can be operated translatably from an OFF position into an ON position.

The cylindrical body 110 is closed at the top by a top ring 114 which supports the transparent element 130 for protecting the LED 40 and diffusing the light emitted by it.

The internal annular surface of the top ring 114 has radially inwardly projecting teeth 114a; the teeth 114a have a hollow body for forming guides 114b of corresponding longitudinal reliefs 181 projecting radially towards the inside of the bottom hole 182 of a transparent bell member 180; said longitudinal reliefs 181 have an undercut 181a suitable for forming an end-of-travel stop in the longitudinal direction for joining together of the relief 181 and the cavity 114b of the tooth 114a. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the connection joining together teeth 114a and reliefs 181 allows rotational operation of the ring 114 for switching the LED on/off by means of the pushbutton 121; more specifically once the ring 114 and the collar 111 have been joined together in the longitudinal direction, a pair of teeth are situated respectively in contact with the pushbutton 121 and on the opposite side inserted inside one of the two seats 111c of the rib 111a (Figs. 10a, 10b = LED switched off); rotational operation of the ring 114 in the anti-clockwise direction causes the tooth 114a situated angularly after the tooth in contact with the pushbutton to come into contact with the pushbutton 121 so that, upon continuation of the rotation, the tooth causes displacement of the pushbutton into the ON position (Figs. 11a, lib); at the same time the other oppositely facing tooth 114a of the pair passes from one seat 111c to the other seat of the rib 111a, causing a click which indicates to the user that a variation has occurred .

It is pointed out moreover that the connection between the ring 114 and the bell member 180, the dimensions of which are much greater than those of the ring, allows easy switching on and off also by users who may have impairments.

In the second embodiment the screw/female thread connections of the various component parts are preferably replaced by connections of the snap- engaging type or type with engagement by means of elastic deformation or friction type known per se and therefore not shown.

Although not shown it is also envisaged that the switch 20,120 may be of the electric-contact type activated only by a precise orientation of the switch itself - in the present example of a vertical flambeau - and deactivated in the case of an angular orientation other than a vertical orientation, therefore resulting in the LED being switched off should the flambeau not be gripped properly .

In addition, it is also envisaged that the cylindrical body 10,110 has an inset seat provided with guides and fastener elements, for engagement with a corresponding clip element or the like, allowing fixing of the flambeau to a garment of a disabled person unable to grip correctly the flambeau or to parts of wheelchairs or the like.

It is therefore clear how the flambeau according to the invention is able to ensure improved safety conditions, as a result of elimination of the naked flame, and at the same time easy handling also by disabled users.

In addition the flambeau according to the invention may be distributed and reused for various events, the sole consumable item being the single battery which may be simply replaced should it become discharged.

Although not shown, it is also envisaged that the bottom ring may be formed as an anatomical handle for facilitating gripping and holding of the flambeau .

It is also envisaged that the bell member 80,180 may be interchangeable, made of plastic or coloured, so that the colour of flambeau light viewed at a distance may be varied, or else neutral: in the first case it is possible to maintain the light emitted by the monochromatic LED, while in the second case it is the light control circuit which will be programmed to determine the colours and the intensity of the random modulation of the LED light as required.

Although described in connection with a number of embodiments and a number of preferred examples of embodiment of the invention, it is understood that the scope of protection of the present patent is determined solely by the claims below.