A Brief History of Flashlights
The history of flashlight spans about a century but no significant changes have been made since its first invention in 1898. It made portable light convenient and safe.
The story of the flashlight is very much about its evolution which was greatly influenced by developments in its main components, namely its light source, power source and its housing materials.
Recent Light Bulb
History
Thomas Edison created history with his invention in 1879 of the incandescent
light bulb. It brightened up our night lives and revolutionized the
way we light up the world after dark. It replaced the traditional
kerosene lamps and candles for all general lighting purposes.
The carbon filament in Edison's first light bulb was later replaced with the
more durable and brighter tungsten wire filament in 1906.
Short History of Portable Battery
The prototype wet cell was first invented by the French inventor George Leclanche in 1866. His model was improved on by the German scientist, Dr. Carl Gassner in 1888 by encasing the chemicals in a sealed zinc container, thus creating the world's first portable battery.
The First Flashlight in History
Flashlight history was created in 1898
when Conrad Hubert (aka Akiba Horowitz, a Russian who emigrated to the
United States in 1891) invented the world's first flashlight.
Hubert recognized the potential of a portable lighting tool. In 1897, he
worked with David Misell, who later invented the world's first tubular
flashlight.
Their joint effort resulted in several flashlight patents being registered
in 1898 under Conrad Hubert's company, The American Electrical Novelty and
Manufacturing Co.(which later became Eveready).
Do visit some flashlight museums (whether online or offline) to see the changes in the size and appearance of flashlights.
We continue the history of flashlight by tracing the development of its component parts.
Batteries are also the single factor in making the battery-powered flashlight a high-maintenance tool.
With greater environmental awareness, there is increasing demand for clean
energy rechargeable flashlights.
Clean Energy And No Battery Flashlight
Necessity is truly the Mother of
invention. The best flashlight is, of course, one that is always ready
whenever and wherever it is most needed. Coupled with greater environmental
awareness, more environmentally friendly products that use clean renewal
energy are being developed.
In response to the latest demands for a functional utility flashlight, the
latest types of flashlights did away with the need for batteries. Instead,
they make use of Faraday's Principle of Electromagnetic Induction to
generate electricity which is stored in a capacitor. Unlike batteries,
capacitors do not have corrosive chemicals and are able to store a charge
for months after being charged.
More Efficient Light Source - LED
The decreasing production costs of light-emitting diodes means most flashlights now are fitted with the super bright LED. Eventually, LED will replace the high energy-consuming incandescent light bulbs as the preferred choice of flashlight light source.
Unlike a light bulb, an LED requires very little electricity to power and is
extremely bright.
The no-battery flashlight is still evolving and its history will continue to
unfold with better, cleaner and more efficient models.
To promote and publicize their inventions,
Misell and Hubert developed several tubular flashlights and distributed them
to the New York City Police Department which gave positive feedback.
Subsequently, with improved designs and performance in batteries, light bulbs and new switches, the shape, size and usability of flashlights became more varied and versatile.
Modern Flashlights
Moving Forward: No Battery Flashlights And Environment
Fast forward to the 21st century. The disposal of used batteries became an issue amidst concerns over the adverse effects of batteries on the environment. The hazards and cost of disposing the expired batteries is a major issue among environment-conscious citizens and governments.
Added to this is another significant disadvantage of batteries - they have shelf-lives and may leak over time, corroding the contact points and rendering the flashlight unusable.
A Mind-boggling Array of Flashlights
The designs and uses of flashlights have witnessed drastic changes in tandem with advances in technology. The myriad uses of flashlights range from the professional heavy duty models to simpler ones which are meant for everyday consumer usage.
Special and General Purpose Uses
Generally, flashlights can be divided into two main categories based on their usage and construction.
The first category comprises the tactical flashlights
which offer super bright lights meant for law enforcement, military,
security, special operations and professional civilian specialists. These
include night vision systems. Some of these are specially made to be mounted
on specific weapons.
The second category of flashlights cater mostly to the consumers who need
some basic form of illumination for emergencies or general purpose usage.
If you have not been seriously shopping for any flashlights in recent years,
you would most likely be overwhelmed by the choices.
Therefore, be prudent and not rush into buying the brightest, the most
expensive or the most fancy and high-tech flashlight. Know exactly what you
want to do with your flashlights. Having a good understanding of how today's
modern high-tech flashlights work would also be crucial to ensure your money
is well spent.
You may need to find out something about the flashlights you intend to buy,
such as:-
- Price
- Run time
- Alkaline batteries or button cells
- Maintenance expenses
An ordinary alkaline cell flashlight sells for a few dollars while the new
high-tech lights has starting prices from US$30 up to $100-plus, depending
on the make, model and their features.
Some of the high-tech features found in some flashlights are the use of LED or the super bright Star LED in place of the filament bulbs, the use of newer but more expensive types of batteries for power such as Nickle Cadmium (NiCad), Nickel Metal Hydride (NIMH) or Lithium Ion (Li-Ion).
Since LEDs require lesser energy to light up, some flashlights are designed
with multiple LEDs to increase the brightness.
The development of flashlights continues with the super bright tactical LED flashlights. Go ahead and read more about tactical flashlights.
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A Brief History of Flashlight - Towards Efficiency And A Cleaner Environment