CZ2000769A3 - Lighter - Google Patents

Abstract

Lighter (10), resistant to unwanted use ignition requires pressing the starter (16), contains a security mechanism (18, 20, 52, 56) for increasing difficulty in operating the starter (16). Security the mechanism (18, 20, 52, 56) is adapted to move in two in order to allow full actuation of the actuator (16) and activating the ignition mechanism (22) during force application user.

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to a lighter using an ignition system that provides increased difficulty of operation for unintended users, and in particular, the present invention relates to a piezo lighter with such a system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

10 ---. - * · ·. ; - · Disposable gas lighters are available in a variety of forms. However, one common element of disposable lighters is a trigger plate or lever used to trigger fuel flow. This trigger plate is actuated in conjunction with the spark generating mechanism so that the fuel stream is ignited soon after it has been triggered. For example, lighters using conventional spark wheels require the user to turn the toothed spark wheel against the flint to create a spark. The user then squeezes the trigger plate, releasing gas and creating a flame.

Another ignition means for disposable lighters utilizes a piezoelectric mechanism. In this type of ignition mechanism, a piezoelectric element such as a crystal is struck by a hammer to generate an electric spark. This spark is led to the fuel valve opening to ignite the gaseous fuel. The trigger plate, upon force pressing by the user, triggers both the fuel flow and the ignition process. An example of such a piezoelectric ignition mechanism is described in US Patent No. 5,262,697 o

Piezoelectric mechanism for gas lighters.

• · ··

As with the spark-wheel ignition mechanism, means were provided to prevent activation of the piezoelectric mechanism by unintended users, such as children 5 years of age and younger. One typical method used is to incorporate a latch member under the trigger plate that prevents the trigger plate from squeezing. Examples of such mechanisms are described and illustrated in US Patent Nos. 5,435,719, 5, 584,682, and U.S. Pat.

5,636,979.

”But there is still a need in the art for mechanisms that increase the difficulty of control for unspecified users and at the same time be user-friendly for designated users.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lighter which is easy to operate by an adult but which is resistant to operation by young children.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above and other objects are achieved according to the present invention by a piezoelectric lighter with an elongated body defining a fuel tank and comprising a fuel discharge valve. The lighter further includes a starter that upon actuation activates an ignition system that requires release of fuel from the canister and activation of a piezoelectric mechanism that generates a spark. However, the triggering of the starter is normally prevented by the locking mechanism. Moving the locking mechanism in a specified manner allows the trigger to be depressed. The locking mechanism, which is incorporated into the actuator, is displaced by the pressure exerted by the user. After releasing the shifting force, the locking mechanism returns to its position. ··· Initial locking positions to again prevent the starter from being sufficiently depressed to activate the ignition system.

The various features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like elements are designated with like reference numerals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial, perspective view of one embodiment of the lighter of the present invention in its resting configuration;

Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the lighter illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the lighter illustrated in Fig. 1, but in the ignition position;

Fig. 4 shows a top view of a second embodiment of a lighter according to the present invention in a rest configuration;

shows a partial cross-sectional view of the lighter illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the lighter illustrated in Fig. 4, but in a locked position;

Fig. 7 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the lighter illustrated in Fig. 4, but with the locking latch moved to allow the actuator to be depressed;

Fig. 8 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the lighter illustrated in Fig. 4, but in the ignition position;

* · * 10 '

Giant. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment of the lighter of the present invention in a resting configuration;

Fig. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the lighter illustrated in Fig. 9, but with the locking pawl moved to allow actuation of the trigger;

Fig. 11 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the lighter illustrated in Fig. 9, but in the ignition position;

Giant. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the lighter illustrated in FIG. 9, but using a modified trigger.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a first illustrative embodiment of a lighter according to the present invention in partial view, wherein the lighter 10 comprises a portion of the body 12, a wind shield 14, and a collapsible valve trigger 16. The actuator 16 comprises a slider 18. The slider 18 is substantially surrounded in the upper surface of the lighter 10 by the trigger 16, but the vertical extension 20 of the slider 18 protrudes down when it is at rest to extend the rear wall 28 of the lighter 10. The slider 18 is biased towards its normal rear. · · · ·

2, by means of a sliding element spring 30.

FIG. 2 shows further details of the ignition system and the safety features of the lighter 10. The upper portion of the piezoelectric ignition mechanism 22 is connected to the starter 16. The spark conductor 24 is electrically connected to the ignition mechanism 22 in a known manner. The lower part of the ignition mechanism 22 is connected to the part formed by the body 12. Pressing the starter 16 triggers a flow of fuel through the fuel nozzle 32 to be ignited by a spark guided by the spark conductor 24.

A coil spring 26 is disposed between the upper and lower parts of the igniter 22. This spring 26 biases upwardly to resist compression of the trigger 16 and compress the igniter 22. The spring 26 is illustrated as a coil spring, but any other suitable biasing spring may be used. element as a separate leaf spring or integrally formed plastic spring.

In its normal position, shown in Figures 1 and 2, the actuator 16 cannot be depressed to activate the ignition system due to an impeding alignment of the vertical extension 20 with the rear wall 28. To allow ignition, the user must apply horizontal force to the slider 18, to inwardly move the vertical extension 20 from alignment with the rear wall 28. After the slider 18 is thus displaced in the inward direction, the trigger 16 can be depressed, as shown in Fig. 3, which compresses the ignition mechanism 22 and causes ignition. The depressing of the trigger 46 also serves to bring the spark conductor 24 near the fuel nozzle 32, which facilitates the generation of an ignition spark. In this embodiment, ridges 34 are incorporated into the sliding element 18 to assist the user in applying sufficient inward force to overcome the biasing effect of the sliding element spring 30.

After the lighter 10 has been used, the spring 26 assists in pushing the actuator 16 to return to its normal height position, and the slider element spring 30 pushes the slider 18 to its normal rearward position.

A further embodiment of the present invention is shown by " 10. " ‘-I. »··· -’ ··· 4 to 8. In Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the lighter 50 is shown in its normal position. The trigger 16 includes a latch 52 separated from the main portion of the trigger 16 by a gap 54. This latch 52 includes one or more stages 56 and is coupled to the trigger 16 at the lower end of the trigger 16, allowing the latch 52 to be operated as a lever. The lower portion of the trigger 16, where the latch 52 is attached, must be of sufficient strength and dimensions to withstand repeated rocking movements of the latch 52.

2q. Attempting to start the lighter 50, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, without moving the latch 52 as described below, results in the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 6. Stage 56 engages the rear wall 28 of the body 12. lighter 50, which prevents activation of the ignition system. Alternatively, lighter 50 may be constructed such that step 56 engages a portion (not shown) of lighter 50 within and integral with body 12 when actuator 16 is depressed from its normal position.

It should be clearly seen from Figures 4 to 6 that the upper end of the latch 52 must be applied inwardly

A force to move the stage 56 and prevent it from engaging with the rear wall 28, which then allows the trigger 16 to be fully depressed. It should also be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that under normal, downwardly actuating actuation of the actuator 16, such an inward force is not applied.

Giant. 7 illustrates a lighter 50 with a latch moved inward to an extent sufficient to allow the trigger 16 to be depressed. Preferably, the user only needs to push down the latch 52 and the trigger 16, after pushing the latch 52 '' inwardly, to actuate the ignition system. The user does not need to move his finger to apply the necessary trigger force when the latch 52 is pushed inwards.

FIG. 8 illustrates how the actuator 16 has already been depressed far enough to move the step 56 beyond the upper edge of the rear wall 28 and to activate the ignition system. The spark conductor 24 is lowered in conjunction with the trigger 16 and is now near the fuel nozzle 32, which promotes the formation of an ignition spark. The resistance of the spring 26 pushes the actuator 26 back to its normal position when the actuating pressure on the actuator 16 is released, bringing the latch 52 and the stage 56 back to their locking positions.

It should be apparent to one skilled in the art that the actuator 16 and the pawl 52 are designed such that the pawl 52 counteracts the inward pressure. It should also be understood that the latch in another embodiment of the present invention could be constructed to be coupled at its upper end to the actuator 16. In such an embodiment, shown in Figures 9 to 11, the gap 54 separates the lower the end of the latch 52 from the starter. One or more steps 56 are formed on the latch for engagement with the rear wall 28 when the actuator 16 is depressed from its normal position, which again prevents activation of the lighter 50 before the latch 52 is moved.

The lower end of the latch 52 must be pushed inwardly as shown in FIG. 10 to allow the actuator 16 to be depressed and to activate the ignition system. In addition, if desired, a separate biasing member such as a spring 58 could be incorporated into the gap 54.

To trigger the lighter shown in Figures 9 to 11, the user first applies a rearwardly applied force to the ridge 34, thereby levering against the pawl 52 to move the step 56 away from the rear wall 28. The user may then depress the application trigger 16 on the ridge 34 and the trigger 16. With the latch 52 deflected inwardly, the upper and lower portions of the igniter 22 may be depressed to trigger the ignition, as shown in FIG. 11.

As an alternative to the preceding embodiment, the ridge 34 may be replaced by an inclined surface connecting the latch 52 and the trigger 16. In this option, shown in Fig. 12, the user applies a force similar to the ridge 34 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 11. By pushing the bottom of the surface 60 inwardly, the latch 52 is moved out of its locking alignment with the rear wall 28 to allow depressing of the trigger 16 and activation of the ignition system.

Various embodiments of the present invention have been described. The foregoing description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive of the scope of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention described above without departing from the scope of the invention

»9 10 9 0

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would exceed the scope defined in the claims appended hereafter.

The ignition system described in this description is not limited to use in a lighter. The ignition system can also be used in other devices that require an improved child-resistant mechanism, such as piezoelectric gas grill ignition systems and the like.

Claims (9)

Claims 1. An unwanted use lighter comprising: an elongated body having a fuel tank; a fuel nozzle in fluid communication with a fuel tank adapted to selectively release fuel; an ignition device adapted to ignite the released fuel; a starter in operative engagement with said ignition device, wherein pressing said starter from a first height position to a second height position triggers said ignition device; and a locking pawl adapted to prevent said trigger from moving from said first height position to said second height position, said locking pawl being rigidly coupled to said trigger at said first end of said locking pawl to prevent mutual displacement between said first end of said locking pawl and said trigger; a gap is formed with increasing distance from the first end of said trigger, and wherein said locking pawl is normally positioned in a locking position in which the first locking portion on the locking pawl engages with a second locking portion on said body; characterized in that moving said locking pawl through said gap to a released position in which the first locking portion is not engaged with the second locking portion allows the trigger to be depressed from bringing the first height position to said second height position. • ft i: ftft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft The lighter of claim 1, wherein said locking pawl is movable from said locking position to said released position by a force applied by the user and is maintained in said released position by a force applied by the user; and wherein said locking pawl is automatically returned to said locking position from the released position upon release of the force applied by the user. , 10. 3. The lighter of claim 1 wherein the latch is spaced from the actuator by said gap at the other end. 4. The lighter of claim 3, wherein the actuator has an upper surface and the other end of said locking pawl is spaced apart from the actuator axis at the upper surface. 5. The lighter of claim 4, wherein a resilient member is disposed within said gap for biasing said latch to said latch position. 6. The lighter of claim 3, wherein the trigger has an upper surface and the first end of said locking pawl is coupled to the trigger at said upper surface. The lighter of claim 6, wherein the locking pawl comprises a ridge, while applying force 25 against the ridge, the locking pawl is moved over said gap. 8. The lighter of claim 6, wherein the latch comprises an inclined surface, wherein when the user applies a force against said inclined surface, the latch is slid over said gap. 9-9 _ 99 »« β • * ί < • ti ί 9 i · « 9. The lighter of claim 6, wherein a resilient member is disposed within said gap for biasing said locking pawl into said locking position.