EP0029791A1 - Safety gas lighter - Google Patents

Abstract

Lighter comprising a reservoir of liquid gas and a valve (30) arranged at the outlet opening of this reservoir, said valve comprising an assembly (32, 33) which is movable between a position in which it closes the outlet opening of the reservoir and a position in which it allows the passage of the liquid gas from this opening to a pressure reducing valve (35) where the gas is vaporised in order to be burnt, said valve comprising a gasket (36) between its movable assembly and a fixed seat (38), this lighter comprising as essential feature an annular chamber (42) in the valve (30) between the gasket (36) and the pressure reducing valve (35). <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a safety gas lighter.

Gas lighters are already known comprising a liquid gas tank and a valve disposed at the outlet of this tank, said valve comprising a movable assembly between a position where it closes the outlet of the tank and a position where it allows the passage of liquid gas from this orifice to a regulator where the gas is vaporized to be burned, said valve comprising a seal between its movable assembly and a fixed seat.

In certain lighters of this type, the movable assembly of the valve is biased by a spring towards the position where it closes the outlet orifice of the tank. In this case, a pusher-type member keeps the valve open during the use of the lighter. As soon as this pusher is released, the valve closes by itself and the lighter goes out. This has various drawbacks, especially when the lighter is used to light a pipe.

In other lighters of the above type, the mobile assembly is biased by a spring towards the position where it allows the passage of liquid gas. In this case it is generally the closing of a lighter cover which causes the valve to close. The most serious disadvantage of a lighter of this type lies in the fact that if it is dropped by its user while it is in operation it risks remaining so during its fall and possibly causing an accident. .

The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks by providing a lighter which it is not necessary to keep a button pressed to allow its operation but which nevertheless goes out quickly after being actuated.

To this end, the subject of the present invention is a gas lighter comprising a liquid gas reservoir and a valve disposed at the outlet orifice of this reservoir, said valve comprising a movable assembly between a position where it closes the orifice of outlet and a position where it allows the passage of liquid gas from this orifice to a regulator where the gas is vaporized to be burned, said valve comprising a seal between its movable assembly and a fixed seat, characterized in that an intermediate chamber is provided in the valve between the seal and the regulator.

It is understood that in such a lighter the valve can be opened and instantly closed. Indeed, during the opening time the intermediate chamber is filled with liquid gas which even after closing the valve, at the seal, can relax and burn. As long as liquid gas remains in the intermediate chamber, the pressure in it is constant so that the flame supplied by the lighter has a substantially constant height.

On the other hand, when there is no longer any liquid gas in the intermediate chamber, the pressure gradually decreases so that the flame also decreases. If at this instant we wish to have a longer ignition time, it suffices to open the valve again without the need to cause a new spark since gas still burns at the outlet of the lighter.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the intermediate chamber is a substantially cylindrical chamber formed inside the mobile assembly. In this case, provision may be made, for example, for the mobile assembly to comprise at least one radial bore capable of making the intermediate chamber communicate with an annular passage for the liquid gas situated between the seal and the intermediate chamber.

Alternatively, the intermediate chamber may be an annular chamber formed between the movable assembly and a fixed outer part of the valve. In the latter case, the mobile assembly may include at least one radial bore between the intermediate chamber and the regulator. In either case, a seal may advantageously be provided between the movable assembly and the fixed outer part of the valve beyond the radial bore. Preferably, a wick is arranged in the intermediate chamber. Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description of two of its embodiments given by way of nonlimiting examples.

• - La figure 1 est une vue partielle en coupe d'un briquet selon l'invention avec sa valve dans la position fermée.
• - La figure 2 est une vue similaire à la figure 1, représentant la valve dans sa position ouverte.
• - La figure 3 est une vue en coupe partielle d'une seconde forme de réalisation de l'invention avec la valve fermée.
• - La figure 4 est une vue similaire à la figure 3, représentant la valve dans sa position ouverte.

In the attached schematic drawing:.

• - Figure 1 is a partial sectional view of a lighter according to the invention with its valve in the closed position.
• - Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the valve in its open position.
• - Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention with the valve closed.
• - Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the valve in its open position.

The lighter shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a body 1 which carries a valve 2 and forms a reservoir 3 for liquid gas. The valve 2 is arranged in the orifice 4 of the reservoir 3 between a supply pipe 5 for the liquid gas and a burner 6 mounted on a closing cover 7 of the briqnet.

The valve 2 comprises in known manner a substantially cylinder body 8 engaged in the orifice 4 and of which the conduit 5 is integral. Inside the body 8 and bearing on the upper part of the conduit 5 is a member 9 which forms at its lower part a seat 10 for a seal which will be described below.

The member 9 is held in place by a member II which is threaded externally at its upper part to cooperate with an internal thread 12 of the body 8. Thus the body 8, the conduit 5 and the members 9 and 11 form a unit integral with the frame 1 of the lighter.

Inside this assembly is arranged another axially movable assembly for ensuring the opening or closing of the valve 2.

This movable assembly firstly comprises a member 13 which comprises at its lower part a seal 14 retained by a ring 15. The member 13 is capable of sliding with play inside a bore formed in the organ 9.

In its middle part the member 13 has a central bore 16 which communicates at its lower part by a radial bore 17 with the outside of the member 13, that is to say which opens into the bore of the organ 9.

At its upper part, the axial bore 16 communicates with the regulator 18 which will be described below.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, a wick is arranged in the bore 16 between the bore 17 and the regulator 18. This wick improves the stability of the combustion of the gas mixture.

the movable assembly also comprises a member 19 above the member 13, the member 19 also being pierced axially.

The member 19 forms at its upper part an exhaust duct 20 ending near the burner 6 and comprises at its lower part a bore in which the threaded rod of a screw 21 is arranged.

The member 13 also comprises at its upper part an internal thread 22 capable of cooperating with an external thread of an adjustment member 23. The lower surface of the member 23 is supported on a shoulder of the member 19 which is itself engaged in the member 13. Between the member 13 and the member 19 is the head of the screw 21 as well as a material of any type known for forming the regulator 18.

It can be seen from the above description that by screwing the member 23, the member 19 is lowered into the member 13 so that the regulator 18 is compressed in a known manner, which has the effect when the lighter works to decrease the height of the flame.

Finally, a spring 24 is disposed between the bottom of the member 11 and an external shoulder of the member 13.

It can be seen that the member 13, the screw 21, the regulator 18, the member 19 and the member 23 form an integral assembly sliding axially inside the body 8 of the valve 2.

This movable assembly is pushed upwards by the spring 24 so that, in the absence of any external action, the seal 14 is in abutment on the valve seat 10.

Furthermore, a seal 25 is disposed between the member 9 and the member 13 above the radial bore 17, that is to say downstream of this bore in the direction of flow of the gas and another seal 26 is provided between member 13 and member 19.

A pusher 27 is provided at the upper part of the lighter in a place accessible by the user's finger and is capable of sliding through the cover 7 in the axial direction. The pusher 27 is arranged to drive the free end of a leaf spring 28, the other end of which is secured with a screw 29 to the body 1 of the lighter. In its central part, the leaf spring 28 has an orifice which is traversed by the upper part 20 of the member 19 so that when the pusher 27 is pressed the spring 28 biases the mobile assembly of the valve 2 downwards against spring action 24.

The operation of this lighter is as follows.

When the user pushes the plunger 27, the spring 28 lowers the mobile assembly inside the fixed assembly formed by the body 8 of the valve and the members 9 and 11. The maximum position reached is shown at Figure 2.

In this position where the seal is no longer resting on the annular seat 10, the liquid gas is liable to rise due to the play existing between the bore of the member 9 and the member 13 until the radial orifice 17 through which it can enter the intermediate chamber 16. When this intermediate chamber 16 is full, the gas passes between the head of the screw 21 and the inner wall of the member 13 to arrive at the regulator 18 where the gas is vaporized.

The gas then rises in the threads of the screw 21 where it is homogenized and then it passes through the exhaust duct 20 from which it exits through the burner 6. A spark triggered by the user then makes it possible to ignite the gas.

If the pusher 27 is released the spring 28 allows the mobile assembly of the valve 2 to be raised under the action of the spring 24.

Since the intermediate chamber 16 is full of liquefied gas, it continues to escape by vaporizing in the regulator 18. However, as long as liquid gas remains in the chamber 16, the pressure retains the same value so that the flame at the outlet of the burner 6 retains the same height.

When there is no longer any liquefied gas in the intermediate chamber 16, the pressure gradually decreases so that the flame also has its height which decreases until it goes out relatively quickly.

If before the flame is extinguished, the pusher 27 is pressed again, the intermediate chamber is again filled with liquid gas so that the flame returns to its initial height.

Figures 3 and 4 show a variant of the lighter according to the invention and in these figures only the valve 30 has been shown.

The valve 30 comprises, as previously, a fixed external part 3 ₁ inside which is capable of sliding axially a movable assembly formed by a member 32, a member 33 disposed inside the member 32 and an adjusting member 34 externally threaded to cooperate with an internal thread of the member 32 and pressing by its lower surface on a shoulder of the member 33. Between the lower part of the member 33 and a bearing surface of the member 32 is disposed the regulator 35, the degree of compression of which can be adjusted by screwing the adjusting member 34.

The member 32 has at its lower part a seal 36 held by a ring 37 crimped on the member 32. The seal 36 is capable of cooperating with a seat 38 formed at the lower part of the member 31. The seat 38 consists of the outer surface of an annular rim, the inner surface of which serves as a support for a helical spring 39, the other end of which bears on a shoulder of the member 32.

Another seal 40 is disposed between the member 32 and the member 31 as well as a third seal 41 is disposed between organs 32 and 33.

An annular space 42 formed between the member 32 and the member 31 corresponds to its lower part which contains the spring 39 with the zone 43 for the arrival of the liquid gas via the valve seat 38 and to its upper part with the regulator 35 by means of a radial bore 44 located below the seal 40.

Finally, the body 33 has at its upper part an exhaust duct 45 for the vaporized gas.

The operation of the lighter according to this variant is as follows.

The driving members of the mobile assembly formed by the members 32, 33 and 34 have not been shown but they allow this assembly to slide down against the action of the spring 39. When the seal 36 is moved away from the seat 38 the liquid gas can penetrate into the annular intermediate chamber 42 (FIG. 4) from which it can pass into the regulator 35 by the radial bore 44. From the regulator 35 the gas passes through the exhaust duct 45 after which it is burned using a burner not shown.

When the driving members are released the movable assembly rises under the action of the helical spring 39 to return to the position shown in FIG. 3. The liquid gas contained in the intermediate chamber 42 continues to escape through the expansion valve 35 and to be burned so that the pressure remaining constant in the chamber 42 the height of the flame does not vary.

When there is no longer any liquid gas in the intermediate chamber 42, the pressure in this chamber decreases so that the height of the flame decreases until it goes out after a predetermined time.

If however before the extinction of the flame the whole mobile is again pressed the intermediate chamber 42 is again filled with liquid gas so that the flame returns to its initial level.

The invention therefore makes it possible to produce a lighter in which it is not necessary to keep a push button depressed to ensure the escape of the gas. However, this lighter is safe to use because it goes out quickly in the event of a fall. Furthermore, the user is warned that the lighter is about to go out by the reduction in the height of the flame so that it is sufficient for him to depress the valve lifter again to refill the intermediate chamber of liquid gas which can burn without the need to supply a new spark.

Claims (4)

1. Gas lighter comprising a liquid gas reservoir and a valve disposed at the outlet of this reservoir, said valve comprising a movable assembly between a position where it closes the outlet of the reservoir and a position where it allows the passage of liquid gas from this orifice to a regulator where the gas is vaporized to be burned, said valve comprising a seal between its movable assembly and a fixed seat, an intermediate chamber being provided in the valve between the seal sealing and regulator, characterized in that the intermediate chamber is an annular chamber formed between the movable assembly and a fixed external part of the valve. 2. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the movable assembly comprises at least one radial bore between the intermediate chamber and the regulator. 3. Lighter according to claim 5, characterized in that a seal is provided between the movable assembly and the fixed outer part of the valve beyond the radial bore. 4. Lighter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a wick is arranged in said intermediate chamber.

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