EP0100731B1 - Gas flow control device for a liquid gas lighter - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for adjusting the gas flow rate of a liquefied gas lighter and, more specifically, a device for adjusting the maximum height of the flame likely to be supplied by the lighter to a given value.

Most devices for adjusting the gas flow rate of liquefied gas lighters use a compressible element, with or without gas passing through it, which is compressed more or less according to the desired gas flow rate. Some of these devices additionally comprise means making it possible to limit the gas flow rate, and therefore the height of the flame supplied, to a given maximum value.

These means, most of the time, consist of a presetting stage arranged on the path of the gas and imposing an additional pressure drop on it, this presetting stage being arranged in series with the normal adjusting stage.

It has been proposed to carry out the presetting and the adjustment of the flame height of a lighter using a single permeable pellet. FR-A-2 277 305 thus discloses adjustment devices in which, on the one hand, pre-setting is ensured by annular compression of a permeable compressible disc by means of a first annular screw screwed into the body regulator and, on the other hand, the adjustment is ensured by central compression of the same disc by means of a second screw screwed into an internal thread of the first.

This type of device allows easy access to the presetting and adjustment means from outside the lighter and therefore makes it possible to correct the maximum flame height or use flame without having to dismantle one or the other. preset or adjustment systems.

However, an inherent drawback to this type of device lies in the fact that the presetting and adjustment are not independent of each other, and that a modification of one risks causing a modification of the other. Indeed, due to the fact that the two presetting and adjusting screws are screwed into one another, they are linked in rotation by the friction existing between their common threads.

It has also been proposed by DE-A-1 632 608 to carry out the presetting using an annular screw screwed into the regulator body, and adjustment using a second screw screwed upstream of the first , also in the body of the regulator, and a part of which passes through the annular screw to compress the elastic disc. If this type of device ensures total independence of the two compression screws with respect to each other, it does not allow access to the screw exerting the annular compression, without having first disassembled the assembly. of the device.

The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a device for adjusting the gas flow rate of the aforementioned type, in which the presetting system, that is to say adjusting the maximum flame height, and the system for flame adjustment at the height of use are both independent of each other and accessible from outside the lighter, without disassembly and therefore without adjustment.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a device for adjusting the gas flow rate of a liquefied gas lighter of the type comprising a regulator body formed in the body of the lighter, intended to receive an elastic permeable disc traversed by the gas. , and two compression elements capable of compressing respectively two different zones of this disc, an annular zone and a central zone, a first compression element consisting of an annular compression screw, screwed into the regulator body and integral in rotation d '' a control member slidably mounted in the annular compression screw and integral, at least in translation, with a control member screwed into the regulator body, said central compression member passing through said annular compression screw to ensure compression of the central zone of the elastic permeable disc, said device being characterized in that the control member of the central compression element as well as the control member of the annular compression screw are accessible from the outside of the lighter.

The present invention ensures the independence of the two adjustment elements with respect to each other, while making it possible to access each of them without having to disassemble the other.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the control member of the screw ensuring the annular compression is constituted by the element ensuring the central compression and hereinafter called central compression screw and is integral in rotation and free in translation relative to said screw.

The connection between the annular compression screw and the central compression element can be achieved for example by means of longitudinal grooves of complementary shapes provided on these two parts.

The control member of the central compression element may consist of a screw screwed into the body of the regulator, this screw being integral in translation and free in rotation relative to said central compression element.

The connection between these two parts may, for example, be ensured by a circular boss guided by two washers with a low coefficient of friction, or by rolling means of the ball bearing type. In a particularly advantageous form of the invention, the control member of the annular compression screw will be constituted by the central compression element, the latter being free in translation relative to to the annular compression screw and the control member of the compression element being free to rotate relative to the latter.

• La figure 1 est une coupe longitudinale partielle d'un briquet équipé d'un dispositif de réglage du débit de gaz suivant l'invention ;
• La figure 2 est une coupe d'une première variante de réalisation de l'invention, dans laquelle l'organe de commande l'élément de compression annulaire est constitué par l'élément de compression centrale ;
• La figure 3 illustre une seconde variante de réalisation de l'invention dans laquelle les opérations de préréglage et de réglage s'effectuent à partir de la partie supérieure du briquet.

Various embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal section of a lighter equipped with a gas flow control device according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a section of a first alternative embodiment of the invention, in which the control member the annular compression element is constituted by the central compression element;
• FIG. 3 illustrates a second alternative embodiment of the invention in which the presetting and adjustment operations are carried out from the upper part of the lighter.

In Figure 1, the wall 1 of the body of a lighter constitutes the regulator body. It is hollowed out of a cavity 3, internally threaded, so as to receive an annular compression element consisting of a hollow screw 5.

One end of the screw 5 is provided with a crown 7 comprising on its periphery drive teeth 9. Its other end is supported on a disc 11, permeable and elastic, housed in the cavity 3. The latter communicates with the lighter burner via a channel 13 which can be closed off by a valve 15; it also communicates by a lateral channel 4 with the liquefied gas tank 2.

The screw 5 is traversed axially by a central compression element, consisting of a piston 17, which is provided, at one of its ends, with a control member consisting of a screw 19 screwed into the body of the lighter . Its other end 12 is supported on the central part of the disc 11.

Presetting, i.e. adjusting the maximum flame likely to be supplied by the lighter, can be carried out using screw 5.

For this purpose, the end 12 of the piston 17 is first moved away from the disc 11, so as not to impose a pressure drop at the central part of the disc.

The gas contained in the reservoir 2 of the lighter arrives via the channel 4 in the capillary passage separating the thread of the screw 5 from that of the cavity 3, passes radially through the annularly compressed portion, then the central portion of the disc 11, and gains the burner through the channel 13, when the valve 15 is open.

By more or less screwing the screw 5 using the ring gear 7, the disc 11 is more or less compressed and the flame is therefore adjusted to the desired height. As, during this adjustment, the piston 17 does not participate in the compression of the disc, the pressure drop that it creates is negligible and the flame produced is then maximum.

To reduce the height of the flame and bring it to the desired height of use, it suffices to compress the central part of the disc 11 appropriately by screwing the control member 19 more or less.

On the device in FIG. 2, the central compression element consisting of a piston 20 constitutes the control member of the annular compression element consisting of the screw 22.

For this purpose, these two parts are linked in rotation by longitudinal grooves 24, which leave them free in translation.

The piston 20 control member consists of a screw 26 axially hollowed out of a recess 28 intended to receive said piston. This comprises a circular boss 30. This boss takes place between two rings 31 and 33 made of a material with a low coefficient of friction such as, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene, and the assembly is held by a crimping 32. The piston 20 and the screw 26 are thus secured in translation and free in rotation.

During presetting, to adjust the annular compression of the disc 34, in other words to move the screw 22 axially, the piston 20 is rotated by means of a slot 36 provided at one of its ends. This rotation does not cause the screw 26 to rotate, but causes that of the screw 22 and, consequently, its axial displacement.

During the adjustment operation, to adjust the central compression of the disc 34, in other words to move the piston 20 axially, the screw 26 is rotated by means of slots 38 provided at one of its ends. This rotation, taking into account the good sliding coefficient of the rings 31 and 33, does not cause that of the piston 20 and is therefore without effect on the screw 22, but causes the axial displacement of the piston 20 and therefore makes it possible to adjust the compression of the disc 34 in its central part.

The variant embodiment shown in FIG. 3 allows the presetting and the adjustment of the flame height from the upper part of the lighter.

The upper face 40 of a lighter body is dug from a well 42, internally threaded and pierced at its base with a channel 44 in communication with the lighter tank, not shown in the drawing.

A metal disc 45, provided on its lower face with fine grooves, is disposed on the bottom 46 of the well and supports an elastic permeable disc 48.

The disc 48 is compressed on its annular part by a compression element consisting of a screw 50 pierced by a housing 52.

This housing receives the central compression element, consisting of a piston 54 internally pierced with a cavity 56. This piston and the screw 50 are provided with grooves 58 intended to ensure their joining in rotation while respecting their freedom in translation. The housing 52 is provided with a gas inlet channel 60. This channel is closed by a valve 62 also serving as a burner. It is put in the closed position by a spring 64 and in the open position by means acting against it and not shown in the drawing.

The control member of the piston 54 is constituted killed with a hollow screw 66, provided with a toothed collar 68 and screwed into the upper part of the well 42.

A spring 72, compressed between the body of the lighter and a circular boss 53 of the piston 54, applies this boss against the base of the screw 66, with the interposition of a washer 70 with a low coefficient of friction. Thus the screw 66 and the piston 54 are integral in translation and free in rotation.

When the gas valve is open, the gas admitted through the channel 44 bypasses the metal disc 45 and successively passes through the annular compression zone and the central compression zone of the elastic permeable disc 48 where it undergoes the pressure losses resulting from the compression of these. two zones.

To adjust the compression of the annular zone, the piston 54 is rotated, which rotates, using the grooves 58, the screw 50, thereby causing more or less compression of the annular zone.

To adjust the state of compression of the central area, the screw 66 is rotated. It therefore moves axially in the well 42 and drives in this displacement the piston 54, which more or less compresses the central area.

The invention therefore provides a simple and easy to implement means for independently adjusting the maximum flame height of a lighter and the height of use of the flame.

Claims (5)

1. A device for regulating the gas flow of a liquefied gas lighter of the type comprising a pressure-reducing body provided in the body of the lighter, intended to receive a resilient permeable disc (11, 34, 48) through which the gas passes, and two compression elements capable of respectively compressing two different zones of said disc, an annular zone and a central zone, a first compression element (5, 22, 50) comprising an annular compression screw member which is screwed into the pressure-reducing body and which is fixed in respect of rotary motion to a control member (7, 20, 54), and a second element, referred to as the central compression element (17, 20, 54) which is mounted slidably in the annular compression screw member and which is fixed at least in respect of translatory movement to a control member (19, 26, 66) screwed into the pressure-reducing body, said central compression member passing through said annular compression screw member to provide for compression of the central zone of the resilient permeable disc, said device being characterised in that the member for controlling the central compression element and the member for controlling the annular compression screw member are accessible from the outside of the lighter.

2. A control device according to claim 1 characterised in that the member for controlling the annular compression screw member (22, 50) is formed by the central compression element (20, 54), that said central compression element (20, 54) is fixed in respect of rotary movement to the annular compression element (22, 50), and that the control member (26, 66) thereof is free to rotate with respect thereto.

3. A control device according to claim 2 characterised in that the annular compression screw member (22, 50) and the control member (20, 54) thereof co-operate in respect of rotary movement by way of longitudinal splines (24, 59) of complementary shapes, which are provided on said two components.

4. A control device according to one of claims 2 and 3 characterised in that the member (26, 66) for controlling the central compression element (20, 54) and said element co-operate by way of an external boss on one of said components, which is urged in respect of translatory movement by the other component.

5. A control device according to claim 3 characterised in that interposed between said boss (30, 55) on the control member (26, 66) of the central compression element (20, 54) and the member that it urges in respect of translatory movement are members having a low coefficient of friction or ball bearings.

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