EP0498023A1 - A new plastic lighter - Google Patents

A new plastic lighter Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0498023A1
EP0498023A1 EP91105892A EP91105892A EP0498023A1 EP 0498023 A1 EP0498023 A1 EP 0498023A1 EP 91105892 A EP91105892 A EP 91105892A EP 91105892 A EP91105892 A EP 91105892A EP 0498023 A1 EP0498023 A1 EP 0498023A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
gas
nozzle
reservoir
pressing plate
control valve
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP91105892A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Pi-Shan Chou
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
CHOU PI SHAN
Original Assignee
CHOU PI SHAN
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by CHOU PI SHAN filed Critical CHOU PI SHAN
Publication of EP0498023A1 publication Critical patent/EP0498023A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
    • F23Q—IGNITION; EXTINGUISHING-DEVICES
    • F23Q2/00—Lighters containing fuel, e.g. for cigarettes
    • F23Q2/16—Lighters with gaseous fuel, e.g. the gas being stored in liquid phase
    • F23Q2/167—Lighters with gaseous fuel, e.g. the gas being stored in liquid phase with adjustable flame

Definitions

  • a sponge rod is usually mounted in a transparent gas reservoir to form a gas-flow passage to connect the gas flow system and the gas regulating system.
  • the gas regulating system includes a flame adjuster with inner ratchet teeth to be mounted around a valve member; whenever the flame adjuster is turned, the valve member will be moved upwards or downwards so as to control the flow of gas.
  • the gas ignition system includes a pressing plate to control the ON/OFF of gas. A fire-striking wheel can be rotated to ignite the gas gushed out.
  • the lighter according to the present invention has been improved in the following systems, i.e., (1)to simplify the gas flow system,(2) to simplify the gas regulating system for function improvement, better nt, and (3)to improve the gas ignition system with better ignition efficiency. Since the parts of the present invention have been reduced, the assembling operation for the lighter will be improved considerably.
  • This invention relates to an improvement of a plastic lighter in (1) the gas flow system,(2) the gas regulating system,and the gas ignition system , of which the structures thereof are described as follows:
  • the gas reservoir has a reinforced inner wall, and a sponge rod to guide the gas to flow out.
  • the inner wall has been replaced with a capillary groove extended to the outlet of the gas reservoir so as to guide the gas to flow out of the gas reservoir; the capillary groove not only can save the conventional sponge rod, but also can reduce the assembling cost of the lighter; in the transparent reservoir of a lighter, there is no parts but a clean liquid gas.
  • the gas control valve usually includes three parts, i.e., a valve member, a gas nozzle, and a bottom cap.
  • the valve member and the bottom cap are molded integrally into one piece, i.e., a gas control valve.
  • the gas control valve has a round flange, which is cut into an aperture having a suitable width by means of an ultra-sonic machine; by means of the aperture (or cut) and a salient piece, the flame of the lighter can be adjusted exactly.
  • the ratchet gear of the valve member is usually unable to mate each other exactly, and therefore the flame of the lighter can not be adjusted accurately.
  • This invention has further simplified the parts of a lighter so as to make the assembly operation of a lighter simplified as well.
  • a metal spring is usually mounted in the valve member, while the present invention is mounted with a plastic leaf spring to replace that metal spring; the plastic leaf spring is molded integrally with the pressing plate; moreover, one end of the pressing plate is furnished with two plastic walls so as to have the sparks of flint converged to the gas nozzle to improve the ignition function.
  • FIG.1 is a disassembled view of an embodiment according to a conventional lighter.
  • FIG.2 is a sectional view of a conventional lighter.
  • FIG.3 is a sectional view of an embodiment according to the present invention.
  • FIG.4 is a cross sectional view of a lighter according to the pressent invention.
  • FIG.5 is a cross sectional view of the cylindrical reservoir of the valve seat according to the present invention.
  • FIG.7 is a side view of a cap according to the present invention.
  • FIG.8 is a perspective view of a pressing plate of the present invention.
  • a conventional plastic lighter as shown in FIGs. 1 and 2 usually has a complicated structure, in which a valve base 1 and a gas reservoir 2 are welded together with an ultra-sonic welding method along a welding line; the prime structure of the lighter comprises a sponge rod 3, of which a flange 301 is mounted in a metal cylinder 4; the flange portion 401 of the metal cylinder has a cut 402, through which gas can pass.
  • the metal cylinder 4 is mounted in a round recess 101 of the valve base 1.
  • the top of the metal cylinder 4 is mounted with a nail-shaped member 5, on which a regulating washer 6 is mounted.
  • the outer diameters of the nail-shaped member 5 and the regulating washer 6 are slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the round recess 101 so as to provide a suitable gap 102 between them and to let a liquid gas go upwards through the sponge rod 3, the cut 402 of the metal cylinder 4 and the gap 102 until reaching the regulating washer 6 made of sponge; then, and soon as the outlet 902 of the bottom cap is opened, the liquid gas will be vaporized out of a nozzle.
  • this is general gas a passage in a conventional lighter.
  • the round recess of the valve base 1 has inner threads 103 for mounting a valve member 7 that has outer threads 701.
  • a plastic nail 802 is mounted in a bottom portion 801 of a gas nozzle 8; a seal spring 803 is mounted around the gas nozzle 8.
  • An 0-shaped seal ring 805 is mounted on the upper end of the nozzle 8; then, all the aforesaid parts assembled together are plugged in the bottom cap 9 before the same being plugged into the valve member 7.
  • One end of the bottom cap 9 is mounted with an 0-shaped seal ring 901.
  • the flame regulating method of a conventional lighter is done by means of a flame adjuster 702, of which the inner ratchet teeth 703 is mated with and around the ratchet gear 704 of the valve member 7.
  • the valve member can move back and forth to drive the bottom cap 9 to press the regulating washer 6 made of sponge.
  • the flow of the gas can be controlled.
  • the aforesaid conventional lighter has a complicated structure because of including a plurality of parts, which cause a higher cost for assembling work, i.e., it is impossible to assemble such a lighter through an automatic production line.
  • the lighter according to the present invention has a simple structure with less parts, and therefore it can be assembled through an automatic production line; some parts thereof can be made with injection molding, and the manufacturing and parts costs can be lowered considerably.
  • a sponge rod as used in a conventional lighter has been removed so as to reduce the parts cost and assembling cost.
  • two opposite sub-walls 1102 on an inner wall 1101 in the plastic gas reservoir 11 are provided; the two opposite sub-walls 1102 extend from the bottom of the gas reservoir to a gas outlet 1103 to form a capillary groove 1104.
  • the width of the capillary groove 1104 is designed as such that it can have the liquid gas flowed upwards to the gas outlet 1103 as a result of the surface tension thereof.
  • the capillary groove 1104 is a self-contained parts without any assembling operation, being free from trouble. So far as an invention is concerned, that capillary groove can provide a new function, and simplify the parts of a lighter; therefore, it can reduce the assembling cost of a lighter, and is deemed a patentable disclosure.
  • Gas regulating system It includes (A) a gas regulating mechanism and (B) a gas control valve, which are described as folloovs:(A) Gas regulating mechanism:
  • the gas reservoir 11, the flint base 12 and the valve seat 13 of the present invention are molded into one plastic piece.
  • An opening 1105 is provided at the bottom of the gas reservoir 11; as soon as a liquid gas is filled in the reservoir, a bottom lid 14 is to be welded thereon by means of an ultra-sonic welding method.
  • the gas outlet 1103 of the gas reservoir 11 is in communication with a cylindrical chamber 1301 of the valve seat 13; the bottom portion 1302 of the cylindrical chamber 1301 has a groove 1303 (as shown in FIG.6), which penetrates the gas outlet 1103 horizontally.
  • a bi-nail member 15 is mounted in the bottom portion 1302 of the chamber 1301. The diameter of the body portion 1501 of the bi-nail member 15 is slightly less than the inner diameter of the cylindrical reservoir so as to provide a gap 1502 between them.
  • the lower tip 1503 of the bi-nail member extends into the gas outlet 1103 to form a suitable gap 1504 between them; the upper tip 1505 of the bi-nail member extend through a sponge pad 16 and a valve hole of the gas control valve 17.
  • gaps 1506 there is a gap 1506 between the upper tip 1505 and the inner wall of the valve hole.
  • the sizes of the aforesaid gaps have to be such that a liquid gas is able to flow upwards to the gas nozzle by means of a capillary effect as a result of the surface tension of a liquid gas.
  • a liquid gas is able to flow upwards as a result of capillary effect to the gas outlet 1103 along the capillary groove 1104, and then to flow through gap 1504, the groove 1303, the gap 1502, the sponge pad 16 and the gap 1506; as soon as the gas nozzle is opened, the liquid gas will be gasified and gushed out.
  • the present invention has been much simplified in parts than a conventional lighter.
  • the gas control valve 17 is equal to the valve member 7 and the bottom cap 9 of a conventional lighter for simplification purpose; as shown in FIg.5, the lower portion of the gas control valve 17 is furnished with outer threads 1701; the neck portion 1702 of the control valve 17 is mounted with a seal ring 1703, while the upper portion thereof has a disc portion 1704 with a plurality of ratchet teeth 1705.
  • the disc portion 1704 has a round flange 1706; the center of the gas control valve 17 has a cylindrical hole 1707 for inserting a gas nozzle 18; the lower end of the cylindrical hole has a valve hole 1708.
  • the outer threads 1701 of the control valve 17 are used for fixing the control valve 17 in the valve seat 13.
  • the control valve 17 will press the sponge pad 16 so as to set a given flowing volume of the gas.
  • the gas control valve 17 In a conventional lighter, when the flame adjustment is done, the gas control valve 17 must be stopped to turn, i.e., the flame has been set at a high or low condition.
  • the valve members thereof usually have a slight tolerance in the thread portion thereof; in other words, the ratchet gears might not be set at the same position or angle, though the gas volume may be set at the same flow volume; therefore, when the flame adjuster 702 is mounted around the ratchet gear 704, the inner ratchet teeth 703 might not be mated with teeth of the ratchet gear 704 proportionally and exactly, and usually they might have a tolerance of about 20 degrees, which would cause a considerable difficulty in adjusting the flame of a lighter.
  • the flame adjuster according to the present invention is replaced with a ratchet gear 1705 around the disc portion 1704 of the gas control value 17, i.e., the flame of a lighter can be adjusted by turning the ratchet gear 1705 directly.
  • a round flange 1706 is provided on the disc portion; as soon as the flame adjustment is done, the round flange 1706 is provided with a cut 1709 at an angle of 90 degrees by means of an ultrasonic cutter; then, a salient piece 1901 on the cap 19 and opposite the cut 1709 is furnished by means of a punching machine; the salient piece 1901 is to be inserted into the cut 1709 upon the cap 19 being mounted over the flint base 12 as shown in FIg.7 so as to let the salient piece 1901 cover the cut 1709 to prevent the gas control valve 17 from rotating unintentionally; in that case, the flame of a lighter can be set at a height desired without tolerance.
  • the gas nozzle 18 has a neck portion 1801 and a nozzle outlet 1802 in the center thereof.
  • the lower end of the body portion 1803 has a pin portion 1805 with a reduced diameter, on which a longitudinal groove 1804 is provided.
  • a plastic nail 1806 is mounted in the pin portion 1805.
  • the length of the nail portion 1807 of the plastic nail 1806 is shorter than that of the longitudinal groove 1804 so as to provide a space 1808 in the groove 1804 to let a gas enter the nozzle outlet 1802.
  • a plastic leaf spring 2001 according to the present invention is used instead of the metal spring as in a conventional lighter, and is molded integrally with the pressing plate 20.
  • the spring 2001 under the pressing plate 20 can raise the plate 20 so as to have the clamp fork 2002 around the neck portion 1801 of the gas nozzle 18 pushed downwards to turn off the gas.
  • the gasified gas will enter the big gap 1810 from the valve hole 1708 by means of venturi tube theory upon the gas nozzle 18 being pulled upwards to let the plastic nail 1806 open the valve hole 1708; in that case, the gas is unable to enter the small gap 1809 as a result of the atmosphere pressure; instead, the, gas would, through the space 1808 of the longitudinal groove 1804, enter the nozzle outlet 1802 to gush out.
  • a plastic leaf spring 2001 molded integrally with the pressing plate 20 is used for controlling the gas nozzle instead of a metal spring as being used in the conventional lighter; the plastic leaf spring 2001 under the pressing plate 20 extends into a cylindrical reservoir 1201 beside the flint base 12, and the spring 2001 is used for raising the pressing plate 20 so as to let the clamp fork 2002 on the front of the plate 20 push the neck portion 1801 of the gas nozzle 18 downwards to close the nozzle 18.
  • both sides of the clamp fork 2002 of the pressing plate 20 are furnished with two plastic walls 2003 respectively, which are used for covering a space above the fire-striking wheel 21 and the gas nozzle 18 so as to have the sparks produced with the fire-striking wheel concentrated into a beam to dash to the gas nozzle to strike a fire surely.
  • the lighter according to the present invention is deemed patentable because of simplifying the parts and lowering the manufacturing cost of a lighter.
EP91105892A 1991-02-04 1991-04-12 A new plastic lighter Withdrawn EP0498023A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE9101253U DE9101253U1 (xx) 1991-02-04 1991-02-04

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0498023A1 true EP0498023A1 (en) 1992-08-12

Family

ID=6863969

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP91105892A Withdrawn EP0498023A1 (en) 1991-02-04 1991-04-12 A new plastic lighter

Country Status (2)

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EP (1) EP0498023A1 (xx)
DE (1) DE9101253U1 (xx)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN112443856A (zh) * 2020-11-04 2021-03-05 钟小强 一种便捷式轮转式打火机

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2222611A1 (en) * 1973-03-21 1974-10-18 Uniflam Universelle Flammes Cylindrical shape gas cigarette lighter - has annular reservoir containing liquefied gas under pressure
US3895905A (en) * 1973-11-09 1975-07-22 Gillette Co Lighter
FR2280029A1 (fr) * 1974-07-26 1976-02-20 Allumettes Ste Indle Forestier Commande d'ouverture pour clapet de briquet a gaz
FR2446991A1 (fr) * 1979-01-16 1980-08-14 Cricket Sa Procede de fabrication de l'organe de reglage de la hauteur de flamme d'un briquet a gaz liquefie
FR2598784A1 (fr) * 1986-05-13 1987-11-20 Feudor Sa Mecanisme d'allumage pour briquet a gaz jetable.

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2222611A1 (en) * 1973-03-21 1974-10-18 Uniflam Universelle Flammes Cylindrical shape gas cigarette lighter - has annular reservoir containing liquefied gas under pressure
US3895905A (en) * 1973-11-09 1975-07-22 Gillette Co Lighter
FR2280029A1 (fr) * 1974-07-26 1976-02-20 Allumettes Ste Indle Forestier Commande d'ouverture pour clapet de briquet a gaz
FR2446991A1 (fr) * 1979-01-16 1980-08-14 Cricket Sa Procede de fabrication de l'organe de reglage de la hauteur de flamme d'un briquet a gaz liquefie
FR2598784A1 (fr) * 1986-05-13 1987-11-20 Feudor Sa Mecanisme d'allumage pour briquet a gaz jetable.

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN112443856A (zh) * 2020-11-04 2021-03-05 钟小强 一种便捷式轮转式打火机
CN112443856B (zh) * 2020-11-04 2022-09-13 浙江特灵轻工集团有限公司 一种便捷式轮转式打火机

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE9101253U1 (xx) 1991-06-20

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