TECHNICAL FIELD TO WHICH THE INVENTION BELONGS
-
The present invention relates to a fuel tank constituting
a fuel container having cotton filling as a liquid absorbing
fibrous material for being impregnated with and holding liquid
fuel, in a liquid fuel burner such as a smoker's lighter or an
igniter, etc., that draws in and burns liquid fuel contained
in a fuel tank utilizing the capillary phenomenon in a combustion
wick, using liquid fuel with alcohol as its main constituent.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
-
Alcohol such as ethyl alcohol, benzene fuel of the
petroleum benzene group, including petroleum, or liquefied gas
fuel such as butane gas or propane gas are generally used as
the fuel for a burner such as a smoker's lighter, an igniter,
a torch, lamp, or heater etc.
-
The performance, place of use and structural design of
various burners differ according to the type of fuel used, and
they have various characteristics.
-
For example, in the case of benzene fuel using a mixture
of petroleum benzene system hydrocarbon compounds, this fuel
is a mixture of compounds having differing boiling points. Early
on in the operation of igniting the burner the benzene component
having a low boiling point is evaporated and then the volatile
components migrate to the hydrocarbon having sequentially
increasing boiling point, which means that the fuel composition
building up inside the burner varies according to the combustion
time, and variation arises in flame length as a result of the
variation in fuel composition. The same applies to gasoline.
Also, the volatility of benzene and gasoline is high, and in
a burner using this type of fuel there is a need for a sealed
structure to reduce evaporation from parts of a fuel storage
section and a wick, and if the sealing is insufficient fuel is
lost due to evaporation and the frequency of replenishing the
fuel is annoyingly often, and further, benzene and gasoline have
an inherent smell, and are sometimes not preferred.
-
In the case of liquefied gas fuel, the gas pressure becomes
high in the temperature range in which the burner is used, and
it is necessary for a container storing fuel to have a pressure
resistant structure. Also, the flame length varies in response
to variations in the above described gas pressure, and in
particular that gas pressure has a characteristic that it varies
logarithmically with respect to temperature, and there is a
problem that variation in flame length is large with respect
to temperature. In order to reduce this variation in flame length,
a fuel supply structure of the burner requires special design
measures for carrying out temperature compensation, thus
complicating the structure and increasing costs.
-
On the other hand, in the case of alcohol fuel, liquid
fuel having alcohol such as low-grade monovalent alcohol like
ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol or propyl alcohol, as its main
constituent is a liquid at normal temperature, vapor pressure
is also comparatively low, and there is no need for a pressure
resistant fuel storage section; and so sealing of the fuel tank
and the wick can be of a sealed structure only to the extent
that alcohol does not evaporate which makes it possible to
simplify the structure of the burner and reduce cost.
-
Also, with a burner using liquid fuel with alcohol as its
main constituent, surface tension of the liquid fuel is
generally used as the means for supplying the liquid fuel from
a fuel tank to a combustion section, and connecting pores or
slits containing bundles of fine fiber sucked up fuel utilizing
the capillary phenomena, with the tip of the fibers being used
as a wick that is burned.
-
With this type of liquid fuel burner, if it is used in
an upright position, such as when it is a lamp or a heater, then
liquid fuel can be introduced into the fuel tank in that standing
position, but in a burner that is required to be portable such
as a smoker's lighter or an igniter, a fibrous cotton material
known as cotton filling is stuffed into the fuel tank and
impregnated with fuel, which it then holds, and a suction section
of the wick is brought into contact with the cotton filling,
liquid fuel is supplied to the combustion section utilizing the
capillary phenomena and combustion takes place. In this manner,
in both a burner having portability and a burner that is used
standing upright, injected liquid fuel can be prevented from
leaking from a fuel tank regardless of the direction the burner
is oriented when it is turned over while being carried or used.
-
The above described fuel tank is generally has either a
deep cylindrical shape, a flat cylindrical cross section making
it suitably portable, or an elliptical shape, and is formed
as a deep container if the amount of stored fuel is increased.
-
The above described fuel tank generally an integrally
formed component made by extruding synthetic resin, drawing a
metallic plate or extruding a metal billet. However, even if
a wick and cotton filling are integrated to make insertion easy.
prevention of deformation of the wick and filling is difficult
when while they are placed inside a deep fuel. Further, separate
housing of the wick and filling is even more difficult, and
productivity is low in this case.
-
In other words, a fixed amount of the cotton filling,
namely the absorptive fibrous material impregnated with and
holding liquid fuel, necessary for holding a specified amount
of liquid fuel contained at a uniform packing density in the
fuel tank, is good for improved performance. However, it is
difficult to pack the cotton filling into the above described
type of fuel tank.
-
For example, forcing a spongy fibrous material as cotton
filling into a fuel tank made of metal or plastic either as it
is or after being cut up to an appropriate size is not appropriate
for mass production because the ease of manufacture is low as
it is difficult to handle the cotton material, and also the
packing density of the fibrous material varies due to packaging
conditions and packing density control becomes complicated and
difficult. If the fibrous material packing density becomes
non-uniform, there is a danger that the overall amount of liquid
fuel held and fuel supply characteristics of the suction section
of the wick will vary.
-
Also, if the cotton filling or the wick move inside the
fuel tank due to sliding or rocking when the liquid fuel burner
is being carried or used, or due to consumption of the liquid
fuel, variations in the packing state and the fibrous material
packing density sometimes arise, and besides that, if variations
occur gradually over time there is a possibility of a problem
arising where fuel holding characteristics and supply
characteristics similarly vary, and it is desired to reduce
these movements as much as possible.
-
On the other hand, when liquid fuel inside the fuel tank
is supplied from the cotton filling to a lower suction part of
the wick and fuel supply to the combustion section is carried
out, it is necessary to have good contact between the suction
part of the wick and the cotton filling so that this fuel supply
is accurately carried out, but with a container shaped fuel tank
simply pressing the suction part of the wick into the cotton
filling so that it sticks into it sometimes makes it difficult
to obtain good contact. In particular, with material of the
suction part of the wick that has low material hardness and is
flexible, insertion itself is difficult and insertion at the
appropriate location is difficult no matter what the shape of
the tip end. Also, even if the suction part of the wick is inserted
into the container shaped fuel tank in advance and the fibrous
material stuffed around the wick, it is difficult to shape the
wick and arrange it at a specified location of the fibrous
material at a specified position so distribution of fuel is
uneven, and this stuffing in of the fibrous material has the
problem that, as described before, productivity is low, and it
is difficult to obtain uniform fibrous material packing density.
-
The present invention has been conceived in view of the
above described situation, and is intended to provide a fuel
tank of a liquid fuel burner that enables cotton filling and
a wick to be filled into the fuel tank simply and in a good
condition.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
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In order to solve the above described problems, a fuel
tank for a liquid fuel burner of the present invention causes
liquid fuel that has impregnated and is stored in a cotton
material made of absorbent fibrous material contained in the
fuel tank to be sucked up by a suction part of a wick and burnt
in a combustion section at the tip of the wick, and a fuel
containing part of the fuel tank has a split structure with split
parts being joined together.
-
The fuel containing section is made of a synthetic resin
material that is not caused to chemically react, dissolve or
swell by the liquid fuel, or of a material provided with a film
that is not caused to chemically react, dissolve or swell by
the liquid fuel or a coating for preventing leakage of the liquid
fuel that is deposited, coated or painted on, to contain the
liquid fuel so that the liquid fuel does not leak out and wet
the inner surface of a fibrous paper material. In this case,
it is possible for the fuel containing section to be made of
a metal foil and a synthetic resin film laminated on a paper
material.
-
The split parts of the fuel containing section are provided
with good sealing characteristics as they are joined together
by ultrasonic welding, thermal welding or adhesive.
-
In the case where fuel with alcohol as its main constituent
is used as the liquid fuel, the main body of the fuel containing
section or an inner section of the fuel containing section coming
into contact with the liquid fuel through an inner surface
coating or a film layer is preferably formed of either
polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyacetal,
polyethylene phthalate, polyacrylonitrile, denatured
polyphenylene ethyl, or polyphenylene sulfide.
-
Also, at least one of the stored cotton filling and the
wick is preferably provided with a protrusion for fixing in order
to engage or abut inside the block constructed fuel tank. In
this case, it is possible for the protrusion to be provided in
a shape for fixing by sticking into at least one of the cotton
filling or the wick. Similarly, at least one of the contained
cotton filling and wick can have an abutment member for fixing
in order to abut or locate inside the fuel tank.
-
Further, it is possible for a reinforcing member for
preventing deformation of the fuel containing section to be
arranged inside the block constructed fuel tank. The arrangement
of this reinforcing member is particularly applicable if the
fuel containing section is made of a paper material. The above
described reinforcing member can be formed as a component
gripping the paper material surrounding the cotton filling or
the cotton filling.
-
After the cotton filling and the wick have been stored
inside the fuel containing section, the split parts of the fuel
tank are preferably joined together.
-
As a fibrous material for the cotton filling, one or a
mixture of natural fiber such as soft wood pulp or hardwood pulp,
or synthetic fiber such as polypropylene fiber are used. The
packing density of each of the fiber materials is preferably
such that the amount of liquid fuel it can be impregnated with
and hold is large, and the residual amount after consumption
of the liquid fuel is low, for example, the packing density of
polypropylene fiber is preferably 0.05 - 0.15 g/cm3, the fiber
thickness is preferably 6 - 18 denier, and it is preferably mixed
with fiber of a different thickness. Also, natural pulp and heat
fusible fiber having a fiber diameter of 35 - 60µm can be mixed
together.
-
Also, the cotton filling can be arranged so that the
fibrous material is covered by a coating film and then shaped
beforehand so as to conform to the internal shape of the fuel
tank, and in this case, in order to make the coating film, paper,
fabric, a thin plastic sheet, or a non woven fabric formed from
synthetic fibers or woven fabric are provided in a cylinder or
bag and the fibrous material is put into the tube or bag at a
specific packing density, or alternatively the fibrous
material is held inside the coating film at a specific packing
density using a heat fusible sheet, and formed into a specified
shape by heat fusing necessary places on the edge of the coating
film. As the heat fusible sheet, it is possible to use
polypropylene fiber paper, polyethylene mesh sheet, or
polyester fiber paper, polypropylene film, polyethylene film
or polyester film, or a laminated sheet of one of these and paper.
-
It is also possible to insert the suction part of the wick
into the fibrous material of the cotton filling and to integrate
the two and to pack this combined unit into the partitioned fuel
tank, then join the split parts together. Still further, it is
possible to partially heat fuse between the coating film at
points and lines using outer surfaces of the coating film, and
to restrict movement of the fibrous material. In this way, a
protrusion on the surface of the fuel tank or a protrusion on
an abutment member similarly suppress the generation of density
differences caused by movement of the fibrous material due to
shocks etc, when assembling the fuel tank, injecting fuel or
using the burner.
-
With respect to the wick, the suction section that comes
in contact with the fibrous material and sucks up liquid fuel,
and the tip combustion section where ignition and combustion
takes place, are integrally formed of the same material, or
alternatively the suction section and the combustion section
can be made separately of different material, but this is
appropriately determined depending on the use to which the
liquid fuel burner is put.
-
As a liquid fuel having alcohol as its main constituent,
for example, a main constituent of low grade monohydric alcohol
such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, or propyl alcohol is mixed
with a saturated hydrocarbon such as or hexane or heptane to
give the alcohol flame color.
-
With this type of fuel tank, by giving the fuel containing
section a split structure, arrangement of the wick and the cotton
filling impregnated and holding fuel to be housed in the fuel
tank can be carried out easily with positional stability, and
uniformity of fiber density of the cotton filling, as well as
the contact conditions between the wick and the cotton filling,
can be improved.
-
In particular, with respect to the cotton filling, there
is no need to stuff the filling into the inside of the fuel tank,
and it is possible to carry out assembly so that the cotton
filling is sandwiched between parts of predetermined shape in
advance, and it is thus possible to make the packing density
distribution uniform.
-
As well as simplifying production thus far described where
packing of the wick and cotton filling in to the fuel tank from
an opening of the fuel tank is made easy, it is possible to provide
a protrusion for abutment and positioning of the cotton filling
and the wick on at least one side of the split parts, and it
is possible to simply improve on the situation with the
integrated tank of the related art where shaping was difficult,
and where insertion of the wick and cotton filling were difficult
if this protrusion was provided.
-
With the provision of the protrusion for fixing at the
inner surface of the block constructed fuel tank, it is possible
to prevent movement of the wick and the cotton filling inside
the tank when the finished product is being moved or carried
around, and it is possible to obtain positional stability and
maintain fuel supply performance.
-
With the arrangement of an abutment member for fixing as
a separate part inside the fuel tank, the fuel tank can be
expected to have a stabilized cotton filling and wick even if
shape processing is not carried out on the inner surface.
-
By providing a reinforcing member for preventing
deformation of the fuel containing section inside the block
constructed fuel tank, it is possible to prevent deformation
of the fuel tank such as by squashing, and to prevent damage
and leakage of liquid fuel, even if the fuel containing section
is formed from a paper material. In this case, if the reinforcing
member is made from a paper material surrounding the cotton
filling or a part gripping the cotton material, ease of assembly
can be improved due to integration of the cotton filling and
the wick.
-
On the other hand, if a fixed amount of fibrous material
is previously formed into a shape coinciding with the shape of
the fuel tank and gathered together as the cotton material, and
the density of the fibrous material is homogenized, the ease
of handling with respect to manufacture of fibrous material that
is protean is improved and control of packing density is also
simplified, and further, filling into the block constructed fuel
tank can be carried out simply in production, it us suitable
for mass production and the burner can be manufactured easily.
-
Also, with suction section of the wick integrated with
the cotton filling and the integrated unit packed in to the block
constructed fuel tank in advance, assembly of the wick is
simplified, and it is possible to arrange at an appropriate
position without insertion in to the fibrous material, even if
the wick suction section is of a flexible material having a low
material hardness.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
-
- Fig. 1 is a schematic cross sectional drawing of a smoker's
lighter as one example of a liquid fuel burner provided with
a fuel tank of a first embodiment of the present invention.
- Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the fuel tank
section of Fig. 1.
- Fig. 3 is a schematic cross sectional drawing of a smoker's
lighter as one example of a liquid fuel burner provided with
a fuel tank of a second embodiment of the present invention.
- Fig. 4 is a perspective exploded view of the fuel tank
section of Fig. 3.
- Fig. 5 is a schematic cross sectional drawing of a smoker's
lighter as one example of a liquid fuel burner provided with
a fuel tank of a third embodiment of the present invention.
- Fig. 6 is a perspective exploded view of the fuel tank
section of Fig. 5.
- Fig. 7 is a schematic cross sectional drawing of a smoker's
lighter as one example of a liquid fuel burner provided with
a fuel tank of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
- Fig. 8 is a perspective exploded view of the fuel tank
section of Fig. 7
- Fig. 9 is a perspective exploded view of a fuel tank section
of a fifth embodiment.
- Fig. 10 is a perspective exploded view of a fuel tank
section of a sixth embodiment.
- Fig. 11 is a perspective exploded view of a fuel tank
section of a seventh embodiment.
- Fig. 12 is a perspective exploded view of a fuel tank
section of a eighth embodiment.
- Fig. 13 is a perspective exploded view of a fuel tank
section of a ninth embodiment.
-
PREFERRED MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
-
Various embodiments of a fuel tank for a liquid fuel burner
of the present invention will be described in the following,
with reference to the attached drawings.
〈First Embodiment〉
-
Fig. 1 shows the schematic cross sectional structure of
a smoker's lighter as a liquid fuel burner provided with the
fuel tank of this embodiment. Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of
the fuel tank.
-
The lighter 1 has a fuel tank 2 that is cylindrical with
one end closed off, and cotton filling 3 formed from absorbent
fibrous material for being impregnated with and holding liquid
fuel is arranged inside the fuel tank 2, with an upper cover
4 being fixed to an upper part of the fuel tank 2. The cotton
filling 3 is arranged towards the bottom of the fuel tank, and
a space is provided in the upper part.
-
A metallic wick holder 7 is fixed to the upper cover 4,
passing vertically through the upper cover 4 to the inside of
the fuel tank 2, and a wick 6 passes through and is held by the
wick holder 7. The wick 6 is comprised of a tip end combustion
section 61 protruding upward from the wick holder 7, and a suction
section 62 coming into contact with the cotton filling 3 lower
down that are integrally formed using a material that will be
described later.
-
An igniting member 10 opposite a tip end of the combustion
section 61 of the wick 6 is also arranged in the cover 4. This
igniting member 10 is configured having a flint 11 and flint
pressing spring 12 inserted so as to be moveable in the vertical
direction in to a bracket 41 extending vertically and provided
integrally with the cover 4, a spark wheel 13 and a side wheel
14 rotatably supported on struts 42 on both sides of an upper
part of the bracket 41, and the tip of the spark wheel 13 is
pressed against the peripheral edge of the spark wheel 13 by
the spring force of the flint pressing spring 12. A spark is
caused to fly off in the direction of the wick 6 by the rotating
operation of the side wheel 14.
-
A blocking cap 16 for preventing evaporation is also
provided in an upper part of the upper cover 4 in such a way
that it can be opened and closed. This blocking cap 16 is
rotatably hinged by a pin 17 at one end of the upper surface
of the upper cover 4, and an inner cap 16a surrounding the
periphery of the wick holder 7 and covering the combustion
section 61 to make it airtight is provided on the inner surface
of the blocking cap 16. An O-ring 19 is horizontally attached
to a peripheral blade section of the wick holder 7, and pressure
welded to the inner surface of the inner cap 16 to increase
airtightness.
-
Vents 20 located inside the inner cap and connecting the
inside of the fuel tank 2 to the outside when the blocking cap
is closed are provided in the wick holder 7.
-
The fuel tank 2 has a split structure with a fuel containing
section of the fuel tank having a base section and a side wall
longitudinally divided into two split parts 21 and 22, with split
parts of the two split parts 21 and 22 widened out to flange
shaped connecting sections 21a and 22a. The fuel tank is formed
by joining the two split parts together after the cotton filling
3 and the wick 6 have fitted in, and joining the assembly to
the upper cover 4. The split parts 21 and 22 of the fuel tank
2 are synthetic resin molded components formed of polyethylene
terephthalate, and are provided so that the internal volume of
the fuel tank 2 is 8 cm3 in the assembled state.
-
The fibrous material of the cotton filling is softwood
pulp having a fiber width of 50 µm, and a fiber thickness of
15 µm. When the cotton filing is packed inside the fuel tank
2, it is divided in two to give a density of 0.07 g/cm3 and arranged
either side of the suction section 62 of the wick 6. The divided
cotton filling is then gripped from both sides by the split parts
21 and 22, and the connecting sections 21a and 22a of the side
surfaces and the bottom sections of the split parts 21 and 22
are integrated by heat fusion with the combustion section 61
of the wick 6 protruding from an opening section connecting to
the upper cover 4.
-
The volume of the cotton filling loaded inside the fuel
tank 2 is 7 cm3. The cotton filling 3 is impregnated with liquid
fuel that is a mixture of 95 % by weight ethyl alcohol and 5 %
by weight n-hexane, which is then held. Joining together of
the upper opening section of the fuel tank 2 and the upper tank
4 is carried out using ultrasonic welding, heat fusing or
adhesive, and the fuel tank is made so that liquid fuel does
not leak from these joining section.
-
The wick is made of ceramic fiber. For example, a
microscopic amount of organic binder of is added to a ceramic
fiber formed by making a raw material having alumina with a
thickness of 2,8 µm and silica as main constituents into fibers,
and the fibers formed into a plate having a fiber density of
0.16g cm3, and this plate is cut, formed into rod-shaped pieces
having a length of 70mm and of 3mm x 3mm rectangular cross section,
and the rod-like pieces are inserted into a wick holder 7 having
an inner diameter of 4.0 mm, an outer diameter of 6.0 mm, and
a length of 9.0 mm. The combustion section 61 of this wick 6
is fixed so as to protrude from the upper end surface of the
wick holder seven to a length of 3mm, and the suction section
62 has a length of 45mm from the lower end inserted into the
cotton filling.
-
An outer skin 63 that is porous and has lower permeability
to liquid fuel than the internal material is coated on at least
the outer surface of the combustion section 61 of the wick 6,
so as to make a flame shape tapered. This outer skin 63 is formed
at a side 10mm from the upper end of the wick 6, and a ceramic
fiber surface is exposed on the upper surface of the combustion
section 61 and the side of the suction section 62.
-
The wick 6 as described above sucks up liquid fuel that
the cotton filling is impregnated with using the suction section
62 and utilizing the capillary phenomenon, supplies the sucked
up liquid fuel to the combustion section 61. The combustion
section 61 protruding upwards from the wick holder 7 is then
ignited to generate a flame and the fuel is burnt.
-
With the above described split structure of the fuel tank
2, cotton filling can be simply packed into the inside of the
fuel tank 2 at a uniform packing density, a good contact condition
can also be maintained with respect to the wick 6, and the
arrangement is simple.
-
The wick can also have the upper combustion section 61
and the lower suction section 62 made separately from different
materials, and with a lower end of the combustion section 61
and an upper end of the suction section 62 in contact with each
other, they can be held together using the wick holder 7. In
this case, it is possible, for example, for the combustion
section 61 to be formed from ceramic fiber, as described
previously, for the suction section 62 to be formed by bundling
and fixing alumina fibers together or adding a binder to acrylic
fiber and pressing them into a rod-like shape, with a thickness
of the acrylic fiber being 3 denier and a porosity being 60%.
〈Second Embodiment〉
-
Fig, 3 shows the overall structure of a lighter provided
with a fuel tank of this embodiment, and Fig. 4 shown an exploded
view of the fuel tank section.
-
Similarly to the previous embodiment, the cotton filling
3 is softwood pulp having a fiber width of 50 µm, and a fiber
thickness of 15 µm. When it is packed into the fuel tank 2, an
amount necessary to give a density of 0.07 g/cm3 is covered,
together with the suction section 62 of the wick 6 similar to
the first embodiment, by a coating layer 31 of heat fusible
polypropylene non woven fabric, side edges and lower edges are
heat fused and the cotton filling and wick mass is formed into
a bag shape matching the internal shape of the fuel tank. After
that, the coating layer 31 on both side surfaces is heat fused
at four points 32 to prevent movement of the internal fiber
material due to shocks etc. The volume of the cotton filling
is 7 cm3.
-
The split structure of the second embodiment is the same
as that of the first embodiment, with a base section and a side
wall longitudinally divided into two split parts 21 and 22, and
the material is also the same, being synthetic resin molded
components formed of polyethylene terephthalate. Also, a needle
shaped projection 50 is formed on an inner surface of one of
the split parts 22, so as to pass through an upper part of the
suction section 62 of the wick 6 projecting from the cotton filing
3, and this needle shaped projection 50 prevents movement of
the wick 6 due to shocks etc. The internal volume of the fuel
tank 2 after it has been assembled is 8 cm3. Apart from this
feature, the second embodiment is the same as the first
embodiment.
-
After the cotton filling 3 integral with the wick 6 has
been enclosed on both sides by the two split parts 21 and 22
of the fuel tank 2 and the projections 50 pierce the wick 6 to
lock it, the flange-shaped connecting sections 21a and 22a on
the side and bottom surfaces of the split parts 21 and 22 are
subjected to ultrasonic welding to finally form the container
shaped fuel tank 2.
-
With this embodiment, by integrating the cotton filling
and the wick 6 in advance, arrangement of the fuel tank 2 is
easy, and it is possible maintain fuel storage and supply
performance with a uniform fiber density, by preventing movement
of the fibrous material of the cotton filling by coating with
the outer coating 31 and welding at the points 32.
〈Third Embodiment〉
-
Fig, 5 shows the overall structure of a lighter provided
with a fuel tank of this embodiment, and Fig. 6 shows an exploded
view of the fuel tank section.
-
Similarly to the first embodiment, the material of the
cotton filling 3 is softwood pulp having a fiber width of 50
µm, and a fiber thickness of 15 µm. When it is packed into the
fuel tank 2, an amount necessary to give a density of 0.07 g/cm3
is covered, together with the suction section 62 of the wick
6 similar to the first embodiment, by a coating layer 31 of heat
fusible polypropylene non woven fabric, side edges and lower
edges are heat fused and the cotton filling and wick mass is
formed into a bag shape matching the internal shape of the fuel
tank. The volume of the cotton filling is 7 cm3.
-
The split structure of the fuel tank 2 is divided into
two split parts 23 and 24 by cutting away a side surface, and
the material is polyethylene terephthalate. One of the split
parts 23 has a flat plate shape forming one side surface of the
fuel tank 2, while the other split part 24 has a cross section
like an open-ended square, forming the other side surface of
the fuel tank, a bottom wall and curved side walls.
-
Six needle shaped projections 51 are formed on the inner
surface of the other split part 24 for holding the cotton filling
3, and these projections 51 pierce the cotton filling 3 and lock
it, thus preventing the cotton material 3 from moving as a result
of shocks etc. Two claw-like projections 26 (52?) are also formed
on a connection section for the upper cover 4 for gripping the
suction section 62 of the wick 6 to lock it, thus preventing
the wick 6 moving as a result of shocks etc. The internal volume
of the fuel tank 2 after it has been assembled is 8 cm3.
-
The cotton filling 3 integrated with the wick 6 is fitted
inside the split part 24 having the open-ended square shape,
the cotton filling 3 and the wick 6 are fixed by the projections
51 and 52 and the plate shaped split part 23 is mounted over
the top. The joining sections 23a and 24a of the two split parts
are subjected to ultrasonic welding to finally form the fuel
tank 2. Apart from this feature, the third embodiment is the
same as the first embodiment.
〈Fourth Embodiment〉
-
Fig, 7 shows the overall structure of a lighter provided
with a fuel tank of this embodiment, and Fig. 8 shows an exploded
view of the fuel tank section.
-
The material of the cotton filling 3 is a mixture of 90 %
by weight softwood pulp having a fiber width of 50 µm, and a
fiber thickness of 15 µm, and 10% by weight of polypropylene
fiber having a thickness of 6 denier. When it is packed into
the fuel tank 2, an amount necessary to give a density of 0.07
g/cm3 is packed into a mold having a cavity shape corresponding
to the shape of the fuel tank 2, and the suction section 62 of
the wick 6 similar to that of the first embodiment is inserted
at a fixed position, heated to a temperature higher than its
fusing temperature, for example 180°C to fuse the fibrous
materials together, and the cotton filling 3 is integrated with
the wick 6 so as to keep a shape matching the shape of the inner
surface of the fuel tank 2. The volume of the cotton material
3 is 7 cm3.
-
The split structure of the fuel tank 2 is similar to that
of the first embodiment, being divided into two split parts 21
and 22 having flange shaped joining sections 21a and 22a. The
material of the fuel tank is a sheet of 1 mm thickness having
low density polyethylene film press coated on one or both
surfaces, and the coated sheet is then pressed to form them into
shapes of the respective split parts. Each of the split parts
21 and 22 has a heat fusible cover film for preventing leakage
of liquid fuel formed on an inner surface of a sheet formed of
fibrous material. The internal volume of the fuel tank after
assembly is 8 cm3.
-
A locking member 8 for fixing the wick 6 and the cotton
filling 6 is arranged inside the divided fuel tank 2. This locking
member 8 is formed as a folded metal plate such as, for example,
a steel plate having a width of 20 mm, a length of 55 mm and
a thickness of 0.2 mm, and is made to match substantially half
of the internal shape of the fuel tank 2. The plate is folded
inwards on itself at four places, two on either side, to form
pointed projections 81 for piercing the cotton filling, and this
projections 81 lock the cotton filling 3 in place. The plate
is also folded over at two places at an upper part to form a
projection 82 for gripping and holding the wick 6.
-
The subassembly of the cotton filling 3 locked in place
in the locking member 8 using the projections 81 and 82 is
sandwiched on either side by the split parts 21 and 22, and heat
fusible cover films on the connecting sections 21a and 22a of
the split parts 21 and 22 are joined together by ultrasonic
welding or heat welding to finally form the fuel tank 2. Apart
from this feature, the fourth embodiment is the same as the first
embodiment.
-
The cotton filling 3 of this embodiment simplifies
handling since the fibrous materials are fused together, and
makes it possible to prevent the fibrous material being unevenly
distributed.
-
If the fuel tank 2 is formed of the above described paper
material, it is also possible to use a laminated metallic foil.
For example, laminating an alumina foil on one surface of board
1 mm thick, coating that surface with low density polyethylene
to provide a heat fusible cover film, and pressing into the shapes
of the respective split parts so that the cover film becomes
the inner surface, to form the split parts. Then, the connecting
sections of the split parts are joined together by ultrasonic
welding with the cotton filling stored inside, to finally form
the fuel tank 2. The alumina laminate is more effective in
preventing leakage of the liquid fuel compared to the board,
and strength is also improved.
〈Fifth Embodiment〉
-
Fig. 9 shows an exploded view of a fuel tank of the fifth
embodiment. The fuel tank 2 of this embodiment has a split
structure having two split parts 25 and 26 formed by cutting
in one side wall away. One of the split parts 25 is a flat plate
having a connecting section 25a along its edge, and the other
split part 26 has an open-ended square shaped cross section
with flange shaped connecting sections at its sides and bottom.
The split part 26 that is the main part of the container is formed
of polyethylene terephthalate and the other split part 25 is
a 1 mm thick board having an inner surface coated with a cover
film of heat fusible polyethylene terephthalate, or a
polyethylene terephthalate synthetic resin plate. The internal
volume of the fuel tank is 8 cm3.
-
The cotton filling 3 is integrally molded with the wick
6 in the same way as the fourth embodiment. The cotton filling
is placed inside the split part 26 having 3 a cross section that
is like an open ended square, and the split part 25 is then placed
over that. The connecting sections 25a and 26a of two split parts
25 and 26 are then joined together by heat fusing to form the
fuel tank. Apart from this feature, the fifth embodiment is the
same as the fourth embodiment.
〈Sixth Embodiment〉
-
Fig. 10 shows an exploded view of a fuel tank section of
the sixth embodiment. The split structure and material of the
fuel tank 2 are the same as in the fourth embodiment, namely
with board as a base.
-
The fibrous material of the cotton filling 3 is also the
same as in the fourth embodiment, namely a mixture of 90 % by
weight softwood pulp having a fiber width of 50 µm, and a fiber
thickness of 15 µm, and 10% by weight of polypropylene fiber
having a fiber thickness of 6 denier. This mixture is heat treated
and compressed into a mat having a specified thickness, which
is then cut into a rectangular parallelepiped corresponding to
the inner shape of the fuel tank 2. Also, the cotton filling
3 is vertically divided in two in correspondence with the
mounting position of the wick 6, and the suction section 62 of
the wick 6 is fitted into and supported by the split surfaces.
Three vertical engagement slots 3a are formed in a central
portion of one surface of the cotton filling 3.
-
On the other hand, a reinforcing member 33 for preventing
deformation of the fuel tank 2 is wrapped around and inserted
into the cotton filling 3 while it is held. This reinforcing
member 33 is formed from a cardboard material punched into a
specified shape and having insertion tabs 33a coming together
on both ends. The reinforcing member 33 is folded over so as
to wrap up the side surfaces of the cotton filling 3, and with
the insertion tabs 33a inserted into the engagement slots 3a
in the cotton filling so as to be integral with the cotton filling
3 this subassembly is inserted into the divided split parts 21
and 22, the flange shaped connecting sections 21a and 22a are
joined and the fuel tank 2 is formed. Apart from this feature
the sixth embodiment is the same as the fourth embodiment.
-
When the insertion tabs 33a of the reinforcing member 33
are inserted into the engagement slots 3a of the cotton filling
3, the tips preferably make contact with the inner surface of
the cardboard opposite which is effective from a reinforcement
viewpoint. Also, the reinforcing member integral with the cotton
filling can be inserted into the fuel tank after assembly.
Besides a paper type fuel tank 2, the reinforcing member 33 can
also be provided for a fuel tank 2 made of a light case of
synthetic resin.
-
In this embodiment, the side wall strength of the fuel
tank 2 is improved by the reinforcing member 33, deformation
such as caving in of the low strength side walls can be prevented
even for a paper type fuel tank 2, and lowering of the commercial
value with deformation and stored liquid fuel breaking through
when the cotton filling is pressed can be avoided. Also, the
cotton filling is surrounded and held by the reinforcing member
33 which simplifies handling.
〈Seventh Embodiment〉
-
Fig. 11 shows an exploded view of a fuel tank section of
the seventh embodiment. The base structure is the same as that
in the sixth embodiment.
-
The cotton filling 3 is divided in two across its width
and the suction section 62 of the wick 6 is fitted into and
supported by the split surfaces. Also, three vertical engagement
slots 3a are formed in a central portion of one surface of the
cotton filling 3, as in the previous embodiment.
-
The reinforcing member 33 inserted into the fuel tank 2
is formed of cardboard, as in the previous embodiment, but the
insertion tabs 33b have a substantially triangular shape. The
reinforcing member 33 is folded over so as to be wrapped around
and the cotton filling 3, and the insertion tabs 33b are inserted
into the cotton filling 3. These insertion tabs have a
substantially triangular shape which makes them easy to insert
into the engagement slots 3a. Apart from this feature, the
seventh embodiment is the same as the sixth embodiment, and the
operation is also the same.
〈Eighth Embodiment〉
-
Fig. 12 shows an exploded view of a fuel tank section of
the eighth embodiment, and features another reinforcing member.
-
The cotton filling is the same as that in the sixth
embodiment, being divided in two in its width direction, and
having the suction section 62 of the wick 6 inserted into and
supported by the split surfaces.
-
Also, reinforcement members 35 and 26 inserted into the
fuel tank 3 are formed of synthetic resin gripping the cotton
filling 3 from both sides. One of the reinforcement members 35
has three needle shaped projections 35a formed on one side of
a plate section, while the other reinforcement member 36 has
three engagement holes 36a into which tips of the needle shaped
projections 35a fit.
-
The reinforcement members 35 and 36 grip the cotton filling
3m with the needle shaped projections 35a of the one
reinforcement member 35 piercing the cotton filling 3 and tips
fitting into the engagement holes 36a in the other reinforcement
member 36 on the other side of the cotton filling 3 and fastening
the three together, thus integrally holding the cotton filling
3.
-
After the cotton filling has been inserted together with
the reinforcement members 35 and 36 into the separated
partitioned sections 21 and 22, the flanged connecting sections
21a and 22a are joined, to finally form the fuel tank 2. Apart
from this feature, the eighth embodiment is the same as the sixth
embodiment.
-
In this embodiment, by arranging the reinforcement
members 35 and 36, the needle shaped projections 35a constitute
a strut-like reinforcement structure to improve the lateral
strength of the fuel tank 2, and even for a paper type fuel tank
it is possible to prevent deformation such as normally results
when the low strength sides of such a fuel tank cave in when
pressed. It is also possible to avoid reduction in the commercial
value due to leakage of the liquid fuel forced into the cotton
filling 3 and stored or deformation. Because the cotton filling
3 is gripped by the reinforcement members 35 and 36, handling
is made easy.
〈Ninth Embodiment〉
-
Fig. 13 shows an exploded view of a fuel tank section of
the ninth embodiment, and apart from the reinforcement members
it is the same as the other embodiments.
-
The cotton filling 3 is divided in two in its width
direction, as in the eighth embodiment, and the suction section
62 of the wick 6 is fitted between and supported by the split
surfaces of the cotton filling 3. The width of the cotton filling
3 is formed thinner than the thickness of the storage section
of the fuel tank 2 by the extent of the strut-like reinforcement
member 37, which will be described later.
-
The reinforcement member 37 inserted into the fuel tank
2 is formed as a molded component having a paper base. This
reinforcement member 37 is formed substantially in a U-shape
having columnar sections 37a running along either side of the
cotton filling 3, and a bottom section 37b running along the
bottom of the cotton filling. The cotton filling 3 is surrounded
by and held in an inner rectangular hollow part 37c.
-
After the cotton filling 3 has been inserted together with
the reinforcement member 37 into the separated partitioned
sections 21 and 22, the flanged connecting sections 21a and 22a
are joined, to finally form the fuel tank 2. Apart from the fact
that the bottom of the fuel tank 2 is curved in an arc shape,
the split structure is the same as in the sixth embodiment.
-
In this embodiment, by arranging the reinforcement member
37, the strength of the two sides and the bottom of the fuel
tank 2 are improved, and even for a paper type fuel tank it is
possible to prevent deformation such as normally results when
the low strength sides of such a fuel tank cave in when pressed.
It is also possible to avoid reduction in the commercial value
due to leakage of the liquid fuel forced into the cotton filling
3 and stored or deformation. Also, because the cotton filling
3 is contained in the reinforcement member 37, handling is made
easy.
In the split structure of each of the above described embodiments,
cotton filling 3 has been arranged inside, but this filling can
be changed as appropriate.