EP1541927A1 - Handfeuerzeug - Google Patents

Handfeuerzeug Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1541927A1
EP1541927A1 EP04257649A EP04257649A EP1541927A1 EP 1541927 A1 EP1541927 A1 EP 1541927A1 EP 04257649 A EP04257649 A EP 04257649A EP 04257649 A EP04257649 A EP 04257649A EP 1541927 A1 EP1541927 A1 EP 1541927A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
lever
operating
hand held
fuel
lighter
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Withdrawn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
EP04257649A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Hou Chong Lei
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.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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 Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP1541927A1 publication Critical patent/EP1541927A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • F23Q2/164—Arrangements for preventing undesired ignition
    • 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
    • F23Q2/161—Lighters with gaseous fuel, e.g. the gas being stored in liquid phase with friction wheel

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a hand held lighter.
  • the present invention relates particularly to a hand held lighter of the type comprising a fuel container, a fuel valve for allowing fuel to be fed from the fuel container to an ignition point, a lever for operating the fuel valve, a flint, a rotatably mounted sparking wheel contacting the flint and for generating sparks when the sparking wheel is rotated, the sparks being projected to the ignition point.
  • WO97/32163 discloses a lighter with a spark wheel slip ring.
  • the spark wheel slip ring is intended to make operation of the lighter more difficult so that accidental ignition or ignition by children is unlikely to occur. The user has to operate the lighter carefully so that the slip ring and a striking wheel are frictionally coupled together to move in concert to create a spark.
  • the slip ring has a slot along its circumference which can engage with the flint housing to halt movement of the ring and the striking wheel assembly.
  • the construction of this apparatus is complicated, increasing the cost of the lighter. Operation is relatively difficult even for adults.
  • the present inventor has therefore sought a design of hand held lighter with additional safety features which is simple to construct and operate.
  • conventional lighters employ a lever whose upper surface is configured so that it is easy to operate.
  • the upper surface of the lever is conventionally designed to intercept the path of motion of the user's thumb or finger.
  • an operating axis can be defined, which passes tangentially to the sparking wheel and passes through the lever.
  • the surface of the lever is normal to the axis or inclined so that it faces towards the sparking wheel
  • the present inventor has realised that the surface of the lever may be configured so that it is inclined to the axis and facing outwards. This has the result that the user's thumb or finger is more likely to slip off the lever unless the lighter is operated with care. This reduces the likelihood of accidental operation of the lighter or operation by children.
  • the present inventor provides a hand held lighter, comprising a fuel container, a fuel valve for allowing fuel to be fed from the fuel container to an ignition point, a lever for operating the fuel valve, a flint, a rotatably mounted sparking wheel assembly contacting the flint and for generating sparks when the sparking wheel is rotated, the sparks being projected to the ignition point, the lever having an operating surface for contacting a user's thumb or finger, the lighter further defining an operating axis, passing tangentially to the sparking wheel assembly and passing through the operating surface of the lever, at least part of the operating surface of the lever being inclined with respect to the axis and facing outwards.
  • the operating axis defines approximately the line of motion of the front part of the user's thumb or finger when operating the hand held lighter.
  • the operating axis will pass tangentially to the sparking wheel and will pass through the operating surface of the lever, suitably passing through the part of the operating surface of the lever closest to the sparking wheel assembly.
  • hand held lighters of this type have the shape of an irregular prism, having substantially parallel sides which are gripped by the user. When such a hand held lighter is gripped by a user, using the fingers and thumb, the natural line of motion of the user's thumb is substantially parallel to the parallel sides of the lighter.
  • the operating direction may be defined as a line which is tangential to the sparking wheel assembly and which passes through the operating surface of the lever but which is substantially parallel to the sides of the lighter or the axis of the lighter.
  • At least part of the operating surface of the lever is inclined to this axis at an angle of at least 120°, preferably at least 130° and preferably at least 140°.
  • the lever will comprise an operating surface for contacting the user's thumb or finger, a fulcrum about which lever is pivotable and a valve operating portion for engaging the valve.
  • the valve contacting portion may comprise a portion of the lever adapted to fit underneath a projection formed on the valve or nozzle whereby, when the operating portion of the lever is depressed, the valve contacting portion of the lever is raised by pivoting the lever so that the valve is lifted by the action of the lever on the projection.
  • the operating surface of the lever may comprise a flat planar surface or a surface defined by different surface sections. It may comprise a curved surface.
  • the lever will comprise a central axis which passes at right angles to the axis of tilt of the lever.
  • the axis of operation is a notional line which passes through the central axis of the lever.
  • the valve operating surface may be tilted outwardly or to either side at the point where it contacts the operating axis.
  • the user's thumb or finger may have a tendency to be deflected right, or left or simply towards the palm of the user's hand without operating the lever.
  • At least half of the operating surface is inclined with respect to the operating axis, more preferably, at least two thirds of the operating surface is inclined with respect of the operating axis.
  • the fuel container may comprise a conventional tank for comprising liquid fuel, for example LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). Fuel may be fed from the container via a wick.
  • the fuel valve may comprise a valve plug slidably movable inside a valve housing, the valve plug being urged into a closed position by resilient means and being movable to an open position for allowing fuel to be fed against the force of the resilient means.
  • the valve plug may comprise a fuel delivery tube for allowing fuel to be fed in the open position.
  • the fuel valve is suitably integral with a nozzle defining the ignition point.
  • the flint comprises a conventional pyrophoric material. It may be formed into the shape of a rod. Resilient means may be provided for urging the rod of pyrophoric material towards the sparking wheel.
  • the valve, the lever, the lever fulcrum, and housing for the flint are mounted in a structure closing the end of the fuel container.
  • the structure may comprise a bracket.
  • the bracket suitably comprises means for pivotably mounting the sparking wheel.
  • the sparking wheel assembly may be of any suitable design. It may simply comprise a rotatably mounted sparking wheel. It may include further safety features. For example, it may comprise at least one rotatably mounted side wheel and a rotatably mounted sparking wheel.
  • the side wheel may be rigidly connected to the sparking wheel and have a greater diameter than the sparking wheel.
  • the side wheel may have a smooth surface so that it is comparatively difficult to operate.
  • the sparking wheel may be rotatably mounted with respect to the side wheel so that the tendency is for the operator's thumb to rotate the side wheel without rotating the sparking wheel, unless the operator applies sufficient pressure for the soft part of the thumb or finger to also contact the sparking wheel.
  • a feature such as a switch or movable lever may be provided to prevent accidental operation of the lighter.
  • a conventional windshield may be formed around the ignition point to prevent any flame being blown out by draughts.
  • Figure 1 is the schematic cross section through a hand held lighter according to the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is a schematic view, at an enlarged scale, of the sparking wheel assembly and operating surface of the lever.
  • Figure 3 is a schematic view, at a different scale to figures 1 and 2, of a different embodiment of lever according to the present invention.
  • a hand held lighter of the present invention comprises a fuel container 1 of conventional design, for containing fuel, for example liquefied petroleum gas.
  • the end of the container 1 is sealed by a structure which includes a housing 2 for a flint 5.
  • Resilient means in the form of coil spring 3 are provided for urging the flint into contact with a sparking wheel 6.
  • the structure in the end of the fuel container 1 further comprises a bracket in which a lever 4 is pivotally mounted so that it defines an operating portion 10 for contacting a user's thumb or finger.
  • a valve contacting portion 11 of the lever which engages underneath a projection formed at the base of a nozzle 8, lifts the nozzle 8.
  • a fuel valve 9 is operated to allow fuel to be fed from the container 1 to an ignition point defined at the end of the nozzle 8.
  • a windshield 7 is defined around the ignition point.
  • a user will use their thumb or finger to rotate the sparking wheel 6 (via side wheels as described further below) by moving the thumb of finger in a downward direction. This downward direction corresponds to the operating direction which is shown by the arrow A shown in figure 2.
  • sparks are generated by the flint 5 and projected towards the ignition point.
  • the operating portion of the lever 10 is contacted and pressed down, so that the valve 9 is opened and fuel is fed to the ignition point. If the sparking wheel 6 and lever 4 are operated sufficiently quickly, fuel is fed to the ignition point at the same time as sparks are present, so that a flame is generated.
  • the sparking wheel 6 forms part of a sparking wheel assembly, being coaxially mounted with a pair of side wheels 12, mounted either side of the sparking wheel 6, which are a greater diameter than the sparking wheel 6.
  • the operator's thumb or finger will contact the outer surfaces of the side wheels 12 rather than the circumferential surface of the sparking wheel 6.
  • the surfaces of the side wheel 12 are smoother than the outer surface of the sparking wheel 6 and there is a tendency for the user's thumb or finger to slip, making operation of the lighter more difficult. This provides an additional safety feature.
  • FIG. 2 shows the sparking wheel assembly and the operating surface of the lever in more detail.
  • An operating direction which generally traces the direction of movement of the user's thumb or finger is shown by arrow A.
  • This operating direction is tangential to the outer surface of the sparking wheel at point X and passes through the point Y of the operating surface 10 closest to the sparking wheel 6. It can be seen that, at this point, the operating surface (10) is inclined with respect to the operating direction A, forming an angle which is greater than 90°. It faces outwards.
  • the operating surface is convexly curved. Accordingly, other parts of the operating surface of the lever are clearly inclined at a greater angle to the operating direction A. In particular, at the centre part, where the user's thumb contacts the operating surface most forcefully, the operating surface is inclined at angle of about 120° to the operating direction, giving the user's thumb a distinct tendency to the slip from the operating surface.
  • the operating surface can be finished so that it has a relatively smooth and slippery surface. For example, there may be substantially no projections or indentations or other surface texturing to give adhesion to the user's thumb or finger.
  • the operating surface may be made of relatively slippery material, for example a suitable metal alloy.
  • FIG. 3 shows a different embodiment in schematic form.
  • the operating surface 14 of the lever is defined by a straight, outwardly facing surface which forms an angle of about 120° to the operating direction A.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Lighters Containing Fuel (AREA)
EP04257649A 2003-12-11 2004-12-09 Handfeuerzeug Withdrawn EP1541927A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0328762 2003-12-11
GBGB0328762.0A GB0328762D0 (en) 2003-12-11 2003-12-11 Hand held lighter

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1541927A1 true EP1541927A1 (de) 2005-06-15

Family

ID=30130063

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04257649A Withdrawn EP1541927A1 (de) 2003-12-11 2004-12-09 Handfeuerzeug

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US20050175946A1 (de)
EP (1) EP1541927A1 (de)
GB (1) GB0328762D0 (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2083219A1 (de) * 2008-01-25 2009-07-29 Shao-Shun Hsu Feuerzeug mit Kindersicherung

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8653942B2 (en) 2008-08-20 2014-02-18 John Gibson Enterprises, Inc. Portable biometric lighter
US10502419B2 (en) 2017-09-12 2019-12-10 John Gibson Enterprises, Inc. Portable biometric lighter

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2390678A1 (fr) 1977-05-11 1978-12-08 Dynamold International Briquet a gaz
AT368619B (de) 1980-10-01 1982-10-25 Racek Alfred Sicherheitseinrichtung fuer gasfeuerzeuge
WO1997032163A1 (en) 1996-03-01 1997-09-04 Bic Corporation Lighter with spark-wheel slip ring
DE20202972U1 (de) 2002-02-26 2002-05-02 Tokai Europ Gmbh Feuerzeug mit Kindersicherung

Family Cites Families (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3122907A (en) * 1964-03-03 Gas lighter of the suspended container type
BE635421A (de) * 1962-07-27
US3441358A (en) * 1963-01-09 1969-04-29 Olof Sune Grop Gas lighter having a lever actuated expansible valve means
FR1430112A (fr) * 1964-06-17 1966-03-04 Briquet à gaz
SE317220B (de) * 1966-12-12 1969-11-10 Svenska Taendsticks Ab
FR2110596A5 (de) * 1970-10-20 1972-06-02 Tricot Jean
US3784834A (en) * 1971-04-22 1974-01-08 Siemens Ag Automatic film developing machine with means to sequentially remove film sheets from a magazine
US3740183A (en) * 1971-08-16 1973-06-19 Butane Match Ag Lighter with delayed flame shutoff
USD251020S (en) * 1976-08-16 1979-02-06 Alfred Racek Gas lighter
USD247448S (en) * 1977-01-31 1978-03-07 Ronson Corporation Lighter
US5125829A (en) * 1988-09-02 1992-06-30 Bic Corporation Bidirectional selectively actuatable lighter
US5439375A (en) * 1994-06-16 1995-08-08 American Tectrade Enterprises, Inc. Child-resistant lockable lighter
FR2731775B1 (fr) * 1995-03-16 1997-05-23 Hameur & Cie Ensemble molette de briquet
US5769625A (en) * 1996-01-04 1998-06-23 Polycity Industrial Limited Safety lighter with smooth striker wheel edges
JP3523451B2 (ja) * 1997-03-28 2004-04-26 株式会社東海 ガスライター
USD411898S (en) * 1997-06-17 1999-07-06 Tokai Corporation Gas lighter
US6095795A (en) * 1999-05-03 2000-08-01 Potskhishvili; David Vakhtangovich Gas lighter with safety device
US6273709B1 (en) * 2000-04-03 2001-08-14 David Vakhtangovich Potskhishvili Gas lighter with safety device
US7685685B2 (en) * 2000-09-14 2010-03-30 Paul Giampavolo Seat belt with child resistant buckle
US6659763B2 (en) * 2001-12-12 2003-12-09 Oneworld Enterprises Limited Safety lighter with restricted access to driver disk

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2390678A1 (fr) 1977-05-11 1978-12-08 Dynamold International Briquet a gaz
AT368619B (de) 1980-10-01 1982-10-25 Racek Alfred Sicherheitseinrichtung fuer gasfeuerzeuge
WO1997032163A1 (en) 1996-03-01 1997-09-04 Bic Corporation Lighter with spark-wheel slip ring
DE20202972U1 (de) 2002-02-26 2002-05-02 Tokai Europ Gmbh Feuerzeug mit Kindersicherung

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2083219A1 (de) * 2008-01-25 2009-07-29 Shao-Shun Hsu Feuerzeug mit Kindersicherung

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0328762D0 (en) 2004-01-14
US20050175946A1 (en) 2005-08-11

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