EP1669674A1 - Briquet portatif - Google Patents

Briquet portatif Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1669674A1
EP1669674A1 EP04257728A EP04257728A EP1669674A1 EP 1669674 A1 EP1669674 A1 EP 1669674A1 EP 04257728 A EP04257728 A EP 04257728A EP 04257728 A EP04257728 A EP 04257728A EP 1669674 A1 EP1669674 A1 EP 1669674A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
hand held
wheel
lever
fulcrum
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Withdrawn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
EP04257728A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
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
Priority to EP04257728A priority Critical patent/EP1669674A1/fr
Publication of EP1669674A1 publication Critical patent/EP1669674A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • F23Q2/34—Component parts or accessories
    • F23Q2/46—Friction wheels; Arrangement of friction wheels

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a hand held lighter with safety features to prevent it being ignited accidentally or by children.
  • the present invention is particularly concerned with a hand held lighter of the type of 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 and a rotatably mounted sparking wheel assembly contacting the flint, so that when the sparking wheel assembly is rotated, sparks are generated by the flint and projected to the ignition point.
  • a user rotates the sparking wheel assembly with a thumb or finger while simultaneously depressing the lever to allow fuel to be fed to the ignition point, where it is ignited by the sparks.
  • This type of hand held lighter is very well known in art.
  • the present inventor has realised that the safety features can be introduced into two aspects of the operation of the lighter. The first is by making the force required to operate the valve relatively high. In this way, it is unlikely that children will be able to operate the system correctly.
  • the inventor has further realised that the principle of the lever can be used to introduce this safety feature. If the ratio of the distance from the valve operating portion to the fulcrum and the distance from the fulcrum to the thumb piece is such that the valve operating part of the lever the same distance from or is relatively closer to the fulcrum than the valve operating part of the lever, the force that the operator has to apply will be greater than normal, even if a completely standard valve design is used.
  • the present inventor has also considered the interaction of the operation of the sparking wheel and the lever.
  • the present inventor has realised that, where a smooth sided side wheel is provided, there is a great tendency for an inexperienced users thumb or finger to slip on the side wheel and, as a result, contact the lever with inadequate force, which, in combination with a lever which requires greater than normal force to operate, as described above, can lead to an enhanced safety feature.
  • the present invention 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 opening the fuel valve, a flint, a rotatably mounted sparking wheel assembly comprising a sparking wheel contacting the flint and at least one side wheel, so that when the sparking wheel assembly is rotated, sparks are generated by the flint and projected towards the ignition point, the lever comprising, in succession, a valve contacting portion, a fulcrum and an operating portion for engaging the operator's thumb or finger, the ratio of the distance between the valve contacting portion and the fulcrum and the distance between the fulcrum and the operating portion being at least 1.01:1.0, wherein the side wheel has a smooth circumferential surface and has an external diameter which is smaller than or equal to the external diameter of the sparking wheel.
  • the force which has to be applied is greater than normal.
  • an adult intentionally operates the lighter they can use their generally higher strength to effectively depress the lever and lift the nozzle to allow fuel to be fed and ignited.
  • the force on the lever operating portion is unlikely to be sufficient to allow the valve to open, so that no flame will be generated.
  • the ratio between the distance from the valve contacting portion to the fulcrum and the distance from the fulcrum to the operating portion of the lever is preferably at least 1.1 and more preferably at least 1.2. The higher the ratio, the greater the force required to operate the lever and the higher the safety factor provided.
  • the operating portion of the lever will typically comprise an area which extends generally at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the lighter, configured to be engaged by a user's finger or thumb. It is typically located adjacent the sparking wheel assembly. Where the operating portion comprises an operating surface which extends for a range of distances from the fulcrum, the ratio can be calculated by using the distance from the fulcrum to the mid point of the operating surface.
  • An advantage of the present invention is that it may be manufactured using parts standard of design which are only different from existing designs in certain dimensions. Accordingly, manufacturer of the hand held lighter of the present invention need be no more expensive than conventional hand held lighters.
  • the fulcrum of the lever may be provided by any suitable configuration.
  • the axle is integrally formed with the lever and a bearing formed in a structure of the lighter.
  • the bearing is formed in a structure which is integral with the housing for the valve and/or the flint.
  • the lever is formed with a projecting axle on each side.
  • a lever spring may be provided.
  • the lever spring is preferably located acting on the side of the lever opposite to the operating portion.
  • the side wheels have sufficiently smooth surfaces so that, if a force is applied by a user's thumb or finger to the circumferential surface of the side wheel and the sparking wheel, which force would, in the absence of the side wheel, be just sufficient to rotate the sparking wheel and generate sparks, the user's thumb or finger will slip on the side wheel.
  • the circumferential surface of the side wheel may be smooth enough if it contains substantially no re-entrant formations or protrusions. It is preferred that it is not jagged. It is preferred that there are no upstanding ridges or indented grooves, no roughened parts or jagged edges.
  • any protrusion or indentations on the surface do not exceed 0.1 mm in depth and preferably do not exceed 0.0 1 mm in depth.
  • the side wheel may be made of any suitable material, for example, zinc, alloy, stainless steel or brass. Side wheels constructed of these materials may have a smooth surface. They may be formed by methods such as punching or die-casting. The side wheel may be polished.
  • the distance from the operating part or valve contacting part is taken to the centre of the trunnion or pivot, about which rotation occurs.
  • the fuel container may comprise a conventional tank for comprising a 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 may be urged into a closed position by resilient means. The valve plug may be movable to an open position for allowing fuel to be fed against the force of the resilient means.
  • the valve plug may itself 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 may comprise 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 assembly.
  • the valve contacting portion of the lever may have a conventional form. It may comprise a portion 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 valve, lever, 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 pivotally mounting the sparking wheel assembly.
  • the sparking wheel assembly may be of any of suitable design.
  • the side wheel may be rigidly connected to the sparking wheel.
  • the sparking wheel may be rotatably mounted with the 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.
  • the hand held lighter may comprise a windshield around the ignition point, to prevent the flame being blown out.
  • Additional safety features such as a switch or movable lever may be provided to prevent accidental operation of the lighter.
  • the design of the present invention is particularly suitable for a disposable hand held lighter, as it can be cheap to manufacture.
  • Figure 1 shows a schematic side view through a first embodiment of lighter according to the present invention. It comprises a fuel reservoir 1, a valve 2 for allowing fuel to be fed from the fuel reservoir to a nozzle 2A. There is an adjuster 3 for varying the height of the flame. The windshield 4 surrounds the nozzle to protect the flame from draughts.
  • a sparking wheel 5 is provided for generating sparks in conjunction with a flint 8 which is pressed into contact with the sparking wheel assembly 5 by a coil spring 9.
  • a lever 6 is provided for operating the valve 2. The lever 6 is mounted in a bracket 7 in a manner which will be described further below. The bracket 7 also provides a mounting for the sparking wheel assembly 5.
  • the sparking wheel forms part of an assembly which further includes a pair of side wheels 10 which have smooth external edges and which are of smaller diameter than the sparking wheel 5. It can be seen that the side wheels 10 are rigidly connected to the sparking wheel 5. Each side wheel 10 is integrally formed with a stub axle 11 which is received in a bearing 12 formed in the bracket 7.
  • the user places their finger or thumb on the sparking wheel assembly 5 to rotate it.
  • the operating part 6B of the lever is depressed.
  • the lever then rotates around the fulcrum (as will be described further below) so that the valve contacting portion 6C of the lever raises the valve 2 allowing fuel to be fed from the reservoir 1.
  • sparks generated by the sparking wheel ignite the fuel to create a flame.
  • the valve and the lever return to their normal position under the influence of resilient spring 2B.
  • the sparking wheel 5 is rigidly connected to the smooth edged side wheels 10, there is a tendency for a user's thumb or finger to slip on the edges of the side wheels unless the user places their thumb or finger very carefully and forcefully on the sparking wheel 5. This provides a level of protection against accidental use or operation by children.
  • the external diameter of the side wheel is smaller than in conventional hand held lighters. This means that the user has to apply more force to the side wheel to rotate the sparking wheel than is conventional.
  • the lever 6 comprises trunnions 6A on either side which are rotatably received in holes 7A formed in the bracket 7, thereby defining a fulcrum about which the lever 6 is rotated.
  • the centre of each trunnion defines the fulcrum.
  • the distance X between the valve contacting portion 6C and the fulcrum and the distance between the fulcrum and the centre point of the operating portion 6B is 1.0 or greater.
  • figure 3 shows a schematic view of a conventional hand held lighter.
  • the distance X' between the valve contacting portion 6C and the fulcrum and the distance Y' between the fulcrum and the centre point of the operating portion 6B is less than 1:1, with the operating portion being set rather further away from the fulcrum than the valve contacting portion, giving the user a mechanical advantage.
  • the operating portion closer to the fulcrum than the valve operating portion and in any case closer to the fulcrum than is conventional, more force has to be applied by the user in order to operate the valve, making accidental operation or operation by children less likely.
  • FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. Like parts are given like reference numerals and are operated as described above. The only difference is in the structure of the pivots between the lever and the bracket.
  • the pivots are designated 6D and are located at a lower level than shown in figure 2, but the distance between the valve contacting portion and the fulcrum and the fulcrum and the operating portion 6B are in the same ratio as shown in figure 2.
  • Figure 7 shows a schematic cross sectional view through a third embodiment of hand held lighter according to the present invention.
  • This design is identical to that of figure 1 except that it further includes a lever spring 14 located in the space 13 and acting on the under side of the lever 15, at a point opposite to the operating portion 6B.
  • the lever spring acts to bias the lever away from the position in which the valve is operated. It therefore provides an additional force which has to be overcome by the user in order to successfully operate the hand held lighter.
  • FIGS 8 and 9 show side views of a sparking wheel 5 and side wheel 10 respectively. It can be seen that the sparking wheel 5 has a rough edge and a relatively large diameter whereas the side wheel 10 has a smooth edge and a relatively small diameter
  • Figure 10 shows a schematic sectional view through a fourth embodiment of hand held lighter. It is the same as the lighter shown in figure 1 except that the sparking wheel 16 is rigidly connected to a pair of side wheels 17 which are of the same diameter.
  • the side wheels 17 each have smooth edges and present the same advantages as the hand held lighter of the first embodiment.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Lighters Containing Fuel (AREA)
EP04257728A 2004-12-13 2004-12-13 Briquet portatif Withdrawn EP1669674A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP04257728A EP1669674A1 (fr) 2004-12-13 2004-12-13 Briquet portatif

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP04257728A EP1669674A1 (fr) 2004-12-13 2004-12-13 Briquet portatif

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1669674A1 true EP1669674A1 (fr) 2006-06-14

Family

ID=34930910

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04257728A Withdrawn EP1669674A1 (fr) 2004-12-13 2004-12-13 Briquet portatif

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1669674A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2026005A1 (fr) * 2007-08-15 2009-02-18 Shao-Shun Hsu Briquet doté d'une sécurité de type levier

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5090893A (en) * 1989-04-07 1992-02-25 Cricket Childproof gas lighter
EP1348909A1 (fr) * 2002-02-22 2003-10-01 Top Champion Development (Europe) Limited Briquet portatif
WO2003098113A1 (fr) * 2002-05-22 2003-11-27 Xinhua Huang Briquet a cigarettes economisant du travail et a securite

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5090893A (en) * 1989-04-07 1992-02-25 Cricket Childproof gas lighter
EP1348909A1 (fr) * 2002-02-22 2003-10-01 Top Champion Development (Europe) Limited Briquet portatif
WO2003098113A1 (fr) * 2002-05-22 2003-11-27 Xinhua Huang Briquet a cigarettes economisant du travail et a securite

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2026005A1 (fr) * 2007-08-15 2009-02-18 Shao-Shun Hsu Briquet doté d'une sécurité de type levier
JP2009047404A (ja) * 2007-08-15 2009-03-05 Shao-Shun Hsu ガスライター

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