GB2197059A

GB2197059A - Electric cigar lighter

Info

Publication number: GB2197059A
Application number: GB08723350A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Georg Seibel
Original assignee: Schoeller and Co Elektrotecnische Fabrik GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Schoeller and Co Elektrotecnische Fabrik GmbH and Co
Priority date: 1986-10-18
Filing date: 1987-10-05
Publication date: 1988-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 2007-10-05
Also published as: DE3635465A1; DE3635465C2; FR2605389B1; ES2008222A6; GB8723350D0; FR2605389A1; GB2197059B; IT1222904B; IT8722268A0

Abstract

The cigar lighter comprises a socket fixed in the instrument panel of a vehicle, and a plug which is insertable in the socket, which plug comprises a plug sleeve (1), an ignition coil (2) and an operating knob (3). The coil (2) is connected to the knob (3) by a spindle (5) which extends through a bearing plate (4). A helical spring (7) is supported at the knob (3) and on the bearing plate (4). The plate (4) includes a plastics material portion (15) and a metal plate (16), which is provided on its edge with stop lugs for engagement in windows (18) of the sleeve (1). The edge of the plastics material portion (15) is provided with guide tongues for guiding the bearing plate (4) in the sleeve (1). When the plug is in its withdrawal position, the operating knob (3) protrudes from the plug housing so that it can be gripped. During movement of the plug, locking springs (37) of the plug sleeve (1) engage with recesses in the plastics material portion (15) of the axially displaceable bearing plate (4). The invention serves to improve the guidance of component parts which slide on one another, and to considerably reduce the wear between bearing plate (4) and locking springs (37). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electric cigar lighter The present invention relates to an electric cigar lighter for motor vehicles.

In a known arrangement, German Patent Specification No. 2 535 079 discloses a cigar lighter having a metallic bearing plate which engages with the locking springs of the plug housing in the extraction position. This engagement means prevents accidental displacement of the ignition coil is the hot plug drops to the ground. Bearing plate and locking springs are so adapted that, when the cigar lighter is in its inoperative position, the bearing plate is slightly tensioned in order to prevent rattling, but on the other hand, the bearing plate is also permitted to move into the locking means in the extraction position by the catapult effect, through a sliding angle on the spring.

Bearing plate and springs slide and rub on one another with greater or lesser tension.

Frequent operation produces wear at the sliding locations, and such wear causes rough functioning; in the event of extreme wear, operational faults arise because the bearing plate can no longer be brought into the locked position.

The sliding property between bearing plate, springs and spring housing can be improved when the surfaces are provided with an electrically-conductive, galvanic Teflon coating or the like. The electrically-conductive, temperature-resistant covering is required on technical grounds. This covering is very expensive.

The invention seeks, therefore, to improve the sliding property and the guidance of the component parts of the locking means, which slide on one another, and to reduce considerably the wear between bearing plate and locking springs.

According to the present invention there is provided an electric cigar lighter for motor vehicles, comprising a plug sleeve which is insertable into a socket sleeve firmly incorporated in the instrumnt panel and into which plug sleeve a handle, which is connected to an ignition coil by means of a spindle, is depressable in the rest position, the spindle being displaceably mounted in a bearing plate, which is axially displaceable in the plug sleeve and locks in locking springs of the plug housing in the withdrawal position, and, in the switched-on position, the ignition coil is retained against the force of a helical spring, disposed in the plug housing, by bimetal springs which automatically release the ignition coil in its heated stated so that the handle passes, by means of the action of the helical spring, into the withdrawal position, in which it protrudes from the plug housing so that it can be gripped wherein the bearing plate includes a plastics material portion which cooperates with the locking springs of the plug housing, and a metal plate which is connected to the plastics material portion.

The bearing plate according to the invention serves to prevent operational faults and to ensure a long useful life for the cigar lighter.

Further features and advantages of the invention can be found in the sub-claims, in the drawing, and in the associated description of the drawing.

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the plug housing in the inoperative position of the ignition coil; Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the plug housing of Fig. 1, with the ignition coil in the extraction position; Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the bearing plate; Figure 4 is a plan view of the bearing plate; Figure 5 illustrates a portion of the bearing plate provided with guide lugs; and Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. 4.

The plug shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for a cigar lighter includes a plug housing 1 together with an ignition coil 2 and an operating knob 3.

The ignition coil 2 is connected to the operating knob 3, which is provided with a recess 6, by means of a spindle 5 which extends through a bearing plate 4. A helical spring 7 is supported in the recess 6 of the operating knob 3 and on the bearing plate 4. The plug housing 1 is provided, at its lower end, with a bell-shaped widened portion 10 which serves to guide the plug housing in the socket sleeve (not shown).

Figs. 3 to 6 illustrate the bearing plate 4 in the form intended for insertion into the plug housing 1. The bearing plate 4 includes a plastics component part 15 and a metal plate 16 which is provided, on its edge, with stop lugs 17 for engagement in a window 18 of the plug housing 1 (see Figs. 1 and 2). In addition, retaining projection members 19 are situated on the edge of the metal plate 16, such projection members extending through slots 20 in the plastics component part 15 and then being bent-over. In the centre of the plastics component part 15 there is a collar 21 having a bore 22 for the spindle 5 and a recess 23 for the securing nut 24 of the ignition coil 2. The recess 23 is in alignment with a corresponding, round aperture 25 in the metal plate 16.A plurality of guide tongues 30 are situated on the edge of the plastics component part 15 for the guidance of the bearing plate 4 in the plug housing 1, and the guide tongues 30 are separated from one another by recesses 31 to 36. The locking springs 37 engage in the recesses 31, 33 and 35 which are in alignment with the retaining projection members 19. The edge of the plas tics component part 15 has a rounded configuration in the region of the recesses 31, 33 and 35, so that the wear between plastics component part 15 and locking springs 37 is considerably reduced. The upwardly-bent stop lugs 1 7 of the metal plate 1 6 protrude into the recesses 32, 34 and 36, and, after the bearing plate 4 has been inserted into the plug housing 1, the lugs 17 are straightenedout again in order to engage in the windows 18.The helical spring 7 is supported on the bent-over retaining projection members 19 to achieve a good earth contact. The helical spring 7 ensures that, after the igntion coil 2 has been released, the operating knob 3 is moved by the bimetal springs from the switched-on position to the extraction position. The end face of the ignition coil 2 rests on studs 40 of the metal plate 16 as small an area as possible in order to keep the flow of heat to the operating knob 3 as minimal as possible.

One embodiment of the invention has been explained more fully above with reference to the drawing. However, the invention is in no way limited to this embodiment because there are numerous possible modifications in respect of the configuration of the individual component parts of the bearing plate according to the invention and in respect to the disposition of such parts, without departing from the scope outlined by the invention set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. An electric cigar lighter for motor vehicles, comprising a plug sleeve which is inertable into a socket sleeve firmly incorporated in the instrument panel and into which plug sleeve a handle, which is connected to an ignition coil by means of a spindle, is de pressabie in the rest position the spindle being displaceably mounted in a bearing plate, which is axially displaceable in the plug sleeve and locks in locking springs of the plug housing in the withdrawal position, and, in the switchedon position, the ignition coil is retained against the force of a helical spring, disposed in the plug housing, by bimetal springs which auto matically release the ignition coil in its heated state so that the handle passes, by means of the action of the helical spring, into the with drawal position, in which it protrudes from the plug housing so that it can be gripped wherein the bearing plate includes a plastics material portion which co-operates with the locking springs of the plug housing and a metal plate which is connected to the plastics material portion.

2. A cigar lighter as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in order to secure the metal plate on the plastics component part, slots are pro vided in the plastics component part so that bendable projection members attached to the metal plate can extend through the slots.

3. A cigar lighter as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the retaining projection members of the metal plate are so disposed that the helical spring is supported on the bent-over projection members and there is an earth contact between the two components parts.

4. A cigar lighter as claimed in claims 1 to 3, wherein the plastics component part is provided on its edge with projection members for guidance in the plug sleeve.

5. A cigar lighter as claimed in claims 1 to 5, wherein recesses are provided between the guide tongues for the stop lugs of the metal plate, which lugs engage in windows of the plug sleeve.

6. A cigar lighter as claimed in claims 1 to 5, wherein recesses are provided between the guide tongues for the engagement of the locking springs.

7. A cigar lighter as claimed in claims 1 to 6, wherein the edge of the plastics component part which co-operates with the locking springs has a rounded configuration.

8. An electric cigar lighter substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.