GB2463798A

GB2463798A - Safety Lighter

Info

Publication number: GB2463798A
Application number: GB0917006A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jian Shan
Original assignee: Ningbo Xinhai Electric Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ningbo Xinhai Electric Co Ltd
Priority date: 2008-09-28
Filing date: 2009-09-28
Publication date: 2010-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 2029-09-28
Also published as: FR2936594B3; DE202009012910U1; CN201277587Y; US20100081101A1; GB2463798B; FR2936594A3; CA2679003A1; GB0917006D0; AU2009220020A1; JP3155992U

Abstract

A lighter has a handle 1, an outwardly extending barrel 2 mounted in the handle, a gas valve 20 mounted on a fuel tank 10 within the handle, a flame nozzle 21 contained in the barrel, and a fuel conveying hose 22 connecting the gas valve to the flame nozzle. A lever 1, which can open the gas valve, is rotatably mounted in the handle about a pivot 51, and the lever cooperates with a trigger pushing surface (42 fig 2b). The trigger also includes an inner protrusion 41 which cooperates with a piezoelectric unit 30 having starting button 31. The handle also includes a button 60 with a first resilient member 62, the button cooperating with the trigger, such that the button is depressed to align the inner protrusion of the trigger with the starting button of the piezoelectric unit so that depression of the trigger activates the starting button to create a spark for ignition. The trigger further cooperates with a second resilient member 43.

Description

LIGHTER

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a lighter. More particularly, the invention relates to a lighter which is simple in structure and liable to be thought by a child to be out of work or out of gas, thus giving up keeping trying to ignite.

Description of the Prior Art

Known lighters such as those used for lighting gas hobs, barbeques or the like (referred to as a utility lighter') often have a safe means or mechanism which, when locked or set to a safe mode, is able to block or increase an active force needed to pull over a trigger of the utility lighter. As to such utility lighters, a child who is not able to ignite may be interested in operating and finally find the right way to ignite. So it is thought to provide a new disguised utility lighter, a trigger thereof is able to be pulled over as conventional utility lighters without safe means but only be ignited when a safe means is activated.

One known disguised utility lighter is disclosed in a U.S. patent application 12/078,363 (patent number US7,581,947), titled as "A Child Resistant Utility Lighter". The utility lighter has a movable piezoelectric unit contained in a handle and having a starting button, the piezoelectric unit constantly stays at a departure position in which a trigger of the utility lighter, when pulled over, is not able to meet the piezoelectric unit, and being able to be pushed to an aligning position by depressing the safe button for ignition by pulling over the trigger.

The aforementioned known utility lighter has the capability of disguising but is complex in structure. It must use a specially made piezoelectric unit instead of a general one. Installations of springs and rotatable and slidable piezoelectric unit both lowers manufacturing efficiency and using credibility of the lighter.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the invention is to provide a lighter which is simple in structure, meanwhile, liable to be thought by a child to be out of work or out of gas, thus giving up keeping trying to ignite.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a lighter having a handle, a barrel mounted in the handle and extending outward, a fuel tank within the handle and for containing liquefied gaseous fuel, a gas valve mounted on the fuel tank, a flame nozzle contained in the barrel, a fuel conveying hose connecting the gas valve and the flame nozzle, a lever pivot formed in the handle, a lever rotatably mounted on the handle around the lever pivot, a piezoelectric unit contained in the handle and having a starting button, a trigger having an inner protrusion over above the starting button of the piezoelectric unit and a pushing surface facing the lever and a second elastic element, and, a safe button slidably mounted on the handle and having a finger pointing and touching the trigger, and a first elastic element.

Preferably the piezoelectric unit remains in a fixed position relative to the handle.

Preferably the trigger pushing surface is angled such that depression of the trigger rotates the lever around the lever pivot to open the fuel valve.

These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: FIG. 1 is a partially cross-sectional perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the utility lighter of the invention. And, FIGs. 2a to FIG. 2c are partially exploded view of the utility lighter shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

AGs. 1, 2a, 2b, and 2c show a preferred embodiment of a lighter of the present invention. The lighter is preferably a utility lighter. The lighter is more preferably a child resistant utility lighter.

The utility lighter has a handle 1, a barrel 2 mounted in the handle I and extending outward, a fuel tank 10 within the handle I and for containing liquefied gaseous fuel, a gas valve 20 mounted on the fuel tank 10, a piezoelectric unit 30 contained in the handle I and having a starting button 31, a trigger 40 slidable with respect to the handle 1, a lever 50 rotatably mounted on the handle I around a lever pivot 51, and safe button 60 slidably mounted on the handle 1. The gas valve 20 is connected to a flame nozzle 21 contained in the barrel 2 by a fuel conveying hose 22. The gaseous fuel is able to be released from the flame nozzle 21 and then be ignited by sparks generated by the piezoelectric unit 30.

The safe button 60 has a finger 61 pointing and touching the trigger 40. The trigger 40 has an inner protrusion 41 over above the starting button 31 of the piezoelectric unit 30 and a pushing surface 42 facing the lever 50. t

With reference to FIG. 2a, it shows a constant, I.e., a spaS, status of the utility lIghter of the Invention. The safe button 60 Is pushed by a first elastic element 62 to an undepressed position. The trigger 40 is pushed by a second elastic element 43 to an undepressed position and the Inner protrusIon 41 Is in a non-aligned posItion with respect to the starting button 31.

in use,whena userholdsthehandle I oftheutllityilghterofthelnventlonwith his hand and pull over the trigger 40 with his forefinger along direction A, the Inner protrusion 41 Is not able to meet the starting button 31 of the plezoelectric unit 30 and the utility lighter will not be ignited. As partlcuiarly shown hi FIG. 2b, If the user depress the safe button 60 along the direction B with his thumb before pulilng the trigger 40, the first elastic eiement 621s depressed and the finger 61 will push the trigger 40 aocordlngiy along direction B. When the trigger 40 moves, the hiner protrusIon 41 wlli be able to enter a space beyond the starting button 31.

As shown in Fit 2c, If the user pulls the trigger 40 agaInst the second elastic element 43 at this time, the Inner protrusion 41 will depress the starting button 31 of the plezoelectric unit 30 to generate sparks for Ignition. Meanwhile, the lever is pressed by the pushing surface 42 to rotate around the lever pIvot 51 to open the gas valve 20. The utility lighter of the Invention Is thus ignited. When the user releases the trigger 40 and the safe button 60, the trigger 40 and the safe button 60 resume their constant status as shown In FIG. 2a under an resuming forcesrespectlvelyfromthesecond andthefirstelastlcelements43,62.

The elastic elements as shown in above embodiments are springs. As known by a person in the art, they are also be able to be a piece of an elastic metal or a rubber bar that is able to resume an original position after depressed.

Alternatively, the piezoelectric unit 30 is able to be securely fixed in a seat first.

Preferably, there may be provided journey limits forming on the handle I for the trigger 40 and the safe button 60 so that the trigger 40 and safe button 60 will not be able to be pulled into the handle I by overly depression.

It could be seen from above description, before the safe button 60 is depressed, the trigger 40 is able to be pulled over as a conventional utility lighter without any safe means. If the invention is used by a child, it is liable to be thought by him that the utility lighter is out of work or out of gas, thus giving up keeping trying to ignite. Thus, the invention provides a child resistant utility lighter having both a capability of disguising and simple structure.

One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting.

It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. Its embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles.

Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A lighter comprising: a handle; a barrel mounted in said handle and extending outward; a fuel tank within said handle and for containing liquefied gaseous fuel; a gas valve mounted on said fuel tank; a flame nozzle contained in said barrel; a fuel conveying hose connecting said gas valve and said flame nozzle; a lever pivot formed in said handle; a lever for opening the gas valve and rotatably mounted on said handle around said lever pivot; a piezoelectric unit contained in said handle and having a starting button; a trigger depressible against a second resiliently deformable element and having an inner protrusion alignable with said starting button of said piezoelectric unit and a pushing surface engagable with said lever,; and, a safe button slidably mounted on said handle, and depressible against a first resiliently deformable element; arranged so that the safe button is depressible to align the inner protrusion of the trigger with the starting button of said piezoelectric unit so that depression of the trigger activates the starting button to create a spark for ignition.
2. A lighter according to claim 1 wherein the piezoelectric unit remains in a fixed position relative to the handle.
3. A lighter according to claim I or 2 wherein the trigger pushing surface is angled such that depression of the trigger rotates the lever around the lever pivot.
4. A child resistant utility lighter comprising: a handle; a barrel mounted in said handle and extending outward; a fuel tank within said handle and for containing liquefied gaseous fuel; a gas valve mounted on said fuel tank; a flame nozzle contained in said barrel; a fuel conveying hose connecting said gas valve and said flame nozzle; a lever pivot formed in said handle; a lever rotatably mounted on said handle around said lever pivot: a piezoelectric unit contained in said handle and having a starting button; a trigger having an inner protrusion over above said starting button of said piezoelectric unit and a pushing surface facing said lever, and a second elastic element; and, a safe button slidably mounted on said handle, and having a finger pointing and touching said trigger, and a first elastic element.