IL31825A - Gas burning cigarette lighter - Google Patents

Description

GAS BUBNIHG LIGHTER This invention is concerned with gas burning cigarette lighters of the kind in which the gas is ignited at a burner nozzle by means of electrical sparking between electrodes in an ignition zone downstream of the burner One of the electrodes may be the burner nozzle The electric spark may be produced for example from a battery and condensor or from a manually operated dynamo or piezoelectric system contained within the In cigarette lighters of this kind it is desirable for the lighter action and the burner nozzle to be concealed by the outer shell of the at least in the rest position of the to minimise the ingress of dirt and to protect the disturbance of which may effect the critical spark gap between the Previously this problem has been met by locating the burner nozzle within the shell and pointing towards a flame aperture in the In this case the gas is ignited in an ignition zone within the shell and the flame through the flame This is an inefficient arrangemen because in order to provide an inlet for combustion air to the ignition zone so that the gas mixes with the to form a combustible mixture louvres or slits have to be made in the These are unsightly and do not allow the ingress of an ideal amount of Furthermore dirt can enter the shell through the flame and louvres or and lodge on the burner and other parts of the The existence of the ignition zone takes up an appreciable amount of space within the this space being wasted and preventing the lighter being as compact as it would otherwise prior to operation of the According to the in a gas burning actuating member which is movable upon manual depression against spring action from a rest position to an operating position and this movement causing a burner valve to be opened so that fuel gas issues from the burner nozzle and a spark to be produced in the ignition zone so that the gaseous fuel is ignited in the ignition a front end of the actuating member occupying the ignition zone and overlying the burner nozzle when in the rest position and being withdrawn to reveal the burner nozzle and to create the ignition zone when moved to its operating position so that the front end then defines one lateral boundary of the ignition zone at least one other side of which is then completely open to the atmosphere without any With this arrangement the essential parts are fully concealed in the rest position of the lighter but displacement of the actuating creates an ignition zone into which air can flow freely from the atmosphere for mixing with the fuel gas leaving the Since the occupies front of the actuating member tne ignition zone prior to there is a maximum conservation of space in the rest The front end surface of the actuating member may form a part of the outer surface of the lighter in the rest In order to conserve space still one the of the may be housed within the actuating and indeed rigidly fixed to the actuating member so it moves with The electrode which moves with the actuating may be embedded in a mass of insulating material with the tip of the electrode at which sparking takes place In this way the embedded electrode is rigidly mounted and its exposed tip may be cleaned as necessary without affecting the spark gap between the two The embedded electrode may be an end of an electrical lead wire which carries the sparking voltage from the voltage Some examples of fully automatic lighters in which the spark is produced by a piezoelectric ignition are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in Figure 1 is a perspective view of one example in the rest Figure 2 is a similar view showing the lighter Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 but of a second Figures 5 to 7 are scrap sections illustrating various examples of embedded electrodes applicable to the lighters shown in Figures 1 and 2 of Figures 3 and Figures 8 and 9 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 but of a third example of The first example of lighter has a body 9 and a thumbpiece actuating member 10 which together in the rest position shown in Figure a box To operate the the thumbpiece 10 is displaced backwards and downwards with a translational movement to the Figure 2 operating position whereupon a burner nozzle 11 is revealed and a burner valve is opened so that gaseous fuel is discharged through the nozzle into an ignition zone This zone 12 is bounded on three sides by the front end wall of the actuating member and two opposite wings 13 forming upper edge portions of the body The fourth sides of the ignition zone 12 is completely open to The displacement of the actuating member 10 also operates a piezoelectric system within the lighter so that a spark is produced between a electrode 14 embedded and exposed the surface of a body of insulating material 15 carried rigidly within and forming the majority of the front end face of the thumbpiece The spark ignites the fuel in the ignition zone 12 and causes a flame 16 to The flame is immediately adjacent to the upper corner of the lighter when it is most convenient for use and the fact that one side of the ignition zone 12 is completely open to atmosphere ensures quick ignition and excellent In the rest position shown in Figure 1 the burner nozzle 11 is completely concealed and protected by the front end of the actuating member A further advantage of this construction is that the ignition zone 12 is occupied by part of the actuating member 10 in the rest position so that the space is then usefully used and the lighter is extremely The dotted line flame in Figure 2 indicates that which would be produced by a slight change in the orientation of the burner nozzle In the second which is similar in many respects to the first the thumbpiece 10 again rigidly carries an electrode 14 embedded in a block of insulating material When the thumbpiece 10 is displaced backwards and downwards as shown in Figure 4 against spring action an ignition zone 12 is created by the withdrawal of the end of the actuating This ignition zone At the same time the burner valve is opened and a spark is produced between the electrode 14 and the burner nozzle 11 so that a flame 16 is Figure 5 illustrates one example of an electrode 14 and insulated block 15 in which the tip of the electrode is flush with the end surface 17 of the In the Figure 6 example the tip of the electrode 14 is pointed and is just exposed in the base of a recess 18 in an end face of the block In the Figure 7 example the electrode 14 has a tip in the form of a head 19 which is exposed at the end fact of the block These mountings ensure that the electrodes 13 cannot easily be damaged even through they are exposed at the front end of the thumbpiece in the rest In the third example of as illustrated in Figures 8 and similar movement of the thumbpiece 10 reveals a burner nozzle 11 which discharges into an ignition zone This zone is created between the front end of the thumbpiece 10 and an upstanding wing 13 with the body 9 and is completely open to atmosphere on the other two In this case movement of the thumbpiece 10 opens the burner valve and causes a spark to be produced between a fixed electrode over which the hollow front end of the thumbpiece and the burner nozzle 11 to ignite a flame In all the examples the lighter is fully that is to say the parts resume the rest position upon release of the thumbpiece It will be appreciated that the thumbpieces 10 move rearwardly from the burner nozzle outside the confines of the shell of the lighter body in the rest i x ace ma Britioh Patent Application insufficientOCRQuality

Claims (7)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS : c 1. A gas burning .cigarette lighter of the kind in j i which the gas is ignited at a burner nozzle by means | of electrical sparking between electrodes in an Jf ignition zone downstream of the burner nozzle, wherein jj. !l the lighter has an actuating member which is movable ,'! upon manual depression against spring action from a { 1 rest position to an operating position and this movement causing a burner valve to be opened so that fuel gas issu from the burner nozzle and a spark to be produced in the ignition zone so that the gaseous fuel is ignited in the ignition, zone, a front end of the actuating member occupying the ignition zone and overlying the burner nozzle when in the rest position and being withdrawn' to reveal the burner nozzle and to create the ignition zone when moved to its operating position so that the front end then defines one lateral boundary of the • _ . · l a t e ra l igntion. zone at least one other/side of which is then completely open to the atmosphere without any obstructio 2. A lighter according to claim 1, in which the front end, surface of the actuating member forms a part of the outer surface of the lighter' in the rest position. 3. A lighter according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which one of the electrodes is housed within the ], electrode which moves with the actuating member is /. embedded in a mass of insulating material with the WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A gas burning cigarette lighter of the kind in which the gas is ignited at a burner nozzle by means of electrical sparking between electrodes in an ignition zone downstream of the burner nozzle, wherein the lighter has an actuating member which is movable upon manual depression against spring action from a rest position to an operating position and this movement causing a burner valve to be opened so that fuel gas issues from the burner nozzle and a spark to be produced in the ignition zone so that the gaseous fuel is ignited in the ignition zone, a front end of the actuating member occupying the ignition zone and overlying the burner nozzle when in the rest position and being withdrawn to reveal the burner nozzle and to create the ignition zone when moved to its operating position so that the front end then defines one lateral boundary of the i lateral igntion zone at least one other/side of which is the completely open to the atmosphere without any obstruction.

2. A lighter according to claim 1, in which the front end, surface of the actuating member forms a part of the outer surface of the lighter in the rest position.

3. A lighter according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which one of the electrodes is housed within the actuating member.

4. A lighter according to claim 3, in which the electrode which is housed within the actuating member is rigidly fixed to the actuating member and moves with it.

5. A lighter according to claim 4, in which the electrode which moves with the actuating member is embedded in a mass of insulating material with the tip of the electrode at which sparking takes place

6. A lighter aecording to any one of claims 3 to 5, in which it is the non-earthed electrode which is housed within the actuating member.

7. A lighter according to claim 1, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, or to