JP3763621B2 - Piezoelectric gas lighter - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a piezoelectric gas lighter that discharges in accordance with the timing at which fuel is ejected when a push-down operation is performed for ignition, and prevents fuel leakage.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, a disposable piezoelectric gas lighter emits fuel gas from a nozzle provided in a fuel supply means, and is ignited and burned by an ignition device. In this ignition operation, a piezoelectric unit disposed on an operation member that moves in the vertical direction with respect to the lighter body is pushed down to operate a valve mechanism in the fuel supply means, open a fuel gas passage, and supply gas. While being ejected, it is ignited by the discharge spark generated in the piezoelectric unit.
[0003]
As means for opening and closing the fuel gas passage, one end of the arm is inserted near the tip of the nozzle and is pivotally supported at the substantially central portion of the L-shaped gas lever, and the other end is applied to the lever push provided on the piezoelectric unit. It is made to swing around the shaft as a fulcrum.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, this gas lever is made to have sufficient rigidity to apply a force to lift up the nozzle, and deformation does not occur in the abutting portion of the gas lever that abuts the lever when the piezoelectric unit is pushed down. The fuel supply device is constructed by assembling a plurality of small parts, and this supply device is screwed into a screw groove formed in the lighter body.
[0005]
Due to these factors, when the fuel supply means is set in a state where it is screwed to the lighter body below a predetermined position, the arm of the gas lever loosely fitted to the nozzle is inclined obliquely downward, The abutting part is lifted upward and hits the piezoelectric unit, and the rigidity of the gas lever swings about the fulcrum of the central part and lifts the nozzle a little. There is a problem of leaking gas.
[0006]
Conversely, when set in a state of being screwed upward from a predetermined position, the arm portion of the gas lever is inclined obliquely upward, and the abutting portion is directed in the vertical direction so as to be separated from the piezoelectric unit. Even at this time, the nozzle is lifted slightly, but does not reach a force sufficient to open the valve disposed in the fuel gas passage. However, when the operating member is pressed for ignition, the contact point between the abutment portion and the lever is lowered, the timing for lifting the nozzle is delayed, and a discharge spark is generated while fuel gas is not ejected from the nozzle, so that ignition cannot be performed. There's a problem.
[0007]
In view of such circumstances, the present invention increases the amount of loose fitting movement between the nozzle and the gas lever, does not cause gas leakage due to dimensional errors of components or errors during assembly, and can reliably ignite during operation. The purpose is to provide a lighter.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention for solving the above problems includes a lighter body having a fuel tank for storing fuel;
Fuel supply means disposed on the lighter main body for supplying fuel while controlling the flow rate from the fuel tank;
A gas lever that loosely fits in a nozzle provided in the fuel supply means and assists in opening and closing the fuel passage;
An ignition device that operates a piezoelectric unit to ignite fuel ejected from a nozzle of the fuel supply means; and
The thickness of the abutting portion of the gas lever that abuts against the lever press provided in the ignition device decreases from the base portion of the arm portion toward the tip, and the abutting portion of the abutting portion is brought into contact with the gas lever and the lever pushing. It was thin enough to make the lower part bigger.
[0009]
【The invention's effect】
The thickness of the abutting portion of the gas lever that abuts on the lever press provided in the ignition device is decreased from the base of the arm portion toward the tip, and the lower portion of the abutting portion is lowered by the abutment between the gas lever and the lever pressing during ignition operation. By making it larger and making it possible to reach the vertical state, the fulcrum member and contact part of the gas lever are not moved more than necessary, and excessive force is not applied and the rigidity of the gas lever contact part is increased. A number of nozzles that are lowered and loosely fitted to the gas lever arm are moved, and the ignition timing can be made good by matching the timing of pressing of the ignition device. Further, the ignition device can be smoothly pressed and returned.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A piezoelectric gas lighter 1 according to the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a lighter body 3 having a fuel tank portion 2, fuel supply means 12 having a nozzle 11 for ejecting fuel gas, and a piezoelectric unit for generating a discharge spark. 21 and an operation cap 22 for operating the fuel supply means 12.
[0011]
The lighter body 3 is formed of a synthetic resin into a rectangular shape, and has a fuel tank portion 2 for storing a fuel gas such as butane gas and an intermediate case 4 fitted on the fuel tank portion 2. A screw groove 5 is screwed into one upper portion of the lighter body 3, and a fuel supply means 12 having a known valve mechanism for controlling the amount of fuel gas ejected from the fuel tank portion 2 is screwed into the screw groove 5. It is worn. A nozzle 11 connected to a valve mechanism inside the fuel supply means 12 to open and close the fuel gas passage projects upward from the intermediate case 4. A suction core 6 that passes through the intermediate case 4 and is inserted into the fuel tank portion 2 is disposed below the fuel supply means 12.
[0012]
An operation cap 22 that covers the piezoelectric unit 21 is disposed in opposition to the fuel supply means 12 disposed on the upper part of the intermediate case 4. The piezoelectric unit 21 accumulates stress in a spring (not shown) while moving downward by a pressing operation from above, and instantaneously applies the force accumulated in the piezoelectric element via a hammer or the like when reaching an appropriate accumulation force. It is like that. Polarization occurs in the piezoelectric element that receives this force, one is connected to the discharge terminal 23 attached to the upper inner surface of the operation cap 22, and the other is connected to a gas lever 30 described later from a lever push 24 provided in the middle of the case of the piezoelectric unit 21. The gas flows through the nozzle 11 and generates a discharge spark between the nozzle 11 and the discharge terminal 23 to ignite the fuel gas from the nozzle 11.
[0013]
The gas lever 30 that plays the role of one electric circuit while the nozzle 11 is swung upward is formed in a substantially L shape with a synthetic resin mixed with a conductive material.
[0014]
The gas lever 30 shown in FIG. 2 includes an arm portion 31 and an abutment portion 32, and a hole portion 33 having a size through which the nozzle 11 provided in the fuel supply means 12 penetrates at a tip portion of the arm portion 31 and a nozzle insertion notch portion. 34 is formed, and when the nozzle 11 is inserted into the hole 33, the nozzle 11 and the gas lever 30 are loosely fitted. A fulcrum member 35 inserted into a groove (not shown) cut in the intermediate case 4 protrudes from the side wall of the bent portion of the arm portion 31 and the contact portion 32, and swings around the fulcrum member 35 as a fulcrum.
Further, the abutting portion 32 from the base portion of the arm portion 31 toward the tip is reduced so that the abutting surface of the push lever 24 is flat and the thickness of the thickness of the back surface is satisfied. By making contact with the lever 24, the narrowed portion of the contact portion 32 is enlarged.
[0015]
When the gas lever 30 is installed in the intermediate case 4 via the fulcrum member 35, the distance between the fulcrum and the nozzle 11 becomes larger than the distance between the fulcrum and the piezoelectric unit 21, and the contact part 32 is inclined on the tank side. When it is directed downward and is lowered by the lever push 24, it swings around the fulcrum member 35 and lifts the nozzle 11 loosely fitted to the arm portion 31. Further, since the contact surface of the contact portion 32 is flat and the lower surface is formed so as to become thinner toward the tip, the tip of the contact portion 32 in contact with the lever push 24 can be bent.
[0016]
7 is a rotatable adjustment ring for screwing the fuel supply means 12 to increase / decrease the amount of fuel gas jetted, and 8 is for mixing the fuel gas and air to release the ignited flame. It is a crater cap.
[0017]
The operation of the piezoelectric gas lighter 1 having the above configuration will be described in detail.
[0018]
When the gas lighter 1 is not used and kept in the storage state shown in FIG. 1, the contact portion 32 of the gas lever 30 is located below the lever push 24 provided in the piezoelectric unit 21, so that the nozzle 11 is not lifted and the fuel gas passage is not opened. At this time, if the fuel supply means 12 is lowered from a predetermined position when the fuel supply means 12 is screwed and assembled to the lighter body 3, the distance between the nozzle loosely fitting portion of the gas lever 30 and the fulcrum is long. 11, the bending angle of the abutting portion 32 of the gas lever 30 is reduced, the tip of the abutting portion 32 does not hit the piezoelectric unit 21 strongly, and the movement amount in the loosely fitted state between the hole 33 and the nozzle 11 As a result, the nozzle 11 is not lifted by the movement of the gas lever 30, and the fuel gas passage is not opened to cause a gas leak.
[0019]
Conversely, when the fuel supply device 12 is screwed and assembled above a predetermined position, in the conventional gas lever, the downward inclination of the abutting portion is increased due to the upward inclination of the arm portion loosely fitted to the nozzle. Although leakage does not occur, the contact with the lever press is delayed in use, whereas in the present invention, the inclination of the abutting portion 32 is reduced, and the effect of the lever press 24 due to the operation cap 22 being pushed down is reduced. The contact with the abutting portion 32 is also quick, and fuel gas is ejected by lifting the nozzle 11 by swinging the gas lever 30, and the piezoelectric unit 21 is operated to ignite by a discharge spark.
[0020]
When the operation cap 22 is pushed down to the lowest position, the tip of the contact portion 32 forms a bent state by the lever push 24 as shown in FIG.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a piezoelectric gas lighter according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a gas lever.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a gas lighter during an ignition operation.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Piezoelectric gas lighter 3 ... Lighter main body 11 ... Nozzle 12 ... Fuel supply means 21 ... Piezoelectric unit 24 ... Lever push 30 ... Gas lever 31 ... Arm part 32 ... Abutment part 35 ... Support point member

Claims (1)

A lighter body having a fuel tank for storing fuel;
Fuel supply means disposed on the lighter main body for supplying fuel while controlling the flow rate from the fuel tank;
A gas lever that loosely fits in a nozzle provided in the fuel supply means and assists in opening and closing the fuel passage;
An ignition device that operates a piezoelectric unit to ignite fuel ejected from a nozzle of the fuel supply means; and
The thickness of the abutting portion of the gas lever that abuts against the lever press provided in the ignition device decreases from the base portion of the arm portion toward the tip, and the abutting portion of the abutting portion is brought into contact with the gas lever and the lever pushing. A piezoelectric gas lighter that is thin enough to make the bottom larger.

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