JPS6042277Y2 - lighter ignition device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to an ignition device for a lighter that ignites combustion gas by a discharge spark.

Electronic lighters incorporating DC power sources such as batteries have been released in various forms due to the use of semiconductor integrated circuit ICs, the miniaturization of silver oxide batteries and lithium batteries, and the practical use of solar cells, among others. What is called an IC lighter is gaining popularity among a wide range of people from young people to adults.

Therefore, the applicant of the present application has already filed an application for an ignition device such as the above-mentioned IC lighter as Utility Model Application No. 55-52831.

According to this application, a photoswitch consisting of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element is used as an operation switch for causing discharge, and the photoswitch can be activated by inserting a light-shielding object such as a finger, a cigarette, or a pen between the pixel elements. It is configured to work.

That is, when the light from the light emitting element is blocked by the light shielding object, the light receiving element is turned off, a discharge spark is formed in the discharge circuit, and the combustion gas is ignited.

However, lighters are usually used in conditions ranging from direct sunlight to darkness, regardless of the surrounding brightness, and in particular, under direct sunlight, the above-mentioned photoswitch is operated to block the light to block the light emitted from the light emitting element. Even if the sunlight is blocked, there is a risk that the direct sunlight may be diffusely reflected by the light blocking object or directly reach the light receiving element, making it impossible to completely turn off the light receiving element.

In other words, there may be cases where combustion gas is not ignited even though the photoswitch has been operated.

The present invention relates to an ignition device for a lighter equipped with a photo switch, and its purpose is to reliably ignite combustion gas regardless of the surrounding brightness.

An example in which the present invention is applied to the above-mentioned Utility Application No. 55-52831 will be described below.

1 is a DC power source such as a lithium battery, silver oxide battery, solar cell, secondary battery, etc., 2 is a switch operated in conjunction with a fire extinguishing lid covering a nozzle that spouts combustion gas, and 3 is a DC power source 1 This is a blocking oscillation circuit that operates in oscillation due to the application of oscillation transistor 4 and oscillation transformer 5 as main components.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a rectifier circuit consisting of a diode connected to the secondary side of the oscillation transformer 5 of the oscillation circuit 3, which rectifies the boosted voltage obtained on the secondary side of the oscillation transformer 5.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a capacitor in which the DC high-voltage charge obtained from the rectifier circuit 6 is accumulated, and 8 indicates a capacitor, for example, P, which is turned on when the amount of charge capped in the capacitor 7 reaches a predetermined level.
A step-up transformer 9 is connected to the cathode side of the diode 8, and a discharge electrode 10 is provided on the secondary side of the transformer 9.
10, a discharge circuit 11 is formed.

Reference numeral 12 denotes an oscillation control circuit having one end connected to a charging path from the rectifier circuit 6 to the capacitor 7 and the other end feedback-coupled to the oscillation circuit 3.
A second transistor 13,14, a base resistor 15 and a collector resistor 16 wired to its base path and collector path, a Zener diode 17 provided in its emitter path, and a transistor turned on by the Zener voltage of the Zener diode 17. When the switching transistor 18 is on, the oscillation transistor 4 is turned off and the oscillation circuit 3 stops oscillating, and conversely, when the switching transistor 18 is off, the oscillation circuit 3 starts to oscillate.

That is, this first switching transistor 18 is turned on.
, OFF controls the oscillation operation of the oscillation circuit 3.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a photoswitch consisting of a light-emitting diode 20 as a light-emitting element and a phototransistor 21 as a light-receiving element, and the distance between the light-emitting diode 20 and the phototransistor 21 is such that a light-blocking object such as a finger, cigarette, pen, etc. can be inserted. A gap is formed and placed on the outside of the lighter case.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a second switching transistor that performs switching operation by turning on and off the phototransistor 21, and when the switching transistor 22 is turned on, the first and second transistors 13 and 14 of the oscillation control circuit 12 and the first switching transistor 18 is turned off, and charges are accumulated in the storage capacitor 7 via the rectifier circuit 6.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a photoelectric element made of cadmium sulfide CdS or the like, which is connected between the coupling path between the base path of the second switching transistor 22 and the collector path of the phototransistor 21 and the power supply path. It has a characteristic that its resistance value decreases depending on the light and is attached to the surface of the lighter case.

The operation will be explained using the waveform diagram shown in FIG.

First, in an initial state in which the DC power supply 1 is not applied to the oscillation circuit 3, no charge is accumulated in the storage capacitor 7, and its terminal voltage Vc is zero.

When the fire extinguishing lid is opened in this state, the switch 2 is automatically turned on in conjunction with the fire extinguishing lid, and the oscillation circuit 3 starts oscillating.

When the oscillation circuit 3 operates in oscillation, the oscillation transformer 5 induces a boosted voltage on the secondary side.

This boosted voltage is rectified by a rectifier circuit 6 and charges are stored in a storage capacitor 7.

Accumulation of charge in the storage capacitor 7 progresses, and after t0, its terminal voltage Vc reaches the Zener voltage Vz of the Zener diode 17, which is set slightly lower than the discharge voltage of the discharge circuit 11, that is, the breakover voltage Vbo of the switching diode 8. Then, the first . The second transistors 13 and 14 conduct and turn on the first switching transistor 18.

When the first switching transistor 18 is turned on, the base and emitter of the oscillation transistor 4 are short-circuited, and the oscillation circuit 3 stops its oscillation operation.

That is, the storage capacitor 7 is held in a charged state with a level slightly lower than the discharge level.

On the other hand, when the switch 2 is turned on, the light emitting diode 20 also emits light and irradiates the phototransistor 21 to bring the phototransistor 21 into a saturated state.

If a light shielding object such as a finger is placed between the light emitting diode 20 and the phototransistor 21, the light emitting diode 2
The light from 0 is blocked by the light shielding object, and the phototransistor 21 tries to turn off.

At this time, if the phototransistor 21 is irradiated with external light for some reason, the phototransistor 21 is completely turned off.
It does not become an FF state.

However, in the present invention, a photoelectric element 2 whose resistance value decreases by light irradiation is provided on the collector side of the phototransistor 21.
3 is connected, and the resistance value of the photoelectric element 23 changes from, for example, 200Ω to about 200Ω depending on the ambient brightness in which it is operated, and the phototransistor 21 does not completely turn off. Also, the base potential of the second switching transistor 22 exceeds the threshold value.

That is, the fact that the phototransistor 21 is not completely turned off due to the influence of external light means that the surroundings are bright and the resistance value of the photoelectric element 23 is at or near the minimum value, and the voltage due to the photoelectric element 23 is The amount of drop is drastically reduced, and the base potential of the second switching transistor 22, which is also the collector potential of the phototransistor 21, exceeds the threshold value and the switching transistor 22 is turned on.

Conventionally, a fixed resistor is connected in place of this photoelectric element 23, and since the resistance value is constant regardless of the brightness, the voltage drop due to the fixed resistor does not decrease and the base potential reaches the threshold value. It never exceeded.

Therefore, unless the phototransistor 21 is completely turned off, the second switching transistor 22 is turned off.
There was no NL.

In this way, when the photoswitch 19 is operated by the light shielding object and the second switching transistor 22 is turned on due to a decrease in the resistance value of the photoelectric element 23, the switching transistor 22 is connected to the base of the first transistor 13 in the first stage connected to the Darlington. Bypassing the voltage, the first transistor 13 is turned off.

Therefore, the first switching transistor 18 of the oscillation control circuit 12 is also turned off, and the oscillation transistor 4 resumes its oscillation operation.

When the oscillation circuit 3 starts its oscillation operation again, charge is further accumulated in the storage capacitor 7, which had accumulated a charge below the discharge level of the discharge circuit 11, that is, below the breakover voltage Vbo of the switching diode 8 due to the previous oscillation operation.

After the photoswitch 19 is operated, charge accumulation progresses as shown in FIG. 2, and the terminal voltage Vc becomes the breakover voltage Vbo of the switching diode 8.
When reaching , the switching diode 8 becomes conductive and the accumulated charge instantly flows to the primary side of the step-up transformer 9.
A high voltage is generated on the secondary side, and a discharge spark is generated at the discharge electrode 10.10.

This discharge spark ignites the combustion gas that is ejected and filled in the vicinity of the discharge electrode 10.10 in conjunction with the operation of the fire extinguishing lid.

In this manner, one discharge spark is reliably generated instantaneously t2 after the photo switch 19 is operated, regardless of the surrounding brightness.

According to such a configuration, after the switch 2 is turned on, the divisor 1 (lQms
At ec, the terminal voltage Vc of the storage capacitor 7 reaches the Zener voltage Vz, which is the operating voltage of the oscillation control circuit 12, and the oscillation operation of the oscillation circuit 3 is temporarily stopped.
Switching diode 8 in several IQmsec after operating 9
The breakover voltage Vbo is reached.

Therefore, the operator automatically turns on switch 2 by opening the fire extinguishing lid to light a cigarette, and then turns on photo switch 1.
After operating 9, the discharge circuit 11 is activated in a short time of several lQmsec.
generates discharge sparks, so the combustion gas can be ignited instantly after the user is conscious of operating the ignition switch.

On the other hand, the light emitting diode 20. If a light shield is left placed between the phototransistors 21, the oscillation control circuit 1
2 continues to be in the OFF state, the oscillation circuit 3 operates continuously without once stopping when the terminal voltage Vc of the capacitor 7 is less than the discharge level, as shown in FIG. 2, and the capacitor 7 is discharged intermittently.

Therefore, since discharge sparks are obtained intermittently between the discharge electrodes 10, 10, the combustion gas can be reliably ignited by the plurality of discharge sparks.

It should be noted that if the phototransistor 21 is not affected by external light and is completely shielded and turned off, the second switching transistor 22 will be turned on even if the resistance value of the photoelectric element 23 is high, so it is clear that it operates in the same way as described above. be.

As is clear from the above explanation, the ignition device of the lighter of the present invention has a photoelectric element whose resistance value changes depending on the surrounding brightness associated with a photoswitch, so that the photoswitch can be used virtually regardless of the surrounding brightness. The combustion gas can be reliably ignited.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is an electrical circuit diagram showing the ignition device of the lighter of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram for explaining the operation. 1...DC power supply, 3...Oscillation circuit, 7
... Storage capacitor, 11 ... Discharge circuit, 12 ... Oscillation control circuit, 19 ...
Photoswitch, 22... second switching transistor, 23... photoelectric element.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a lighter ignition device that ignites combustion gas by operating a photoswitch in which a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element are placed close to each other by inserting a light shield, the photoswitch has a resistance value that changes depending on the surrounding brightness. An ignition device for a lighter characterized by associating changing photoelectric elements and causing combustion gas to be ignited by the photoswitch regardless of surrounding brightness.