MXPA00003317A - Lighter having a non-rotating flint - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for providing more uniform lighter spark wheel actuation. Uniform actuation is facilitated in the apparatus according to the invention by reducing the resistance encountered from the rotation of the flint (40) on its axis due to the screw thread-like action of the cutting member (10) on the flint. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a non-rotatable pyrophoric flint (40) is utilized which illustratively includes a body having a non-circular cross section.

Description

LIGHTER THAT HAS A NON-ROTATING STONE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION _ TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a lighter that consumes a hydrocarbon fuel, such as, for example, butane, which includes a device to produce sparks. Specifically, the present invention relates to an improved device for producing sparks for a lighter operating more evenly. COMMENTS ON THE RELATED TECHNIQUE A conventional cigarette lighter includes a body containing a fuel reserve filled with liquefied and pressurized hydrocarbon fuel, a valve actuation lever, a spark wheel, a frictional contact stone with the wheel sparks, and a fuel flow control valve in fluid communication with the fuel reserve. After rotation of the sparking wheel against the stone by digital manipulation to produce sparks, the valve actuation lever is depressed allowing the gaseous hydrocarbon fuel to exit the reservoir through the flow control valve. The sparks then ignite the released fuel to produce a flame. Such lighters are known in the art and commercially available.

Specific devices for producing ignition sparks when in contact with a pyrophoric stone in these lighters are also known in the art. For example, US Pat. No. 4,509,916 to Le Boudec presents a device for producing an ignition spark when in contact with a stone. The device includes a shear cutting member made from a helically wound wire with a circular cross section including projections of saw teeth to contact and cut the stone in order to create sparks. The stone has a circular cross section. This device can be configured and adapted for use as a sparking device in known lighters. However, said sparking devices of the related art have disadvantages in that irregular friction occurs between the stone and the sparking wheel that the user rotates. This irregular friction causes non-uniform rotational force requirements to rotate the spark wheel, and consequently this can increase the difficulty in producing sparks of ignition. More particularly, when a stone with a circular cross-section is used in combination with certain sparking wheels of the prior art, the surface of the stone in contact with the coil can form a deep groove with the passage of time to suit the range of the toothed surface of the cutting member. In addition, the rotation of the cutting member, with the teeth arranged along a helical pattern, against the stone during use may force the stone to rotate about its central axis. These factors, ie the formation of deep grooves in the surface of the stone (and the resulting high projections), the helical arrangement of teeth, and the forced rotation of the stone during use are disadvantages in combination since they cause a drive not uniform by the user of the spark wheel. More specifically, the stone, with a deeply grooved impact surface / with high protrusions as shown in Fig. 4, offers a significantly non-uniform resistance to rotation by the user of the sparking wheel assembly, since the Cutting requires periodically breaking through the high protrusions due to the helical path of the teeth. The non-uniformity of the force required to rotate the spark-wheel assembly is further increased when the stone itself rotates on its axis as a result of the thread-like action of Screw the cutting member on the stone. Said rotation of the stone is difficult for the user to overcome due to the high protrusions on the surface of the stone that require a relatively important force for its breaking and the bond that may occur between the teeth of the cutting member and the surface grooved as a result of rotation in the stone. A highly non-uniform resistance is a disadvantage especially in many of the most recent childproof lighters. For example, North American patent No. 5, 483,978 of Doiron presents a childproof lighter with a protection that partially covers the sparking stone, thus increasing the difficulty of rotation of the same. This sparking stone protection in combination with the non-uniform force requirements of the sparking devices of the related art can result in uneven and unpredictable increases in the difficulty of driving the lighter by the users to whom it is going. addressed. COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION _ Taking into account the aforementioned disadvantages of the related art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spark producing device that facilitates smooth, smooth operation by the users to whom it is directed. It is a further object of the invention to provide said spark producing device which is relatively easy to manufacture and which requires minimal modifications in design. In accordance with the present invention, a flame producing lighter is provided which includes a lighter body containing a fuel reserve with a valve for releasing the fuel. The lighter further includes a valve actuator that can be depressed by a user to operate said valve and release said fuel, and a sparking element that can be rotated by a user in order to produce sparks directed at the released fuel. In addition, the lighter includes a stone contained within the lighter body and in frictional contact with the sparking element where the rotation of the sparking element against the stone creates sparks directed at the released fuel. In the lighter according to the present invention, the actuation of a spark wheel is facilitated by preventing the rotation of the stone around its central axis during use, thus decreasing the peak force required for the rotation of the spark wheel. In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention a non-rotating pyrophoric stone is employed which includes a body having a non-circular cross-section and a predetermined length. The use of a non-circular stone ensures that, during the actuation, the stone does not rotate on its axis as a result of the screw thread type action of the cutting member on the stone. This result is advantageous since the rotation of the stone during use can be difficult to overcome on the part of a user due to the high protrusions on the surface of the stone that require a relatively important force to break. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other methods, features, structures, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1A -1B illustrate a flame-producing lighter containing a stone in accordance with the invention where figure IA is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of a flame-producing lighter, and figure IB is a side view of a lighter producing of flames; Figure 2 is an enlarged, partial perspective view of one embodiment of the invention; Figures 3A-3C are perspective views of exemplary pyrophoric stones in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 is a profile presentation of a prior art stone as it receives the action of a spark wheel, illustrating the grooves and the high protrusions resulting from the sparking wheel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION. The following embodiments of the present invention will be described in the context of a lighter that includes a sparking device in accordance with what is described herein, although those skilled in the art will recognize that the methods and structures presented are readily adaptable for one more application. wide. Note that when the same reference number is repeated in relation to different figures, it refers to the corresponding structure in each of these figures. As mentioned above, when a stone is used in combination with a sparking wheel cutting member made from a wire with a circular cross section, the surface of the stone which is in contact with the cutting member develops separate deep grooves. by relatively high projections which generally correspond to the surface of the cutting member as illustrated in Figure 4. Furthermore, the rotation of the spirally formed cutting member that is in contact with the stone during use acts as a screw thread in the high ledges, forcing the stone to rotate around its central axis. Eventually, the spiral-type cutting surface results in particular points in the rotation of the spark wheel having an increased resistance to rotation. This localized increase in resistance is irregular and creates a peak force for rotation that is difficult or impossible for certain users to whom it is directed to overcome. Thus, in accordance with the invention, a more uniform drive of a spark wheel is facilitated by the reduction of the peak force required for the rotation of the spark wheel assembly. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, a non-rotating stone is employed, thus decreasing the resistance encountered caused by the rotation of the stone on its axis due to the screw thread type action of the cutting member in the stone. As mentioned above it is difficult for the user to overcome the rotation of the stone due to the high protrusions on the surface of the stone that require a relatively high force to break. In accordance with the foregoing, Figure IA presents a sparking wheel assembly 20 employing a helical coil 10 of spark wheels. As shown in Figure IA the coil 10 can be placed between the rotating wheels 16. The coil 10 and the rotating wheels 16 are connected to each other and mounted coaxially on the shaft 18 to form the spark wheel assembly. As also shown in Figure 2, a pyrophoric stone is placed in a central cavity 21 in projection 22 positioned within a lighter body 32 to cooperate with the spark-wheel assembly and can be pressed in frictional contact with the coil 10 by means of a spring (not shown). The spark-wheel assembly 20 can be used in combination with other mechanisms in order to form a lighter. More particularly, as shown in Fig. ID, a spark-wheel assembly 20 can be mounted on the body 32 of a lighter 30 defining a central cavity 21. The lighter 30 further comprises a valve actuator 34 mounted in the form of a pivot on the body 32 through tongues 35, placed below the shaft 18. A valve actuator 34 controls the release of fluid from the fuel reserve inside the body of the lighter 32. The lighter 30 further includes a wind protection 36 , and a protection 38 which, as mentioned above, is placed above a sparking wheel assembly portion 20 in order to prevent operation by users to whom said lighter is not intended. A lighter of this type is described, for example, with details in U.S. Patent No. 5,520,197 to McDonough et al. which is incorporated herein by reference and its general construction and operation are well understood by persons with experience in the field. In a similar way, the present invention is also beneficial when used in combination with other child resistance devices wherein the approach is to cause an increased difficulty for the creation of sparks to the users for whom said lighter is not intended. Examples of lighters employing said devices are presented in the North American patent No. 5,490,773 of Lloverás Capilla and in the North American patent No. 5,096,414 of Zellweger, both being incorporated herein by reference. As mentioned above, a uniform actuation of a spark wheel can be facilitated by ensuring that the stone 40 can not rotate about its axis during use. One way to ensure this lack of rotation in relation to the stone 41 is the use of a key and slot arrangement where the stone 41, as shown in Figure 3A, includes a key 42, and the central projection cavity 22 it includes a slit (configured to receive the key) along the same. A second exemplary device to ensure the absence of rotation is to configure the stone with a regular cross section but not circular, and configure the cavity that retains the stone to correspond to the shape of the non-circular stone. Figures 3B and 3C present alternative embodiments of a pyrophoric stone in accordance with the present invention. As shown in Figures 3B and 3C, the stone can include, illustratively, a square cross section (stone 40) or a hexagonal cross section (stone 44), with the "central axis A. If a cross section is used In the same way, if the hexagonal cross section is used, then the lighter stone cavity is ideally configured in a hexagonal shape. While only cross-sectional, square and hexagonal keys are shown in Figures 3A and 3C, it is contemplated that any stone configured with a non-circular cross section that prevents rotation is within the scope of the invention. even though the cavity in the projection 22 that houses the stone is ideally configured to correspond to the stone, the cavity could be configured from any a way that ensures an absence of rotation of the stone itself (for example, a square stone with an orthogonal stone cavity). Alternatively, it is not necessary that the non-circular cross section be over the entire length of the stone. It is sufficient that the non-circular position extends sufficiently to provide sufficient force to oppose the rotation. By preventing the rotation of the stone, the helically arranged teeth of the cutting member tend to rub against the impact surface of the stone, which reduces the high protrusions. However, even if the cutting member is such that deep grooves or high protrusions are formed, by preventing the rotation of the stone, the grooves or protrusions will not block the teeth. Various embodiments of the invention were described. The descriptions are intended to illustrate this invention but not to limit it. Thus, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications to the invention can be made in accordance with the description without departing from the scope of the claims presented below.

Claims (13)

1. CLAIMS A lighter to produce a flame, comprising: a lighter body containing a fuel reserve with a valve to release fuel therefrom; a valve actuator that can be depressed by a user to operate said valve and release said fuel; a sparking element that can be rotated by a user to produce sparks directed towards the released fuel, said element is mounted on said lighter body with at least a portion thereof exposed for manipulation and rotation by the user; a stone contained within the lighter body in a frictional contact with the sparking element where the rotation of the sparking element against the stone creates sparks directed towards the released fuel; a device to prevent the rotation of the stone around its central axis during the manipulation and rotation of the sparking element.
2. The lighter according to claim 1, wherein said lighter body defines a cavity for receiving said stone, and wherein said rotation preventing device comprises the configuration and size of said stone and said chamber in such a way that the rotation of said lighter is avoided. the stone around its central axis during the manipulation and rotation of the sparking element.
3. The lighter according to claim 2, wherein said stone contained within the body of the lighter and in frictional contact with the sparking element includes a non-circular cross-section.
4. The lighter according to claim 3, wherein said stone has a square cross section.
5. The lighter according to claim 3, wherein said stone has a hexagonal cross section.
6. The lighter according to claim 2, wherein said stone contained within the igniter body and in frictional contact with the sparking element includes a key and said cavity includes a groove that is located along said cavity, said key it slidably engages within said slot in such a manner as to prevent rotation of the stone around its central axis during handling and rotation of the sparking element.
7. A flame producing lighter comprising: a lighter body containing a fuel reserve with a valve for releasing fuel therefrom; a valve actuator that can be depressed to operate said valve and release said fuel; a sparking element that can be rotated by a user, said element is mounted on the body with at least a part of it exposed for manipulation and rotation by the user; a stone with a non-circular cross section housed inside the lighter body and in frictional contact with the sparking element.
8. The flame producing lighter according to claim 7, further comprising: an enclosure defining a cavity with a non-circular cross-section for housing said stone, said enclosure being longitudinally positioned within said lighter body.
9. The flame producing lighter according to claim 8, wherein said cross section of said stone and said cross section of said chamber have the same shape in such a way that said stone does not rotate about its central axis inside said cavity when said element sparks producer rotates.
10. 10. The flame producing lighter according to claim 9, wherein said stone has a square cross section.
11. 11. The flame producing lighter according to claim 9, wherein said stone has a hexagonal cross section.
12. 12. The flame producing lighter according to claim 9, wherein said stone includes a radially extending key.
13. 13. A flame-producing lighter, comprising: a lighter body containing a reserve of fuel with a valve to release the fuel from there; a valve actuator that can be depressed by a user to operate said valve and release said fuel; a sparking element that can be rotated by a user to produce sparks directed towards the released fuel, said element is mounted on said lighter body with at least a portion thereof exposed for manipulation and rotation by the user; a stone contained within the body of the lighter and in frictional contact with the sparking element, where the rotation of the sparking element against the stone creates sparks directed towards the released fuel; a device for increasing the difficulty of generating sparks by users to whom said lighter is not intended; said stone has adequate configuration and dimension to prevent the rotation of said stone inside the lighter body in such a way that the uniformity of generation of sparks by a user to which said lighter is intended is increased. . The flame producing lighter according to claim 13, wherein said stone contained within the lighter body and in frictional contact with the sparking element includes a non-circular cross-section. . The flame producing lighter according to claim 13, wherein said lighter body defines a chamber for receiving said stone, and wherein said stone contained within the lighter body and in frictional contact with the sparking element includes a key and said chamber includes a slit along said chamber, said key slidably engages said slit in such a manner as to prevent rotation of the stone about its central axis during manipulation and rotation of the sparking element. . A non-rotating pyrophoric stone for use in a flame-producing lighter, comprising a body having a non-circular cross-section and a predetermined length. . The non-rotating pyrophoric stone according to claim 16, wherein said body has a square cross-section. . The non-rotating pyrophoric stone according to claim 16, wherein said body has a hexagonal cross-section. The non-rotating pyrophoric stone according to claim 16, wherein said body has a radially extending key.