US20060269881A1

US20060269881A1 - Functional lighter

Info

Publication number: US20060269881A1
Application number: US11/139,267
Authority: US
Inventors: Wen Xu
Original assignee: Zreative Product Inc
Current assignee: Zreative Product Inc
Priority date: 2005-05-26
Filing date: 2005-05-26
Publication date: 2006-11-30

Abstract

A functional lighter includes a lighter housing having a tool cavity and a tool sliding slot communicating with the tool cavity, an ignition actuator movable supported by the lighter housing for releasing gas from a liquefied fuel storage so as to ignite the gas ejected from a gas nozzle, and a utility tool arrangement including a utility tool retractably received in the tool cavity of the lighter housing and an actuation unit movable supported by the lighter housing to move the utility tool in a storage position and a usage position, wherein at the storage position, the utility tool is received in the tool cavity to hide in the lighter housing, and at the usage position, the utility tool is outwardly extended from the lighter housing through the tool sliding slot for providing an added function of the lighter.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a lighter, and more particularly to a functional lighter which comprises a utility tool retractable received in a lighter housing so as to provide an added function of the lighter.
2. Description of Related Arts
A lighter is a common tool that replaces matches for igniting cigarettes and cigars. Generally, there are two types of lighter, namely the disposable lighter that the lighter is disposed after the fuel is used up and the refillable lighter that the fuel thereof is adapted for being refilled to prolong the service life span of the lighter.
There are various types of refillable lighter, including the flint type lighter incorporated with a flint-wheel ignition system and the piezoelectric lighter incorporated with a piezoelectric type ignition system. Such refillable lighter is capable of being used in a recycling manner such that most users would like to keep the lighter in his or her pocket.
It is a hassle for the user to carry a plurality of handy tools and the lighter at the same time, especially such handy tools are often used by the user. For example, when the user is a cigar lover, he or she will always carry a cigar cutter as the handy tool. A pocket-sized screw driver or a bottle opener is considered as one of the common handy tools that the user should carry it everywhere.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A main object of the present invention is to provide a functional lighter which comprises a utility tool retractable received in a lighter housing so as to provide an added function of the lighter.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a functional lighter, wherein the utility tool is normally received in the lighter housing and is operated by the ignition button that when the ignition button is actuated to ignite the lighter, the utility tool is simultaneously extended out the lighter housing for use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a functional lighter, wherein the ignition button has two action levels that when the ignition button is actuated at the first action level, only the utility tool is actuated to extend out of the lighter housing, and when the ignition button is actuated at the second action level, the utility tool is actuated to extend out of the lighter housing and the lighter is ignited.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a functional lighter, wherein the utility tool is a handy tool, such as a cigar cutter, a letter opener or a bottle opener, frequently used by the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a functional lighter, wherein the utility tool can be operated by an actuation button instead of the ignition button so as to independently actuate the utility tool and ignite the lighter by two different buttons respectively.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a functional lighter, which does not require to alter the original structural design of the lighter so as to minimize the manufacturing cost of the lighter incorporating with the utility tool.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a functional lighter, wherein no expensive or complicated mechanism is required to employ in the piezoelectric lighter, so that the present invention successfully provides an economic and efficient solution not only for providing an added functional feature to the lighter but also for facilitating the practical use of the lighter.
Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a functional lighter, comprising:

- a lighter housing having a liquefied fuel storage and a tool cavity;
- a gas nozzle received in the lighter housing and communicating with the liquefied fuel storage for controlling a flow of gas therefrom;
- means for producing sparks towards the gas nozzle to ignite the gas emitting therefrom;
- an ignition actuator movable supported by the lighter housing for releasing the gas from the liquefied fuel storage so as to ignite the gas ejected from the gas nozzle; and
- a utility tool arrangement, which comprises:
- a utility tool retractably received in the tool cavity of the lighter housing; and
- an actuation unit movable supported by the lighter housing to move the utility tool in a storage position and a usage position, wherein at the storage position, the utility tool is received in the tool cavity to hide in the lighter housing, and at the usage position, the utility tool is outwardly extended from the lighter housing for providing an added function of the lighter.

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

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a functional lighter according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the functional lighter according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the utility tool at a storage position.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the functional lighter according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the utility tool at the usage position.
FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an alternative mode of the utility tool arrangement of the functional lighter according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the two action levels of the actuation button.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a functional lighter according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, wherein the functional lighter comprises a lighter housing 10 having a liquefied fuel storage 11 and a tool cavity 12, and a gas nozzle 20 received in the lighter housing 10 and communicating with the liquefied fuel storage 11 for controlling a flow of gas therefrom.
The lighter housing 10 further has a guiding slot 13 formed on a sidewall to communicate an interior of the lighter housing 10 with an exterior thereof and a tool sliding slot 14 formed on top of the lighter housing 10 to communicate with the tool cavity 12. In addition, a refilling valve 16 is formed at a bottom wall of the lighter housing 10 to communicate with the liquefied fuel storage 11 for refilling the gas thereto.
The functional lighter of the present invention further comprises means 30 for producing sparks towards the gas nozzle 20 to ignite the gas emitting therefrom, an ignition actuator 40 movable supported by the lighter housing 10 for releasing the gas from the liquefied fuel storage 11 so as to ignite the gas ejected from the gas nozzle 20, and a utility tool arrangement 50.
The utility too arrangement 50 comprises a utility tool 51 retractably received in the tool cavity 12 of the lighter housing 10 and an actuation unit 52 movable supported by the lighter housing 10 to move the utility tool 51 in a storage position and a usage position. In which, at the storage position as shown in FIG. 2, the utility tool 51 is received in the tool cavity 12 to hide in the lighter housing 10, and at the usage position as shown in FIG. 3, the utility tool 51 is outwardly extended from the lighter housing 10 for providing an added function of the lighter.
According to the preferred embodiment, the gas nozzle 20 comprises a nozzle head 21 supported on the lighter housing 10, a gas releasable valve 22 coupling with the nozzle head 21 for controlling the gas flowing from the liquefied fuel storage 11 and a gas lever 23, which is disposed in the lighter housing 10 in a pivotal movable manner, having an engaging end 231 engaged with the gas releasable valve 22 and a depressible end 232 arranged in such a manner that when the depressible end 232 of the gas lever 23 is depressed downwardly, the engaging end 231 of the gas lever 23 lifts up the gas releasable valve 22 for releasing gas from the liquefied fuel storage 11.
The sparks producing means 30 comprises a piezoelectric unit 31, which is disposed in the lighter housing 10 for generating piezoelectricity, comprising a movable operating part 311 extended upwardly and an ignition tip 312 extended to a position closed with the nozzle head 21 of the gas nozzle 20, wherein when the movable operating part 311 is depressed downwardly, sparks are generated from the ignition tip 312 to ignite the gas emitted from the nozzle head 21 of the gas nozzle 20 at the same time.
The ignition actuator 40 is slidably mounted on the sidewall of the lighter housing 10 and is attached to a top end of the movable operating part 311 of the piezoelectric unit 31, wherein the ignition actuator 40 comprises a pusher button 41 slidably mounted on the sidewall of the lighter housing 10 along the guiding slot 13 and a depressing arm 42 extended into the lighter housing 10 to rest on the depressible end 232 of the gas lever 23 in such a manner that when the pusher button 41 is depressed downwardly, the movable operating part 311 of the piezoelectric unit 31 and the depressible end 232 of the gas lever 23 are respectively depressed at the same time to generate the sparks and to release the gas so as to ignite the lighter.
The utility tool 51, which is embodied as a cutter, is retractably received in the tool cavity 12 of the lighter housing 10 and is adapted to extend out of the lighter housing 10 through the tool sliding slot 14. Accordingly, the lighter housing 10 further comprises a sliding track 15 upwardly extended to the tool cavity 12, wherein the utility tool 51 has a sliding portion 511 slidably coupled with the sliding track 15 and a utility portion 512 which is integrally extended from the sliding portion 511 and is arranged when the sliding portion 511 is upwardly slid along the sliding track 15, the utility portion 512 of the utility tool 51 is upwardly slid out of the lighter housing 10 through the tool sliding slot 14, as shown in FIG. 3. It is worth to mention that the utility tool 51 can be embodied as a handy tool, such as a screw driver, a cigar cutter or a letter opener, adapted to be retractably received in the lighter housing 10 in a hidden manner and to be extended out of the lighter housing 10 to provide an added function of the lighter.
The actuation unit 52 comprises an actuation button 521 integrally formed at the pusher button 41 of the ignition actuator 40 and a pusher lever 522, which is pivotally supported in the tool cavity 12, having a pusher end 5221 engaging with a bottom end of the sliding portion 511 of the utility tool 51 and a control end 5222 arranged in such a manner that when the actuation button 521 is depressed downwardly to depress the control end 5222 of the pusher lever 522, the pusher end 5221 of the pusher lever 522 is pivotally lifted up to push the utility tool 51 upwardly so as to upwardly slide the utility portion 512 of the utility tool 51 out of the lighter housing 10 through the tool sliding slot 14. Accordingly, the control end 5222 of the pusher lever 522 is coupled with the depressing arm 42 of the ignition actuator 40 such that when the depressing arm 42 of the ignition actuator 40 is depressed, the control end 5222 of the pusher lever 522 is depressed to pivotally lift up the pusher end 5221 thereof.
In other words, the actuation button 521 is integrally formed with the pusher button 41 such that the actuation button 521 functions a universal button that operates both the ignition of the lighter and the utility tool 51 at the same time by one simple downward pushing action.
It is worth to mention that the actuation button 521 and the pusher button 41 can be embodied as two different independent buttons spacedly sliding on the lighter housing 10 to independently operate the ignition of the lighter and the utility tool 51.
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the actuation unit 52 further comprises a resilient element 523 supported within the tool cavity 12 of the lighter housing 10 for applying an urging force against the utility tool 51 so as to retain the utility tool 51 in the storage position. According to the preferred embodiment, the resilient element 523 comprises a compression spring having two ends biasing against a top inner wall of the lighter housing 10 and the utility portion 512 of the utility tool 51 for downwardly pushing the utility tool 51 into the tool cavity 12 of the lighter housing 10. Therefore, when the actuation button 521 (the pusher button 41) is pushed upwardly after the ignition of the lighter, the utility tool 51 is pushed back to its original position so as to retract the utility tool 51 back to its storage position.
According to the preferred embodiment, the actuation unit 52 further comprises a pivot presser 524 having a pivot end 5241 pivotally mounted to the lighter housing 10, a presser end 5242 coupling with the pusher button 41 to drive the depressing arm 42 downwardly, and a depressing driver 5243 provided between the pivot end 5241 and the presser end 5242 to rest on the piezoelectric unit 31 such that when the pusher button 41 is depressed, the depressing arm 42 is depressed by the presser end 5241 while the piezoelectric unit 31 is depressed by the depressing driver 5243 at the same time. It is worth to mention that since the pusher button 41 (the actuation button 521) is driven to depress the piezoelectric unit 31 and to lift up utility tool 51, the user must apply enough downward force on the pusher 41. Therefore, the arrangement of the pivot presser 524 substantially reduces the downward force on the pusher button 41 that requires to depress the piezoelectric unit 31 and to lift up utility tool 51.
FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an alternative mode of the utility tool arrangement 50A which provides two action levels for operating the ignition of the lighter and the utility tool 51A. As shown in FIG. 4A, the actuation unit 52A comprises an actuation button 521A integrally formed at the pusher button 41 of the ignition actuator 40 and a pusher lever 522A, which is pivotally supported in the tool cavity 12, having a pusher end 5221A engaging with a bottom end of the sliding portion 511A of the utility tool 51A and a control end 5222A arranged in such a manner that when the actuation button 521A is depressed downwardly to depress the control end 5222A of the pusher lever 522A, the pusher end 5221A of the pusher lever 522A is pivotally lifted up to push the utility tool 51A upwardly so as to upwardly slide the utility portion 512A of the utility tool 51A out of the lighter housing 10 through the tool sliding slot 14.
The control end 5222A of the pusher lever 522A has a slanted sliding surface 5223A slidably engaging with the depressing arm 42 such that when the actuation button 51A (the pusher button 41) is depressed downwardly, the control end 5222A of the pusher lever 522A is depressed to pivotally lift up the pusher end 5221A thereof so as to only push the utility tool 51A out of the lighter housing 10 through the tool sliding slot 14, as shown in FIG. 4A. The actuation button 51A is adapted to be further depressed downwardly to slide the sliding surface 5223A of the pusher lever 522A along the depressing arm 42 until the movable operating part 311 of the piezoelectric unit 31 and the depressible end 232 of the gas lever 23 are respectively depressed at the same time to generate the sparks and to release the gas so as to ignite the lighter, as shown in FIG. 4B. In other words, the actuation button 51A controls the ignition of the lighter and the utility tool 51A at two depressing action levels. Therefore, the user is able to selectively operate the ignition of the lighter and the utility tool 51A by one single button (the actuation button 51A and the pusher button 41). Accordingly, the depressing arm 42 has a corresponding slanted surface 421 engaging with the sliding surface 5223A of the pusher lever 522A for allowing the control end 5222A of the pusher lever 522A to freely slide along the depressing arm 42 when the actuation button 51A is further depressed downwardly for ignition.
It is worth to mention that the functional lighter can be incorporated with flint-and-striker wheel structure to form a flint type lighter by simply replacing the piezoelectric unit 31 with a flint and a striker wheel to generate the sparks when the striker wheel is driven to rotate against the flint. In which, the pusher button 41 is formed at the depressible end 323 of the gas lever 23 for releasing the gas. In addition, the actuation button 521 is slidably mounted on the lighter housing 10 to only operate the utility tool 51. Therefore, the ignition of the lighter and the utility tool 51 are independently operated by the pusher button 41 and the actuation button 521 respectively.
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. It 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

1. A functional lighter, comprising:

a lighter housing having a liquefied fuel storage, a tool cavity, and a tool sliding slot communicating with said tool cavity;

a gas nozzle received in said lighter housing and communicating with said liquefied fuel storage for controlling a flow of gas therefrom;

means for producing sparks towards said gas nozzle to ignite said gas emitting therefrom;

an ignition actuator movable supported by said lighter housing for releasing said gas from said liquefied fuel storage so as to ignite said gas ejected from said gas nozzle; and

a utility tool arrangement, which comprises:

a utility tool retractably received in said tool cavity of said lighter housing; and

an actuation unit movable supported by said lighter housing to move said utility tool in a storage position and a usage position, wherein at said storage position, said utility tool is received in said tool cavity to hide in said lighter housing, and at said usage position, said utility tool is outwardly extended from said lighter housing through said tool sliding slot for providing an added function of said lighter.

2. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 1, wherein said actuation unit comprises an actuation button integrally formed at said ignition actuator and a pusher lever, which is pivotally supported in said tool cavity, having a pusher end engaging with a bottom end of said utility tool and a control end arranged in such a manner that when said actuation button is depressed downwardly to depress said control end of said pusher lever, said pusher end of said pusher lever is pivotally lifted up to push said utility tool upwardly so as to upwardly slide said utility tool out of said lighter housing through said tool sliding slot, such that said actuation button functions a universal button that operates said utility tool and ignites said lighter.

3. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 2, wherein said control end of said pusher lever has a slanted sliding surface slidably engaging with a depressing arm of said ignition actuator and arranged when said actuation button is depressed downwardly, said control end of said pusher lever is depressed to pivotally lift up said pusher end thereof so as to only push said utility tool out of said lighter housing through said tool sliding slot, wherein said actuation button is further depressed to slide said sliding surface of said pusher lever along said depressing arm to operate said spark generating means for igniting said lighter.

4. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 1, wherein said lighter housing further comprises a sliding track upwardly extended to said tool cavity, wherein said utility tool has a sliding portion slidably coupled with said sliding track and a utility portion which is integrally extended from said sliding portion and is arranged when said sliding portion is upwardly slid along said sliding track, said utility portion of said utility tool is upwardly slid out of said lighter housing through said tool sliding slot.

5. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 2, wherein said lighter housing further comprises a sliding track upwardly extended to said tool cavity, wherein said utility tool has a sliding portion slidably coupled with said sliding track and a utility portion which is integrally extended from said sliding portion and is arranged when said sliding portion is upwardly slid along said sliding track, said utility portion of said utility tool is upwardly slid out of said lighter housing through said tool sliding slot.

6. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 3, wherein said lighter housing further comprises a sliding track upwardly extended to said tool cavity, wherein said utility tool has a sliding portion slidably coupled with said sliding track and a utility portion which is integrally extended from said sliding portion and is arranged when said sliding portion is upwardly slid along said sliding track, said utility portion of said utility tool is upwardly slid out of said lighter housing through said tool sliding slot.

7. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 1, wherein said actuation unit further comprises a resilient element supported within said tool cavity of said lighter housing for applying an urging force against said utility tool so as to retain said utility tool in said storage position, wherein said resilient element comprises a compression spring having two ends biasing against a top inner wall of said lighter housing and said utility tool for downwardly pushing said utility tool into said tool cavity of said lighter housing.

8. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 5, wherein said actuation unit further comprises a resilient element supported within said tool cavity of said lighter housing for applying an urging force against said utility tool so as to retain said utility tool in said storage position, wherein said resilient element comprises a compression spring having two ends biasing against a top inner wall of said lighter housing and said utility tool for downwardly pushing said utility tool into said tool cavity of said lighter housing.

9. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 6, wherein said actuation unit further comprises a resilient element supported within said tool cavity of said lighter housing for applying an urging force against said utility tool so as to retain said utility tool in said storage position, wherein said resilient element comprises a compression spring having two ends biasing against a top inner wall of said lighter housing and said utility tool for downwardly pushing said utility tool into said tool cavity of said lighter housing.

10. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 2, wherein said sparks producing means comprises a piezoelectric unit, which is disposed in said lighter housing for generating piezoelectricity, comprising a movable operating part extended upwardly and an ignition tip extended to a position closed with said gas nozzle, wherein when said movable operating part is depressed downwardly, sparks are generated from said ignition tip to ignite said gas emitted from said gas nozzle.

11. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 8, wherein said sparks producing means comprises a piezoelectric unit, which is disposed in said lighter housing for generating piezoelectricity, comprising a movable operating part extended upwardly and an ignition tip extended to a position closed with said gas nozzle, wherein when said movable operating part is depressed downwardly, sparks are generated from said ignition tip to ignite said gas emitted from said gas nozzle.

12. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 9, wherein said sparks producing means comprises a piezoelectric unit, which is disposed in said lighter housing for generating piezoelectricity, comprising a movable operating part extended upwardly and an ignition tip extended to a position closed with said gas nozzle, wherein when said movable operating part is depressed downwardly, sparks are generated from said ignition tip to ignite said gas emitted from said gas nozzle.

13. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 10, wherein said ignition actuator comprises a pusher button slidably a sidewall of said lighter housing and integrally formed with said actuation button, wherein said depressing arm is extended into said lighter housing to rest on said piezoelectric unit in such a manner that when said pusher button is depressed downwardly, said movable operating part of said piezoelectric unit is depressed at the same time to generate said sparks and to release said gas so as to ignite said lighter.

14. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 11, wherein said ignition actuator comprises a pusher button slidably a sidewall of said lighter housing and integrally formed with said actuation button, wherein said depressing arm is extended into said lighter housing to rest on said piezoelectric unit in such a manner that when said pusher button is depressed downwardly, said movable operating part of said piezoelectric unit is depressed at the same time to generate said sparks and to release said gas so as to ignite said lighter.

15. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 12, wherein said ignition actuator comprises a pusher button slidably a sidewall of said lighter housing and integrally formed with said actuation button, wherein said depressing arm is extended into said lighter housing to rest on said piezoelectric unit in such a manner that when said pusher button is depressed downwardly, said movable operating part of said piezoelectric unit is depressed at the same time to generate said sparks and to release said gas so as to ignite said lighter.

16. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 13, wherein said actuation unit further comprises a pivot presser having a pivot end pivotally mounted to said lighter housing, a presser end coupling with said pusher button to drive said depressing arm downwardly, and a depressing driver provided between said pivot end and said presser end to rest on said piezoelectric unit such that when said pusher button is depressed, said depressing arm is depressed by said presser end while said piezoelectric unit is depressed by said depressing driver at the same time.

17. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 14, wherein said actuation unit further comprises a pivot presser having a pivot end pivotally mounted to said lighter housing, a presser end coupling with said pusher button to drive said depressing arm downwardly, and a depressing driver provided between said pivot end and said presser end to rest on said piezoelectric unit such that when said pusher button is depressed, said depressing arm is depressed by said presser end while said piezoelectric unit is depressed by said depressing driver at the same time.

18. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 15, wherein said actuation unit further comprises a pivot presser having a pivot end pivotally mounted to said lighter housing, a presser end coupling with said pusher button to drive said depressing arm downwardly, and a depressing driver provided between said pivot end and said presser end to rest on said piezoelectric unit such that when said pusher button is depressed, said depressing arm is depressed by said presser end while said piezoelectric unit is depressed by said depressing driver at the same time.

19. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 15, wherein said utility tool is embodied as a cutter.

20. The functional lighter, as recited in claim 19, wherein said utility tool is embodied as a cutter.