US2129374A

US2129374A - Electric cigar lighter

Info

Publication number: US2129374A
Application number: US740266A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur A Johnson
Original assignee: Automatic Devices Corp
Current assignee: Automatic Devices Corp
Priority date: 1934-08-17
Filing date: 1934-08-17
Publication date: 1938-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 1955-09-06

Description

Sept. 6, 1938. A. A. JOHNSON ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER Filed Aug. 17, 1934 IN. VENT 0R Patented Sept. 6, 1938 PATENT "OFFICE 2,129,374 I mc'mrc CIGAR mama Arthur A. Johnson, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to Automatic Devices Corporation, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application August 17. 1934,8eriai No. mimic a Claim (01; 219-32) This invention relates to electric cigar-lighters, and is concerned particularly with the type of cigar-lighter in which the igniting unit is completely separable and removable from a holding 6 device or base for use.

With such cigar-lighters, the igniting unit is mounted in or on a holdingdevice and'has' a normal position thereon, wherein an electric cincuit including the heating element is interrupted.

To bring the igniting unit to incandescence for use, it is moved relatively to the holding device to close the circuit, and upon becoming incandescent the igniting unit is removed and the incandescent heating element is applied to the end of a cigar or cigarette to ignite the same.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to latch the igniting unit in energizing position and retain it so until the heating element is ready for use. For this purpose, a bimetallic latch was employed on 0' theholding device and in heat-conducting relation with the heating element so as to become inoperative when the heating element became hot enough for use, at which time means, usually spring means, became effective to move the igniting unit out of energizing position.

7 An object of the present invention is to improve this type of cigar-lighter to make it more accurately responsive to the temperature of the heating element, and to this end the present invention provides the bimetallic andthermal responsive latch on the igniting unit rather than on the holding device, so that heat from the-latter is more quickly and accurately transmitted to the bimetallic latch than was possible with the latter mounted on the holding device.

With the heat-controlled cigar-lighters heretofore suggested, should the bimetallic latches become inoperativeor otherwise fail to perform their intended functions, it was necessary to remove the holding device which is usually mounted in a permanent position, as, for instance, on the dashboard of an automobile, and substitute a new holding device with a properly functioning thermostatic catch. With the device of the present invention, wherein the thermostatic catch is carried by the igniting unit, shouldthe catch fail to function properly, a new igniting unit may be substituted for the old. 60 According to the present invention, the thermostaticcatch may be mounted on any convenient or suitable portion of the igniting unit, but preferably it is mounted on the heating element itself, a

and since the heating element is removably 56 mounted on the body of the igniting unit, should the thermostatic catch become out of order, it is merely necessary, to discard the old heating element and substitute a new one, thus saving the replacement of the igniting unit as a whole.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter 5 appear.

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is alongitudinal sectional view of one form of the cigar-lighter of the present invention,

' showing the igniting unit supported in its normal 1o non-energizing position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the ignitim unit in energizing position. Fig. 3 is an end view of the igniting unit show in Figs. 1 and 2. 15

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the igniting unit. The type of cigar-lighter shown in the accompanying drawing is that having. a tube-like holding device or base member ID adapted to extend through an aperture in a support, as, for instance, 20 the instrumentaboard ll of an automobile. The end of the tube ID has threads l2 and on the portion thereof which extends beyond the instrument board ll there is provided a threaded disk l3 having a flange H for engaging the end of the g5 shell Ill. On the rear side of the instrumentboard the threaded portion l2 carries a nut l! which, upon beingtighteneiclamps the instrument board between itself and the threaded disk I3. At its rearend, the holder-tube ID has an 30 inwardly extending. flange lion which is secured a disk l'l having a boss Ill. The boss l8 has an insulator sleeve l9 through which extends a screw 20, the head of which holds a contact disk 2| inplacewithin the shell Ill. The contact disk1 35 2| is insulated from the-disk H by an insulating washer 22. The outer end of the screw 20 carries nuts 22 between which a terminal 24 of a current supply wire 25 is secured. The innernut 23 is insulated from the end of the boss l8 byan insu- 40 lating washer 26.

Thus it will be seen that theshell I0 is mechanically and, electrically connected to the in-' 4 strument board H which is usually connected to Hone side of a current supply battery by a. ground 45 and that the contact disk 2! "is insulated from the shell l0 and is normally alive, being. connected with the current supply wire 25.

vAs in this typeof cigar-lighter, the igniting unit of the present invention fits the shell l0 and is slid into the shell to be supported thereby in normal inactive position. In the form of the invention herein shown, the igniting unit comprises a body portion made up of a tubular portion 21 and a knobportion 28, either of which may be made 01' metal or insulating material, as desiredthe portion 21 being shown as made of nonmetallic material while the portion 28 is shown as made 01 metal.

At the inner end of the body of the igniting unit, there is removably mounted a heating element 29. This comprises a plug-like portion 30 which is screw-threaded into the inner end of the tubular portion 21, and mounted on the portion 30 is a resistance coil II, which, upon being brought to incandescence, is applied to the end 0! a cigar or cigarette to ignite the same. 'As indicated in Fig. 3, the heating coil is in the form of a-ribbon spirally wound and has its inner end secured to a stud 32, while its outer end is hastened to a cupped disk It and is in metallic and electrical contact therewith and secured to the portion 30 by the stud 82 but. insulated therefrom. The inner end of the cupped disk 33 has a flange 34 located in alignment with a flange ll of the contact disk 2|. Hence, when the igniting unit is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, the flange 34 engages the -Die II and current is conducted through the part 33 to the outer end oi! the heating coil, and from thence through the coil to the stud 32 and plug-like portion I0 01' the heating element.

Normally, the portion ll is out 01' electrical .en-

gagement with the shell ill, but when the igniting I unit is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1'

In the term of the invention shown herein, this is accomplished by providing on the heating element 22 a bimetallic strip ll, the ends of which are bent so as to form detents 38. The strip 3| is provided with a central apertured portion through which the stud tg'extends and is held in place in contact with the"cupped disk ll which carriesthe. heating element.

When the igniting unit is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, the

detent portions l. of the strip I! snap over the flange 35 on the ntact disk 2| and thus retain the heating element and igniting unit in the position shown in Fig. 2, against the tendency of a spring ll engaging-a flange on a sleeve II on the other side to return the igniting unit to nonenergizing position. The sleeve II has a flange l2 engaging the disk i1 3 so that when the igniting unit is pushed inui me position shown in Fig. 2, the spring 0 is.compressed.

During the heating oi the resistance coll, 'the heat is conducted through the cupped disk ll to the bimetallic strip II, and when the heating element. becomes incandescent the expansion oi the bimetallic strip is such that the detent portions 3| move from the positions shown in iull-lines in Fig. 4 to those shown in dotted lines, with the result that the flange ll of the contact disk has disengaged and thespring 40 is allowed to return the 'eating element and igniting unit to the positiof shown in Fig. 1,at which time the igniting unit is removed from the device by the user and the heating coil can be applied to the end oi a cigar or cigarette to ignite the same.

In the event that the bimetallic latches 38-38 become inoperative, it is merely necessary to remove the igniting unit from the holding device as though it were to be used, and, after unscrewing the heating unit from the portion 21 of the igniting unit body, the damaged heating element may be discarded and a new one substituted therefor.

Even in such cases where the heating element is not removable from the body portion 01! the igniting unit, the provision or the heat-responsive latches on the igniting unit is advantageous over the prior proposals where latches were carried by the holding device. For, in case the heat-responsive latch should become inoperative, it would not be necessary to disconnect the holding device, either electrically and mechanically,irom the instrument board, but merely necessary to discard the igniting unit and substitute a new one having the thermostatic element in proper working order.

In the use of the device, it may be, that due to delay in the application 01 the heating element to the cigar end, the iormer is not sumcientiy incandescent to ignite the cigar; yet, the thermostatic latches 39 may not have returned to gripping or latching position. To permit the user to again cause the heating element to become incandescent or to bring it to a higher degree of incandescence than is controlled by the thermostatic latches 3!, the cooperating contacts 35 on the holding device and 34 on the heating element may be made to engage independently oi the thermostatic latch 39 by the operator holding the igniting unit in energizing position by hand.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions oi the improvements'may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters-Patent, is:-

1. In a cigar-lighter, a base member; an igniting unit normally supported on but completely removable from the base member for use; a heating element mounted on the igniting unit for convenient removal. and replacement; a circuit (or conducting current to said heating element; manually operable means for closing said circuit to the heating element; and means carried by the removable heating element in permanent association therewith and responsive to the temperature oi the heating element for opening said circuit.

2. In a device of the class described, a base member; an igniting unit supported on said base member for complete separation and removal ior use; an electrical heating coil on said unit; means for moving said unit to an energizing position in which said coil is energized; means tending to withdraw said unit from said energizing posi-- tion; and a thermostatic element carried by and permanently associated with the igniting unit and responsive to the heating of said coil for controlling the action of said withdrawing means.

3. In a device of the class dmcribed, a base member; a plug supported on said base member for complete removal for use; an electrical heating coil on said plug; means for moving said plug to an energizing position in which said coll is'energized; means tending to withdraw said plug from said energizing position; and a thermostatic element in permanent metallic and 618C? trical engagement with said heating coil and re- [I ing a latch portion formed on the end thereof.

5. In a heating element for cigar lighters having an igniting unit of the type removable from a holding device for use; a support provided with a hand grip at one end; a resistance coil mounted on the support; a bimetallic strip carried by the support and permanently secured in heatconducting relation with the resistance coil and having a latch portion formed on the end thereof; and means carried by the support for mounting the heating element on an igniting unit and removing the Same therefrom by hand without the use of tools.

6. In a cigar lighter, a base member; an igniting unit normally supported on and completely removable from the base member for use, said igniting unit being adapted to be disassociated from the base member and associated with another like base member; a heating element carried on the igniting unit; a circuit for conducting current to said heating element including a cooperating contact means on the base and igniting unit adapted to be engaged when it is desired to bring the heating element to incandescence for use; and cooperating means on the igniting unit and the base member to maintain the circuit closed until the heating element has been brought to incandescence, said last-named means including a heat-responsive latch carried by the igniting unit in permanent association with the heating element and arranged to open the circuit through the heating element when the latter attains a predetermined temperature regardless of the particular base member with which the igniting unit at that time is associated.

'7. In a cigar lighter, a base member; an igniting unit normally supported on but completely removable from the base member for use; a heating element mounted on the igniting unit; a circuit for conducting current to said heating element; manually operable means for closing said circuit to the heating element; and means carried by the heating element in permanent association therewith responsive to the temperature of the heating element for opening the circuit.

8. A manually operable igniting unit comprising an elongated body having a heating element mounted on one end thereof and a bimetallic latch means clamped between the end of the body member and heating element and in heat-conducting relation with the heating element and extending forwardly thereof for engagement with a contact for completing a circuit through that element.

' ARTHUR A. JOHNSON.