US2149931A

US2149931A - Cigar lighter

Info

Publication number: US2149931A
Application number: US77581A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sinko John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-05-02
Filing date: 1936-05-02
Publication date: 1939-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 1956-03-07

Description

QJ. slNKo 2,149,931

CIGAR LIGHTER Filed May 2, 1936 Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to cigar lighters and more particularly to electric lighters adapted for use in automobiles, having a withdrawable igniter plug of the wireless type.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved device by which light emanating from the heating element, upon reaching incandescence, may shine back in a manner to be readily observable by the user.

A further object of the invention is to provi-de an improved replaceable igniter unit which may be readily plucked out of the end of the plug without disassembling the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide an igniter unit which is non-rotatably mounted so that if the operator wishes to twist the plug slightly to make a better contact the unit will not come apart.

Heretofore some of the lighters of this general type have attempted to permit the light to shine back through the body of the plug to show that the device is ready for use. However, this has permitted but such a small amount of light to reach the handle that it is almost impossible to observe it in ordinary daylight. In the present invention ribs are provided on the body member which properly space the withdrawable unit within the socket and preferably the handle flange is merely coextensive with the ribs so that the 30 light may actually be observed around the flange.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is a side elevational view of a withdrawable plug embodying the invention, the socket member being shown in section; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectional View of the plug; Fig. 3, a broken sectional View showing the end of the body member with its molded-end guide ferrule; Fig. 4, a side elevational view of the igniter unit; Fig. 5, an end elevational view of the plug with the igniter unit removed; Fig. 6, an end elevational view of the rear side of the igniter unit; Fig. '7, a sectional View taken as indicated at line 'l of Fig. 2; and Fig. 8, an end elevational view of the plug.

In the embodiment illustrated, a socket member 9 may be in the form of a cupy made of sheet metal or the like, and preferably is provided at its open end With an outwardly extending flange l adapted to abut against a perforated panel l l adapted to receive a bushing I2. Preferably, the bushing is provided with an outwardly extending flange I3 and has a threaded sleeve portion I4 adapted to engage the rear threaded portion of the socket and hold it in position.

The closed end portion l5 of the socket-member serves to support a base terminal lt which may be in the form of a spider-like member insulated from the socket by means of washers l'! (Cl. 21S-32) and connected to a suitable source of electrical supply by means of a bolt i8. Thus, it will be understood that the bushing l2 may form one terminal for the withdrawable plug and the second terminal i6 may be iixed to and insulated from the front end of the socket.

The withdrawable plug is shown with an insulating body i9, preferably of Bakelite or the like and provided on its outer side with outwardly extending ribs Eri. Preferably, the front end of the body member is provided with a guide ferrule 2l which is molded into the body itself. The guide ferrule is provided with guide slots 22 to prevent rotation of the heating element as will be described below.

.es best shown in Figs. 2 and '7, the body member is provided with an internal contacting ring 23 provided with an outwardly extending xed contacting pin 24, which is adapted to engage one of the socket terminals l2. The opposite side of the ring has a small presser sleeve 25, disposed within one of the ribs 20 and has a compression spring 26 which urges the ring 23 laterally to provide a yielding contact between the pin 24 and the socket member. The withdrawable plug has a knob 2l which preferably is made of a plastic molding material and is translucent or transparent in its finished state. The knob is shown with a flange coextensive with the ribs 2li and preferably has an annular groove 29 to receive light, shining back between the ribs, and diffuses the same throughout the flange. By making the flange coextensive with the ribs it has been found that the light is readily apparent around the flange itself and may be seen in daylight without difficulty. Preferably, the handle has a brass plate 3E provided with a forwardly extending knurled stem 3l upon which is mounted a hollow screw plug 32 which is pressed over the knurling indicated at 33. The front end of the plug makes a screw-treated connection with the body member i9 and, as will be readily understood, the member 3@ is molded in the knob. This construction provides space within the hollow handle and prevents excessive heating.

As shown in Fig. 2, a hollow Supporting member 34 is slidably mounted within the body member and has a flange 35 which is adapted to make electrical contact with the ring 23. rThis member is urged forwardly by means of a compression spring 3E provided within the plug member 32. d

An insulating washer 3l limits the forward movement of the member.

The igniting unit is shown with a spider-like contacting cup which has openings 39 between its arms in register with the openings between the ribs. A rearwardly extending guide cup 40 is fastened back to back with the cup member 38 and preferably has tongues 4I extending into perforations in the cup 33 to prevent turning thereon. The cups are held together by means of a headed stem member 42, which is held insulated from the cups by means of insulating washers i3 and Lid. A brass washer l5 may be slipped over the knurled end of the stem and the assembly secured together by pressing a hollow pin 45 rmly over the knurled end of the stem. Preferably, the rear end portion of the stem 46 is pointed and slotted as indicated at il to facilitate its insertion into the member 34. The front end of the stem member 42 supports the heating element 43 which has one end connected to the cup 38, as indicated at 49 and the other end is xed to the slotted end of the member 42. As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the guide cup 4i] has outwardly extending ribs 5B which register with the slots 22 provided in the ferrule 2|. This prevents the heating unit from rotating with respect to the body member.

In case a heating unit burns out it is merely necessary to grasp the cup 3B and pull it out of the member 3ft and replace it with a new unit. To operate the device the handle 2 is depressed which will cause the supporting member 35 to contact the ring 23 and complete the circuit through the heating coil. When the coil reaches incandescence, light will shine back between and around the ribs 20 and the operator may then withdraw the plug bodily to light a cigar.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In a cigar lighter: a round tubular socket member forming one terminal for a withdrawable plug member and having in its base another terminal; and a withdrawable igniter plug comprising a hollow body having a grooved ferrule at its front end and provided with outwardly extending longitudinal ribs adapted to nt into said socket, an igniting unit detachably mounted with projections engaging the grooves in said errule at the front end of said body and provided with a heating element adapted to be connected in series with said socket terminals and be heated to incandescence, said unit having rearwardly extend-- ing openings to permit light from the incandescent element to shine back between said ribs to the opening in the socket member.

2. A device as speciiied in claim l, in which the igniter plug has a rigid ring-member equipped at its rear end with a handle having a translucent flange coextensive with said ribs.

3. A device as specied in claim l, in which the igniter plug is equipped with a contacting pin yieldingly urged outwardly through one of said ribs into contact with said socket member terminal and has an internal switch adapted to complete the circuit through the heating element when the plug is pressed forwardly against the base terminal.

4. In a cigar lighter having a round tubular socket member provided with two electrical terminals, a withdrawable igniter plug comprising: a hollow body member of insulating material; a heating unit slidabiy mounted on said body member, said unit having one contact adapted normally to engage one of the socket terminals and having a second contact extending rearwardly into said body; a ring in said body having at one side a pin extending through the wall of said body, and at the other side a spring yieldingly urging said ring and pin laterally into elecrical contact with the other socket terminal; and spring-means yieldingly urging the rear contact of said heating unit out of electical contact with said ring.

5. A device as specified in claim 4, in which the withdrawal plug is provided at its outer end with a hollow handle member of organic material provided with a metallic member anchored in the outer end portion of the handle and extending forwardly through the enlarged opening in said handle to make a threaded connection with the outer end of the body member.

6. In a cigar lighter having a round tubular socket member provided Vwith two electrical terminals, a withdrawable igniter plug comprising: a hollow body member of insulating material; a ferrule, provided with longitudinal grooves, rigidly mounted in the front of said body; a contacting member mounted in said body and having a pin extending outwardly through said body into contact with one of said socket terminals; a supporting member slidably mounted for limited travel in the front end of said body and yieldingly urged out of electrical contact with said contacting member; and a heating unit, having projections to engage the grooves in said ferrule, detachably mounted and frictionally held on said supporting member and having one end of a heating element in electrical contact therewith, said heating element having its opposite end normally in electrical contact With the other nals; a supporting member slidably mounted for limited travel in the front end of said body and yieldingly urged out of electrical contact with said contacting member; and a heating unit, having projections to engage said ferrule and prevent relation with respect thereto, and provided with a heating element, said unit being normally in electrical contact with the other socket terminal, and having a rearwardly extending stem removably held by frictional contact in said supporting member,

8. In a cigar lighter: a round tubular socket member forming one terminal for a withdrawable plug member and having in its base another terminal; and a withdrawable igniter plug comprising a hollow body having a grooved ferrule at its front end and provided with outwardly extending ribs adapted to t into said socket, an igniting unit having projections to engage the grooves in said ferrule and provided with a heating element adapted to be connected in series with said socket terminals and be heated to incandescence, said unit having at its front end a spider-like cup having openings in register with said ribs to permit light from the incandescent element to shine back between said ribs to the opening in the socket member.

JOHN SINKO.