US3112629A

US3112629A - Lighter

Info

Publication number: US3112629A
Application number: US84826A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albertus Van Poppel
Original assignee: VOF HANDELSONDERNEMING Gebr VA
Current assignee: Vennootschap Onder Handelsonderneming Gebr Van Poppel Firma; VOF HANDELSONDERNEMING Gebr VA
Priority date: 1960-01-26
Filing date: 1961-01-25
Publication date: 1963-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1980-12-03

Description

Dec. 3, 1963 Filed Jan. 25, 1961 A. VAN POPPEL LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Dec. 3, 1963 A. VAN POPPEL LIGHTER Filed Jan. 25, 1961 /An: w n 6 7 mwfi I United States Patent Gebr. van Poppel, Utrecht, Netherlands, a partnership Filed Jan. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 84,826 Claims priority, application Great Britain Fan. 26, 195i? 4 Claims. (Ci. 67-71) This invention relates generally to lighting devices and more particularly to a cigar and cigarette lighter.

Known lighters are provided with actuating means generally rotatably supported by a shaft journalled in the casin of the lighter and a lever grip is provided for actuating a cover member in which the cover may enclose a flint wheel and the other associated parts. Generally, the cover may be engaged and operated by the lever grip and the cover is usually perforated or has apertures therein so that the ignition elements of the lighter are accommodated in the cover in open communication with the atmosphere so that dust and other contaminants have access to the ignition means within the lighter which eventually results in wear and tear and eventual breakdown of the lighter.

It is a principal object of the present invention to overcome the limitations of the aforementioned lighters.

A feature of the lighter according to the invention is the provision of a cover on the lighter casing which constitutes the actuating means of the lighter. The cover is rotatably supported on a bearing block in which is rotatabiy journalled a shaft for pivotally mounting the cover thereon. The cover and the bearing block jointly form a drum-like configuration in which a flint wheel of the ignition mechanism of the lighter is enclosed precluding access of the atmosphere to the working parts of the cover and the ignition mechanism.

A reservoir containing a combustible, vaporizable liquid is enclosed in the casing and has a burner mounted thereon. The casing is provided with an upper opening for exposing the burner to the atmosphere when the lighter is ignited upon opening of the cover. In order to actuate the lighter the cover is provided with an extension which closes a control or stop valve on the reservoir and precludes access of the atmosphere to the burner when in a closed position and is operable to an open or raised position iri which the valve is automatically opened and the burner placed in communication with the atmosphere.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of the reservoir in a compartment and the control valve in a recess within the casing so that when the cover is in a closed position the cover extension cooperates with the valve and closing it closes an upper opening of the casing and the entire ignition device and reservoir and associated valve are confined within the interior of the casing precluding all access of the atmosphere and contaminants to any of the working parts of the lighter.

Still another feature of the lighter according to the invention is the provision of a new and novel releasable lock mechanism for releasably locking the cover in closed and opened positions and for alternatively urging the cover to a closed position and to an open position in dependence upon whether the cover is opened or closed.

Other features and advantages of the lighter according to the invention will be better understood as described in the following specification and appended claims, in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view partlyin section of a lighter according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a back side elevation view partly in section illustrating the manner in which the cover is journalled on a bearing block according to the invention; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the control valve and burner assembly on the liquid reservoir of the lighter in FIG. 1.

The lighter, according to the invention, will be illustrated and described as a lighter in which a combustible, vaporizable liquid is employed as the lighter fuel. It will be understood that certain features of the invention are applicable to lighters of other well known types.

The lighter according to the drawings comprises a casing 1 made of a suitable material, for example a plastic. The casing is provided with a compartment 2 in which is housed a reservoir 3 for containing a combustible, vaporizable liquid lighter fuel having a low boiling point. The reservoir 3 is provided with a burner 4 in which is disposed coaxially a valve rod 5 for actuating a control or stop valve element 6 to a closed position in the manner hereinafter disclosed. A threaded plug 8 closes the lower end of the compartment 2 and is provided with a recess surface 9 cooperative with the reservoir 3 to. hold it axially disposed in the compartment 2 seated against a shoulder 19 in the casing 1.

The reservoir 3 and burner are positioned axially in a position by the shoulders 10 in which the burner 4 is be neath the upper edge of a sleeve 13 defining an opening which is closed by a cover 14 operable to a closed position in the manner shown in P16. 1 closing the opening defined by the sleeve 13 and precluding any air supply to the burner 4 when in a closed position. When the cover 14 is operated as hereinafter explained to an opened position it places the burner 4 in communication with the atmosphere for actuating the burner.

The cover 14 comprises a drum-shaped or drum-like portion consisting of two

end walls

16, 17 joined by an arcuate intermediate wall sector 19 to which is fixed a radially extending portion 29 which is shaped, for example, as an elongated radially extending lever-like portion and has a valve-operating extension 21 which bears on the valve rod 5 when the cover is in a closed position clos ing the upper opening defined by the sleeve 13. The extension 21 depresses the valve on the reservoir 3 and closes it as hereinafter explained.

The cover 14 is journalled on a bearing block 23 having a plate portion 24 moun ed on the casing 1, provided with an opening through which the reservoir extends upwardly into the sleeve 13. The bearing block 23 is provided with a semi-cylindrical portion comprising two

upstanding walls

26, 27 spaced from one another and joined by an intermediate arcuate wall sector 28. A shaft 30 is journalled on the

walls

26, 27 for pivotal rotation and extends into the two

end walls

16, 17 of the semi-cylindrical portion of the cover 14 so that the end walls of the semi-cylindrical portion of the cover which are disposed axially outwardly of the upstanding end walls of the bearing block are pivotally rotated thereon.

The intermediate Wall sector 19 joining the end walls 16, =17 of the semi-cylindrical portion of the cover 14 is provided with a discontinuous or knurled outer surface 31 for operating the cover to an open position, not shown, in which the intermediate wall sector 19 is disposed radially outwardly of the intermediate wall 2-5 on the bearing block substantially in at least partial registrytherewith and for operating the cover to a closed position in the manner shown in FIG. 1 in which the arcuate wall sector 19 is substantially radially opposite to the arcuate intermediate wall and the bearing block 23 so that the two walls jointly form a substantially drum-shaped configuration enclosing all of the inner working parts of the lighter in conjunction with the radial extension or portion 2% completely confining them within the interior of the casing 1. The wail sector 1? has a surface 32 that abuts against a stop surface 33 on the bearing block when the cover 14 is raised to an open position. It will be noticed that the intermediate Wall sector 28 forms only a back. side sector and the bearing block semi-cylindrical portion is open in a direction toward the burner while the'sleeve 13 is open toward the semi-cylindrical portion to provide a path of communication between ignition means hereinafter described and the burner 4. The cover in its closed position overlies the casing and covers the path of communication to the burner 4.

The lighter is provided with ignition means for automatically igniting the burner 4 when the cover 14 is operated to a raised or open position by engaging the knurled surface 31 and rotating it in a counterclockwise direction in the lighter illustration shown in FIG. 1. The ignition means comprises a flint wheel 34 rotatable on the shaft 30 for rotation therewith when the cover 14 is operated in the aforementioned upstanding or opened position. The flint wheel cooperates with a hint red 35 and upon rotation generates a spark for igniting the vaporized fluid at the burner 4 when the valve 6 is operated to an opened position upon opening of the cover 14. The wheel 34 is provided with a plurality of laterally extending teeth 29 on the endside thereof. A leaf spring disk 36 is disposed rotatably mounted on the shaft 30 between the wheel teeth 29 and the end wall 27. The disk has a recess 36' engaged by a projection 37 on the cover for rotating the disk when the cover is operated. The

disk is provided with a deflectable pawl portion 36",

which rides over the teeth 29 when the cover is operated to a closed position and engages the underside of a tooth when the cover is opened thereby rotating the wheel and striking a spark so that the cover functions as lighter actuating means.

The flint rod 35 is enclosed in a tube 38 extending axially in a compartment 39 having a reduced guide bore 40. The rod is held axially in position and advanced axially to engagement with the flint wheel by a threaded plug 41 received in the tube 38. The lighter is provided with means operable alternatively for releasably locking the cover 14 in a closed position and in an opened position and for alternatively urging the cover 14 to a closed position and to the opened position in dependence upon whether the cover is opened or closed. The locking means 7 spring is seated a bearing block 45 having a pair of arcuate recesses 47 on opposite sides thereof angularly spaced from one another in which are seated a pair of actuating links'48, 49 each cooperative with a

respective end wall

16, 17 and operably joined thereto by lateral extensions or

projections

50, 51 received in respective recesses formed in the end walls of the cover 16, -17.

The

upstanding walls

26, 27 of the bearing block are provided with

respective guide recesses

55, 56 for guiding the upper ends of the

links

48, 49. Thus, it is readily apparent that when the cover 14 is in a downward or closed position as shown in FIG. 1, the links are urged axially upwardly by the bearing block and spring 43 in a direction for angularly rotating the

walls

16, 17 in a,

clockwise direction corresponding to a direction for closmg the cover 14- and holding it in a closed position and bearing on the upper ends of the operating links bearing on an upper arcuate end, for example, arcuate end 58 ward direction and because of the resilient spring 43 permits the rotation of the cover 14 by allowing depression of the actuating links or actuation in a downward direction compressing the spring 43 so that the cover is operable in the two opposite directions.

According to FIG. 3 the reservoir 3 of the lighter as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a cylindrical sleeve 60 internally provided with a seat 61 which sleeve is inserted in the filling opening 62 of the reservoir and is adjustably secured in the reservoir by means of screw thread 63. Opposite the seat the burner 4 is provided in the sleeve 6%), which burner comprises a coaxial aperture 64 through which the rod 5 of the valve 6 resting on the seat 61 passes.

The possibility of gas escaping between the screw thread 63 tapped in the filling opening of the reservoir and out on the sleeve is excluded by a ring 66 of resilient material provided in an angular recess 67 beneath the shoulder 68 of the sleeve 60.

The radially extending portion 20 of the cover 14 in FIG. 1 bears on the valve rod 5 projecting from the burner 4 and presses the valve 6 onto its seat 61 for closing the reservoir 3 filled with low boiling liquid. When the cover 14 is operated to an opened position the valve 6 is lifted off its seat 61 by the pressure of the low boiling liquid and gas will flow from a cotton wick 69 through a system of grooves of a resilient gas-pervious disk member 70, through the clearance 71 left between a follower 72 and the inner wall of a second sleeve 73, along the surface of a'sealing disc 74, of non-porous material, through the port in the seat 61, past the valve 6 and through the clearance 76 between the rod 5 and the inner wall of the coaxial opening 64 in the sleeve 60. The disk 70 has some play or clearance between it and the sleeve 73. The lower side of the disk has grooves parallel to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 3 and the upper side has grooves perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. The low boiling fuel rises through these grooves and peripherally of the disk 70 and at the upper face of the disk 74 changes to its gaseous phase.

When the out flowing gas is ignited the height of the flame may be regulated by turning the sleeve 66 relative to the reservoir 3 so as to regulate the pressure which the sleeve 69 exerts on the disc 70 located beneath the port 75 in the seat 6-1.

As shown in FIG. 1 the reservoir 3 is closed at the underside by a cap 52 sealed to the reservoir with a thermo setting material 53.

While a preferred embodiment of a lighter according to the invention has been illustrated and described it will be understood that many modifications vand changes can be made within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lighter comprising, in combination, a reservoir for combustible vaporizable liquid, a burner on said reservoir, a valve on said reservoir automatically operable to an open position to provide vaporized liquid to said burner and operable to a closed position, a casing for said reservoir having an opening for exposing said burner to the atmosphere, lighter actuating means comprising a cover on said casing operable to a closed position covering said opening and confining said reservoir, burner and 'valve interiorly of said casing and operable to an open position to uncover said opening and expose said burner to the atmosphere, said cover comprising means for closing said valve when the cover is in a closed position only, a substantially drum-shaped bearing block portion on said casing for pivotally mounting said cover comprising two spaced end walls and an arcuate intermediate wall sector joining said end walls, said cover comprising a substantially drum-shaped portion having spaced end walls both disposed outwardly of the first-mentioned end walls and an intermediate arcuate wall sector joining the cover portion end walls, a shaft rotatably journalled on the two first-mentioned walis rotatably mounting the cover drumshaped portion two end Walls on said bearing block portion, an ignition device for automaticaliy igniting vaporized liquid at said burner comprising a flint wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation intermediate the first-mentioned end walls rotatably operated under control of the cover when moved to an open position and disposed spaced from said burner, means defining a path of communication between said burner and ignition device, said means for closing said valve comprising a cover portion fixed to said arcuate intermediate wall sector of said cover drum-shaped portion extending radially therefrom, said intermediate wall sector of said substantially drumshaped cover portion having an outer surface engageable manually for operating the cover to an open position in which said intermediate wall sector of the cover is disposed radially outwardly of said intermediate wall of said bearing block substantially in at least partial registry therewith and for operating the cover to a closed position in which the arcuate intermediate wall on the cover is disposed substantially circumferentially opposite to said arcuate intermediate wall sector on said bearing block so that said two arcuate wall sectors in conjunction with said end walls of said cover drum-shaped portion form a completely enclosed substantially drumshaped configuration and said cover portion extending radially from said cover arcuate intermediate wall overlies a portion of said casing to cover said path of communication between said ignition device and said burner and closes said opening to deprive the burner of access to the atmosphere and completely confines it interiorly of said burner casing whereby all operating parts of said lighter are enclosed and protected.

2. -A lighter comprising, in combination, a reservoir for combustible vaporizable liquid, a burner on said reservoir, a valve on said reservoir automatically operable to an open position to provide vaporized liquid to said burner and operable to a closed position, a casing for said reservoir having an opening for exposing said burner to the atmosphere, lighter actuating means comprising a cover on said casing operable to a closed position covering said opening and confining said resenvoir, burner and valve interiorly of said casing and operable to an open position to uncover said opening and expose said burner to the atmosphere, said cover comprising means for closing said valve when the cover is in a closed position only, a substantially drum-shaped bearing block portion on said casing for pivotally mounting said cover comprising two spaced end walls and an arcuate intermediate wall sector joining said end walls, said cover comprising a substantially drum-shaped portion having spaced end walls both disposed outwardly of the first-mentioned end walls and an intermediate arcuate wall sector joining the cover portion end Walls, a shaft rotatably journalled on the two first-mentioned walls rotatably mounting the cover drum-shaped portion two end Walls on said bearing block portion, an ignition device for semi-automatically igniting vaporized liquid at said burner comprising a flint wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation intermediate the first-mentioned end walls rotatably operated under control of the cover when moved to an open position and disposed spaced from said burner, means defining a path of communication between said burner and ignition device, said means for closing said valve comprising a cover portion fixed to said arcuate intermediate wall sector of said cover drum-shaped portion extending radially therefrom, means operable for alternatively releasably locking said cover in closed and opened positions and for alternatively urging said cover to a closed position and to an open position in dependence upon whether said cover is opened or closed, and said intermediate Wall sector on said substantially drum-shaped cover portion having a discontinuous outer surface engageable manually for operating the cover to an open position in which said intermediate wall sector on the cover is disposed outwardly of said intermediate wall on said bearing block substantially in at least partial registry therewith and for operating the cover to a closed position in which the arcuate intermediate wall on the cover is disposed substantially circumferentially opposite to said arcuate intermediate wall sector on said bearing block so that said two arcuate wall sectors in conjunction with said end walls of said cover semi-cylindrical portion form a completely enclosed substantially drum-shaped configuration and said cover portion extending radially from said cover arcuate intermediate wall overlies a portion of said casing to cover said path of communication between said ignition device and said burner and closes said opening and deprives the burner of access to the atmosphere and completely confines it interiorly of said burner casing, whereby all operating parts of said lighter are enclosed and protected.

3. A lighter according to claim 2, in which said means for releasably locking said cover comprises, a pair of spaced link members each eccentrically cooperative pivotally with a respective one of said end walls on said cover for urging said cover end Walls to rotate on said shaft alternatively in opposite directions corresponding to directions urging the cover to a closed position and to a direction in which the cover is urged toward an open position, and resilient means urging said link member axially in one direction for urging said rotation of said cover toward said opposite directions in dependence upon Whether said cover is open or closed respectively.

4. A lighter according to claim 3, in which said resilient means includes a bearing member on which the two link members are free to pivot and a spring urging said bearing member in a direction toward said link members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,620,643 Nissen v Dec. 9, 1952 2,633,724 Anderson Apr. 7, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 204,311 Austria July 10, 1959 599,527 Great Britain Mar. 15, 1948

Claims

1. A LIGHTER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A RESERVOIR FOR COMBUSTIBLE VAPORIZABLE LIQUID, A BURNER ON SAID RESERVOIR, A VALVE ON SAID RESERVOIR AUTOMATICALLY OPERABLE TO AN OPEN POSITION TO PROVIDE VAPORIZED LIQUID TO SAID BURNER AND OPERABLE TO A CLOSED POSITION, A CASING FOR SAID RESERVOIR HAVING AN OPENING FOR EXPOSING SAID BURNER TO THE ATMOSPHERE, LIGHTER ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A COVER ON SAID CASING OPERABLE TO A CLOSED POSITION COVERING SAID OPENING AND CONFINING SAID RESERVOIR, BURNER AND VALVE INTERIORLY OF SAID CASING AND OPERABLE TO AN OPEN POSITION TO UNCOVER SAID OPENING AND EXPOSE SAID BURNER TO THE ATMOSPHERE, SAID COVER COMPRISING MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID VALVE WHEN THE COVER IS IN A CLOSED POSITION ONLY, A SUBSTANTIALLY DRUM-SHAPED BEARING BLOCK PORTION ON SAID CASING FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID COVER COMPRISING TWO SPACED END WALLS AND AN ARCUATE INTERMEDIATE WALL SECTOR JOINING SAID END WALLS, SAID COVER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY DRUM-SHAPED PORTION HAVING SPACED END WALLS BOTH DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OF THE FIRST-MENTIONED END WALLS AND AN INTERMEDIATE ARCUATE WALL SECTOR JOINING THE COVER PORTION END WALLS, A SHAFT ROTATABLY JOURNALLED ON THE TWO FIRST-MENTIONED WALLS ROTATABLY MOUNTING THE COVER DRUMSHAPED PORTION TWO END WALLS ON SAID BEARING BLOCK PORTION, AN IGNITION DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY IGNITING VAPORIZED LIQUID AT SAID BURNER COMPRISING A FLINT WHEEL MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION INTERMEDIATE THE FIRST-MENTIONED END WALLS ROTATABLY OPERATED UNDER CONTROL OF THE COVER WHEN MOVED TO AN OPEN POSITION AND DISPOSED SPACED FROM SAID BURNER, MEANS DEFINING A PATH OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID BURNER AND IGNITION DEVICE, SAID MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID VALVE COMPRISING A COVER PORTION FIXED TO SAID ARCUATE INTERMEDIATE WALL SECTOR OF SAID COVER DRUM-SHAPED PORTION EXTENDING RADIALLY THEREFROM, SAID INTERMEDIATE WALL SECTOR OF SAID SUBSTANTIALLY DRUMSHAPED COVER PORTION HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE ENGAGEABLE MANUALLY FOR OPERATING THE COVER TO AN OPEN POSITION IN WHICH SAID INTERMEDIATE WALL SECTOR OF THE COVER IS DISPOSED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID INTERMEDIATE WALL OF SAID BEARING BLOCK SUBSTANTIALLY IN AT LEAST PARTIAL REGISTRY THEREWITH AND FOR OPERATING THE COVER TO A CLOSED POSITION IN WHICH THE ARCUATE INTERMEDIATE WALL ON THE COVER IS DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OPPOSITE TO SAID ARCUATE INTERMEDIATE WALL SECTOR ON SAID BEARING BLOCK SO THAT SAID TWO ARCUATE WALL SECTORS IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID END WALLS OF SAID COVER DRUM-SHAPED PORTION FORM A COMPLETELY ENCLOSED SUBSTANTIALLY DRUMSHAPED CONFIGURATION AND SAID COVER PORTION EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID COVER ARCUATE INTERMEDIATE WALL OVERLIES A PORTION OF SAID CASING TO COVER SAID PATH OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID IGNITION DEVICE AND SAID BURNER AND CLOSES SAID OPENING TO DEPRIVE THE BURNER OF ACCESS TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND COMPLETELY CONFINES IT INTERIORLY OF SAID BURNER CASING WHEREBY ALL OPERATING PARTS OF SAID LIGHTER ARE ENCLOSED AND PROTECTED.