US3251979A

US3251979A - Electric cigar lighter

Info

Publication number: US3251979A
Application number: US325093A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lloyd F Taylor
Original assignee: Casco Products Corp
Current assignee: Casco Products Corp
Priority date: 1963-11-20
Filing date: 1963-11-20
Publication date: 1966-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-17
Also published as: GB1055539A

Description

May 17, 1966 L. F. TAYLOR 3,251,979

ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER I Filed Nov. 20, 1963 zazfii g Ag 2/ 4.9a

fi 835 '4 8 5/ 72 3 20 5 Z 4950 47 Q If g A INVENTOR. 50 LZqydF Ta yZo/ United States Patent 3,251,979 ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER Lloyd F. Taylor, Fairlield, Conn., assignor to Casco Products Corporation, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Nov. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 325,093 16 Claims. (Cl. 219-268) The present invention relates toan electric cigar lighter of the type that has an electrically heated igniting element and more particularly to such a lighter that integrally carries its own source of electrical energy for heating the element.

One well-known kind of electric cigar lighter is the plug and socket or pass-around type wherein the plug has a tobacco igniting element that is heated .when the plug is positioned in the socket in its element heating position, the socket being connected to a source of electrical energy. After the element is heated, it automatically expels in the socket to a storage position where a user may then remove it from the socket to ignite tobacco. In this type of lighter, the element is only heated when it is in the socket in its element heating position and thus the duration which the element may ignite tobacco is solely dependent On the ability of the element to retain a tobacco igniting temperature. Such a duration is normally on the order of only seconds and thus while such a lighter has been found satisfactory, it must be repeatedly heated if the time required to place the heated element against and ignite the tobacco extends beyond the heat retention time of the element.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cigar lighter of the above type that has a heating element that is electrically heated with the source of electrical energy being carried integrally with the plug and thus may continually serve to heat the element.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric cigar lighter of the plug and socket type in which the plug carries a rechargeable electric battery that is employed to electrically heat a tobacco igniting element and in which the battery is recharged when the plug is placed in its storage position in the socket.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cigar lighter of the above type in which, during charging of the battery, the element is prevented from being energized and in which a manual operation is required when the plug is removed from the socket to effect the heating of the igniting element.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an electric cigar lighter of the above type in which a battery charging circuit between the socket and the plug is established simply by the insertion of the plug in the socket without requiring any particular radial alignment therebetween.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a socket in which a plug may be positioned for storage and charging and removed therefrom for use to ignite tobacco. The plug includes a hollow body portion having at one end a knob and at its other end an electrically heatable igniting element. Positioned within the body member is a rechargeable battery with the battery and the element being interconnected in a series circuit so that the current from the battery may pass through the element to heat it. For controlling passage of current to the element from the battery, the plug includes a pair of normally separated or open contacting members that may be manually closed to complete the circuit by relative movement between onecontact preferably carried by the body member and another contact mounted for movement of the body member with respect thereto. Thus by closing the contacting members the user may provide for continuous heating of the coil during use for as long as the battery remains capable of causing such heating.

3,251,979 Patented May 17, 1966 When the plug is not being used, it is positioned in the socket, not only for storage but also to enable the battery to be recharged. The socket is connectible to a source of electrical energy, as for example when the lighter is used in an automobile, it will be the automobile electrical system and includes terminals that electrically engage a charging circuit means of the plug to enable current to flow into the battery to effect a charging thereof. The socket terminals that electrically engage the plug are, without the plug, in open circuit arrangement to thereby prevent short-circuiting therebetween and yet are so constructed to electrically engage the plug at any radial position of the plug when the plug is inserted in the socket to its battery charging position. Moreover, the socket provides for preventing the relative movement between the contacting members of the plug when the plug is positioned in the socket and thus prevents the element from being inadvertently or otherwise heated when the plug is in the socket.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is substantially an axial section of a socket and plug of the present invention showing the plug in its battery charging position in the socket.

FIG. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the plug removed from the socket.

FIG. 3 is an end view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG..2, somewhat reduced in size, showing manually forced relationship of the plug for causing the battery to be electrically interconnected with the element to causing heating thereof.

Referring to the drawing, the electric cigar lighter of the present invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and includes a socket 11 and a plug 12 that is storable in the socket but removable therefrom for use. The socket 11 is preferably secured in an aperture 13 formed in a wall 14, such as is found in the dashboard of an automobile, and is maintained in place by a clamping member 15 engaging the interior surface of the Wall and a hollow cylindrical well 16 having an entrance rim 17 engaging the opposite surface of the wall 14. The clamping member 15 is axially movable with respect to the well 16 by reason of mating threads formed on it and on a substantially tubular member 18, secured to the rearward end of the well 16.

The well 16 and tubular member 18 are axially apertured and a headed bolt 19 extends therethrough to provide securement for a multi-fingered terminal member 20 and a radially extending abutment member 21 at the bottom of the well. Electrical insulation, generally indicated by the reference numeral 22, circumscribes the bolt 19 to maintain the well 16 and the tubular member 18 electrically isolated from the bolt 19. A conductor 23 is threadingly connected to the bolt 19 and electrical current can thus only pass from the conductor 23 to the terminal member 20.

The plug 12 is formed to have a hollow body member 24 that at one end has a knob 25 attached thereto while at its other end, an electrically heatable igniting element 26 is mounted. More specifically, the body member 24 is substantially cylindrical and has an end cap 27, an end cap 28 and an intermediate part 29 which define therebetween a hollow chamber in which tery 30 is contained. The end cap 27 is formed of electrically conducting material such as metal and has an aixal cavity 31 in which is positioned a conducting spring 32 that bears against the end cap 27 and the bottom terminal 30a of the battery 30 to place the parts in electrical conducting relationship. In addition, the end cap 27 has projecting portions 33 which are utilized for securing the knob 25 thereto as by the molding of the knob of electrically insulating plastic material about the a rechargeable batcurable to the intermediate portion 29 as by mating threads 34 to enable insertion and replacement of the battery 30 when desired.-

The end cap 28 is preferably molded to have the crosssectional shape shown of electrically insulating material and is formed with an axial aperture 35 in which is positioned a rivet 36. The rivet 36 has a head 37 that is located toelectrically engage theother terminal 301; of the battery 30 while its other end portion 38 has secured thereto an end portion 26a of the element 26. The rivet 36, in the specific embodiment of the invention shown, clamps and secures together from the end 38 to the head 37, an electrically insulating washer 39,-a conducting disk 40 mounted on an electrically insulating member 41, a cup 42, another electrically insulating washer 43, a contact member 44 and the end cap 28. For electrically connecting the contact member 44 to the disk 40 a plurality of spaced studs 45 are'provided. The other end 26b of the igniting element 26 is electrically secured'to the disk 40 and it will thus be appreciated that current may flow from the contact member 44, through the studs 45 to the disk 40, thence through the element 26 to the rivet 36 and then to the battery terminal 3%. In addition, the cup 42 while electrically connected'to the rivet 36 is electrically isolated from any other conducting parts of the plug by the insulating member 41-and washer 43.

Encircling the body member 24 is' a tubular sleeve 46 I having one end adjacent the knob 25 outwardly flanged as at 47 andits other end inwardly flanged as at 48. The exterior of the sleeve has a substantially tubular ash guard member 49 slidably movable thereon but in frictional, electrical engagement therewith. The sleeve 46 is urged leftward as shown in the drawing by a compressed spring 50 hearing against the flange 48 and a rim 51 on the intermediate portion 29 with inwardly struck tangs-52 engageable with the rim 1 to limit leftward movement. The sleeve 46 is accordingly slidingly movable on the body portion 24 from the spring urged position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the position shown in FIG. 4.

In accordance with the present invention, the plug '12, when it is removed from the socket 11, normally has an open circuit between the battery 30 and the heating element 26, so that current does not pass through the element. However, upon a user grasping the=flange-47 and the knob 25 and moving these elements relative to each other to the position shown in FIG. 4, a heating circuit is established which places the element 26 inseries with the'battery 30. The circuit extends from the battery terminal 305 through the rivet 36, the-end 26a of the heating element, the element 26, the other end 26b of the heating element to the disk 40, studs 45 to the contact member 44 and as the sleeve has been axially moved on the body member there is an electrical connection established between the flange 43 and the contact member 44 with current being .conducted therebetweem The'spring;

50 "then conducts current between the flange 48 and the rim 51 of the intermediate portion 29 (which is formed of conducting material) and thence through the end cap open circuit position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein the' heating circuit between the battery and element is opened by separation of the contact member 44 andflange 48.

In accordance with the present invention, the battery 30 is of the rechargeable type and is charged when the plug is positioned in its storage position in the socket 11. To this end, as heretofore set forth, the connector 23 is connectible to one side of a source of electrical energy (not shown) to effect conduction of current from .the source to the terminal member 20. Current is then conducted through a charging circuit in the plug that includes the cup 42, rivet 36 and head 37 to terminal 30b of the battery 30. The charging circuit is completed from the other terminal 3% of the battery to the spring 32, end cap 27, theintermediate'part 29, tangs 52 or springfit) to the sleeve 46 and thence to the ash guard member 49. While the other side of the source of electrical energy may be connected to the well 16 by connections to it, the tubular member 18 or the clamping member 15, in the embodiment of the invention herein described, is connected to the wall 14, as is well known in the automotive industry. Thus as the well is connected to be in electrical engagement with the other side of the source of electrical energy, it constitutes the other terminal of the socket charging circuit. Conduction is prorim- 17 of the well 16, a portion 49a of the ash guard Thus relative member being interposed therebetween. movement which would cause an electrical engagement between the contact member and the flange 47 cannot occur.

The source of; electrical energy that is connected to the conductor 23 and the wall 14 should have at least a value of voltage that is required to charge the battery and if higher, an external resistance may be inserted in" the conductor 23, as by makin'g'it of resistance wire, to thereby limit the value of the voltageto that required for charging the battery.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the plug may be inserted into the socket to establish the charging circuit with there being nolimitation on the radial positioning of the plugs. This is achieved by having the' periphery of the cup 42 that is engaged by the terminal member 20 be circular, the terminal member 20 being multi-fingered' (preferably three) with the fingers being concentric about the axis of the bolt 19 and by having both the inner periphery of the well 16 and the outer' periphery of the ash guard member 49- substantially cylindrical. This ability of the electric cigar lighter of the present invention has been found particularly advantageous as it does not require the direct attention of the user to carefully align terminals as only an axial move ment of the plug into the-socket is sufficient.-

It will be appreciated that while the coil 26 has been shown to be about a one turn spiral of resistance Wire, that the invention is not to be limited thereto but may utilize coils of'different shape, ie a multi-turn spiral, and different materials, ie resistive ceramics.

It will accordingly be appreciated that there has been disclosedan electric cigar lighter that includes a socket in which a plug is positionable with the plugbeing removable therefrom for use; The plug has an electrically heated igniting element and integrally carries a source of electrical energy, particularly a rechargeable battery, such-that a user by operation of relatively movable parts of the plug my cause a heating circuit to be established"- which enables the battery to heat the element. The heating of the element is maintained so long as the user desires and thus-the igniting element may be utilized to ignite tobacco fora long duration. Upon termination of use, the plug is inserted into the socket for storage and Z in this position thebattery is charged. The charging is effected by a source of electrical energy being connected to the socket insuch a manner that connections are made to the plug whenever the plug is positioned in its storage position irrespective of the radial position of the plug with respect to the socket. Thus the present invention provides for repeated use of the plug to ignite tobacco but yet during periods of non-use or storage, the battery is being charged to maintain its effectiveness for whenever its use isdesired.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

' 'I claim:

1. An electric cigar lighter including a plug and a socket adapted to store said plug for manual removal therefrom for use, said plug including a body, having a handle portion at one end which projects from the socket, an igniting unit secured at the other end of said body, the body having a cavity to removably receive and hold a rechargeable battery, and circuit means including battery terminal-engaging contact means, means for placing the latter in series with the igniting element to eifect heating thereof, charging circuit means in said socket including a first pair of terminals adapted to be connected to an extraneous source of battery-charging electrical energy and to a second pair of terminals, means on the plug for causing said second pair of terminals to be placed in series with the battery terminal-engaging contact means to enable charging of a battery when the plug is positioned in the socket.

2. An electric cigar lighter according to claim 1 in which said charging circuit means is connected to parallel said igniting element so that a battery may be charged without energizing the igniting element.

3. An electric cigar lighter according to claim 1 in which the circuit means for placing a battery in series with the igniting element to effect heating thereof includes a normally open, manually operable switch and there are means for preventing the closing of said switch while the plug is stored in its battery-charging position in the socket.

4. An electric cigar lighter according to claim 1 in which the handle portion of the plug body closes the battery holding cavity and is removable from the adjacent portions of the body to permit removal and replacement of a rechargeable battery.

5. An electric cigar lighter according to claim 3 in which the means for preventing the closing of the normally open switch means while the plug is stored inits battery-charging position includes an abutment mounted in the socket and positioned to engage means on the igniting unit when the plug is inserted in the socket to batterycharging position.

6. An electric cigar lighter including a plug and a socket adapted to store and enable removal of the plug therei from for use; said plug including .a hollow body member,

a knob secured at one end to said body member, and igniting element secured at the other end of said body member, a rechargeable battery carried by the body member, circuit means for placing the battery "in series with the igniting element to effect heating thereof and including a sleeve encircling said body member and a charging circuit means connected to parallel said igniting element and including said sleeve; said socket including a well for electrically engaging said sleeve, and circuit means having a first pair of terminals adapted to be connected to a source of electrical energy and to a second pair of terminals, said well constituting one of said second pair of contacts, said second pair of terminals being placed in series with the battery through thecharging circuit means to enable charging thereof when the plug is positioned in the well.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 in which said heating element is positioned in a cup, said cup is included in said charging circuit means and the other of the second pair of terminals being spring fingers engageable with said cup when said plug is stored in its battery charging position.

8. The invention as defined in claim 6 in which the circuit means includes switch means including a contact member movable with the body and the sleeve constituting the other contact member and being movable on the body, and said well has means for limiting the relative movement of the sleeve and said body, said means including a flange member positioned to abut the cup and a rim engageable by the sleeve.

9. An electric cigar lighter including a plug and a socket adapted to store and enable removal of the plug therefrom for use; said plug including a hollow body member, a knob secured at one end to said body member, an igniting element secured at the other end of said body member, a rechargeable battery carried by the body member, circuit means for placing the battery in series with the igniting element to effect heating thereof and a charging circuit means connected to parallel said igniting element and including first and second plug terminals; said socket including a well, and circuit means having a pair of terminals adapted to be connected to a source of electrical energy and to first and second socket terminals, said first and second socket terminals to be placed in series with the battery through the first and second plug terminals to enable charging thereof when the plug is positioned in the well; said first terminals and said second terminals being in electrical engagement to establish the charging of the battery with one of each being shaped to establish electrical engagement at more than one radial position of the plug in the well; said second plug .terminal being substantially tubular and said second socket terminal having concentrically arranged fingers for frictionally engaging said second plug terminal.

10. An electric cigar lighter plug adapted to be stored in and removed from a socket for use comprising a body having a cavity to receive a rechargeable electric battery, a knob secured at one end to said body to be removable to give access to said cavity to permit removal and re placement of the battery, an igniting element secured at the other end of said. body, first circuit means for placing a battery in the cavity in series with the igniting element to effect heating thereof, said first circuit means including switch means having a first contact member carried by the body and a second contact member movable with respect to the body for effecting the closing of the first circuit means and the heating of the igniting element, and second circuit means bypassing the igniting element and including contact means for placing a battery in the cavity in series with an extraneous source of electrical energy for efiecting the charging of the battery.

11. An electric cigar lighter plug according to claim 10 in which said second contact member includes a sleeve encircling at least a part of said body member, and spring means for urging said first and second contact members away from each other to normally maintain the first circuit means in an open condition.

12. An electric cigar lighter having a hand portable igniting unit and a receptacle to store said plug for manual removal therefrom for use, said receptacle comprising a socket into which said igniting unit is inserted with a handle portion thereon protruding for finger engagement; the igniting unit having a body carrying on its inner end an igniting element, a cavity for removably receiving and holding a rechargeable electric battery, an electric contact means including battery terminal-engaging contact means in said cavity and manually operable switch means connectable in series with said igniting element and said battery terminal-engaging contact means for closing a circuit through said igniting element and a rechargeable battery when the latter is installed in the cavity of the igniting unit to energize the igniting element; and conducting means in said receptacle socket connectable to an extraneous source of battery-charging current and socket contact means connected to said conducting means; and said igniting unit having contact means engageable with said socket contact means when the igniting unit is stored in are circular and concentric with the axis of the plug and socket and the socket contact means are so positioned that electrical contact between said contact means is made regardless of the rotative orientation of the plug in the socket.

14. An electric cigar lighter for motor vehicles including a hand portable igniting unit and a receptacle to store for the manual removal of the igniting unit therefrom for use, said receptacle having means for mounting it in a permanent position on the motor vehicle; the igniting unit having a body carrying an igniting element, a cavity for removably receiving and holding a rechargeable electric battery, electric contact means including battery terminalengaging contact means in said cavity and manually operable switch means connectable in series with said igniting element and said battery terminal-engaging contact means for closing a circuit through said igniting element and a rechargeable battery when the latter is installed in the cavity of the igniting unit to energize the igniting element; and conducting means in said receptacle being connectable to an extraneous source of battery-charging current carried by the motor vehicle, and receptacle contactmeans connected to said conducting means; said igniting unit having contact means engageable with said receptacle contact means when the igniting unit is stored in the receptacle to conduct charging current to said battery terminalengaging contact means. 4

15. An electric cigar lighter plug according to claim 10 wherein said contact meansof the second circuit means includes a third contact member carried by the body for electrical connection between one pole of the battery and one pole of the extraneous source of electrical energy and additional contact means carried by the body for electrical connection between the other pole of the battery and the other pole of the extraneous source of electrical energy.

16. An electric cigar lighter plug according to claim 15 wherein said additional contact means of the second circuit means includes the second contact member of the first circuit means whereby said second contact member is either in the igniting element heating circuit upon manual closure of the switch means or continuously in the battery charging circuit in accordance with whether the lighter plug is removed from the socket for use or is stored in the socket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,630,517 3/1953 Hiscar 219269 X 2,635,171 4/1953 Jones 219-267 X 2,932,716 4/1960 Fenn 219268 X 3,007,027 10/1961 Hall 219-268 X 3,119,002 l/1964 Alvarez et al. 219-26'8 X 3,143,697 8/1964 Springer 3202 RICHARD M. wooo, Primary Examiner. ANTHONY BARTIS, Examiner.

V. Y. MAYEWSKY, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER INCLUDING A PLUG AND A SOCKET ADAPTED TO STORE SAID PLUG FOR MANUAL REMOVAL THEREFROM FOR USE, SAID PLUG INCLUDING A BODY, HAVING A HANDLE PORTION AT ONE END WHICH PROJECTS FRO THE SOCKET, AN IGNITING UNIT SECURED AT THE OTHER END OF SAID BODY, THE BODY HAVING A CAVITY TO REMOVABLY RECEIVE AND HOLD A RECHARGEABLY BATTERY, AND CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING BATTERY TERMINAL-ENGAGING CONTACT MEANS, MEANS FOR PLACING THE LATTER IN SERIES WITH THE IGNITING ELEMENT TO EFFECT HEATING THEREOF, CHARGING CIRCUIT MEANS IN SAID SOCKET INCLUDING A FIRST PAIR OF TERMINALS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO AN EXTRANEOUS SOURCE OF BATTERY-CHARGING ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND TO A SECOND PAIR OF TERMINALS, MEANS ON THE PLUG FOR CAUSING SAID SECOND PAIR OF TERMINALS TO BE PLACED IN SERIES WITH THE BATTERY TERMINAL-ENGAGING CONTACT MEANS TO ENABLE CHARGING OF A BATTERY WHEN THE PLUG IS POSITIONED IN THE SOCKET.