US3418821A

US3418821A - Gas-fueled lighter

Info

Publication number: US3418821A
Application number: US589991A
Authority: US
Inventors: Remy Hermann; Adler Otto; Heberer Franz
Original assignee: Rowenta Werke GmbH
Current assignee: Rowenta Werke GmbH
Priority date: 1965-12-20
Filing date: 1966-10-27
Publication date: 1968-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 1985-12-31
Also published as: CH449314A; DE1457637A1

Description

Dec. 31, 196s H. REMY ETAL 3,418,821

GAS-FUELED LIGHTER Filed Oct. 27, 1966 Sheet 1 of 2 8flo a HEKMBN N Orr@ RoLe/a,

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BY Rem. :m i.

Tr oRNEYs Dec. 31, 1968 H. REMY ETAL 3,418,821

GAS-FUELED LIGHTER Filed Oct. 27, 1966 Sheet 2 of 2 Hmm neaventuras T'ro @LER Fnnnz Hgeneri.

BY my United States Patent O 3,418,821 GAS-FUELED LIGHTER Hermann Remy, Dietzenbach-Steinberg, near Offenbach am Main, and Otto Adler and Franz Heberer, Heusenstamm, near Offenbach am Main, Germany, assignors to Rowenta Metallwarenfahrik G.m.b.H., Offenbach am Main, Germany, a German firm Filed Oct. 27, 1966, Ser. No. 589,991 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 20, 1965,

,263 9 Claims. (Cl. 6252) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A gas-fueled lighter in which a valve having a fuel passage opening in its seat is axially slidable in a valve housing including a fuel feed opening. A feed member such as a Wick protrudes through the feed opening into the housing for feeding liquid fuel into the housing. A throttling member in the form of a porous disc is interposed between the protruding end of the feed member and the valve and a guard disc is interposed between the throttling disc and the protruding end of the wick in abutment with both the throttling disc and the wick. The guard disc has an opening which is laterally displaced in reference to the fuel passage opening of the valve. The throttling action of the throttling disc is controlled by the axial position of the valve in the housing.

rl'he present invention relates to a gas-fueled lighter such as a lighter for lighting cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, and more particularly to a gas-fueled lighter in which the fuel valve, the burner and throttling means for throttling the flow of gasitied fuel to the burner are accommodated in a common housing. Lighters of this kind, generally use a fuel such as butane in a liquefied state.

More specifically, the invention relates to the throttling means of a lighter of the general kind above referred to. The valve assembly, burner assembly and the ignition assembly of the lighter should be visualized as being conventional. These assemblies do not constitute part of the invention and are hence not described or illustrated in detail.

There are now known lighters of the general kind above referred to in which a Wick is used for feeding fuel to the fuel valve. This wick also serves as a throttling means. Such an arrangement has the disadvantage that the fuel may reach the seat of the fuel valve in a still liquid state and as a result it may interfere with the functioning thereof due to the formation of residual deposits of solid discrete particles and other impurities carried in the liquefied fuel.

To avoid this disadvantage it has been proposed to relieve the wick of its throttling function by interposing a filter disc between the wick and the valve seat. Such filter discs are usually made of paper. Tests have shown that due to the thinness of such paper filters and the fact that the same are in direct contact with the wick, the filter discs become rather rapidly clogged by accumulations of impurities in the interstices of the paper.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved throttling means of the general kind above referred to with which a fully satisfactory throttling action is obtained for a protracted period of service.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved arrangement of the general kind above referred to in which the throttling means is protected against the invasion of solid discrete particles into the throttling means proper.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel ice and improved throttling means of the general kind above referred to the throttling action of which is adjustable to control the passage of gasified fuel ttherethrough.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved throttling means of the general kind above referred to in which sticking of the throttling means to the valve when the latter is raised during operation of the lighter ish effectively prevented. Certain throttling materials otherwise suitable for the purpose have such tendency of sticking. Accordingly the provision of an antisticking means permits a wider choice among throttling materials than was heretofore possible.

The afore pointed out objects, features and advantages of the invention and other objects, features and advantages Which will be pointed out hereinafter are obtained by interposing between the throttling means and the wick an apertured but otherwise solid disc such as a metal or plastic disc thereby limiting the wick to its fuel feeding function. As it is apparent, such disc substantially blocks the access of fuel in its liquefied state and of impurities carried by the fuel to the throttling means and the valve seat, thereby effectively protecting the throttling means against clogging and the valve seat against the formation of deposits. In other Words, the fuel when and While still in its liquefied state is forced to remain below the protective disc and can reach the throttling means and the valve seat only after it has reached its gaseous state in which it is free of solid impurities for all practical purposes. A second apertured but otherwise solid disc may be interposed between the valve and the throttling means to prevent sticking of the throttling means to the valve when the latter is raised during use of the lighter.

In the accompanying drawing several preferred embodiments of the invention are shown by Way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

ln the drawing:

FIG. l shows an elevational sectional view of the throttling assembly according to the invention installed in a gas-fueled lighter;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view similar to FIG. l and shoW- ing a modification of the throttling assembly;

FIG. 3 is an elevational side View of one of the components of the assembly according to FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a plan View of FIG. 3.

Referring now to figures more in detail, only such components of the gas-fueledlighter which are essential for the understanding of the invention are illustrated. As pointed out before, the valve assembly, the burner assembly and the ignition assembly of the lighter should be visualized as being conventional.

The assembly as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a housing 4 having a feed opening 4a. A feed member such as a suitable Wick extends through the feed opening 4a into housing 4 which further accommodates a valve member 7 slidable in the housing. The valve member has a valve seat 8 including an aperture 8a for the passage of gasified fuel. A throttling filter member 2 made of suitable porous material such as compressed fibers is interposed between valve seat 8 and wick 1. The porous disc-shaped filter member 2 is separated from direct contact with the adjacent wick surface by a disc 3, including a passage opening 10. The disc constitutes a guard against the penetration of impurities carried by the wick into the filter member 2 and through passage opening 8a. Disc 3 is preferably made of metal but may also be made of a suitable plastic. A sealing ring such as a O-ring 5 is interposed between disc 3 and the bottom wall of housing 4 to block seepage of liquid fuel past disc 3 and toward and into filter or throttling disc 2. A second sealing ring 6 is interposed between valve member 7 and the inner wall of housing 4 to seal the valve member against the housing.

Valve member 7 should be visualized as being movable 3 from the outside of housing 4. As is evident, displacement of the valve member toward the wick compresses filter 2 thereby correspondingly increasing the throttling action of the filter and thus reducing the volume of gaseous fuel passing through opening 8a.

The compression and thus the throttling action of filter 2 can further be controlled by an adjustment pin 9 which is straddled by the wick. The pin can be screwed more or less deeply into housing opening 4a, by inserting a suitable tool into slot 9b. The pin 9 is preferably provided with grooves 9a which as can best be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, are shaped to accommodate 'wick 1 without appreciably compressing the Wick so that the same functions purely as a feed conduit. The fuel should be visualized as being sucked on by the wick from the tank (not shown) of the lighter.

As is clearly shown in FIG. l, passage opening 10 is disposed eccentrically in reference to passage opening 8a in the valve seat. Instead of one apperture 10 several such apertures may be provided, preferably located on the same circumference.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 is similar to that of FIG. l, except that a second disc 11 such as a metal or a plastic disc having an aperture 12 is interposed between filter or throttling member 2 and the adjacent valve seat 8. Aperture 12 is disposed in alignment with passage opening 8a but eccentrically in reference to aperture 10.

Several apertures

10 and 12 may, of course, be provided in the arrangement of FIG. 2 also.

As previously explained, the second disc 11 serves to prevent adhesion of filter 2 to valve member 7 when the latter is raised.

Whilel'the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gas-fueled lighter in combination:

(a) a housing having an end wall including a fuel feed opening;

(b) a value member defining a valve seat having a fuel passage opening and being axially slidable in said housing;

(c) a feed member protruding through said feed opening into the housing for feeding fuel in a liquefied state into said housing;

(d) a generally disc shaped soft porous throttling member interposed between the protruding end of the feed member and the valve member and;

(e) a substantially rigid guard disc having an aperture but being otherwise substantially solid interposed between said throttling member and said protruding feed end member in abutment with both said members, said aperture being laterally displaced in reference to said fuel passage opening, the axial position of the valve member controlling the throttling action of said throttling member.

2. A gas-fueled lighter according to claim 1 wherein said feed member is in the form of a wick.

3. A gas-fueled lighter according to claim 1 wherein said valve seat opening is coaxial with the center axis of said housing, and said guard disc opening is eccentric in reference thereto.

4. A gas-fueled lighter according to claim 1 and comprising a second guard disc having an aperture but being otherwise solid, said second disc being disposed between the valve member and the throttling member in abutment with the latter to prevent sticking of the throttling member to the valve member when the latter is lifted in the housing.

5. A gas-fueled ligher according to claim 1 and comprising an adjustment member adjustably insertable into said housing opening, said feed member straddling said adjustment member at the end thereof insertable into the housing, the depth of insertion of the adjustment member into said housing opening controlling the space available for the throttling member between the valve member and the guard disc and thus the compression of said throttling member.

6. A gas-fueled lighter according to claim 5 wherein said adjustment member has lengthwise substantially diametrically opposite grooves in its wall, said grooves being dimensioned to accommodate the respective wick portion without appreciably compressing the same.

7. A gas-fueled lighter according to claim 6 wherein said adjustment member is a set screw screwable into the housing opening.

8. A gas-fueled lighter according to claim 1 and comprising a sealing means interposed between said guard disc and an adjacent inner wall of the housing to block passage of fuel in a liquefied state past said guard disc to said throttling member.

9. A gas-fueled lighter according to claim 1 and comprising a sealing means interposed between the valve member and the adjacent housing wall in continuous abutment therewith to block passage of fuel in a liquefied state past said valve member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,612,033 9/1952 Flamm 67-71 2,737,795 3/1956 Gruber 67 7.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 65,109 9/1955 France. 1,200,837 7/1959 France.

EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner.

Us. c1. Xn. 431-344