US3836319A

US3836319A - Flint driving mechanism for a lighter

Info

Publication number: US3836319A
Application number: US00395340A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Malamoud
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-09-15
Filing date: 1973-09-07
Publication date: 1974-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 1991-09-17

Abstract

A lighter of the type ignited by friction between a rough surface and a pyrophoric stone or flint, wherein a flint striking device includes a helical spring and a spring guide and rests, on the one hand, against said flint which it keeps in contact with said rough surface and, on the other, on a portion of the lighter itself, characterized by said striking device resting on the lighter portion through a member onto which it is hinged in such a way that during its insertion, the hinge travels along a line joining a contact point of said device with the flint with a fulcrum of the member on the lighter portion. The device may have a simple cap to which a spring guide for the flint is pivoted, but alternatively a short connecting rod member may be provided, dispensing with the cap arrangement.

Description

tes

li/Ialatnoud [451 Sept. 17, 1974 lFlLINT DRIVING MECHANISM FOR A LIGHTER [76] Inventor: Jean Gaston Malamoud, 61 Avenue de Novel, Annecy, France [22] Filed: Sept. 7, 11973 [21] Appl. No.: 395,340

Itelated US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 180,760, Sept. 15,

1971, abandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 15, 1970 France 70.33321 52 11s. on. 431/276 [51] Int. Cl. F23q 11/02 [58] Field of Search 431/276, 273-275 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,258,085 10/1941 Bolle 431/276 3,583,852 6/1971 Reimm. 431/276 Primary Examiner-Carroll B. Dority, Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Eric H. Waters 5 7] ABSTRACT A lighter of the type ignited by friction between a rough surface and a pyrophoric stone or flint, wherein a flint striking device includes a helical spring and a spring guide and rests, on the one hand, against said flint which it keeps in contact with said rough surface and, on the other, on a portion of the lighter itself, characterized by said striking device resting on the lighter portion through a member onto which it is hinged in such a way that during its insertion, the hinge travels along a line joining a contact point of said device with the flint with a fulcrum of the member on the lighter portion. The device may have a simple cap to which a spring guide for the flint is pivoted, but alternatively a short connecting rod member may be provided, dispensing with the cap arrangement.

6 Cflaims, 5 Drawing Figures a. slut FLINT DIVING MECHANISM FOR A LIGHTER This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 180,760 filed Sept. 15, 1971, now abandoned.

Numerous types of cigarette lighters are known wherein the igniting spark is obtained by friction of a rough surface on a pyrophoric stone or flint. Among the devices used for applying the pyrophoric stone to the rough surface, one of the commonest is a helical spring arranged in a guiding tube. However, since the spring has no axial rigidity and is generally of smaller diameter than the tube, difficulties arise in getting it into position.

To secure axial rigidity in the spring it has been proposed to arrange it in a telescopic tube or to guide it with an inside rod, moreover in such a case the spring will work under the best conditions, its relaxation and compression then being more or less limited.

Nevertheless, because of the small size of the spring and the little space usually available in a lighter, the insertion of the spring still remains complicated. The object of the present invention is to facilitate such insertion while securing positive retention of the spring in its working position.

The invention concerns a lighter of the type ignited through friction of a rough surface on a pyrophoric flint, wherein a flint striking device, including a helical spring and a spring guide, rests firstly against said flint which it keeps in contact with said rough surface, and secondly on a portion of the lighter itself, characterized by the spring guide resting on the lighter portion by way of a member to which it is pivoted in such a way that during the insertion of the flint-driving device, the guide pivot travels along a line joining a contact point of said guide with the flint and a fulcrum of the member on the lighter portion.

According to one preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, the spring guide is provided, on the side of its pivot to the member, with a lug whose purpose is to restrict its displacement around the pivot.

According to another possible embodiment of the invention the member to which the spring guide is pivoted forms at the same time the cap of a housing containing said telescopic tube.

Other distinguishing features of the invention will appear from the following description of two exemplary embodiments, given by way of non-limitative examples.

In the drawings,

FIG. I is a section view of a flint-driving device in the working position on a lighter according to the first exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. I in the open position;

FIG. 3 is a section through the line III III of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partly sectional view similar to that of FIG. I but of a modified or second embodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a somewhat simplified view similar to FIG. 2 but of the second embodiment.

Describing first the embodiment shown in FIGS. I through 3, FIG. I includes a solid cradle 2 carrying a rotatable milled wheel 1. The cradle also carries a pivoted shaft 5 of a member, preferably in the form of a cap 4 which itself carries a pivoted shaft 8 of a telescopic tube 6 arranged, in the working position, in a bed 3 of the solid cradle 2 with a flint 9. Shafts d, 5 constitute respective first and second pivot points between a lighter portion (e.g. an upstanding part of cradle 2) and member or cap 4-, and between the latter and tube 6, respectively. Cap 4 has a notch 4a for ease of manipulation, such as for opening.

Tube 6 is made up of a cylinder It) and a hollow piston Ill sliding inside the cylinder, and it accommodates a helical spring 7. Elements III, II together form tube means which constitutes a guide for spring 7. The piston is provided with a shoulder 12 which limits its stroke by coming to rest on an inside shoulder 13 of the cylinder III or on the contracted end thereof.

The fulcrum of the first end of the front end of the telescoping tube 6 on the flint 9 is identified by numeral I8. At the point where cylinder part III of the tube means is pivoted to cap 4, a lug is formed about shaft 8 so as to limit, with respect to cap 4, the angular move ment of the flint driving mechanism, constituted by parts 6 to 8 and If) to 13 (see FIG. 2).

Over the portion of the bed 3 in which the flint 9 is set (see FIG. 3), the cap 4 includes a central strap 14 provided with a bore taking a spring 15 and, at each of its ends, a small ball 16. Two races 17 on the solid cradle 2 correspond to the balls 16.

Under such conditions the operation of the device is as follows: Because the pivot 8 of the telescopic tube 6 is located below a line AA joining the fulcrum of telescopic tube 6 on the flint 9 and the shaft 5 of the cap, substantially in the center of front end 18, the thrust reaction of the tube on the milled wheel creates a couple on shaft 5 which tends to pull joint 8 away from the line AA and therefore keeps the whole assembly in its working position.

When the flint 9 becomes worn, the fulcrum of the telescopic tube 6 shifts, thus taking the line AA away from the joint 8, this increasing the locking of the device and compensating the relaxation of the spring 7.

The balls I6 mounted on the cap 4 and their corresponding races I7 on cradle 2 determine the mutual position of the cap and the cradle.

When a new flint has to be put in, one raises the cap I (see FIG. 2). The telescopic tube 6 rises with the cap and pivots on joint 8 until the bottom of the tube comes up flat against the inside surface of the cap. Because the joint 8 of the telescopic tube is parallel to pivot 5 of the cap and because of the restriction on angular movement of the telescopic tube, this latter is automatically brought into position to take its place in its seating by simple depression of the cap.

Consequently, the rear portion of cap 4 which carries the shafts I, 5 behaves as a small crank that transmits the movement of the shaft 8.

It is also possible to make the device without the cap, as shown in the modified or second embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. It will be noted that here the cap has been substituted by a small connecting rod or crank I9, having preferably double links for better mechanical support, and provided with a small notch 20 which allows operation by the user of the device.

It will be understood that the modified device of FIGS. 4 and 5 operates in the same manner as that of FIGS. I and 2, only that there is no cap to cover the structure, and there is a more direct connection between cradle 2 and cylinder II), by the intermediary of the respective shafts or

pivot points

5 and 8.

During the closure (mainly of the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3), piston 11 first comes to rest on flint 9. Then the spring 7 is compressed until joint 8 travels along line AA. As soon as it passes beyond the line, the action of spring 7 guarantees the setting of telescopic tube 6 at the bottom of bed 3 in working position.

Similar considerations will apply to the second embodiment, in which however the user of the device would not operate the cap (for example, by means of the small notch 4A shown in FIG. 1) but the connecting rod 19 by taking hold of it at notch 20.

It should be understood, of course, that, without exceeding the scope of the invention, structural details of the arrangement thereof can be altered in order to obtain a like result. These modifications or changes are believed to be within the spirit and scope of the invention.

It is, for instance, unnecessary for the cap 4 to be joined to the lighter. It would sufflce for its end located oppositely from the fulcrum of the telescopic tube 6 relative to the jointure of same to be butted in such a way that the thrust reaction from tube 6 on milled wheel 1 may lay said tube in the bottom of its housing.

As has been shown with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, it is not necessary to have a cap. It is sufficient in the modification for the telescopic tube 6 to be joined to the small connecting rod 19, securing the working of its rear portion, corresponding to that of the cap of FIGS. 1 and 2.

It would also be possible to replace hollow piston 11 by a small rod passing inside spring 7 and sliding into a drilled part replacing cylinder l0.

What I claim is: 1

1. A lighter of the typeignited by friction between a rough surface and a pyrophoric stone or flint, comprising a flint driving mechanism including helical spring means and a spring guide therefor, the latter engaging the flint for maintaining the latter in contact with the rough surface and in position in the lighter, a member articulated on said flint driving mechanism by first pivot means and on a portion of the lighter by second pivot means, for attaching said flint driving mechanism to said portion of the lighter, so that when said flint driving mechanism is positioned in the lighter, said first pivot means crosses a line extending between a contact point of said flint driving mechanism on said flint and said second pivot means.

2. The lighter as defined in claim 1, wherein said spring guide includes a telescoping tube encompassing said spring means.

3. The lighter as defined in claim 1, wherein said flint driving mechanism includes a portion acting as a stop member for limiting the angular movement of said flint driving mechanism about said member.

4. The lighter as defined in claim 3, wherein said spring guide includes telescopic tube means spported on said member by way of said first pivot means.

5. The lighter as defined in claim 1, further comprising a housing for said flint driving mechanism, said member being in the form of an elongated cap for closing said housing.

6. The lighter as defined in claim 1, wherein said member is in the form of a small connecting rod which has said first and said second pivot means thereon.

Claims

1. A lighter of the type ignited by friction between a rough surface and a pyrophoric stone or flint, comprising a flint driving mechanism including helical spring means and a spring guide therefor, the latter engaging the flint for maintaining the latter in contact with the rough surface and in position in the lighter, a member articulated on said flint driving mechanism by first pivot means and on a portion of the lighter by second pivot means, for attaching said flint driving mechanism to said portion of the lighter, so that when said flint driving mechanism is positioned in the lighter, said first pivot means crosses a line extending between a contact point of said flint driving mechanism on said flint and said second pivot means.