US3922139A

US3922139A - Gas-fuelled lighter

Info

Publication number: US3922139A
Application number: US462598A
Authority: US
Inventors: Takaaki Sugawa
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-02-05
Filing date: 1974-04-22
Publication date: 1975-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 1992-11-25
Also published as: FR2260066A1; DE2448142A1; BE825208A; JPS50109067A; ES207598Y; NL7409593A; JPS5344861B2; ES207598U; LU71068A1

Abstract

A lighter, which comprises an actuating member for adjusting the fuel valve; an inner adjuster at one end of said actuating member and having a series of serrations on its outer periphery; and an outer adjuster supported on the inner adjuster by an outer casing or bottom plate, said outer adjuster being removably retained in the body of the lighter by a resilient member, so as to be readily removed from and reset into the body of the lighter, when required, thus achieving easy and accurate flame adjustment.

Description

Unlted States Patent 1 3,922,139 Sugawa Nov. 25, 1975 [5 GAS-FUELLED LIGHTER 3,802,457 4/1974 Wurzburger 251/292 [76] Inventor: Takaaki Sugawa, No. 57-14,

wakamiya ychome, Ichikawa, Przr nary ExamznerKenneth W. Sprague Chiba Japan Assistant Exammer,lames C. Yeung [22] Filed: Apr. 22, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT 1 1 PP -I 462,598 A lighter, which comprises an actuating member for adjusting the fuel valve; an inner adjuster at one end [30] Forelgn Apphcatlon Prlonty Data of said actuating member and having a series of serra- Feb. 5, Japan l tion on its uter periphery; and an uter adjuster sup.

ported on the inner adjuster by an outer casing or botl l 431/l30;. 3 tom plate, said outer adjuster being removably re- [51] Int. Cl. F23Q 2/16 mi d in the body of the lighter by a resilient member, Field Of Search 431/130. 131. 24 243, so as to be readily removed from and reset into the 43 U 50, 251/292 body of the lighter, when required, thus achieving easy and accurate flame adjustment. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 3,533,720 10/1970 Ouercia 431/277 3,630,653 12/1971 Wright 431/344 U3. atfim Nov. 25, 1975 as no l2 as 20 P1 SIZE OF SCREW THREAD PITCH ELEV wk :4. 6 Egg I20 I50 I80 TATIONAL. ANQE OF ACTUATING MEMBER GAS-FUELLED LIGHTER BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION This invention relates to lighters and particularly to gas-fuelled cigarette lighters equipped with a valve ad justing mechanism.

Hitherto, various types of fuel valve adjusting mecha-. nisms for use in gas-fuelled lighters have been proposed. In a conventional fuel valve adjusting mechanism, if it is attempted to provide a mechanism which is simple in construction and low in manufacturingcost, one meets with inferior results in accuracy in fuel and flame adjustment; conversely, if it is attempted toenhance the accuracy in fuel and flame adjustment, the mechanism of necessity requires a complicated construction and is consequently expensive to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there. is provided a lighter, which comprises an outer adjuster adapted to regulate the fuel valve in two stages, said outer adjuster being removably supported in the body proper of the lighter by a resilient member. The lighter of the present invention preferably comprises an actuating member for adjusting the fuel valve; an inner adjuster provided at one end of said actuating member and having a series of serrations on its outer" periphery; and an outer adjuster removably supported in the body proper of the lighter by a resilient member, so as to be easily removed from the lighter itself. Thus, fuel and flame adjustment can be achieved with ease and accurately.

The resilient member may be of any suitable resilient material. Typical materials are rubber, certain plastics and metallic or plastic springs. The actuating member, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is threaded in fuel-tight condition to a section of the fuel tank of the lighter. The inner adjuster is provided on the lower end of the actuating member. The outer adjuster is removably and adjustably threaded on the inner adjuster. The outer adjuster is retained in the fuel tank by an outer casing (or bottom plate). The outer adjuster has a projection thereon'w hich is caused to rotate through a given angle within a recess provided along the circumference of an aperture provided onthe outer casing (or bottom plate).

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a lighter, wherein a coarse adjustment of the fuel valve is effected with ease by re-setting the outer adjuster supported in the body proper of the lighter.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a lighter, wherein the fuel valve is adjusted rapidly and easily to its optimum operating condition, independently of variations in ambient temperature or of changes in other external conditions. For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, cross-sectional view of a lighter of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a variant of the resilient member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a rear view or inner face of the outer adjuster of the lighter shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the lighter shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a graphic example of valve adjustment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, cross-sectional view of the body proper of a gas-fuelled lighter, showing the interior construction thereof. Shown at 1 is an actuating member for adjusting the fuel valve '(not shown). The actuating member 1 is composed of: a male thread member4 on which is threaded a corresponding female thread member 3-provided on a section of a fuel tank 2; a recess 6, in which there is fitted an O-ring 5; and an inner adjuster 7 provided in the lower portion of said actuating member 1. A cylindrical member 8 projects upwardly from the bottom of fuel tank 2, inaconventional and known manner. The cylindrical member 8 contains the female thread member 3 in the upper portion thereof, as illustrated. The O- ring 5 is fitted in the recess 6 provided below the female thread member 3, so as to provide the necessary fuelseal between the O-ring and the inner wall 9 of cylindrical member 8.

The inner adjuster 7 has its outer periphery provided with a series of serrations 10.

An annular groove is provided aroundthe' outer periphery of the outer adjuster, in which annular groove there is fitted a resilient member,.such that the outer adjuster may be removably supported within the body of the lighter. The outer and inner adjusters are engaging each other by means of their respective serrated portions which intermesh with one another, An increase in the number of serrations will enhance the accuracy in fuel and flame adjustment.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a lighter which is both low inmanufacturing cost and has improved accuracy in fuel and flame adjustment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lighter, wherein a two-stage fuel adjusting mechanism is adopted for enhancing such accuracy in fuel adjust ment.

A further object of the present in'vention'is'to provide a lighter, wherein a fine adjustment of the fuel valve is quantitatively learned without trial and error.

,Shown at 11 is an outer adjuster, which is composed of an outer portion 12, an annular groove 13 and a cylindrical'portion 14. The outer portion 12 is substantially a short cylindrical member and has a diametrically extending groove 15 provided on the outer bottom face thereof and a projection 16 provided on the outer periphery of said face. The cylindrical portion 14 has an inner wall serving as an adjuster 17 and corresponding to the inner adjuster 7 of the actuating member 1, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. The adjuster portion 17 is also provided with a series of serrations which are in meshing relationship with the serrations 10 of inner adjuster 7.

Generally speaking, an increase in the number of serrations results in greater accuracy in the valve and flame adjustment by the actuating member. This is because angle A of each serration (see FIG. 3) becomes smaller with each increase in the number of serrations ,and, hence, the displacement of the actuating member I l is diminished proportionally thereto. The displacement of the actuating member 1 is dependent upon the size of the thread pitch of thread members 3 and 4 as well.

FIG. 5 is a diagram representing graphically the relationship among the rotational angle of the actuating member 1, the size of the thread pitch in the members 3 and 4, and the length of the flame.

Table 1 shows the relationship between the number of serrations and the variation in the flame length per tooth.

lower shect=White 48x11 (No hole) Turning to the drawings, an outer casing is removably provided outside the fuel tank 2. The shape of the outer casing 20, as shown in FIG. 1, is only illustrative of the invention but not limitative thereto. Asan alternative, the outer casing 20 may be a flat bottom plate, as already mentioned hereabove.

The outer casing 20, as best seen in FIG. 4, is provided with an aperture 21 slightly larger in diameter than the outer diameter of the outer portion 12 of the outer adjuster 11.

A resilient member 25, such as rubber, is provided adjacent to the aperture 21 of the outer casing 20 and integral with the body proper of the lighter. The outer adjuster l1 and the actuating member 1 are rotated together by means of, for example, a screwdriver or other tool, with member being resiliently urged against the wall of annular groover 13 of the outer adjuster 11. Thus, the actuating member 1 is displaced by a given distance, thereby adjusting the fuel valve (not shown). Through the rotation of the outer adjuster 11, the projection 16 is caused to rotate through a given angle B along the circumferential recess 22. Thus, a fine adjustment in the length of the flame is properly achieved.

If the rotation of the projection 16 through a given angle is not deemed sufficiently effective to adjust the length of the flame to the desired optimum condition, the outer adjuster 11 is removed from the body of the lighter (with, for example, the use of pincers) and then re-set in the body at a different angle with respect to the inner adjuster 10. The removal and re-setting of the outer adjuster 11 are effected with ease, since the outer adjuster 11 is resiliently retained in the body proper by the resilient member 25. Even if the outer adjuster I1 is reset in the body of the lighter at a different angle with respect to the inner adjuster 10, the range of displacement of the projection along the recess 22 remains nevertheless unchanged. However, since the actuating member 1 has been displaced by a given dis- 4 tance in the preceding operation when the outer adjuster 11 is re-set in the body of the lighter, the fuel valve will be adjusted to the optimum condition.

EXAMPLE OF FUEL ADJUSTMENT Maximum rotation angle B of the outer adjuster: 120

Screw thread: M3.5 X 0.35

Number of serrations: 2O Displacement of the actuating member in the longitudinal direction thereof: approximately 0.12mm

Adjustable length of flame:

Maximum (position: High): approx. mm

Minimum (position: Low): Omm

Medium: approx. 30mm Ambient temperature at use: 20- 25C Steam pressure of butane gas: 2.1 kg/cm to 2.5

kg/cm Moltbrain used: upper sheet: Black 4QX It (1 hole) (2 sheets each) lower sheet: White 48X 1t (no hole) If the outer adjuster 11 is re-set in the body of the lighter with an angle of 18 (corresponding to a single serration displacement with respect to the serrations of the inner adjuster 10) the maximum flame length is adjusted to approximately 20mm (for position H).

In FIG. 2 there is shown a modification or variant of the resilient member shown in FIG. 1. The resilient member is formed of a coiled spring 30, rigidly secured and held by the outer casing 20, with the outer adjuster ll removably fitted in the central opening 32 of the spring 30.

Changes and modifications can be made in the above described apparatus without, however, departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, so that, it is understood that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the invention and not limiting thereon.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gas-fuelled lighter having a fuel valve actuating member, an outer fuel-adjuster adapted to effect a two-stage fuel adjustment, said outer adjuster being removably supported in the body of the lighter in a first position by means of a resilient member and further including means for permitting said outer fuel-adjuster to be axially removed from and axially reset in the body of the lighter in a different position without changing the position of the fuel actuating member and said outer fuel-adjuster to thereby provide a range of flame lengths that is different from the range of flame lengths at the first position.

2. A gas-fuelled lighter having a body and a fuel valve including a fuel valve actuating member therein, said lighter comprising: an outer casing connected to said body; an actuating member for adjusting said fuel valve; an inner adjuster positioned at one end of said actuating member; an outer fuel-adjuster supported in said body in a first position by said outer casing; and a resilient member for removably supporting said outer adjuster in one of a purality of second positions in said body, so as to allow ready removal from and resetting in said body of said outer fuel-adjuster to thereby vary the range of flame lengths without changing the position of the fuel valve actuating member and said outer fuel adjuster.

3. A lighter as defined in claim 2, wherein said outer adjuster and said inner adjuster are each provided with a plurality of serrations, said serrations being in meshing relationship with each other.

4. A lighter as defined in claim 2, wherein said resilient member is selected from rubber and material equivalent thereto.

5. A lighter as defined in claim 2, wherein said resilient member is a coiled spring.

6. A gas-fuelled lighter including a body having a fuel tank and a fuel valve therein, said lighter comprising: a fuel valve-adjusting member sealably threaded to said fuel tank; an inner adjuster positioned at one end of said valve-adjusting member; an outer adjuster removably and adjustably mounted on said inner adjuster in a first angular position and having a peripherical projection thereon; an outer casing for retaining said outer adjuster within said fuel tank and having an aperture therein; a recess circumferentially of said aperture for receiving said periplierical projection of said outer adjuster, so as to allow said projection to rotate through a given angle therealong; and a resilient member for re movably supporting said outer adjuster within said body of said lighter in said first position and in any one of a plurality of second that are angularly spaced from said first position to thereby vary the range of flame lengths without changing the position of said fuel valveadjusting member and said outer adjuster.

7. A lighter as defined in claim 6, wherein said resilient member is selected from rubber and material equivalent thereto.

8. A lighter as defined in claim 6, wherein said resilient member is a coiled spring.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 1 3922139 DATED November 25, 1975 |NVENTOR(S) I TAKAAKI SUSIE-TA It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Page 1, the inventor's name shouldv read --TAKAA KI SEGAE-=IA- Signed and Scaled this Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Altesting Officer Commissioner nj'larems and Trademarks

Claims

1. In a gas-fuelled lighter having a fuel valve actuating member, an outer fuel-adjuster adapted to effect a two-stage fuel adjustment, said outer adjuster being removably supported in the body of the lighter in a first position by means of a resilient member and further including means for permitting said outer fuel-adjuster to be axially removed from and axially reset in the body of the lighter in a different position without changing the position of the fuel actuating member and said outer fueladjuster to thereby provide a range of flame lengths that is different from the range of flame lengths at the first position.

6. A gas-fuelled lighter including a body having a fuel tank and a fuel valve therein, said lighter comprising: a fuel valve-adjusting member sealably threaded to said fuel tank; an inner adjuster positioned at one end of said valve-adjusting member; an outer adjuster removably and adjustably mounted on said inner adjuster in a first angular position and having a peripherical projection thereon; an outer casing for retaining said outer adjuster within said fuel tank and having an aperture therein; a recess circumferentially of said aperture for receiving said peripherical projection of said outer adjuster, so as to allow said projection to rotate through a given angle therealong; and a resilient member for removably supporting said outer adjuster within said body of said lighter in said first position and in any one of a plurality of second that are angularly spaced from said first position to thereby vary the range of flame lengths without changing the position of said fuel valve-adjusting member and said outer adjuster.