WO1996028695A1

WO1996028695A1 - Case for lighter and fabrication process

Info

Publication number: WO1996028695A1
Application number: PCT/ES1995/000134
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rafael Angel Fernandez Garcia; Caroline Anne Cunningham
Original assignee: Rafael Angel Fernandez Garcia; Caroline Anne Cunningham
Priority date: 1995-03-10
Filing date: 1995-11-22
Publication date: 1996-09-19
Also published as: ES2088830B1; ES2088830A1

Abstract

Basically, the case has a lower body (1) comprised of an external casing (3) of transparent material and an internal casing (4), wherein is introduced the lighter (5), both casings forming between each other a narrow annular or perimetric space wherein is housed an intermediate sheet (8) with advertising patterns to be seen with total clarity from the outside. There is also provided an upper cap (2) which is hinged to the external casing (3).

Description

COVER FOR LIGHTER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, as expressed in the statement of this specification, refers to a lighter cover and method for its manufacture, which is mainly intended to show advertising motifs printed on a sheet that fits and fits advantageously In the case itself. The outer part of it will be made of a transparent material to allow, with total clarity, the vision of the aforementioned advertising motifs printed on the corresponding sheet.

Such advertising motives are capable of representing any type of information, such as messages, photographs, logos, different designs, drawings; and in general all kinds of reproductions likely to be printed on these sheets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At present, numerous lighter sleeves are known, which in general are determined by a hollow lower body to which an upper lid is attached. Naturally, the corresponding lighter is fitted and fitted inside that lower body, so that in order to act on it it is necessary to lower or remove the lid.

Some of these cases incorporate, mainly in the lower body, different drawings printed on the external faces. Normally, such drawings have been printed directly on the covers. In other cases, they are glued sheets.

On the other hand, other covers for lighters of transparent material are known, in which there is the possibility of introducing inside plates with advertising motifs, which can be glued as stickers on the inner faces of the lower body. The known covers involve a series of problems related to the complexity of their manufacture, with their unattractive aspects as well as with the ease with which the sheets with advertising motifs are damaged under the influence of external contamination, for example by dirt of the user's fingers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the problems and inconveniences mentioned in the previous section, the lighter cover and method for its manufacture that constitutes the object of the invention, provides important advantages in relation to other conventional covers. of the invention includes a lower body where a lighter is housed, said lower body comprising an outer shell of transparent material that includes means for housing a lighter, as well as means for housing a sheet of advertising motifs in a position between said lighter and The outer shell. The cover of the invention is determined in principle and in general, from a lower body to which a top cover is capable of being coupled or not.

An important aspect of the invention corresponds to the structure of the lower body comprising two independent elements: an outer shell of transparent material and an inner shell in which the corresponding lighter is fitted tightly. On the other hand, the inner casing has an essentially tubular shape, determining an empty space, whose section corresponds to that of the type of lighter that it is desired to position in the sheath. On the other hand, the inner carcass is capable of including a bottom, at the same time as it fits into the outer carcass, determining between them a narrow annular or peri etral space where an intermediate sheet with motifs will advantageously be housed advertising that will look perfectly from the outside thanks to the transparency of the aforementioned outer casing. The union of the two housings, once the sheet has been placed with advertising motifs between the two, said union can be carried out in different ways, such as by pressure, interlocks, bonding, heat welding and / or ultrasonic treatment.

In this way, once the two component housings of the lower body of the lighter case have been joined, then it is no longer possible to remove the intermediate sheet, whereby the advertising thereof cannot be eliminated. Advantageously, said space can be hermetically sealed, so that the sheet cannot be degraded by contamination from the outside. It is important to note that the manufacture of the two housings and their assembly, together with the intermediate sheet, is a very simple, simple and economically cheap process.

An alternative embodiment of the invention proposes that the lighter cover, which is made of a transparent plastic material, while having relevant characteristics compared to conventional covers, especially by incorporating advantageous and novel positioning means of sheets with advertising motifs, the same being perfectly retained and subject, while their interchangeability is extremely easy. In addition, when the lighter is removed from the inside of the case, these sheets do not go out. Thus, the lighter sheath of the alternative embodiment is determined from a hollow lower body and an upper cover that is articulated to the mouth of the lower body, into which the corresponding lighter is inserted and fitted. Sliding Positioning Means for the advertising sheets they are determined by guides established on the inner faces of the side walls of the lower body, the corresponding sheets being fitted in said guides, whose advertising motifs will be visible perfectly from the outside, since the cover is transparent, just as We have mentioned before. These means can also be determined by narrow grooves made in the side walls of the lower body of the case, the sheets with advertising motifs being introduced into said grooves.

On the other hand, the sliding positioning means for the sheets with advertising motifs can also be incorporated by the upper cover of the lighter cover. On the other hand, the lid closes perfectly when it has a hitch, constituted in general, by a projection that fits into a complementary groove in the lower body.

In order to facilitate a better understanding of this descriptive report and forming an integral part thereof, a series of figures are attached in which the object of the invention has been shown as an illustrative and non-limiting nature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1.- It is an exploded perspective view of the lighter cover, object of the invention. It basically comprises an upper cover that is articulably coupled to a lower body determined by two independent parts. Figure 2.- It is a sectional elevation view of the lighter cover.

Figure 3.- It is a sectioned plan view of the lower body belonging to the lighter cover of the invention. Figure 4.- It is a sectioned elevation view. of the lower body of the case.

Figure 5.- It is a sectional elevation view of the cover of the invention.

Figure 6.- It is an exploded view of the lighter cover according to the alternative embodiment; the same comprising, mainly, a lower body and an upper cover.

Figure 7.- It is a sectional elevation view of the lighter cover according to the alternative embodiment.

Figure 8.- It is a sectioned plan view of the lower body belonging to the cover of the invention according to the alternative embodiment.

Figure 9.- It is a sectioned plan view of another lower body belonging to the lighter cover according to the alternative embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the numbering adopted in the figures, the lighter cover and method for its manufacture, is constituted from a lower body 1 and an upper cover 2 that is articulated to the same 1.

The lower body 1 is composed of two independent elements: an outer shell 3 of transparent material and an inner shell 4, inside which a lighter is housed 5. The inner shell 4 essentially has a tubular configuration, fitting it by its lower edge in a recess 6 made in the bottom 7 of the outer shell 3. On the other hand, between the vertical walls of both housings a narrow annular or perimeter space is determined where an intermediate sheet 8 will be housed with advertising or photographic motifs, being the same of paper, plastic material or textile material. The inner shell 4 includes at its upper edge, a perimeter projection 9 of low height and low thickness that fits against the inner face of the outer shell 3, the thickness of said perimeter projection 9 being of equal thickness or slightly greater than the thickness of the intermediate sheet 8.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, the internal housing 4 is capable of having a second lower perimeter shoulder 10 at its bottom edge, also adjusting it against the inner face of the external housing 3. In this case , the bottom 7 of the external housing 3 will lack the corresponding recess 6 because it is not necessary; in such a way that the intermediate sheet 8 will be attached against the outer perimeter surface of the inner shell 4, at the same time that the horizontal edges of said intermediate sheet 8 will be adjacent to both perimeter projections 9 and 10 integral to the inner shell 4. In instead of the projections 9 and 10, in the internal housing 4, it could be the external housing 3 that included such projections; in this case the projections would be found on the inner wall of the external housing 3, to fit against the internal housing 4. It is also possible to provide the two housings with projections.

The upper cover 2 has a rear extension 11 that is inserted into a complementary recess 12 belonging to the outer housing 3, this and said rear extension 11 having opposite cylindrical holes where a pin 13 is housed, around which articulates or ablates the upper cover 2 when using the lighter 5. In addition, the upper cover 2 has a small front projection 14 which, when closed, fits into a complementary recess 15 established in a leading shoulder 16 integral of the mouth of the outer shell 3. In figure 5, a cover for lighter where the elements of the articulation mechanism of the cover 2 and of the external housing 3 have been interchanged, that is to say that the rear extension 11 'is integral with the external housing 3, while the complementary recess 12' where it is inserted 11 "is in the upper cover 2. In this case also the cover 2 will articulate around the pin 13".

The assembly process of the set of components of the lighter cover will be carried out as follows. First, the intermediate sheet 8, stuck or not glued, will be attached against the outside face of the inner shell 4, said sheet being established between the perimeter projections 9 and 10 of said inner shell 4. When this includes only the protrusion upper 9, then the sheet is located below it. Next, the inner shell 4 will be inserted together with the intermediate sheet 8 into the outer shell 3, so that the upper shoulder 9 of the inner shell 4 will be adjusted against the inner face of the outer shell 4; leaving the sheet 8 isolated from the outside. In order to achieve a total hermetic isolation of the same, in the corresponding area of said upper protrusion 9, an ultrasonic welding or simply a heat-welding will be carried out; The joint can also be made using an adhesive, such as glue.

Finally, the upper cover 2 will be mounted by means of the respective pin 13.

According to the alternative embodiment, the lighter sheath is of a transparent material and is constituted from a hollow lower body 1 to which an upper lid 2 is articulately coupled; this having a rear projection 11 provided with a hole 23 in a cylindrical shape and open at its bottom to facilitate its connection in a transverse pin 13 established in an opening 12 of the lower body 1, fitting in said opening 12, the rear projection 11 of the upper cover 2. The transverse pin 13 is inserted into a hole 17 of the lower body 1. In this way, the upper cover 2 will fold around said transverse pin 13 when it opens and closes it.

The corresponding lighter 5 is inserted into the lower body 1, which fits perfectly when it is fitted between two arched and facing surfaces 18 established on the inner face of the side walls of the lower body 1.

On the other hand, the upper cover 2 has in the opposite part to its articulated hook, with a protrusion 14 emerging from the inside of its corresponding lateral wall, said projection 14 fitting when closing the upper cover 2, in a complementary groove 15 established in a anterior projection 19 integral with the edge of the mouth of the lower body 1.

The lighter cover according to the alternative embodiment incorporates advantageous means of positioning by sliding one or more intermediate sheets 8 with advertising motifs.

As shown in Figure 6, these positioning means consist of guides 20 established on the inner faces of the side walls of that lower body 1. In this case, the support surface, on which the sheets rest 8, has slight extreme curvatures to better ensure the fixation of said sheets 8.

The positioning means may also consist of one or more arcuate grooves 21 made in the side walls of the lower body 1 (Figure 8).

Figure 9 shows another means for positioning the sheets 8 for advertising purposes, such means consisting of a single perimeter groove 22 made in the side walls of the lower body 1. - Yes - The different positioning means of the sheets 8 with advertising motifs can also be incorporated in the upper cover 2 if necessary. In this case, the anagram representative of the advertising motif will preferably be composed of two complementary parts, one fitted in the lower body 1 and the other in the upper cover.

These positioning means allow the advertising sheets 8 to be exchanged for new ones, as many times as desired, resulting in this extremely easy and quick task.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1.-LIGHT COVER, which includes a lower body (1), characterized in that said lower body (1) comprises an outer shell (3) of transparent material that includes means for housing a lighter, as well as means for housing an intermediate sheet (8) with advertising motifs in a position between said lighter and the external housing.

2. LIGHT COVER, according to claim 1, which includes a lower body (1) where a lighter (5) is housed; characterized in that said lower body (1) comprises an outer shell (3) of transparent material and an inner shell (4), inside which the lighter (5) is housed, the inner shell (4) having an essentially tubular configuration, determining between the vertical walls of both housings (3 and 4) a narrow annular or perimeter space where an intermediate sheet (8) with advertising motifs will be housed.

3.- IGNITION COVER, according to claim 2, characterized in that the internal housing (4) joins the external housing (3) by its upper edge.

4.- LIGHTER COVER, according to claim 3, characterized in that the union between the upper edge of the inner shell (4) and the outer shell (3) determines a tight seal of the narrow annular or perimeter space at the upper end of the lower body

(one).

5. LIGHT COVER, according to claim 4, characterized in that also the lower end of the narrow annular space has a tight seal with respect to the outside.

6. LIGHT COVER, according to any of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the internal housing (4) fits by its bottom edge in a recess (6) established at the bottom (7) of the outer shell (3), while the upper edge is provided with a perimeter projection (9) of low height and low thickness that fits against the inner face of the outer shell (3).

7.- IGNITION COVER, according to claim 6, characterized in that the perimeter projection (9) is fixedly connected with the external housing (3).

8. LIGHT COVER, according to any of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that at the edges, upper and lower, of the internal housing (4) there are perimeter projections (9 and 10) of low height and low thickness that are fit against the inner face of the outer shell (3).

9. LIGHT COVER, according to claim 8, characterized in that the perimeter projection (9) of the upper edge of the internal housing (4) is fixedly connected to the external housing (3).

10. LIGHT COVER, according to any of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that on the upper edge of the inner shell (4) there is a perimeter shoulder (9) of low height and low thickness that fits against the inner face of the outer shell (3).

11. LIGHT COVER, according to claim 10, characterized in that the perimeter projection (9) of the upper edge of the internal housing (4) is fixedly connected to the external housing (3).

12. LIGHT COVER, according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that at the upper edge of the outer shell (3) there is a perimeter shoulder of low height and low thickness on its inner face, said protrusion being adjusted against the face exterior of the internal housing (4).

13.- LIGHT COVER, according to claim 12, characterized in that the perimeter projection is It is fixedly connected to the internal housing (4).

14. LIGHT COVER, according to any of claims 2-13, characterized in that the internal housing (4) has a bottom.

15. LIGHT COVER, according to any of claims 2-14, characterized in that the incorporation of an upper cover (2) articulated coupled to the lower body (1) is provided.

16. LIGHT COVER, according to any of claims 2-15, characterized in that the upper cover (2) is coupled to the external housing (3) belonging to the lower body (1) of the cover.

17. LIGHT COVER, according to claim 1, comprising a hollow lower body (1), into which the lighter (5) is inserted, being able to include an upper cover (2) that will be attached to the lower body mouth (1) by means of an articulated hitch; characterized in that it incorporates sliding positioning means of one or more intermediate sheets (8) with advertising motifs.

18. LIGHT COVER, according to claim 17, characterized in that the positioning means will preferably be arranged in the lower body (1) of the sheath, such means consisting of guides (20) established on the inner faces of the lateral walls of that lower body (1).

19. LIGHT COVER, according to any of claims 17 and 18, characterized in that the means for positioning the intermediate sheets (8) consist of one or several narrow grooves (21) made in the side walls of the lower body ( one).

20.- COVER FOR LIGHTER, according to claims 17 and 18, characterized in that the positioning means of the intermediate sheets (8), consist of a perimeter groove (22) made in the side walls of the lower body (1).

21. LIGHT COVER, according to any of claims 17-20, characterized in that the means of positioning by sliding of the sheets, are also likely to be included in the side walls of the top cover (2), the motives may be publici ¬ tariffs of the cover sheets (2) complementary to the advertising motifs of the intermediate sheets (8) of the lower body (1).

22. LIGHT COVER, according to any of claims 17-21, characterized in that the upper cover (2) has in the opposite part to its articulated hitch, with a protrusion (14) emerging from its corresponding side wall, said projection fitting (14) when closing the upper cover (2) in a complementary groove (15) established in a projection (19) integral with the edge of the mouth of the lower body (1).

23. LIGHT COVER, according to any of claims 17-22, characterized in that the lower body (1) incorporates inside its side walls, two arched and facing surfaces (18), in which the lighter is adjusted in addition (5), said surfaces corresponding to the area of the hook of the cover (2) and the area where the projection (12) integral with the edge of the mouth of the lower body (1) is located.

24.- METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A COVER FOR LIGHTER, which includes a lower body (1), characterized in that: - an internal housing (4) is inserted in an external housing (3), leaving an advertising intermediate sheet (8) located between both housings (3, 4);

- the two housings (3, 4) are joined by their upper and lower edges by means of a joining method.

25.- METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A COVER - 14 -

FOR LIGHTER, according to claim 24, characterized in that the joining method is carried out by means of an adhesive.

26.- METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A COVER

FOR LIGHTER, according to claim 24, characterized in that the joining method is performed by ultrasound.

27.- METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A COVER

FOR LIGHTER, according to claim 24 characterized in that the joining method is carried out by heat welding.

28.- METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A COVER FOR LIGHTER, according to claims 24 to 27, characterized in that in the process of mounting the sheath, the intermediate sheet (8) is attached on the outer face of the internal housing (4 ) below a perimeter shoulder (9) of the upper edge of the aforementioned internal housing (4); then introducing it together with the intermediate sheet (8), into the outer casing (3), so that once the assembly is done, both housings (3 and 4) will be joined by heat welding, ultrasound or an adhesive in the upper part of the housings (3 and 4), just in the area of the perimeter shoulder (9) of the upper edge of the internal housing (4).