阅读说明：本技术 防护儿童点火装置 (Ignition device capable of protecting children ) 是由 布莱恩·J·巴伯 肖恩·M·帕内克 于 2019-08-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：打火机具有布置在打火机壳体上的安全按钮和点火触发器,使得将安全按钮移动到激活位置所需的致动力和将点火触发器在点火方向上移动所需的点火力彼此相反定向。安全按钮布置在壳体上,用于通过使用者的手的虎口接触,并且触发器设置在壳体上,用于通过手的手指接触。因此,在使用期间隐藏了安全按钮的操作,并且仅用一只手就可操作打火机。(The lighter has a safety button and an ignition trigger disposed on the lighter housing such that an actuation force required to move the safety button to an activated position and an ignition force required to move the ignition trigger in an ignition direction are oriented opposite one another. A safety button is disposed on the housing for contact by a tiger of a hand of a user, and a trigger is disposed on the housing for contact by a finger of the hand. Thus, the operation of the safety button is hidden during use, and the lighter can be operated with only one hand.)

1. A lighter comprising:

a housing sized to be grasped in a hand of a user;

a fuel container for containing lighter fuel;

a burner in communication with the fuel container;

a fuel ignition system having a safety configuration in which the fuel ignition system is inoperable to release and ignite lighter fuel from the fuel container and an ignition configuration in which the fuel ignition system is operable to release and ignite lighter fuel from the fuel container, wherein the fuel ignition system is biased to normally assume the safety configuration, and wherein the fuel ignition system comprises an ignition trigger mounted on the housing for movement in an ignition direction relative to the housing to operate the fuel ignition system when the fuel ignition system is in the ignition configuration; and

a safety button mounted on the housing for movement to an activated position relative to the housing to selectively reconfigure the fuel ignition system from the safe configuration to the ignition configuration;

wherein the safety button and the ignition trigger are arranged on the housing such that an actuation force required to move the safety button to the activated position and an ignition force required to move the ignition trigger in an ignition direction are oriented opposite to each other.

2. The lighter of claim 1, wherein the safety button is disposed on the housing for contact by a tiger of a hand, and the trigger is disposed on the housing for contact by a finger of the hand.

3. The lighter of claim 1, wherein the fuel ignition system includes a displaceable stop member, the stop member being disposed in a locked position to prevent movement of the ignition trigger in the ignition direction and thereby render the fuel ignition system inoperable when the fuel ignition system is in the safe configuration, and the stop member being disposed in a stop release position to allow movement of the ignition trigger in the ignition direction to operate the fuel ignition system when the fuel ignition system is in the ignition configuration.

4. The lighter of claim 3, wherein the detent member is coupled with the safety button such that movement of the safety button to the activated position displaces the detent member to the detent release position.

5. The lighter of claim 4, wherein the stop member and the safety button are rotatably mounted to the housing to pivot relative to the housing about a single pivot axis.

6. The lighter of claim 5, wherein the safety button and the stop member extend radially outward from the single pivot axis, and wherein the safety button and the stop member are angularly spaced from each other about the single pivot axis by a spacing angle.

7. The lighter of claim 6, wherein the angular separation is about 90 degrees.

8. The lighter of claim 4, wherein the stop member and the safety button are integrally formed with each other as a one-piece molded component.

9. The lighter of claim 3, wherein the fuel ignition system is biased to normally assume the safety configuration by a safety spring, the safety spring being arranged to urge the stop member toward the locked position.

10. The lighter of claim 3, further comprising a trigger reset spring arranged to oppose the ignition force.

11. The lighter of claim 3, wherein the burner communicates with the fuel container through a fuel valve having a valve stem, and the ignition trigger includes an extension arm for actuating the valve stem to open the fuel valve when the ignition trigger is moved in the ignition direction.

12. The lighter of claim 11, wherein the stop member is disposed adjacent to an end of the extension arm when the fuel ignition system is in the safe configuration to prevent movement of the ignition trigger in the ignition direction.

13. The lighter of claim 3, wherein the fuel ignition system comprises a piezoelectric igniter compressible to generate a spark to ignite the lighter fuel from the fuel container.

14. The lighter of claim 13, wherein movement of the ignition trigger in the ignition direction compresses the piezoelectric igniter to generate the spark.

15. The lighter of claim 1, wherein the fuel ignition system includes a piezoelectric igniter compressible to generate a spark to ignite the lighter fuel from the fuel container, the ignition trigger is in operative engagement with the first end of the piezoelectric igniter, and the piezoelectric igniter travels with the ignition trigger uncompressed when the ignition trigger is moved in the ignition direction while the fuel ignition system is in the safe configuration.

16. The lighter of claim 15, wherein the safety button includes an abutment surface for engaging the second end of the piezoelectric igniter when the safety button is in the activated position, and the piezoelectric igniter is compressed between the ignition trigger and the abutment surface of the safety button to generate a spark when the ignition trigger is moved in the ignition direction while the fuel ignition system is in the ignition configuration.

17. The lighter of claim 16, wherein the safety button is mounted on the housing to be linearly movable to the activated position.

18. The lighter of claim 16, wherein the safety button is mounted on the housing to pivot to the activated position.

19. The lighter of claim 16, wherein the fuel ignition system is biased to normally assume the safety configuration by a safety spring, the safety spring being arranged to urge the safety button away from the activated position.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a child-resistant ignition device for a hand-held lighter.

Background

As used herein, the term "lighter" broadly refers to a manually operable device for igniting fuel to produce a flame, including, but not limited to pocket lighters, utility lighters, torches, and the like.

It is known to provide lighters with a mechanism that resists undesired operation of the lighter by young children. These mechanisms may include a safety switch that shuts off the fuel source or prevents the operating trigger from moving on the lighter. The safety switch may be depressed or slid by the user to release the operating trigger for movement to operate the lighter, and is typically spring biased to automatically return to the safety position when the user removes finger pressure from the safety switch.

In another type of safety mechanism, the piezoelectric igniter is typically located out of operative engagement with an operating trigger of the lighter, and a user may operate a safety switch to reposition the piezoelectric igniter into operative engagement with the trigger such that operation of the trigger will cause ignition. The safety switch and/or the piezoelectric igniter may be spring biased such that upon removal of finger pressure from the safety switch by a user, the igniter automatically returns to its original position out of operative engagement with the trigger.

A disadvantage of the mechanism known to the applicant is that the operation of the safety switch prior to activation of the operating trigger is a relatively distinct action which is easily observable by curious children. In some cases, the user must use two different fingers, one finger actuating the safety switch and the other finger operating the ignition trigger, which makes it difficult to conceal the way the lighter operates. Thus, in some households, the child-resistant nature of known lighters can last only for a short period of time, as careful children sharing his or her knowledge with siblings and associates may readily understand the operating technique.

There is a need for a child-resistant ignition device that has a manner of operation that is not easily understood by an observer, particularly a child, and not easily discovered by a child testing the lighter.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure provides a lighter with a child resistant ignition device having a safety button that is hidden from curious observers during use.

Lighters typically include a housing sized to be grasped in a user's hand; a fuel container for containing lighter fuel; a burner in communication with the fuel container; and a fuel ignition system. The fuel ignition system has a safety configuration wherein the fuel ignition system is inoperable to release and ignite the lighter fuel from the fuel container; and an ignition configuration, wherein the fuel ignition system is operable to release and ignite the lighter fuel from the fuel container. The fuel ignition system is biased to generally assume a safe configuration and includes an ignition trigger mounted on the housing for movement relative to the housing in an ignition direction to operate the fuel ignition system when the fuel ignition system is in an ignition configuration. The fuel ignition system may include a piezoelectric igniter compressible to generate a spark to ignite the lighter fuel from the fuel container, wherein movement of the ignition trigger in an ignition direction compresses the piezoelectric igniter and opens the fuel valve to ignite the released fuel when the fuel ignition system is in an ignition configuration.

In addition, the lighter includes the aforementioned safety button mounted on the housing for movement to an activated position relative to the housing to selectively reconfigure the fuel ignition system from the safe configuration to the ignition configuration. The safety button and the ignition trigger are arranged on the housing such that an activation force required to move the safety button into the activated position and an ignition force required to move the ignition trigger in the ignition direction are oriented opposite to each other. The safety button may be disposed on the housing for contact by a tiger of a hand of a user, and the trigger is disposed on the housing for contact by a finger of the hand. Thus, the operation of the safety button is hidden during use, and the lighter can be operated with only one hand.

In a first embodiment, the fuel ignition system comprises a displaceable stop member arranged in a locking position to prevent movement of the ignition trigger in the ignition direction when the fuel ignition system is in the safety configuration. The stop member is coupled with the safety button such that movement of the safety button to its activated position displaces the stop member from its locked position to a stop release position to allow movement of the ignition trigger in an ignition direction.

In a second embodiment, the ignition trigger is in operative engagement with the first end of the piezoelectric igniter, and the piezoelectric igniter travels with the ignition trigger in an uncompressed state when the ignition trigger is moved in the ignition direction while the fuel ignition system is in the safe configuration. The safety button includes an abutment surface for engaging the second end of the piezoelectric igniter when the safety button is moved to its activated position such that the piezoelectric igniter is compressed between the ignition trigger and the abutment surface of the safety button to generate a spark when the ignition trigger is moved in an ignition direction while the fuel ignition system is in an ignition configuration. The safety button may be linearly or rotatably moved to the activated position.

Drawings

The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter in the detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a lighter formed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention in a user's hand;

fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lighter shown in fig. 1, wherein the fuel ignition system of the lighter is in its safe configuration;

fig. 3A is a view similar to fig. 2, wherein the fuel ignition system is in its ignition configuration prior to a user actuating the ignition trigger of the lighter;

fig. 3B is a view similar to fig. 3A, wherein the ignition trigger of the lighter has been actuated by the user;

fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a lighter formed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the fuel ignition system of the lighter is in its safe configuration;

fig. 5A is a view similar to fig. 4, wherein the fuel ignition system is in its ignition configuration prior to a user actuating the ignition trigger of the lighter;

fig. 5B is a view similar to fig. 5A, wherein the ignition trigger of the lighter has been actuated by the user;

fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a variation of the lighter shown in fig. 4, wherein the fuel ignition system of the lighter is in its safe configuration; and

fig. 7A is a view similar to fig. 6, wherein the fuel ignition system is in its ignition configuration prior to a user actuating the ignition trigger of the lighter; and

fig. 7B is a view similar to fig. 7A, wherein the ignition trigger of the lighter has been actuated by the user.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a lighter 10 formed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, lighter 10 includes a housing 12, with housing 12 being sized to be grasped in a user's hand. The lighter 10 also includes an ignition trigger 14 and a safety button 16, each of the ignition trigger 14 and the safety button 16 being mounted on the housing 12 for movement relative thereto, as will be described below. The ignition trigger 14 and safety button 16 are disposed on the housing 12 such that when the housing is desirably grasped in the hand of a user, the safety button 16 is contacted by the web of the hand of the user (i.e., the bifurcation between the thumb and forefinger) and the ignition trigger 14 is contacted by the fingers of the hand of the user, such as the forefinger as shown in fig. 1.

Referring now to fig. 2, the internal structure of lighter 10 is shown within housing 12. The lighter 10 includes a fuel container 18 for holding lighter fuel, and a burner 20, the burner 20 being in communication with the fuel container 18 through a fuel valve 22, a fuel conduit 24, and a burner tube 26.

The lighter 10 also includes a fuel ignition system, generally identified by reference numeral 30. The fuel ignition system 30 has the safety configuration shown in fig. 2, wherein the fuel ignition system 30 is inoperable to release and ignite lighter fuel from the fuel container 18. The fuel ignition system 30 also has an ignition configuration shown in fig. 3A, wherein the fuel ignition system 30 is operable to release and ignite lighter fuel from the fuel container 18. For example, the fuel ignition system 30 may include a piezoelectric igniter 32, which piezoelectric igniter 32 may compress to generate a spark to ignite lighter fuel released from the fuel container 18 upon opening the fuel valve 22. When the fuel ignition system 30 is in its ignition configuration, as shown in fig. 3B, movement of the ignition trigger 14 in the ignition direction (e.g., left to right in fig. 3B) compresses the piezoelectric igniter 32 and actuates the fuel valve stem 23 to open the fuel valve 22, thereby generating a spark to ignite the fuel released from the fuel container 18. The trigger reset spring 15 may be arranged to act between the housing 12 and the trigger 14 to urge the trigger 14 in a reset direction opposite to the ignition direction.

The fuel ignition system 30 may include a displaceable stop member 34. When the fuel ignition system 30 is in its safe configuration shown in fig. 2, the stop member 34 is disposed in the locked position to prevent movement of the ignition trigger 14 in the ignition direction and thereby render the fuel ignition system 30 inoperable. For example, the ignition trigger 14 may include an extension arm 14A for actuating the fuel valve stem 23 to open the fuel valve 22 when the ignition trigger is moved in the ignition direction, and the stop member 34 may be disposed adjacent the distal end 14B of the extension arm 14A when the fuel ignition system 30 is in its safe configuration to prevent movement of the ignition trigger 14 in the ignition direction.

The stop member 34 may be coupled directly or indirectly with the safety button 16 such that movement of the safety button by a user causes the stop member to be displaced. As shown in fig. 2, 3A and 3B, the stop member 34 and the safety button 16 may be rotatably mounted to the housing 12 to pivot relative to the housing about a single pivot axis 38. In the illustrated embodiment, the safety button 16 and the stop member 34 extend radially outward from the pivot axis 38 and are angularly spaced from each other about the pivot axis 38 by a spacing angle 40. The separation angle 40 may be about 90 degrees, as shown in fig. 2, or it may be some other suitable angle. The stop member 34 and the safety button 16 may be integrally formed with one another from plastic as a one-piece molded component having a hub 42 for rotatably mounting to the housing 12. Alternatively, the stop member 34 and the safety button 16 may be formed as separate components and connected to each other by direct attachment or by one or more intermediate components.

The fuel ignition system 30 may be biased to generally adopt the safety configuration shown in fig. 2. Movement of the safety button 16 to the activated position shown in fig. 3A displaces the stop member 34 from its locked position (fig. 2) to a stop release position (fig. 3A) away from the trigger extension arm 14A to allow the ignition trigger 14 to move in the ignition direction. The fuel ignition system 30 may comprise a safety spring 36, the safety spring 36 being arranged to urge the stop member 34 towards the locking position such that the fuel ignition system 30 is biased to normally adopt the safety configuration. The safety spring 36 may be embodied as a coil spring acting between the inner frame 12A in the housing 12 and a rod 34A protruding from the stop member 34. The safety spring 36 may be implemented by other types of springs, such as a torsion spring or a leaf spring, which, in the view of fig. 2, is arranged to urge the stop member 34 in a counterclockwise pivoting direction about the pivot axis 38.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing description, the safety button 16 and the ignition trigger 14 are arranged on the housing 12 such that the actuation force required to move the safety button 16 to the activated position and the ignition force direction required to move the ignition trigger 14 in the ignition direction are oriented opposite one another. Lighter 10 can thus be operated with one hand by pulling the food on ignition trigger 14 toward the tiger's mouth area of the hand in contact with safety button 16. Initially, when opposing forces are first applied by the index finger and the tiger's mouth, the ignition trigger will be prevented from moving in the ignition direction because the distal end 14B of the extension arm 14A abuts the stop member 34. Upon an increase of the opposing forces applied by the index finger and the thumb-grip to a predetermined force level, the safety button 16 will be displaced to its activated position to reconfigure the fuel ignition system 30 from its safe configuration (fig. 2) to its ignition configuration (fig. 3A). Continued application of force by the user will then cause the ignition trigger 14 to move in the ignition direction shown in fig. 3B to release and ignite the fuel as described above.

It will be appreciated that the operation of the safety button 16 is concealed by the hand of the user and that the distance from the outer surface of the safety button 16 to the outer surface of the ignition trigger 14 can be made relatively large to fit an adult hand rather than a child hand. A child observing the operation of lighter 10 by an adult would see that ignition trigger 14 was actuated, but would not see that safety button 16 was actuated. When a child attempts to use lighter 10 by duplicating the observed operating technique, the child may become frustrated because the ignition trigger does not move far enough to cause ignition. Children will not be inclined to the possible two-handed operation of lighter 10 as this will deviate from the observed technique of operation.

Fig. 4-5B illustrate a lighter 50 formed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. Lighter 50 differs from lighter 10 in the safety and ignition configurations of the fuel ignition system. In the lighter 50 of the second embodiment, the ignition trigger is allowed to travel in both the safety and ignition configurations, but compression of the piezoelectric igniter only occurs in the ignition configuration and not in the safety configuration.

Lighter 50 is substantially similar to lighter 10 of the first embodiment in that lighter 50 includes a housing 52, the housing 52 being sized to be grasped in a user's hand; and an ignition trigger 54 and a safety button 56, the ignition trigger 54 and the safety button 56 each being mounted on the housing 52 for movement relative thereto. Ignition trigger 54 and safety button 56 are disposed on housing 52 such that when the housing is desirably grasped in the hand of the user, safety button 56 is contacted by the tiger of the hand of the user and ignition trigger 14 is contacted by a finger of the hand of the user, for example, the index finger shown in fig. 1 with respect to the first embodiment.

The lighter 50 includes a fuel container 58 for holding lighter fuel, and a burner 60, the burner 60 being in communication with the fuel container 58 through a fuel valve 62, a fuel conduit 64, and a burner tube 66. Lighter 50 also includes a fuel ignition system 70.

The fuel ignition system 70 has a safety configuration as shown in fig. 4, wherein the fuel ignition system 70 is not operable to release and ignite lighter fuel from the fuel container 58. The fuel ignition system 70 also has an ignition configuration as shown in fig. 5A, wherein the fuel ignition system 70 is operable to release and ignite the lighter fuel from the fuel container 58. Similar to the fuel ignition system 30 of the first embodiment, the fuel ignition system 70 may include a piezoelectric igniter 72, the piezoelectric igniter 72 being compressible to generate a spark to ignite the lighter fuel released from the fuel container 58 upon opening the fuel valve 62. As shown in fig. 5B, when the fuel ignition system 70 is in its ignition configuration, movement of the ignition trigger 54 in the ignition direction (e.g., left to right in fig. 5B) compresses the piezoelectric igniter 72 and actuates the fuel valve stem 63 to open the fuel valve 62, thereby generating a spark to ignite the fuel released from the fuel container 58.

The ignition trigger 54 is in operative engagement with the first end 72A of the piezoelectric igniter 72 and the piezoelectric igniter travels with the ignition trigger 54 in an uncompressed state when the ignition trigger is moved in the ignition direction while the fuel ignition system is in a safe configuration. The piezoelectric igniter 72 remains uncompressed because the ignition trigger 54 has a limited range of travel in the ignition direction and the second end 72B of the piezoelectric igniter is not held or abutted by the opposing structure within the limited range of travel.

The safety button 56 is movable relative to the housing 52 to an activated position as shown in fig. 5A to selectively reconfigure the fuel ignition system 70 from the safe configuration to the ignition configuration. The safety button 56 includes an abutment surface 56A for engaging a second end 72B of the piezoelectric igniter 72 when the safety button 56 is in the activated position, such that the piezoelectric igniter is compressed between the ignition trigger 54 and the abutment surface 56A of the safety button 56, as shown in fig. 5B, to generate a spark when the ignition trigger 54 is moved in the ignition direction while the fuel ignition system 70 is in the ignition configuration.

The safety button 56 may be mounted on the housing 52 for linear movement to the activated position. The safety button 56 may be biased away from the activated position by one or more springs 74, 76. A spring 74 may be arranged to act between the piezoelectric igniter 72 and the inwardly facing surface of the safety button 56 to urge the upper portion of the safety button 56 outwardly against a restraining surface 78 of the housing 52 and to urge the piezoelectric igniter 72 and the ignition trigger 54 in a reset direction opposite the ignition direction. The spring 76 may be arranged to act between the housing 52 or a structure fixed within the housing 52 (e.g., the fuel reservoir 58) and the inwardly facing surface of the safety button 56 to urge the lower portion of the safety button 56 in an outward direction. It will be appreciated that the action of the springs 74, 76 biases the fuel ignition system 70 to generally adopt the safety configuration shown in fig. 4.

Similar to the first embodiment, the safety button 56 and the ignition trigger 54 are arranged on the housing 52 such that the actuation force required to move the safety button 56 to the activated position and the ignition force required to move the ignition trigger 54 in the ignition direction are oriented opposite one another. Thus, the operation of lighter 50 is similar to the operation of lighter 10 described above, and achieves the same child-protection benefits already mentioned.

Fig. 6-7B show a lighter 80 that is very similar in design and operation to lighter 50, but incorporates variations in the safety button and biasing spring. The fuel ignition system 70 is shown in its safety configuration in fig. 6. Instead of a linearly movable safety button, the lighter 80 has a rotatable safety button 86, the safety button 86 being mounted on the housing 52 to pivot about a pivot axis 87 to an activated position to reconfigure the fuel ignition system 70 from its safe configuration to its ignition configuration, as shown in fig. 7A. The safety button 86 includes a curved upper portion that is provided with an abutment surface 86A for engaging the second end 72B of the piezoelectric igniter 72 when the safety button 86 is pivoted to its activated position. As a result, when the ignition trigger 54 is moved in the ignition direction while the safety button 86 is in its activated position, the piezoelectric igniter 72 is compressed between the ignition trigger 54 and the abutment surface 86A of the safety button 86 to generate a spark, as shown in fig. 7B. The same movement of the ignition trigger 54 in the ignition direction may also actuate the fuel valve stem 63 to open the fuel valve 62. The safety button 86 may be biased away from its activated position by a safety spring 88, the safety spring 88 being arranged to act between the housing 52 or a structure fixed within the housing 52 (e.g., the fuel container 58) and an inwardly facing surface of the safety button 86 below the pivot 87 to urge the button 86 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in fig. 6-7B. Alternatively, the safety spring 88 may be embodied as a torsion spring disposed about the pivot axis 87 that is used to urge the safety button 86 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in fig. 6-7B. The trigger reset spring 55 can be arranged to act between the housing 52 and the second end 72B of the piezoelectric igniter 72 to urge the piezoelectric igniter 72 and the trigger 54 in a reset direction opposite the firing direction (i.e., right to left as shown in fig. 6-7B). The trigger reset spring 55 may be a leaf spring as shown, or another type of spring, such as a coil spring or a torsion spring.

The safety button 56 shown in fig. 4-5B and the safety button 86 shown in fig. 6-7B may be manufactured from plastic as a one-piece molded part.

As can be appreciated from the foregoing description, the present disclosure provides a child-resistant ignition device for a lighter that is simple to manufacture and effective for child safety. Another advantage is that the lighter can be operated with only one hand.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with exemplary embodiments, the detailed description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth. It is intended that the present invention cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents of the described embodiments as may be included within the scope of the appended claims.