GB2047861A - A smokers lighter - Google Patents

Abstract

A smokers lighter has a rectangular housing 10 which simulates a conventional matchbox, a longitudinally slideable flame producing unit 12, spring biased towards its outward position and a protective cover around that portion of the unit which in its outwardly projecting position projects beyond the confines of the rectangular housing. In an alternative construction, the housing has a flexible portion 360 Fig. 9 which can be deformed outwardly when the unit is pushed in, so that ignition of the lighter can be prevented except when the flexible portion is held against such a deformation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A smoker's lighter This invention relates to a smoker's lighter.

According to the present invention, there is provided a smoker's lighter which comprises a rectangular housing simulating a conventional matchbox, the housing being also rectangular as seen in transverse cross-section, and, disposed within the housing, a longitudinally-slidable flame-producing unit, spring biased towards its outward position, there being a protective cover around that portion of the unit which in its outwardly projecting position projects beyond the confines of the rectangular housing, the protective cover being constructed and arranged to prevent inadvertent pushing in of the slidable unit.

In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the protective cover consists of a cap hingde to the rectangular housing.

In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the protective cover consists of a longitudinal extension ofthree ofthe four longitudinal walls ofthe housing.

in yet another embodiment of the invention, the protective cover or cap is constituted by a four or five walled housing which constitutes a push-on, pull-off cap and is readily removable from the rectangular housing.

With these arrangements, a positive and reliable structure prevents the flame-producing unit being longitudinally shifted inadvertently, and therefore prevents an undesired ignition of the flame. The safety of the lighter is thereby substantially increased.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the rectangular housing is modified at its end opposite to the first end, the modification being such as to render the said opposite end springy with the effect that when the flame-producing unit is pushed longitudinally of the housing, the spark producing mechanism of said unit bears on the said end wall and deforms it outwardly. With such an arrangement, in orderto ignite the flame, it is necessary for the user to hold the said end wall against said deformation, and then push in the slidable flameproducing unit.

This arrangement reduces the possibility that accidental pushing in of the flame producing unit relative to the housing will result in ignition.

* The invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting description of examples thereof given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1-3 illustrate a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 being an exploded view of a hinged cap smoker's lighter, Figure 2 being a front view of the lighter of Figure 1 showing the cap closed, and Figure 3 being a similar view showing the cap open and the flame producing unit pushed in to its "flame ignited" position; Figures 4-6 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention which has a protective cover formed by extended housing walls. Figures 4-6 are similar views to those of Figures 1-3.

Figures 7-10 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention. Figure 7 shows an exploded view of this embodiment of the lighter; Figure 8 is a prospective view showing it with the flame-producing unit in its extended position; Figure 9 shows the lighter with the flameproducing unit pushed in and the flexible flap thereby forced out; Figure 10 shows the lighter with the flameproducing unit pushed in and the flexible flap held against the formation, this being the "ignition" condition ofthe lighter.

The smoker's lighter illustrated in Figures 1-3 includes a rectangular housing 10 of a size and shape approximately to a conventional matchbox, a flame producing unit 12, and a hinged cap 14. The latter is hinged at 16 to one wall of the rectangular housing 10. The flame producing unit 12 is longitudinally slidable within the housing, whose left-hand end is closed. A biassing spring (not shown) is located within the housing 10 to urge the unit 12 outwardly. The construction of the unit 12 forms no part of the novelty of the invention. It is briefly described later in this Specification in connection with Figures 7-10. As shown, the cap 14 is hinged to the housing 10 by a flexible adhesive strip 18 but other known hinging methods may be used as an alternative.

With the cap 14 in its closed or normal position as seen in Figure 2, it protects the projecting end ofthe unit 12, and prevents it being accidentally pushed in.

Thus accidental ignition is prevented. This is a useful feature since a stray impact occurring while the lighter is in a pocket of the user will not ignite the lighter. Figure 3 shows the unit 12 in its "pushed-in" or ignited position. Whereupon a flame 20 appears through a hole having a metal rim 22 (Fig. 1) in a wall of the housing 10. To allow the unit to be pushed in by the user, the cap 14 is swung to its open position as shown in Fig. 3.

The lighter illustrated in Figures 4-6 is similar two that of Figures 1-3 and like parts bear like reference numerals. The rectangular housing 10 has three of its walls provided with extensions 30, 32 and 34, these being intigral with or fixed to the housing 10.

The walls 30 and 34 each have a small inwardly extending flange 36 along one oftheir longitudinal edges. The walls 30-34 may be integrally moulded with the housing 10, from a suitable synthetic plastics material. The flame-producing unit 12 slides longitudinally within the space defined by the walls 30-34 and has an end wall 38 which preferably matches the walls 30-34 in colour and appearance. It slides between a normal or extended (non-ignited) position shown in Figure 5 and a pushed-in (ignited) position shown in Figure 6. By holding the lighter with the walls 38 & 40 between finger and thumb, the flame can readily be ignited when desired by squeezing. There is a cut-out in wall 32 to receive the thumb or finger of the user.However the hood formed by the walls 30-34 prevents an inadvertent pushing-in ofthe unit 12 and so prevents an unde sired ignition ofthe flame 20. The flanges 36 mate with cut-outs at two corners of the end wall 38 and so assist in accurate and smooth guiding of the unit 12 in its longitudinal reciprocating movement. The unit 12 is spring biassed outwardly as in the case of the lighter shown in Figures 1-3.

Referring now to Figure 7, the lighter comprises a rectangular housing 100, a flame-producing unit 120, and a cover 140 which simulates the slidable drawer of a conventional matchbox. This is shown separately for ease of representation but is in fact fixed to the outer or left hand end of the flame-producing unit 120. The unit 12 is a known unit and its particular construction forms no part of the novelty of the present invention. It will therefore not be described in detail, other than to explain that it includes a fuel tank 160, a flame jet 180, a flint wheel 200, and a spring biased lever 220 which when pushed in a direction inwardly of the unit 120 about a pivot pin at 240 rotates the flint wheel and causes a spark to be struck from the flint and a valve adjacent to the nozzle jet 180 to be opened. Hence gas is allowed to flow from the nozzle jet and is ignited.

The casing 100 has a hole with a metal rim 300 through which the flame so produced can project.

The casing 100 is open ended at its left hand end as seen in Figure 7, and its right hand end wall 340 has a tab 360 defined by three slots, the tab being of a flexible and resilient material. The tab is placed in registry with the lever 220 of the unit 120.

The lighter is shown in its rest position in Figure 8 with the cover 140 on the end of the flame-producing unit 120 extending out of one end of the casing 100.

Figure 9 shows the device in its safety mode. In this Figure the flame-producing unit 120 has been pushed inwardly of the casing 100 but because the tab 360 is not restrained against outward movement the lever 22 has pushed it outwardly, consequently the lever 220 is not pivoted in relation to the remainder of the unit 120 and the flame is not ignited. By contrast, in Figure 10, the tab 360 is shown held in its original position by the user of the device who may place a finger or thumb thereon for this purpose. At the same time, the flame-producing unit 120 has been pushed inwardly of the casing 100 in a direction towards the lower right as seen in Figure 10, and because the tab 360 is restrained, this motion has caused the lever 22 to pivot inwardly towards the flint wheel 200.This pivoting movement, in known manner, causes the valve on the gas jet 180 to be opened and the fling wheel 200 to be rotated thus causing a spark. The flame is thus ignited and passes through the hole. It remains ignited for so long as tab 360 is held in to be approximately co-planar with the end wall 340, and when the tab is released the lever 220 springs back to its original position. In other words it springs back clockwise thereby allowing the valve to close, and extinguishing the flame.

The tab 360 serves a safety function in that, although the unit 120 may be pushed inwardly of the housing 100, the flame cannot be ignited unless the tab 360 is also held in. Consequently an accidental impact which pushes in the unit 12 will not result in ignition. It will be understood that other specific constructions could be adopted, without departing from the invention, to make the end wall 340 springy to the extent that it yields so precluding actuation of the lever 220.

In an alternative embodiment, a cap of the shape of cap 14 in Figure 1 can be designed as a push fit onto the housing instead of being hinged.

Alternatively, such a cap can have a tab forming one of the elements of a two-element hinge; such a tab can be received in a slot in the housing and maintained therein by a detent. With this arrangement, the cap and hinge can be entirely removed by pulling the tab out of the slot.

In yet another alternative, a hood as shown in Figure 4 can be removable and provided with tabs which are a push fit into slots in the housing, and maintained therein by resilient detents.

Claims (13)

1. A smoker's lighter which comprises a rectangular housing simulating a conventional matchbox, the housing being also rectangular as seen in transverse cross-section, and, disposed within the housing, a longitudinally-slidable flame-producing unit, spring biased towards its outward position, there being a protective cover around that portion of the unit which in its outwardly projecting position projects beyond the confines of the rectangular housing, the protective cover being constructed and arranged to prevent inadvertent pushing in of the slidable unit.

2. A lighter according to Claim 1 in which the protective cover is a cap hinged to the housing.

3. A lighter according to Claim 2 in which the cap has 4 walls which define a rectangular space.

4. A lighter according to Claim 2 or 3 in which the cap is hinged to the housing along one of its longer edges.

5. A lighter according to Claim 1,2,3 or4 in which the cap is coloured to simulate a drawer of a conventional matchbox.

6. A lighter according to Claim 1 in which the protective cover is formed by a hood defined by a longitudinal extension ofthree of the four longitudinal walls of three of the four longitudinal walls of the housing.

7. A lighter according to Claim 1 in which an opposed two of the said three extensions have inturned flanges to assist guiding of the unit in its sliding motion.

8. A lighter according to Claim 7 in which the third of said three extensions has a cut-out therefrom to receive a finger or thumb of a user.

9. A lighter according to Claim 1 in which the protective cover is formed by a four-or five walled housing which forms a push-on, pull-off cap.

10. Asmoker's lightercomprises a rectangular housing simulating a conventional matchbox, the housing being also rectangular as seen in transverse cross-section, and, disposed within the housing, a longitudinally-slidable flame-producing unit, spring biased towards its outward portion, part of the unit projecting out of one end of the housing in its nor mal (non-ignited) position, and the opposite end wall ofthe housing having a flexible portion which can be deformed outwardly when the unit is pushed in, so preventing ignition of the lighter except when the flexible portion is held against said deformation.

11. A smoker's lighter substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1-3 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A smoker's lighter substantially as herein decribed with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 4-6 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A smoker's lighter substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 7-10 of the accompanying drawings.