IE46183B1 - Gas lighter - Google Patents

Abstract

In this lighter, a valve housing (3) is formed on the bottom (1) of the gas tank (2). The valve housing has a safety slot (10) and a push-through slot (9). Arranged in the valve bore (7) exchangeably and displaceably vertically against the pressure of the valve spring (5) is a valve insert (4). A nose (13) formed on the valve insert (4), which nose is operatively connected to the safety slot (10), serves for the displaceable fastening of the same.

Description

The invention relates to a gas lighter having a self-closing filling valve.

Gas lighters are conventionally equipped with a tank for storing fuel, in which a valve is arranged for filling purposes. Thus, one known lighter comprises a valve, consisting of a valve housing and a valve insert, which is screwed into a metal tank. This type has the disadvantage that a defective valve has to be removed as a whole, that is, together with the housing and valve insert, from the tank and replaced by a new valve. A lighter with a plastics tank is, however, also known. Here, the valve insert is prefitted in the tank bottom and the bottom is subsequently welded to the tank housing. After welding, the valve is joined permanently to the tank and ή defective valve can no longer be exchanged. In the case of a faulty valve either the tank or in some types even the lighter as a whole has to be replaced.

The object of this invention is to overcome the disadvantages described and to provide a valve having a replaceable valve insert.

According to the invention, a gas lighter having - 2 46183 a self-closing filling valve, comprising a valve housing defining a valve bore which is open to the exterior of the lighter and having a connecting slot therein which connects a gas tank to the valve bore, a valve insert and a valve spring arranged in the valve bore, the valve spring abutting said housing and biasing the valve insert into a position in which the gas tank is sealed from the exterior of the lighter, a retaining slot, which is not directly connected to said bore being provided in said housing, and a lug on said insert arranged to pass through said housing and to be retained by said retaining slot. According to an embodiment of the invention, the valve insert has a gas groove in the region of the inlet opening and the gas groove is , connected in the open state to the inside of the tank via a through-slot. The valve housing and at least a portion of the gas tank are preferably made in one piece.

As a result, in the event of a fault in the valve, the valve insert is exchangeable, A further advantage consists in that the valve insert can be prefitted.

This facilitates and simplifies lighter manufacture. Furthermore, a faulty valve can be exchanged by a I . - 3 , 46183 layman without special technical knowledge. Finally, the valve insert can be sold as a replacement part.

An embodiment of the invention is described in detail hereinafter and represented in the Figures wherein: Figure 1 is side view of a lighter in part section, Figure 2 is a cross-section of the lighter tank according to Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of a detail A according to Figure2; Figure 4 is a side view of the detail A according to Figure 2.

A lighter 14, provided with a self-closing valve, comprises a valve housing 3 moulded on the bottom 1 of the gas tank 2. A valve insert 4 provided with a valve spring 5 and a gasket 6 is arranged vertically inside the valve bore7 and displaceably against the pressure of the valve spring 5, The valve housing bottom 8 serves to abut the valve spring 5 and guide the valve insert 4. The valve housing 3 has a through-slot 9 which connects the inside of the tank and the valve bore 7, A retaining slot 10 which is not directly - 4 48183 connected to the valve bore 7 is arranged transversely to the through-slot 9 in the valve housing 3, In the region of the inlet opening 11 for a gas ampoule (not shown), the valve insert 4 has a gas groove 12 which is connected, when the valve is open, to the inside of the tank via the through-slot 9. A lug 13 is moulded on the end of the valve insert 4 facing the inside of the tank.

In a prefitting operation, the gasket 6 and the valve spring 5 are placed on the valve insert 4 and the lower end of the valve insert is flattened to form the lug 13, This prefitted valve unit is then inserted into the valve bore 7 as follows: With a setting tool the valve unit is pushed into the valve bore 7 until the lug 13 guided in the through-slot 9 is disengaged. The valve unit is then turned through 90° and the lug 13 inserted into the retaining slot 10, so that the valve insert is fastened displaceably in the valve housing 3.

Claims (6)

1. What we claim is:

1. A gas lighter having a self-closing filling valve, comprising a valve housing defining a valve bore which is open to the exterior of the lighter and having a connecting slot therein which connects a gas tank to the valve bore, a valve insert and a valve spring arranged in the valve bore, the valve spring abutting said housing and biasing the valve insert into a position in which the gas tank is sealed from the exterior of the lighter, a retaining slot which is not directly connected to said bore being provided in said housing, and a lug on said insert arranged to pass through said housing and to be retained by said retaining slot.

2. A lighter as claimed in claim 1 ; wherein the valve insert has a gas groove therein in the region on the opening of the valve bore to the exterior of the lighter, the gas groove being connected to the inside of the tank via said connecting slot in the open portion of the valve insert,

3. A lighter as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the valve housing and at least a portion of the wall of - 6 46183 the tank are made in one piece,

4. , A lighter as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the retaining slot and the valve bore are connected by a bore having substantially the same diameter as the valve insert.

5. , A lighter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherin the connecting slot and the retaining slot are arranged at an angle of substantially 90° with respect to one another,

6. , A lighter substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.