US3734680A

US3734680A - Lighter

Info

Publication number: US3734680A
Application number: US00232003A
Authority: US
Inventors: S Maruyama
Original assignee: AUTO TIME DIST Inc
Current assignee: AUTO TIME DIST Inc
Priority date: 1972-03-06
Filing date: 1972-03-06
Publication date: 1973-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-22

Abstract

Cigarette lighter with an improved system for depressing a plunger to ignite a burner, comprising a thumb operated member carrying a bearing positioned adjacent a transverse surface of the plunger, the member having a path of movement carrying the bearing against and along the plunger surface while depressing the plunger.

Description

LIGHTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to cigarette lighters of the sort in which manual pressure on an external surface simultaneously exposes and actuates the burner.

2. Description of the Prior Art Such lighters typically require either downward or oblique movement of the external actuating member. Often a piezoelectric ignition system is provided, and the movement of the actuating member trips a hammer which strikes the piezoelectric element.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides an attractive lighter that can be smoothly, easily, and effectively operated with relatively little thumb pressure.

In general the invention features, in a lighter having a burner which ignites upon depression of a plunger along an axis, an improved system for depressing the plunger, comprising a thumb operated member, and a bearing carried by the member and positioned adjacent a surface of the plunger, the surface being transverse to the plunger axis, the thumb operated member being mounted on the lighter for movement along a path carrying the bearing against and along the plunger surface while depressing the plunger. In preferred embodiments the thumb operated member is a cover pivoted to the lighter and the path is along a circular arc; the pivot for the member lies between the extremes for travel of the plunger surface; the bearing is a roller; and the lighter body is disposed in a shell the sides of which terminate in upper edges including curved portions, and the thumb operated member has sides having lower edges including curved portions mating with the curved portions of the shell edges, the thumb operated member further having ears extending between the body and the shell, the ears carrying the roller and being pivoted to the body.

Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawing herein of a preferred embodiment thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a sectional view, partly broken away, of a lighter, with its cover closed;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view, in reduced scale, of the lighter of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of selected elements of the lighter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, a lighter is shown having piezoelectric ignition system including a hammer unit and

electrodes

14 and 16, electrode 14 also forming the burner nozzle connected to a gaseous fuel supply (not shown). The hammer unit 10 is supported on a base 18 at the back of lighter body 20 and includes a shell 23 in which tits, in telescope fashion, plunger 28, for movement along axis 24. Hammer 22 is inside both the shell and the plunger, and carries pins 26 (on opposite sides, only one shown) which protrude through overlapping slots 25 and 27 in the shell and plunger, respectively (again, only one pair of slots shown).

A coil spring 34 is mounted in plunger 28 bearing at one end against an enlarged portion of hammer 22 and at the other end against the top of the plunger. A larger diameter coil spring 38 is mounted in shell 23 bearing at one end against base 18 surrounding a piezoelectric element 36 on base 18 and at the other end bearing against plunger 28 and surrounding the lower end of hammer 22. Slots 25 have cam edges 32 which act against pins 26 to hold the hammer up. Slots 27 have sloping edges 30 which, when the plunger is depressed, pivot pins 26 away from edges 32 to allow spring 34 to snap the hammer down against piezoelectric element 36 within spring 38. Spring 38, biasing plunger 28 upwardly, returns the hammer unit to its original position upon release of the plunger, with bottom edges 40 of slots 27 acting to raise pins 26. Piezoelectric element 36 is connected to electrode 16 through wire 42.

The arrangement described thus far is known. The invention provides for depression of plunger 28 by thumb operated cover 50 pivoted on pins 51 to body 20 for rotation above axis 52 (FIG. 3) located forward of hammer unit 10 and vertically between the upper and lower extremes of travel of the top surface 53 of plunger 28. Cover 50 consists of a flat top 54 which, when the cover is closed, extends across the entire lighter body, sides 56 which have lower edges 58 the rear portions 60 of which are circular arc shaped, a flat back 61 which extends down to the ends of edges 58, and ears 62 which extend downwardly from edges 58 but are offset inwardly from sides 56. Ears 62 are pivoted to body 20 at axis 52 and also carry an axle 64 on which is freely mounted roller 66. When the cover is closed roller 66 rests on plunger surface 53.

Outer shell 70 of the lighter covers ears 62 when the cover is closed, and its upper edges mate with the lower edges of the cover. In particular, circular are shaped edges 72 are adjacent edge portions 60.

The lighter is operated by thumb pressure against cover top 54 in the region above plunger 28. As the cover opens it opens a valve (not shown) connecting burner 14 to the fuel supply, in conventional fashion. The cover pivots about axis 52, arc

shaped edges

60 and 72 slide against each other, and roller 66 moves downwardly and slightly rearwardly over plunger surface 53 (with axle 64 following are 67, FIG. 1), depressing the plunger to actuate the hammer unit and provide a flame. Upon release of the cover, the plunger return causes roller 66 to reverse its motion, automatically closing the cover. The use of pin 51 as a fulcrum provides excellent leverage, and roller 66 provides very smooth action.

Other embodiments are within the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a lighter having a burner which ignites upon depression of a plunger along an axis, an improved system for depressing said plunger, comprising a thumb operated member mounted on said lighter and a bearing carried by said member and having a posi-' tion adjacent a surface of said plunger, said surface being transverse to said axis,

means mounting said member on said lighter for movement along a path carrying said bearing against and along said plunger surface while depressing said plunger.

2. The lighter of claim 1 wherein said path is curved.

3. The lighter of claim 1 wherein said member is piv-' edges including curved portions, and said thumb operated member has sides having lower edges including curved portions mating with said curved portions of said shell edges, said thumb operated member further having ears extending between said body and said shell, said ears carrying said bearing and being connected to said body.

8. The lighter of claim 7 wherein said ears are pivoted to said body and said bearing is a roller.

Dedication 3,734,680.Susumu Mamyama, Tokyo, Japan. LIGHTER. Patent dated May 22, 1973. Dedication filed Mar. 5, 1975, by the assignee, Park Lane Associates, Inc. Hereby dedicates t0 the Public the entire term of said patent.

[Oyficz'al Gazette July 15, 1975.]

Claims

1. In a lighter having a burner which ignites upon depression of a plunger along an axis, an improved system for depressing said plunger, comprising a thumb operated member mounted on said lighter and a bearing carried by said member and having a position adjacent a surface of said plunger, said surface being transverse to said axis, means mounting said member on said lighter for movement along a path carrying said bearing against and along said plunger surface while depressing said plunger.

2. The lighter of claim 1 wherein said path is curved.

3. The lighter of claim 1 wherein said member is pivoted to said lighter and said path is along a circular arc.

4. The lighter of claim 3 wherein said thumb operated member provides a cover for said burner.

5. The lighter of claim 3 wherein the pivot for said member lies between the extremes of travel of said plunger surface and to one side thereof.

6. The lighter of claim 1 wherein said bearing is a roller.

7. The lighter of claim 1 further comprising a body disposed in a shell the sides of which terminate in upper edges including curved portions, and said thumb operated member has sides having lower edges including curved portions mating with said curved portions of said shell edges, said thumb operated member further having ears extending between said body and said shell, said ears carrying said bearing and being connected to said body.