Abstract:
A lighter with a pivoting cover is provided. The cover is manually actuated and is restricted in movement by a relatively high viscosity packing material encasing a biasing member.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The disclosure relates generally to a lighter and method of use and, in particular, to a pocket lighter that includes a cover that pivots against a high viscosity packing material.  
         [0003]     2. Related Art  
         [0004]     Many types of lighters have been manufactured to include features that make them more useful and/or attractive to consumers. The patent literature includes examples of lighters that include covers for protecting the nozzle from dust and other materials that might interfere with its operation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,176,150 discloses a lighter with a manually pivoting cover the retracts at least partially into the body of the lighter. However, covers that require manual opening are sometimes awkward when holding other objects. Other lighters have been designed with spring-biased covers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,277 to DeLattre-Deguy discloses a lighter with a spring biased cover. U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,766 to Hu discloses a lighter having a manually actuated L-shaped cover biased by a spring. However, such spring biased covers may be disadvantageous as the snapping action of the cover may break the tip of a cigarette or cigar in close proximity to the cover, or pinch the skin of the user depending on its construction.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]     The present disclosure is directed to a lighter with a manually actuated cover that is pivotally connected to the body of the lighter. The cover has a free end and a pivoting end which defines a chamber in which a biasing member is disposed, which is preferably a spring. The body of the lighter includes a sliding release device that releasably connects the free end of the cover to the body of the lighter. The sliding fastener is released when a switch is actuated by sliding the switch in a downward direction, allowing the free end of the cover to pivot upwardly to open. The chamber containing the spring contains a packing material having a relatively high viscosity such as petroleum jelly or grease, such that upon actuation of the switch, the sliding fastener is released, and the cover pivots upwardly against the resistance of the packing material. The packing material in the chamber retards the movement of the spring, thereby reducing the speed at which the cover pivots to open. Actuation of the switch also may be used to ignite a flame. The switch may be actuated once to open the cover, and a second time to actuate the spark generating device. Alternatively, actuation of the switch may be used to simultaneously open the cover and actuate the spark generating device.  
         [0006]     The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. The principles and features of this disclosure may be employed in varied and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     In the drawings:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lighter according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, with the cover in a closed position;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  with the cover in an open position, showing the output for the flame;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the lighter shown in  FIG. 1 , showing the cover section and the upper and lower body sections;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the upper body section of the lighter shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of the upper body section of the lighter showing the cover in a closed position;  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the closure mechanism in the closed position as taken along lines  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional and exploded view of the closure mechanism in the closed position as shown in  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of the upper section of the lighter showing the switch being actuated and with the cover in an open position;  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the cover in an open position as taken along lines  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 ; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the upper section of the lighter showing the cover in an open position and a flame being emitting from the nozzle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     Referring now to the Figures when taken together, there is indicated generally at  10  a lighter according to the present disclosure. As shown, lighter  10  includes a lower body  12 , an upper body  14 , and a pivoting cover  15 . Lighter  10  includes an interior cavity (not shown) which supports a reservoir (not shown) for storing lighter fuel therein, a spark generating device (not shown), and a fill opening (not illustrated) for accessing the reservoir, each of which are known in the art. Examples of suitable spark generating devices include flint, piezoelectric, turbo, jet, and the like. Lighter  10  also includes houses a gas emitting nozzle  50  for controlling the flow of gas and emitting a flame  60 , as is known in the art. The present disclosure is not limited to any particular type of gas emitting nozzle, and those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to contemplate a variety of configurations, many of which are well known in the art.  
         [0019]     Fasteners  13  are used to connect or attach the various components described below. In the present embodiment, fasteners  13  are screws. For ease of explanation, fasteners  13  will be referred to hereinafter throughout the description as screws  13 . Unless otherwise indicated, fastener  13  may be any suitable fastener such as, for example, rivets, screws, and the like, and those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize fasteners other than those listed here that would be suitable.  
         [0020]     Cover  15  is preferably pivotally supported by lighter body  12  such that it can be moved between a non-actuated position (see  FIG. 1 ) in which cover  15  is closed, and an actuated position (see  FIGS. 2, 8  and  10 ) in which cover  15  is open, and in which flame  60  may be ignited and protected from wind and other elements. Cover  15  defines a hollow cylindrical chamber  17   a  with a bore  17   b  extending therethrough, and a free end  15   f.  A tab  41  (see  FIGS. 2, 5  and  8 ) is positioned on the underside of free end  15   f  of cover  15  (see  FIG. 2 ) to define a u-shaped region with a depression  45  on an inner surface thereof for engagement with release tab  39  (see  FIG. 4 ), which is described in greater detail below. Opposing left and right cylindrical end caps  19 ,  21  are sized and dimensioned to fit snugly in bore  17   b,  and are spaced apart by and operatively connected to a biasing member  23 , the details of which are described in greater detail below. In the present embodiment, biasing member  23  is a spring made from spring wire and, for ease of explanation, biasing member  23  will hereinafter be referred to as spring  23 . When lighter  10  is assembled, spring  23  is biased to maintain cover  15  in an open position.  
         [0021]     When assembled, a packing material  25  may be packed about spring  23  between end caps  19 ,  21 . In operation, packing material  25  retards the movement of spring  23 , thereby retarding the speed at which cover  15  opens, i.e. it minimizes the “snap” action opening of cover  15 . Suitable packing materials are non-toxic, non-flammable, sufficiently viscous to retard the movement of the cover without the user having to wait more than 2-3 seconds for the cover to reach a fully open position, and sufficiently viscous so that it does not leak from end caps  19 ,  21 . A preferred viscous semisolid packing material is petrolatum, or petroleum jelly. Those of skill in the art will recognize that a variety of packing materials or combinations of packing materials may be suitable, which may be selected based on the foregoing characteristics.  
         [0022]     Lower body  12  includes a central section  12   a  and side sections  12   b,c  which may be attached or connected to central section  12   a  using, for example, fasteners  13 . Lower body section  12  is adapted to support and connect to upper body section  14  using screws  13 .  
         [0023]     With reference to  FIG. 4 , upper body section  14  includes a first, main section  20  that includes opposing sides  22   a,b  defining cylindrical bores  24   a,b  therein, and defining opposing left and right sidewall recesses  26   a,b.  Main section  20  also includes a downwardly extending arm  47  that is adapted to engage and connect to lower body  12 . Cover  15  may be attached to side sections  12   b,c  of upper and lower body  12  using screws  13  that extend through side sections  12   b,c  of body  12  and into left and right cylinders  19 . Any of the aforementioned fasteners may be used in place of screws  13 , provided that they allow cover  15  to pivot about the centerline “C” of spring  23 .  
         [0024]     With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , main section  20  also includes a base  30  defining a central bore  32 , which is sized and dimensioned to accommodate nozzle  50  therethrough. Main section  20  also supports switch  16  and a release tab  39  for engagement with tab  41 . Release tab  39  includes a protuberance  43  on the backside thereof When closed, protuberance  43  of release tab  39  engages depression  45  of tab  41  to maintain cover  15  in a closed position.  
         [0025]     Ribs  38  are defined in the sidewalls  22   a,b  of main section  20  to provide sliding engagement of a insert  36 , as described below. Insert  36  includes a bore  18  corresponding to bore  32  of main section  20 , from which flame  60  extends when lighter  10  is in use. A portion of nozzle  50  also may extend into bore  18  if necessary or desired. Insert  36  includes at least one groove  40  on each outer side thereof for engagement with corresponding ribs  38  defined in the sidewalls  22   a,b  of main section  20 . Insert  36  may be attached to upper body  14  using screws  13 .  
         [0026]     Left and right shoulder inserts  28   a,b  are sized and dimensioned to be received in corresponding left and right sidewall recesses  26   a,b  of main section  20 . Left and right shoulder inserts  28   a,b  each include a cylindrical post  42   a,b  sized and dimensioned to be received in cylindrical bores  24   a,b  of sidewalls  22   a,b  of main section  20 . Post  42   a  of left shoulder insert  28   a  includes a central bore  44  extending at least partially therethrough for receiving biasing member  46  therein, the base  54  of which acts as a spring seat. Post  42   b  of right shoulder insert  28   b  includes a rib  48  extending perpendicularly from the face thereof for engagement with left cylinder  19  of cover  15 . Left and right shoulder inserts  28   a,b  may be attached to main section  20  using screws  13 .  
         [0027]     Left cylinder  19   a  includes posts  19   a,b  extending from each face thereof Post  19   b  includes a groove  19   c  for engagement with spring  23 , and post  19   a  is sized and dimensioned to fit concentrically within the coils of spring  46 , with shoulder  19   d  acting as a seat for spring  46 . Right cylinder  21  includes a post  21   a  extending from one face thereof and defining a shoulder  21   d  and a groove  21   b  for engagement with spring  23 . The opposite face of right cylinder  21  includes a groove  21   c  formed in the face thereof for engagement with rib  48  of right shoulder insert  28   b.    
         [0028]     In use, as shown in  FIG. 8 , as the user slides switch  16  downwardly in the direction of arow “A” into the actuated position, protuberance  43  of release tab  39  becomes disengaged from depression  45  of tab  41 , allowing the cover to pivot upwardly in the direction of arrow “B.” Upon release, switch  16  will return to its original position. To actuate the spark generating device, the user simply repeats the same action, i.e. the user slides switch  16  downwardly in the direction of arow “A” into the actuated position. The user&#39;s action causes the spark generating device to generate a spark, while also causing the fuel to be passed from the reservoir so that it can ignite and generate a flame  60 , which is emitted through bore  18 , and which will remain lit until switch  16  is released. Alternatively, the user may simultaneously release cover  15  and actuate the spark generating device simply by actuating the switch rapidly. The cover may be closed manually. It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiment disclosed herein.  
         [0029]     Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of a preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope, spirit and intent of the disclosure.