A multiple-flame lighter, including: a lighter housing, a storage having an outlet valve, an inlet valve and a gas chamber for storing liquid fuel gas, a gas outlet control bar for controlling gas supply from said storage, and a windproof assembly connected to the gas pass of the storage, characterized in that it also includes: an electronic igniter, a flint igniter, an ignition controller, wherein between the sleeve and the windproof assembly there is provided with a flint igniter which is adjacent to the sleeve and a flame outlet which is connected to the gas pass of the storage. The single one lighter is simple in structure and may achieve powerful windproof effect and has advantages of long time service life, luminous application and less heat generation.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a lighter device, and in particular to a lighter using inflammable gas as fuel stored in liquidity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, lighters on market include candle flame lighters and windproof lighters. The candle flame lighters generally adopt flint ignition device as sparkling source and they are simple in structure and have relatively long time of use, and furthermore it may function as a lighting device in dark places, with the disadvantages in that they are not readily used in open air or windy places. Those windproof lighters chiefly use electronic ignition device as sparking source and have some windproof function. Nevertheless, such windproof lighters, limited by the times of use, have shorter service lives. In addition, when is use, they consume much more gas to produce the same height of flames as that of the candle flame lighters, and may easily create heat in their bodies when torch flame is generated, which limits the time of lighting up articles. Furthermore, their windproof ability is still limited as their flames are weak and may not easily light up articles, particularly cigars, in open air or windy places.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One objective of the present invention is to provide a multiple-flame lighter which has both flint ignition device and electronic ignition device, combines the advantages of the two meeting the requirement of windproof and long service life, and, as a result, greatly prolongs its service life.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a multiple-flame lighter which is simple in structure and easy in operation of ignition and may conveniently shift between the flint and electronic ignition modes. As its structure is rationally designed, it need not enlarge the overall size of the lighter, and may only require one finger to sequentially operate in one direction to shift the modes between the flint ignition and the electronic ignition or to use both.

Further another objective of the present invention is to provide a windproof lighter having a windproof assembly including a quick flow nozzle and second outlet valve or gas diverting pass, which may produce one or more straight-forward and rod-shaped torches or big-head-shaped flames, achieving better windproof results.

The objectives of the present invention are achieved in such a way that: it includes a lighter housing, a storage having an outlet valve, an inlet valve and a gas chamber for storing liquid fuel gas, a gas outlet bar for controlling gas supply from the storage, and a windproof assembly connected to the gas pass of the storage, characterized in that is also includes: an electronic igniter, a flint igniter, an ignition controller formed by flame outlet and a sleeve, wherein the sleeve is provided on  the upper portion of one side of the lighter housing, the electronic igniter is provided under the sleeve, and the flint igniter and flame outlet are provided under the sleeve, and the flint igniter and flame outlet are provided between the sleeve and the windproof assembly. The flint igniter device is provided on the side close to the sleeve, and the flame outlet connected to the gas pass of the storage.

Further, the flint igniter comprises an ignition wheel, a flint and a spring means, wherein the ignition wheel is provided above the sleeve and along the same operation line/route as that of the sleeve and the electronic igniter.

The windproof assembly includes a filter means, a quick flow nozzle, a gas mixing chamber, a diverting nozzle and a combustion chamber. The diameter of the pores of the quick flow nozzle is within the range of 0.05 mm˜0.18 mm.

The sleeve has a front end and the gas outlet control bar has one end fit in with the tip portion of the front end and the other end connected to the gas outlet valve of the storage. The gas outlet control bas has one slide block which moves to press a soft pipe provided within the flame outlet, making the flame outlet open or close. In addition, there is one supplementary spring provided on the side of the soft pipe, effecting a buffer function.

The flame outlet also includes a gas limiting structure.

Furthermore, there is a gas diverting pass provided between the flame outlet and the outlet valve of the storage, making flame outlet connected to the gas diverting pass. Between the gas diverting pass and the flame outlet there is a cover means. And the gas diverting pass has one seal means provided on the  outlet port, a hole on the side wall and a seal ring for sealing with the cover means provided under the hole.

The storage also includes a second outlet valve and the flame outlet is connected to the second outlet valve.

The multiple-flame lighter according to the present invention has better windproof effects, achieves additional luminous function and longer service life and may not easily create heat, combining advantages of both candle flame lighters and windproof lighters and achieving a notable progress compared with prior art. In addition, the present invention is structurally simple and easily operable as it flexibly combines both the flint and electronic igniters by arranging a flint wheel, a sleeve and an electronic igniter on the same operational line/route, achieving better effect of easy shifting between the two ignition modes. Meanwhile, such structure may not necessarily increase the size of the lighter making it more flexible in its outer design for use in various environments. And the present invention may also produce as the same time two flames—windproof torch and candle flame—solving the ignition difficulty that occur in case of strong wind or long time use, such as lighting up a cigar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Refer to the drawings: the multiple-flame lighter according to the present invention, including a lighter housing1, a gas chamber21for holding flammable liquid gas and a storage2including an outlet valve23and an inlet valve22, an outlet control bar3for controlling the storage, a windproof assembly5connected to the gas pass of the storage, and an ignition control means composed of an electronic igniter6, a flint igniter7, a flame outlet8and a sleeve4. The sleeve4is provided at the upper portion of one side of the lighter housing1, the electronic igniter6is arranged under the sleeve4, the flint igniter6and the flame outlet8are provided between the sleeve4and the windproof assembly5, wherein the flint igniter6is arranged close to the sleeve4, and the flame outlet8is connected to the gas pass of the storage2.

An outlet control bar3is provided on the outlet valve23for controlling valve core231of the outlet valve23and may be controlled by the head cover12of the lighter housing1and/or sleeve4. When the valve core231is actuated gas chamber21releases fuel gas which flows quickly into the filter means51of the windproof assembly5, becoming a quick flow through the pores of the quick flow nozzle52to turn into a powerful and specially flammable mixed gas after being mixed with the air in the gas mixing chamber53and further diverted in the diverting nozzle54. Generally the diverting nozzle54may be various: e.g. four small holes may be drilled on the sides of the nozzle54turning the mixed gas into a big-head-shaped torch, or, a direct through hole may be drilled on the top of the  nozzle54and several small holes are arranged on the side of the direct through hole making the mixed gas become a powerful, bar-shaped torch, or further, two or more than two through holes are installed on the top of the nozzle54and some smaller holes are arranged around the through holes making the mixed gas turn into several powerful, bar-shaped torches so as to enlarge the burning area.

Additionally a windproof mesh56(seeFIG. 3) may be provided within the combustion chamber55to enhance the windproof ability of the flame.

When there is a need for long time use of a candle flame, the candle flame igniter may be used to avoid easy heat accumulation. The fuel gas in the storage2may then be released via the flame outlet8and ignited by the flint igniter6, turning into a candle flame.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Refer toFIG. 1, a flint igniter7and a flame outlet8are installed between the sleeve4and the windproof assembly5, the flame outlet8is connected to the gas pass of the storage2. The sleeve4has a front end41which has it end portion fit with one end of the outlet control bar3which has its other end connected to the outlet valve23of the storage2. When the sleeve4is pressed down or released, the front end41moves up and down controlling the movement of the outlet control bar3which further actuates the open or close of the outlet valve23connected to the outlet control bar3.

The flint igniter7includes an ignition wheel71having coarse periphery, a flint72which may produce sparks after friction with the ignition wheel71, and a spring means73which presses a sparking end of the flint72onto the coarse surface of the ignition wheel73. Preferably the wheel71is installed close to the upper portion of the sleeve4, and the wheel71, the sleeve4and the electronic igniter6are arranged on the same operational route. When the wheel71is turned by a user's finger, the flint72has its sparking end generate dispersed sparks, and along with downward movement of the finger, the front end41of the sleeve4moves down one end of outlet control bar3, enabling the other end of the bar3slightly to raise up the valve core231of the outlet valve23to release out the fuel gas of the storage2through the flame outlet8and turning it into a candle flame when ignited by flint's sparks.

A gas diverting pass230is provided between the flame outlet8and the storage2, and connected to the flame outlet8and the gas pass of the storage2. Generally, in case there are several passes, fuel gas would tend to flow towards the pass having a bigger diameter. The quick flow nozzle52(seeFIG. 2) of the windproof assembly5according to the present invention has its pores' diameters as small as 0.05˜0.18 mm, and consequently when the fuel gas is diverted, most part of the gas would flow towards the flame outlet8. To conveniently shift the ignition modes, between the gas diverting pass230and flame outlet8there may be provided with a cover means81which may be formed with flame outlet8as one body, a seal means82may be provided at outlet port of the gas diverting  pass230, hole83may be made on the side of the gas diverting pass230, and a seal means84may be provided under the hole83of the gas diverting pass230for sealing with respect to the cover means83. When the sleeve4is pressed down, the front end41thereof makes one end of the outlet control bar3move downward and the other end lift up the valve core231of the outlet valve23to make T-shaped seal means82provided at outlet port of the gas diverting pass230on the valve core231block out the inlet port85of the cover means81, i.e. the pass of the candle flame outlet8. Meanwhile the seal ring84provided between the gas diverting pass230and the cover means81also blocks the leakage of the fuel gas, thus forcing the fuel gas in the gas diverting pass230to flow back to the windproof assembly5. When the sleeve4is released, T-shaped seal means82moves away form the inlet port85of the cover means81, making majority of the fuel gas released from the outlet valve23flow out from the candle flame outlet8.

When there is a need for windproof torch in the open or windy places, the sleeve4is pressed down, its front end41then makes one end of the outlet control bar3move downwards, while the other end of the outlet control bar3raises up the valve core231of the outlet valve23, enabling the T-shaped cover means82at the outlet port of the gas diverting pass230cover up the inlet port85of the cover means81and directing the fuel gas to quickly enter the windproof assembly5. At this time, the electronic igniter6provided under the sleeve4is actuated to generate sparks in virtue of wire61which transfers the electronic sparks to the combustion chamber55, thus making the gas in the combustion chamber ignited and turned into a powerful windproof torch. And if a long time flame is needed, e.g. when it is  used within a room or for luminescence, the candle flame structure with relatively lower consumption of gas may by adopted.

Thus one lighter has achieved both powerful windproof and luminous effects, in addition to advantages of long service life and resistance to heat accumulation.

Refer toFIG. 2, in order to bring the height of flame generated by the flint igniter7to better control, a second outlet valve23′ connecting to the candle flame outlet8may also be additionally installed within the storage2to replace the gas diverting pass as shown inFIG. 1. In such case, gas release may be achieved by opening the head cover12of the housing1which further actuates the outlet control bar3connected to the valve core231of the outlet valve3. In the present embodiment, the central part of the flame outlet8may be a soft pipe80made of soft materials, and a slide block9which may open or close the flame outlet may be installed on the outlet control bar3.

When there is a need for windproof torch, an adjustment valve (not shown) in the outlet valve23is opened before opening up the cover means12to enable the outlet valve23to release fuel gas to flow into the combustion chamber55of the windproof assembly5, and then the sleeve4is pressed down to raise up the valve core231′ of the outlet valve23′ through the outlet control bar3′, and, at the same time when the gas is released from the storage2, the slide block9presses the soft pipe80, preventing the gas from flowing to the flam outlet8. At this time, along with the downward movement of the sleeve4, the electronic igniter6generates in the windproof assembly5electronic sparks which ignites the fuel gas in the combustion chamber55and turns it into a powerful windproof flame. And when there is a need for candle flame, the adjustment valve (not shown) shall be closed, and the wheel71is turned making the flint72produce dispersed sparks at its sparking end, and at the same time, the sleeve4is slightly pressed down causing the outlet valve23′ to release fuel gas through the gas outlet8whose soft pipe80is then not blocked by the slide block9and turn the fuel gas into candle flame with the sparks generated by the flint72.

On the side of the soft pipe80there is provided with a supplementary spring86, which may prevent the slide block9from breaking the soft pipe80and effect some buffer function.

Refer toFIG. 3, the difference between this embodiment and that as shown inFIG. 2, is the omission of the slide block9which is mounted at the outlet control bar23′, functioning to block and open the gas outlet8. When there is a need for candle flame, the adjustment valve (not shown) of the outlet valve23is closed at the time when the adjustment valve (not shown) of the outlet valve23′ is opened, and as the user's finger turns the wheel71, the flint72gives out sparks, and at the time when the finger continues to move downwards, the sleeve4there under moves correspondingly to make the gas as released by the outlet valve23′ from the candle flame outlet8come out be ignited by the sparks as made by the flint72and turned to candle flame. When there is a need for windproof torch, the adjustment valve (not shown) of the outlet valve23′ is closed while the adjustment  valve (not shown) of the outlet valve23opened, and as the head cover12is opened, the outlet valve23releases out fuel gas. Along with the movement of the user's finger downwards pressing the sleeve4, the electronic igniter6under the sleeve4is actuated to emit sparks to the windproof assembly5, consequently generating the windproof torch flame with the gas in the windproof assembly5. Alternatively, both the adjustment valves (not shown) of the outlet valves23an23′ may be opened, and when the head cover12is opened releasing gas from the outlet23, user's finger moves down to turn the wheel71making the flint71give out sparks which further ignite the gas released from the flame outlet8generating candle flame, and along with the downwards movement of the finger, the electronic igniter6actuates to ignite the fuel gas in the combustion chamber55of the windproof assembly5, generating windproof torch flame. In the circumstances, the objectives of generating both candle flame and windproof torch flame within one lighter have been achieved and the disadvantages such as uncertainty to locate the windproof lighter in the dim places have been removed, creating enjoyable elegance and grace in lighting up articles with both flames.

Refer toFIG. 4, the embodiment is different from that as shown inFIG. 2in that inFIG. 4the fuel gas in the flame outlet8is obtained from a gas diverting pass230on the outlet valve23, while the fuel gas in the flame outlet8according toFIG. 2is obtained from two outlet valves of the outlet valves23and23′.

Refer toFIG. 5, the gas limiting structure87provided in the flame outlet8, functioning to rationally distribute the gas, is simply structured by narrowing the central segment of the flame outlet8. Alternatively, the limiting structure7may  also be formed by a spongy materials provided in the flame outlet8, or the spongy materials may also be replaced by pores as in the quick flow nozzle52in the flame outlet8. Thus when the user's finger operates along one operational line or route actuating in series the wheel71, the sleeve4and the electronic igniter6, both powerful windproof torch flame and candle flame can be obtained with a single one lighter.

Though the detailed description by reference to the drawings and embodiments is made above, it is apparently clear to those skilled in the are that the above embodiments are not limitation thereto but only for description of the present invention. Within the spirit of the present invention, there may be modifications and variations to the above embodiments which fall within the scope of present invention.