Patent Publication Number: US-3879163-A

Title: Lighter assembly

Description:
O United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,879,163  
 Wright Apr. 22, 1975 LIGHTER ASSEMBLY 3,788,798 1/1974 Hirschom et al. 431/267 [75] Inventor: David John Wright, Brockham,  
 Betchwonh, England Zrzmary Ezammer-Edwar d G. Falling d d ttome ent, 0r 1rm-- oren, 0 ea an [73] Assignee: Ronson Products Limited, Stangery g y Leatherheas, Surrey, England [22] Filed: Mar. 20, 1974 57 ABSTRACT PP 453,089 A lighter assembly wherein ignition occurs by admixture of a primary and secondary fuel includes means [30] Foreign Application Priority Data for directiiig starid tprimactlry and stecondaryt fuels aong convergen pa s owar an 1gn11on poln 0 pro uce Mar. 26, 1973 United Kmgdom 14520 73 the lighter flame A pair of containers Storing the mary and the secondary fuels, respectively, are juxta- [fi] posed at opposite ends of an elongated lighter assem [58] .ld 451/262 268 bly and acover member definingapair ofsloping com 1 0 vergent surfaces tapering toward an ignition opening is arranged so that said primary and secondary fuels im- [56] References C&#39;ted pinge said converging surfaces and are projected to- UNITED STATES PATENTS ward a common point to ignite and form a flame. 3,360,965 l/1968 Spreter 8t al. 431/267 x o 3,574,502 4/1971 Fuller et al. 431/267 5 Clams, 3 Drawmg Flgures HTENTEEAFRZZMS 3379,163 SHEET 1 pg 2 FIG! LIGHTER ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to lighters for cigarettes and the like, and more particularly, to a lighter of the type wherein the lighter flame is produced by applying a secondary fuel to ignite the primary or main fuel of the lighter.  
  Lighters of the type to which the present invention generally relates utilize butane or some similar liquified petroleum gas as the primary fuel. The secondary fuel which is utilized to ignite the primary fuel may be phrophoric or hypergolic. That is. the secondary fuel may be of a type which either ignites on contact with air or which ignites on contact with the main fuel.  
  In the market for lighters generally, a demand exists for lighters which are quite slender and which have a rod-shaped configuration. The exigencies of such shape demands present difficulties in structuring a lighter which may effect satisfactory ignition when two fuels are used to produce the lighter flame.  
  Two containers, one for the primary fuel and one for the secondary fuel are required and in a lighter having a narrow housing the containers for the different fuels must be positioned opposite each other lengthwise of the lighter. Because of the overall arrangement of such a lighter. the fuels which are delivered from the two containers must usually travel along paths which are generally parallel thereby reducing the tendency toward easy mixture of the fuels and consequently detracting from the ignition characteristics of the lighter.  
  Thus. a need arises for provision of a lighter which may be structured in a slender configuration and which is simultaneously capable of producing proper admixture of the primary and secondary fuels to effect suitable ignition thereof.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention involves a novel lighter assembly of the type wherein a secondary fuel is used to ignite a primary fuel and wherein the primary and secondary fuels are delivered from separate containers in directions which are substantially parallel toward a cover member which is apertured to permit the fuels to pass therethrough to the atmosphere, with the aperture also serving to suitably locate a stable flame effected upon ignition of the primary fuel by the secondary fuel. The cover member of the present invention is structured so that the side thereof facing the direction from which the fuels are emitted is shaped to direct both the fuels along convergent paths with the point of convergence being located near the surface of the cover where a stabilized flame may be produced upon ignition.  
  The cover member defining the ignition orifice includes a pair of surface areas which are oppositely sloped to converge toward said orifice. The cover and the container means storing the fuel are arranged to cause the delivered primary fuel to impinge one of the sloped surface areas with the secondary fuel impinging the other of the sloped surface areas thereby causing the fuels to flow toward a common point located in the vicinity of the ignition orifice.  
  By one aspect of the present invention the cover member may comprise a unitary body having the ignition orifice defined therethrough, with the oriflce being chamfered at least over portions of its periphery to define at said chamfers the oppositely sloped convergent surfaces.  
  Alternatively, the cover member may comprise a plate defining an orifice therethrough with a pair of lugs extending from the periphery of the orifice on one side of the plate, the lugs being arranged to extend obliquely relative to the plate in oppositely sloped directions converging toward the ignition point.  
  The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matters in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:  
  FIG. 1 is a side elevation partially cut away and partially in section showing a slender, rod-shaped lighter according to the present invention; I  
  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lighter shown in FIG. 1; and  
  FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a lighter according to the present invention.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings. wherein like reference numerals identify similar parts throughout the various figures thereof. there is shown in FIG. I a lighter assembly consisting of two parts structured to facilitate formation of the assembly. An upper part 1 houses the ignition mechanism of the lighter assembly and a lower part 2 houses a container for storing therein the primary or main fuel. A valve member 3 controls emission of the main fuel from a container 4 and a control member 5 is structured and arranged to effect operation of the lighter assembly. The primary fuel issues from the container 4 only when the burner valve 3 is in its open condition. The quantity of fuel emitted. and hence the ultimate height of the flame which is produced, is determined by the setting of the burner valve 3. Adjustment of gas flow through the burner valve 3, and consequently the flame height, may be achieved by operation of an adjustment lever 6 which is rotatable through a small angle about the axis of the burner valve 3. Movement of a stem 7 of the burner valve 3 in an upward direction causes the valve to open thereby allowing gas to flow from the container 4. Upon release. the stem moves downwardly under a spring pressure thereby resuming its initial position where it prevents further flow of primary fuel from the container 4. The movement of the stem 7 is controlled by a mechanism which is linked to the control member 5 with only a portion of this mechanism being shown in section and identified by the reference numeral 8.  
  A cover plate 10, which may be formed to provide a decorative outer surface for the lighter, is located at the upper end of part I of the assembly and a fulcrum pin in 12 is arranged to provide a hinge about which the cover plate 10 may be swung to facilitate maintenance of the lighter ignition mechanism.  
  A tube 9 extends from the burner valve 3 to the upper portion of part 1 of the assembly. The gas that issues from the burner valve 3 flows along the tube 9 and is directed thereby to a point beneath the cover 10. The cover 10 is formed with an aperture 1] having a generally chamfered configuration to provide a pair of convergent angled or sloped surfaces 15 and 16. The gas issuing from the tube 9 is directed to impinge the sloped surface 15 of the cover 10.  
  A container 14 storing the secondary fuel is located alongside the tube 9 in the upper part I ofthe assembly adjacent the cover 10. The container 14 comprises a secondary fuel emission orifice 140 which is located centrally of the upper end of the container 14 positioned adjacent the cover plate 10. Secondary fuel from the container 14 is emitted from this centrally located fuel emission orifice and the central location of the orifice causes the secondary fuel to be projected along a path which is coincident at least for a short distance with the axis of the container.  
 In accordance with the present invention. the aperture II defined through the cover plate 10 is shaped in the vicinity of the orifice of the container 14 and of the open end of the tube 9 so that the gas issuing from the container 14 will impinge the sloped surface 16 and will thereby be deflected along a path which is convergent with the path imparted to the primary fuel issuing from the tube 9 by the sloped surface 15. The point of con vergence of the fuels is arranged to be near the outer surface of the cover 10 so that. upon ignition. a lighter flame 20 will be stabilized at the orifice II to extend above the cover 10. This arrangement insures that an adequate supply of air will be available to encourage and sustain ignition of the main fuel. This is important due to the fact that phrophoric secondary fuel is expensive and it is therefor desirable to utilize only a small quantity of this fuel to initiate combustion but not to subsequently sustain the flame.  
  The mechanism whereby fuel is caused to issue from the container 14 may be located within the container itself and is linked in a manner whereby it will be operated shortly after the burner valve 3 has been opened by the control member 5 to emit the primary fuel.  
  In the operation of the lighter assembly. the control member 5 is moved downwardly thereby causing the stem 7 to lift to allow gas from the primary fuel container 4 to issue from tube 9 into abutment with the sloped surface 16 and through the aperture 11. Shortly after the opening of the burner valve 3, the mechanism for emitting fuel from the container 14 is operated. This mechanism is such that it is operated only for a very brief period in order to project a very small quantity of secondary fuel to the combustion site. Upon emission of secondary fuel from the orifice 14a. the fuel impinges the sloped surface I5 and is thereby deflected into the path of the primary fuel which is also deflected by the sloped surface 16. Thus. with primary fuel impinging the surface 16 and with secondary fuel impinging surface 15, the fuels will be deflected to flow along convergent paths for ignition.  
  The secondary fuel. if pyrophoric. will ignite instantaneously on contact with air so that the secondary fuel will be aflame when it is projected into the primary fuel stream. Thus. the secondary fuel will cause the primary fuel to ignite and to form a flame located at the aperture. as shown in FIG. 1.  
  It will be noted that. as shown in FIG. I. the cover member 10 comprises a concave or dished upper surface l0a with the cover member being formed with a thickness which narrows progressively from the outer peripheral sections of the cover member toward the central area thereof at which the orifice 11 is defined. This dishing of the upper surface of the cover member 10. and the consequent reduction of thickness which occurs in the vicinity of the aperture 11, insures that the point of convergence of the fuels. and hence the point of ingnition. is close to or actually in the air outside the lighter.  
  An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3 which depicts only the upper portion of the lighter assembly comprising the cover member 10 and the points of emission of the primary and secondary fuels. In this embodiment a cover member which is a modification of the cover member 10 previously described. is shown. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, a cover member 10!; is provided in the form of a plate made from sheet material. The cover member 1017 has defined therethrough an orifice Ila with a pair of lugs 16a and 16b being arranged to extend from the plate 101) at or about the periphery of the orifice llu. The lugs 15a and 161.! are arranged to extend at oblique angles relative to the plane of the plate 10b in order to provide a pair of convergently sloped surfaces I61; and 15b which operate in the same manner as the sloped surfaces I5 and 16 shown in FIG. 1.  
  In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the cover plate 10 is formed of solid metal. preferably as a cast unitary member. The embodiment of FIG. 3 wherein the cover plate 10b and the lugs 16a and 15a are formed of metallic material. will operate in essentially the same manner as the embodiment of FIG. I with primary fuel issuing from the tube 9 impinging the surface 16!) while secondary fuel issuing from the container 14 impinges the surface 15b thereby causing the fuels to converge for ignition at or in the area of the orifice llu.  
  While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles. it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.  
 What is claimed is:  
  l. A lighter assembly comprising. in combination. means for storing a primary fuel. means for storing a secondary fuel adapted to ignite said primary fuel upon admixture therewith. means defining an ignition point directing said primary and secondary fuels into convergent paths. and means for delivering said primary and secondary fuels to said directing means. said directing means comprising a member having an ignition orifice defined therethrough and a pair of oppositely sloped surface areas converging toward said orifice. said pair of surface areas extending from over at least a portion of the periphery of said orifice. said delivering means being arranged to cause said delivered primary fuel to impinge one of said surface areas and said secondary fuel to impinge the other of said surface areas.  
  2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said directing means comprise a unitary member having said ignition orifice formed therethrough and including a chamfered wall extending contiguously from said igni tion orifice with said oppositely sloped convergent surfaces being formed along at least portions of said chamfered wall.  
  3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said unitary member comprises a concave surface on the side thereof opposite said camfered portions of said ignition orifice.  
  4. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said directing means comprise a plate having an orifice therethrough and a pair of lugs located at the periphery of said orifice on one side of said plate. said lugs extending