Patent Publication Number: US-6699033-B2

Title: Piezoelectric lighter for cigar, pipe, and cigarette

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a Continutation-In-Part application of a non-provisional application, application No. 09/798,766, filed Mar. 2, 2001, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to piezoelectric lighters, and more particularly to a piezoelectric lighter which can provide a pair of jet flames and a visible flame for selectively lighting cigar, pipe and cigarette. Thus, the piezoelectric lighter comprises two jet nozzles adapted for producing double jet flames at the same time so as to increase a burning area of the piezoelectric lighter. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     Piezoelectric lighters have been known and sold throughout the world. A conventional piezoelectric lighter comprises a single gas emitting nozzle for producing either a jet flame or a visible flame. It is known that a visible flame type piezoelectric lighter, such as a conventional cigarette lighter, provides a general temperature visible flame that fits for lighting up a cigarette or a cigar to a void an emitting gas from the lighter to destroy the taste of the tobacco. However, the jet flame type piezoelectric lighter, which comprises an ignition element, produces a high temperature jet flame, wherein the ignition element is adapted for maintaining a high temperature adequate to re-ignite the emitting gas so as to provide a windproof function for the lighter. Smokers always have a conflict to choose the visible flame type lighter in order to keep the taste of the cigarette or the jet flame type lighter for conveniently. Pipe smokers will more concern the flame to light up the high quality of tobacco. 
     Moreover, since the jet flame type piezoelectric lighter is more powerful than the visible flame type piezoelectric lighter, the jet flame type piezoelectric lighter employs more gas to produce the stronger jet flame. In order to increase the flaming ability, the flow of emitting gas must be increased for ignition. However, the flame does not getting stronger proportionally because the emitted gas is not completely burnt, which is a waste of gas. Thus, the single gas emitting nozzle can only provide a limited burning area which is the area of the flame can reach. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     A main object of the present invention is to provide a piezoelectric lighter for cigar, pipe, and cigarette wherein the piezoelectric lighter is adapted for selectively producing either a pair of jet flames or a visible flame. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a piezoelectric lighter for cigar, pipe, and cigarette wherein the piezoelectric lighter comprises two jet nozzles for producing double jet flames at the same time so as to increase a burning area while being gas employed effectively. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a piezoelectric lighter for cigar, pipe, and cigarette, wherein the operation of the piezoelectric lighter requires one single continuous motion for selectively producing the jet flames or the visible flame, which is advantageous in practical use. 
     Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a piezoelectric lighter for cigar, pipe, and cigarette, which comprises: 
     a casing having a liquefied gas storage; 
     a gas emission arrangement comprising a pair of jet nozzles and a gas emitting tube communicating with the liquefied gas storage respectively; 
     a gas ejecting arrangement comprising a gas releasable valve extended from the liquefied gas storage for controlling a flow of gas to the gas emission arrangement; 
     a lever arm disposed in the casing in a vertical movable manner having a lifting end engaged with the gas releasable valve and an engaging end arranged in such a manner that when the engaging end of the lever arm is lifted upwardly, the lifting end of the gas lever lifts up the gas releasable valve for releasing gas; 
     a piezoelectric unit, which is disposed in the casing for generating piezoelectricity, comprising a movable operating part extended upwardly and an ignition tip extended to a position closed to the gas emission arrangement in such a manner that when the movable operating part is depressed downwardly, spark is generated from the ignition tip to ignite a gas emitted from the gas emission arrangement at the same time; 
     an ignition button mounted on a ceiling of the casing in a vertical movable manner wherein the ignition button is attached to a top end of the piezoelectric unit and arranged in such a manner that when the ignition button is depressed downwardly, the movable operating part of the piezoelectric unit is depressed to ignite the piezoelectric lighter; and 
     a lighter cap pivotally mounted on the ceiling of the casing in a movable manner wherein the lighter cap comprises a pivot arm extended to the engaging end of the gas lever and arranged in such a manner that when the lighter cap is pivotally flipped sidewardly to open, the pivot arm lifts up the engaging end of the lever arm for releasing gas. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a piezoelectric lighter for cigar, pipe, and cigarette according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the piezoelectric lighter for cigar, pipe, and cigarette according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3A is a partially sectional view of the piezoelectric lighter producing a jet flame according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3B is a partially sectional view of the piezoelectric lighter producing a visible flame according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a partially perspective view of a gas regulating means of the piezoelectric lighter according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a piezoelectric lighter for cigar, pipe, and cigarette according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The piezoelectric lighter comprises a casing  10  having a liquefied gas storage  11 , a gas emission arrangement  20  comprising a pair of jet nozzles  21 ,  22  and a gas emitting tube  23  communicating with the liquefied gas storage  11  respectively, a gas ejecting arrangement  30  comprising a gas releasable valve  31  extended from the liquefied gas storage  11  for controlling a flow of gas to the gas emission arrangement  20 . 
     A lever arm  40  is disposed in the casing  10  in a vertical movable manner, as shown in FIG. 2, having a lifting end  41  engaged with the gas releasable valve  31  and an engaging end  42  arranged in such a manner that when the engaging end  42  of the gas lever  40  is lifted upwardly, the lifting end  41  of the gas lever  40  lifts up the gas releasable valve  31  for releasing gas. Accordingly, the lever arm  40  has a tip  411  integrally extended from the lifting end  41  of the lever arm  40 , wherein the tip  411  is biased against a bottom of the gas releasable valve  31  to lift up the gas releasable valve  31 . 
     The piezoelectric lighter further comprises a piezoelectric unit  50 , an ignition button  60 , and a lighter cap  70 . 
     The piezoelectric unit  50 , which is disposed in the casing  10  for generating piezoelectricity, comprises a movable operating part  51  extended upwardly and an ignition tip  52  extended to a position closed to the gas emission arrangement  20  in such a manner that when the movable operating part  51  is depressed downwardly, spark is generated from the ignition tip  52  to ignite a gas emitted from the gas emission arrangement  20  at the same time. 
     The ignition button  60  is mounted on a ceiling of the casing  10  in a vertical movable manner wherein the ignition button  60  is attached to a top end of the piezoelectric unit  50  and arranged in such a manner that when the ignition button  60  is depressed downwardly, the movable operating part  51  of the piezoelectric unit  50  is depressed to ignite the piezoelectric lighter. 
     The lighter cap  70  is pivotally mounted on the ceiling of the casing  10  in a movable manner about an operation axle  701  provided in the casing  10 , as shown in FIG. 2, wherein the lighter cap  70  comprises a pivot arm  71  extended to couple with the engaging end  42  of the lever arm  40  and arranged in such a manner that when the lighter cap  70  is flipped sidewardly, the pivot arm  71  lifts up the engaging end  42  of the gas lever  40  for releasing gas. In other words, in a normal position, the gas releasable valve  31  blocks the gas releasing from the liquefied gas storage  11  until the lighter cap  70  is pivotally flipped to open with respect to the casing  10 . 
     According to the preferred embodiment, the two jet nozzles  21 ,  22  are upwardly extended to the ceiling of the casing  10  in a parallel manner, wherein the gas emitting tube  23  is also upwardly extended to the ceiling of the casing  10  and positioned between the two jet nozzles  21 ,  22  in such a manner that the ignition tip  52 , which is extended to a position closed to the jet nozzles  21 ,  22  and the gas emitting tube  23 , generates spark to ignite the emitted gases from the jet nozzles  21 ,  22  for producing jet flames and from the gas emitting tube  23  for producing a visible flame. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2,  3 A and  3 B, the gas ejecting arrangement  30  further comprises a pair of gas ejecting conduits  32 ,  33  connected from a first and a second outlet  312 ,  313  of the gas releasable valve  31  to the two jet nozzles  21 ,  22  respectively and a gas ejecting duct  34  connected from a third outlet  314  of the gas releasable valve  31  to the gas emitting tube  23 . Furthermore, the gas releasable valve  31  has an inlet  311  downwardly extended from the liquefied gas storage  11 , while the first, second and third outlets  312 ,  312 ,  314  are connected with the gas ejecting duct  34  and the gas ejecting conduits  32 ,  33  and the gas ejecting duct  34  respectively. 
     Both the gas ejecting conduits  32 ,  33  and the gas ejecting duct  34  are preferably made of flexible material such as plastic such that the gas ejecting conduits  32 ,  33  and the gas ejecting duct  34  are capable of compressing and bending to fittedly connect from the gas releasable valve  31  to the gas emission arrangement  20 . 
     According to the present invention, the diameter of the nozzle pore of each of the jet nozzles  21 ,  22  is much smaller than the diameter of the gas emitting tube  23 . Therefore, it is worth to mention that when the gas is normally discharged from the liquefied gas storage  11 , the gas passes through the gas releasable valve  31  will directly flow to the gas ejecting duct  34  to emit through the gas emitting tube  23  to produce a visible flame, as shown in FIG.  3 B. When the gas cannot pass through the gas ejecting duct  34 , the gas will detour and discharge through the gas ejecting conduits  32 ,  33  to the two jet nozzles  32 ,  33  respectively for producing two jet flames, as shown in FIG.  3 A. 
     As shown in FIGS. 3A,  3 B,  4 A, and  4 B, the piezoelectric lighter further comprises a gas regulating means  80  for selectively detouring the emitted gas from the gas ejecting arrangement  30  to the gas emission arrangement  20  through the gas ejecting duct  34  or the gas ejecting conduits  32 ,  33 . The gas regulating means  80  comprises a U-shaped locking member  81  supported in the casing  10  and securely holding the gas ejecting duct  34 , and a depressible arm  82  downwardly extended from the ignition button  60  and arranged to be driven downwardly towards the locking member  81  when the ignition button  60  is depressed downwardly to compress the gas ejecting duct  34  for blocking the gas passing therethrough. 
     Accordingly, the locking member  81  comprises an upper elastic arm  811  and a lower arm  812  defining a V-shape groove therebetween, wherein the gas ejecting duct  34  is securely held between the upper elastic arm  811  and the lower arm  812 , as shown in FIG. 4A, in such a manner that when the depressible arm  82  is driven downwardly to depress the upper elastic arm  811 , the gas ejecting duct  34  is compressed for blocking any gas passing therethrough, as shown in FIG.  4 B. 
     In order to ignite the piezoelectric lighter, the lighter cap  70  is pivotally flipped to open and lift up the engaging end  42  of the gas lever  40  for releasing gas from the liquefied gas storage  11 . Then, a downward force must be intentionally applied on the ignition button  60  to compress the piezoelectric unit  50  for generating spark and to compress the gas ejecting duct  34  between the upper elastic arm  811  and the lower arm  812  to block any gas passing therethrough at the same time, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 4B, so that the gas discharged from the gas releasable valve  31  has to emit through the gas ejecting conduits  32 ,  33 . Therefore, the spark generated from the ignition tip  52  ignites the emitted gases from the two jet nozzles  21 ,  22  through the gas ejecting conduits  32 ,  33 , as shown in FIG.  3 A. Once the downward force is released from the ignition button  60 , the compression of the gas ejection duct  34  is released and the gas releasable valve  31  will automatically switch to discharge gas to the gas emitting tube  23  through the gas ejecting duct  34  for producing the visible flame, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 4A. In other words, the piezoelectric lighter provides the two jet flames when the ignition button  60  is pressed downward and the visible flame once the ignition button  60  is rebounded back to its original position. Once the lighter cap  70  is flipped back to its original closed position, the gas releasable valve  31  drops down to its original position so as to shut the gas releasing from the liquefied gas storage  11 . 
     In view of the above disclosure of the preferred embodiment, it is apparent that the present invention can achieve the following advantages: 
     (1) The piezoelectric lighter can selectively produce either the pair of jet flames and the visible flame for lighting up a cigar, pipe, and cigarette according to a user&#39;s preference. 
     (2) The piezoelectric lighter can produce two jet flames at the same time so as to increase the burning area of the piezoelectric lighter. 
     (3) Since two flows of gas are evenly emitted from the two jet nozzles through the gas ejecting conduits respectively, the quantity of the jet flame will be double comparing with a conventional single jet flame piezoelectric lighter. Thus, the gas will be efficiently ignited from the jet nozzles to produce stronger jet flames so that no gas is wasted in the ignition process. 
     (4) The ignition process of the piezoelectric lighter only requires one single motion to selectively produce the jet flames or the visible flame for easy manipulation. In other words, the piezoelectric is advantageous in practical use.