Patent Publication Number: US-6336807-B1

Title: Gas lighter with dual safety mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to gas lighters, and more particularly to a gas lighter with dual safety mechanism, which comprises a stop mechanism controlled by a lever to stop the ignition button of the gas lighter from triggering the electric arc generator of the gas lighter and moving the gas lever of the fuel tank in opening the fuel gas outlet. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,563 discloses a gas lighter with dual safety mechanism, which was filed on Oct. 12, 1999 and issued to the present inventor on Mar. 9, 2000. This structure of gas lighter  1 , as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a substantially rectangular handgrip  10  with a tube  12  at its one end, a fuel tank  14  and an electric arc generator  16  mounted inside the handgrip  10 . The fuel tank  14  has a gas outlet  142  connected to a gas nozzle in the tube  12  (not shown) by a gas hose  144 , and a gas lever  146  adapted to close/open the gas outlet  142 . The handgrip  10  has an opening  18 . An ignition button  19  is suspended in the handgrip  10  and partially projecting out of the opening  18 . The bottom side of the ignition button  19  faces the actuator  162  of the electric arc generator  16 . The electric arc generator  162  has a first electrode  164  connected to the gas nozzle, and a second electrode  166  connected to the tube  12 . As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stop mechanism  2  is provided between the ignition button  19  and the fuel tank  14  inside the handgrip  10 . The stop mechanism  2  comprises a base frame  20  pivoted to the handgrip  10 , a lever  22  inserted through a hole on the handgrip  10  and connected to the base frame  20 , a first spring element  202  adapted to return the base frame  20  after the lever  22  being pressed and then released, a link  24  slidably coupled to the base frame  20  and aimed at the ignition button  19 , and a second spring element  242  adapted to return the link  24  after the link  24  being pressed and then released. When turning the lever  22  of the stop mechanism  2  to move the link  24  to the fuel tank  14  and then pressing the ignition button  19 , the link  24  is forced downwards against the gas lever  146 , causing the fuel tank  14  to release fuel gas through the gas hose  144  to the gas nozzle, and at the same time the actuator  162  of the electric arc generator  16  is triggered to generate an electric arc around the gas nozzle, and therefore a flame is produced at the gas nozzle. If the lever  22  of the stop mechanism  2  is not turned to the unlocking position before pressing the ignition button  19 , the down stroke of the ignition button  19  can only trigger the electric arc generator  16  to generate an electric arc without opening the gas outlet  142  of the fuel tank  14 . However, this design is still not satisfactory in function. Because the actuator  162  of the an electric arc generator  16  will be triggered when pressing the ignition button  19  without turning the lever  22  of the stop mechanism  2  to the unlocking position, the gas lighter  1  is still not safe in use. When a child plays with the gas lighter and presses the ignition button  19  by an accident, an electric arc will be produced, and the child may be injured by the electric arc. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. According to one aspect of the present invention, the gas lighter comprises a stop mechanism disposed between the ignition button and fuel tank of the gas lighter and adapted to stop the ignition button from triggering the electric arc generator of the gas lighter and moving the gas lever of the fuel tank in opening the fuel gas outlet. The stop mechanism comprises a base frame, two spring-supported links slidably mounted on the base frame and adapted for pressing by the ignition button to press the electric arc generator and the gas lever, and a lever extended from the base frame to the outside of the gas lighter for turning by hand to move the links in and out of the working position. According to another aspect of the present invention, if the gas lever is not turned to move the links to the working position, the ignition button does not drive the actuator of the electric arc generator and the gas lever of the fuel tank when pressed, and therefore neither electric arc is produced nor fuel gas is discharged out of the fuel tank at this time. Because no electric arc is produced when pressing the ignition button before turning the lever of the stop mechanism to move the links to the working position, the gas lighter will not be triggered to generate an electric arc by an accident. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plain view of a gas lighter according to the prior art. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view in an enlarged scale of a part of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a gas lighter according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a part of the present invention, showing the arrangement of the stop mechanism, the ignition button, the fuel tank and the electric arc generator inside the handgrip. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing the operation of the present invention (I). 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing the operation of the present invention (II). 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. From  3  through  6 , a gas lighter  3  comprises a stop mechanism  6  disposed between the ignition button  4  and fuel tank  5  thereof. When turning the lever  62  of the stop mechanism  6  to move first and second links  64  and  64 ′ of the stop mechanism  6  toward the electric arc generator  7  of the gas lighter  3  and the gas lever  52  of the fuel tank  5  and then pressing the ignition button  4 , the second link  64 ′ is pressed on the gas lever  52  causing fuel gas to flow out of the fuel tank  5  to the metal gas nozzle  34  of the gas lighter  3 , and at the same time the second link  64 ′ is pressed on the actuator  72  of the electric arc generator  7 , causing the electric arc generator  7  to discharge an electric arc around the gas nozzle  34 , and therefore fuel gas is burned at the fuel gas outlet of the gas nozzle  34 . If the lever  62  of the stop mechanism  6  is not turned to the aforesaid position, pressing the ignition button  4  does not actuate the gas lighter  3 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3 again, the gas lighter  3  comprises a substantially rectangular handgrip  30 , and a cylindrical metal casing  32  longitudinally extended from one end (the short side) of the rectangular handgrip  30 . The cylindrical metal casing  32  has a plurality of air vents  322  spaced around the periphery of the free end (the end remote from the handgrip  30 ) corresponding to the gas nozzle  34 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 again, the fuel tank  5  is mounted within the handgrip  30  at one side remote from the tube  32 . The gas lever  52  is pivoted to the fuel gas outlet stopper  54  of the fuel tank  5 . The fuel gas outlet  54  is connected to the gas nozzle  34  by a hose  56 . When the gas lever  52  is pressed, the fuel gas outlet stopper  54  is pulled to open the fuel gas outlet of the fuel tank  5 , enabling fuel gas to flow through the hose  56  to the gas nozzle  34 . A regulator  58  is disposed adjacent to the gas lever  52  and partially projecting out of the handgrip  30  for rotation by hand to regulate the flow rate of fuel gas passing through the hose  56 . The electric arc generator  7  is mounted inside the handgrip  30  adjacent to the fuel tank  5 . The actuator  72  of the electric arc generator  7  is disposed adjacent to the gas lever  52 . One electrode  74  of the electric arc generator  7  is connected to the gas nozzle  34 . The other electrode  76  of the electric arc generator  7  is connected to the cylindrical metal casing  32 . When triggering the actuator  72 , an electric arc is produced between the gas nozzle  34  and the cylindrical casing  32 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 again, the handgrip  30  has a through hole  36  near the cylindrical casing  32 . The ignition button  4  has one end extended into the through hole  36 , and the other end supported on spring means, for example, a compression spring  42 . The compression spring  42  pushes the ignition button  4  back to its former position after being pressed. The ignition button  4  comprises two press rods  44  respectively aimed at the actuator  72  and the gas lever  52 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4 again, the stop mechanism  6  comprises a base frame  60  pivoted to the inside of the handgrip  30 , and spring means, for example, a torsional spring  602  connected between the handgrip  30  and the base frame  60 . The handgrip  30  has an opening  302 . The lever  62  of the stop mechanism  6  is inserted through the opening  302  and connected to the base frame  60 , and can be turned within the opening  302 . The torsional spring  602  pushes the base frame  60  and the lever  62  to their former positions after being pressed by the ignition button  4 . The links  64  and  64 ′ are disposed adjacent to the ignition button  4 , each having two end blocks  642  at two distal ends. Two spring elements, for example, compression springs  644  are respectively mounted on the links  64  and  64 ′ . Each compression spring  644  has one end stopped at one end block  642  of the link  64  or  64 ′, and the other end stopped at the base frame  60 . The compression springs  644  push the links  64  and  64 ′ back to their former positions after the links  64  and  64 ′ having been pressed and then released. 
     Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 again, when turning the lever  62  to move the links  64  and  64 ′ to the actuator  72  and the gas lever  52 , the ignition button  4  is pressed to force the press rods  44  against the links  64  and  64 ′, causing the links  64  and  64 ′ to press the actuator  72  and the gas lever  52  respectively, and therefore the fuel gas outlet stopper  54  is pulled to open the fuel gas outlet of the fuel tank  5 , enabling fuel gas to flow through the hose  56  to the gas nozzle  34 , and at the same time the electric arc generator  7  is triggered to discharge an electric arc around the gas nozzle  34  in burning discharged fuel gas at the gas nozzle  34 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4 again, if the lever  62  of the stop mechanism  6  is not turned to move the links  64  and  64 ′ to the actuator  72  and the gas lever  52 , pressing the ignition button  4  does not cause the press rods  44  to press the links  64  and  64 ′ against the actuator  72  and the gas lever  52 , and therefore the electric arc generator  7  neither produces sound nor generates an electric arc and the fuel tank  5  does not provide fuel gas to the gas nozzle  34 , i.e., the gas lighter  3  does no work at this time. 
     If a child plays with the gas lighter  3  and presses the ignition button  4 , the gas lighter  3  does not produce an electric arc around the gas nozzle  34 . Therefore, the gas lighter  3  is safe in use. 
     While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications and changes could be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed.