Patent Publication Number: US-6217313-B1

Title: Childproof barbecue lighter

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a barbecue lighter, and more particularly to a childproof barbecue lighter for preventing under age children from the usage of the barbecue lighter. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     Most accidental fires were started by the ignorant usage of the lighter, especially by the young children. So, nowadays, both U.S. government and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission demand a safety device in every lighter including the barbecue lighter to prevent unwanted ignition accidentally or by a child. 
     Conventional barbecue lighter comprises a lock switch for locking up the ignition trigger so as to prevent the ignition trigger of the lighter from accidentally being depressed thereby causing an unintended ejection. To ignite the lighter, user must turn the lock switch aside to unlock the safety switch. User may repeat the step of unlocking the lock switch many times until he or she ignites a fire in certain condition. However, if the user forgets to re-lock the safety switch after ignition, the lock switch will not be functioned. 
     Moreover, such barbecue lighter with the lock switch employed cannot stop children from igniting it. Usually, the lock switch is simply placed at the side of the lighter. In most cases, children can easily figure out how to ignite theses barbecue lighters by switching the lock switch to its unlock position. The adults may frequently forget to re-lock the lock switch after each ignition. So, the existing barbecue lighters are not really safe enough to prevent under age children from using the barbecue lighters. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     A main object of the present invention is to provide a childproof barbecue lighter for preventing under age children from using the barbecue lighter. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a childproof barbecue lighter wherein the barbecue lighter is normally maintained in a locking position, so as to prevent any unwanted ignition of the lighter. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a childproof barbecue lighter wherein the ignition of the barbecue lighter of the present invention requires a simple single-action operation by an adult&#39;s finger instead of or in addition to the conventional double-action operation. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a childproof barbecue lighter wherein the locker device does not require to change the original structural design of the barbecue lighter, so as to minimize the manufacturing cost of incorporating the locker device with every conventional barbecue lighter having a pusher button. 
     Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a barbecue lighter, comprising: 
     a casing having a liquefied gas cavity and a pusher cavity provided therein; 
     a liquefied gas container being received in the liquefied gas cavity to provide liquefied gas through a gas emitting nozzle mounted on top of the liquefied gas container; 
     an elongated nozzle tube extended from the casing and contains a gas tube therein, wherein the gas tube is extended from the gas emitting nozzle to a distal end of the elongated nozzle tube to form an ignition tip; 
     a piezoelectric unit, which is disposed in the pusher cavity of the casing for generating piezoelectricity, comprising a movable operating part extended therefrom and a spark generating tip which is extended to the distal end of the elongated nozzle tube to produce sparks towards the ignition tip to ignite the gas emitted from the ignition tip; 
     a pusher button which is disposed in the pusher cavity of the casing in a vertically movable manner and attached on the movable operating part of the piezoelectric unit so as to operatively connect to the piezoelectric unit, wherein the pusher button is also operatively connected to the gas emitting nozzle via a gas lever; and 
     a locker device being installed inside the pusher cavity of the casing for blocking up the pusher button in a downward movable manner so as to lock up the pusher button for ignition, wherein the locker device comprises 
     a lock button being movably supported on the pusher button which has a through slot provided thereon, the lock button being slidably fitted in the through slot in such a manner that the lock button is movable with respect to the pusher button, the lock button further comprising a locking arm integrally and downwardly extended into the pusher cavity through the through slot in such a manner that the lock button is arranged to drive the locking arm to move from a normally locking position to an unlocked position, 
     a stopper which is provided in the pusher cavity and positioned right under the locking arm of the locker device while the locker device is in the locking position so that the locker device is blocked by the stopper for any downward movement so as to stop the pusher button from any downward movement by blocking up the locking arm of the locker device, and 
     a resilient element, which is disposed in the pusher cavity, for applying an urging pressure against the locking arm, so as to normally retain the locker device at the locking position, wherein at the locking position, the locking arm is downwardly extended and stopped by the stopper for blocking up the pusher button from being pushed downwardly so as to lock up the pusher button from ignition, and that at the unlocked position, the locking arm is moved offset from the stopper such that the pusher button is capable of being pushed downwardly to ignite the childproof barbecue lighter. 
     Whereby, in order to ignite the childproof barbecue lighter, an adult user&#39;s must move the locker device from the normal locking position to the unlocked position by sliding the lock button to drive the locking arm to move away from the stopper, i.e. the side wall of the piezoelectric unit. The user has to apply holding force to the lock button so as to retain the locker device in such unlocked position and then, at the same time, the user must further apply a downward pushing force to push down the pusher button to compress the piezoelectric unit for striking sparks and ignite the barbecue lighter. When the pushing force applied on the pusher button is released, the compressed piezoelectric unit will rebound to its original condition which pushes the pusher button back to its original position. Automatically, the compressed resilient element will also rebound and push the locking arm back to its original locking position. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a childproof barbecue lighter according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the childproof barbecue lighter according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the lock button being mounted on the pusher button. 
     FIG. 3 is a partially sectional view of the childproof barbecue lighter, during a locking condition, according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a partially sectional view of the childproof barbecue lighter, during an unlocking condition, 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 childproof barbecue lighter  1  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The childproof barbecue lighter  1  comprises a casing  10  having a liquefied gas cavity  101  and a pusher cavity  102  provided therein, wherein a liquefied gas container  11  is received in the liquefied gas cavity  101  to provide liquefied gas through a gas emitting nozzle  20  mounted on top of the liquefied gas container  11 . 
     The childproof barbecue lighter  1  further comprises an elongated nozzle tube  30 , a piezoelectric unit  40  and a pusher button  50 . The elongated nozzle tube  30  is extended from the casing  10  and contains a gas tube  31  therein. The gas tube  31  is extended from the gas emitting nozzle  20  to a distal end  32  of the elongated nozzle tube  30  to form an ignition tip  21 . 
     The piezoelectric unit  40 , which is disposed in the pusher cavity  102  of the casing  10  for generating piezoelectricity, comprises a movable operating part  41  extended therefrom and a spark generating tip  42 . The spark generating tip  42  is extended to the distal end  32  of the elongated nozzle tube  30  to produce sparks towards the ignition tip  21  to ignite the gas emitted from the ignition tip  21 . 
     The pusher button  50  is disposed in the pusher cavity  102  of the casing  10  in a vertically movable manner and attached on the movable operating part  41  of the piezoelectric unit  40  so as to operatively connect to the piezoelectric unit  40 . The pusher button  50  is also operatively connected to the gas emitting nozzle  20  via a gas lever  22 . Accordingly, when the pusher button  50  is pushed downward, the movable operating part  41  of the piezoelectric unit  40  is compressed for generating piezoelectricity through and out the spark generating tip  42 . At the same time, the gas level  22  is simultaneously pressed by the pusher button  50  to release gas through the gas emitting nozzle  20 , the gas tube  31  and the ignition tip  21 , in which the releasing gas will be ignited by striking spark transmitted from the spark generating tip  42 . 
     The casing  10  generally further has a finger guide  45  extended around the pusher button  50  so as to define a finger loop  451  therein fitting a user&#39;s finger engaged therethrough to guide and press the pusher button  50 . Also, a flame regulator  13  is encircled the gas emitting nozzle  20  and controlled the flow of gas through the gas emitting nozzle  20 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 to  4 , the childproof barbecue lighter  1  further comprises a locker device  6 , which comprises a lock button  60 , a stopper  70 , and a resilient element  80 . The locker device  6  is installed inside the pusher cavity  102  of the casing  10  for blocking up the pusher button  50  in a downward movable manner so as to lock up the pusher button  50  for ignition. 
     The lock button  60  is movably supported on the pusher button  50  which has a through slot  52  provided thereon. The lock button  60  is slidably fitted in the through slot  52  in such a manner that the lock button  60  is movable with respect to the pusher button  50 . The lock button  60  further comprises a locking arm  61  integrally and downwardly extended into the pusher cavity  102  through the through slot  52  in such a manner that the lock button  60  is arranged to drive the locking arm  61  to move from a normally locking position (as shown in FIG. 3) to an unlocked position (as shown in FIG.  4 ). 
     The locker device  6  is arranged to construct as a part of the pusher button  50  in such a manner that the locker device  6  and the pusher button  50  are movable together in vertical direction. In other words, when the locker device  6  is locked up at the locking, the pusher button  50  is blocked and cannot be pushed downward to compress the piezoelectric unit  40  for generating piezoelectricity. When the lock device  6  is unlocked to the unlocked position, the blocking of the pusher button  50  is released and the pusher button  50  and the locker device  6  can be pushed downward together to press the piezoelectric unit  40  for generating piezoelectricity and operate the gas emitting nozzle  20  to release gas. 
     The stopper  70  is provided in the pusher cavity  102  and positioned right under the locking arm  61  of the locker device  6  while it is in the locking position so that the locker device  6  is blocked by stopper  70  for any downward movement so as to stop the pusher button  50  from any downward movement by blocking up the locking arm  61  of the locker device  6 . 
     The resilient element  80 , which is disposed in the pusher cavity  102 , for applying an urging pressure against the locking arm  61 , so as to normally retain the locker device  6  at the locking position. At the locking position, the locking arm  61  is downwardly extended and stopped by the stopper  70  for blocking up the pusher button  50  from being pushed downwardly so as to lock up the pusher button  50  from ignition, and that at the unlocked position, the locking arm  61  is moved offset from the stopper  70  such that the pusher button  50  is capable of being pushed downwardly to ignite the childproof barbecue lighter  1 . 
     According to the preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in order to minimize the manufacturing cost of the childproof barbecue lighter  1 , a side wall  43  of the piezoelectric unit  40  is constructed as the stopper  70 . It is because the piezoelectric unit  40  is positioned right below the pusher button  50  so that no additional part is needed to add into the casing  10 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, according to the preferred embodiment, the locking arm  61  has a predetermined length and is extended downwardly enough from the lock button  60  until its bottom end reaches a top edge of the side wall  43  of the piezoelectric unit  40 , so that the side wall  43  substantially blocks up any downwardly movement of the locker device  6  as well as the pusher button  50 . 
     The resilient element  80 , according to the preferable embodiment of the present invention, is a compression spring, which is horizontally disposed in the pusher cavity  102  and is provided between the locking arm  61  and an operating wall  51  of the pusher button  50 , wherein the operating wall  51  is positioned adjacent to the locking arm  61  and arranged for pressing the gas lever  20  while the pusher button  50  is pushed down. The resilient element  80  is biasing against the locking arm  61  and the operate wall  51  of the pusher button  50  by attaching a first end thereof to the locking arm  61  and a second end thereof to the operating wall  51 . Accordingly, the resilient element  80  will normally urge and retain the locking arm  61  in the locking position that the bottom end of the locking arm  61  is extended to rest on the top edge of the side wall  43  of the piezoelectric unit  40 , so as to block up any downward movement of the locker device  6  for blocking up the pusher button  50  from being pushed downwardly, so as to lock up the pusher button  50  from ignition. 
     In other words, the pusher button  50  is always locked up by the locker device  6  from ignition. 
     Moreover, the locker device  6  of the childproof barbecue lighter  1  further comprises a first holder  81  and a second holder  82  for holding the resilient element  80  in position so as to secure the two ends of the resilient element  80  to bias against the locking arm  61  and the operate wall  51  of the pusher button  50 . The first holder  81  is a first spring housing perpendicularly provided on the locking arm  61  to receive the first end of the resilient element  80  and the second holder  82  is a second spring housing perpendicularly provided on the operating wall  51  of the pusher button  50  to receive the second end of the resilient element  80 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4 of the drawing, in order to ignite the childproof barbecue lighter  1 , an adult user&#39;s must move the locker device  6  from the normal locking position to the unlocked position by sliding the lock button  60  to drive the locking arm  61  to move away from the stopper  70 , i.e. the side wall  43  of the piezoelectric unit  40 . The user has to apply holding force to the lock button  60  so as to retain the locker device  6  in such unlocked position and then, at the same time, the user must further apply a downward pushing force to push down the pusher button  50  to compress the piezoelectric unit  40  for striking sparks and ignite the barbecue lighter  1 . 
     When the pushing force applied on the pusher button  50  is released, the compressed piezoelectric unit  40  will rebound to its original condition which pushes the pusher button  50  back to its original position. Automatically, the compressed resilient element  80  will also rebound and push the locking arm  61  back to its original locking position.