Patent Publication Number: US-2022211028-A1

Title: Portable Flame Propelling Device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to flame propelling devices and more particularly pertains to a new flame propelling device for deterring an attack by an animal. The present invention discloses a flame propelling device comprising a non-pressurized vessel, and in particular a non-pressurized vessel engaged to a pump for pumping an alcohol solution from the vessel. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to flame propelling devices. Prior art flame propelling devices may comprise tanks containing petroleum based flammable liquids, either under pressure or in combination with a propellent, and an ignition source, which may be piezoelectric. What is lacking in the prior art is a flame propelling device comprising a non-pressurized vessel, and in particular a non-pressurized vessel engaged to a pump for pumping an alcohol solution from the vessel. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a vessel, which has an opening positioned in a top thereof so that the vessel is configured for having positioned therein a flammable liquid. A handle is engaged to the vessel and extends from the opening. The handle is configured to be grasped in a hand of a user. A nozzle is engaged to the handle and extends therefrom. 
     A pumping unit is operationally engaged to and is in fluidic communication with the nozzle and the vessel. The pumping unit is configured to propel the flammable liquid from the vessel through the nozzle. An igniter engaged to the handle proximate to the nozzle is configured to ignite the flammable liquid passing through the nozzle. An actuator engaged to the handle is operationally engaged to the pumping unit and the igniter. The actuator is configured to be engaged by a digit of the hand of the user to selectively actuate the pumping unit and the igniter so that a flame is propelled from the nozzle to deter an attack by an animal, such as a bear, lion, dog, or human. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric perspective view of a portable flame propelling device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, a new flame propelling device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the portable flame propelling device  10  generally comprises a vessel  12 , which has an opening  14  positioned in a top  16  thereof so that the vessel  12  is configured to have positioned therein a flammable liquid  18 . The flammable liquid  18  may comprise an alcohol  20 , such as, but not limited to, ethyl alcohol  22 . The ethyl alcohol  22  comprises at least 91 percent by volume of the flammable liquid  18 . 
     A handle  24  is engaged to the vessel  12  and extends from the opening  14 . The handle  24  is configured to be grasped in a hand of a user. The handle  24  is tubular and has a lower end  26 . The handle  24  is internally threaded proximate to the lower end  26 . A neck  28  is engaged to the vessel  12  and extends from the opening  14 , the neck  28  is externally threaded. The handle  24  is positioned for selective threaded insertion of the neck  28  into the lower end  26  so that the handle  24  is removably engaged to the vessel  12 . 
     A pumping unit  30  is operationally engaged to and is in fluidic communication with a nozzle  32  and the vessel  12 . The nozzle  32  is engaged to and extends from the handle  24 . The pumping unit  30  is configured to propel the flammable liquid  18  from the vessel  12  through the nozzle  32 . 
     The pumping unit  30  may comprise a spray bottle pump  34 , which is operationally engaged to and in fluidic communication with a first tube  36  and a second tube  38 . The spray bottle pump  34  is positioned in the handle  24 . The first tube  36  extends from the spray bottle pump  34  to proximate to a bottom  40  of the vessel  12 . The second tube  38  extends from the spray bottle pump  34  to proximate to the nozzle  32 . The present invention also anticipates the pumping unit  30  comprising other pumping means, such as, but not limited to, diaphragm pumps, screw pumps, and the like. 
     An igniter  42  engaged to the handle  24  proximate to the nozzle  32  is configured to ignite the flammable liquid  18  passing through the nozzle  32 . The igniter  42  may comprise a piezoelectric element  44 , which is operationally engaged to a pair of electrical contacts  46 . The igniter  42  may comprise other igniting means, such as, but not limited to, percussion-type sparking devices and the like. The piezoelectric element  44  is engaged to and positioned within the handle  24 . The electrical contacts  46  are engaged to the handle  24  proximate to the nozzle  32 . The flammable liquid  18  propelled by the pumping unit  30  from the vessel  12  passes proximate to a spark gap  48  defined by the pair of electrical contacts  46 . 
     An actuator  50  engaged to the handle  24  is operationally engaged to the pumping unit  30  and the igniter  42 . The actuator  50  is configured to be engaged by a digit of the hand of the user to selectively actuate the pumping unit  30  and the igniter  42  so that a flame is propelled from the nozzle  32  to deter an attack by an animal, such as a bear, lion, dog, human, or the like. 
     The actuator  50  may comprise a lever  52 , which is hingedly engaged to the handle  24 . The lever  52  is configured to be selectively levered, by action of one or more digits of the hand of the user, so that the lever  52  engages the spray bottle pump  34  to propel the flammable liquid  18  from the vessel  12  through the nozzle  32 . Levering of the lever  52  also causes it to contact the piezoelectric element  44  to generate an electric current that flows across the spark gap  48  to heat and ignite the flammable liquid  18 . A flame thus is propelled from the nozzle  32  to discourage an attack by the animal. The present invention also anticipates the actuator  50  comprising other actuating means, such as, but not limited to, switches, depressible buttons, and the like. 
     In use, the portable flame propelling device  10  can be carried by a user and employed as required to deter an attack by an animal. The handle  24  is grasped in the hand of the user with digits of the hand positioned on the lever  52 . When the lever  52  is pulled toward the handle  24 , the pumping unit  30  and the igniter  42  are selectively actuated so that a flame is propelled from the nozzle  32 . A flame is generated each time the lever  52  is pulled, allowing the user to control how often a flame is propelled from the nozzle  32 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.