Patent ID: 7060938

Claim:
A cigar lighter assembly comprising: a heating unit and a cigar lighter socket in which the heating unit is slideably received, the heating unit comprising a switch and a double-element assembly for opening the switch when an electrical heating element reaches a predetermined temperature, the socket including a socket housing sized so as to receive the heating unit therein, the double-element assembly including a bimetallic element having a first curvature at a first temperature, a metal element that is not bimetallic having a second curvature at the first temperature that is opposite the first curvature of the bimetallic element, and wherein the bimetallic element and the metal element are attached to one another at substantially a center of each element, the bimetallic element and the metal element being movable so that the metallic element is bendable into a position such that the two elements are curved to conform to each other when being heated by the heating unit to a second higher temperature, the bimetallic element reversing its curvature at the second temperature and pulling the metal element with it to open the switch, the bimetallic element thereafter on cooling back down to the first temperature assuming its first curvature opposite the second curvature of the metal element.