Combustion – Correlation of fuel or power supply with component movements...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-13
2003-02-18
Yeung, James C. (Department: 3743)
Combustion
Correlation of fuel or power supply with component movements...
C431S255000, C431S344000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06520768
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The invention herein relates to a lighter structure.
2) Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional lighter, referring to
FIG. 1
, the lighter
1
has a rectangular casing section
10
, a tube
12
extending from one end of the casing section
10
, a gas receptacle
14
situated at an appropriate area inside the casing section
10
, and an electric arc generator
16
, wherein a gas valve output orifice
142
is laterally disposed at the top surface of the gas receptacle
14
, a soft tubing
144
is coupled onto the gas valve output orifice
142
, the other end of the soft tubing
144
is extended to the top end of the tube
12
and connected to the lighting section (not shown in the drawings) of the lighter
1
, a push plate
146
is pivotably situated at a suitable point of the gas receptacle
14
gas valve output orifice
142
, a mounting hole (not shown in the drawings) is formed in an appropriate position in the casing section
10
, a press section
19
projects from the casing section
10
through the mounting hole and, furthermore, the lower surface of the press section
19
is linked to the starting section
162
of the electric arc generator
16
, one electrode of the electric arc generator
16
is connected to the lighting section, and the other electrode of the electric arc generator
16
is connected to the tube
12
.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, an arresting section
2
is appropriately situated between the press section
19
and the gas receptacle
14
; the arresting section
2
has a body
20
that is pivotably situated in the casing section
10
, an actuating rod
22
aligned with the body
20
is disposed along the outer side of the casing section
10
, one end of the actuating rod
22
is inserted through the casing section
10
and conjoined to the body
20
, an elastic component
202
is installed at one side of the body
20
, and one end of the elastic component
202
is mounted inside the casing section
10
; when the actuating rod
22
is released, the rebound force of the elastic component
202
causes the actuating rod
22
to return to its original position; a connecting rod
24
is movably conjoined to one end of the body
20
near the press section
19
, a second elastic component
242
is installed on the connecting rod
24
and utilized when the connecting rod
24
is depressed, the second elastic component
242
restoring the connecting rod
24
back to its original position.
When the actuating rod
22
of the arresting section
2
is deployed, the connecting rod
24
is moved to the upper edge of the gas receptacle
14
and when the press section
19
is depressed, the connecting rod
24
impels the push plate
146
and causes gas contained in the gas receptacle
14
to flow through the soft tubing
44
to the lighting section, while the press section
19
is moved against the starting section
162
, causing the electric arc generator
16
to discharge a spark that ignites the gas at the lighting section to complete the lighting operation; when the unmoved actuating rod
22
is again deployed by the press section
19
, it is capable of causing the electric arc generator
16
to discharge a spark, but is incapable of inducing gas to flow from the gas receptacle
14
into the soft tubing
144
and thus the ignition process at the lighting section cannot be complete, though safety is ensured.
However, the inventor of the invention herein discovered that the lighter
1
is not easy to operate during actual usage due to the actuating rod
22
which cannot move the connecting rod
24
to the upper edge of the gas receptacle
14
such that when the press section
19
is depressed, only a spark is discharged by the electric arc generator
16
and the ignition process cannot be completed, resulting in numerous inconveniences and difficulties. As such, since the lighter
1
is ensured to be safe but is not convenient to utilize, effectively overcoming the drawbacks would certainly be welcomed by consumers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Although the conventional lighter is of ensured safety but has the drawback of inconvenient utilization, the inventor of the invention conducted extensive research and testing, culminating in the successful design and development of the lighter structure of the invention herein which is comprised of a casing having a lighting section at one end; a push button at the other side; a safety lock section situated at the end of the casing opposite from the push button and another safety lock section situated at the end of the casing opposite from the movement area of the push button; a movable section disposed between the push button and the casing, with the movable section and the push button capable of moving together such that the push button slides on the movable section; and an elastic component situated on the outer lateral surface of the movable section opposite from the safety lock section, with the other end of the elastic component connected to the push button; depressing the push button causes the push button to slide along the movable section and when the safety lock section separates from the other safety lock section, the push button can be depressed such that the push button impels the movable section towards the electric arc generator and the pull plate, causing the pull plate and the electric arc generator to operate simultaneously and the gas in the gas receptacle to flow through the guide tube to the lighting section, while the electric arc generator discharges a spark that ignites the gas at the lighting section; therefore, the user only needs one hand to hold the lighter and use a single finger to actuate the safety lock section to efficiently perform the lighting operation and, furthermore, in a manner that is convenient and ensured to be safe.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5829963 (1998-11-01), Ichikawa
patent: 5839892 (1998-11-01), Hwang
patent: 6146129 (2000-11-01), Li
patent: 6171099 (2001-01-01), Lin
patent: 6287109 (2001-09-01), Hirota
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Yeung James C.
LandOfFree
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