Combustion – Correlation of fuel or power supply with component movements...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-29
2002-01-08
Clarke, Sara (Department: 3743)
Combustion
Correlation of fuel or power supply with component movements...
C431S255000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06336807
ABSTRACT:
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.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6059563 (2000-05-01), Hsu
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Clarke Sara
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