Lighter with high-voltage discharge control

Details Lighter with high-voltage discharge control Lighter with high-voltage discharge control

2002-09-24

2004-02-17

Basichas, Alfred (Department: 3749)

Combustion

Correlation of fuel or power supply with component movements...

C431S255000, C431S256000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06692248

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lighter with high-voltage discharge control.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In the existing gas lighter of discharge-spark type, the combustible gas from a nozzle is ignited by the spark generated from the discharge between a high-voltage electrode and the nozzle that functions as a grounded electrode. The lighter will be ignited and as a result flame will be generated when an actuator button is pressed and a high-voltage discharge occurs between the nozzle and the high-voltage electrode. Any unintentional or error operation, an operation by a child or accidental collision by a hard article will easily ignite the lighter and thus generate flame, thereby hurting the child or even endangering the public safety. Such a lighter is not perfect in safety.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The problem to be solved and the technical object proposed by the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned technical defects of the prior art, and to provide a lighter with high-voltage discharge control between the gas nozzle and the high-voltage electrode, such that the combustible gas can not be ignited when the actuator button is pressed in non-operation condition, thereby obtaining a lighter with higher safety.
The above object can be fulfilled by a lighter with high-voltage discharge control according to the present invention, which comprises: a fuel tank, a piezo-electric device and a gas outlet device disposed inside the fuel tank, and a windscreen surmounting the outlet device, wherein the piezo-electric device is comprised of a piezo-electric block, an actuator button associated with said piezo-electric block and a conducting wire, one end of which, as high-voltage electrode, is connected to the piezo-electric block and the other end of which is disposed at the upper portion of the fuel tank, and said gas outlet device comprises an outlet valve and a nozzle, characterized in that inside the windscreen are provided with a conductor element which can be positioned close to the high-voltage electrode, and a control element connected to the conductor element, the control element is also connected to the gas outlet device. In a non-operation condition where the conductor element is positioned adjacent to the high-voltage electrode, when the actuator button is pressed the discharge occurs between the conductor element and the high-voltage electrode rather than between the nozzle and the high-voltage electrode, thus no spark will be generated at the nozzle and the lighter will not be ignited, whereby the safety of the lighter is greatly increased. In an operation condition where the conductor element is turned away from the high-voltage electrode to enable the discharge between the nozzle and the high-voltage electrode to generate whereby igniting the lighter. The control element is provided to rotate the conductor element for making the same away from or close to the high-voltage electrode such that the discharge between the gas nozzle and the high-voltage electrode can take place or not.
In the lighter with high-voltage control according to the present invention, a return spring for resetting the control element is placed on and around the core of the gas outlet or release valve, so as to ensure the safety of the lighter in the non-operation condition, one end of the return spring is connected to the fuel tank and the other end of the return spring is disposed on a positioning rod of the control element or directly fixed to the control element.
According to one aspect of the lighter with the high-voltage discharge control in accordance with the present invention, the conductor has a free end which is arranged between the high-voltage electrode and the gas nozzle and can be positioned close to the high-voltage electrode; the other end of the conductor is connected to the control element or is integral with the return spring. The conductor element is made of metal wire, which has an upper portion in the form of an arc and a lower portion in a line shape. The conductor element can also be made of metal sheet with an arc form.
According to another aspect of the lighter with high-voltage discharge control, the control element is provided with a protrusion that is located in a cutout of the windscreen.
The lighter according to the present invention has a simple structure and can be easily operated. The discharge between the nozzle and the high-voltage electrode can be controlled by the conductor element, such that in the non-operation condition, even when the actuator button is pressed no discharge will occur between the high-voltage electrode and the gas nozzle and thus the gas will not be ignited, therefore, the safety of the lighter is greatly improved.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3832127 (1974-08-01), Moriya
patent: 4149843 (1979-04-01), Heller et al.
patent: 5839892 (1998-11-01), Hwang
patent: 6086358 (2000-07-01), Potskhishvili et al.
patent: 6422860 (2002-07-01), Sung
patent: 2002/0061486 (2002-05-01), Huang

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