GB2247308A - Heated wire catalytic lighter - Google Patents

Abstract

In a heated wire type of catalytic lighter a fuel gas fed through a feed pipe 3 from a fuel tank (4) and mixed with air from inlet 8 contacts a catalyst-carrying wire (35) heated by power fed from an electric cell (5) for setting 4 on fire in an ignitor mouth (20), a fuel gas injection nozzle (17) at the upper end of the fuel gas feed pipe (3) and having a radial array of multiple fuel gas holes (16) is provided around a cap or top wall (9) of said nozzle, said catalyst-carrying wire (35) extending across and just above the central portion of said cap or top wall. The top wall comprises a cruciform slot (12) and a hole (11) in which is mounted an inverted conical member (5). <IMAGE>

Description

CELL-EATED TYPE OF CATALYTIC LIGHTER The present invention relates to a cell-heated type of catalytic lighter including an ignitor designed to set on fire when a fuel gas fed out of a fuel tank comes along with air into contact with a catalyst-carrying wire powered and heated by a cell.

In the present disclosure, the term "main streams is understood to mean gas streams jetting straight and vigorously from an injector at high speed, and the term "side streams or di stribut aries'1 gas streams flowing away from the main streams and serpentining feebly at low speed.

With some of conventional cell-heated types of catalytic lighters wherein catalyst-carrying wires are provided at positions where they come into direct contact with the main streams, ignition is difficult to occur because the catalyst wires, heated to an ignitable temperature by cell power, are cooled in the gas streams.

For this and other reasons, it has been proposed, as set forth in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No.

76737/1985, to allow the main streams to collide with a baffle member (a heater shown at 4 in that publication) to attenuate it for the next contact with a catalytic member.

However, such conventional systems are not always well-ignitable, often failing to set on fire. Even if this is the case, catalytic lighters conventionally available are still far from satisfactory.

Another drawback of the above-mentioned heated-type of catalytic ignitor is that its failure in setting on fire is often caused by premature fuel feeding after the catalyst has been heated.

Having made intensive studies on how to make lighters well-ignitable, the present inventor has unexpectedly found that it is achievable by providing a catalyst-carrying wire on a position where the distributaries are joining together.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a novel cell-heated type of catalytic lighter made wellignitable by a lighter design wherein a catalyst line is located within the junction of the distributaries.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel cell-heated type of catalytic lighter designed such that the operation of a control button and the opening of a covering lid can be continuously done with one finger and in one action.

According to this invention, the above-mentioned first object is achieved by the provision of a cell-heated type of catalytic lighter in which a fuel gas fed out of a fuel tank is allowed to come along air into contact with a catalyst-carrying wire heated by power fed from a cell for setting on fire in an ignitor hole, wherein a fuel gas injection nozzle is attached to the upper end of a fuel gas feed pipe connected to said fuel tank, and a radial array of multiple fuel gas injection holes is located around a ceiling wall of said nozzle, said catalyst-carrying wire extending across a position located just above said ceiling wall and as close to the central portion of said ceiling wall as possible.

The above-mentioned second object is accomplished by the provision of a cell-heated type of catalytic lighter as recited in the first aspect of this invention, which further includes a covering lid for said ignitor mouth and a control button, said lid being designed to supply power upon opened and said control button being designed to be such operated as to supply fuel gas, and vice versa.

The side streams flowing away from the main streams are joined together on the ceiling wall of the nozzle to increase the amount of the surrounding gas and the quantity of air to be mixed. Hence, the catalyst-carrying wire is kept in a well-ignitable state.

In order to set on fire, the user may handle the control button with the same finger as that used for opening the covering lid. For putting out the fire, the user may remove his or her finger off the control button and close the covering lid with the same finger.

With the heated type of catalytic lighter according to this invention, as constructed above the catalystcarrying wire is sufficiently heated during time of removing the finger from the covering lid to the control button when the lighter is used in such a manner as mentioned above.

After that, the gas fuel fed and air come in contact with the heated catalyst wire. In other words, the contact of the fuel gas with the catalyst wire is always delayed by the length of time during which the finger is removed from the covering lid to the control button. Thus, it is quite unlikely that any ignition failure may be caused by premature feeding of fuel, as often found in the abovementioned prior art.

In the case of the ignition mode making use of the means for feeding power by the operation of the control button and the means for supplying fuel gas by opening the covering lid, the catalyst-carrying wire is sufficiently heated for the time of the actuation of the control button to the supply of fuel by opening the covering lid. After that, the fuel gas supplied and air come in contact with the heated catalyst wire. Thus, it is quite unlikely that any ignition failure may be caused by premature feeding of fuel, as often found in the above-mentioned prior art.

In addition, since the control button is provided to a position of the covering lid which a finger is to be touch, the operation of the control button and the opening of the covering lid can be continuously done with one finger and in one action, thus making the present lighter easy to handle.

For a better understanding of this invention, reference will now be made to some preferred embodiments of this invention, by way of example alone, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional view showing an important part of a first embodiment of the cell-heated type of catalystic lighter according to this invention, Figure 2 is a sectional view of that embodiment wherein the covering lid is pivoted open, Figure 3 is a sectional view of that embodiment wherein the control button is in a depressed state, Figure 4 is an electric circuit diagram, Figure 5 is a schematic view showing gas streams, Figure 6 is a sectional view of an important part of a second embodiment of this invention that is partly similar to but partly different from the first embodiment, and Figure 7 is a sectional view of an important part of the second embodiment wherein the ignitor is set on fire.

Referring ngw to Figures 1 to 5, there is shown one preferred embodiment of this invention, including within a casing 1 a fuel tank 4 having a fuel gas feed pipe 3 with a built-in valve which, although not illustrated, is opened by a rod 2 and closed by a built-in spring (not shown), and a cell - shown at 5 - loader chamber 6. The fuel gas input pipe 3 is connected at its upper end with a short pipe 8 including an air intake hole 7. which is in turn connected at its upper end with a mouth piece 10 having a truncatedconical, ceiling wall 9. This ceiling wall 9 of the piece 10 is provided with a small hole 11 and a cruciform slit 12, the center of which is located in the hole 11. Fitted in the small hole 11 is an umbrella member 15 having an inverted-conical portion 14 at the lower edge of a prop 13, thereby defining a fuel gas injector nozzle 17 having a nozzle hole 16.

Joined to the injector nozzle 17 is a cylindrical, two-layered hood 18, the upper edge of which is in turn connected to the edge of an ignitor mouth 20 formed in the casing 1 through an edge fitting 21. At a vertically intermediate height of the hood 18, there is positioned a lower net baffle member 22 extending just above and across the umbrella member 15. At an upper end portion of the hood 18, there is positioned an upper net baffle member 23 extending just below and across the ignitor mouth 20.

Over the ceiling wall of the outer case 1, there is provided a covering, lid 25 of an ignitor mouth 20, having at one end a downward leg 26, which terminates in the casing 1.

This leg 26 is pivotally supported at its lower end portion by a shaft pin 27 to pivot the covering lid 25 to open or to close, and has at its lowermost end a downward extention, which includes a movable shaft 28 at its one end and a fixed shaft 29 at its end in association with the movable shaft 28. A rod 31 extensible or contractable by a spring 30 is locked at its both ends by the movable and fixed shafts 28 and 29. Thus, when the movable shaft 28 is positioned inwardly of a line that connects the shaft pin 27 with the fixed shaft 29, the lid 25 remains open by the force of the spring 30 (Figure 2), whereas when it is positioned outwardly of that line, the lid 25 is kept closed.

Within the casing 1, there is provided a microswitch 33 in the vicinity of the extensible rod 31. This switch is fixed in place with its working rod 34 being in operable association with the extensible rod 31.

A catalyst-carrying line 35 is located at a position above the lower net baffle member 22, opposite to the top surface of the umbrella member 15 and as close to that top surface as possible. As can be best seen in Figure 4, the microswitch 33, the catalyst line 35 and the cell 5 are connected to each other in series. As the extensible rod 31 is moved by the force with which the lid 25 is pivoted open, the microswitch 33 is turned on (Figure 2). When the extensible rod 31 i,s moved by the force with which the lid 25 is shut, the microswitch 33 is turned off (Figure 1).

On the outside of the casing 1, there is provided a vertically displaceable button, although not illustrated.

This button is integrally provided at its inward end with an engagement 36, which is positioned on the working end of the above-mentioned rod 2. As illustrated in Figure 3, giving a downward push to the button causes the engagement 36 to go down, whereby the rod 2 swings to open the valve on the fuel gas feed pipe 3. As can be best seen from Figure 2, removal of the downward push from the button causes the button to ascend to the original position under the action of a return spring 37, during which the rod 2 also returns to the initial position by a valve closure spring (not shown) incorporated in the fuel gas feed pipe 3.

In Figures 1 to 5, reference numerals 38, 39, 40 and 41 stand for a stopper, a vent, a fulcrum and a heatresistant insulator, respectively.

The first embodiment of this invention is characterized by including a fuel gas injection nozzle 17 having a radial array of multiple nozzle holes 16 arranged around a ceiling wall 9 connected to the upper end of a fuel gas feed pipe 3, and a catalyst-carrying line 35 positioned just above the ceiling wall 9 of the nozzle 17 and as close to its central position as possible. Thus, as shown in Figure 5, the side streams 44, flowing away from the main streams 43 as mucq as those leaving the nozzle holes 16 (four main streams in the first embodiment, but only two main streams in Figure 5), join together on the ceiling wall 9 of the nozzle 17 to increase the amount of the surrounding gas and the amount of air to be mixed therewith. Hence, the catalyst wire is improved in terms of ignitability.

Another embodiment of this invention will now be explained with reference to Figures 6 and 7, wherein the same parts as referred to in the first embodiment are shown by the same reference numerals, and their explanations are omitted.

A short pipe 8 is connected at its upper end with a fuel gas injection nozzle 17, to which joined is a cylindrical, two-layered hood 41, the upper edge of which is in turn connected to the edge of an ignitor mouth 20 formed in a casing 1 through an edge fitting 21. At a vertically intermediate height of the hood 41, there is positioned a lower net baffle member 22 extending just above and across the injection nozzle 17. At a position of an upper end portion of the hood 41, there is likewise provided an upper net baffle member 23 extending just below and across the ignitor mouth 20, said baffle member 23 being made of a metallic sheet and blanked out in the form of a court cow carriage.

Over a ceiling wall 60 of the case 1, there is fitted a covering lid 25 of an ignitor mouth 20, having at its intermediate position a downward leg 51, which terminates in the casing 1. This leg 51 is pivotally supported at its lower end portion on the case 1 by a shaft pin 27 to pivot the covering lid 25 to open or close. A torsion spring 80 is attached to the leg 51 such that it gives the leg 51 the force for opening or closing the covering lid 25, and a riser 73 is provided on the side edge of the lower end of the leg 51.

A dent 72 is formed in a portion of the upper surface of the covering lid 25 in the vicinity of its rear end, with its bottom wall being provided with a shaft hole 71. In the dent 72, there is fitted a control button 50 comprising a shaft portion 53 and an umbrella portion 54 while, as shown, its shaft portion 53 terminates in the case through a slot 61 formed in the ceiling wall 60 of the casing 1 and the shaft hole 71 and its umbrella portion 54 is buried in the dent 72. Between the lower side of the umbrella portion 54 and the upper face of the cut edge of the shaft hole 71, there is interposed a return spring 55, and a keep plate 52 is mounted on the inner end of the shaft portion 53.

At a position below an inner space of the case 1 through which a keep plate 52 moves, a microswitch 33 is held such that its working rod 34 is moved by the keep plate 52. Above the lower net baffle member 22, there is provided a catalyst-carrying wire 35 extending across a position in opposition to the top face of the injection nozzle 17 and as close to that top face as possible. The microswitch 33, the catalyst-carrying wire 35 and the above-mentioned cell 5 are connected to each other in series (Figure 4).

The microswitch 33 is turned on through the keep plate 52 when the umbrella portion 54 is depressed, and is turned off when the umbrella portion 54 is brought up.

The riser 73 is adapted to open the fuel gas feed pipe 3 through the rod 2 (Figure 7) when the covering lid 25 is pivoted open, thereby injecting the fuel gas out of the injection nozzle, and stopping injection of the fuel gas when the covering lid 25 is in an closed state.

In Figures 6 and 7, reference numeral 56 is a lock pin for the covering lid 25, which enables the covering lid 25 to be opened when the control button 50 is depressed for disengagement from an associated dent 62.

The present invention of such constructions as mentioned above keeps the ignitor well-ignitable, thus achieving the desired object completely.

The present disclosures given above import the disclosures of the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings.

EXAMPLE A cell-heated type of catalytic lighter in which a fuel gas fed out of a fuel tank is allowed to come along air into contact with a catalyst-carrying wire heated by power fed from a cell for setting on fire in an ignitor mouth is of the structure wherein a fuel gas injection nozzle is attached to the upper end of a fuel gas feed pipe connected to the fuel tank, and a radial array of multiple fuel gas injection holes is provided around a ceiling wall of the nozzle, the catalyst-carrying wire extending across- a position located just above the ceiling wall and as close to the central portion of the ceiling wall as possible. The lighter further includes a covering lid for the ignitor mouth and a control button, the covering lid being designed to supply power, when opened, and the control button being designed to be operated so as to supply fuel gas, and vice versa. The control button may be provided at a position of the covering lid which a finger is to touch.

Claims (6)

1. A cell-heated type of catalytic lighter in which fuel gas fed out of a fuel tank is allowed to come along air into contact with a catalyst-carrying wire heated by power fed from a cell for setting on fire in an ignitor mouth , wherein a fuel gas injection nozzle is attached to the upper end of a fuel gas feed pipe connected to said fuel tank, and a radial array of multiple fuel gas injection holes is provided around a ceiling wall of said nozzle, said catalyst-carrying wire extending across a position located just above said ceiling wall and as close to the central portion of said ceiling wall as possible.

2. A heated-type of catalytic lighter as claimed in Claim 1, which further includes a covering lid for said ignitor mouth and a control button, said covering lid being designed to supply power, when the lighter is opened, and said control button being designed to be operated so as to supply fuel gas.

3. A heated-type of catalytic lighter as claimed in Claim 1, which further includes a covering lid for said ignitor mouth and control button, said covering lid being designed to supply fuel gas, when the lighter opened, and said control button being designed to be operated so as to supply power.

4. A cell-heated type of catalytic lighter as 2 or 3 claimed in Claim/ , wherein said control button is provided at a position of said covering lid which a finger is to touch.

5. A catalytic lighter, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shorn in Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A catalytic lighter, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.