Back to results
US 5,224,854 AGranted
Safety lighter
AssigneeSIBJET - Societe Industrielle du Briquet Jetable
InventorHenri Ansquer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A safety catch (11) is moveable in a slot (25) of the lighter body (1) and a pushbutton (7) thereon cannot be pressed down unless the catch (11) is in a central position, with a spring returning the catch to the safe position automatically.
Claims19
A child resistant safety lighter comprising:
- a main body having a chamber of combustible fluid, said chamber having an opening for release of said combustible fluid;
- a burner member having a head portion at one end and a sealing means at the other end for sealing said combustible fluid in said chamber, said burner member being movable into and out of sealing engagement with said chamber;
- a pushbutton member having a back end and a front end, said pushbutton member being hinged for rotation to said body intermediate its said ends, said front end being operatively connected to said burner and said back end being adapted to rotate toward said body in response to suitable finger pressure applied to its top surface;
- a compression spring positioned to bias said pushbutton back end away from said body, whereby said front end automatically rotates toward said main body to lower said burner to the closed sealed position when said back end is released;
- locking means for preventing rotation of said pushbutton member to unseal said combustible fluid chamber, said locking means comprising a spring-loaded movable safety tab position between said main body and said back end of said pushbutton member, said safety tab projecting outwardly of said main body and being movable upon application of an external finger force sufficient to overcome the force of said spring from a normally locked interfering position relative to said pushbutton member to an unlocked noninterfering position, said safety tab being movable only in a single plane perpendicular to the rotational plane of said pushbutton member;
- said pushbutton back end including a depending backwall which is adapted to engage said safety tab when said tab is in its locked position to prevent rotation of said pushbutton, said backwall having a notch formed therein adapted to accommodate said safety tab when said tab is in its unlocked position, so that said pushbutton member can rotate to raise said burner and unseal said chamber to release said combustible fluid;
- said safety tab spring-loading mechanism comprising a spiral spring connected to said safety tab having a fixed end and a free end, said spiral spring being in the relaxed state when said tab is in its locked position and in a tensed state when said tab is in its unlocked position within said notch;
- said locking means further comprising tab retention means for holding said safety tab in its unlocked position upon release of said external finger force and tab release means for automatically disengaging said retention means when said pushbutton rear end is depressed to unseal said chamber, said safety tab being forced by its said spring to automatically return to its locked position upon release of said pushbutton;
- and
- said main body and said pushbutton back end defining a slot therebetween connecting with said notch for movement of said safety tab between its locked position and its unlocked position within said notch.
7 more elements
A child resistant safety lighter comprising:
- a main body having a chamber of combustible fluid, said chamber having an opening for release of said combustible fluid;
- a burner member having a head portion at one end and a sealing means at the other end for sealing said combustible fluid in said chamber, said burner member being movable into and out of sealing engagement with said chamber;
- a pushbutton member having a back end and a front end, said pushbutton member being hinged for rotation to said body intermediate its said ends, said front end being operatively connected to said burner and said back end being adapted to rotate toward said body in response to suitable finger pressure applied to its top surface;
- a compression spring positioned to bias said pushbutton back end away from said body whereby said front end automatically rotates toward said body to lower said burner to the closed sealed position when said back end is released;
- said pushbutton front end including means for dampening the force exerted by said burner sealing means as a result of the force generated by said compression spring on said pushbutton.
2 more elements
A child resistant safety lighter comprising:
- a main body having a chamber of combustible fluid, said chamber having an opening for release of said combustible fluid;
- a burner member having a head portion at one end and a sealing means at the other end for sealing said combustible fluid in said chamber, said burner member being movable into and out of sealing engagement with said chamber;
- a pushbutton member having a back end and a front end, said pushbutton member being hinged for rotation to said body intermediate its said ends, said front end being operatively connected to said burner and said back end being adapted to rotate toward said body in response to suitable finger pressure applied to its top surface;
- a compression spring positioned to bias said pushbutton back end away from said body whereby said front end automatically rotates toward said body to lower said burner to the closed sealed position when said back end is released;
- locking means for preventing rotation of said pushbutton member to unseal said combustible fluid chamber, said locking means comprising a spring-loaded movable safety tab positioned between said main body and said back end of said pushbutton ember, said safety tab projecting outwardly of said main body and being movable upon application of an external finger force sufficient to overcome the force of said spring from a normally locked interfering position relative to said pushbutton member to an unlocked noninterfering position, said safety tab being movable only in a single plane perpendicular to the rotational plane of said pushbutton member;
- said locking means further comprising tab retention means for holding said safety tab in its unlocked position upon release of said external finger force and tab release means for automatically disengaging said retention means when said pushbutton rear end is depressed to unseal said chamber, said safety tab being forced by its said spring to automatically return to its locked position upon release of said pushbutton;
- said pushbutton front end including means for dampening the force exerted by said burner sealing means as a result of the force generated by said compression spring on said pushbutton.
4 more elements
A child resistant safety lighter comprising:
- a main body having a chamber of compressed combustible gas, said chamber having an opening including a valve seat for release of said gas;
- a burner member having a head portion defining a burning zone at one end and a sealing means at the other end adapted to mate with said seat for sealing said gas in said chamber, said burner member being movable into and out of sealing engagement with said valve seat;
- a pushbutton member having a back end with a depending backwall and a front end, formed with a flexible force transmitting zone, said pushbutton member being hinged for rotation to said body intermediate its said ends, with its said front end being resiliently connected to said burner head, said back end being adapted to rotate toward said body in response to suitable thumb pressure applied to its top surface;
- a compression spring positioned to bias said pushbutton back end away from said body with a force greater than about 15 newtons whereby said front end automatically rotates toward said main body to lower said burner and seal off said chamber when said back end is released, the rotational force transmitted to said valve seat being reduced by the dampening action of said flexible zone;
- locking means for preventing rotation of said pushbutton member to unseal said combustible fluid comprising:
- a safety tab integrally connected to a spiral spring within said main body having a free end and projecting outwardly of said main body through a slot formed between said body and said backwall of said pushbutton member, said slot extending in a plane perpendicular to the rotational plane of said pushbutton and communicating at its end with a notch formed in the backwall of said pushbutton, said tab being movable upon application of an external finger force sufficient to overcome the force of said spring from a normally locked interfering position relative to said pushbutton backwall to an unlocked noninterfering position within said notch;
- tab retention means for holding said safety tab in its unlocked position within said notch upon release of said external finger force comprising a notch formed in a free end of said spiral spring and a mating hook formed on the interior of said main body;
- and
- tab release means for automatically disengaging said retention mean when said pushbutton rear end is depressed to unseal said chamber comprising an upwardly extending inclined cam surface on said safety tab and a mating surface depending downwardly from said pushbutton back end adapted to engage said cam surface and force said spiral spring notch out of engagement with said hook as said pushbutton back end is depressed whereupon said pushbutton front end rotates to lower said burner into sealing engagement with said combustible fluid chamber.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.