Foldable igniter

A foldable lighter comprising:

• a body that contains a fuel tank and a piezoelectric unit and has an operating component having a hook, said operating component exposed to the outside for operating substantially simultaneously the aforementioned piezoelectric unit and a fuel supply valve that controls supply of fuel from the fuel tank;
• a swing-arm pivotally connected to one end of the body and containing a flame-emission nozzle in the vicinity of the opposite end, and opening and closing freely between a housing position being folded against the body and a using position being opened at 90 degrees or more from the body;
• and
• a flexible fuel supply tube located in the swing-arm and having one end connected to the aforementioned fuel tank and the other end connected to the flame emission nozzle;
• said foldable lighter being characterized by further comprising a locking mechanism that protects the operating component from depression when the swing-arm is turned from the folded position in the opening direction only for an angle that is below a predetermined value;
• said locking mechanism comprising a an arcuate protrusion portion that extends in a predetermined range along a portion of an inner surface of a cylindrical wall and is concentric with said cylindrical wall which is made integrally with the swing-arm, and a hook that extends from a part of the operating component into an inner side of the cylindrical wall;
• the aforementioned predetermined range specified for the protrusion portion being a range of interference with the hook when the opening angle of the swing-arm relative to said body is below the aforementioned predetermined value so that if the operating component is depressed when the opening angle of the swing-arm relative to the swing arm is below the aforementioned predetermined value, then the aforementioned protrusion portion interferes with the hook and protects the operating component from depression.