U.S. patent application number 11/875965 was filed with the patent office on 2009-04-23 for utility lighter.
This patent application is currently assigned to Big J&J Int'l.. Invention is credited to Jun Jun RUAN.
Application Number | 20090104574 11/875965 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40563834 |
Filed Date | 2009-04-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090104574 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
RUAN; Jun Jun |
April 23, 2009 |
Utility Lighter
Abstract
A utility lighter includes a housing having an elongated tube
portion, an actuation button depressibly mounted at a housing
portion of the housing, a safety wheel rotated and mounted at the
actuation button, and a blocker driven to move by a rotational
movement of the safety wheel between an inoperative configuration
and an operative configuration. In the inoperative configuration,
the blocker is retained in the housing portion of the housing to
prevent a depressible head of a piezoelectric element from being
depressed by the actuation button for ignition. In the operative
configuration, the safety wheel is rotated at the actuation button
to drive the blocker to diminish undesirable position, so that the
actuation button is depressed to depress the depressible head of
the piezoelectric element and to actuate the valve actuator for
ignition.
Inventors: |
RUAN; Jun Jun; (Monterey
Park, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Big J&J Int'l
P.O. Box 1818
Rancho Cucamonga
CA
91729-1818
US
|
Assignee: |
Big J&J Int'l.
|
Family ID: |
40563834 |
Appl. No.: |
11/875965 |
Filed: |
October 22, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
431/132 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F23Q 2/164 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
431/132 |
International
Class: |
F23Q 2/00 20060101
F23Q002/00 |
Claims
1. A utility lighter, comprising: a housing having an elongated
tube portion extending from a housing portion, wherein said tube
portion has a flame outlet extending away from said housing
portion; a fuel supply received in said housing portion of said
housing; a nozzle unit which comprises a nozzle extended to said
flame outlet of said tube portion and a fuel tube extended from
said fuel supply to said nozzle within said tube portion of said
housing for fuel communication with said fuel supply; a
piezoelectric element supported in said housing portion of said
housing, wherein said piezoelectric element has a depressible head
and an electrode extended along said tube portion of said housing
proximate to said nozzle to generate a spark thereto when said
depressible head is depressed; a valve actuator coupling with said
fuel supply to release said fuel from said fuel supply to said
nozzle; and a safety mechanism, comprising an actuation button
depressibly mounted at said housing portion of said housing, a
safety wheel rotated and mounted at said actuation button, and a
blocker driven to move by a rotational movement of said safety
wheel between an inoperative configuration and an operative
configuration; wherein in said inoperative configuration, said
blocker is retained in said housing portion of said housing to
prevent said depressible head of said piezoelectric element from
being depressed by said actuation button for ignition; wherein in
said operative configuration, said safety wheel is rotated at said
actuation button to drive said blocker to diminish undesirable
position, so that said actuation button is depressed to depress
said depressible head of said piezoelectric element and to actuate
said valve actuator for ignition.
2. The utility lighter of claim 1 wherein said safety wheel has a
driving shoulder protruded from a circumferential surface to engage
with a shoulder portion of said blocker to drive said blocker to
move from said inoperative configuration to said operative
configuration.
3. The utility lighter of claim 2 wherein said circumferential
surface of said safety wheel is a gear-teeth surface for a finger
of a user to rotate.
4. The utility lighter of claim 1 wherein said blocker is an
elongated member horizontally supported at said housing portion of
said housing that said blocker is slid thereinwithin between said
inoperative configuration to said operative configuration.
5. The utility lighter of claim 3 wherein said blocker is an
elongated member horizontally supported at said housing portion of
said housing that said blocker is slid thereinwithin between said
inoperative configuration to said operative configuration.
6. The utility lighter of claim 4, wherein said actuation button
has a guider track engaging with said blocker to support said
blocker in said actuation button and to guide a sliding movement of
said blocker between said inoperative configuration to said
operative configuration.
7. The utility lighter of claim 5, wherein said actuation button
has a guider track engaging with said blocker to support said
blocker in said actuation button and to guide a sliding movement of
said blocker between said inoperative configuration to said
operative configuration.
8. The utility lighter of claim 4 wherein said blocker has a
blocking end extended through said actuation button to engage with
said housing portion of said housing so that said actuation button
is blocked to be depressed, wherein said safety wheel is rotate to
move said blocking end of said blocker to disengage with said
housing portion of said housing so that said actuation button is
free to be depressed.
9. The utility lighter of claim 5 wherein said blocker has a
blocking end extended through said actuation button to engage with
said housing portion of said housing so that said actuation button
is blocked to be depressed, wherein said safety wheel is rotate to
move said blocking end of said blocker to disengage with said
housing portion of said housing so that said actuation button is
free to be depressed.
10. The utility lighter of claim 7 wherein said blocker has a
blocking end extended through said actuation button to engage with
said housing portion of said housing so that said actuation button
is blocked to be depressed, wherein said safety wheel is rotate to
move said blocking end of said blocker to disengage with said
housing portion of said housing so that said actuation is free to
be depressed.
11. The utility lighter of claim 8 wherein two button sidewalls of
said actuation button are slid and mounted at two guiding sidewalls
of said housing respectively to guide said depression of said
actuation button, wherein a blocking slot is formed at one of said
guiding sidewalls, wherein a guiding slot is formed at said
corresponding button sidewall to normally align with said blocking
slot, wherein said blocking end of said blocker is extended to said
blocking slot through said guiding slot to block said depression of
said actuation button, wherein when said blocking end of said
blocker is slid away from said blocking slot of said guiding
sidewall, said actuation button is free to be depressed.
12. The utility lighter of claim 9 wherein two button sidewalls of
said actuation button are slid and mounted at two guiding sidewalls
of said housing respectively to guide said depression of said
actuation button, wherein a blocking slot is formed at one of said
guiding sidewalls, wherein a guiding slot is formed at said
corresponding button sidewall to normally align with said blocking
slot, wherein said blocking end of said blocker is extended to said
blocking slot through said guiding slot to block said depression of
said actuation button, wherein when said blocking end of said
blocker is slid away from said blocking slot of said guiding
sidewall, said actuation button is free to be depressed.
13. The utility lighter of claim 10 wherein two button sidewalls of
said actuation button are slid and mounted at two guiding sidewalls
of said housing respectively to guide said depression of said
actuation button, wherein a blocking slot is formed at one of said
guiding sidewalls, wherein a guiding slot is formed at said
corresponding button sidewall to normally align with said blocking
slot, wherein said blocking end of said blocker is extended to said
blocking slot through said guiding slot to block said depression of
said actuation button, wherein when said blocking end of said
blocker is slid away from said blocking slot of said guiding
sidewall, said actuation button is free to be depressed.
14. The utility lighter of claim 11 wherein said blocking slot has
a slanted opening edge for guiding said blocking end of said
blocker to slide in and out of said blocking slot.
15. The utility lighter of claim 12 wherein said blocking slot has
a slanted opening edge for guiding said blocking end of said
blocker to slide in and out of said blocking slot.
16. The utility lighter of claim 13 wherein said blocking slot has
a slanted opening edge for guiding said blocking end of said
blocker to slide in and out of said blocking slot.
17. The utility lighter of claim 1 wherein said safety mechanism
further comprises a resilient member mounted at said blocker to
ensure said blocker remaining at said inoperative
configuration.
18. The utility lighter of claim 8 wherein said safety mechanism
further comprises a resilient member mounted at said blocker to
ensure said blocker remaining at said inoperative
configuration.
19. The utility lighter of claim 16 wherein said safety mechanism
further comprises a resilient member mounted at said blocker to
ensure said blocker remaining at said inoperative
configuration.
20. The utility lighter of claim 17 wherein said resilient member
is a compression spring mounted at said blocker to bias against
said actuation button to normally push said blocker and said safety
wheel at said inoperative configuration.
21. The utility lighter of claim 18 wherein said resilient member
is a compression spring mounted at said blocker to bias against
said actuation button to normally push said blocker and said safety
wheel at said inoperative configuration.
22. The utility lighter of claim 19 wherein said resilient member
is a compression spring mounted at said blocker to bias against
said actuation button to normally push said blocker and said safety
wheel at said inoperative configuration.
23. The utility lighter of claim 4 wherein said blocker has a
depression slot aligned with said depressible head of said
piezoelectric element so that when said actuation button is
depressed, said depressible head of said piezoelectric element
passes through said depression slot of said blocker to prevent said
depression of said piezoelectric element, wherein said safety wheel
is rotated to move said blocker to mis-align said depression slot
with said depressible head of said piezoelectric element so that
when said actuation button is depressed, said depressible head of
said piezoelectric element is depressed by said blocker for
ignition.
24. The utility lighter of claim 5 wherein said blocker has a
depression slot aligned with said depressible head of said
piezoelectric element so that when said actuation button is
depressed, said depressible head of said piezoelectric element
passes through said depression slot of said blocker to prevent said
depression of said piezoelectric element, wherein said safety wheel
is rotated to move said blocker to misalign said depression slot
with said depressible head of said piezoelectric element so that
when said actuation button is depressed, said depressible head of
said piezoelectric element is depressed by said blocker for
ignition.
25. The utility lighter of claim 7 wherein said blocker has a
depression slot aligned with said depressible head of said
piezoelectric element so that when said actuation button is
depressed, said depressible head of said piezoelectric element
passes through said depression slot of said blocker to prevent said
depression of said piezoelectric element, wherein said safety wheel
is rotated to move said blocker to misalign said depression slot
with said depressible head of said piezoelectric element so that
when said actuation button is depressed, said depressible head of
said piezoelectric element is depressed by said blocker for
ignition.
26. The utility lighter of claim 23 wherein said safety mechanism
further comprises a resilient member mounted at said blocker to
ensure said blocker remaining at said inoperative
configuration.
27. The utility lighter of claim 24 wherein said safety mechanism
further comprises a resilient member mounted at said blocker to
ensure said blocker remaining at said inoperative
configuration.
28. The utility lighter of claim 25 wherein said safety mechanism
further comprises a resilient member mounted at said blocker to
ensure said blocker remaining at said inoperative
configuration.
29. The utility lighter of claim 26 wherein said resilient member
is a compression spring mounted at said blocker to bias against
said actuation button to normally push said blocker and said safety
wheel at said inoperative configuration.
30. The utility lighter of claim 27 wherein said resilient member
is a compression spring mounted at said blocker to bias against
said actuation button to normally push said blocker and said safety
wheel at said inoperative configuration.
31. The utility lighter of claim 28 wherein said resilient member
is a compression spring mounted at said blocker to bias against
said actuation button to normally push said blocker and said safety
wheel at said inoperative configuration.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a general purpose of a
utility lighter for ignition of barbecue grills, fireplaces or
candle lights. More particularly, the utility lighter with a safety
feature for preventing the utility lighter from being actuated
unintentionally.
[0003] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0004] Cigarette lighters have developed over a number of years and
are considered as one of the common tools for igniting cigarette,
cigars and pipes. The conventional cigarette lighter generally
includes a hand-held casing receiving a piezoelectric element to
generate a spark in proximity to a nozzle emitting gas from a gas
container by a depression of an actuation button. The conventional
cigarette lighter further contains a safety device to block the
depression of the actuation button. The user must actuate the
safety device at the operative configuration in order to depress
the actuation button for ignition. The safety device can be a
locking mechanism to lock up the actuation button at the
inoperative configuration or a gas control mechanism to block the
gas flowing to the flame outlet of the nozzle. However, the
conventional cigarette lighter is not commonly used for igniting
barbecue grills, fireplaces or candle lights because the actuation
button is close to the flame outlet of the nozzle.
[0005] A utility lighter generally contains an elongated housing to
prolong the flame outlet from the actuation button so that the user
is able to point flame outlet for igniting barbecue grills,
fireplaces or candle lights. Since the structural configuration of
the utility lighter is different from that of the cigarette
lighter, the safety device cannot be configured as it is used in
the cigarette lighter. In order to incorporate the safety device
with the utility lighter, the safety device must be re-designed to
fit the structural configuration of the utility lighter.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention overcomes the above mentioned
drawbacks and limitation by configuring the components of the
utility lighter to incorporate with the safety mechanism.
[0007] The primary objective of the present invention is that the
utility lighter comprises a safety mechanism to prevent the utility
lighter from being ignited. In one aspect, the safety mechanism
blocks the depression of the actuation button to prevent the
utility lighter from being ignited. In another aspect, the safety
mechanism prevents the depression of the piezoelectric element to
prevent the ignition of the utility light.
[0008] Another objective of the present invention is that the
safety mechanism provides a safety wheel rotated and mounted at the
actuation button of the utility lighter so that the utility lighter
requires two different actions to complete the ignition. The user
must rotate the safety wheel at the operative configuration and
depress the actuation button. In one aspect, the safety wheel is
rotated at the operative configuration to unlock the blocker in
order to depress the actuation button for ignition. In another
aspect, the safety wheel is rotated at the operative configuration
to align the blocker with the piezoelectric element in order to
depress the actuation button for ignition.
[0009] The present invention also provides another objective of
incorporating the safety wheel with the actuation button.
Therefore, the user is able to ignite the utility lighter by
one-finger operation. The user can use the finger thereof to rotate
the safety button and depress the actuation button.
[0010] The present invention provides a safety mechanism for
prevent an unintentional ignition of the utility. The safety
mechanism comprises an actuation button depressibly mounted at the
housing, a safety wheel rotated and mounted at the actuation
button, and a blocker driven to move by a rotational movement of
the safety wheel between an inoperative configuration and an
operative configuration.
[0011] In the inoperative configuration, the blocker is retained in
the housing portion of the housing to prevent the depressible head
of the piezoelectric element from being depressed by the actuation
button for ignition.
[0012] In the operative configuration, the safety wheel is rotated
at the actuation button to drive the blocker to diminish
undesirable position, so that the actuation button is depressed to
depress the depressible head of the piezoelectric element and to
actuate the valve actuator for ignition
[0013] In one embodiment, the blocking end of the blocker is
extended through the actuation button to engage with the housing
portion of the housing so that the actuation button is blocked to
be depressed. Therefore, the depressible head of the piezoelectric
element cannot be depressed by the actuation button. For ignition
operation, the safety wheel is rotate to move the blocking end of
the blocker to disengage with the housing portion of the housing so
that the actuation is free to be depressed.
[0014] In another embodiment, the depression slot of the blocker is
aligned with the depressible head of the piezoelectric element so
that when the actuation button is depressed, the depressible head
of the piezoelectric element passes through the depression slot of
the blocker to prevent the depression of the piezoelectric element.
For ignition operation, the safety wheel is rotated to move the
blocker to mis-align the depression slot with the depressible head
of the piezoelectric element so that when the actuation button is
depressed, the depressible head of the piezoelectric element is
depressed by the blocker for ignition.
[0015] For a more complete understanding of the present invention
with its objectives and distinctive features and advantages,
reference is now made to the following specification and to the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the utility lighter in
accordance with the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a lateral sectional view of the utility lighter in
accordance with the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a lateral sectional view of the utility lighter
showing the safety mechanism at the inoperative configuration.
[0019] FIG. 4 a lateral sectional view of the utility lighter
showing the safety mechanism at the operative configuration.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the safety mechanism of the
utility lighter, showing the alternative embodiment of the
blocker.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a lateral sectional view of the utility lighter
showing the safety mechanism of the alternative embodiment at the
inoperative configuration.
[0022] FIG. 7 a lateral sectional view of the utility lighter
showing the safety mechanism of the alternative embodiment at the
operative configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a utility lighter in accordance
with the present invention is illustrated. The utility lighter
comprises a housing 100, a fuel supply 200, a nozzle unit 300, a
piezoelectric element 400, a valve actuator 500, and a safety
mechanism which comprises an actuation button 600, a safety wheel
700, and a blocker 800.
[0024] As it is illustrated in FIG. 2, the housing 100 has an
elongated tube portion 101 extending from a housing portion 102,
wherein the tube portion 101 has a flame outlet 103 extending away
from the housing portion 102. The housing 100 further has two
guiding sidewalls 105 guiding the movement of the actuation button
600.
[0025] The fuel supply 200 is received in the housing portion 102
of the housing 100, wherein the fuel supply 200 contains a
predetermined amount of fuel as the lighter fuel for being
ignited.
[0026] The nozzle unit 300 comprises a nozzle 301 extended to the
flame outlet 103 of the tube portion 101 and a fuel tube 302
extended from the fuel supply 200 to the nozzle 301 within the tube
portion 101 of the housing 100 for fuel communication with the fuel
supply 200.
[0027] The piezoelectric element 400 is supported in the housing
portion 102 of the housing 100, wherein the piezoelectric element
400 has a depressible head 401 and an electrode 402 extended along
the tube portion 101 of the housing 100 proximate to the nozzle 301
to generate a spark thereto when the depressible head 401 is
depressed.
[0028] The valve actuator 500 is coupled with the fuel supply 200
to release the fuel from the fuel supply 200 to the nozzle 301. The
valve actuator 500 comprises a gas releasing lifter 501 coupling
with a valve of the fuel supply 200 to release the fuel therefrom
when the gas releasing lifter 501 lifts up the valve of the fuel
supply 200.
[0029] The actuation button 600 is depressibly mounted at the
housing portion 102 of the housing 100, wherein the actuation
button 600 has a finger depression surface 601 for the finger of
the user to depress the actuation button 600 for ignition and a
guiding slot 603 to guide the movement of the blocker 800. The
actuation button 600 is positioned above the depressible head 401
of the piezoelectric element 400 so that when the actuation button
600 is depressed, the depressible head 401 of the piezoelectric
element 400 is driven to be depressed to generate the spark at the
electrode 402. The gas releasing lifter 501 is positioned below the
actuation button 600 so that when the actuation button 600 is
depressed, the gas releasing lifter 501 is actuated by the
actuation button 600 to lift up the valve of the fuel supply 200
for releasing the fuel. Therefore, the fuel emitting at the nozzle
301 is ignited by the spark to produce the flame at the flame
outlet 103 of the housing 100.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 3, two button sidewalls 602 of the
actuation button 600 are slid and mounted to the guiding sidewalls
105 of the housing 100 respectively so that the button sidewalls
602 of the actuation button 600 are slid at the guiding sidewalls
105 of the housing 100 respectively when the actuation button 600
is depressed.
[0031] The safety wheel 700 is rotated and mounted at the finger
depression surface 601 of the actuation button 600. A pin is
mounted at the actuation button 600 through a center of the safety
wheel 700 so that the safety wheel 70 is rotated about the
actuation button 600. In particularly, a first portion of the
safety wheel 700 is protruded from the finger depression surface
601 of the actuation button 600 and a second portion of the safety
wheel 700 is received in the actuation button 600. A
circumferential surface of the safety wheel is a gear-teeth surface
701 for the finger of the user to rotate. In particularly, the
gear-teeth surface 701 is formed at the first portion of the safety
wheel 700. Referring to FIG. 3, the second portion of the safety
wheel 700 is extended within the actuation button 600 to engage
with the blocker 800. The safety wheel 700 further has a driving
shoulder 702 protruded from the circumferential surface at the
second portion to engage with a shoulder portion 801 of the blocker
800.
[0032] The blocker 800 is transversely (preferably horizontally)
supported in the housing portion 102 of the housing and is driven
to move by the rotational movement of the safety wheel 700 between
an inoperative configuration and an operative configuration.
Referring to FIG. 3, the blocker 800 is an elongated member and is
coupled with the guiding slot 603 of the actuation button 600 so
that the blocker 800 is slid in the actuation button 600 between
the inoperative configuration and the operative configuration.
Referring to FIG. 3, in the inoperative configuration, the blocker
800 is retained in the housing portion 102 of the housing 100 to
prevent the depressible head 401 of the piezoelectric element 400
from being depressed by the actuation button 600 for ignition.
Referring to FIG. 4, in the operative configuration, the safety
wheel 700 is rotated at the actuation button 600 to drive the
blocker 800 to diminish undesirable position, so that the actuation
button 600 is depressed to depress the depressible head 401 of the
piezoelectric element 400 and to actuate the valve actuator 500 for
ignition.
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the blocker 800 further has a
blocking end 802 extended through the actuation button 600 to
engage with the housing portion 102 of the housing 100 so that the
actuation button 600 is blocked to be depressed. In order to move
the blocker 800 from the inoperative configuration to the operative
configuration, the safety wheel 700 is rotate to move the blocking
end 802 of the blocker 800 to disengage with the housing portion
102 of the housing 100 so that the actuation button 600 is free to
be depressed.
[0034] The blocker 800 further has an opposed sliding end 803 slid
and mounted to the actuation button 600 to retain the blocker 800
within the actuation button 600. The shoulder portion 801 is formed
between the blocking end 802 and the sliding end 803 to engage with
the driving shoulder 702 of the safety wheel 700.
[0035] In particularly, a blocking slot 106 is formed at one of the
guiding sidewalls 105 of the housing 100 wherein the size of the
blocking slot 106 must be larger than the size of the blocking end
802 of the blocker 800. The guiding slot 603 is formed adjacent to
the corresponding button sidewall 602 of the actuation button 600
to normally align with the blocking slot 106. Therefore, at the
inoperative configuration, the guiding slot 603 is aligned with the
blocking slot 106. The blocking end 802 of the blocker 800 is
extended to the blocking slot 106 through the guiding slot 603 to
block the depression of the actuation button 600. Therefore, once
the blocking end 802 of the blocker 800 is extended to the blocking
slot 106, the button sidewall 602 of the actuation button 600 is
locked with the corresponding guiding sidewall 105 of the housing
100 to lock the depression of the actuation button 600. Once the
blocking end 802 of the blocker 800 is slid away from the blocking
slot 106 of the guiding sidewall 105 to unlock the button sidewall
602 with the corresponding guiding sidewall 105, the actuation
button 600 is free to be depressed.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the blocking slot 106 has a
slanted opening edge 107 for guiding the blocking end 802 of the
blocker 800 to slide in and out of the blocking slot 106. In
particularly, the opening of the blocking slot 106 is gradually
reducing towards the actuation button 600. Therefore, when the
blocker 800 is slid to lock with the housing 100, the blocking end
802 of the blocker 800 is guided to slide at the slanted opening
edge 107 to ensure the blocking end 802 of the blocker 800 sliding
into the blocking slot 106. When the blocker 800 is slid to unlock
with the housing 100, the blocking end 802 of the blocker 800 is
guided to slide at the slanted opening edge 107 to ensure the
blocking end 802 of the blocker 800 sliding out the blocking slot
106.
[0037] Referring to the present invention, the safety mechanism
further comprises a resilient member 900 mounted at the blocker 800
to ensure the blocker 800 remaining at the inoperative
configuration. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the resilient member 900
is a compression spring coaxially mounted at the blocker 800
between the shoulder portion 801 and the sliding end 803. The
resilient member 900 is supported to bias against the actuation
button 600 to normally push the blocker 800 and the safety wheel
700 at the inoperative configuration. Accordingly, when the safety
wheel 700 is rotated to drive the blocker 800 to slide to its
operative configuration, the resilient member 900 will be
compressed. Once the rotational force of the safety wheel 700 is
released, the compressed resilient member 900 will push the blocker
800 back to its inoperative configuration and thus push the safety
wheel 700 back to its position via the shoulder portion 801 of the
blocker 800. A ring holder 810 is slid and mounted at the blocker
800 proximate to the sliding end 803 of the blocker 800 to retain
the resilient member 900 at the blocker 800 between the shoulder
portion 801 and the ring holder 810.
[0038] For completing the ignition operation of the utility
lighter, the user must put the finger on the finger depression
surface 601 of the actuation button 600. Then, a rotational force
is applied to rotate the safety wheel 700 to drive the blocker 800
from the inoperative configuration to the operative configuration.
Therefore, a depression force can be applied on the actuation
button 600 to depress the actuation button 600 for depressing the
depressible head 401 of the piezoelectric element 400 and for
releasing the fuel from the fuel supply 200. After completing the
ignition operation of the utility lighter, the depressible head 401
of the piezoelectric element 400 pushes the actuation button 600 to
its original position and the blocker 800 returns to its
inoperative configuration.
[0039] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, the utility lighter provides an
alternative embodiment. Throughout the FIGS. 2 to 4, the blocker
800 is used for blocking the depression of the actuation button
600. Throughout the FIGS. 5 to 7, the blocker 800A is used for
preventing the depression of the depressible head 401 of the
piezoelectric element 400. The structure of the alternative
embodiment is the same as that of the above embodiment except the
structure of the blocker 800A.
[0040] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the blocker 800A has a
depression slot 804A aligned with the depressible head 401 of the
piezoelectric element 400 so that when the actuation button 600 is
depressed, the depressible head 401 of the piezoelectric element
400 passes through the depression slot 804A of the blocker 800A to
prevent the depression of the piezoelectric element 400. The
depression slot 804A is formed between two sliding ends 805A of the
blocker 800A. In particularly, the depression slot 804A is formed
adjacent to the shoulder portion 801A of the blocker 800A.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 7, the safety wheel 700 is rotated to move
the blocker 800A to mis-align the depression slot 804A with the
depressible head 401 of the piezoelectric element 400 so that when
the actuation button 600 is depressed, the depressible head 401 of
the piezoelectric element 400 is depressed by the blocker 800A for
ignition.
[0042] While the embodiments and alternatives of the present
invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to one
skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention.
* * * * *