U.S. patent application number 12/166284 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-07 for cigarette and cigar lighter.
This patent application is currently assigned to Colibri Corporation. Invention is credited to Andrew Smith.
Application Number | 20100003627 12/166284 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41464655 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100003627 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Smith; Andrew |
January 7, 2010 |
CIGARETTE AND CIGAR LIGHTER
Abstract
A lighting device for cigarettes and cigars having an upright
elongate body, a lid openable approximately ninety angular degrees
from the body, a nozzle for producing a flame and directing the
flame from the body at an angled direction between the body and the
lid. The proximity of the flame base to the lid protects the flame
from being inadvertently extinguished, while the distance of the
flame tip from the lid allows the lighting of large diameter cigars
and avoids overheating of the lid.
Inventors: |
Smith; Andrew; (Pascoag,
RI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NOTARO & MICHALOS P.C.
100 DUTCH HILL ROAD, SUITE 110
ORANGEBURG
NY
10962-2100
US
|
Assignee: |
Colibri Corporation
East Providence
RI
|
Family ID: |
41464655 |
Appl. No.: |
12/166284 |
Filed: |
July 1, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
431/344 ;
431/350 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F23Q 2/163 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
431/344 ;
431/350 |
International
Class: |
F23D 11/36 20060101
F23D011/36 |
Claims
1. A lighting device for cigarettes and cigars comprising: a
housing encasing fuel, an igniter for causing said fuel into a
flame, and a nozzle for directing said flame; a lid attached to
said housing and pivotable relative thereto between a closed
position at a first angle relative to said housing and covering
said nozzle, and an open position at a second angle relative to
said housing and exposing said nozzle; wherein said nozzle directs
said flame at a third angle between said first and second
angles.
2. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein said first and second
angles are separated by approximately ninety angular degrees.
3. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein said third angle is
between twenty and seventy angular degrees from said first
angle.
4. The lighting device of claim 3 wherein said third angle is
between thirty and sixty angular degrees from said first angle.
5. The lighting device of claim 4 wherein said third angle is
approximately forty-five angular degrees from said first angle.
6. The lighting device of claim 5 wherein said housing comprises an
elongate rectilinear housing having an upper end, and said nozzle
is disposed at and directs said flame from said upper end.
7. The lighting device of claim 6 wherein said lid is pivotally
affixed to said housing at a hinge disposed at said upper end.
8. The lighting device of claim 7 wherein said lid is disposed
substantially parallel to said upper end during said closed
position and substantially perpendicular to said upper end during
said open position.
9. The lighting device of claim 8 wherein said lid is disposed
substantially upright during said open position, when said elongate
rectilinear housing is disposed substantially upright.
10. A lighting device for cigarettes and cigars comprising: an
upright elongate body; and a flame exiting said body at a direction
between zero and ninety angular degrees from upright.
11. The lighting device of claim 10 wherein said body has an upper
end and said flame exits said body from said upper end.
12. The lighting device of claim 11 further comprising a lid
hingedly attached to said body at said upper end.
13. The lighting device of claim 12 wherein said lid is pivotable
relative to said body between a closed position covering said upper
end and denying exit of said flame therefrom and an open position
exposing said upper end and allowing exit of said flame
therefrom.
14. The lighting device of claim 13 wherein said lid is
substantially disposed in a direction approximately ninety angular
degrees from upright during said closed position, and is
substantially disposed in a direction approximately zero angular
degrees from upright during said open position.
15. The lighting device of claim 14 wherein said flame exits said
body in a direction substantially bisecting said upper end and lid
when said lid is in said open position.
16. A lighter comprising: a body producing a flame, said flame
comprising a flame base adjacent said body and a flame tip at the
distal end of said flame; and a sheltering lid attached to said
body; wherein said flame base is substantially nearer to said lid
than said flame tip is to said lid.
17. The lighter of claim 16 wherein said flame base is less than
seven-eighths of an inch from said lid, and said flame tip is more
than seven-eighths of an inch from said lid.
18. The lighter of claim 17 wherein said flame base is
approximately three-quarters of an inch from said lid, and said
flame tip is approximately one inch from said lid.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is related to cigarette and cigar
lighting apparatuses.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Cigarette lighters, as their name implies, are primarily
designed to light cigarettes and are not optimally configured for
lighting cigars, whose diameters vary and are much larger than that
of a cigarette, and which generally take longer to light than a
cigarette.
[0003] Cigars consist of a barrel, a head, and a foot. The barrel
is the long tubular body portion. The foot is the end which is lit
by the lighter and burned during smoking. The head is the tip of
the cigar which the consumer places in his mouth during smoking.
Barrel diameters of cigars can range from approximately 3/8-inch to
approximately 7/8-inch.
[0004] Cigarette lighters produce a lighting flame that has a flame
base at its bottom and exiting the lighters flame nozzle, and a
flame tip at its top which is disposed against the foot of the
cigar or cigarette during lighting.
[0005] Cigars oftentimes being so expensive, cigar smokers are
typically very serious about the implements and accessories they
use for smoking, and typically want a high-quality lighter for
lighting their cigars properly, and to impress other cigar smokers.
Such high quality lighters typically include a lid to hide and
protect the inner workings of the lighter during non-use, and that
is swung open to expose the flame nozzle during use. Cigars
typically take longer to light than cigarettes, so lidded lighters
are preferred also because the lids shelter the flame from wind
during lighting so that it flame is not blown out before the cigar
is fully lit.
[0006] Oft times, the larger and varying barrel and foot diameters
of cigars make proper lighting with a lidded lighter difficult. It
is often impossible to properly position the foot over the flame
tip due to interference with the lid. The distance between the
nozzle and the lid is insufficient to allow the foot to be
centrally positioned over the flame tip and rotated to
symmetrically ignite the entire foot.
[0007] Repositioning the flame base further from the lid during
design of the lighter would introduce an undesirable side effect,
in that the flame would be more easily inadvertently blown out
during use if the flame base is not close enough to the lid for
effective sheltering.
[0008] Another disadvantage to existing lidded lighters, whether
for use with cigarettes or cigars, is that the proximity of the
flame base to the lid that is needed for proper sheltering results
in a flame tip so close to the lid that the lid is often
inadvertently overheated by the flame, which is especially common
during longer lighting times of cigars. This results in a hot lid
that might burn the user or delay his ability to close the lid or
put the lighter back into his pocket or such until after the lid
has cooled down.
[0009] There exists a need for improvement in lidded lighters to
better enable the lighting of cigars, and such is an object of the
present invention. There exists the need for improvement in lidded
lighters to move the flame tip away from the lid to allow proper
positioning of the cigar foot over the flame tip without moving the
flame base away from the lid and inadvertently diminishing
sheltering of the flame by the lid, and such is an object of the
present invention. There exists the need for improvement in lidded
lighters to reduce the overheating of the lid, especially during
the longer lighting times of cigars, without moving the flame base
away from the lid and inadvertently diminishing sheltering of the
flame by the lid, and such is an object of the present invention.
Further needs and objects exist which are addressed by the present
invention, as may become apparent by the included disclosure of an
exemplary embodiment thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The invention may be embodied as a lighting device for
cigarettes and cigars having an upright elongate body, a lid
openable approximately ninety angular degrees from the body, a
nozzle atop the body for producing a flame and directing the flame
from the body at an angled direction between the body and the lid.
The proximity of the flame base to the lid protects the flame from
being inadvertently extinguished, while the distance of the flame
tip from the lid allows the lighting of large diameter cigars and
avoids overheating of the lid.
[0011] Further features and aspects of the invention are disclosed
with more specificity in the Detailed Description and Drawings of
an exemplary embodiment provided herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with
reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings
are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon
clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention.
Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate
corresponding parts throughout the several views.
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lighter according to an
exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lighter of FIG. 1 with
its lid open and a flame ignited;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a right side view of the lighter of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a right side view of the lighter of FIG. 1 with
its lid open and a flame ignited; and
[0017] FIG. 5 is a view of the lighter of FIG. 1 lighting a
cigar.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 through 5, where there is
shown a cigarette and cigar lighter 100 according to just one of
the infinite number of possible embodiments of the present
invention.
[0019] Lighter 100 includes an upright elongate housing 102 having
a lid 104 pivotally attached thereto at hinge 106. The lighter is
shown in its storage position in FIGS. 1 and 3, where the lid is
closed, at zero angular degrees with respect to the housing's upper
surface 108, to cover and protect the inner components of the
lighter.
[0020] When opened to its upright position for use, at ninety
angular degrees from the housing's upper surface, the housing's
flame-producing nozzle 112 is exposed. The lighter is shown in its
use position in FIGS. 1 and 3, where the lid is opened.
[0021] Pressing against the actuation button 114 on the front side
of the housing causes release and ignition of fuel within the
housing and the ejection of flame 116 from the nozzle. Any typical
fuel release and ignition means may be employed within the lighter
to cause the flame from the nozzle, and the invention is not meant
to be limited thereby.
[0022] As seen best in FIG. 4, the nozzle 112 is angularly
positioned and thereby adapted to eject the flame, as seen best in
FIGS. 2 and 5, at a diagonal angle relative to the housing and lid,
that bisects the ninety angular degree opening angle of the lid
from the housing. Preferably, the flame 116 is directed at an angle
of approximately forty-five angular degrees above the top surface
108, and forty-five angular degrees below the lid 104.
[0023] As seen in FIG. 5, the foot of a cigar 200 is easily
disposed against the flames tip 120, while the flames base 122 is
sufficiently sheltered by the lid to avoid being inadvertently
extinguished. And the disposition and direction of the flame tip
avoids any inadvertent heating of the lid.
[0024] In summary, the invention may be embodied as a lighting
device for cigarettes and cigars having a housing encasing fuel, an
igniter for causing the fuel into a flame, and a nozzle for
directing the flame, a lid attached to the housing and pivotable
relative thereto between a closed position at a first angle
relative to the housing and covering the nozzle, and an open
position at a second angle relative to the housing and exposing the
nozzle, wherein the nozzle directs the flame at a third angle
between the first and second angles.
[0025] The first and second angles may be separated by
approximately ninety angular degrees. The third angle may be
between twenty and seventy angular degrees from the first angle.
The third angle may more specifically be between thirty and sixty
angular degrees from the first angle. The third angle may more
specifically be approximately forty-five angular degrees from the
first angle.
[0026] The housing may be an elongate rectilinear housing having an
upper end, and the nozzle may be disposed at and direct the flame
from the upper end. The lid may be pivotally affixed to the housing
at a hinge disposed at the upper end. The lid may be disposed
substantially parallel to the upper end during the closed position
and substantially perpendicular to the upper end during the open
position. The lid may be disposed substantially upright during the
open position, when the elongate rectilinear housing is disposed
substantially upright.
[0027] The invention may also be embodied as a lighting device for
cigarettes and cigars having an upright elongate body, and a flame
exiting the body at a direction between zero and ninety angular
degrees from upright. The body may have an upper end and the flame
may exit the body from the upper end. The lighting device may have
a lid hingedly attached to the body at the upper end. The lid may
be pivotable relative to the body between a closed position
covering the upper end and denying exit of the flame therefrom and
an open position exposing the upper end and allowing exit of the
flame therefrom.
[0028] The lid may be substantially disposed in a direction
approximately ninety angular degrees from upright during the closed
position, and may be substantially disposed in a direction
approximately zero angular degrees from upright during the open
position. The flame may exit the body in a direction substantially
bisecting the upper end and lid when the lid is in the open
position.
[0029] The invention may also be embodied as a lighter having a
body producing a flame, the flame having a flame base adjacent the
body and a flame tip at the distal end of the flame, and a
sheltering lid attached to the body, wherein the flame base is
substantially nearer to the lid than the flame tip is to the lid.
The flame base may more specifically be less than seven-eighths of
an inch from the lid, and the flame tip may more specifically be
more than seven-eighths of an inch from the lid. The flame base may
more specifically be approximately three-quarters of an inch from
the lid, and the flame tip may more specifically be approximately
one inch from the lid.
[0030] While the invention has been shown and described with
reference to a specific exemplary embodiment, it should be
understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form
and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention, and that the invention should therefore only be
limited according to the following claims, including all equivalent
interpretation to which they are entitled.
* * * * *