Automatic Cigarette Lighter

Abstract

In this automatic cigarette lighter a restoring spring for an operating key or pushbutton is also adapted, with an upper, straight end disposed under the head of the operating member to act as a pawl for actuating a ratchet associated with a serrated sparkling wheel, this spring end having its maximum flexibility in the normal position of the operating member and its maximum rigidity in the depressed position of that member. In a lighter operating on gaseous fuel a notch is formed in the operating member and engaged with play by one arm of a two-armed lever connected to a burner and valve assembly, the upper and lower ends of that notch controlling the opening and the closing, respectively, of the burner valve.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an automatic cigarette lighter of the pyrophoric or flint-ignition type, that is, a lighter requiring for its actuation only a pressure exerted on an operating member in the form of a key or pushbutton for igniting the fuel and subsequently extinguishing the flame by simply releasing this pressure.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of my present invention is to provide an extremely simple operating mechanism for such a lighter which requires for its manufacture only a small number of economical yet sturdy elementary parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the mechanism according to my invention, a restoring spring for its operating member (referred to hereinafter as a key) acts at the same time as a pawl for driving a ratchet associated with a sparking wheel.

To perform this dual function the spring is designed as a coil adapted, by expansion, to return the key to normal and, by torsion, to act as a pawl for driving the ratchet associated with the sparking wheel, this pawl function being accomplished by one end of the compressive coil spring which constitutes a rectilinear tangential projection disposed underneath the key and bearing against the ratchet.

Consequently, the force exerted on this free end is effective only over a fraction of its length, thus preserving its rigidity and ensuring a reliable stepping of the ratchet; on the other hand, during the return movement this free end of the spring is released from the control key and therefore resumes its great flexibility for properly engaging another notch or tooth of the ratchet.

When this mechanism is incorporated in a cigarette lighter operating on gaseous fuel, the key actuation is also utilized for opening its gas valve. To this end, this key is formed with a notch engaged with play by one end of a valve-control lever, the upper and lower ends of this notch thus positively opening and closing, respectively, that gas valve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

My invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrammatic side elevational and part-sectional views showing a cigarette lighter according to this invention in its inoperative and working positions, respectively, the mechanism comprising a radial-teeth ratchet;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line III--III of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, but showing a mechanism incorporating a peripheral-teeth ratchet; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line VI--VI of FIG. 4.

In the drawings, a lighter body 1 carries a burner-and-valve assembly 2, a pyrophoric flint 3 with its spring 4, a serrated sparking wheel 5 coupled with a ratchet 6 (FIGS. 1 - 3) or 6' (FIGS. 4 - 6), and an operating key 7 provided with a guide shank 8.

According to this invention, the key 7 is loaded by a compression spring 9 having its lower end 9a abutting a stud 10 rigid with the body 1 whereby the spring is held against counterclockwise rotation about its axis as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 6;7 its upper end 9b proximal to key 7 is in the form of a straight tangential projection disposed on the underface of the head of this key while engaging the teeth of ratchet 6. This spring is prestressed both longitudinally (for returning the key to its inoperative position) and angularly so as to exert a torque causing its free end 9b to constantly and elastically engage the teeth of ratchet 6'.

With this mechanism, when the operating key 7 is depressed, the spring 9 is axially compressed and its relatively short linear extremity 9b engaging the underface of the key head acquires a rigidity sufficient for positive entrainment of ratchet 6 or 6' and therefore of sparking wheel 5. In contrast thereto, when this key 7 is released, the spring end 9b becomes more flexible so that it can slide over the teeth of ratchet 6 or 6' and assume another driving position without any tendency to rotate the flint wheel in the reverse direction.

In the case of a cigarette lighter operating on gaseous fuel, the key 7 advantageously has an extension 7a provided with a notch 11 engaged with clearance by one end of a two-armed lever 12 (FIGS. 1 - 3) or 12' (FIGS. 4 - 6) freely fulcrumed on a pivot pin 13 here shown to constitute the axle of the sparking wheel 5, the other end of the lever engaging in a peripheral groove 2a formed in the conventional fashion in the head of valve assembly 2.

Thanks to the play afforded by notch 11, lever 12 or 12' and key extension 7a form a lost-motion connection, the upper and lower ends of notch 11 controlling the opening and closing of the gas valve, during a working stroke (down) and a return stroke (up), respectively, of key 7.

This mechanism remains unchanged whether the flint wheel-driving ratchet has radial teeth (as shown for ratchet 6 in FIGS. 1 to 3) or peripheral teeth (as shown for ratchet 6' in FIGS. 4 to 6).

Finally, it is clear that although a specific embodiment has been shown and described herein, various modifications and variations could be brought thereto without departing from the basic principles of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

What I claim as new is:

1. In an automatic cigarette lighter including a body, a sparking wheel rotatably mounted on said body, a ratchet rotatably coupled with said sparking wheel, a flint coacting with said sparking wheel, an operating member movable between a normal position and a working position, and stepping means for said ratchet controlled by said operating member, the improvement wherein said stepping means comprises a compressive coil spring seated on said body and bearing upon said operating member for urging same into said normal position, said coil spring having a first end remote from said operating member held on said body against rotation about the coil axis and a second end proximal to said operating member projecting linearly outwardly, said second end engaging said ratchet for advancing same in response to an axial compression of said coil spring.

2. In combination, the improvement defined in claim 1 and a gas-fueled burner on said body provided with a fuel valve, further comprising a lost-motion connection between said operating member and said fuel valve for opening the latter during a working stroke and closing same during a return stroke of said operating member.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said lost-motion connection comprises a two-armed lever fulcrumed on said body, said lever having a first arm engaging said valve and a second arm coupled with play to said operating member.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 wherein said operating member has an extension provided with a notch, said second arm being received with clearance in said notch.