Patent Application
20240011633
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to igniting devices. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to a cigar lighter to promote even burning and toasting.
Premium handmade cigars are a class of tobacco products which are distinguishable from cigarettes, cigarillos, and machine-made cigars. These premium cigars are consumed largely for their taste and are “sipped” but not inhaled by the consumer. Factors such as humidification, blend type, head cutting, and lighting all influence taste perception of a cigar.
Ensuring an even burn when lighting a cigar is essential to preserving the quality of the cigar. Aggressive lighting of a cigar can lead to off-putting tasting notes and can affect even the highest-quality cigars. Additionally, poor lighting can also lead to an uneven burn of the cigar. As such, cigar smokers spend considerable amounts of time learning to correctly light a cigar.
Traditional cigar lighters include butane lighters that direct a jet of flame directly upwards. Lighting a cigar using traditional cigar lighters involves “toasting” the cigar at a foot of the cigar to avoid introducing harsh and/or burnt flavors. This toasting technique requires the user to gently rotate the cigar at an angle away from the flame. Because the cigar must be manually rotated to toast the entire circumference, human error often leads to an uneven toasting of the cigar.
As such, what is needed is an improved cigar lighter. Further, what is needed is a cigar lighter that can evenly light the cigar without requiring substantial rotation of the cigar by the user.
Embodiments of the invention address the above-identified need by providing a lighter for lighting cigars and other objects. The lighter may comprise a circular opening through which a cigar or other object may be passed through. Flames may be directed towards a center of the opening such that a substantially even light may be achieved by holding the object near the center of the opening.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, including: a top section having an opening therethrough, including: an outer wall; an inner wall wherein the opening is formed by the inner wall; and a plurality of spouts disposed around the inner wall, each spout of the plurality of spouts directed towards a center of the opening; and a bottom section, including: a housing; a fuel reservoir at least partially contained within the housing for storing fuel; and a passage connecting the bottom section to the top section, wherein the fuel is configured to travel through the passage to the top section, and wherein after exiting the passage, the fuel is configured to ignite to obtain a flame directed out of the plurality of spouts.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the plurality of spouts is disposed equidistantly along the inner wall.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the bottom section further includes: an igniter for igniting the fuel; and an actuator for actuating the igniter.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the igniter is a piezoelectric igniter or a flint-and-wheel igniter.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the top section further includes: a first side wall and a second side wall extending from the outer wall, wherein the first side wall is disposed opposite the second side wall.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein an inner diameter of one of the first side wall or the second side wall defines a diameter of the opening, and wherein the inner diameter of at least one of the first side wall or the second side wall is adjustable.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the fuel reservoir includes a transparent or semi-transparent material.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, including: a bottom section, including: a fuel reservoir for storing fuel; an igniter for igniting the fuel to obtain a flame; and an actuator for actuating the igniter; and an enclosed top section defining an opening therethrough and coupled to the bottom section, including: a plurality of spouts disposed along an inner wall of the enclosed top section, wherein each spout of the plurality of spouts is configured to direct the flame towards a center of the opening.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the enclosed top section is circular, elliptical, or semi-circular.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the enclosed top section includes about a 60 gage diameter.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the bottom section further includes an adjustment valve for adjusting an intensity of the flame.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the adjustment valve is fluidly connected to the fuel reservoir, and wherein the adjustment valve includes a removable portion for adding additional fuel to the fuel reservoir.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the bottom section further includes a housing at least partially containing the fuel reservoir, the igniter, and the actuator.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, including: a bottom section, including: a fuel reservoir for holding fuel; an igniter for igniting the fuel; and an actuator for actuating the igniter; a top section, including: an outer wall; an inner wall including at least one spout, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall define a cavity; and a passage connecting the bottom section to the top section for providing fuel from the fuel reservoir to the at least one spout, whereby the fuel is ignited by the igniter to obtain a flame, wherein the flame exits through the at least one spout.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, further including a removable cap fluidly connected to the fuel reservoir for refilling of the fuel reservoir.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the inner wall defines an opening, and wherein the at least one spout includes a plurality of spouts directed towards a center of the opening.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the top section further includes a first side wall and a second side wall opposite the first side wall, wherein the first side wall and the second side wall extend from the outer wall, wherein at least one of the first side wall and the second side wall is adjustable to adjust a size of the opening.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the fuel reservoir is configured to be removable from the bottom section.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the bottom section is substantially rectangular and configured to be hand-held.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a lighter, wherein the top section is shaped as a partial circle defining a semi-enclosed opening, and wherein the at least one spout is directed towards a center of the semi-enclosed opening.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the current invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.
Embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
The drawing figures do not limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.
The subject matter of the invention is described in detail below to meet statutory requirements; however, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of claims. Rather, the claimed subject matter might be embodied in other ways to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Minor variations from the description below will be understood by one skilled in the art and are intended to be captured within the scope of the claimed invention. Terms should not be interpreted as implying any particular ordering of various steps described unless the order of individual steps is explicitly described.
The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of embodiments of the invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
In this description, references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate reference to “one embodiment” “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, or act described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments but is not necessarily included. Thus, the technology can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.
Embodiments described herein are generally directed to a lighter having an enclosed or semi-enclosed burn area. The lighter may comprise a bottom section and a top section. The top section may be circular, having a central opening (i.e., the burn area) therethrough, with a plurality of spouts disposed on an inner surface and directed inwards towards a center of the opening. The plurality of spouts may be configured to evenly light a cigar inserted near the center of the burn area. By utilizing a circular ring of spouts, the cigar may not need to be rotated to achieve an even burn. In some embodiments, the cigar lighter may utilize butane for fuel and may comprise a piezo igniter for igniting the fuel to obtain a flame. Thus, the lighter described herein can improve the ease and consistency at which users can toast cigars.
In use, a user may hold lighter 100 via housing 106. Housing 106 may at least partially contain fuel reservoir 108, actuator 110, and igniter 112. In some embodiments, igniter 112 is entirely contained within housing 106. Housing 106 may be fabricated from metals, such as stainless steel, titanium, brass, nickel, chromium, gold, silver, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, housing 106 comprises plastic or polymers, such as DELRIN®, acetyl resin, polypropylene, polycarbonate (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), polyvinylchloride (PVC), or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, housing 106 comprises filleted and/or chamfered edges to improve the useability and comfort for the user when holding lighter 100. For example, housing 106 may comprise ridges, bumps, knurls, checkered patterns, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, housing 106 comprises a sleeve, (e.g., a silicon sleeve) configured to enhance grip. Housing 106 may be contoured to comfortably fit in a user's hand for hand-held use.
In some embodiments, bottom section 102 is about 1 inch to about 3 inches in length. In some embodiments, bottom section 102 is about 0.5 inches to about 1.5 inches in width. In some embodiments, bottom section 102 is about 1.5 inches to about inches in height. In some embodiments, a larger bottom section 102 may be configured for tabletop use to hold a larger amount of fuel.
Fuel reservoir 108 may store fuel, which may be a pressurized gas in a liquid state. In some embodiments, the fuel is butane. In some embodiments, the fuel is naphtha, which may be used with a wick-based igniter 112. When the liquid fuel exits fuel reservoir 108, the fuel may undergo a state change into a gas due to the pressure differential between fuel reservoir 108 and the ambient air and mix with air, whereby the fuel may be ignited by igniter 112 to generate a flame for lighting the cigar. Fuel reservoir 108 may comprise a transparent, semi-transparent, or translucent material through which a fuel level may be monitored. For example, fuel reservoir 108 may be wholly or partially formed from borosilicate glass or poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). One of skill in the art will appreciate that fuel reservoir 108 may be constructed from a variety of materials. At least a portion of fuel reservoir 108 may be exposed from housing 106 for monitoring the fuel level. For example, fuel reservoir 108 may be exposed from housing 106 on a side wall of bottom section 102. In some embodiments, housing 106 may comprise a window through which fuel reservoir 108 may be exposed, as shown in
Actuator 110 may be configured as a slidable actuator for actuating igniter 112 to ignite the fuel. When actuator 110 is moved from a home position in a first direction (e.g., upwards towards top section 104), igniter 112 may ignite the fuel. Simultaneously, or near simultaneously, a valve (not shown) may be opened to allow the fuel to exit fuel reservoir 108 such that the fuel may be ignited by igniter 112. When actuator 110 is moved from the first direction back to the home position, igniter 112 may be disabled and the valve may be closed. In some embodiments, actuator 110 is configured as a push button, a switch, a lever, or any other actuator mechanism. In some embodiments, actuator 110 comprises a rubber or other slip-resistant material to aid the user in actuating actuator 110. As shown, actuator 110 may be at least partially contained within housing 106 and may be exposed on a side wall of bottom section 102 substantially opposite fuel reservoir 108. Broadly, any positioning of fuel reservoir 108 and actuator 110 in bottom section 102 is considered within the scope of embodiments herein.
Top section 104 may comprise outer wall 116, inner wall 118, a first side wall 120a and a second side wall 120b, spouts 122, opening 124 or any combination thereof. Inner wall 118 may be concentric with outer wall 116. Spouts 122 may be disposed circumferentially around inner wall 118, as discussed further below. In some embodiments, outer wall 116 and/or side walls 120a, 120b comprise similar materials to housing 106. Inner wall 118 may comprise an insulated metal or ceramic. For example, inner wall 118 may comprise a ceramic material such as silicon carbide. As another example, inner wall 118 may comprise brass. Broadly, inner wall 118 may comprise any material(s) capable of withstanding the heat from the flame of lighter 100. In some embodiments, lighter 100 is configured to emit a flame in the range of about 600° F. to about 800° F. In some embodiments, lighter 100 is configured to emit flames above about 800° F. In some embodiments, the materials of lighter 100 are selected based on the desired temperature of the flame.
Side walls 120a, 120b may extend from outer wall 116 as shown. First side wall 120a may be disposed substantially opposite second side wall 120b. Side walls 120a, 120b may be formed as a ring with an inner diameter of side walls 120a, 120b defining a diameter of opening 124. In some embodiments, opening 124 comprises a 60 ring gauge diameter. In some embodiments, opening 124 comprises a diameter or width of about 3 millimeters to about 30 millimeters. While embodiments are directed towards lighting cigars, lighter 100, and opening 124 may be suitably sized to light larger sized objects as needed. In some embodiments, side walls 120a, 120b are adjustable such that opening 124 comprises a variable size. For example, the size of opening 124 may be decreased when lighter 100 is used for lighting a cigarette. For example, additional side wall portions may be hinged behind or in front of side walls 120a, 120b and deployed to decrease the effective diameter of opening 124. In some embodiments, side walls 120a, 120b are detachable from outer wall 116. Thus, in some embodiments, the user may vary the size of opening 124 by attaching smaller or larger side walls 120a, 120b to outer wall 116.
It will be appreciated that top section 104 may take any geometric shape (e.g., circular, semi-circular, rectangular, elliptical, pentagonal, etc.), and side walls 120a, 120b may match the geometry of outer wall 116 and inner wall 118. For example, if outer wall 116 is formed as a rectangle, side walls 120a, 120b may also be rectangular. In some embodiments, side walls 120a, 120b are substantially similar. In other embodiments, one of side walls 120a, 120b comprises a smaller inner diameter than the other side wall 120a, 120b. In some such embodiments, the diameter of opening 124 is defined by the side wall 120a, 120b having the smallest diameter. For example, second side wall 120b may comprise a smaller inner diameter (or have no opening) than first side wall 120a to prevent the user from overextending the cigar or object through opening 124. In some embodiments, one or both of side walls 120a, 120b is omitted from top section 104. In some embodiments, the side walls 120a, 120b may be parallel to each other. In some embodiments, one or both of the side walls 120a, 120b may be slanted towards the center of the opening.
In some embodiments, top section 104 forms a semicircle, a partial circle, or any other semi-enclosed shape. For example, outer wall 116 may comprise a three-quarter circle with an opening at the top, left, or right sides of top section 104. A semi-enclosed top section 104 may increase oxygen flow into opening 124 which may aid in evenly burning the cigar. While illustrated as a ring, top section 104 may instead take other geometric shapes such as a triangle, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, an octagon, and the like. As another example, top section 104 may comprise two opposing outer walls 116 and inner walls 118 projecting substantially upwards from bottom section 102, forming a partial rectangle. Flame may then be directed inwards from each inner wall 118 towards opening 124 for lighting of the cigar.
In some embodiments, spouts 122 are spaced equidistantly on inner wall 118. For example, when top section 104 is configured as a circle, six spouts 122 may be spaced at 60° intervals on inner wall 118. Alternatively, four spouts 122 may be spaced at 90° intervals, or eight spouts 122 may be spaced at 45° intervals. Broadly, any arrangement of spouts 122 around the inner wall 118 is considered for embodiments herein, and spouts 122 are not limited to being equally spaced along inner wall 118. In some embodiments, the spouts 122 are spaced unevenly. Spouts 122 may be directed substantially towards a center of opening 124. As such, a user may insert a cigar near the center of opening 124 and receive a substantially even light from flame exiting each of the plurality of spouts 122 without having to rotate the cigar. Further, as described below, the user may utilize adjustment valve 114 to adjust an intensity of the flame exiting spouts 122 to increase the lighting efficiency of objects having smaller dimensions (e.g., a cigarette).
In some embodiments, spouts 122 are not directed towards the center of opening 124. For example, when top section 104 is formed as a partial rectangle, a first spout may be directed horizontally to toast a top surface of a cigar inserted into the center of opening 124, and a second spout may be directed horizontally and disposed below the first spout to toast a bottom surface of the cigar.
Spouts 122 may comprise a circular, square, triangular, or any other shape orifice through which the flame exits. Spouts may comprise a diameter or width of less than about 1 millimeter to about 1 millimeter. In some embodiments, spouts 122 comprise a diameter or width of about 1 millimeter to about 3 millimeters. In some embodiments, spouts 122 comprise similar materials to inner wall 118.
Fuel may flow from fuel reservoir 108 through a passage 128 and into top section 104 whereby the fuel may be ignited by igniter 112. Passage 128 may have a proximal end near a bottom face of bottom section 102 and a distal end near top section 104. In some embodiments, passage 128 is formed as a plastic or metal cylindrical or rectangular tube.
As described above, lighter 100 may comprise adjustment valve 114 on a bottom face of bottom section 102. In some embodiments, adjustment valve 114 is a dual-purpose knob that may allow the user to adjust an intensity of the flame and add additional fuel to fuel reservoir 108. Rotating adjustment valve 114 in a first direction may increase the flame intensity, and rotating adjustment valve 114 in a second direction that is opposite the first direction may decrease the flame intensity. In some embodiments, rotation of adjustment valve 114 causes a valve (not shown) disposed at the distal end of passage 128 to rotate open and/or closed. As the valve is opened, the amount of fuel exiting passage 128 may increase, thereby increasing the flame intensity. Adjusting the flame intensity may aid in lighting varying sizes of cigars, cigarettes, and the like. For example, if opening 124 is sized for 60 gage diameter cigars, a 30 gage diameter cigar may be lit with a higher flame intensity such that an even burn can be achieved while keeping the cigar substantially stationary in the center of opening 124.
In some embodiments, adjustment valve 114 comprises a removable knob, cap, or the like that provides access for adding additional fuel to fuel reservoir 108. Additionally, or alternatively, in some embodiments, a cap or other access point to fuel reservoir 108 may be disposed separately from adjustment valve 114. In some embodiments, lighter 100 is non-refillable, and adjustment valve 114 is permanently secured to bottom section 102. In some such embodiments, adjustment valve 114 may be used solely to adjust the intensity of the flame. In some embodiments, fuel reservoir 108 may be removable from housing 106 such that a new fuel reservoir 108 can replace an empty reservoir.
As shown, fuel reservoir 108 may comprise a majority of a volume of bottom section 102. Fuel may escape through passage 128 and into cavity 126 due to the depressurization caused by opening of the valve near the distal end of passage 128 that results in the liquid fuel undergoing a state change to gaseous fuel for igniting by igniter 112. Passage 128 may be fluidly connected to fuel reservoir 108. Igniter 112 may be disposed near actuator 110 whereby igniter 112 may be actuated by actuator 110. In some embodiments, igniter 112 is a piezoelectric igniter comprising a hammer that, when actuated, strikes a piezoelectric crystal to generate a spark, thereby igniting the fuel exiting passage 128 and into cavity 126 to obtain a flame. The flame may then travel through cavity 126 and out of spouts 122 into opening 124 to light the cigar. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other igniting mechanisms, such as a flint-and-wheel igniter may be used without departing from the scope hereof. In some embodiments, multiple igniters may be provided and spaced closer to the spouts 122.
While embodiments have been described herein with respect to utilizing lighter 100, 200, 300 for lighting cigars, it should be noted that lighter 100, 200, 300 may be used to light various objects. For example, lighter 100, 200, 300 may be used to light cigarettes, cigarillos, marshmallows, and smoking pipes. Additionally, lighter 100, 200, 300 may be used in industrial lighting environments. For example, lighter 100, 200, 300 may be used to heat and/or burn objects passing by on a conveyor belt in a manufacturing setting. It is contemplated that lighter 100, 200, 300 may be coupled with a control system that is configured to signal lighter 100, 200, 300 (e.g., wired or wirelessly) to turn on and off in response to varying conditions. The control system may also control adjustment valve 114 to adjust the intensity of the flame. As one example, lighter 100, 200, 300 may be used to toast marshmallows prior to packaging.
Further, bottom section 102 may be configured for use as a tabletop lighter. For example, bottom section 102 may be a substantially large cube or hemisphere configured to sit on a table and store enough fuel for use in commercial environments, such as at a smoking lounge.
Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the scope of the claims below. Embodiments of the invention have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this disclosure after and because of reading it. Alternative means of implementing the aforementioned can be completed without departing from the scope of the claims below. Certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Although the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed, and substitutions made herein, without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.
