Fire Starting device and Method of Making the Same

Abstract

A fire starting device comprised of a hand covering impregnated with a solid fuel and optionally other consumption safe additives. Unlike other fire starting devices, this fire starting glove can be safely worn by the user while preparing a fire starting site such as a charcoal grill or wood burning stove to protect the wearer's hands from dirt, grease, grime and minor injuries such as cuts or scrapes. Once the fire site is prepared and the user is ready to start the fire, the glove is removed from the hand by pulling from the wrist end which turns the glove inside out, encasing any dirt, grease, grime, etc. The glove can then be placed in the fire starting site and lit with a match or butane lighter, etc. and covered with charcoal, etc. to start the desired fire.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to fire starting devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hand covering or “glove” impregnated with a solid fuel that assists a user in the preparation of a fire site and starting of a controlled fire in said fire site.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Preparation of a campfire, charcoal grill, wood burning stove, fireplace, or the like can oftentimes lend itself to being troublesome work. Cleaning may need to be performed to rid surfaces and components of dirt, ash, grease, or grime. A person may have to handle logs, charcoal or grill accessories such as grates and drip pans with their hands. Without proper wearable protective gear, a person can become quite filthy and even receive minor cuts, scratches, or other injuries. In order to start a fire after the fire site has been prepared, a source of fuel is needed to initially ignite the wood, charcoal, or other medium. Modern fuels include liquid gas fuels such as butane, otherwise known as lighter fluid. Lighter fluid is only available as a completely separate product from any wearable protective gear for fire preparation. Additionally, lighter fluid produces undesirable aromas and, when used to start a fire for cooking food, may impart a repelling flavor to the food. Even more so, lighter fluid is poisonous and quite dangerous if consumed or if it comes in contact with skin, eyes, open flames, etc. Also, lighter fluid is not recommended for use in some cooking vessels, such as ceramic grills. Solid fuel based fire starters currently exist but they are in cube, block, chunk, or other form which render them impossible to wear and thereby provide no protection from dirt, grease, grime, or minor injury. The present invention aims to address the aforementioned issues related to fire preparation by providing a new, singular device that allows a user to both prepare a fire site and start a fire in said fire site in a safe manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a glove of the fire starter device being worn on the hand of a user;

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the glove of the fire starter device with an elongated forearm sleeve;

FIG. 3 shows three gloves of the fire starter device imparted with different colors;

FIG. 4 shows many gloves of the fire starter device being dyed to impart a desired color;

FIG. 5 shows gloves of the fire starter device laid out in preparation (left) for submersior in the melted solid fuel (right); and

FIG. 6 shows gloves of the fire starter device, which have been folded for storage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is a fire starting device comprising a hand covering or “glove” impregnated with a solid fuel. In use, a singular glove or two gloves are worn by the user during the preparation of a controlled fire, such as for cooking, and then may be used to start the fire. For example, the user may handle logs or charcoal and undertake to clean dirty surfaces and components of charcoal grills, fireplaces, wood burning stoves, campfires, or fireplaces. The glove protects the user's hands from dirt, grease, and grime as well as minor cuts, scratches, or other injuries. The impregnated solid fuel allows the glove to be used as a fire starter after preparation has been complete, or at whatever point the user intends to start the fire, eliminating the need for separate liquid or solid fuels. After preparation, the glove may be pulled off the user's hand and turned inside out to enclose any dirt, grease, or grime and then be compressed in order to concentrate the solid fuel for a prolonged burn. The glove may be ignited with a prolonged exposure to a fire source such as a match or butane lighter but will not ignite upon a brief encounter with same, adding to the safety of use. The solid fuel may be mixed with additives in order to produce aromas or impart desired flavors to foods while the glove is burning, add a visually pleasing appearance to the glove, or assist in holding together the mixture of the solid fuel and other additives.

With reference to FIG. 1, the glove of the fire starting device is preferably configured as a full glove that covers all five fingers and the entirety of the hand up to the user's wrist. The glove may be configured as a partial glove, covering only some of the fingers and portions of the hand. The glove may also be configured as a three-fingered mitten in which one sleeve covers the thumb, a second sleeve covers the index finger, and a third sleeve covers the remaining three fingers of the user's hand. The glove may additionally be configured as a 2 fingered mitten in which one sleeve covers the thumb, and a second sleeve covers the remaining 4 fingers of the user's hand. Left-handed and right-handed gloves may be produced, as may ambidextrous versions. The glove is preferably made of a carbon-based, organic material that is capable of combustion and, more importantly, safe for combustion with foods. Such a material preferably includes cotton that has been grown without any harmful synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides, but any other suitable material for making gloves that satisfies these criteria may be utilized. The glove can be made in various lengths, as shown by the glove with an elongated forearm sleeve in FIG. 2, and various thicknesses or weights.

The glove is coated or impregnated with a solid fuel. The solid fuel is an unreactive, or chemically stable, soft solid that may be easily melted or otherwise reduced to a liquid state for impregnation with the glove. The solid fuel is therefore preferably paraffin was, which has a comparatively low melting point, odorless and tasteless characteristics, and is approved for human consumption. This makes paraffin wax desirable as a food-safe fuel that neither produces undesirable odors nor imparts repelling tastes in food cooked over a fire started by the device. However, the solid fuel may be any other similar compound that has the aforementioned characteristics. The solid fuel, as an impregnated coating, provides the glove additional hand protection, resistance to the ingress of water (water proofed), and fuel to start a controlled fire while imparting no undesired odor or taste.

The solid fuel may be mixed with additives. The additives include but are not limited to: consumption safe oils such as walnut oil, rosemary oil, acorn oil, etc.; plant based extracts, such as vanilla flavoring, corn starch, etc.; plant based byproducts such as hickory sawdust, mesquite sawdust, apple wood sawdust, fig wood sawdust, pecan wood sawdust, etc.; and oil based food coloring. Though the additives are not required for the present invention to operate, they may serve to enhance the usage of a glove or gloves. When the glove and solid fuel burn, consumption safe oils, plant based extracts, and plant based byproducts may produce a desired aroma or impart a desired flavor to any food cooked over a fire started by the device. The plant based extracts may hold or draw together the other additives and solid fuel in order to maintain The cohesion of the mixture of solid fuel and additives. The food coloring may be used to impart desired colors to the glove in order to give the glove a visually pleasing appearance. Examples of three different colored gloves are shown in FIG. 3. In another embodiment of the present invention, water-based food coloring may be applied directly to the glove via dyeing prior to the impregnation of the solid fuel and other additives, as shown in FIG. 4.

The glove is impregnated with the solid fuel additives as described herein below. The solid fuel, preferably paraffin wax, is heated in a container so that it may be melted into a liquid state, as shown in FIG. 5. Any combination of the aforementioned additives including consumption safe oils, plant based extracts, plant based byproducts, aid oil based food coloring is then added to the solid fuel in liquid state. The liquid state solid fuel and additives may or may not be stirred to promote a uniform mixture. Then, one of more gloves are submersed within the mixture to allow the solid fuel and additives to diffuse throughout the carbon based material of the one of more gloves. The one or more gloves is then removed from the mixture, rolled, folded, laid flat, etc., and allowed to cool. Alternatively, the solid fuel may be otherwise rendered in to a state in which it may be sprayed on or in to the gloves before being rolled, folded, laid flat, etc., and allowed to cool. FIG. 6 shows gloves which have been folded for storage.

It is to be understood that the application for the present invention is not solely limited to starting fires for cooking. The aspects of hand protection, water proofing, and fire starting capability afforded by the present invention ideally make it suitable to be included in emergency kits of all types (wilderness, natural disaster, camping, prepping, etc.).

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A fire starting device comprised of a glove impregnated with a solid fuel.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said glove is also impregnated with consumption safe oil(s).

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said glove is also impregnated with plant based extracts.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said glove is also impregnated with consumption safe oils and plant based extracts.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said glove is also impregnated with plant based byproducts.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said glove is also impregnated with consumption safe oils and plant based byproducts.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said glove is also impregnated with plant based extracts and plant based byproducts.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said glove is also impregnated with consumption safe oils, plant based extracts, and plant based byproducts.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said glove is also impregnated with food safe coloring.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said glove is also impregnated with food safe coloring and consumption safe oils.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said glove is also impregnated with food safe coloring, consumption safe oils, and plant based extracts.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said glove is also impregnated with food safe coloring, consumption safe oils, plant based extracts, and plant based byproducts.

13. A method of making a fire starting device comprised of a glove impregnated with a solid fuel, the method comprising of heating the solid fuel in a container until the solid fuel reaches a liquid state and submersing one or more said gloves in to the liquid to allow the solid fuel to diffuse throughout the one or more said gloves thereby evenly coating the one or more said gloves before removing them from the melted solid fuel and shaping them in a desired shape for storage.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the melted solid fuel is combined with one or more additives such as consumption safe oils, plant based extracts, plant based byproducts, or food safe coloring.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the gloves are colored with food safe coloring before being submersed in the melted solid fuel.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the gloves are colored with food safe coloring before being submersed in the melted solid fuel and any additives.