Lighter with childproof windshield

Abstract

A childproof windshield for a disposable lighter, includes a U-shaped surrounding wall mounting on two supporting walls of the disposable lighter respectively, and a pair of safety shells for coaxially positioning with a striker wheel and facing two outer sides of two driving wheels of the striker wheel respectively. The safety shells are respectively extended integrally from the two sides of the U-shaped surrounding wall upwardly and rearwardly. Thereby, the safety shells form a physical barrier to prevent a thumb of a user from fully engaging the striker wheel. A slant ceiling surface of the childproof windshield is downwardly inclined from the two safety shells towards a front end of the childproof windshield adapted for increasing a striking route of the thumb of the user against the pair of safety shells and the driving wheels.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a lighter, and more particularly to a lighter with childproof windshield, wherein a relatively large pressure by an adult's finger is needed to be exerted on the striker wheel to actuate the lighter, so that the lighter with childproof windshield is prevented from being ignited accidentally or by children.

2. Description of Related Arts

The conventional striker wheel disposable lighter is simple in structure, low cost and easy to operate. The striker wheel is adapted for being rotated by finger to generate a spark for ignition. Conventionally, the striker wheel extending outwardly from the casing, so that the striker wheel can be easily touched and being rotated. However, such disposable lighters are dangerous if they are handled carelessly, especially by children. The inadvertent ignition of such disposable lighters may result in fires causing property damage and injury to people.

Therefore, there is a need for a safety device that prevents inadvertent ignition of disposable lighter, or makes the lighters difficult for children to operate. Disposable lighters are now required by federal law to contain ignition safe device in order to prevent children from igniting the lighters.

Many types of childproof disposable lighter have been developed later. Most childproof disposable lighters have a built-in lock mechanism which prevents depression of the actuating lever, and the lock mush be released to allow the actuating lever to be depressed. Generally, all conventional childproof disposable lighters require additional elements to be incorporated into the striker wheel to increase the difficulty to rotate the striker wheel or the gas lever to control the supply of gas, so as to avoid children to use the lighter. However, the cost of the childproof disposable lighter goes up due to the complex safety structure, and it is very difficult for the high cost disposable lighter to be successful in the market.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a lighter with childproof windshield, wherein a relatively large pressure by an adult's finger is needed to be exerted on the striker wheel to actuate the lighter, so that the lighter with childproof windshield is prevented from being ignited accidentally or by children.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a childproof windshield which is adapted to be installed to all kinds of disposable lighter.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a childproof windshield for a disposable lighter which requires a simple single-action operation by an adult's thumb instead of the conventional double-action operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lighter with childproof windshield, wherein the safety shells of the windshield cover the two driving wheels of the striker wheel and are slightly higher than the driving wheels respectively, so that a relatively large pressure is needed to rotate the striker wheel.

Another object of the present invention the striking route against the pair of safety shells and driving wheels by the user's thumb is increased to enhance the ignition action of the adult user by constructing a slant ceiling surface of the windshield to be downwardly inclined towards its front end while preventing the children from using the lighter without adult's supervision.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a safety windshield for childproof disposable lighter, which does not required additional element and to alter the original structural design of the disposable lighter, so as to minimize the manufacturing cost of incorporating the safety device with every conventional disposable lighter having a conventional striker wheel.

Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a childproof windshield for a disposable lighter, comprising:

a U-shaped surrounding wall having two sides for mounting on two supporting walls of the disposable lighter respectively so as to position on a ceiling of the supporting frame; and

a pair of safety shells for coaxially positioning with a striker wheel and facing two outer sides of two driving wheels of the striker wheel respectively, the safety shells being respectively extended integrally from the two sides of the U-shaped surrounding wall upwardly and rearwardly, wherein each of the safety shells is in circular shape having an outer smooth surface and a radius slightly larger than that of the driving wheels so as to encircle the outer sides of the two driving wheels for, thereby, forming a physical barrier to prevent a thumb of a user from fully engaging the striker wheel, wherein a slant ceiling surface of the childproof windshield is downwardly inclined from the two safety shells towards a front end of the windshield adapted for increasing a striking route of the thumb of the user against the pair of safety shells and the driving wheels.

These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lighter with a childproof windshield according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the lighter with a childproof windshield according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the lighter with a childproof windshield according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the lighter with a childproof windshield according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is another alternative mode of the lighter with a childproof windshield according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the above alternative mode of the lighter with a childproof windshield according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the above alternative mode of the lighter with a childproof windshield according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a conventional disposable lighter illustrating how the user's thumb in operation with the striker wheel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 4 of the drawings, a disposable lighter with childproof windshield according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, in which the disposable lighter comprises a lighter body 1, ignition unit 2, gas emitting unit 3 and a childproof windshield 4.

The lighter body 1 comprises a casing 11 defining a liquefied gas chamber therein for containing a predetermined volume of liquefied gas, and a supporting frame 12 mounted on the casing. The supporting frame 12 is sealedly mounted on the casing 11 to prevent gas leakage from the connection line.

The gas emitting unit 3 comprises a gas emitting nozzle 32 mounted on the supporting frame 12 to communicate with the liquefied gas chamber for emitting gas from the liquefied gas chamber in a controlled manner. The gas emitting unit 3 further comprises a gas adjusting element 31 for adjusting the amount of the releasing gas from the liquefied gas chamber.

The ignition unit 2 supported by the supporting frame 12 for igniting the gas from said gas emitting nozzle 32 comprises a flint 22 and a striker wheel 21 mounted on the flint 22 for being rotated to generate spark. The striker wheel 21 has two driving wheels 211, 212 provided at two sides thereof. The ignition unit 2 further comprises a resilient element 22 mounted under the flint 22 for supporting the flint 22. The supporting frame 12 has a gas valve cavity 124 for receiving the gas emitting nozzle 32, and has a flint housing 123 for receiving the resilient element 22 and the flint 22.

Furthermore, the supporting frame 12 further comprises two supporting walls 121 upwardly extended and spacedly apart, wherein each supporting wall 121 has a supporting hole 122 provided thereon for receiving a pin of the striker wheel 21 so as to rotatably mounted the striker wheel 21 and its driving wheels 211, 212 between the two supporting walls 121.

The gas emitting unit 3 further comprises a gas emitting lever 33 having a releasing end engaged with the gas emitting nozzle 32 and a pressing end disposed under the striker wheel 21, so that when the pressing end is pressed, the gas is released from the gas emitting nozzle 32. The supporting frame 12 has a level cavity 125 for receiving the pressing end of the gas emitting lever 33. The operating step of the lighter is that rotate the striker wheel to generate spark and press the gas emitting lever 33 to release gas to produce flame.

The childproof windshield 4 has a U-shaped surrounding wall 42 mounted on the supporting frame 12, wherein the U-shaped surrounding wall 42 has an side opening forming two safety shells 43 at both sides of the opening to cover the two supporting walls 121. In other words, the striker wheel 21 is disposed between the two safety shells 43. The two safety shells 43 are upwardly and rearwardly extended from the U-shaped surrounding wall 42 and facing the outer sides of the two driving wheels 211, 212 of the striker wheel 21 respectively. Each of the safety shells 43 is in circular shape having a radius slightly larger than that of the respective driving wheels 211, 212 so as to encircle the outer sides of the driving wheels 211, 212 to form a physical barrier to prevent the user's thumb from fully engaging the striker wheel 21. The radius of the safety shell 43 is at least equal to or slightly larger than the radius of the driving wheels 211, 212. For example, the difference between two radiuses can be 0.1 mm.

The surfaces of the safety shells 43 are smooth. Since the children have already known to rotate the striker wheel 21 of the lighter along a floor or other surface for striking amusing sparks and possibly flames, the smooth surfaces of the safety shells 43 will serve to inhibit the generation of sparks and flames when the lighter is abused by children in such a manner. Moreover, for insufficient force, even adult's thumb will slip off the safety shells 43 without causing the rotation of the striker wheel 21 and operation of the lighter, so as to prevent unintentional ignition.

According to the present invention, the childproof windshield 4 has a slant ceiling surface 44 which is downwardly inclined from the safety shells 43 towards a front end thereof so as to increase a striking route of the user's thumb against the safety shells 43 and the driving wheels 211, 212.

As shown in FIG. 8, a conventional disposable lighter is shown wherein the user's thumb has to initially rest and press on top of the striker wheel for rotating towards the gas lever to ignite the lighter. Since the horizontal flat ceiling surface of the windshield of the lighter substantially blocks the movement of the thumb, the rotation angle of the thumb with respect to the striker wheel is merely about 45°.

In view of the present invention, in order to ignite the disposable lighter, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an adult's thumb can be inclinedly rested on the slant ceiling surface 44 with a side portion thereof starting to press against striker wheel 21, wherein rotation angle of thumb with respect to the striker wheel is more than 45° and may up to 90° and thus increasing the striking route of the striker wheel 21 to facilitate ignition of the present invention for adult. When sufficient pressure of the thumb is applied on the striker wheel 21, the thumb's surface is deformed to past the safety shells 43 to frictionally engage the striker wheel 21 including the driving wheels 211, 212 thereby rotating the striker wheel 21. At the mean time, a spark is generated by the rotating striker wheel 21 and the depressible rear end of the gas lever 33 will then pushed downward for emitting gas.

Referring to FIG. 5 through FIG. 7 of the drawings, an alternative mode of the present invention is illustrated, wherein the two safety shells are alternatively constructed at the supporting frame 12″. The safety shells 43″ which are coaxially to the striker wheel 21″ are upwardly protruded from the two supporting walls 121″ and encircled the outer sides of the striker wheel 21″ respectively. The radius of the safety shells 43″ is the same as or slightly larger than the radius of the striker wheel 21″.

Similarly, each of the supporting walls 121″ has a supporting hole 122″ provided thereon for receiving pin of the striker wheel 21″, so that the striker wheel 21″ can coaxially rotate around the pins. The two supporting walls 121″ extend outwardly along the both sides of the striker wheel 21. The surfaces of the safety shells 43″ are smooth. Since the children have already known to rotate the striker wheel 21″ of the lighter along a floor or other surface for striking amusing sparks and possibly flames, the smooth surfaces of the safety shells 43″ will serve to inhibit the generation of sparks and flames when the lighter is abused by children in such a manner. Moreover, for insufficient force, even adult's thumb will slip off the safety shells 43″ without causing the rotation of the striker wheel 21″ and operation of the lighter, so as to prevent unintentional ignition.

The childproof windshield 4″ also has a U-shaped surrounding wall 42″ mounted on the supporting frame 12, wherein the childproof windshield 4″ has a slant ceiling surface 44″ which is downwardly inclined from the safety shells 43″ towards a front end thereof so as to increase a striking route of the user's thumb against the safety shells 43 and the driving wheels 211″, 212″.

One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting.

It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. It embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A childproof windshield for a disposable lighter, comprising: a U-shaped surrounding wall having two sides for mounting on two supporting wall of the disposable lighter respectively; anda pair of safety shells for coaxially positioning with a striker wheel and facing two outer sides of two driving wheels of the striker wheel respectively, said safety shells being respectively extended integrally from said two sides of said U-shaped surrounding wall upwardly and rearwardly, wherein each of said safety shells is in circular shape having an outer smooth surface and a radius at least equal to that of the driving wheels so as to encircle the outer sides of the two driving wheels for, thereby, forming a physical barrier for preventing a thumb of a user from fully engaging the striker wheel, wherein a slant ceiling surface of said childproof windshield is downwardly inclined from said two safety shells towards a front end of said childproof windshield adapted for increasing a striking route of the thumb of the user against said pair of safety shells and the driving wheels.

2. The childproof windshield, as recited in claim 1, wherein said radius of said safety shells is slightly larger than that of said driving wheels.

3. A disposable lighter, comprising: a lighter body comprising a casing defining a liquefied gas chamber for containing a predetermined volume of liquefied gas therein;a supporting frame mounted on said casing;a gas emitting unit comprising a gas emitting nozzle mounted on said supporting frame to communicate with said liquefied gas chamber for emitting gas from said liquefied gas chamber in a controlled manner;an ignition unit supported by said supporting frame for ignition gas from said gas emitting nozzle comprising a flint and a striker wheel, having two driving wheels, mounted above said flint for being rotated to strike against said flint to generate spark; anda childproof windshield, comprising:a U-shaped surrounding wall having two sides for mounting on said two supporting walls of said disposable lighter respectively; anda pair of safety shells for coaxially positioning with said striker wheel and facing two outer sides of two driving wheels of the striker wheel respectively, said safety shells being respectively extended integrally from said two sides of said U-shaped surrounding wall upwardly and rearwardly, wherein each of said safety shells is in circular shape having an outer smooth surface and a radius at least equal to that of said driving wheels so as to encircle outer sides of said two driving wheels for, thereby, forming a physical barrier for preventing a thumb of a user from fully engaging said striker wheel, wherein a slant ceiling surface of said childproof windshield is downwardly inclined from said two safety shells towards a front end of said childproof windshield adapted for increasing a striking route of the thumb of the user against said pair of safety shells and said driving wheels.

4. The disposable lighter, as recited in claim 3, wherein said radius of said safety shells is slightly larger than that of said driving wheels so as to encircle outer sides of said two driving wheels.

5. A disposable lighter, comprising: a lighter body comprising a casing defining a liquefied gas chamber for containing a predetermined volume of liquefied gas therein;a supporting frame, mounted on said casing, comprising two supporting walls and two safety shells upwardly protruded from said two supporting walls, wherein each of said safety shells is in circular shape having an outer smooth surface;a gas emitting unit comprising a gas emitting nozzle mounted on said supporting frame to communicate with said liquefied gas chamber for emitting gas from said liquefied gas chamber in a controlled manner;an ignition unit supported by said supporting frame for ignition gas from said gas emitting nozzle comprising a flint and a striker wheel, having two driving wheels, mounted above said flint for being rotated to strike against said flint to generate spark, wherein said safety shells are coaxially to said striker wheel and a radius of said safety shells is at least equal to a radius of said driving wheels to encircle outer sides of said driving wheels of said striker wheel respectively; anda windshield comprising a U-shaped surrounding wall having two sides for mounting on said two supporting walls of said disposable lighter respectively, wherein a slant ceiling surface of said windshield is downwardly inclined towards a front end of said windshield adapted for increasing a striking route of the thumb of the user against said pair of safety shells and said driving wheels.

6. The disposable lighter, as recited in claim 3, wherein said radius of said safety shells is slightly larger than that of said driving wheels so as to encircle outer sides of said two driving wheels.