Claims
- 1. A portable heating appliance having a member to be heated, comprising:
- burner means for heating said member;
- fuel supply means for supplying fuel to said burner means, said fuel supply means including stationary fuel delivery valve means for controlling the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means; and
- actuator means for actuating said fuel delivery valve means in response to user actuation to start the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means, said actuator means including a plunger, means for applying a continuous force to move said plunger to a first position into operative engagement with said fuel delivery valve means for opening said fuel delivery valve means and means for moving said plunger to a second position out of operative engagement with said fuel delivery valve means so that the latter terminates the flow of fuel to said burner means;
- said means for moving said plunger to a second position includes a pivotally mounted lever, spring means for biasing said lever in a first direction, switch means for biasing said lever in a second, opposite direction against the force of said spring means, abutment means secured to said plunger, said abutment means movable by said lever to move said plunger to said second position when said switch means biases said lever in said second direction.
- 2. A portable heating appliance having a member to be heated, comprising:
- burner means for heating said member;
- fuel supply means for supplying fuel to said burner means, said fuel supply means including stationary fuel delivery valve means for controlling the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means; and
- actuator means for actuating said fuel delivery valve means in response to user actuation to start the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means, said actuator means including a plunger, means for moving said plunger to a first position into operative engagement with said fuel delivery valve means for opening said fuel delivery valve means and means for moving said plunger to a second position out of operative engagement with said fuel delivery valve means so that the latter terminates the flow of fuel to said burner means;
- said means for moving said plunger to a second position includes a pivotally mounted lever, spring means for biasing said lever in a first direction, switch means for biasing said lever in a second, opposite direction against the force of said spring means, abutment means secured to said plunger, and slidably mounted shaft means movable by said lever into engagement with said abutment means to move said plunger to said second position when said switch means biases said lever in said second direction.
- 3. A portable heating appliance according to claim 2; further including a regulator housing, and a restraining member fixed on said shaft means; and wherein said spring means includes a coil spring surrounding said shaft means and positioned between said regulator housing and said restraining means for normally biasing said shaft means in a direction away from said regulator housing.
- 4. A portable heating appliance according to claim 3; wherein said shaft means is slidably received within an aperture of said regulator housing; and further including gasket means secured to said shaft means for sealing said aperture of said regulator housing when said shaft means is biased in a direction away from said aperture of said regulator housing.
- 5. A portable heating appliance according to claim 3; wherein said fuel supply means includes a cartridge, said fuel delivery valve means includes valve housing means having a head extending from said cartridge and an annular flange extending from said head; and said regulator housing includes an annular extension surrounding said annular flange with a gap therebetween and being in abutting relation with said head; and further comprising sealing means positioned in said gap to seal the same.
- 6. A portable heating appliance according to claim 5; wherein said sealing means includes an O-ring.
- 7. A portable heating appliance having a member to be heated, comprising:
- burner means for heating said member;
- fuel supply means for supplying fuel to said burner means, said fuel supply means including stationary fuel delivery valve means for controlling the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means; and
- actuator means for actuating said fuel delivery valve means in response to user actuation to start the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means, said actuator means including a plunger, means for moving said plunger to a first position into operative engagement with said fuel delivery valve means for opening said fuel delivery valve means and means for moving said plunger to a second position out of operative engagement with said fuel delivery valve means so that the latter terminates the flow of fuel to said burner means;
- said means for moving said plunger to said first position includes biasing means for applying a force to said plunger, wherein said biasing means constantly applies said force to said plunger to bias the latter into engagement with said fuel delivery valve means to control the latter to permit the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means.
- 8. A portable heating appliance according to claim 7; further including regulator means for controlling said actuator means to maintain a substantially constant flow rate of fuel to said burner means.
- 9. A portable heating appliance according to claim 8; wherein said regulator means includes diaphragm means for applying a force to said plunger against the force from said biasing means when the pressure of said fuel from said fuel supply means is greater than a predetermined pressure to control said fuel delivery valve means to prevent the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means.
- 10. A portable heating appliance according to claim 7; wherein said actuator means includes means for adjusting the force applied by said biasing means to said plunger.
- 11. A portable heating appliance having a member to be heated, comprising:
- burner means for heating said member;
- fuel supply means for supplying fuel to said burner means, said fuel supply means including stationary fuel delivery valve means for controlling the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means; and
- actuator means for actuating said fuel delivery valve means in response to user actuation to start the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means, said actuator means including
- a plunger,
- means for moving said plunger to a first position into operative engagement with said fuel delivery valve means for opening said fuel delivery valve means, said means for moving said plunger to said first position includes biasing means for applying a force to said plunger to bias the latter into engagement with said fuel delivery valve means to control the latter to permit the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means, said biasing means includes a coil spring applying a force against said plunger,
- means for moving said plunger to a second position out of operative engagement with said fuel delivery valve means so that the latter terminates the flow of fuel to said burner means, and
- means for adjusting the force applied by said biasing means to said plunger, said means for adjusting including an adjusting screw against which one end of said coil spring abuts and which is adjustable to vary the force applied by said coil spring to said plunger.
- 12. A portable heating appliance according to claim 1; wherein said fuel delivery valve means includes valve housing means in one end of said fuel supply means, said valve housing means including an aperture through which said fuel escapes from said fuel supply means, valve pad means movable to a first position for preventing the flow of fuel through said aperture and to a second position for permitting the flow of fuel through said aperture, and stem means for moving said valve pad means between said first and second positions in response to movement of said plunger.
- 13. A portable heating appliance according to claim 12; wherein said fuel delivery valve means further includes restrictor means for varying the amount of fuel supplied by said fuel supply means in response to the force applied by said plunger through said stem means.
- 14. A portable heating appliance according to claim 13; wherein said restrictor means includes a compressible foam tube which is compressed to an extent depending on the force applied thereto by said plunger.
- 15. A portable heating appliance according to claim 12; wherein said fuel supply means includes a fuel supply cartridge, and said valve housing means includes a head extending from said cartridge; and further comprising a nozzle holder stopper surrounding said head for preventing rotation thereof, said nozzle holder stopper having at least one cut-away section, said cartridge having at least one aperture in alignment with said at least one cut-away section, and at least one pin extending through said at least one cut-away section and said at least one aperture in said cartridge for rotatably fixing said nozzle holder stopper and said valve housing means with respect to said cartridge.
- 16. A portable heating appliance according to claim 15; wherein said nozzle holder stopper has an outer circumferential surface and said at least one cut-away section includes at least one recess in said outer circumferential surface.
- 17. A portable heating appliance according to claim 1; wherein said burner means includes at least one hollow burner tube having a first end supplied with fuel from said fuel supply means and a second, opposite end at which a burning operation occurs, each burner tube having a central bore extending therethrough from said first end to said second end, said bore having a larger diameter at said second end, and at least one burner nozzle, each having a central bore extending therethrough positioned in said central bore of each burner tube at said second end thereof.
- 18. A portable heating appliance according to claim 17; wherein each said burner nozzle includes a plurality of gear-like teeth extending longitudinally along an outer surface thereof.
- 19. A portable heating appliance having a member to be heated, comprising:
- first and second burner means for heating said member;
- fuel supply means for supplying fuel to said burner means, said fuel supply means including stationary fuel delivery valve means for controlling the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means;
- actuator means for actuating said fuel delivery valve means in response to user actuation to start the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means, said actuator means including a plunger, means for moving said plunger to a first position into operative engagement with said fuel delivery valve means for opening said fuel delivery valve means and means for moving said plunger to a second position out of operative engagement with said fuel delivery valve means so that the latter terminates the flow of fuel to said burner means; and
- means for terminating the flow of fuel to said second burner means when a predetermined temperature is reached.
- 20. A portable heating appliance according to claim 19; further comprising conduit means for carrying said fuel from said fuel supply means to said first and second burner means; and said means for terminating includes means for preventing the flow of fuel through said conduit means to said second burner means.
- 21. A portable heating appliance according to claim 20; wherein said conduit means includes first valve stem means for carrying said fuel from said fuel supply means to said first burner means and second valve stem means for carrying said fuel from said fuel supply means to said second burner means, said second valve stem means being movable between a first position to permit the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means to said second burner means and a second position to prevent the flow of fuel from said fuel supply means to said second burner means; and wherein said means for terminating includes first biasing means for moving said second valve stem means to said first position when the temperature is less than said predetermined temperature and second biasing means for moving said second valve stem means to said second position when the temperature is at least equal to said predetermined temperature.
- 22. A portable heating appliance according to claim 20; wherein said second valve stem means includes a fuel flowing orifice; and further including channel means for supplying said fuel from said fuel supply means to said orifice of said second valve stem means, and valve pad means positioned between said channel means and said orifice for permitting the flow of fuel to said orifice when said second valve stem means is in said first position and for preventing the flow of fuel to said orifice when said second valve stem means is in said second position.
- 23. A portable heating appliance according to claim 20; wherein said first biasing means includes a bimetallic element which biases said second valve stem means to said first position when said temperature is less than said predetermined temperature and which removes said bias when the temperature is at least equal to said predetermined temperature; and said second biasing means includes spring means which biases said second valve stem means to said second position when the temperature is at least equal to said predetermined temperature and said bimetallic element removes said bias therefrom.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 06/781,262, filed Sept. 27, 1985, entitled Portable Curling Iron to the same inventors herein.
This invention relates generally to portable heating appliances and, more particularly, is directed to a novel portable curling iron.
A curling iron curls hair by wrapping the hair, tress by tress, around a heated barrel, holding the wrapped tress for a period of time and then unwrapping the tress. The length of time the hair is held wrapped around the barrel, the temperature, the diameter of the barrel and the hair's characteristics largely determine the tightness of the curl.
Some curling irons are portable. These heat the barrel by an electrical heat source or a portable fuel source. Electrical portable curling irons are relatively impractical, but catalytic gas powered curling irons are widely employed. The catalytic converters thereof are powered by butane or similar type gases which may take the form of replaceable or refillable cartridges. Such portable curling irons are widely used, and may be conveniently used almost anywhere.
Catalytic burners for portable curling irons suffer from several disadvantages. First, they are slow to heat and expensive to manufacture, which are clearly undesirable. Additionally, if the temperature runs too high, the platinum catalyst sinters, reducing surface area, which reduces life.
Still further, catalytic converters can suffer from "hot spots" which can render them dangerous.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a system for portable devices requiring a heated portion which eliminates the above-mentioned problems.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a system which may be advantageously used in curling irons.
It is still another object of this invention to provide such a system which may be used with portable irons, portable hot trays, hair roller setters, portable bottle warmers as well as many other portable products.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a system which is readily adaptable to portable use, yet which permits rapid heating of the element to be heated.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a system in which the operating temperature is maintained substantially constant.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide such a system in which a source of fuel is employed which may be rechargeable or refillable.
It is a yet further object of this invention to provide such a system in which the element to be heated rapidly achieves the desired temperature, yet in which the temperature is maintained with decreased fuel consumption.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a system which is safe to use.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a system in which a removable fuel supply cartridge is provided.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a system in which a plunger is moved toward and away from the stationary fuel supply cartridge for actuating a fuel delivery valve therein.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system in which a burner nozzle is inserted in the burner tubes to provide a cleaner and more efficient burning operation.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a system in which loosening of the fuel delivery valve in the cartridge is prevented.
In accordance with the principles of this invention, the above objects are accomplished by providing a fuel delivery and ignition system for a portable heating appliance which quickly heats the working surface and then reduces the fuel flow when the desired temperature is reached. Additionally, a regulator is provided which controls the fuel rate to maintain a substantially constant temperature of the working surface. Specifically, a piezoelectric ignitor is provided to initially ignite the two burners. After the desired surface temperature is reached, one of the burners is turned off, and the remaining burner continues to operate and maintain the surface temperature substantially constant.
Specifically, a portable heating appliance having a member to be heated, includes burner means for heating the member; fuel supply means for supplying fuel to the burner means, the fuel supply means including stationary fuel delivery valve means for controlling the flow of fuel from the fuel supply means; and actuator means for actuating the fuel delivery valve means in response to user actuation to start the flow of fuel from the fuel supply means, the actuator means including a plunger, means for moving the plunger to a first position into operative engagement with the fuel delivery valve means for opening the fuel delivery valve means and means for moving the plunger to a second position out of operative engagement with the fuel delivery valve means so that the latter terminates the flow of fuel to the burner means.
The means for moving the plunger to a second position includes a pivotally mounted lever; spring means for biasing the lever in a first direction; switch means for biasing the lever in a second, opposite direction against the force of the spring means; abutment means secured to the plunger; and slidably mounted shaft means movable by the lever into engagement with the abutment means to move the plunger to the second position when the switch means biases the lever in the second direction.
The above and other, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
| 2390678 |
Jan 1979 |
FRX |
| WO83279 |
Feb 1983 |
WOX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
781262 |
Sep 1985 |
|
Patent Grant
4699123
