Zippo Manufacturing Company

Michael Wayne Johnson

Ronald J Meister

James M McDonough

Craig M Saunders

Jeffrey M Kalman

Marc Louis Vitantonio

Charles Peter Althoff

David J Boll

Michael M O'Toole

A lighter device having a flow restrictor and associated methods for manufacturing and testing such lighter device and flow restrictor are described. The flow restrictor may be formed of a porous member to achieve a substantially fixed or varying flame height. The flow restrictor may be tested before or after assembly into a lighter housing by receiving a non-combustible fluid therethrough. The flow rate of the non-combustible fluid may be correlated to the flow rate of a combustible fluid through the flow restrictor to approximate the resultant flame height of a lighter incorporating the tested flow restrictor. The flow restrictor may also be tested by receiving a combustible fluid therethrough prior to assembling the flow restrictor into the lighter housing. In this manner, flow restrictors and corresponding lighter devices may be tested without introducing combustible fluids into such lighter devices prior to shipment. Also, a vacuum may be drawn on a fuel tank of the lighter prior to shipment.

Lighter device with flow restrictor and methods of manufacturing and testing same

A lighter includes a butane fuel reservoir, a valve, a mixer with a choke, a movable combustion space and movable top door over the combustion space which interact to allow a wheel and flint igniter to initiate a post mix flame above the top of the combustion space followed by the opening of the top and migration of the flame into the combustion space to create a strong torch-like premixed flame thereafter.

Flint ignited premixed lighter

A lighter comprising an outer case having a first sidewall disposed in spaced apart relation to a second sidewall, a first end wall disposed in spaced apart relation to a second end wall, and a base connected to the side walls and end walls. A lid having lid end walls and lid side walls connected to a cover. A curved hinge connecting the outer case and lid. An inside unit is provided and is receivable in the outer case. The inside unit has a plate and front and rear lugs. A cam is mounted to the rear lugs and slides over the curved hinge. The cam has a cam contact surface that has curved portions used for sliding over the curved hinge to thus reduce interference when the lid is opened and closed.

Interference-free cam for hinged-lid lighters

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Port Allegany, PA, United States of America

Michael Wayne Johnson