Tokai Corporation

Other

Toshihiro Ichikawa

Masaki Saito

Toshinori Morishita

Yuzo Ochiai

Youichi Ozawa

Naoto Adachi

Hideto Usui

Lighter

Gas lighter

Malfunctions caused by dusts such as sands and the like in movement portions of a spark-voltage generation mechanism are reduced. The generation mechanism comprises an outer-box assembly in which a base piece, piezoelectric element, and anvil are disposed in line with the longitudinal axis, an axis-direction cam groove is formed thereon, an inner-box assembly in which a hammer that strikes the piezoelectric element and a hammer spring are housed, a cam hole is formed thereon, and a joint-case assembly that limits the stroke of the outer-box assembly over the inner box-assembly, generates a high-voltage pulse by series of operations where one-way-pressure force is applied with a hammer pin inserted into the hammer, the cam groove, and the cam hole to compress and release the hammer spring. The hammer strikes the piezoelectric element by releasing the compression force of the hammer spring, the operation mechanism is shielded with the joint-case assembly.

Piezoelectric mechanism for generating discharge voltage

The present invention provides an ignition actuation mechanism for the manual actuator of a spark producing device in a fuel gas lighter to increase the actuation force immediately before spark discharge without unreasonably increasing the actuation force at the initial stages of movement of the manual actuator to reduce that chances of inadvertent ignition by small children, but maintaining good operability for adult users. Movement of the manual actuator is always resisted by a first elastic member while a second elastic member is positioned to resist movement of the manual actuator at a maximum of 30N to 50N after 60% or more of the total movement of the manual actuator required to produce a spark has occurred. Preferably the second elastic member is one or more flexible fingers molded from polyacetal resin.

Igniting operation mechanism of piezoelectric ignition firing rod

A piezoelectric gas lighter includes a lighter body. The fuel gas in the lighter body is supplied to a nozzle through a valve mechanism which is opened and closed by an actuator lever and a piezoelectric unit ignites the fuel gas discharged from the nozzle. A depression member actuates the actuator lever and the piezoelectric unit to open the valve mechanism and ignite the fuel gas discharged from the nozzle in response to depression of the depression controller. The depression member includes a control cap operatively connected to a piezoelectric unit, a stopper member which is movable between a locking position where the control cap is prevented from being depressed and a releasing position where the control cap is permitted to be depressed and an urging member which urges the stopper member to the locking position. The stopper member is provided with a pair of sliding portions extending back and forth on opposite sides of the control cap and the sliding portions are slidably supported by the control cap so that the stopper member is movable downward together with the control cap and movable between the locking position and the releasing position. The urging member includes a pair of resilient pieces provided on opposite sides of the control cap so that they are engaged with the sliding portions of the stopper member to urge the stopper member to the locking position and the stopper member is moved to the releasing position by urging the stopper member toward the control cap.

Piezoelectric gas lighter

The present invention intends to provides a piezoelectric ignition lighter capable of avoiding misuse by children but maintaining excellent operability for normal users without unreasonably increasing actuation load at the initial ignition operation. For this end, the piezoelectric ignition lighter has a valve mechanism, a nozzle and a piezoelectric mechanism at the top of a lighter body and ignites by actuation of an actuation cap integrally molded of polyacetal resin with torsion plates The torsion plates are separated from the upper end surface of the lighter body by a gap equal to about 60%&tilde;90% of the actuation stroke in the non-actuated condition to provide a normal (light) actuation load at the initial actuation stage. After engagement of the torsion plates with the upper end surface of the lighter body resilient load of the torsion plates is added to normal load, thereby increasing the actuation load.

Igniting operation mechanism of piezoelectric ignition lighter

An igniting rod which ignites by the operation of an operating member comprises a lock member for locking said operating member during a non-use state. The igniting rod automatically returns to a locked state after ignition. The invention improves operability, simplifies assembly and reduces the number of parts by eliminating an urging member. A lock portion of said lock member, which interferes with a part of said operating member, is disposed such that it is displaceable as said lock member is elastically deformed from a fixed portion where the lock member is fixed to a main body portion. The elastic force returns the lock portion to a locked position. A protruding lock release portion is provided for releasing the lock portion, the lock release portion being provided with a smooth curvature on which a finger F for operating an operating portion of the operating member can simultaneously rest.

Firing rod

A flint-type ignition mechanism comprising a freely rotatable support member; a spark wheel combined with the supporting member so as to be integrally rotatable with same; an elastic member installed around the support member; a thumb wheel having a gear-type inner face installed around the elastic member so that it can idle, the thumb wheel switching between the concentric and eccentric position; and a disk-shaped engaging member which rotates together with the supporting member and has engagement stoppers on the peripheral surface of the exterior circumference thereof for engaging the gear type inner face of the thumb wheel. When the thumb wheel is switched to the eccentric position by a deformation of the elastic member, the stoppers engage together and the spark wheel rotates together with the thumb wheel, causing it to be in the ignite-state. In the ignite-state, rotation of the thumb wheel rotates the spark wheel for ignition.

Ignition mechanism for gas lighter

Igniter

A lighting rod is provided with a rod-like top end portion and a main body, the rod-like top end portion being provided with a jetting nozzle for jetting out a gas, the main body being provided with a gas tank, a valve mechanism for opening and closing a path through which the gas is supplied from the gas tank to the jetting nozzle, a piezo-electric unit for generating a discharge voltage for lighting the gas, and an operation member which drives the valve mechanism and the piezo-electric unit in order to carry out a lighting operation. A safety device for the lighting rod includes a locking member which is supported for rotation on the main body to be rotatable between a locking position where it prevents the lighting operation of the operation member and a lock release position where it permits the lighting operation of the operation member, and a spring which urges the locking means toward the locking position.

Safety device in lighting rods

A safety device in a lighting rod comprises a locking member having an engagement section, which interferes with a portion of an operation member and thereby locks the lighting operation of the operation member. The locking member can move in a direction, that intersects with the direction along which the operation member moves. An urging member urges the locking member to a locking direction. The locking member is provided with a lock releasing section, which can be operated in order to move the locking member in a direction, that acts against the urging force of the urging member. The lock releasing section is projected to a position, which stands facing the operating section of the operation member. The lock of the lighting operation is released by operating the lock releasing section of the locking member, and the lighting operation is carried out in this state by operating the operating section of the operation member. The locking member automatically returns to the state of the locking as the operation member returns to its original position.

A lighting device comprises a valve mechanism for opening and closing a path, through which a gas is supplied from a gas tank to a jetting nozzle, a piezo-electric unit for generating a discharge voltage for lighting the gas, and an operation member, which can slide and drives the valve mechanism and the piezo-electric unit in order to carry out a lighting operation. A locking member capable of moving between a position for locking and a position for lock release works such that, when the locking member is set at the position for the locking, the locking member may lock the lighting operation of the operation member, and such that, when the locking member is set at the position for the lock release, the locking member may allow a single lighting operation of the operation member. A restraining member allows successive lighting operations of the operation member when the locking member is moved to the position for the lock release.

Growing community of inventors

Shizuoka-ken, Japan

Toshihiro Ichikawa