Safety arrangement for piezoelectric lighter

Abstract

A piezoelectric lighter incorporates with a safety arrangement which includes an ignition cap sildably mounted on a casing in a rotationally movable manner wherein a guiding slot is provided on the casing to communicate with an exterior of the casing. A locking member includes a locking latch at a bottom end thereof and an operation button at a top end thereof. A resilient element is adapted for applying an urging pressure against the locking latch so as to normally retain the locking latch in a locking position. In which, at the locking position, the locking latch blocks up the ignition cap from ignition. In order to ignite the lighter, a user's thumb must operate the operation button for moving the locking latch to an unlocking position. Then, the user is able to push the ignition cap sidewardly to ignite the lighter.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A piezoelectric lighter, comprising: 
 a casing receiving a liquefied gas storage and an ignition cavity provided therein,    a gas emitting nozzle disposed in said casing and communicating with said liquefied gas storage for control a flow of gas,    a piezoelectric unit disposed in said casing for generating piezoelectricity, and    a safety arrangement which comprises an ignition cap, a locking member for blocking up said ignition cap from being slid sidewardly with respect to an outer wall of said casing of said piezoelectric lighter, and a resilient element disposed between said locking member and said ignition cap for applying an urging pressure against said locking member so as to normally retain said locking member in said locking position, thereby in order to ignite said piezoelectric lighter, said locking member is required to operate to an unlocking position by moving said locking member to release the blocking up of said ignition cap with said casing, so that said ignition cap is capable of being slid downwardly and sidewardly to depress a movable operating part of said piezoelectric unit to generate sparks to ignite said gas emitted from said gas emitting nozzle of said piezoelectric lighter.    
     
     
         2 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said locking member is movably mounted to a rear portion of said ignition cap so as to lock up said ignition cap from ignition, wherein an upper rear portion of said locking member forms as an operation button extended to an operation slot provided on said ignition cap for operating said locking member to move from a normally locking position to an unlocking position, wherein at said locking position, said ignition cap is locked for downward and rearward movement by blocking said locking member with said a top edge of said outer wall of said casing so as to prevent ignition.  
     
     
         3 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said ignition cap has a locker cavity provided below a pusher, which is a rear top portion of said ignition cap, for receiving said safety arrangement therein, wherein a rear wall of said ignition cap has an opening provide thereon forming said operation slot, through which said locker cavity can communicate with outside.  
     
     
         4 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 3 , wherein an outer side of a top end of said locking member forms said operation button and a bottom end portion of said locking member is tapered to form a locking latch.  
     
     
         5 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said rear wall of said ignition cap further has a stopping edge provided right above said operation slot, a stopper is integrally and upwardly protruded from an inner side of said top end of said locking member and a spring holder is frontwardly protruded from a front side of said top end of said locking member.  
     
     
         6 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said locking member, between said operation button and said locking latch, is pivotally mounted in said locker cavity in such a manner that said operation button is pressed by said resilient element to outwardly protrude from said casing through said operation slot while said locking latch is positioned at a locking position, that is adjacent to said outer wall of said casing, wherein said resilient element applies an urging force against said operation button to push it rearwardly, wherein said locking latch is slightly rotated to extended below said locker cavity and maintain in such a locking position that substantially blocks any sideward and downward movement of said ignition cap, accordingly said outer wall acts as a locker to block said downwards and rearwards movement of said ignition cap so as to prevent said movable operating part of said piezoelectric unit from being depressed to ignite said piezoelectric lighter.  
     
     
         7 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said locking member, between said operation button and said locking latch, is pivotally mounted in said locker cavity in such a manner that said operation button is pressed by said resilient element to outwardly protrude from said casing through said operation slot while said locking latch is positioned at a locking position, that is adjacent to said outer wall of said casing, wherein said resilient element applies an urging force against said operation button to push it rearwardly until said stopper is stopped by said stopping edge of said ignition cap, wherein said locking latch is slightly rotated to extended below said locker cavity and maintain in such a locking position that substantially blocks any sideward and downward movement of said ignition cap, accordingly said outer wall acts as a locker to block said downwards and rearwards movement of said ignition cap so as to prevent said movable operating part of said piezoelectric unit from being depressed to ignite said piezoelectric lighter.  
     
     
         8 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said resilient element is a compression spring mounted between said locking member and an interior vertical support wall of said locker cavity by connecting one end with said spring holder and said other end engaged in a holding hole provided on said support wall.  
     
     
         9 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said resilient element is a compression spring mounted between said locking member and an interior vertical support wall of said locker cavity by connecting one end with said spring holder and said other end engaged in a holding hole provided on said support wall.  
     
     
         10 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said locking member is movably mounted to a rear portion of said ignition cap so as to lock up said ignition cap from ignition, wherein said locking member has an operation button provided at a top end thereof and a locking latch formed at a bottom end portion thereof, wherein a guiding slot is formed on a top surface of said pusher of said ignition cap, wherein said operation button is frontwardly and upwardly extended to slidably positioned at said guiding slot for operating said locking member to move from a normally locking position to an unlocking position, wherein at said locking position, said ignition cap is locked for downward and rearward movement by blocking said locking member with said a top edge of said outer wall of said casing so as to prevent ignition.  
     
     
         11 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said locking member is movably mounted to a rear portion of said ignition cap so as to lock up said ignition cap from ignition, wherein said locking member has an operation button provided on a top side thereof and a locking latch formed at a bottom end portion thereof, wherein a guiding slot is formed on a side surface of said pusher of said ignition cap, wherein said operation button is frontwardly and sidewardly extended to slidably positioned at said guiding slot for operating said locking member to move from a normally locking position to an unlocking position, wherein at said locking position, said ignition cap is locked for downward and rearward movement by blocking said locking member with said a top edge of said outer wall of said casing so as to prevent ignition.  
     
     
         12 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said ignition cap has a locker cavity provided below a pusher, which is a rear top portion of said ignition cap, for receiving said safety arrangement therein, wherein a rear wall of said ignition cap has an opening provide thereon forming an operation slot, through which said locker cavity can communicate with outside.  
     
     
         13 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 11 , wherein said ignition cap has a locker cavity provided below a pusher, which is a rear top portion of said ignition cap, for receiving said safety arrangement therein, wherein a rear wall of said ignition cap has an opening provide thereon forming an operation slot, through which said locker cavity can communicate with outside.  
     
     
         14 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said locking member, between said operation button and said locking latch, is pivotally mounted in said locker cavity in such a manner that said operation button is pressed by said resilient element to outwardly protrude from said casing through said operation slot while said locking latch is positioned at a locking position, that is adjacent to said outer wall of said casing, wherein said resilient element applies an urging force against said operation button to push it rearwardly, wherein said locking latch is slightly rotated to extended below said locker cavity and maintain in such a locking position that substantially blocks any sideward and downward movement of said ignition cap, accordingly said outer wall acts as a locker to block said downwards and rearwards movement of said ignition cap so as to prevent said movable operating part of said piezoelectric unit from being depressed to ignite said piezoelectric lighter.  
     
     
         15 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said locking member, between said operation button and said locking latch, is pivotally mounted in said locker cavity in such a manner that said operation button is pressed by said resilient element to outwardly protrude from said casing through said operation slot while said locking latch is positioned at a locking position, that is adjacent to said outer wall of said casing, wherein said resilient element applies an urging force against said operation button to push it rearwardly, wherein said locking latch is slightly rotated to extended below said locker cavity and maintain in such a locking position that substantially blocks any sideward and downward movement of said ignition cap, accordingly said outer wall acts as a locker to block said downwards and rearwards movement of said ignition cap so as to prevent said movable operating part of said piezoelectric unit from being depressed to ignite said piezoelectric lighter.  
     
     
         16 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said resilient element is a compression spring mounted between said locking member and an interior vertical support wall of said locker cavity by connecting one end with said spring holder and said other end engaged in a holding hole provided on said support wall.  
     
     
         17 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said resilient element is a compression spring mounted between said locking member and an interior vertical support wall of said locker cavity by connecting one end with said spring holder and said other end engaged in a holding hole provided on said support wall.  
     
     
         18 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said locking member has a L-shaped upper portion pivotally mounted to said rear portion of said ignition cap, and said resilient element is vertically mounted between said operation button and an interior horizontal support wall inside said locker cavity, thereby in order to unlock said piezoelectric lighter, press down said operation button to move said locking latch of said locking member out of said casing, and then said pusher of said ignition cap is able to be further depressed downwardly and sidewardly to ignite said piezoelectric lighter.  
     
     
         19 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 18 , wherein said resilient element is a compression spring and a spring holder is downwardly extended from said operation button to connect with a top end of said spring while a bottom end thereof engaged in a holding hole provided on said support wall.  
     
     
         20 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said ignition cap has a locker cavity provided below a pusher, which is a rear top portion of said ignition cap, for receiving said safety arrangement therein, wherein an indention provided at a top edge of said outer wall forms said operation slot.  
     
     
         21 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said locking member is a curved body and said locking latch is horizontally extended, wherein locking member is supported to have said locking latch extended to insert in said operation slot and said resilient element is mounted in said locker cavity with a front end supported by said spring holder and a rear end supported by a spring supporter protruded from a rear wall of said ignition cap, thereby normally said resilient element normally pushes said locking member forwards to maintain said locking member in a locking position, and said locking latch is extended to engage in said operation slot that blocks said ignition cap from being pivotally moved downwardly and rearwardly by said outer wall of said casing, so as to lock up said ignition cap from ignition, wherein in order to unlock said piezoelectric lighter, push said operation button rearwardly to compress said resilient element and drive said locking member rearwardly until said locking latch moves out of said operation slot so that said inclined curved body of said locking member do not block with said outer wall.  
     
     
         22 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 11 , wherein said ignition cap has a locker cavity provided below a pusher, which is a rear top portion of said ignition cap, for receiving said safety arrangement therein, wherein an indention provided at a top edge of said outer wall forms said operation slot.  
     
     
         23 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said locking member is a curved body and said locking latch is horizontally extended, wherein locking member is supported to have said locking latch extended to insert in said operation slot and said resilient element is mounted in said locker cavity with a front end supported by said spring holder and a rear end supported by a spring supporter protruded from a rear wall of said ignition cap, thereby normally said resilient element normally pushes said locking member forwards to maintain said locking member in a locking position, and said locking latch is extended to engage in said operation slot that blocks said ignition cap from being pivotally moved downwardly and rearwardly by said outer wall of said casing, so as to lock up said ignition cap from ignition, wherein in order to unlock said piezoelectric lighter, push said operation button rearwardly to compress said resilient element and drive said locking member rearwardly until said locking latch moves out of said operation slot so that said inclined curved body of said locking member do not block with said outer wall.  
     
     
         24 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said locking member is movably attached to a rear portion of said ignition cap for blocking up said ignition cap from being slid sidewardly with respect to said outer wall of said casing of said piezoelectric lighter so as to lock up said ignition cap from ignition.  
     
     
         25 . A piezoelectric lighter, as recited in  claim 24 , wherein said operation button is upwardly extended to slidably supported in said guiding slot and said locking latch is rearwardly extended from a bottom end of said locking member, wherein said resilient element is disposed between said locking member and a side wall of said ignition cap for applying an urging pressure against said locking member to normally retain said locking member in said locking position where said locking latch is blocked by said top edge of said outer wall of said casing for locking said piezoelectric lighter from preventing unwanted ignition, wherein in order to unlock said piezoelectric lighter, sidewardly push said operation button of said locking member until said locking latch of said locking member is aligned with said operation slot.