Lighter with child resistant shielded sparkwheel ignition mechanism

Abstract

A sparkwheel lighter with a child resistant flint-type ignition mechanism, which includes in addition to those items commonly found in sparkwheel lighters, a cylindrical sparkwheel supported on an axle for rotation in contact with the flint for producing sparks when the sparkwheel file is rotated with respect to the flint, so that force applied to the thumbwheels to rotate the sparkwheel causes the thumbwheels to tilt over the sparkwheel to prevent direct actuation thereof by a user's thumb.

1 . A lighter with a child resistant spark producing system including: 
 a lighter body;    a flint supported by said lighter body;    an axle supported by said lighter body, said axle having: 
 at least one non-round cross-section portion having: 
 a maximum diameter;  
 
   a sparkwheel supported for rotation with said axle in contact with said flint for producing sparks when said sparkwheel and axle are rotated with respect to said flint;    a first thumbwheel mounted on said axle adjacent said sparkwheel for rotation with respect to said axle and said sparkwheel; and    a second thumbwheel mounted on said axle adjacent said sparkwheel opposite said first thumbwheel having: 
 a peripheral flange extending inwardly toward said sparkwheel and spaced radially therefrom, said peripheral flange forming: 
 a thumb contact outer ring surface having: 
 a center ring surface portion;  
 
 
 a non-round bearing surface having: 
 a center bearing portion positioned laterally further from said sparkwheel than said center ring portion; and  
 a minimum diameter about said non-round cross-section portion, said minimum diameter being larger than said maximum diameter, whereby thumb force applied to said thumb contact outer ring causes said second thumbwheel to tilt with respect to said axle so that said peripheral flange covers a portion of said sparkwheel to prevent direct actuation of said sparkwheel by a user.  
 
   
     
     
         2 . The lighter as defined in  claim 1  wherein said sparkwheel is supported on said axle for sliding there along.  
     
     
         3 . The lighter as defined in  claim 1  wherein said first thumbwheel includes: 
 a peripheral flange extending inwardly toward said sparkwheel and radially spaced therefrom, said peripheral flange forming: 
 a thumb contact outer ring surface having: 
 a center ring surface portion;  
 
 
 a non-round bearing surface having: 
 a center bearing portion positioned laterally further from said sparkwheel than said center ring portion; and  
 a minimum diameter positioned about said non-round cross-section portion, said minimum diameter being larger than said maximum diameter, whereby thumb force applied to said thumb contact outer rings causes said first and second thumbwheels to tilt toward each other with respect to said axle so that said peripheral flanges cover portions of said sparkwheel to restrict direct actuation of said sparkwheel.  
 
 
     
     
         4 . The lighter as defined in  claim 3  wherein said axle has: 
 outer axle portions for rotationally engaging said body portion; and  
 a central axle portion of a first length, and wherein said sparkwheel and said non-round bearing surfaces have an assembled minimum width that is less than said first length.  
 
     
     
         5 . The lighter as defined in  claim 3  wherein said flint has: 
 a flint diameter, and wherein when said first and second thumbwheels tilt toward each other with respect to said axle, a minimum gap there between is established that is less than said flint diameter.  
 
     
     
         6 . The lighter as defined in  claim 1  wherein said axle has: 
 outer axle portions for rotationally engaging said body portion; and  
 a central axle portion of polygonal cross-section.  
 
     
     
         7 . The lighter as defined in  claim 6  wherein said central axle portion of polygonal cross-section has: 
 a plurality of flat portions, and wherein said non-round bearing surface includes: 
 an identical number of flat portions as said central axle portion.  
 
 
     
     
         8 . A lighter with a child resistant spark producing system including: 
 a lighter body;    a flint supported by said lighter body;    an axle supported by said lighter body, said axle having: 
 a non-round cross-section portion having: 
 a maximum diameter;  
 
   a cylindrical file supported on said axle for rotation concentrically therewith in contact with said flint for producing sparks when said cylindrical file is moved with respect to said flint;    a first thumbwheel mounted on said axle adjacent said cylindrical file so that said first thumbwheel can rotate with respect to said axle and said cylindrical file; and    a second thumbwheel mounted on said axle adjacent said cylindrical file so that said second thumbwheel can rotate with respect to said axle and said cylindrical file, said second thumbwheel being mounted opposite said first thumbwheel, said first and second thumbwheels each having: 
 a peripheral flange extending inwardly toward said cylindrical file and radially spaced therefrom, said peripheral flange forming: 
 a thumb contact outer ring surface having: 
 a center ring surface portion;  
 
 
 a non-round bearing surface having: 
 a center bearing portion positioned laterally further from said cylindrical file than said center ring portion; and  
 a minimum diameter about said non-round cross-section, said minimum diameter being larger than said maximum diameter.  
 
   
     
     
         9 . The lighter as defined in  claim 8  wherein said cylindrical file is supported on said axle for sliding there along.  
     
     
         10 . The lighter as defined in  claim 8  wherein said flint has: 
 a flint diameter, and wherein when said first and second thumbwheels tilt toward each other with respect to said axle, a minimum gap there between is established that is less than said flint diameter.  
 
     
     
         11 . The lighter as defined in  claim 8  wherein said axle has: 
 outer axle portions for rotationally engaging said body portion; and  
 a central axle portion of polygonal cross-section.  
 
     
     
         12 . The lighter as defined in  claim 11  wherein said central axle portion of polygonal cross-section has: 
 a plurality of flat portions, and wherein each of said non-round bearing surfaces of said first and second thumbwheels include: 
 an identical number of flat portions as said central axle portion.  
 
 
     
     
         13 . The lighter as defined in  claim 11  wherein said cylindrical file includes: 
 a polygonal orifice which slides on said central axle portion of polygonal cross-section.  
 
     
     
         14 . The lighter as defined in  claim 11  wherein said central axle portion of polygonal cross-section has: 
 a plurality of flat portions, and wherein said non-round bearing surfaces of said thumbwheels each include: 
 a polygonal orifice of a shape similar to said central axle portion of polygonal cross-section.  
 
 
     
     
         15 . A lighter with a child resistant spark producing system including: 
 a lighter body;    a flint supported by said lighter body;    an axle supported by said lighter body for rotation with respect to said flint    a sparkwheel supported on said axle for rotation against said flint, said sparkwheel being positioned for contact with said flint for producing sparks when said sparkwheel is rotated with respect to said flint, said sparkwheel having: 
 a maximum diameter;  
   first and second thumbwheels loosely mounted on said axle, said first and second thumbwheels each having: 
 a supporting disk having: 
 a central orifice mounted on said axle;  
 
 a cylindrical flange extending inwardly from said supporting disk having: 
 a minimum diameter larger than said maximum diameter of said sparkwheel; and  
 a peripheral outer surface, whereby said peripheral outer surfaces of said thumbwheels are generally inward of said central orifices so that when force is applied to said peripheral outer surfaces, said thumbwheels lean over said sparkwheel to reduce any direct contact that might occur between an user and said sparkwheel.  
 
   
     
     
         16 . The lighter as defined in  claim 15  wherein said flint has: 
 a flint diameter, and wherein when said first and second thumbwheels tilt toward each other with respect to said axle, a minimum gap there between is established, which is less than said flint diameter.  
 
     
     
         17 . The lighter as defined in  claim 15  further including: 
 axle support members extending from said lighter body spaced a distance greater that the total width of said sparkwheel and said supporting disks, whereby said axle support members allow said thumbwheels to tilt inwardly over said sparkwheel.  
 
     
     
         18 . The lighter as defined in  claim 17  wherein said axle includes: 
 a polygonal central axle portion having: 
 a plurality of flat portions, and wherein said supporting disks of said first and second thumbwheels include: 
 non-round bearing surfaces with: 
 an identical number of flat portions as said central axle portion.  
 
 
 
 
     
     
         19 . The lighter as defined in  claim 17  wherein said flint has: 
 a diameter, and wherein said sparkwheel includes: 
 a width at least as large said flint diameter.  
 
 
     
     
         20 . The lighter as defined in  claim 15  wherein said axle has: 
 a length wider than the total width of said sparkwheel and said thumbwheels.  
 
     
     
         21 . A method of providing child resistance to a spark wheel lighter including: 
 loosely mounting inwardly extending, circumferentially flanged drive wheels adjacent the sides of the sparkwheel so that downward radial force thereon required to produce a spark: 
 causes the flanges to tilt over the sparkwheel; and  
 prevents direct actuation of the sparkwheel by a user's digit.