Adapter for filling fuel burning lighter

Abstract

The present invention provides an adapter for interfacing between a reusable gas refill container and a refillable lighter, an apparatus for engaging a reusable gas refill container and an apparatus for engaging a refillable lighter. The adapter includes a body and an aperture defined by the body, wherein the aperture is sized to receive an ejection port of a gas refill container. The body also includes a threaded portion that mates with a threaded portion of the refillable lighter.

The invention is claimed as follows:  
     
         1 . A fuel burning refillable lighter adapter comprising: 
 a body    an aperture defined by the body, the aperture sized to receive an ejection port of a fuel refill container; and    a threaded portion of the body, the threaded portion configured and arranged to mate with a threaded portion of the refillable lighter.    
     
     
         2 . The fuel burning refillable lighter adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the threaded portion of the body is a male threaded portion that mates with a female threaded portion defined by the lighter.  
     
     
         3 . The fuel burning refillable lighter adapter of  claim 1 , which includes a seal that sealingly engages the fuel refill container.  
     
     
         4 . The fuel burning refillable lighter adapter of  claim 3 , wherein the seal sealingly engages the ejection port of the fuel refill container.  
     
     
         5 . The fuel burning refillable lighter adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the body defines a space that is sized and shaped to receive a sealing device that sealingly engages the fuel refill container.  
     
     
         6 . The fuel burning refillable lighter adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the body includes a flange portion adjacent to the threaded portion, the flange portion configured and arranged to seal to the fuel refill container.  
     
     
         7 . The fuel burning refillable lighter adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the body is made of a material selected from the group consisting of: metal, plastic, wood, ceramic and any combination thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The fuel burning refillable lighter adapter of  claim 1 , which includes a grasping portion adjacent to the threaded portion, the grasping portion configured and arranged to be grasped and turned by a person.  
     
     
         9 . The fuel burning refillable lighter adapter of  claim 1 , which includes an opening sized and shaped to receive a device that enables the adapter to be threaded into/out of the lighter.  
     
     
         10 . A fuel burning refillable lighter adapter comprising: 
 a body;    a lumen defined by the body, the lumen sized to enable an ejection port of a fuel refill container to extend all the way through the lumen; and    a sealing portion of the body, the sealing portion configured and arranged to sealingly couple to a mating portion of the refillable lighter.    
     
     
         11 . The fuel burning refillable lighter adapter of  claim 10 , wherein the sealing portion of the body is a male portion and the mating portion of the refillable lighter is a female portion.  
     
     
         12 . The fuel burning refillable lighter adapter of  claim 10 , wherein the sealing portion of the body is a female portion and the mating portion of the refillable lighter is a male portion.  
     
     
         13 . The fuel burning refillable lighter adapter of  claim 10 , wherein the sealing portion of the body and the mating portion of the lighter form a sealed interface selected from the group consisting of: a threaded interface, a splined interface, an o-ring interface, a nut and ferrule interface, a clamped interface, a hose-barbed interface, a press-fit interface and any combination thereof.  
     
     
         14 . A fuel burning refillable lighter transmitter comprising: 
 a body, the body including a receiver and a distributor;    a lumen defined by the body, the lumen extending through the receiver and the distributor and sized to receive an ejection port of a fuel refill container; and    wherein the receiver receives the ejection port and the distributor is configured and arranged to sealingly couple to a mating portion of the refillable lighter.    
     
     
         15 . The fuel burning refillable lighter transmitter of  claim 14 , wherein the distributor and the mating portion of the lighter form a sealed interface selected from the group consisting of: a threaded interface, a splined interface, an o-ring interface, a nut and ferrule interface, a clamped interface, a hose-barbed interface, a press-fit interface and any combination thereof.  
     
     
         16 . The fuel burning refillable lighter transmitter of  claim 14 , wherein the receiver is sized and shaped to be grasped and moved by a person.  
     
     
         17 . The fuel burning refillable lighter transmitter of  claim 14 , wherein the receiver is sized and shaped to engage a tool for inserting the transmitter into the lighter.  
     
     
         18 . A fuel refill container engaging apparatus comprising: 
 a refillable lighter;    an adapter removably attached to the lighter so that the adapter cannot become unattached from the lighter without being manually removed; and    wherein the adapter defines an aperture through which the lighter is able to engage the fuel refill container in a sealed arrangement.    
     
     
         19 . The fuel refill container engaging apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the adapter is removably threaded onto the lighter.  
     
     
         20 . The fuel refill container engaging apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the aperture receives an ejection port of the refill container.  
     
     
         21 . The fuel refill container engaging apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the adapter is removably attached to a bottom portion of the refillable lighter.  
     
     
         22 . A refillable lighter engaging apparatus comprising: 
 a fuel refill container; and    an adapter operably coupled to the refill container via an aperture defined by the adapter, the refill container having an ejection port that extends through the aperture to engage the refillable lighter.    
     
     
         23 . The refillable lighter engaging apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the adapter is sealingly coupled to the refill container.  
     
     
         24 . The refillable lighter engaging apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the adapter is sealingly coupled to the ejection port.  
     
     
         25 . A method for enabling a person to refill a lighter comprising the steps of: 
 providing an adapter that attaches to the lighter so that a fuel refill container can sealingly contact the lighter and supply fuel to the lighter.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , which includes the step of enabling the person to remove the adapter from the lighter after use so that the adapter can be reattached to the lighter at a later point in time.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , which includes enabling the person to thread the adapter onto the lighter.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , including the step of structuring the adapter so that the refill container can be inserted through the adapter to engage the lighter.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , which includes enabling a person to leave the adapter attached to the lighter without substantially changing an overall appearance of a profile of the lighter.  
     
     
         30 . A method for generating revenue comprising the steps of: 
 selling an adapter that attaches to a lighter and allows a fuel refill container that would otherwise not operate properly with the lighter to at least partially refill the lighter.