Lighter having safety mechanism

Abstract

A lighter having a safety mechanism comprises a fuel reservoir; an ignition base comprising a supporting frame on each of two opposite sides thereof; an actuating element; and a wheel comprising a rotating shaft on each of two sides thereof. A resilient element is disposed between the supporting frames and provided with a flint. A retaining hole is formed on each of the supporting frames and comprises a first and a second slot, the first slot having a width smaller than a width of the second slot. The rotating shafts are so shaped that they cannot rotate when engaged in the first slots but can rotate in the second slots. The wheel is pivotally connected to the retaining holes by the rotating shafts and is biased by the flint on the resilient element so that the rotating shafts are engaged in the first slots, preventing the wheel from being rotated.

1 . A lighter having a safety mechanism, comprising:
 a fuel reservoir, having a first opening at an upper end thereof;   an ignition base, covering the first opening and comprising a supporting frame on each of two opposite sides of the ignition base, wherein a resilient element is disposed between the two supporting frames and has an end provided with a flint, while the ignition base further has a valve at an end thereof and a retaining hole provided on each of the two supporting frames at corresponding locations, each said retaining hole comprising a first slot and a second slot, in which the said first slot is in communication with and located above the second slot, and the first slot has a width smaller than a width of the second slot;   an actuating element, having a second opening for receiving the end of the resilient element passing therethrough, wherein the actuating element is pivotally connected between the two supporting frames and has a first end connected to the valve, so that the actuating element opens the valve when a second end of the actuating element is pressed; and   a wheel, provided with a rotating shaft on each of two sides thereof, wherein each said rotating shaft has a radial cross-sectional shape whose largest diagonal length is greater than the width of the corresponding first slot but not greater than the width of the corresponding second slot, and wherein the rotating shafts are so shaped that the rotating shafts are not allowed to rotate when engaged in the first slots but are allowed to rotate freely in the second slots, in which the wheel is pivotally connected to the two retaining holes by the corresponding two rotating shafts and is biased by the flint provided at the end of the resilient element so that the two rotating shafts are engaged in the corresponding first slots to prevent the wheel from being rotated.   
   
   
       2 . The lighter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the wheel comprises a friction wheel portion and two rotating wheel portions, in which the friction wheel portion is disposed between the two rotating wheel portions at a location corresponding to the flint, and has an outer diameter smaller than outer diameters of the two rotating wheel portions. 
   
   
       3 . The lighter as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the valve is pivotally connected with an adjusting element on a periphery thereof, so that a speed at which a fuel in the fuel reservoir is released through the valve after the valve is opened can be adjusted by rotating the adjusting element. 
   
   
       4 . The lighter as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the radial cross-sectional shape of each said rotating shaft has a rectangular shape. 
   
   
       5 . The lighter as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the radial cross-sectional shape of each said rotating shaft has a star shape. 
   
   
       6 . The lighter as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the radial cross-sectional shape of each said rotating shaft has a cross shape.