Fire Igniter

Abstract

A fire igniter uses a chemical reaction of two components, such as glycerin and powdered potassium permanganate, to create a flame. The glycerin may be contained within a crushable vial. The powder may be contained within a sleeve along with the vial, to form a fuel cell. The fuel cell may be contained within an outer cover. Flammable material may be contained with the fuel cell, and is ignited when the fuel cell is broken to create a flame. The fuel cell may alternatively be contained within a housing, which may be formed of a pair of housing sections that are releasably secured together to define an interior compartment. The housing sections are separable to enable the fuel cell to be removed from the compartment. Alternatively, the fuel cell may be contained within an actuable housing assembly that acts as both a package and an actuator.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A fire igniter, comprising an enclosure and two chemical components contained within the enclosure, wherein the chemical components are maintained separately from each other within the enclosure and are combinable together to produce a flame that ignites the flammable enclosure. 
     
     
         2 . The fire igniter  claim 1 , wherein the chemical components comprise a liquid component and a solid component. 
     
     
         3 . The fire igniter of  claim 2 , wherein the solid component comprises a powder. 
     
     
         4 . The fire igniter of  claim 2 , wherein the liquid component is contained within a crushable vial. 
     
     
         5 . The fire igniter of  claim 2 , wherein the liquid component comprises a quantity of glycerin contained within a crushable vial and the solid component comprises a quantity of potassium permanganate. 
     
     
         6 . The fire igniter of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises a cover and a quantity of flammable material contained within an interior defined by the cover. 
     
     
         7 . A fire igniter, comprising a flame-producing device including a pair of chemical components that are maintained separately from each other and that can be selectively mixed, wherein, when the chemical components are mixed, a chemical reaction results that provides a flame that can be used to start a fire. 
     
     
         8 . The fire igniter of  claim 7 , wherein the flame-producing device comprises a liquid component contained within a crushable vial and a solid component maintained in close proximity to the vial. 
     
     
         9 . The fire igniter of  claim 8 , wherein the vial and the solid component are contained within an enclosure. 
     
     
         10 . The fire igniter of  claim 9 , further comprising a quantity of flammable material contained within the enclosure. 
     
     
         11 . The fire igniter of  claim 9 , wherein the enclosure is contained within a housing assembly comprising an inner housing section and an outer housing section that cooperate to define and internal cavity within which the enclosure is contained. 
     
     
         12 . The fire igniter of  claim 10 , wherein the inner housing section and the outer housing section are releasably secured together, and are manually separable in order to expose the internal cavity to gain access to the enclosure. 
     
     
         13 . The fire igniter of  claim 9 , wherein the enclosure is contained within a housing, wherein the housing is movable between a disarmed position for enclosing the enclosure and maintaining the first component and the second component apart from each other, an armed position, and an actuating position in which the housing functions to cause the first and second component to mix, wherein mixing of the first and second components creates a flame. 
     
     
         14 . The fire igniter  claim 13 , wherein the housing comprises a base and the cover, and engagement structure interposed between the base and the cover for guiding movement of the cover relative to the base between the disarmed position, the armed position, and actuating position. 
     
     
         15 . The fire igniter of  claim 14 , movement of the housing to the actuating position causes the enclosure to rupture and thereby mix the first and second components together. 
     
     
         16 . The fire igniter of  claim 15 , wherein the cover includes a striker arrangement that comes into contact with the enclosure when the cover is moved relative to the base to the actuating position. 
     
     
         17 . A method of igniting a fire, comprising the acts of providing a package that contains two flammably reactive chemical components maintained separately from each other, and selectively mixing the chemical components together to produce a flame. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the two flammably reactive chemical components comprise a liquid component and a solid component, wherein the liquid component is contained within a vial and the solid component is located adjacent the vial. and wherein the act of selectively mixing the chemical components together is carried out by application of a force to the vial that breaks the vial and causes the liquid component to mix with the solid component.