Liquid gas-operated lighter

Abstract

Liquid gas-operated lighter, particularly pocket lighter, comprising a burner tip, a fuel tank, and, arranged therebetween, a non-adjustable control device for the flame height. The control device is provided with a fuel-permeable proportioning disk of microporous film which, on the side facing the fuel tank, is tightly braced in its border region by means of a bracing disk having a passage for the fuel, and, on the side facing the burner tip, rests against a component having a gas-permeable layer, the bracing disk (15) forming the conclusion of the lower end of the control device (12, 13, 14, 15, 16). In the vertical position of use of the lighter, this end is always located at a distance above the liquid phase of the liquid gas. The space between the control device and the liquid level (21) is free from structural components.

I claim: 
     
       1. Liquid gas-operated lighter, such as pocket lighter, comprising a burner tip, a fuel tank and, arranged therebetween, a valve assembly serving as the only means of communication between said fuel tank and said burner tip, an annular flange formed at an end face of said valve assembly facing said fuel tank, said flange defining a recess, said valve assembly including a valve bore opening to said recess communicating with said valve, a control device for the flame height which device is non-alterable by the user of the lighter, said control device received in said recess and including a fuel-permeable proportioning disk, said proportioning disk tightly braced in its border region toward said end face by means of a bracing member so that gas is enabled to flow only through said proportioning disk, the border region formed between said end face and said bracing member is rendered permanently gas-tight, said bracing member secured in its position by securing means formed on said flange and provided with passage means for the fuel, said proportioning disk on the side facing said burner tip facing a gas-permeable layer, characterized in that said proportioning disk is a microporous film having slot-shaped pores oriented in the direction perpendicular to the surface of said disk, and that said bracing member (15) together with said flange forms the conclusion of the lower end of said control device (12 to 16) and, in the vertical position of use of said lighter, said lower end is always spaced at a distance above the liquid phase of the liquid gas, and that the space between said lower end and the liquid level (21) is free from structural components, so that said lower end of said control device is exposed exclusively to the gaseous phase of the fuel in the vertical position of use of the lighter. 
     
     
       2. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that said lower end of said control device projects out of the material forming said fuel tank (1) into the interior of said fuel tank, and that the length of the portion projecting into the interior of said fuel tank essentially corresponds to the depth of said recess (12) in said valve assembly which receives said proportioning disk and said bracing member. 
     
     
       3. Lighter according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the surfaces and spaces of said lower end of said control device projecting into said fuel tank (1) have such a size and volume that the amount of the liquid fuel which adheres to said components due to surface forces after said lighter has been moved from an essentially horizontal carrying position when said lighter is moved into the usual, vertical position of use, is smaller than the amount of fuel consumed by the normal flame within three seconds. 
     
     
       4. Lighter according to claim 3, characterized in that the amount of fuel adhering to said components is smaller than the amount of fuel consumed by the normal flame within less than one second. 
     
     
       5. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that at least the surface of said bracing member (15) facing said fuel tank (1) is constructed so as to be fuel-repellent. 
     
     
       6. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the thickness of said bracing member (15) is smaller than the diameter of the surface area of said proportioning disk (14) permitting passage of fuel therethrough. 
     
     
       7. Lighter according to claim 6, characterized in that the thickness of said bracing member is smaller than half said diameter of said proportioning. 
     
     
       8. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that said bracing member (15) consists of a metal material. 
     
     
       9. Lighter according to claim 8, characterized in that said metal material is machining brass. 
     
     
       10. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that a hollow space is defined between an unbraced area of said proportioning disk and said bracing member permitting passage of fuel. 
     
     
       11. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that on the side of said proportioning disk (14) facing said burner tip said gas permeable layer comprising a non-woven fiber material layer (13) having approximately the same size is provided. 
     
     
       12. Lighter according to claim 11, characterized in that on the side of said non-woven fiber material layer (13) facing said burner tip an intermediate layer (18,19') of plastics material is provided at least corresponding to said border region of said proportioning disk (14). 
     
     
       13. Lighter according to claim 12, characterized in that said plastics material is polyimide. 
     
     
       14. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that said proportioning disk (14) consists of a microporous, uniaxially stretched polypropylene film. 
     
     
       15. Lighter according to claim 14, characterized in that said film is "Celgard®2500". 
     
     
       16. Liquid gas-operated lighter, such as pocket lighter, comprising a burner tip, a fuel tank and, arranged therebetween, a valve assembly serving as the only means of communication between said fuel tank and said burner tip, an annular flange formed at an end face of said valve assembly facing said fuel tank, said flange defining a recess, said valve assembly including a valve bore opening to said recess and communicating with said valve, a control device for the flame height which device is non-alterable by the user of the lighter, said control device received in said recess and including a fuel-permeable proportioning disk, said proportioning disk tightly braced in its border region toward said end face by means of a bracing member so that gas is enabled to flow only through said proportioning disk, the border region formed between said end face and said bracing member is rendered permanently gas-tight, said bracing member secured in its position by securing means formed on said flange and provided with passage means for the fuel, said proportioning disk on the side facing said burner tip facing a hollow space, the cross-sectional area of said hollow space perpendicularly to the axis of said proportioning disk determining the position and size of the surface of said proportioning disk which permits passage of fuel therethrough, characterized in that said proportioning disk is a microporous film having slot-shaped pores oriented in the direction perpendicular to the surface of said disk, and that said bracing member (15) together with said flange forms the conclusion of the lower end of said control device (12 to 16) and, in the vertical position of use of said lighter, said lower end is always spaced at a distance above the liquid phase of the liquid gas, and that the space between said lower end and the liquid level (21) is free from structural components, so that said lower end of said control device is exposed exclusively to the gaseous phase of the fuel in the vertical position of use of the lighter. 
     
     
       17. Lighter according to claim 16, characterized in that said end face (2') is roughened in order to permit fuel flow from said proportioning disk toward said valve bore. 
     
     
       18. Lighter according to claim 16, characterized in that said end face (2') has a distance from said proportioning disk which limits the yielding of said proportioning disk (14) under the influence of the pressure acting on it. 
     
     
       19. Lighter according to claim 16 or 18, characterized in that in said hollow space (16) is arranged a disk (13) of non-woven fiber material .[.said.]. .Iadd.forming of .Iaddend.gas-permeable layer, the thickness of said disk of non-woven material being smaller than the distance of said end face (2') from said proportioning disk (14). 
     
     
       20. Lighter according to claim 16 characterized in that said proportioning disk (14) consists of a microporous, uniaxially stretched polypropylene film. 
     
     
       21. Lighter according to claim 20 characterized in that said film is "Celgard®2500". .Iadd. 
     
     
       22.  Liquid gas-operated lighter, such as a pocket lighter, comprising a burner tip, a fuel tank and, arranged therebetween, a valve assembly serving as the only means of communication between said fuel tank and said burner tip, an annular flange formed at an end face of said valve assembly facing said fuel tank, said flange defining a recess, said valve assembly including a valve bore opening to said recess and communicating with said valve, a control device for the flame height which device is non-alterable by the user of the lighter, said control device received in said recess and including a fuel-permeable proportioning disk, said proportioning disk tightly braced in its border region toward said end face by means of a bracing member so that gas is enabled to flow only through said proportioning disk, the border region formed between said end face and said bracing member is rendered permanently gas-tight, said bracing member secured in its position by securing means formed on said flange and provided with passage means for the fuel, said proportioning disk on the side facing said burner tip directly facing a hollow space in the absence of a gas permeable structural component, the cross-sectional area of said hollow space perpendicularly to the axis of said proportioning disk determining the position and size of the surface of said proportioning disk which permits passage of fuel therethrough, characterized in that said proportioning disk is a flexible microporous film having slot-shaped pores oriented in the direction perpendicular to the surface of said disk, said slot-shaped pores directing said gas into said hollow space which space comprises means for passage of said gas into said valve bore, and that said bracing member together with said flange forms the conclusion of the lower end of said control device and, in the vertical position of use of said lighter, said lower end is always spaced at a distance above the liquid phase of the liquid gas, and that the space between said lower end and the liquid level is free from structural components, so that said lower end of said control device is exposed exclusively to the gaseous phase of the fuel in the vertical position of use of the lighter. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. The lighter of claim 22 wherein the microporous film is a uniaxially stretched polypropylene film having a thickness of between 15 and 39 microns. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. The lighter of claim 23 wherein the microporous film is "Celgard® 2500". .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. The lighter of claim 22 wherein said gas passage means is provided by a roughened end face in the region of said hollow space. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. The lighter of claim 22 wherein said gas passage means is provided by a separate non-woven fiber material layer which is located only in said hollow space. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The lighter of claim 22 wherein the hollow space is defined by a cross-sectional area of a depth which is minimized in order to prevent irreversible deformation of said microporous film. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. The lighter of claim 22 wherein the thickness of the bracing member is not greater than the hydraulic diameter of the hollow space. 
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.29.  The lighter of claim 22 wherein the thickness of said bracing member is smaller than half the diameter of said proportioning. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. The lighter of claim 22 wherein about 20% of the capacity of the fuel tank is occupied by the gaseous phase of the fuel and that the components serving to brace the proportioning disk do not come in contact with the liquid level of the fuel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.31. The lighter of claim 22 wherein said bracing member and said end face (2') are each made of metal having substantially flat opposed surfaces which are forced toward each other by said securing means to tightly brace the border region of said proportioning disk in a gas-tight manner. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32. The lighter of claim 22 wherein the surfaces and spaces of said lower end of said control device projecting into said fuel tank have such a size and volume that the amount of the liquid fuel which adheres to said components due to surface forces after said lighter has been moved from an essentially horizontal carrying position when said lighter is moved into the usual, vertical position of use, is smaller than the amount of fuel consumed by the normal flame within three seconds. .Iaddend. .Iadd.33. The lighter of claim 32, wherein the amount of fuel adhering to said components is smaller than the amount of fuel consumed by the normal flame within less than one second. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. Liquid gas-operated lighter, such as a pocket lighter, comprising a burner tip, a fuel tank and, arranged therebetween, a valve assembly serving as the only means of communication between said fuel tank and said burner tip, an annular flange formed at an end face of said valve assembly facing said fuel tank, said flange defining a recess, said valve assembly including a valve bore opening to said recess and communicating with said valve, a control device for the flame height which device is non-alterable by the user of the lighter, said control device received in said recess and including a fuel-permeable proportioning disk, said proportioning disk tightly braced in its border region toward said end face by means of a bracing member so that gas is enabled to flow only through said proportioning disk, the border region formed between said end face and said bracing member is rendered permanently gas-tight, said bracing member secured in its position by securing means formed on said flange and provided with passage means for the fuel, said proportioning disk on the side facing said burner tip directly facing a hollow space, the cross-sectional area of said hollow space perpendicularly to the axis of said proportioning disk determining the position and size of the surface of said proportioning disk which permits passage of fuel therethrough, characterized in that said proportioning disk is a flexible microporous film having slot-shaped pores oriented in the direction perpendicular to the surface of said disk, said slot-shaped pores directing said gas into said hollow space, which space is constructed to allow passage of said gas into said valve bore from areas surrounding said valve bore when the film is deformed, and that said bracing member together with said flange forms the conclusion of the lower end of said control device and, in the vertical position of use of said lighter, said lower end is always spaced at a distance above the liquid phase of the liquid gas, and that the space between said lower end and the liquid level is free from structural components, so that said lower end of said control device is exposed exclusively to the gaseous phase of the fuel in the vertical position of use of the lighter. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35. The lighter of claim 34 wherein the microporous film is a uniaxially stretched polypropylene film having a thickness of between 15 and 39 microns. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36. The lighter of claim 35 wherein the microporous film is "Celgard® 2500". .Iaddend. .Iadd.37. The lighter of claim 34 wherein the hollow space is defined by a cross-sectional area of a depth which is minimized in order to prevent irreversible deformation of said microporous film. .Iaddend. .Iadd.38. The lighter of claim 34 wherein the areas surrounding said valve bore are provided with means for passage of said gas from said deformed film to said valve bore. .Iaddend. .Iadd.39. Liquid gas-operated lighter, such as a pocket lighter, comprising a burner tip, a tank for fuel in the liquid and gaseous states and, arranged therebetween, a valve assembly serving as the only means of communication between said fuel tank and said burner tip, an annular flange formed at an end face of said valve assembly facing said fuel tank, said flange defining a recess, said valve assembly including a valve bore opening to said recess and communicating with said valve, a control device for the flame height which device is non-alterable by the user of the lighter, said control device received in said recess and including a fuel-permeable proportioning disk, said disk tightly braced in its border region against the periphery of said end face by means of a bracing member so that fuel is enabled to flow only through said disk, the border region formed between said end face and said bracing member being rendered permanently non-permeable for fuel, said bracing member secured in its position by means formed on said flange and provided with passage means for the fuel, said disk on the side facing said burner tip directly facing a hollow space, the cross-sectional area of said hollow space perpendicularly to the axis of said disk determining the position and size of the surface of said disk which permits passage of fuel therethrough, characterized in that said disk is a flexible microporous film having substantially discrete pores for providing fuel passage in the direction perpendicular to the surface of said disk, said pores being of slot-shaped cross-section and directing said fuel into said hollow space, which space is constructed to allow passage of said fuel into said valve bore even from areas within said hollow space where fuel after passing through said disk would otherwise remain trapped due to said film deforming and contacting opposite portions inside said braced periphery of said end face, and that said bracing member together with said flange forms the conclusion of the lower end of said control device and, in the vertical position of use of said lighter, said lower end is always spaced at a distance above the liquid phase of the fuel, and that the space between said lower end and the liquid level is free from structural components, so that said lower end of said control device is exposed exclusively to the gaseous phase of the fuel in the vertical position of use of the lighter. .Iaddend. .Iadd.40. The lighter of claim 39 wherein the microporous film is a uniaxially stretched polypropylene film having a thickness of between 15 and 39 microns. .Iaddend. .Iadd.41. The lighter of claim 40 wherein the microporous film is "Celgard® 2500". .Iaddend. .Iadd.42. The lighter of claim 39 wherein, with the exception of said microporous film, all components of the lower end of said control device are made of metal, said components holding said disk tightly braced in its border region in order to enable gas to flow only through said disk from said fuel tank to said burner tip, said lower end of said control device projecting into said fuel tank and that the amount of liquid fuel which adheres to said components when said lighter is moved into a vertical operational position is less than two cubic millimeters and the amount of fuel passing through said disk during operation of the lighter produces a flame height of about 25 mm. .Iaddend.