US3373776A - Filler valve for liquid gas lighters - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1968 KYUJIRO KAJITA I FILLER VALVE FOR LIQUID GAS LIGHTERS Filed July 6, 1965 FlCl-l.

INVENTOR 1 4 znnn Uited States Patent FILLER VALVE FOR LIQUID GAS LIGHTERS Kyujiro Kajita, 108 Kobinata Suido-cho, Buukyo-ku,

Tokyo, Japan Filed July 6, 1965, Ser. No. 469,694 Claims priority, application Japan, Oct. 12, 1964, 39/ 57,770 6 Claims. (Cl. 141-4) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A filler valve used with liquid gas lighters having an outer tubular section and a spring mounted inner tubular section. A porous member is mounted adjacent the opening through which fuel is fed from a fuel supply so as to absorb some of the escaping liquid and thereby cool the area and casing by means of the process of evaporation of the liquid from the porous material.

This invention relates to lighter structure and is particularly concerned with lighters fueled by combustible gas of the butane type which assumes gaseous form when released under usual atmospheric temperatures and pressure but which remain largely in liquid form at such temperatures when held under sufficient pressure. This invention relates more particularly to the filler mechanism used in accordance with the lighter structure.

Liquified gas pyrophoric lighters in which a reservoir within the lighter is connected to a filler valve through which a gas enters the reservoir from a supply container and is released through a burner in controlled amounts to be lit by a spark supplying a flame, the size of which is controlled by the flow of gas released at the burner, are known in the prior art.

In filling a reservoir using valves of the prior art, use has been made of the diiference of the pressure of the gas inside the lighter reservoir as compared to the pressure inside the filler can, the latter having a higher pressure in order for the gas to flow into the reservoir of the lighter. When the lighter has been kept in the pocket and warmed from the heat of the body or by handling of the lighter, the pressure of the gas in the reservoir of the lighter is increased so that in order for the gas to be inserted through the filler valve into the reservoir either the lighter must be cooled and the gas pressure lowered in the reservoir or the gas pressure in the filler can must be increased by warming of the can making the filling of the reservoir very inconvenient for practical use with these valves.

Therefore it is an object of the present invention to fill the reservoir of a gas lighter with the greatest possible quantity of gas in liquified form by lowering the pressure of the gas in the reservoir through a cooling process.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a lighter having a reservoir which is supplied with liquified gas through a filler valve from a supply container while a portion of the liquified gas in cooperation with the elements of the filler valve cools the lighter thereby lowering the pressure of the gas in the reservoir of the lighter.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a lighter with the filler valve pointed upward and a central vertical section taken through the filler valve of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a similar View to that of FIG 1 with a similarly sectioned view of the filler valve of the present invention now shown in a filling position, the filling container being shown only in part.

With reference to FIG. 1, the filler valve 10 is shown in cross section in a closed position. The valve 10 struc- 3,373,776 Patented Mar. 19, 1968 ture has a stationary part 11 of the valve and a movable part 12 contained therein.

Stationary part 11 of the valve has a tubular member 13 internally threaded at its lower end to receive a cap 14 externally threaded at its sides and having an opening 16 at its bottom.

The upper or opposite end of tubular member 13 from which cap 14 is attached has a circular internal projection 17 leaving an opening 18 at that end of tubular member 13.

Movable part 12 of the valve 10 has a stem portion 21 extending from a circular shoulder 22. Its opposite end is formed with a recess 23 therein. Resting on circular shoulder 22 and firmly attached thereto is a fluid-tight ring 24 fitted around stem portion 21 in a manner to close opening 18 in cooperation with stem portion 21. A compression spring 26 has one end resting within cap 14 and its opposite end extending within recess 23 of movable part 12 in such position so as to press movable part 12 against the circular internal projection 17 of tubular member 13 A porous material ring 27 is supported on circular internal projection 17 on the opposite side of the projection 17 which contacts fluid-tight ring 24. Retaining porous material ring 27 in position so that it will not fall away from filler valve 10 when this valve is moved to other positions due to movement of the lighter, is an additional internal projection 19 on the outer end of tubular member 13.

For secure insertion of stationary part 11.within the wall 30 of the reservoir of the lighter, tubular member 13 has external threads 31 below a flanged portion 32 with a fluid tight ring 33 resting on the shoulder of the flanged portion 32 preventing leakage of gas from the reservoir along the outer surface of tubular member 13 where it is screwed into wall 30 of the reservoir of the lighter.

Filler valve 10 in the filling position is shown in FIG. 2. A supply can 35 has its spout 36 inserted through an opening in porous material ring 27 into opening 18 of tubular member 13.

In order to pass the liquid gas from the supply can 35 into the reservoir of the lighter through filler valve 10, spout 36 of supply can 35 is pushed into opening 18 with a greater pressure against stem portion 21 than that exerted by compression spring 26 in a direction against the force of the spring. This movement of movable part 12 moves the fluid-tight ring 24 away from 0pening18 making way for the liquid gas to pass through opening 18 into tubular member 13 and then through opening 16 in cap 14 into the reservoir of the lighter.

The liquid gas coming out of the spout 36 of supply can 35 will be partially fed into the reservoir of the lighter as mentioned above and at the same time a portion of the liquid gas will pass out through opening 18 Wetting the porous material ring 27. The liquid gas which is caught by porous material ring 27 will then slowly evaporate from this porous material ring 27 As the liquid gas evaporates heat will be taken from the surrounding portion of the stationary part 11 of filler valve 10 and by conduction from the wall 30 of the reservoir of the lighter. Thus the wall of the reservoir and also the body of the lighter will be quickly cooled thereby lowering the pressure of the gas inside the reservoir. In this manner a larger quantity of liquid gas will enter the reservoir due to the comparative differences in pressure inthe reservoir with that in supply can 35.

Therefore, even when the lighter has been warmed through use or handling thereby raising the gas pressure inside the reservoir to a point higher than the pressure inside the supply can, it will not be necessary to use other means to cool the lighter or to attempt to heat the supply can. Through he apparatus and method of the present invention a lighter reservoir may be conveniently filled. With the quantity of liquid gas entering the reservoir controlled through use of the porous material ring 27 and in accordance with this by the lowering of the gas pressure inside the lighter reservoir to a point lower than the gas pressure within the supply can, more liquid gas may be inserted into the reservoir by this means.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.'

What is claimed is:

1. A lighter constructed to be charged with liquefied gas fuel under pressure and including in combination,

a casing having therein a fuel reservoir;

and fuel charging means carried by said casing,

said fuel charging means including an outer hollow tubular valve member fixed with respect to said casing and having an internal projecting portion on the outer end of said outer valve member forming a passage from inside the outer hollow tubular valve member out of said outer valve member,

an inner valve member having an imperforate outer stem portion mounted to move in said hollow tubular outer valve member between open and closed positions in substantially rectilinear movement inwardly and outwardly with respect to said outer valve member,

and a porous cooling means for absorbing liquefied gas fuel for evaporation to the atmosphere outside said casing, held on an outer portion of said outer valve member externally of said inner valve member and located adjacent and in operative communication with said passage,

said porous cooling means having an outwardly directed surface exposed to the atmosphere and a passage for the liquefied gas through said means located concentrically with said passage formed by said internal projecting portion whereby liquefied gas escaping through said passages during filling of said fuel reservoir through said fuel charging means wets said porous member and then evaporates these from cooling said fuel reservoir.

2. The lighter of claim 1, further characterized by said stem portion on one end positioned to pass into said passage formed by said internal projecting portion,

and said inner valve member having a recessed portion on the opposite end from said stem portion.

3. The lighter of claim 2, further characterized by a cap member threaded into said outer valve member at the opposite end from said internal projecting portion on said outer valve member and having an opening therethrough to said fuel reservoir.

4. The lighter of claim 3, further characterized by compression spring means extending between and into said cap member on one of its ends and into said recessed portion of said inner valve member on the other of its ends.

5. A lighter constructed to be charged with liquefied gas fuel under pressure and including in combination,

a casing having therein a fuel reservoir,

and fuel charging means carried by said casing,

said fuel charging means including an outer hollow tubular valve member fixed with respect to said casing having a first internal projecting portion on the outer end of said outer valve member forming a passage out of said outer valve member,

an inner valve member having a stem portion on one end and a recessed portion on its opposite end and mounted to move in said hollow tubular outer valve member between open and closed positions in substantially rectilinear movement inwardly and outwardly with respect to said outer valve member,

a fluid-tight ring mounted around the base of said stem portion so as to close said passage in said outer valve member when positioned against said internal projecting portion,

a cap member threaded into the end of said outer valve member opposite from said internal projecting portion and having an opening therethrough into said fuel reservoir,

compression spring means normally forcing said inner valve member away from said cap member with one end of said spring means in said recessed portion of said inner valve member and the opposite end of said spring means in said cap member,

a porous ring-shaped means having an outwardly directed surface and having its center opening substantially over said passage in said outer valve member for passage of liquefied gas therethrough and supported on said internal projecting portion of said outer valve member,

and a second internal projecting portion on said outer valve member supporting said ring-shaped means between it and said first internal projecting portion and extending over only a portion of a surface of said porous member facing outward of said casing leaving the remainder of the outwardly facing surface of said porous member exposed to the atmosphere whereby liquefied gas escaping through said passage during filling of said fuel reservoir through said fuel charging means wets said porous member and then evaporates therefrom cooling said fuel reservoir.

6. Method of filling a lighter constructed to be charged with liquefied gas fuel under pressure which comprises filling liquefied gas from a fuel supply can through a passageway leading into the tank of the lighter,

allowing a portion of the liquefied gas to escape out of the passageway away from said tank,

absorbing the escaping liquefied gas in a porous means,

and allowing controlled evaporation of the liquefied gas from said porous means provided at the top of said passageway to the atmosphere thereby cooling said tank of the lighter and lowering the pressure of gas confined therein whereby a greater quantity of liquefied gas may be transferred to said tank from said fuel supply.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,019,807 2/1962 Projahn 137-588 X 3,234,762 2/ 1966 Ohno. 3,319,670 5/ 1967 Kitabayashi.

FOREIGN PATENTS 979,609 l/ 1965 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application 1,156,432, October 1963, Altenpohl.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner,

E. J. EARLS, Assistant Examiner,

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