US20070141520A1

US20070141520A1 - Lighter with information carrier

Info

Publication number: US20070141520A1
Application number: US10/572,658
Authority: US
Inventors: Niels Raeder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Fortune Products Holding AG
Priority date: 2003-09-19
Filing date: 2004-09-20
Publication date: 2007-06-21
Also published as: DE502004009634D1; EP1706670B1; CN1894544A; DE10343512A1; EP1706670A1; ATE434154T1; WO2005028959A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighter, comprising a housing (3) with a fuel tank (2), a lighter head (4) with a burner device (6) and an ignition device (7). The fuel (5) in the fuel tank (2) is embodied such that information, provided on an information support (9) arranged in the fuel tank (2), is firstly hidden by the fuel (5) and is gradually made visible on use of the fuel (5).

Description

The invention relates to a lighter according to the preamble of main claim 1. In particular, the present invention relates to a lighter, which is embodied as a disposable lighter.
Disposable lighters of this type are known. The German patent specification DE 33 28 967 C2, for example, describes a gas lighter, which comprises a fuel tank, a nozzle connected thereto for the release of the fuel and an electrically operated ignition device, which, after the opening of the nozzle, generates the spark inflaming the fuel discharged from the nozzle. A corresponding gas lighter, which is embodied as a disposable lighter and in which the ignition spark is generated with the help of a small ignition wheel rubbing over a flint, is described in the patent specification DE OS 25 31 139.
The object of the present invention is to design a lighter such as the one mentioned heretofore in such a way that an Information Carrier becomes automatically visible wholly or partly, as the fuel is consumed during the use of the lighter.
This object is attained by a lighter having the characteristics of claim 1.
The substantial advantage of the present invention is that the acceptance and usability, especially of disposable lighters, is substantially increased by the fact that an Information Carrier, which is arranged in the fuel tank of the inventive lighter and which contains, for example advertising texts, sayings, images or numbers, e.g. lot numbers, becomes visible during the consumption of the fuel provided in the fuel tank. Therefore, the information provided on the Information Carrier remains at first hidden to the user at the time of the purchase of the lighter, since this information is covered by the colored fuel and is invisible. The interest of the user is aroused by the fact that this information, which is initially hidden from him, is gradually made noticeable and visible only during the use of the lighter.
Advantageously, the inventive lighter can be manufactured relatively easily since it substantially corresponds to the known disposable lighters, wherein an Information Carrier is fixed only in the fuel tank in such a way that it is initially completely hidden by the colored fuel. Substantial changes and/or modifications of the lighter itself are not necessary.
The invention and the embodiments thereof are explained in more detail in the following in conjunction with the figures. The figures illustrate:
FIG. 1 an inventive gas lighter, the fuel tank of which is completely filled with fuel;
FIG. 2 the gas lighter shown in FIG. 1, wherein the fuel is partly consumed and the information on the Information Carrier is partly visible;
FIG. 3 the inventive lighter, wherein the fuel is almost used up and the information on the Information Carrier is completely visible; and
FIG. 4 an improved configuration of the invention.
According to FIG. 1, the present lighter 1, which is preferably a disposable lighter, is made of a housing 3 comprising a fuel tank 2 and a lighter head 4 known per se, which comprises a burner device 6 (illustrated only schematically) releasing the fuel 5 and an ignition device 7 for generating a spark for igniting the released fuel 5.
It should be pointed out that the fuel 5 arranged in the fuel chamber 2 could be liquefied gas, if the lighter 1 is embodied as a gas lighter. In this case, the burner device 6 has the form of a nozzle, which can be opened using an operating mechanism 8. The ignition device 7 can therefore be a manually operable small ignition wheel, which rubs over a springily pre-tensioned flint, in order to generate an ignition spark. However, it is just as well feasible that the ignition device 7 is an electrical ignition device, for example a piezoelectric ignition device, which is operated manually for generating an ignition spark.
An inflammable liquid, for example, white gas, can also be arranged in the fuel tank 2 as the fuel in place of liquefied gas, wherein the white gas is guided to the burner device 6 in a manner, known per se, using a wick or the like.
According to the present invention, the liquid fuel 5 present in the fuel tank 2, wherein said liquid fuel can be, for example, liquefied gas or white gas, and is colored in such a way that it allows the information present on an Information Carrier 9 arranged in the fuel chamber 2 to be noticed and/or become visible, only when said fuel is gradually consumed during the use of the lighter 1. In order for the Information Carrier 9 and/or the information present thereon to become visible, the housing 3 is made to be transparent, e.g. from a transparent plastic material. Alternatively, if said housing 3 is not made of a transparent material, it comprises a window 10, which gradually releases the view of the Information Carrier as the fuel 5 is consumed, as illustrated in FIG. 4.
Preferably, the Information Carrier 9 has the form of a plastic disc, on which the information is imprinted, wherein said plastic disc is fixed somewhat centrally in the fuel chamber with the help of a holding device (not illustrated in more detail). It is also feasible that the information is imprinted on a film or on paper glued onto the Information Carrier.
The color of the information and/or of the Information Carrier 9 can be coordinated with the color and/or coloring of the fuel for achieving a particularly good effect. It should be pointed out that the term “color” and/or “coloring” of the fuel is meant to connote all the modifications of the fuel to the effect that the information is invisible at first.

Claims

1. Lighter comprising a housing (3) with a fuel tank (2), a lighter head (4) with a burner device (6) and an ignition device (7), said lighter being characterized in that, the fuel (5) located in the fuel tank (2) is embodied in such a way that information, provided on an Information Carrier (9) arranged in the fuel tank (2), is at first hidden by the fuel (5) and is gradually made visible on use of the fuel (5).

2. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the fuel (5) is colored.

3. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (3) is at least partly made of a transparent plastic material.

4. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (3) comprises a window (10), which gradually releases a view of the Information Carrier (9) as the fuel (5) is consumed.

5. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the Information Carrier (9) is held in the fuel tank (2) with the help of holding devices.

6. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the fuel (5) is liquefied gas.

7. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the fuel (5) is white gas.

8. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that it is embodied as a disposable lighter.

9. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the Information Carrier (9) has the form of a plastic part, on which the information is imprinted.

10. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the Information Carrier (9) has the form of a plastic part, onto which a film carrying the information or a paper sheet carrying the information is glued.

11. Lighter according to claim 9, characterized in that the plastic part is embodied discoidally.

12. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the information is an image, an advertising text, an inscription, a lot number or the like.

13. Lighter according to claim 1, characterized in that the color of the Information Carrier (9) and/or the information is coordinated with the coloring of the fuel (5).