US20140175081A1

US20140175081A1 - Electronic cigarette lighting device with safety mechanism

Info

Publication number: US20140175081A1
Application number: US13/721,952
Authority: US
Inventors: Jui-Bin HWA
Original assignee: GREAT PERFORMANCE INDUSTRIES Co Ltd
Current assignee: GREAT PERFORMANCE INDUSTRIES Co Ltd
Priority date: 2012-12-20
Filing date: 2012-12-20
Publication date: 2014-06-26

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic cigarette lighting device with a safety mechanism, and the device includes a casing with a combustion-supporting hole formed on the casing, a heat generating unit installed in the casing and alternately positioned with the combustion-supporting hole, and a slide cover installed at the top of the casing and normally covered onto the combustion-supporting hole. After the slide cover is pushed to expose the combustion-supporting hole, the heat generating unit starts generating heat to produce high temperature. A safety mechanism is installed between the casing and the slide cover and capable of blocking the slide cover, such that a user has to release the blocked status of the safety mechanism first before the user can push the slide cover and uses the electronic cigarette lighting device, so that the device can prevent an improper operation of the cigarette lighting device and improve safety.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic cigarette lighting device with a safety mechanism, in particular to the electronic cigarette lighting device that requires users to release the safety mechanism before use, so as to prevent the cigarette lighting device from improper use and improve the safety.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lighter is a common article used in daily life; for example, the lighter can be used for lighting a cigarette and incense or starting an ignition. At present, most of the lighters available in the market are used for lighting cigarettes.
In the principle of operating a lighter, a fuel is filled into the lighter first, and then the fuel is burned, by means of a flint stone ignition or a high voltage discharge when the fuel is released, so as to produce a flame for lighting cigarettes.
Besides the issue of environmental pollution caused by used and discarded lighters, the use of the conventional lighters also has the issues of preparing a fuel can, safekeeping the fuel can for refillable lighters, and applying the correct type of fuel, Obviously, the application of the conventional lighters is inconvenient. Furthermore, children may play with the lighter, and that is one of the main factors causing fire at home.
In view of the aforementioned problems of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention has designed an electronic cigarette lighting device that requires no filling of fuel to simplify the way of lighting cigarettes. As disclosed in R.O.C. Utility Model No. 408673, an electronic cigarette lighting device comprises a casing with a combustion-supporting hole, a heat generating unit installed in the casing and aligned precisely with the combustion-supporting hole, and a set of chargeable battery, wherein a slide cover is installed at the top of the casing and normally covered. onto combustion-supporting hole. After the slide cover is pushed and moved to expose the combustion-supporting hole, the battery supplies electric power to the heat generating unit to produce a high temperature for the use of lighting cigarettes. After a user releases the slide cover, the slide cover automatically resumes its original position, covers the combustion-supporting hole, and stops supplying electric power to the battery. Since such electronic cigarette lighting device does not require users to fill the fuel, therefore the operation is very convenient and the device is popular in the market. To further improve the safety, the inventor of the present invention based on the aforementioned electronic cigarette lighting device to further develop another electronic cigarette lighting device with a safety mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an electronic cigarette lighting device with a safety mechanism that requires users to release the safety mechanism before its use, so as to prevent an improper use of the cigarette lighting device and improve the safety.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides an electronic cigarette lighting device with a safety mechanism, comprising: an external casing having a combustion-supporting hole; a heat generating unit installed in the casing and aligned precisely with the combustion-supporting hole; and a slide cover installed at the top of the casing and normally covered onto the combustion-supporting hole, and slidably disposed on the casing, and including a spring, such that when the slide cover is pushed to slide and move, the spring is compressed, and the combustion-supporting hole is exposed, and the heat generating unit is triggered to start generating heat to produce a high temperature; and when the pushing force is released, the elastic force of the spring resumes the slide cover to its original position to cover the combustion-supporting hole, characterized in that the safety mechanism is installed between the casing and the slide cover, and the safety mechanism comprises an elastic bracket protruded upwardly from the top of the casing, a window formed on the slide cover and disposed at a position opposite to the elastic bracket, and a press button with the bottom disposed at the top of the elastic bracket and installed on the window. At the status when the slide cover covers the combustion-supporting hole, a side edge of the elastic bracket is protruded out from the window, so that the slide cover cannot be pushed or shifted since the window is blocked by the elastic bracket. After the press button is pressed to shift the elastic bracket downward, the blocked status of the slide cover is released, so that the slide cover can be shifted to expose the combustion-supporting hole.
With the aforementioned structure, a user has to press the press button by a finger to release the status of the window of the safety mechanism from being blocked by the elastic bracket if the user wants to use the electronic cigarette lighting device, and then the user can apply a force to push the slide cover and expose the combustion-supporting hole, so that the device can achieve the effects of preventing an improper operation of the slide cover and improving safety. In addition, the user simply presses the press button and pushes the slide cover to shift in order to release the safety mechanism. Therefore, the present invention provides a convenient operation while taking the improved safety into consideration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an application of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial exploded view of a safety mechanism of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of pressing a press button of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is another schematic view of pressing a press button of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The technical characteristics of the present invention will become apparent with the detailed description of the preferred embodiments accompanied with the illustration of related drawings as follows.
With reference to FIG. 1 for an exploded view of an electronic cigarette lighting device of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electronic cigarette lighting device comprises a casing 10, a heat generating unit 20 and a slide cover 30, and the perspective view of the assembly is shown in FIG. 2.
With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the casing 10 is formed by engaging a bottom cover 11 with a top cover 12 disposed at a position opposite to the bottom cover 11, and the top cover 12 has a combustion-supporting hole 13 formed and reserved thereon.
The heat generating unit 20 is installed in the casing 10 and disposed at a position corresponding to the combustion-supporting hole 13. In an implementation, the heat generating unit 20 is mounted on a circuit board 21 and electrically coupled to the circuit board 21, and the circuit board 21 has a battery 22 electrically coupled to the circuit board 21 for supplying electric power required for the operation of the heat generating unit 20. In the figures, the circuit board 21 is electrically coupled to an electricity charging hole 14 of an external power supply, and the electricity charging hole 14 is exposed from the casing 10 to facilitate an access of power supply for charging the battery 22 and extending service life.
In addition, the circuit board 21 further has an electrical conduction area 23 and a status indicating light 24. When the electrical conduction area 23 is electrically conducted, the battery 22 supplies electric power for the operation of the heat generating unit 20 until the temperature reaches a combustion supporting temperature (or an ignition temperature for lighting a cigarette), and the status indicating light 24 is provided for indicating the using status or power level of the battery 22.
The slide cover 30 can be slidably installed on the casing 10 and normally covered onto the combustion-supporting hole 13 of the casing 10. In an implementation, the slide cover 30 has a through hole 31 formed on a surface of the slide cover 30 and alternately positioned with respect to the combustion-supporting hole 13. In addition, the invention further comprises a slide base 32 disposed in the casing 10, a spring 33 abutting the slide base 32, and an electrical conducting plate 34 alternately positioned with respect to the electrical conduction area 23.
When the slide cover 30 is pushed and slid, the slide base 32 is shifted synchronously to compress the spring 33, while the through hole 31 is shifted to a position aligned precisely with the combustion-supporting hole 13 of the casing 10, such that the heat generating unit 20 is passed through the through hole 31 and exposed from the combustion-supporting hole 13. In the meantime, the electrical conducting plate 34 is shifted to a position aligned precisely with the electrical conduction area 23 of the circuit board 21, so that the battery 22 can supply electric power for the operation of the heat generating unit 30 and let the heat generating unit 20 reach a combustion supporting temperature.
When a user releases the pushing force, the elastic force of the spring 33 abuts the slide base 32 to resume the slide cover 30 to its original position and cover the combustion-supporting hole 13. In the meantime, the electrical conducting plate 34 is also shifted to a position alternately arranged with respect to the electrical conduction area 23, so that the battery 22 no longer supplies electric power, and the heat generating unit 20 stops its operation.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4 to 6, the present invention is characterized in that a safety mechanism is installed between the casing 10 and the slide cover 30 for preventing an improper operation of the slide cover 30, so as to improve the safety of the electronic cigarette lighting device.
In the figures, the safety mechanism includes an elastic bracket 41 protruded from the top of the casing 10, a window 42 formed on the slide cover 30 and disposed at a position opposite to the elastic bracket 41, and a press button 43 with the bottom disposed at the top of the elastic bracket 41 and installed on the window 42. At the status when the slide cover 30 covers the combustion-supporting hole 13, a side edge of the elastic bracket 41 is protruded from the window 42, so that the slide cover 30 cannot be pushed or moved since the window 42 is blocked by the elastic bracket 41. When the press button 43 is pressed, the bottom of the press button 43 can press and shift the elastic bracket 41 downward, so that the side edge of the elastic bracket 41 is not longer protruded out from the window 42, and the is blocked status of the slide cover 30 can be released, and the slide cover 30 can be pushed and slid to expose the combustion-supporting hole 13.
When the user releases the press button 43 and stops applying the force of pushing the slide cover 30, the elastic force of the spring 33 abuts the slide base 32, so that the slide cover 30 resumes its original position to cover the combustion-supporting hole 13. In the meantime, when the slide cover 30 resumes its position to the window 42 disposed at the top of the elastic bracket 41, the side edge of the elastic bracket 41 is protruded upwardly from the window 42, so that the slide cover 30 cannot be pushed or slid since the window 42 is blocked by the elastic bracket 41 as shown in FIG. 4.
In other words, if the user wants to use the electronic cigarette lighting device, the user must press the press button 43 by a finger first to release the status of the window 42 from being blocked by the elastic bracket 41 for a normal use, so as to achieve the effects of preventing an improper operation of the slide cover 30 and improving safety. In addition, the user simply presses the press button 43 to release the safety mechanism. Therefore, the present invention provides a convenient operation while taking the improved safety into consideration.
With reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 for a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the slide cover 30 further includes at least one positioning column 421 extended downwardly from a side of the window 42, and the press button 43 has a pressing portion 431 with the top protruded upwardly from the window 42, and at least one positioning plate 432 extended towards the positioning column 421, and the positioning plate 432 has a positioning hole 433 formed thereon and disposed opposite to the positioning column 421 for embedding the positioning column 421, so that the press button 43 can be installed onto the window 42 easily.
In FIG. 4, when the pressing portion 431 is not pressed, the elastic bracket 41 props the bottom of the pressing portion 431 to maintain the window 42 to be blocked by the elastic bracket 41. When the pressing portion 431 is pressed to shift the elastic bracket 41 downward, the status of the window 42 from being blocked by the elastic bracket 41 can be released as shown in FIG. 5. Now, the user can apply a pushing force to the slide cover 30 to shift the slide cover 30 and expose the combustion-supporting hole 13 as shown in FIG. 6.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette lighting device with a safety mechanism, comprising: a casing with a combustion-supporting hole formed thereon, a heat generating unit installed in the casing and aligned precisely with the combustion-supporting hole, a slide cover slidably installed at the top of the casing and normally covered onto the combustion-supporting hole and including a spring, such that when the slide cover is pushed and slide, the spring is compressed, and the combustion-supporting hole is exposed to let the heat generating unit start generating heat to produce high temperature, and when the pushing force is released, an elastic force of the spring props the slide cover to resume its original position and cover the combustion-supporting hole; characterized in that a safety mechanism is installed between the casing and the slide cover, and the safety mechanism comprises an elastic bracket protruded upwardly from the top of the casing, a window formed on the slide cover and disposed at a position opposite to the elastic bracket, and a press button with the bottom disposed at the top of the elastic bracket and installed onto the window; and at the status when the slide cover covers the combustion-supporting hole, a side edge of the elastic bracket is protruded outwardly from the window, so that the slide cover cannot be pushed or slid since the window is blocked by the elastic bracket, and after the press button is pressed to shift the elastic bracket downward, the blocked status of the slide cover is released, so that the slide cover can be shifted to expose the combustion-supporting hole.

2. The electronic cigarette lighting device with a safety mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the slide cover further includes at least one positioning column downwardly extended from a side of the window, and the press button has a pressing portion with the top protruded upwardly from the window, and at least one positioning plate extended towards the positioning column, and the positioning plate has a positioning hole formed thereon and corresponding to the positioning column for embedding the positioning column, such that the press button can be installed onto the window easily.

3. The electronic cigarette lighting device with a safety mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the casing is formed by engaging a bottom cover with a top cover aligned precisely with the bottom cover and a combustion-supporting hole is formed and reserved on the top cover.

4. The electronic cigarette lighting device with a safety mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the heat generating unit is installed on and electrically coupled to a circuit board, and the circuit board is further electrically coupled to a battery, and the battery is provided for supplying electric power required for the operation of the heat generating unit, and the circuit board is electrically coupled to an electricity charging hole of an external power supply, and the electricity charging hole is exposed from the casing to facilitate accessing a power supply for charging the battery.

5. The electronic cigarette lighting device with a safety mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the circuit board has an electrical conduction area disposed thereon and provided for the battery to supply electric power and allow the heat generating unit to be operated to generate heat, and the slide cover has a through hole formed on a surface of the slide cover and alternately positioned with respect to the combustion-supporting hole, a slide base disposed in the casing and abutted by the spring, and an electrical conducting plate alternately positioned with respect to the electrical conduction area, and when the slide cover is pushed and slid, the slide base is moved synchronously to compress the spring, while the through hole is shifted to a position alternately with respect to the combustion-supporting hole of the casing, so that the heat generating unit is passed through the through hole and exposed from the combustion-supporting hole, and the electrical conducting plate is shifted to a position alternately with respect to the electrical conduction area of the circuit hoard to electrically conduct the electrical conduction area.