Lighter case

Abstract

A lighter case for holding a lighter is disclosed, the lighter case including: a case body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the case body defining a first opening at the first end and a cavity for receiving and holding a lighter therein, the cavity extending from the first opening toward the second end; and a windscreen slidably coupled to the case body, the windscreen slidable axially relative to the length of the case body between retracted and extended positions, the windscreen including a partial cylindrical guard wall defining a central interior space, the guard wall defining an access opening for accessing the central interior space.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to lighter accessories, and more particularly to lighter cases for holding lighters. [Background technology]

[0002] Lighters are used to ignite a variety of items, such as cigarettes, candles, fireworks, etc. It can be difficult to start a fire using a lighter outdoors when it is windy or there is heavy precipitation (e.g., snow, rain, etc.). Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present application. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0004] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates components of a lighter case according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the windscreen of the lighter case of FIG. 1. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the windscreen of the lighter case of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the case body of the lighter case of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lighter case of FIG. 1 in the retracted position. [Figure 5] 10 illustrates components of a lighter case according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 6 shows a perspective view of the windscreen of the lighter case of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the case body of the lighter case of FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the lighter case of FIG. 5 in the retracted position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In the drawings, like reference numbers are used to denote like elements and features.

[0006] In one aspect, the present disclosure describes a lighter case for holding a lighter. The lighter case includes a case body. The case body has a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The case body defines a first opening at the first end and a cavity for receiving and holding the lighter therein. The cavity extends from the first opening toward the second end of the case body. The lighter case also includes a windscreen slidably coupled to the case body. The windscreen is axially slidable along the length of the case body between a retracted position and an extended position. The windscreen may include a partially cylindrical guard wall defining a central interior space. The guard wall defines an access opening that allows access to the central interior space.

[0007] In some embodiments, the case body may include an elongated tubular member, and the central interior space may be shaped and sized to accommodate the elongated tubular member in the retracted position.

[0008] In some embodiments, the cavity may comprise a bore extending at least partially through the case body from the first end toward the second end.

[0009] In some embodiments, the length of the hole may be less than the length of the lighter so that when the lighter is received in the hole, at least a portion of the lighter is exposed beyond the case body.

[0010] In some embodiments, the length of the hole may be such that the flame generating portion of the lighter is substantially exposed beyond the body of the case.

[0011] In some embodiments, the case body may define one or more longitudinally extending guide grooves on an outer surface of the case body, and the windscreen may define one or more protrusions on an inner surface of the windscreen corresponding to the guide grooves, each protrusion fitting into and sliding within a corresponding guide groove.

[0012] In some embodiments, at least one of the guide grooves may include one or more stop elements therein for limiting the sliding movement of the corresponding protrusion within the at least one guide groove.

[0013] In some embodiments, the windscreen may include a cutout on the guard wall at the access opening for a thumb to rest against to light the lighter when the windscreen is in the extended position.

[0014] In some embodiments, the guard wall may include a rim portion extending perpendicularly outward from the top edge of the outer surface of the guard wall.

[0015] In some embodiments, the guard wall may have a first side edge and a second side edge, and the guard wall may include, for each side edge, a side rim portion extending perpendicularly outward from an outer surface of the guard wall at the side edge.

[0016] In some embodiments, at least one of the case body or the windscreen may be constructed from plastic.

[0017] In some embodiments, at least one of the case body or the windscreen may be constructed from a metal alloy.

[0018] In some embodiments, the guard wall may define an interior surface of the windscreen, the interior surface comprising a non-combustible or fire-resistant material.

[0019] Other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

[0020] As used herein, the term "and / or" is intended to cover all possible combinations and subcombinations of the listed elements, including any one of the listed elements alone, any subcombination, or all of the elements, but not necessarily including additional elements.

[0021] As used herein, the phrase "at least one of ... or ..." is intended to cover any one or more of the listed elements, including any one alone, any subcombination, or all of the listed elements, without necessarily excluding additional elements, and without necessarily requiring all of the elements.

[0022] Lighters can be difficult to operate outdoors in windy conditions because the wind can interfere with ignition or prevent a flame from being generated. Attempting to shield the lighter's flame-generating portion from the wind with one's hand typically does little to mitigate the interference. It would be desirable to provide a lightweight lighter accessory that can be used outdoors to facilitate ignition.

[0023] The present disclosure describes a lighter case or holder for holding a lighter. The lighter case includes a windscreen for shielding the flame-generating portion of the lighter from ambient wind. In particular, the lighter case is operable to move the windscreen to a position where the windscreen blocks wind, thereby allowing a flame to be generated and the lighter to be used to light various items (e.g., cigarettes, fire starters, etc.).

[0024] Referring first to FIG. 1 , a perspective view of an exemplary lighter case 100 for holding a lighter is shown. The lighter case 100 may be configured in different sizes for use with different types and / or sizes of lighters. The lighter case 100 includes a windscreen 110 and a case body 120. The case body 120 is adapted to house and hold a lighter therein. The windscreen 110 is coupled to the case body 120 and is used to block wind that may prevent a lighter held in the case body 120 from generating a flame. The windscreen 110 and the case body 120 may be integrally configured into a single lighter case unit, or may be separate components that are assembled to form the lighter case. The case body 120 and / or the windscreen 110 may be constructed of plastic. Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the case body 120 or the windscreen 110 may be constructed of a metal alloy.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3 , the case body 120 has a generally elongated shape. The case body 120 may comprise, for example, an elongated tubular member. The case body 120 has a first end 121 and a second end 129 opposite the first end 121. The case body 120 defines a first opening 123 at the first end 121 and a cavity 124 for receiving and holding a lighter (e.g., a lighter housing) therein. The cavity 124 extends from the first opening 123 toward the second end 129. That is, the first opening 123 serves as an entrance to the cavity 124. The cavity 124 may comprise, for example, a hole extending at least partially from the first end 121 through the case body 120 toward the second end 129. The hole may generally have the shape of a lighter. The lighter can be inserted into the cavity 124 such that the lighter, or a portion of it, is retained within the cavity 124 .

[0026] In at least some embodiments, the length of cavity 124 (e.g., bore) is shorter than the length of the lighter inserted into cavity 124. In particular, at least a portion of the lighter may be exposed beyond case body 120 to allow a user to operate the lighter while it is positioned within cavity 124. For example, case body 120 may be configured with a defined length of cavity 124 such that a flame-generating portion of the lighter is substantially exposed beyond case body 120. That is, at least a portion of the flame-generating portion of the lighter may remain outside of cavity 124 beyond first end 121 of case body 120 when the lighter is inserted into cavity 124. The flame-generating portion may include, for example, a spark wheel (in the case of a flint ignition device) or a button (in the case of a piezoelectric ignition device), a hood, and a fork. In some embodiments, case body 120 may include a stop element disposed within cavity 124 to prevent the lighter from being inserted deeper into cavity 124. For example, a raised protrusion may extend inward from the interior surface of cavity 124 such that when a lighter is inserted into cavity 124, it rests above the raised protrusion.

[0027] The lighter case 100 also includes a windscreen 110. An exemplary embodiment of the windscreen 110 is shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B . The windscreen 110 shown in this example includes a partially cylindrical guard wall 114. In particular, the guard wall 114 extends between a first side edge 115 and a second side edge 116. The guard wall 114 defines a central interior space 113 of the windscreen 110. The guard wall 114 blocks wind from entering the central interior space 113. For example, during use, the lighter case 100 may be held by a user so that the guard wall 114 blocks wind, e.g., is oriented against the wind flow. This allows a flame to be generated from the lighter within the central interior space 113 upon ignition without wind interference (or with reduced wind interference).

[0028] The guard wall 114 also defines an access opening for accessing the central interior space 113. In some embodiments, the access opening may comprise an opening between a first side edge 115 and a second side edge 116 of the guard wall 114. The guard wall 114 defines an interior surface 118 of the windscreen 110. The interior surface 118 comprises a non-combustible or fire-resistant material. For example, the interior surface may be coated in whole or in part with a non-combustible / fire-resistant material.

[0029] Returning to FIG. 1 , the windscreen 110 is slidably coupled to the case body 120. Specifically, the windscreen 110 is axially slidable relative to the length of the case body 120. The windscreen 110 may slide between a retracted position and an extended position. In the retracted position ( FIG. 4 ), the lighter case 100 is in a compact configuration in which the windscreen 110 substantially overlaps and covers a portion of the exterior of the case body 120. The windscreen 110 may be in the retracted position by default, or when, for example, blocking the wind is not necessary to generate a flame when lighting the lighter. In the example of FIG. 4 , the case body 120 is an elongated tubular member, and the central interior space 113 is shaped and sized to cover the elongated tubular member in the retracted position.

[0030] 1 shows windscreen 110 in the extended position. In the extended position, windscreen 110 acts to block wind so that a lighter held within cavity 124 of case body 120 may generate a flame without (or with reduced) wind interference. In particular, windscreen 110 blocks wind from reaching the flame generation portion of the lighter exposed beyond case body 120. An ignition target, such as a cigarette, candle, or fire starter, may be inserted into central interior space 113 defined by guard wall 114 and come into contact with the flame generated by a lighter held within case body 120.

[0031] The windscreen 110 is configured to slidably move relative to the case body 120. Similarly, the case body 120 is slidable relative to the windscreen 110. In particular, the case body 120 may slide axially in direction "d" shown in FIG. 1 . When the windscreen 110 is in the retracted position, a user can press on a portion of the case body 120 and / or a lighter held in the cavity 124 of the case body 120 to slide the case body 120 along "d" from the windscreen 110. That is, the case body 120 may be slidable to move the windscreen 110 to the extended position. The sliding movement of the case body 120 moves the first end 121 and the second end 129 of the case body 120 away from the first end 111 and the second end 119 of the windscreen 110, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1, in the extended position of windscreen 110, first end 111 is located farther away from first end 121 and second end 119 is located farthest away from second end 129.

[0032] In some embodiments, the case body 120 defines one or more guide grooves, e.g., 122a and 122b in FIG. 3 , extending longitudinally along the exterior of the case body 120. For example, the guide grooves 122a and 122b may be defined on the outer surface of the case body 120. The windscreen 110 may define one or more raised protrusions, e.g., 112a and 112b in FIG. 2A , corresponding to the guide grooves. The raised protrusions may be disposed on the inner surface of the windscreen 110. Each protrusion 112a and 112b may be configured to slidingly engage with a corresponding one of the guide grooves 122a and 122b. Specifically, the protrusions (112a, 112b) may fit into and slide along a corresponding one of the guide grooves (122a, 122b) to allow the windscreen 110 to slide relative to the case body 120.

[0033] In at least some embodiments, the sliding movement of the windscreen 110 may be controlled. In particular, the sliding range may be limited. For example, at least one of the guide grooves 122a and 122b may include one or more stop elements therein for limiting the sliding movement of the corresponding protrusion within the at least one guide groove. The stop elements may be, for example, ridges (or protrusions, etc.) disposed within the guide groove for preventing movement beyond the stop elements. Thus, the stop elements may represent the endpoints of the sliding range of the windscreen 110 relative to the case body 120.

[0034] In some embodiments, the sliding movement of the windscreen 110 may be controlled using magnets. The case body 120 may define a track (or guide groove, etc.) thereon to guide the sliding movement of the windscreen 110 relative to the case body 120. For example, the case body 120 may include a longitudinal track defined on an outer surface of the case body 120. The windscreen 110 may include one or more sliding members configured to slidingly engage with corresponding tracks on the case body 120. The tracks on the case body 120 may include stopper or locking elements. The sliding members and the stopper / locking elements of the tracks may cooperate to guide the sliding movement of the windscreen 110 and lock the windscreen 110 and the case body 120 in a fixed relative position relative to one another. For example, the stopper / locking elements may comprise magnets, and each of the sliding members may be locked in a fixed position along the track due to an attractive force between the sliding member and the relative stopper / locking element.

[0035] The lighter case 100 may include a mechanism for ensuring that the windscreen 110 and the case body 120 do not inadvertently move relative to one another. When the windscreen 110 does not need to be used as a shield, it is desirable to maintain the windscreen 110 in the retracted configuration and prevent the windscreen 110 from sliding relative to the case body 120. In some embodiments, a spring-loaded locking mechanism may be employed to lock the windscreen 110 in the retracted configuration. In the locked configuration, the windscreen 110 is in the retracted configuration and cannot move relative to the case body 120. A user can release a portion of the windscreen 110 by pressing and releasing it, thereby releasing the windscreen 110 from the locked configuration and allowing the windscreen 110 to move freely. The windscreen 110 can be returned to the locked configuration by pressing and locking the windscreen 110 when returning to the retracted configuration.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2B , windscreen 110 may include a cutout 118 defined on guard wall 114 at the access opening. Cutout 118 may allow a user to place their thumb thereon to light the lighter when windscreen 110 is in the extended position. In particular, the user's thumb may slide along cutout 118 as part of the action to light the lighter. The shape of cutout 118 may allow different portions of the user's thumb (e.g., outer thumb, inner thumb, etc.) to slide along cutout 118 to light the lighter.

[0037] In some embodiments, the guard wall 114 may include a rim portion 117 extending along the top edge of the guard wall 114. Specifically, the rim portion 117 may extend outward from the top edge of the outer surface of the guard wall 114. Additionally or alternatively, the guard wall 114 may include a side rim portion 115' and a side rim portion 116' at each of the first and second side edges 115, 116, extending perpendicularly outward from the outer surface of the guard wall 114 at the respective side edges. The rim portion 117 and the side rim portions 115' and 116' at the side edges 115 and 116 may function as wind diverters designed to generate turbulence over and around the open side of the guard wall 114. The turbulence slows the surrounding wind, causing the slowed layer to act as a barrier, preventing faster winds from bending and interfering with ignition.

[0038] 5 shows another exemplary embodiment of a lighter case 200. The lighter case 200 includes a windscreen 210 and a case body 220. The windscreen 210 is slidably coupled to the case body 220. The windscreen 210 includes a first wall 214a and a second sidewall 214b. The first wall 214a and the second sidewall 214b define a central interior space 213. The windscreen 210 also defines a top rim 217 and side rims 215' and 216' for diverting ambient wind on the exterior surface of the windscreen 210.

[0039] Case body 220 includes a cavity 224 extending from a first opening 223 at a first (top) end 221 of case body 220 toward a second end 229 opposite the first end of case body 220. Case body 220 defines longitudinally extending guide grooves 222a and 222b on an outer surface of case body 220. Windscreen 210 defines one or more raised protrusions 212a and 212b on an inner surface of windscreen 210, each protrusion configured to slidingly engage with a corresponding one of guide grooves 222a and 222b. Specifically, the protrusions may each fit into and slide along a respective one of the guide grooves.

[0040] The various embodiments presented above are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way. Variations of the innovations described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and such variations are within the intended scope of the present application. In particular, features from one or more of the above-described exemplary embodiments may be selected to create alternative exemplary embodiments including subcombinations of features that may not be explicitly described above. Furthermore, features from one or more of the above-described exemplary embodiments may be selected and combined to create alternative exemplary embodiments including combinations of features that may not be explicitly described above. Features suitable for such combinations and subcombinations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of this application as a whole. The subject matter described in this specification and claims is intended to cover and encompass all appropriate modifications in technology.

Claims

1. A lighter case for holding a lighter, a case body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the case body defining a first opening at the first end and a cavity for receiving and holding the lighter therein, the cavity extending from the first opening toward the second end; a windscreen slidably coupled to the case body, the windscreen slidable axially relative to the length of the case body between a retracted position and an extended position, the windscreen comprising a part-cylindrical guard wall defining a central interior space, the guard wall defining an access opening for accessing the central interior space.

2. 2. The lighter case of claim 1, wherein said case body comprises an elongated tubular member, and said central interior space is shaped and sized to accommodate said elongated tubular member in said retracted position.

3. 2. The lighter case of claim 1, wherein said cavity comprises a hole extending at least partially from said first end through said case body toward said second end.

4. 4. The lighter case according to claim 3, wherein the length of the hole is shorter than the length of the lighter so that at least a portion of the lighter is exposed beyond the case body when the lighter is housed in the hole.

5. 5. The lighter case of claim 4, wherein the length of the hole is such that the flame generating portion of the lighter is substantially exposed beyond the case body.

6. 2. The lighter case of claim 1, wherein the case body defines one or more longitudinally extending guide grooves on an outer surface of the case body, and the windscreen defines one or more protrusions on an inner surface of the windscreen corresponding to the guide grooves, each protrusion fitting into and sliding within a corresponding guide groove.

7. 7. The lighter case according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the guide grooves includes one or more stopper elements therein for limiting the sliding movement of the corresponding protrusion within the at least one guide groove.

8. 2. The lighter case of claim 1, wherein said windscreen includes a cutout on said guard wall at said access opening for placing a thumb to ignite said lighter when said windscreen is in said extended position.

9. 2. The lighter case of claim 1, wherein said guard wall includes a rim portion extending perpendicularly outward from a top end of an outer surface of said guard wall.

10. 2. The lighter case of claim 1, wherein the guard wall includes a first side edge and a second side edge, and the guard wall includes, for each of the side edges, a side rim portion extending perpendicularly outward from an outer surface of the guard wall at the side edge.

11. 10. The lighter case of claim 1, wherein at least one of the case body or the windscreen is constructed of plastic.

12. 10. The lighter case of claim 1, wherein at least one of the case body or the windscreen is constructed from a metal alloy.

13. 10. The lighter case of claim 1, wherein said guard wall defines an interior surface of said windscreen, said interior surface comprising a non-combustible or fire-resistant material.

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