Stick Lighter Safety Lever Prevents Accidental Ignition
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stick lighters lack a reliable and compact safety mechanism to prevent unintentional actuation, often requiring complex designs that are prone to failure or require significant space, and may break easily.
Innovation Solution
A stick lighter with a safety device featuring a pivoting safety lever connected to the actuating element, pre-tensioning means to maintain the locking position, and a release device that can be activated to override the biasing force, allowing for a robust and simple construction that prevents unintentional actuation without complex filigree or high space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a safety mechanism is added to prevent unintentional actuation, then safety reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a safety lever with locking and releasing positions, a locking element, pre-tensioning means, and a release device. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall design while maintaining high safety reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety function is extracted as a separate mechanism from the main actuating device. The safety lever and locking element form an independent safety subsystem that can be designed and manufactured separately, reducing the complexity of the overall system while ensuring dedicated safety functionality.
2Strength
If a robust safety mechanism is designed to prevent breaking, then strength is improved, but space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The safety lever is articulated directly on the actuating element, merging the safety mechanism with the existing actuator structure. This integration allows the safety mechanism to share space with the actuating element, achieving high breaking strength without proportionally increasing overall space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety lever pivots in a dimension perpendicular to the actuating element's movement direction. This dimensional change allows the safety mechanism to occupy a different spatial plane, efficiently utilizing available space while maintaining structural strength through the pivoting action.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple construction is used for the safety device, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-tensioning means automatically maintain the safety lever in the locking position without requiring external adjustment or maintenance. The mechanism self-regulates through the spring force, ensuring consistent reliability while keeping the construction simple and easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring constant and pre-tensioning force are optimized to provide sufficient locking reliability while maintaining simple construction. By carefully selecting these parameters, the mechanism achieves high reliability through straightforward mechanical design rather than complex systems.
4Volume of moving object
If a compact safety mechanism is designed to reduce overall height, then space efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating element serves dual functions: it acts as both the primary actuator for fuel release and as the mounting base for the safety lever. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate mounting structures, reducing overall height while maintaining tolerance compatibility across components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a reliable, compact, and stable safety mechanism that effectively prevents unintentional actuation, ensuring the lighter remains functional with high breaking strength and minimal space usage, enhancing child safety by requiring a significant force to activate the lighter.
Implementation Method 1
pre-tensioning means which press the safety lever into the locking position against pre-tensioning
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a bar lighter comprising a novel safety mechanism for securing the bar lighter from being accidentally actuated. A safety lever (4) is pivotally connected to an actuating element (2) which can be moved relative to a housing between a starting position and an actuating position. Said safety lever (4) is preloaded so as to be pressed into a locking position in which the safety lever (4) engages with a locking element (15) that cannot be moved relative to the housing, thus preventing the actuating element (2) from moving from the starting position into the actuating position. A releasing mechanism (3) is provided which presses the safety lever (4) into a releasing position when being actuated so as to release the actuating element (2).