Liquid Fuel Lighter Watertight Seal Design
Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid fuel lighters lack a watertight seal, leading to water ingress, fuel leakage, and corrosion, and are difficult to service, especially in outdoor conditions.
Innovation Solution
A liquid fuel lighter design featuring O-ring seals between the cap and container, a removable pin for easy flint replacement, and strategically positioned oxygen holes in the wind guard for improved wind resistance, ensuring a watertight enclosure and easier maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional liquid fuel lighter design is used, then the lighter is simple in structure, but water can seep into and fuel can leak out due to lack of watertight seal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs O-ring seals (flexible elastic elements) between the cap and container, and between the fuel cap and container, to create watertight seals. These flexible sealing elements deform to fill gaps and prevent water ingress and fuel leakage, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity by introducing a simple yet effective sealing mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the lighter is exposed to outdoor conditions, then the lighter can be used in various environments, but the lighting mechanism can corrode due to moisture exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The O-ring seals create a protective barrier that prevents moisture from reaching the lighting mechanism and other internal components. This allows the lighter to be used outdoors in humid or wet conditions without corrosion, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and resistance to harmful environmental factors.
3Reliability
If the lighter is used without a seal, then the structure is simple, but fuel is lost to evaporation even when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing elements (O-rings) between the cap and container, and between the fuel cap and container, prevent fuel vapor from escaping and external air from entering. This maintains fuel levels and prevents evaporation losses, resolving the contradiction between fuel retention and structural simplicity.
4Ease of repair
If traditional lighter design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but servicing is difficult and messy
Solution Approach 1:
The lighter is divided into separable components (cap, container, fuel cap, wind guard) that can be easily removed and reassembled. The removable pin mechanism allows the friction wheel to be detached for flint replacement without disassembling the entire lighter, making servicing clean and straightforward while maintaining simple manufacturing processes.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If wind guard is added for outdoor use, then wind resistance is improved, but the lighter becomes more complex and difficult to service
Solution Approach 1:
The wind guard is designed as a separate, removable component that can be easily attached and detached from the container. This modular approach provides wind protection for outdoor use while keeping the overall structure simple and easy to service, as the wind guard does not interfere with the separable cap and fuel cap components.
Data Source
AI summary
A lighter comprises a container that is configured to hold a liquid fuel, a cap attachable to a top portion of the container, a fuel cap attachable to a bottom portion of the container, a first watertight seal formed by a first sealing element between the cap and the container, and a second watertight seal formed by a second sealing element between the fuel cap and the container.