BACKGROUND

1. Field

This specification relates to a cigarette lighter. More specifically, this specification relates to a cigarette lighter with a new fuel release system.

2. Description of the Related Art

Cigarette lighters that are equipped with a pre-mixing burner flame generating unit, such as jet flame or turbo flame lighters, offer numerous advantages over other forms of lighters. The biggest advantages include a more windproof flame as well as a more complete combustion of the combustible fuel. However, most cigarette lighters that are equipped with a pre-mixing burner flame generating unit use a piezoelectric ignition to ignite the combustible fuel (i.e. butane). While piezoelectric ignitions are generally reliable they do not offer the simplicity of manufacturing and increased reliability that traditional flint ignitions are able to inherently offer.

What is needed is a cigarette lighter that combines the enhanced burning characteristics of the pre-mixing burner flame generating unit with the simplicity and reliability of traditional flint ignitions. However, traditional flint ignitions are not used with pre-mixing burner flame generating units because of inherent functional reliability issues. The main culprit behind these functional reliability issues lie in the improper timing between the release of the combustible fuel and the sparks emitted by traditional flint ignitions. More specifically, the sparks emitted by traditional flint ignitions are generated too early to reliably ignite the gas. For example, when a user actuates the friction wheel assembly with their thumb, sparks are generated before their thumb has a chance to actuate the gas lever. This results in unreliable combustion of the combustible fuel and frustration for the user.

Previous cigarette lighters that attempted to address the above issues, for example the Wind Master and Wind Master2cigarette lighters by Windmill, resulted in increased complexity of both the design and function of the cigarette lighter as well as the associated manufacturing. Additional cigarette lighters, for example the AM7101 and AM369 by Wenzhou Zhibo Light Industrial Products Co., LTD, resulted in cigarette lighters that pose increased safety risks to the user to the user.

Therefore, there exists a need for a cigarette lighter that combines a pre-mixing burner flame generating unit with a traditional flint ignition without the above-mentioned drawbacks.

SUMMARY

In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification is embodied in a cigarette lighter. The cigarette lighter includes a fuel reservoir configured to contain a combustible fuel. The cigarette lighter includes a pre-mixing burner flame generating unit configured to mix the combustible fuel with air and contain a flame. The cigarette lighter includes a valve in fluidic communication with the fuel reservoir and the pre-mixing burner flame generating unit that is configured to facilitate the combustible fuel to enter the pre-mixing burner flame generating unit when the valve is actuated. The cigarette lighter includes a bracket configured to actuate the valve when a force is applied by a user. The cigarette lighter includes a friction wheel assembly in mechanical communication with the bracket and configured to rotate about an axis. The cigarette lighter includes a flint in mechanical communication with the friction wheel assembly and configured to emit sparks when the friction wheel assembly is rotated about the axis by a user.

These and other embodiments may include one or more of the following features. The cigarette lighter may include a gas lever in mechanical communication with the valve and the bracket, the gas lever may be configured to facilitate the actuation of the valve when a force is applied to the bracket by a user. The gas lever may rotate about a gas lever fulcrum.

The cigarette lighter may include a spring, wherein the flint may be located between the friction wheel assembly and the spring. The spring may be configured to apply a spring force on the flint to force the flint against the friction wheel assembly. The spring force may lie along an axis that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the friction wheel assembly. The spring and the flint may be located within the bracket. The friction wheel assembly may be coupled to the bracket. The bracket may be configured to actuate along an axis parallel to the axis of the spring force.

The cigarette lighter may include a thumb ledge coupled to the bracket and configured to allow a user to exert a force on the bracket. The bracket and the thumb ledge may form a single integral component.

Another aspect of the subject matter described in this specification is embodied in a cigarette lighter. The cigarette lighter includes a body extending along an axis and having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The cigarette lighter includes a fuel reservoir located within the body and configured to contain a combustible fuel. The cigarette lighter includes a pre-mixing burner flame generating unit located adjacent to the first end of the body and configured to mix the combustible fuel with air and contain a flame. The cigarette lighter includes a valve in fluidic communication with the fuel reservoir and the pre-mixing burner flame generating unit and configured to facilitate the combustible fuel to enter the pre-mixing burner flame generating unit when the valve is actuated. The cigarette lighter includes a gas discharge and ignition operating unit located adjacent to the first end of the body and adjacent to the pre-mixing burner flame generating unit, the gas discharge and ignition operating unit being configured to actuate the valve and emit sparks when one or more forces are applied the gas discharge and ignition operating unit by a user.

