AIR FIRE LIGHTER

• US 20140377710A1
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infora, LLC
• Original Assignee: Infora, LLC
• Inventors: Wiles, StJohn, Wiles, Pia, Wiles, Vaughan
• Granted Patent: US 9,134,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 431/6
• CPC Class Codes: F23Q 2/285 with spark ignition
• CPC Class Codes: F23Q 2/34 Component parts or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: F23Q 3/008 Structurally associated with fluid-fuel burners
• CPC Class Codes: F23Q 7/04 with fans for transfer of heat to fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F24B 15/005 Igniting devices; Fire-igniting fans
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An air fire lighter having fuel, an igniter and a ducted fan for igniting a solid fuel fire. The fuel travels through the fire lighter to a collar at a distal end of the fire lighter, transforming into a vapor that is ignited by an igniter. As the solid fuel begins to glow at the initiation of the fire, the fan is activated, shutting off the vapors from the fuel. The fan blows air through a chamber onto the fire, causing the fire to spread throughout the solid fuel, establishing and spreading the fire through an ignition period. The chamber has a volume and ducting for providing optimal airflow to the fire. The fan is battery-operated. The lighter is lightweight and compact with a swiveling handle that adjusts for optimal placement of the lighter for addressing the solid fuel, folding for portability and storage.

Claims

1. An air fire lighter for starting a solid fuel fire, comprising:

a housing have a barrel with a distal end and a proximal end, the barrel having an internal chamber, the housing having at least one air duct in fluid communication with ambient air, admitting air into said chamber from ambient air surrounding the lighter;

a fuel module, the fuel module having a liquid fuel in a reservoir inside the housing at the proximal end, the fuel module having a burner collar, the collar at the distal end of the barrel, the fuel module having a conduit operative for transporting the liquid fuel from the reservoir to the collar, the liquid fuel vaporizing such that the fuel is gaseous at the collar;

an igniter module, the igniter module having an igniter at the distal end of the barrel adjacent to the burner collar, the igniter module having at least one trigger on the housing, the at least one trigger operative for opening the reservoir to the conduit, allowing the fuel to flow to the collar, the at least one trigger when activated operative for generating a spark from the igniter, the spark igniting the gaseous fuel at the collar producing a flame, the flame operative for starting a solid fuel fire and stimulating the flame to glowing stage in the solid fuel; and

a battery-operated fan having a rotation axis centered inside the chamber parallel to the barrel, the fan activated after the flame is at a glowing stage, the fan operative for establishing and spreading the flame throughout the solid fuel, the fan blowing air through the chamber and out the barrel onto the solid fuel, the air stimulating the flame to a burning stage fire.

2. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the fan is activated by a switch, the switch operative for turning the fan on and simultaneously closing off the liquid reservoir to the conduit.

3. The air fire lighter as described in claim 2, wherein the switch is a sliding switch, the switch selectively sliding in a first direction operative for opening the reservoir to the conduit and selectively sliding in a second direction operative for closing off the liquid reservoir to the conduit and activating the fan.

4. The air lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one is a pair of triggers, a first trigger operative for opening the reservoir to the conduit and a second trigger operative for generating a spark from the igniter.

5. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one air duct is upstream behind the fan at the proximal end of the barrel.

6. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one air duct is downstream to the fan in the chamber.

7. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the fan is an axial fan having the rotation axis centered in the chamber and parallel to the barrel, the fan having flanges, the fan configured for creating an air pressure chamber within the housing.

8. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one trigger has a safety switch.

9. The air fire lighter as described in claim 8, wherein the at least one trigger has a continuous button for operating the flame continuously, locking the at least one trigger in an engaged position, maintaining the opening of the conduit.

10. A method of using an air fire lighter to start a solid fuel fire, comprising:

triggering a flame to ignite a fire by pulling at least one trigger on an air fire lighter, the at least one trigger operative for opening a conduit to a fuel reservoir containing liquid fuel, allowing the fuel to flow through said conduit to a burner collar at a distal end of the air fire lighter, the fuel gaseous at the burner collar, the at least one trigger operative for generating a spark from an igniter at a distal end of the air fire lighter, the spark igniting the fuel at the burner collar producing the flame operative for starting a solid fuel fire to a glowing stage;

pointing the flame at a plurality of solid fuel pieces where at least two pieces are in contact with each other, applying the flame directly to the solid fuel pieces, continuously engaging the at least one trigger, stimulating the flame to a glowing stage by distributing the heat and combustible vapors released by the solid fuel pieces; and

activating an axial fan having an axis centered inside a chamber in the fire lighter parallel to a barrel of the fire lighter, activating the fan simultaneously closing off the liquid reservoir to the conduit, the fan operative for establishing and spreading the fire throughout the solid fuel, the fan blowing air through the chamber and onto the solid fuel fire, the air stimulating the fire to a burning stage.

11. The method of using the air fire lighter as described in claim 10, wherein the step of triggering a flame to ignite a fire by pulling the at least one trigger on the air fire lighter is preceded by the step of releasing a safety switch on the at least one trigger.

12. The method of using the air fire lighter as described in claim 10, wherein the at least one is a pair of triggers, a first trigger operative for opening the reservoir to the conduit and a second trigger operative for generating a spark from the igniter.