Safety device in lighting rods

• US 6,093,017 A
• Filed: 08/26/1999
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokai Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tokai Corporation
• Inventors: Saito, Masaki, Ichikawa, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): DORITY, CARROLL B
• Application Number:
  US09/383,874
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 431/153, 431/255
• US Class Current: 431/153
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 11/36 Details , e.g. burner cooling means, noise reduction means
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 9/10 Hand-held or body-worn self-defence devices using repellant gases or chemicals

Abstract

A lighting rod is provided with a rod-like top end portion and a main body, the rod-like top end portion being provided with a jetting nozzle for jetting out a gas, the main body being provided with a gas tank, a valve mechanism for opening and closing a path through which the gas is supplied from the gas tank to the jetting nozzle, a piezo-electric unit for generating a discharge voltage for lighting the gas, and an operation member which drives the valve mechanism and the piezo-electric unit in order to carry out a lighting operation. A safety device for the lighting rod includes a locking member which is supported for rotation on the main body to be rotatable between a locking position where it prevents the lighting operation of the operation member and a lock release position where it permits the lighting operation of the operation member, and a spring which urges the locking means toward the locking position.

Claims

1. A safety device in a lighting rod, which lighting rod is provided with a rod-like top end portion and a main body, the rod-like top end portion being provided with a jetting nozzle for jetting out a gas, the main body being provided with a gas tank, a valve mechanism for opening and closing a path through which the gas is supplied from the gas tank to the jetting nozzle, a piezo-electric unit for generating a discharge voltage for lighting the gas, and an operation member which drives the valve mechanism and the piezo-electric unit in order to carry out a lighting operation,

the safety device comprising

a locking means which is supported for rotation on the main body to be rotatable between a locking position where it prevents the lighting operation of the operation member and a lock release position where it permits the lighting operation of the operation member, and

an urging means which urges the locking means toward the locking position.

2. A safety device as defined in claim 1 in which a gas pipe extends through the locking means.

3. A safety device as defined in claim 1 in which the lighting operation by the operation member can be repeated so long as the locking member is held in the lock release position.

4. A safety device as defined in claim 1 in which the locking means is provided with a locking section which is engaged with a part of the operation member to prevent the lighting operation by the operation member when the locking means is in the locking position and is disengaged from the part of the operation member to permit the lighting operation by the operation member in response to rotation of the locking means to the lock release position.

5. A safety device as defined in claim 4 in which the locking means is supported for rotation so that the center of rotation is movable.

6. A safety device in a lighting rod, which lighting rod is provided with a rod-like top end portion and a main body, the rod-like top end portion being provided with a jetting nozzle for jetting out a gas, the main body being provided with a gas tank, a valve mechanism for opening and closing a path through which the gas is supplied from the gas tank to the jetting nozzle, a piezo-electric unit for generating a discharge voltage for lighting the gas, and an operation member which drives the valve mechanism and the piezo-electric unit in order to carry out a lighting operation,

the safety device comprising

a locking means which is supported for rotation on the main body to be rotatable between a locking position where it prevents the lighting operation of the operation member and a lock release position where it permits the lighting operation of the operation member,

an urging means which urges the locking means toward the locking position,

an inhibiting means which is rotatable integrally with the locking means and is provided with an inhibiting section which is movable between an inhibiting position where it is engaged with the main body to inhibit the locking means from being rotated to the lock release position and a non-inhibiting position where it is disengaged from the main body to permit the locking means to be rotated to the lock release position, the inhibiting section being moved to the non-inhibiting position by pushing the inhibiting means inward relatively to the main body, and

a resilient means which urges the inhibiting section toward the inhibiting position,

wherein the lighting operation by the operation member is permitted by pushing the inhibiting means inward to move the inhibiting section to the non-inhibiting position and rotating the locking member to the lock release position.

7. A safety device as defined in claim 6 in which said inhibiting means is formed by a resilient piece fixed to the locking means, said resilient means is formed by resiliency of the resilient piece and the inhibiting section is moved from the inhibiting position to the non-inhibiting position by pushing inward and resiliently deforming the resilient piece.

8. A safety device as defined in claim 7 in which the inhibiting means is a part separate from the locking means.

9. A safety device as defined in claim 7 in which the inhibiting means is formed integrally with the locking means.

10. A safety device as defined in claim 7 in which the inhibiting section of the inhibiting means is engaged, in the inhibiting position, with a part of the main body projecting in the direction of rotation of the locking means.

11. A safety device as defined in claim 6 in which the inhibiting means is mounted on the locking means for sliding movement between a projected position and a retracted position which are the inhibiting position and the non-inhibiting position respectively.

12. A safety device as defined in claim 6 in which the inhibiting means is automatically returned from the non-inhibiting position to the inhibiting position in response to return of the locking means from the lock release position to the locking position.

13. A safety device as defined in claim 6 in which a gas pipe extends through the locking means.

14. A safety device as defined in claim 6 in which the lighting operation by the operation member can be repeated so long as the locking member is held in the lock release position.

15. A safety device as defined in claim 6 in which the locking means is provided with a locking section which is engaged with a part of the operation member to prevent the lighting operation by the operation member when the locking means is in the locking position and is disengaged from the part of the operation member to permit the lighting operation by the operation member in response to rotation of the locking means to the lock release position.

16. A safety device as defined in claim 15 in which the locking means is supported for rotation so that the center of rotation is movable.