Air fire lighter

• US 8,851,885 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infora, LLC
• Original Assignee: Infora, LLC
• Inventors: Wiles, StJohn, Wiles, Pia, Wiles, Vaughan
• Primary Examiner(s): SAVANI, AVINASH A
• Application Number:
  US14/082,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20140147796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 431/255, 431/254, 431/6, 431/72, 126/25.B
• US Class Current: 431/265
• 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 a plurality of air ducts in fluid communication with ambient air, admitting air into the chamber from ambient air surrounding the lighter, the housing having a pistol grip coupled to the barrel at the proximal end, wherein the pistol grip is hingedly attached to the proximal end of the barrel, the pistol grip including a reservoir and a trigger, the pistol grip swiveling around the hinge to a plurality of position operative for accurately pointing the distal end of the barrel at the solid fuel;

a fuel module, the fuel module having a liquid fuel in the reservoir, 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 fuel from the reservoir to 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 the trigger on the grip, the trigger when activated, operative for opening the reservoir to the conduit, allowing the gaseous fuel to flow to the collar, the trigger operative for generating a spark from the igniter, the spark igniting the gaseous fuel at the collar producing a 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 an axis centered inside the chamber parallel to the barrel, the fan activated after the fire is at a glowing stage, the fan operative for establishing and spreading the fire throughout the solid fuel, the fan blowing air through the chamber and out the barrel onto the solid fuel fire, the air stimulating the fire to a burning stage.

2. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the chamber has a length around 30 centimeters and an internal diameter of around 3.5 centimeters.

3. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the barrel has a plurality of air flow flanges.

4. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of air ducts is upstream behind the fan at the proximal end of the barrel.

5. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of ducts is downstream to the fan in the chamber.

6. The air fire lighter as described in claim 5, wherein a plurality of rechargeable batteries power the fan.

7. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the fan is an axial fan having an axis centered in the chamber and parallel to the barrel.

8. The air fire lighter as described in claim 7, wherein an LED flashlight operative for guiding the distal end of the barrel during fire starting is coupled to the housing adjacent to the distal end of the barrel.

9. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the grip swivels to a position parallel to the barrel operative for compact storage.

10. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the trigger has a safety switch.

11. The air fire lighter as described in claim 1, wherein the trigger has a continuous button for operating the flame continuously, locking the trigger in an engaged position.

12. 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.

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

arranging a plurality of solid fuel pieces;

rotating a grip hingedly attached to a proximal end of an air fire lighter barrel, the grip swiveling around the hinge to a plurality of position operative for accurately pointing a distal end of the barrel at the solid fuel, triggering a flame to ignite a fire by pulling the trigger on the air fire lighter, the trigger operative for opening a fuel reservoir to a conduit, allowing the gaseous fuel to flow to a collar, the trigger operative for generating a spark from an igniter at the distal end of the air fire lighter, the spark igniting the gaseous fuel at the collar producing the flame operative for starting a solid fuel fire to a glowing stage; and

pointing the flame at the solid fuel pieces where at least two pieces are in contact with each other, applying the flame directly to the solid fuel, continuously engaging the trigger, stimulating the flame to a glowing stage; 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.

14. The method of using the air fire lighter as described in claim 13, wherein the step of pointing the flame at the solid fuel pieces includes the step of applying the flame directly to the solid fuel for 20 seconds to 60 seconds before activating the fan.

15. The method of using the air fire lighter as described in claim 13, wherein the step of activating the fan inside a chamber in the fire lighter, the fan blowing air through the chamber and onto the solid fuel fire includes the step of blowing air for around two minutes on a single spot.

16. The method of using the air fire lighter as described in claim 15, wherein the step activating the fan inside a chamber in the fire lighter, the fan blowing air through the chamber and onto the solid fuel fire includes the step of selectively blowing air for an additional five minutes on the fire in the burning stage for spreading the fire throughout the pieces of solid fuel.

17. The method of using the air fire lighter as described in claim 13, wherein the step of triggering a flame to ignite a fire by pulling a trigger on the air fire lighter is preceded by the step of releasing a safety switch on the trigger.

18. The method of using the air fire lighter as described in claim 14, wherein the step of applying the flame directly to the solid fuel for 20 seconds to 60 seconds before activating the fan is followed by the step of selectively engaging a continuous button on the trigger to apply the flame directly to the solid fuel without engaging the trigger.

19. A method of manufacturing an air fire lighter, comprising:

coupling a fuel module having a liquid fuel reservoir to a housing having a barrel with a distal end, a proximal end and a pistol grip hingedly coupled to the barrel at the proximal end, the reservoir operative for storing liquid fuel, the fuel module having a burner collar, the collar at the distal end of the barrel, the fuel module having a conduit within the housing operative for transporting the fuel from the reservoir to the collar;

coupling an igniter module to the housing and the fuel module, the igniter module having an igniter at the distal end of the barrel adjacent to the collar, the igniter module having a trigger on the grip, the trigger operative for opening the reservoir to the conduit, the trigger operative for generating a spark from the igniter; and

coupling an axial fan to the housing, operationally coupling a plurality of batteries within the housing to the fan, the fan having a switch and an axis, the switch operative for activating the fan and closing off the liquid reservoir to the conduit, the housing having a chamber, the fan within the chamber, the fan axis centered within the chamber and parallel to the barrel of the fire lighter, the fan operative for blowing air through the chamber and out the barrel onto the solid fuel fire, the air stimulating the fire to a burning stage.