Expansion valve unit for a gas cigarette lighter

Claim 2

An expansion valve unit for a gas cigarette lighter comprising a moulded valve housing of plastics material, a flexible annular lip constituting part of the outside of said housing and formed of said material for bearing in a sealing manner against an annular wall of a hole in a main body of said lighter, another lip of smaller diameter than said flexible annular lip and formed of said material, said other annular lip constituting part of the inside of said housing and forming a valve seat, a valve closure member mounted in said housing so as to be displaceable between a closed position in which it contacts aid valve seat and an open position, and means for mounting said unit in said hole.

Claim 3

An expansion valve unit according to claim 1, wherein said means comprises an external screw thread constituting another part of the outside of said housing and formed of said material for cooperating with an internal screw thread of said hole, said unit further comprising radially outwardly projecting portions of the outside of said housing for use in rotating said unit to adjust said unit along said hole.

Claim 4

An expansion valve unit according to claim 2, wherein said flexible annular lip, said other annular lip, said external screw thread and said radially outwardly projecting portions have been formed by the moulding of said housing.

Claim 5

An expansion valve unit according to claim 1, wherein said flexible annular lip is in the form of an annular skirt having its free end nearer than its other end of one end of the unit.

Claim 6

In combination, a moulded plastics main body of a gas cigarette lighter, portions of said main body defining a hole moulded therein and having an annular wall and an internal screw thread and an expansion valve unit mounted in said hole and comprising a moulded plastics valve housing, a flexible annular plastics lip constituting part of the outside of said housing and bearing in a sealing manner against said annular wall, another annular plastics lip of smaller diameter than said flexible annular lip and constituting part of the inside of said housing and forming a valve seat, a valve closure member mounted in said housing so as to be displaceable between a closed position in which it cooperates with said valve seat and an open position, a plastics external screw thread constituting another part of the outside of said housing and cooperating with said internal screw thread, whereby rotation of said unit produces displacement of said unit along said hole, means controlling the rate of supply of fuel to said valve seat and regulatable by displacement of said unit along said hole, and plastics radially outwardly projecting portions of the outside of said housing for use in rotating said unit.

Claim 7

In combination, a moulded plastics main body of a gas cigarette lighter, portions of said main body defining a hole moulded therein and having an annular wall and an internal screw thread and an expansion valve unit mounted in said hole and comprising a moulded plastics valve housing, a flexible annular plastics lip constituting part of the outside of said housing and bearing in a sealing manner against said annular wall, another annular plastics lip of smaller diameter than said flexible annular lip and constituting part of the inside of said housing and forming a valve seat, a valve closure member mounted in said housing so as to be displaceable between a closed position in which it cooperates with said valve seat and an open position, a plastics external screw thread constituting another part of the outside of said housing and cooperating with said internal screw thread, whereby rotation of said unit produces displacement of said unit along said hole, means controlling the rate of supply of fuel to said valve seat and regulatable by displacement of said unit along said hole, and plastics radially outwardly projecting portions of the outside of said housing for use in rotating said unit.

Claim 8

A combination according to claim 5, wherein said flexible annular plastics lip, said other annular plastics lip, said external screw thread and said radially outwardly projecting portions have been formed by the moulding of said housing.

Claim 9

A combination according to claim 5, and further comprising a fuel supply wick, and other portions of said body defining a bore therein receiving said wick and leading to the inner end of said hole and offSet laterally with respect to the longitudinal centerline of said hole.

Claim 10

A combination according to claim 5, wherein said flexible annular lip is in the form of an annular skirt having its free end nearer than its other end to the inner end of said hole.

Claim 11

A combination according to claim 8, wherein said flexible annular lip is disposed to the opposite side of the screw threads from said inner end of said hole.