Cigarette lighter with a fusible circuit breaker

Claim 2

A cigarette lighter comprising: a generally tubular case having an open end and a closed end; an igniting unit including a heating element received in said open end and manually movable therewithin to an igniting position for energizing said heating element; a current inlet supply member carried by and electrically insulated from said closed end, said current inlet supply member having a first portion projecting interior of said case and a second portion projecting outwardly thereof; an aperture formed in said second portion; a fusible pin having a first end retained in said aperture and a second end projecting outwardly thereof, said pin being formed of a low-melting point alloy which is adapted to melt by conductive heating and fuse into separate ends at a predetermined elevated temperature; connector means attached to one of said ends and adapted to be connected to a current source; conducting means carried by said case and said igniting unit which are engageable at said igniting position so as to complete an electrical circuit between said current source and said heating element for energizing the latter, the arrangement being such that over-energization of said heating element will result in said fusible pin reaching said predetermined elevated temperature and melting into said separate ends thereby interrupting said electrical circuit to said heating element by mechanically and electrically separating said connector means from said current inlet supply member and said case.

Claim 3

A cigarette lighter comprising: a generally tubular mounting case having an open end and a closed end; an igniting plug slidably received in said open end; a heating element carried by said igniting plug and internally movaBle within said case to igniting position for energizing the heating element; a current inlet supply post carried by and electrically insulated from said closed end, said current inlet supply post having a first end projecting interior of said case and a second end projecting outwardly of said case; an axial bore formed in said second end of said current inlet support post; a cylindrical pin having an inlet end removably retained in said bore and a terminal end projecting outwardly of said current inlet supply post, said pin being formed of a tin-lead-bismuth alloy having a low melting point so as to fuse upon conductive heating into separate ends at a predetermined elevated temperature; a connector attached to said terminal end of said pin and adapted to be connected to a current source; an insulating sleeve externally covering said terminal end of said pin and said connector; a latch member attached to said first end of said current inlet supply post engageable at said igniting position with said igniting plug so as to complete an electrical circuit between said current source and said heating element until the latter reaches a predetermined igniting temperature whereby over energization of the heating element causes said pin upon reaching said predetermined elevated temperature to melt until said connector mechanically separates from said current inlet supply post to thereby interrupt said electrical circuit whereupon said sleeve shields said conductor to prevent an inadvertent secondary electrical circuit through an adjacent conductive member.

Claim 4

A cigarette lighter comprising: a generally tubular mounting case having an open end and a closed end; an igniting plug slidably received in said open end; a heating element carried by said igniting plug and internally movaBle within said case to igniting position for energizing the heating element; a current inlet supply post carried by and electrically insulated from said closed end, said current inlet supply post having a first end projecting interior of said case and a second end projecting outwardly of said case; an axial bore formed in said second end of said current inlet support post; a cylindrical pin having an inlet end removably retained in said bore and a terminal end projecting outwardly of said current inlet supply post, said pin being formed of a tin-lead-bismuth alloy having a low melting point so as to fuse upon conductive heating into separate ends at a predetermined elevated temperature; a connector attached to said terminal end of said pin and adapted to be connected to a current source; an insulating sleeve externally covering said terminal end of said pin and said connector; a latch member attached to said first end of said current inlet supply post engageable at said igniting position with said igniting plug so as to complete an electrical circuit between said current source and said heating element until the latter reaches a predetermined igniting temperature whereby over energization of the heating element causes said pin upon reaching said predetermined elevated temperature to melt until said connector mechanically separates from said current inlet supply post to thereby interrupt said electrical circuit whereupon said sleeve shields said conductor to prevent an inadvertent secondary electrical circuit through an adjacent conductive member.

Claim 5

The invention recited in claim 2 wherein said pin comprises substantially ten percent (10 percent) bismuth, 40 percent (40 percent) lead, and 50 percent (50 percent) tin and has a melting point ranging between 260* F. to 290* F.