Abstract: An electric lighter for a vehicle includes a lighter plug insertable into a dashboard socket having a bimetallic yoke engageable with an end of the plug for energizing the glow coil of the plug. An overload protective device is disposed in the socket and comprises a bimetallic snap-action disc disposed immediately below the yoke and connected electrically in series therewith. The snap-action disc has a first shape in its operating condition where it completes the circuit to the glow coil through the yoke and assumes a second shape when it snaps to its switch-off position in response to an overload condition to open the circuit to the glow coil. The snap-action disc remains in its switch-off position after cooling and must be manually reset to its operating position to restore operability of the lighter by the engagement of a manually actuated reset device associated with the socket with a peripheral portion of the snap-action disc.

Abstract: The electric cigarette lighter combines the handling advantages of rotating operation with the contacting advantages of pressing operation. A shaft is rotationally fixed to a rotary knob but axially slidable with respect thereto. A heater body affixed to the shaft is brought from an initial position to an operating position through a rotating movement of the rotary knob and a superimposed rotary thrust movement of the shaft. The heater body is automatically returned from the operating position to to the initial position through likewise superimposed rotary thrust spring forces of one or two restoring springs.

Abstract: An electric cigar lighter for installation in a dashboard of a motor vehicle, has an electrically conductive lighter plug containing an electrically conductive glow coil dish with a glow coil having one end electrically connected to the glow coil dish and another end connected to the lighter plug. A socket having a plug-in contact electrically connected to a negative-pole terminal establishes electrical connection with the lighter plug when the lighter plug is inserted therein. A switch associated with the lighter plug includes a fixed non-flexible contact element secured in the bottom of the socket in electrically insulated relationship thereto and electrically connected to a positive-pole terminal and the glow coil dish which is mounted at the end of the lighter plug and arranged for movement relative thereto into and out of electrical contact with the contact element.

Abstract: An electric glow element has a heating-conductor coiled band inside of a glow-coil dish, with a mechanically strong clamped connection between the coiled band and the glow-coil dish. The connection has good electrical conductivity, and is formed by a first bead in the glow-coil dish base wall and a side wall of the glow-coil dish which is concavely curved towards the inside of the dish. A second bead is formed outside of the first bead, and serves to clamp a band end of the heating-conductor coiled band firmly, fixing the heating-conductor coiled band end between the base wall and the side wall. In a second embodiment, a single bead connects the base wall and the curved side wall. The single bead extends below the plane of the base wall, and receives the second band end. The second band end extends out of the coil plane of the coil, and the glow coil is disposed in the interior of the glow coil dish and is oriented so as to have its coil plane generally parallel to the base wall.

Abstract: An electric cigar lighter has an illumination device in which only an annular zone around an electric cigar lighter is illuminated by means of a luminous ring. The electric cigar lighter makes it possible to illuminate not only a luminous ring surrounding the cigar lighter but also the centrally situated actuating button. It includes a first reflection surface, a light transmission web, light-passage openings, and a second reflection surface. Light rays emitted by a lamp and incident on the first reflection surface, the light rays being parallel to the central axis and within a sleeve wall, are not only directed into the luminous ring via the light transmission web but are also reflected radially into the inside of the illumination sleeve, through the light-passage openings, onto the second reflection surface and from there are thrown into a front zone of the actuating button. According to the invention, substantially homogeneous light distribution over the entire front zone of the cigar lighter is achieved.

Abstract: An electrical cigar lighter for automotive vehicles is provided with a socket assembly and a plug assembly including a heater element adapted to be electrically heated when the plug assembly is in a connected position within the socket assembly. Electrical circuitry is provided within the socket assembly to effect electrical heating of the heater element. A bimetallic switch including a snap disc for making and breaking contact with the electrical circuitry in response to the temperature of the heating element is also provided in the socket assembly. A dish-shaped contact member formed as part of the heater element of the plug assembly operates to place the heater element in circuit with the electrical circuitry of the socket assembly.

Abstract: A glow element arrangement for electric cigarette lighters includes a disk-shaped semiconductor element of predetermined geometric configuration. The element has electrically conductive contacting surfaces for the supply of electrical current. Various arrangements are disclosed for protecting the semiconductor element, for supplying current to the contacting surfaces and for preventing stress from being applied to the semiconductor element.