Abstract: A method and apparatus for replenishing the water supply in a water pan of a water smoker grill. An external water supply is permanently or removably attached to the side of a water smoker grill. A water supply tube extends from the external water supply into the water pan of the water smoker grill. As water is boiled off from the water pan and the level in the water pan descends below a minimum level below the level of the outlet tube, water is allowed to replenish the water supply in the water pan, thereby increasing the cooking time without having to remove the lid of the water smoker grill to replace the water.

Abstract: A cigarette lighter which has a safety locking device utilizing a spring biased latch. The cigarette lighter comprises a case, a top cover hingeably attached to an upper part of the case, a lighter seat, a press-down button, and the safety locking device. The latch is slidable mounted on top of the press-down button of the cigarette lighter. The latch is biased by an internal coil spring, which urges the latch to be engaged with the lighter seat, thereby preventing the press-down button from being pressed-down. When a user intends to use the cigarette lighter, the latch can be slid laterally against the spring force of the coil spring to disengage the latch from the lighter seat, thereby allowing the press-down button to be pressed down and ignite the cigarette lighter. Once the user releases the press-down button, it returns upwardly while the latch is biased back by the coil spring and automatically engages with the lighter seat again and thereby locks the press-down button.

Abstract: A gas burner has a perforated, hollow body around and defining a combustion chamber. Gaseous fuel is fed to one side of the body, combustion occurs on the other side and the perforations provide a spatial connection between the fuel feed side and the combustion side. The new burner reduces exhaust gas emissions and offers a wide range of performance in the amount of heat energy provided, in the permissible range of gas pressure and in the range of fuels and fuel/air mixtures that can be used with it.

Abstract: A safety device for a piezoelectric lighter, which can prevent under age children from the usage of cigarette lighter without adult supervision, includes a locking stopper fitted in a locker groove of a cap body of a pusher cap in an inwardly movable manner and a resilient unit mounted between the locking stopper and the pusher cap to normally urge and retain the locking stopper positioning between the pusher head and the locking flange of a piezoelectric unit casing of the piezoelectric lighter, so as to block any downwardly movement of the pusher cap and thus prevent the ignition operation of the piezoelectric unit. In other words, the piezoelectric lighter is locked from ignition normally. In order to ignite the piezoelectric lighter of the present invention, an adult user's thumb must intentionally push in the locking stopper until it is unblocked by the locking flange and push down the pusher cap at the same time.

Abstract: A burner assembly (10) comprising an elongate housing (12) supplied with a gas-air mixture and an elongate burner port body (28) slidably disposed in an elongate aperture (26) in the housing. The position of the burner port body (26) with respect to the housing is adjustable, resulting in a more accurate adjustment of the assembly, since the position of the housing (12) can remain fixed.

Abstract: A piezoelectric unit with built-in safety arrangement which is adapted to equipped with all kinds of piezoelectric lighter so as to provide a safety lock feature for the piezoelectric lighter. The piezoelectric unit includes a piezoelectric housing having a lower base body and an upper actuation chamber; an operating member having an axial receiving cavity provided therein and being slidably fitted in the actuation chamber of the piezoelectric housing in a vertically movable manner; a high voltage generating means which is arranged in the base body for generating striking sparks at an ignition tip thereof when the operating member disposed in the actuation chamber is pressed downwardly towards the base body; and a safety arrangement which is arranged in the operating member for normally locking a downward movement of the operating member unless a turner member is operated with the downward movement of the operating member.

Abstract: A solar energy collector includes a base supporting a modular unit, a flexible mounting pad, and a solar panel turret extending upward from the mounting pad. A water receptacle surrounds the mounting pad. The solar panel turret is generally hemiellipsoidal and is divided into upstanding quadrants inclined away from each other to expose their inner surfaces as well as outer surfaces to light. Both inner and outer surfaces of the turret quadrants are arrayed with solar cells to form a solar panels. The turret is of a convex configuration so that all surfaces are exposed to sunlight when the turret is pointed at the sun. The flexible mounting pad allows the solar panel turret to move through a solid angle in response to the position of the sun to follow the sun. The total surface area of the inner and outer surfaces of the turret is substantially greater than the ground surface area occupied by the device.

Abstract: As regards size reduction of a burner that draws up liquid fuel to be burned utilizing capillarity, a wick and an igniter are brought into proximity without causing contact with the flame, either a flame-producing section (61) of the wick (6) being constituted in a tapered shape at the tip portion or the tip portion of a wick holder (77) being formed to differ in height in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: An improved burner assembly for use in a gas barbecue grill having a cooking chamber and a fuel supply is disclosed. The burner assembly includes a plurality of burners forming a burner grid with at least two of the burners defining a periphery of the grid and the remaining burners confined within the interior of the grid. The periphery burners are preferably designed with a plurality of openings which direct a flame toward a center vertical plane, while the interior burners preferably direct a flame, by placement of openings, in a substantially vertical direction. Additionally, the interior burner tubes are attached to a crossover tube via a keyed connecting mechanism which prevents improper connections or assembly.

Abstract: This invention relates to a flammable fluid fuelled heater providing a flueless option with the provision of a catalytic converter in a secondary combustion chamber. Additionally, the heater is provided to give a substantially yellow flame typical of a traditional log fireplace and an open front to the heater. To control emissions, a catalytic converter is provided on the exhaust and the open front is sized to minimise spillage out the open front of the unit.Additionally, a heater collector is provided over the primary combustion chamber to collect heat and direct this towards the secondary combustion chamber to provide a sufficient environment for operation of the catalytic converter.

Abstract: This invention relates to the field of energy and is directed to a gas child-proof lighter, i.e. the lighter in which means for sparking neutralization are combined with a gas ignition mechanism. The gas lighter comprises a gas ignition device including a corrugated wheel secured on a shaft rotatably and movably mounted in profiled openings of body brackets, as well as a flint spring pressed toward the corrugated wheel. The cylindrical shaft of the corrugated wheel is mounted in said opening so as to move along a direction which is transverse relative to a direction of action of the flint spring, and in a direction coinciding with the direction of action of the flint spring. The opening is a convex polygon with a right angle between adjacent walls. The ends of the wall of corrugated wheel are provided with spigots having a polygonal surface.

Abstract: A device for removably securing an object having a detent to a support. The support includes having a receiver to receive a portion of the perimeter of the object including the detent. The receiver may be cup-shaped. The support further includes a deformable tab disposed which is received by the detent. The tab may be disposed on a prong and the detent may be disposed on the perimeter of a well where the well is shaped to receive the prong. When engaged, the tab couples to said detent to removably secure the object to said support. The support also includes an actuator engaging the deformable tab to decouple the tab from said detent. The support may optionally be coupled to a key chain or a tether. In a second aspect of the invention, the support receives a portion of the perimeter of a cigarette lighter to secure the cigarette lighter from child-tampering and accidental ignition.

Abstract: A compact gas range has a gas storage slot formed between an upper circular cover and a lower circular seat. The gas storage slot is divided by two partitions into three chambers. The two partitions are provided with a valve piece having a valve hole and a filtration core disposed in the valve hole. When the ignition switch is turned on, the liquid form gas is allowed to enter the first chamber. The liquid form gas is then filtered and transformed into a gas form gas which enters the second chamber via the valve hole of the second partition. The gas form gas is completely vaporized in the third chamber so as to bring about a complete combustion. The lower circular seat is provided with a gas replenishing hole and a tube which is provided therein with a ring and a guide having a hole. The ring is capable of urging the joint of a gas can to avert the gas leak.

Abstract: Leak preventive structures for cases of flatly installed surface combustion burners, circularly installed cylindrical combustion burners, circularly installed surface combustion burners, circularly installed cylindrical surface combustion burner and a surface combustion burner are provided. Burner elements are composed of fire resistant porous fiber mats are provided wherein the burner element itself may form a peripheral wall of a case of a burner. The walls of the cases of the burners are composed of either ceramic fibers coated or impregnated with sealants to keep the ceramic fibers gas-tight, metallic sheets provided with means for preventing thermal expansion, or a combination of the two.

Abstract: A portable cigarette lighter in the form of a statute of a human figure holding a torch high at the end of one outstretched hand and holding an object in the other hand, such as the statute of liberty adorning New York harbor, includes a hollow housing in the form of a human which houses a fluid storage cylinder and an associated valve that controls release of fluid from the cylinder to a fluid outlet rod that extends from the cylinder to the torch and transports fluid to the torch via the rod. A spring loaded rocker arm whose upward rotating is limited by the housing and which can be depressed downward to activate the lighter includes the hand holding an object and extends into the housing where it fastens to a pivot around which it rotates. Pushing the hand holding the object causes the rocker arm to rotate downward into an actuating cam that depresses a piston linked that opens the fluid discharge valve.

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.

Abstract: An apparatus for orientation of solar radiation collectors includes one or more solar cells fixed to a rotary axle of the apparatus and connected directly to an electromotor joined with a rotary axle. The solar cell is arranged on the rotary axle in such a way that a plane of the solar cell is inclined by an angle of about 0.1-45 degrees from a plane perpendicular to the collectors of solar energy and parallel with the rotary axle apparatus in a direction opposite to the direction of sun movement. The solar cell is connected to the electromotor for orientation of the rotary axle and an associated orientation of the radiation collectors as long as the power of the solar cell is higher than the power necessary for orientation of the rotary axle.

Abstract: This application is an invention relating to an improvement in a gas burner for a stove for leading a mixed gas to flame holes, and burning the gas therein, through a gas passage (18) from a mixing tube (5) which produces the mixed gas by mixing a gas introduced in a jet from a nozzle and primary air drawn in with introduction of the gas. A sub-chamber (Ca) is provided separately from the gas passage for storing the mixed gas in a state of flux. The sub-chamber (Ca) communicates with the gas passage (18) through an inlet (3), and discharges the mixed gas stored therein through outlets (2) disposed adjacent the flame holes. With this construction, even when a continued combustion in the flame holes becomes difficult due to air-rich air resulting from an operation of an adjusting lever of the gas burner for a stove to adjusts the quantity of gas rapidly from large to small, the mixed gas stored in the sub-chamber (Ca) is discharged from the outlets (2) to continue the combustion.

Abstract: A high efficiency, Vortex Inertial Staged Air (VIStA) combustor provides ultra-low NO.sub.X production of about 20 ppmvd or less with CO emissions of less than 50 ppmvd, both at 3% O.sub.2. Prompt NO.sub.X production is reduced by partially reforming the fuel in a first combustion stage to CO and H.sub.2. This is achieved in the first stage by operating with a fuel rich mixture, and by recirculating partially oxidized combustion products, with control over stoichiometry, recirculation rate and residence time. Thermal NO.sub.X production is reduced in the first stage by reducing the occurrence of high temperature combustion gas regions. This is achieved by providing the first stage burner with a thoroughly pre-mixed fuel/oxidant composition, and by recirculating part of the combustion products to further mix the gases and provide a more uniform temperature in the first stage. In a second stage combustor thermal NO.sub.

Abstract: In a high-calorie gas appliance (1) which is set with a replaceable fuel gas cassette (9) containing therein liquefied gas and has a burner (7) for burning vaporized fuel gas from the cassette, a heat transfer plate (15) is mounted on the gas appliance with its one end portion disposed near the burner (7) and its the other end portion in contact with the fuel gas cassette (9) so that a part of heat of combustion at the burner (7) is transferred to the fuel gas cassette (9) to heat the same. Further, a heat accumulator member (2) is disposed in contact with the heat transfer plate (15) in the position of contact of the heat transfer plate with the cassette (9). Thus temperature drop of the liquefied gas due to vaporization latent heat in response to gas supply from the cassette is suppressed, thereby ensuring stable gas supply even if the amount of gas in the cassette upon initiation burning is reduced and ensuring exhaustion of the cassette upon quenching.