Patents by Inventor Clair L. Rasmussen

Clair L. Rasmussen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5513980
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided which override the child-resistant features implemented on disposable lighters in the form of locking mechanisms that restrict the movement of the thumb lever. More specifically, in the practice of the invention, a band having a laterally extending projection or, alternatively, a slot, is slid onto the lighter body until the laterally extending projection or slot aligns with the locking mechanism of the lighter. The laterally extending projection or slot disengages the locking mechanism by moving it out of the path of the thumb lever so that the thumb lever may be depressed at will. Thus, the apparatus and method of the invention enable disposable lighters to be operated as if no child-resistant features are present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Inventors: Clair L. Rasmussen, Eldon L. Wheeler