ALLUME-FEU

FIRE STARTER

Abrégé français

Un allume-feu comprend un boîtier conçu dans un premier matériau, associé en premier lieu avec celui-ci et définissant une durée dincinération du boîtier, à la suite de lallumage. Un deuxième matériau déposé dans le boîtier est doté dun deuxième temps associé à celui-ci et définissant une durée dincinération du deuxième matériau, à la suite de lincinération. Un allumeur déposé dans le boîtier et se trouvant à proximité du deuxième matériau génère un premier événement thermique dans le but denflammer le deuxième matériau. Ce dernier prend feu dans le but de définir un deuxième événement thermique, pendant lequel le premier matériau prend feu. Un actionneur placé à lextérieur du boîtier est couplé à lallumeur, dans le but de générer le premier événement thermique.

Abrégé anglais

A fire starter includes a casing made from a first material a first material having a first time associated therewith that defines a length of time that the casing burns after being ignited. A second material disposed in the casing has a second time associated therewith that defines a length of time that the second material burns after being ignited. An igniter, disposed in the casing and adjacent to the second material, generates a first thermal event to ignite the second material wherein the second material combusts to define a second thermal event that ignites the first material. An actuator is coupled to the igniter and is positioned outside of the casing for activating the igniter to generate the first thermal event.

Revendications

Claims:
1. A fire starter, comprising:
a casing made from a first material having a first time associated therewith,
said first
time defining a length of time that said casing burns after being ignited;
a second material disposed in said casing, said second material having a
second
time associated therewith, said second time defining a length of time said
second material
burns after being ignited, said second time being less than said first time;
an igniter disposed in said casing adjacent said second material for
generating a first
thermal event to ignite said second material wherein said second material
combusts to define
a second thermal event to ignite said first material; and
an actuator coupled to said igniter and positioned outside of said casing for
activating
said igniter to generate said first thermal event.
2. A fire starter as in claim 1, wherein said first material comprises a
mixture of paraffin
wax and pieces of a cellulose material.
3. A fire starter as in claim 1, wherein said second material includes an
oxidizer.
4. A fire starter as in claim 1, wherein said igniter comprises:
a spark generator; and
a fuse coupled to said spark generator and in contact with said second
material.
5. A fire starter as in claim 1, wherein said actuator comprises one of a
structure that is
pulled and a structure that is pushed.
6. A fire starter as in claim 1, further comprising paper wrapped about a
combination of
said casing, said second material, and said igniter, wherein said actuator is
positioned
outside of said paper.
12
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

7. A fire starter as in claim 1, wherein said casing defines a chamber
therein, and
wherein said second material and said igniter are disposed in said chamber,
said fire starter
further comprising vent holes defining a fluid communication path between
exterior regions of
said casing and said chamber.
8. A fire starter as in claim 1, further comprising a flexible line coupled
to at least one of
said casing and said igniter, said flexible line extending from said casing to
define a loop.
9. A fire starter, comprising:
a casing defining a chamber therein, said casing made from a first material
having a
first time associated therewith, said first time defining a length of time
that said casing burns
after being ignited;
vent holes defined in said casing and defining a fluid communication path
between
exterior regions of said casing and said chamber;
a second material to include an oxidizer disposed in said chamber, said second
material having a second time associated therewith, said second time defining
a length of
time said second material burns after being ignited, said second time being
less than said
first time;
an igniter disposed in said casing adjacent said second material for
generating a first
thermal event to ignite said second material wherein said second material
combusts to define
a second thermal event to ignite said first material; and
an actuator coupled to said igniter and positioned outside of said casing for
activating
said igniter to generate said first thermal event.
10. A fire starter as in claim 9, wherein said first material comprises a
mixture of paraffin
wax and pieces of a cellulose material.
11. A fire starter as in claim 9, wherein said igniter comprises:
a spark generator; and
a fuse coupled to said spark generator and in contact with said second
material.
12. A fire starter as in claim 9, wherein said actuator comprises one of a
structure that is
pulled and a structure that is pushed.
13
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

13. A fire starter as in claim 9, further comprising paper wrapped about a
combination of
said casing, said second material, and said igniter, wherein said actuator is
positioned
outside of said paper.
14. A fire starter as in claim 9, further comprising a flexible line
coupled to at least one of
said casing and said igniter, said flexible line extending from said casing to
define a loop.
15. A fire starter as in claim 9, wherein said casing comprises at least
two casing
portions.
16. A fire starter, comprising:
a casing made from a first material that combusts when exposed to a flame;
a spark generator disposed in said casing for generating a spark when
activated;
a fuse disposed in said casing, said fuse coupled to said spark generator and
extending therefrom, said fuse combusting to define a burning fuse when
exposed to said
spark wherein said burning fuse burns for a time in a range of about 4 seconds
to about 5
seconds;
a second material disposed in said casing and in contact with said fuse, said
second
material combusting to define said flame when said second material is exposed
to said
burning fuse, wherein said flame burns for a time in a range of about 50
seconds to about 95
seconds;
an actuator coupled to said spark generator and positioned outside of said
casing for
activating said spark generator; and
a flexible line coupled to said spark generator, said flexible line extending
from said
casing to define a loop.
17. A fire starter as in claim 16, wherein said first material comprises a
mixture of paraffin
wax and pieces of a cellulose material.
18. A fire starter as in claim 16, wherein said second material includes an
oxidizer.
19. A fire starter as in claim 16, wherein said actuator comprises one of a
structure that is
pulled and a structure that is pushed.
14
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

20. A fire starter as in claim 16, further comprising paper wrapped about a
combination of
said casing, said spark generator, said fuse, and said second material,
wherein said actuator
and said loop are positioned outside of said paper.
21. A fire starter as in claim 16, wherein said casing defines a chamber
therein, and
wherein said second material, said fuse, and said spark generator are disposed
in said
chamber, said fire starter further comprising vent holes defining a fluid
communication path
between exterior regions of said casing and said chamber.
22. A fire starter as in claim 16, wherein said actuator and said loop are
disposed at
opposing ends of said casing.
23. A fire starter as in claim 16, wherein said casing comprises a first
casing portion
defining a first well portion and a second casing portion defining a second
well portion, the
first well portion and the second well portion collectively defining the
chamber, the first casing
portion being substantially identically shaped to the second casing portion.
24. The fire starter of claim 16, wherein the at least the portion of the
actuator is
positioned outside of the casing on a first side of the casing, the anchor
line is extended from
a second side of the casing different from the first side.
25. The fire starter of claim 16, wherein the anchor line is directly
coupled to the spark
generator and not directly coupled to the casing.
26. The fire starter of claim 1, further comprising paper wrapped about the
casing
overlying a vent hole defined by the casing, the paper being wrapped about the
casing during
activation of the actuator.
27. The fire starter of claim 9, wherein the casing includes at least two
casing portions, a
first casing portion from the at least two casing portions defining a first
channel in a surface
thereof, a second casing portion from the at least two casing portions
defining a second
channel in a surface thereof, the first channel and the second channel
collectively defining a
vent hole from the plurality of vent holes.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

28. A fire starter, comprising:
a casing defining an interior chamber and being made from a first material,
the first
material burning for a length of time after being ignited;
a second material disposed in the interior chamber of the casing, the second
material
burning for a length of time after being ignited, the length of time
associated with the second
material being less than the length of time associated with the first
material;
an igniter disposed in the interior chamber of the casing and configured to
generate a
first thermal event to ignite the second material, the second material
combusts during the first
thermal event to define a second thermal event to ignite the first material;
and
an actuator coupled to the igniter and having at least a portion positioned
outside of
the interior chamber of the casing, the actuator configured to activate the
igniter to generate
the first thermal event.
29. A fire starter as in claim 28, wherein the first material includes a
mixture of paraffin
wax and pieces of a cellulose material.
30. A fire starter as in claim 28, wherein the second material includes an
oxidizer.
31. A fire starter as in claim 28, wherein the igniter includes:
a spark generator; and
a fuse coupled to the spark generator and in contact with the second material.
32. A fire starter as in claim 28, wherein the actuator includes one of a
structure that is
pulled or a structure that is pushed.
33. A fire starter as in claim 28, further comprising:
paper wrapped about a combination of the casing, the second material, and the
igniter, the portion of the actuator being positioned outside of the paper.
34. A fire starter as in claim 28, wherein the casing defines vent holes
that provide a fluid
communication path between exterior regions of the casing and the interior
chamber.
16
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

35. A fire starter as in claim 28, further comprising:
a flexible line coupled to at least one of the casing or the igniter, a
portion of the
flexible line being disposed outside of the casing and defining a loop.
36. A fire starter, comprising:
a casing defining an interior chamber, the casing being made from a first
material, the
first material burning for a length of time after being ignited, the casing
defining vent holes
that provide a fluid communication path between exterior regions of the casing
and the
interior chamber;
a second material to include an oxidizer disposed in the interior chamber, the
second
material burning for a length of time after being ignited, the length of time
associated with the
second material being less than the length of time associated with the first
material;
an igniter disposed in the interior chamber of the casing to generate a first
thermal
event to ignite the second material, the second material combusts during the
first thermal
event to define a second thermal event to ignite the first material; and
an actuator coupled to the igniter and having at least a portion positioned
outside of
the casing to activate the igniter to generate the first thermal event.
37. A fire starter as in claim 36, wherein the first material includes a
mixture of paraffin
wax and pieces of a cellulose material.
38. A fire starter as in claim 36, wherein the igniter includes:
a spark generator; and
a fuse coupled to the spark generator and in contact with the second material.
39. A fire starter as in claim 36, wherein the actuator includes one of a
structure that is
pulled or a structure that is pushed.
40. A fire starter as in claim 36, further comprising:
paper wrapped about a combination of the casing, the second material, and the
igniter, the portion of the actuator being positioned outside of the paper.
17
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

41. A fire starter as in claim 36, further comprising a flexible line
coupled to at least one of
casing or the igniter, a portion of the flexible line being disposed outside
of the casing and
defining a loop.
42. A fire starter as in claim 36, wherein the casing includes at least two
casing portions.
43. A fire starter, comprising:
a casing defining an interior chamber and being made from a first material
that
combusts when exposed to a flame;
a spark generator disposed in the interior chamber of the casing to generate a
spark
when activated;
a fuse disposed in the interior chamber of the casing, the fuse coupled to the
spark
generator and extending therefrom, the fuse combusting to define a burning
fuse for a time in
a range of about 4 seconds to about 5 seconds when exposed to the spark;
a second material disposed in the interior chamber of the casing and in
contact with
the fuse, the second material combusting to define the flame burning for a
time up to about
95 seconds when the second material is exposed to the burning fuse;
an actuator coupled to the spark generator and having at least a portion
positioned
outside of the casing to activate the spark generator; and
a flexible line coupled to the spark generator, the flexible line having a
portion
disposed outside the casing and defining a loop.
44. A fire starter as in claim 43, wherein the first material includes a
mixture of paraffin
wax and pieces of a cellulose material.
45. A fire starter as in claim 43, wherein the second material includes an
oxidizer.
46. A fire starter as in claim 43, wherein the actuator includes one of a
structure that is
pulled or a structure that is pushed.
18
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

47. A fire starter as in claim 43, further comprising:
paper wrapped about a combination of the casing, the spark generator, the
fuse, and
the second material,
the portion of the actuator and the loop being positioned outside of the
paper.
48. A fire starter as in claim 43, wherein the casing defining vent holes
that provide a fluid
communication path between exterior regions of the casing and the interior
chamber.
49. A fire starter as in claim 43, wherein the portion of the actuator and
the loop are
disposed at opposing ends of the casing.
50. A fire starter as in claim 43, wherein the casing includes at least two
casing portions.
51. A fire starter, comprising:
a casing defining an interior chamber and having a first side portion and a
second
side portion opposite the first side portion, the casing being made from a
first burnable
material;
a second burnable material disposed in the interior chamber of the casing;
an igniter disposed in the interior chamber of the casing and configured to
generate a
first thermal event to ignite the second burnable material, the second
burnable material
combusts during the first thermal event to define a second thermal event to
ignite the first
burnable material;
an actuator coupled to the igniter and having at least a first portion
extended through
the first side portion of the casing such that a second portion of the
actuator is positioned
outside of the interior chamber of the casing, the actuator configured to
activate the igniter to
generate the first thermal event; and
an anchor line coupled to at least one of the casing or the igniter, a first
portion of the
anchor line being extended through the second side portion of the casing such
that a second
portion of the anchor line is disposed outside of the casing.
52. The fire starter of claim 51, wherein the anchor line defines a loop
sized and
configured to be placed around a structure exterior to the casing to anchor
the apparatus
when the actuator is actuated.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

53. The fire starter of claim 51, wherein the anchor line is flexible, the
anchor line limits
movement of the igniter in a first direction when the first portion of the
actuator is moved in
the first direction.
54. The fire starter of claim 51, wherein the igniter includes:
a spark generator; and
a fuse coupled to the spark generator and in contact with the second burnable
material.
55. The fire starter of claim 51, wherein the actuator includes a structure
that is pulled.
56. The fire starter of claim 51, further comprising:
paper wrapped about a combination of the casing, the second burnable material,
and
the igniter,
the second portion of the actuator being positioned outside of the paper,
the second portion of the anchor line being positioned outside of the paper.
57. The fire starter of claim 51, wherein the casing defines vent holes
that provide a fluid
communication path between exterior regions of the casing and the interior
chamber.
58. The fire starter of claim 51, wherein:
a third side portion of the casing defines a first vent hole, the third side
portion of the
casing being different from the first side portion of the casing and the
second side portion of
the casing,
a fourth side portion of the casing defines a second vent hole, the second
vent hole
different from the first vent hole, the fourth side portion of the casing
being different from the
first side portion of the casing, the second side portion of the casing, and
the third side
portion of the casing,
the first vent hole and the second vent hole provide fluid communication paths
between exterior regions of the casing and the interior chamber.
59. The fire starter of claim 51, wherein the first burnable material
includes a mixture of
paraffin wax and pieces of a cellulose material.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

60. The fire starter of claim 51, wherein the second burnable material
includes an
oxidizer.
61. An apparatus, comprising:
a casing defining an interior chamber and being made from a first material
that
combusts when exposed to a flame;
a spark generator disposed in the interior chamber of the casing to generate a
spark
when activated;
a fuse disposed in the interior chamber of the casing, the fuse coupled to the
spark
generator and extending therefrom, the fuse combusting to define a burning
fuse for a time
when exposed to the spark;
a second material disposed in the interior chamber of the casing and in
contact with
the fuse, the second material combusting, when the second material is exposed
to the
burning fuse, to define the flame;
an actuator coupled to the spark generator and having at least a portion that
is
positioned outside of the casing and that is configured to be pulled in a
first direction to
activate the spark generator; and
an anchor line coupled to the spark generator, the anchor line having a
portion
disposed outside the casing, the anchor line configured to be coupled to a
structure exterior
to the apparatus such that the anchor line limits movement of the spark
generator in the first
direction when the portion of the actuator is pulled in the first direction to
activate the spark
generator.
62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the first material includes a
mixture of paraffin
wax and pieces of a cellulose material.
63. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the second material includes an
oxidizer.
21
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

64. The apparatus of claim 61, further comprising:
paper wrapped about a combination of the casing, the spark generator, the
fuse, and
the second material,
the portion of the actuator being positioned outside of the paper with respect
to a first
side portion of the casing,
the portion of the anchor line being positioned outside of the paper with
respect to a
second side portion of the casing.
65. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the casing defining vent holes that
provide a fluid
communication path between exterior regions of the casing and the interior
chamber.
66. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein:
the anchor line includes a loop sized and configured to be placed around the
structure exterior to the apparatus, and
the portion of the actuator and the loop are disposed at opposing ends of the
casing.
67. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the casing includes at least two
casing portions.
68. A method, comprising:
activating an igniter to generate a first thermal event in response to
actuation of an
actuator coupled to the igniter, the igniter being disposed in an interior
chamber of a casing
that is made from a first material, the actuator having at least a portion
positioned outside of
the interior chamber of the casing;
igniting, by the first thermal event, a second material disposed in the
interior chamber
of the casing to define a second thermal event;
burning the second material for a length of time after the igniting; and
burning the first material for a length of time after a start of the second
thermal event,
the length of time for the second material being less than the length of time
for the first
material.
69. The method of claim 68, wherein the portion of the actuator is
configured to be moved
in a first direction during actuation, the method further comprising:
limiting movement of the igniter in the first direction.
22
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

70. The method of claim 68, wherein the activating includes:
generating, via a spark generator of the igniter, a spark, and
combusting a fuse when the fuse is exposed to the spark, the fuse being
disposed in
the interior chamber of the casing, the fuse being coupled to and extended
from the spark
generator.
71. A fire starter, comprising:
a casing defining an interior chamber and having a first side portion and a
second
side portion opposite the first side portion, the casing being made from a
first burnable
material;
a second burnable material disposed in the interior chamber of the casing;
an igniter disposed in the interior chamber of the casing and configured to
generate a
first thermal event to ignite the second burnable material, the second
burnable material
combusts during the first thermal event to define a second thermal event to
ignite the first
burnable material;
an actuator coupled to the igniter, the actuator configured to activate the
igniter to
generate the first thermal event; and
an anchor line coupled to the igniter, a first portion of the anchor line
being disposed
within the interior chamber, the first portion of the anchor line being
coupled to the igniter at a
first attachment location and a second attachment location different from the
first attachment
location, a second portion of the anchor line being disposed outside of the
casing.
72. The fire starter of claim 71, wherein the anchor line defines a loop, a
first portion of
the loop is defined by the first portion of the anchor line, a second portion
of the loop is
defined by the second portion of the anchor line, at least a portion of the
second burnable
material is disposed within the first portion of the loop, the second portion
of the loop is sized
and configured to be placed around a structure exterior to the casing to
anchor the apparatus
when the actuator is actuated.
73. The fire starter of claim 71, wherein the anchor line is flexible, the
anchor line limits
movement of the igniter in a first direction when actuator is moved in the
first direction.
23
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

74. The fire starter of claim 71, wherein the igniter includes:
a spark generator; and
a fuse coupled to the spark generator and in contact with the second burnable
material.
75. The fire starter of claim 71, wherein:
the igniter includes a spark generator and a fuse coupled to a first end of
the spark
generator, and
the actuator is coupled to a second end of the spark generator different from
the first
end.
76. The first starter of claim 71, wherein the first attachment location is
on a first side of
the igniter and the second attachment location is on a second side of the
igniter opposite the
first side.
77. The fire starter of claim 71, wherein the actuator includes a line or
string that is pulled
to activate the igniter.
78. The fire starter of claim 71, wherein the casing defines a plurality of
vent holes
extended between the interior chamber and an exterior of the casing.
79. The fire starter of claim 71, wherein the first burnable material
includes a mixture of
paraffin wax and pieces of a cellulose material.
80. The fire starter of claim 71, wherein the second burnable material
includes an
oxidizer.
24
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

81. An apparatus, comprising:
a casing defining an interior chamber and being made from a first material
that
combusts when exposed to a flame;
a spark generator disposed in the interior chamber of the casing to generate a
spark
when the spark generator is activated;
a fuse disposed in the interior chamber of the casing, the fuse coupled to the
spark
generator and extending therefrom, the fuse combusting to define a burning
fuse for a time
when exposed to the spark;
a second material disposed in the interior chamber of the casing and adjacent
the
fuse, the second material combusting, when the second material is exposed to
the burning
fuse, to define the flame;
an actuator coupled to the spark generator and having at least a portion that
is
positioned outside of the casing and that is configured to be pulled in a
first direction to
activate the spark generator; and
an anchor line coupled to the spark generator at a plurality of attachment
locations,
the anchor line having a portion disposed outside the casing, the anchor line
configured to be
coupled to an anchor exterior to the apparatus such that the anchor line
limits movement of
the spark generator in the first direction when the portion of the actuator is
pulled in the first
direction to activate the spark generator.
82. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein the portion of the anchor line
disposed outside
the casing is a first portion, the anchor line has a second portion disposed
in the interior
chamber of the casing such that at least a portion of the second material is
disposed within
an interior region defined by the second portion of the anchor line.
83. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein:
the fuse is coupled to a first end of the spark generator, and
the actuator is coupled to a second end of the spark generator different from
the first
end.
84. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein the plurality of attachment
locations includes a
first attachment location on a first side of the spark generator and a second
attachment
location on a second side of the spark generator opposite the first side.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

85. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein the first material includes a
mixture of paraffin
wax and pieces of a cellulose material.
86. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein the second material includes an
oxidizer.
87. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein the casing defines vent holes that
are extended
between the interior chamber and an exterior of the casing.
88. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein:
the anchor line includes a loop sized and configured to be placed around a
structure
exterior to the apparatus, and
the portion of the actuator and the loop are disposed at opposing ends of the
casing.
89. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein a portion of the fuse extended from
the spark
generator is disposed within the second material.
90. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein:
the first material burns for a length of time after being ignited,
the second material burns for a length of time after being ignited, and
the length of time associated with the second material is less than the length
of time
associated with the first material.
26
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-09-28

Description

CA 02958441 2017-02-16
FIRE STARTER
[0001]
Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates generally to fire starting apparatus, and more
particularly to a self-contained fire starter.
Background of the Invention
[0003] Traditional methods of starting a fire in an outdoor environment can
be
time-consuming and unreliable. Typically, one starts a fire by placing dry
kindling
wood and paper below a stack of logs or charcoal. The paper is ignited and, if
all
goes well, the stack of logs eventually ignites. However, the success of
traditional
methods depends on a number of factors, including weather conditions, the
amount
and condition of combustible materials used, and the experience of the user.
Consequently, alternative methods of starting fires have been proposed which
are
relatively unaffected by weather conditions, do not require the use of paper
or
kindling wood, and require little or no skill to use.
1

CA 02958441 2017-02-16
[0004] Alternative fire starting methods generally involve the use of
either
liquid-fuel or solid-fuel fire starters. Liquid-fuel fire starters have the
disadvantage of
being highly flammable and are subject to flashbacks, making them more
dangerous
to store and use than solid fuels. Solid-fuel fire starters are commonly
blocks of
paraffin wax mixed with a cellulose material such as sawdust or woodchips. The
blocks are placed on a support located below a stack of wood, charcoal, etc.,
and
are ignited using a manually-held flame source such as a match or lighter
thereby
requiring the user to have at least his hand in proximity to the fire area.
Solid-fuel
fire starters can also be wrapped in a flammable bag that the user lights to,
in turn,
light the solid fuel. However, all solid-fuel fire starters are subject to a
user's ability
to hold a match or lighter up to the fire starter long enough to allow the
flammable
bag and/or the solid fuel to combust. This requirement can present significant
challenges when in a windy outdoor environment.
Summary of the Invention
[0005] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a
fire
starter.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a fire starter
that is
safe to use.
[0007] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fire
starter
for use in outdoor environments.
2

CA 02958441 2017-02-16
[0008] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a fire
starter
that requires no externally-applied flame for activation.
[0009] A still further object of the present invention is to provide a
fire starter
that is fully self-contained. =
[0010] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become
more
obvious hereinafter in the specification and drawings.
[0011] In accordance with the present invention, a fire starter includes a
casing
made from a first material having a first time associated therewith that
defines a length
of time that the casing burns after being ignited. A second material disposed
in the
casing has a second time associated therewith that defines a length of time
that the
second material burns after being ignited. The second time is less than the
first time.
An igniter, disposed in the casing and adjacent to the second material,
generates a first
thermal event to ignite the second material wherein the second material
combusts to
define a second thermal event that ignites the first material. An actuator is
coupled to
the igniter and is positioned outside of the casing for activating the igniter
to generate
the first thermal event.
Brief Description of the Drawinps
[0012] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention
will
become apparent upon reference to the following description of the preferred
embodiments and to the drawings, wherein corresponding reference characters
indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings and
3

CA 02958441 2017-02-16
wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a fire starter in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a fire starter with a paper overwrap
in
accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a fire starter with an anchoring loop
in
accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fire starter having a pull string
activator and anchoring loop in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a side view of the fire starter depicted in FIG. 4;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the lower half of the FIG. 4 fire
starter's casing
illustrating the components disposed therein in accordance with an embodiment
of
the present invention; and
[0019] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fire starter with a paper
overwrap in
accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention
[0020] Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, a
fully
self-contained fire starter in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention
is shown and is referenced generally by numeral 10. Fire starter 10, as well
as all
other embodiments of the present invention described and/or illustrated
herein, is
4

CA 02958441 2017-02-16
self-contained in that no external source of thermal energy is required to
initiate
combustion. Rather, the fire starter need only be placed in a fire starting
location
and activated by a simple and non-thermal manual activity to initiate
combustion.
While the fire starter can be used in indoor and outdoor environments, a great
advantage of the present invention is that the fire starter will work even in
very
windy, outdoor environments.
[0021] The fire starter of the present invention is a novel arrangement of
elements that, when activated, produce a plurality of thermal events with the
last
thermal event being an enduring flame suitable for starting a fire in a stack
of wood,
charcoal, etc. In terms of fire starter 10, the elements include an outer
casing 12, an
igniter 14 disposed in casing 12, a combustible material 16 disposed in casing
12
adjacent to igniter 14, and an actuator 18 coupled to igniter 14 and
positioned
outside of casing 12. While the overall size of fire starter 10 is not a
limitation of the
present invention, the entirety of fire starter 10 can generally be a hand-
held
structure.
[0022] Casing 12 is made from a combustible material that provides the
fuel
for the final thermal event (i.e., a fire-starting enduring flame) for an
activated fire
starter 10. In general, casing 12 is made from a solid material that, once
ignited, will
burn for a sufficient period of time to ignite surrounding wood, charcoal,
etc. that is
adjacent to a burning casing 12. A suitable material choice for casing 12 is a
mixture of paraffin wax and a cellulose material such as sawdust, woodchips,
etc.
The ratio of paraffin wax to cellulose material can be "one-to-one" or
"greater-than-

CA 02958441 2017-02-16
one to one" without departing from the scope of the present invention. In
general,
flame height will increase but the flame's life span will decrease with
increasing
amounts of paraffin wax. Accordingly, the ratio of paraffin wax to cellulose
material
can be tailored to suit a product's application. By way of example, a ratio of
paraffin
wax to cellulose material of approximately 1.5 to 1 provides a good balance
between
flame height and life span for most indoor and outdoor applications. For
example,
when casing 12 is constructed with this ratio and such that it can be hand-
held, the
burning life span of casing 12 can easily be in the range of approximately 20
minutes
to approximately 60 minutes.
[0023] Casing 12 can be formed or constructed to define a well or an
internal
chamber in which igniter 14 and combustible material 16 are disposed. As will
be
explained further below, if casing 12 forms part of, or all of, a chamber that
houses
igniter 14 and combustible material 16, vent holes (not shown) can be provided
to
admit outside air to flow into the chamber. Casing 12 can be a unitary body or
could
be assembled arrangement of casing portions without departing from the scope
of
the present invention.
[0024] Combustible material 16 is the fuel for a thermal event that will
trigger
the combustion of casing 12. In general, the thermal event created when
combustible material 16 combusts must last long enough to ignite casing 12 to
combustion. To assure efficient combustion of combustible material 16 even in
a
low-level oxygen environment, an oxidizer can be included in combustible
material
16. When casing 12 forms part of, or all of, an internal chamber housing
6

CA 02958441 2017-02-16
combustible material 16, the inclusion of an oxidizer in combustible material
16 is
particularly beneficial. The length of time that combustible material 16 must
burn will
generally be less than the burn time associated with casing 12. By way of
example,
when casing 12 is made from the above-described mixture of paraffin wax and
cellulose material, combustible material 16 can be a mixture of materials
capable of
burning for a time in the range of approximately 50 seconds to approximately
95
seconds. Such mixtures can be readily found in road flare technologies where
such
mixtures generally include the following materials noted with a range of
weight
percent:
Material Weight Percent
Strontium nitrate 67-78%
Potassium nitrate 2-11%
Sulfur 6-15%
Polyvinyl chloride 1-10%
Paraffin oil 1-4%
Sawdust 0-2%
Note that potassium nitrate defines the oxidizer in these types of mixtures.
[0025] Igniter 14 is positioned adjacent to combustible material 16. In
general, igniter 14 is capable of generating a thermal event that triggers the
combustion of combustible material 16. That is, the thermal event produced by
igniter 14 must last long enough to ignite combustible material 16. Depending
on
the material used for combustible material 16, the thermal event provided by
igniter
7

CA 02958441 2017-02-16
14 (when activated) could be a spark, a small burn event (e.g., a burning
fuse), a
chemical reaction, etc. By way of example, when using the above-noted mixtures
for combustible material 16, igniter 14 needs to provide a small burn event
having a
burn time in the range of approximately 4 second to approximately 5 seconds.
[0026] Actuator 18 is coupled to igniter 14 but is positioned outside of
casing
12. In general, actuator 18 is a manually-operated element that activates
igniter 14
such that igniter 14 produces the igniter's above-described thermal event. As
mentioned above, the manual operation applied to actuator 18 does not include
or
require the application of any external source of thermal energy. Actuator 18
can be
realized by a structure that is manually pulled or manually pushed where such
action
activates igniter 14.
[0027] Another embodiment of a fire starter in accordance with the present
invention is illustrated in FIG. 2 and is referenced generally by numeral 20.
Fire
starter 20 includes the elements of fire starter 10, and further includes an
overwrapping of paper 22 that can improve the fire starter's performance in a
windy
environment, provide a base for the printing of use instructions, protect
casing 12,
etc. When paper overwrap 22 is used, it can be beneficial to provide vent
holes 24
in casing 12 where each vent hole 24 provides a fluid (air) communication path
between the air surrounding combustible material 16 and the air outside of
casing
12. Paper overwrap 22 is selected such that, when combustible material 16
burns,
paper overwrap 22 readily ignites thereby making air available at the external
surfaces of casing 12 for passage through vent holes 24. For example, paper
8

CA 02958441 2017-02-16
overwrap 22 can be made using standard 20 pound paper. The air available via
vent holes 24 improves the combustion efficiency of combustible material 16.
[0028] Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG.
3
and is referenced generally by numeral 30. Fire starter 30 includes the
elements of
fire starter 10 (and can include one or more of the additional features of
fire starter
20), and further includes an anchoring line 32 extending from casing 12.
Anchoring
line 32 can define a loop as shown that facilitates attachment of fire starter
30 to a
piece of wood, log, etc., in a material stack (not shown) that is to be
ignited by fire
starter 30.
[0029] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described
with simultaneous reference to FIGs. 4-6 where the fire starter is referenced
generally by numeral 40. Fire starter 40 includes a casing 42 made from
identical
top and bottom clam shell portions 42A and 42B, respectively. Casing 42 has
the
same material and combustion attributes as casing 12. Each clam shell portion
42A
and 42B includes a well region 44 (visible for portion 42B in FIG. 6) such
that, when
portions 42A and 42B are positioned against one another in a mirror-image
fashion,
the two well regions join to define a chamber 46 (visible in FIG. 5) in casing
42.
Channels 48A/48B are defined in portions 42A/42B such that a corresponding
plurality of vent holes 48 are defined in casing 42 when portions 42A and 42B
are
positioned against one another. Each vent hole 48 defines a fluid
communication
path between the outside of casing 42 and chamber 46.
9

CA 02958441 2017-02-16
[0030] Disposed in well region 44 (FIG. 6), that will become part of
chamber
46 when casing portions 42A and 42B are positioned against one another, are a
spark generator 50, a fuse 52 coupled to spark generator 50 and extending
therefrom, and a combustible material 54 in contact with fuse 52. The
combination
of a spark generator 50 and fuse 52 have the same combustion attributes of
previously-described igniter 14. Spark generator 50 can be a variety of
mechanically-activated friction-type sparking devices such as, but not limited
to, pull-
type spark generators (also known as "poppers") and push-type spark generators
used in conventional gas grills. Fuse 52 can be any conventional fuse or
primer
cord that combusts to define a short-term burn event (e.g., on the order of
approximately 4-5 seconds) when exposed to a spark. Combustible material 54
has
the same material and combustion attributes as previously-described combustion
material 16.
[0031] Fire starter 40 also includes an actuator 56 coupled to spark
generator
50. By way of an illustrative example, if spark generator 50 is a pull-type
device,
actuator 56 can be a line/string coupled to spark generator 50 and extended
through
casing 42 to be accessible on the outside of casing 42. An anchoring line 58
can be
attached to spark generator 50 (or casing 42) and extended though casing 42 to
be
accessible as a loop on the outside of casing 42. Anchoring line 58 has the
attributes and function of previously-described anchoring line 32. By
attaching
anchoring line 58 to spark generator 50, a pulling/activating force applied to
actuator
56 does not get transferred to casing 42. By isolating casing 42 from the

CA 02958441 2017-02-16
pulling/activating force, casing 42 is not subject to tensile stresses.
Isolating casing
42 from tensile stresses is important when casing 42 is made from a mixture of
paraffin wax and cellulose material, i.e., a material that does not possess
high
tensile strength.
[0032] A further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
FIG. 7
and is referenced generally by numeral 70. Fire starter 70 includes the
elements of
fire starter 40, and further includes an overwrapping of paper 72 to provide
the same
benefits of previously-described paper overwrap 22.
[0033] The advantages of the present invention are numerous. The fire
starter does not require any externally-supplied source of thermal energy so
that no
matches, lighters, etc., are needed for its use. The fire starter is
completely self-
contained with its igniting thermal event devices being protected from wind
thereby
assuring its effectiveness in hostile outdoor environments. The fire starter's
chain of
thermal events for starting a fire is triggered by a single and simple
mechanical
action. At the same time, since the mechanical activation of the fire starter
requires
a purposeful event, the chance of its inadvertent ignition is greatly reduced
or
minimized.
[0034] Although the invention has been described relative to specific
embodiments thereof, there are numerous variations and modifications that will
be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings.
It is therefore
to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention
may be
practiced other than as specifically described.
11