Who invented the lighter? When was the lighter invented

A lighter is a type of ignition machine that is more convenient to use than matches. This kind of thing was invented by the British. During the First World War, the soldiers crawled in the trenches for a long time, wanting to smoke a cigarette and having difficulty striking matches.

At this time, a British man named Alfeld Danhill opened a shop in London specializing in tobacco, and he heard that soldiers fighting on the front line had difficulty smoking a cigarette because they could not light matches in a storm, so he was inspired and decided to develop a lighter by himself. He experimented with various empty boxes and finally invented a lighter in 1917. In this way, the soldiers could hold a gun in one hand and light a fire with the other, and smoke while fighting.

In 1924, lighters began to be mass-produced.

The lighter was invented by Alfred Dan Hill. The main components of the lighter are the ignition mechanism and the gas storage box, when the ignition mechanism moves, it bursts out sparks to the gas area and ignites the gas.

The ignition mechanism is the most active part of the evolution of the lighter, and it is also the part with a more complex structure. According to the characteristics of the ignition mechanism, lighters can be divided into 6 types: flint steel wheel lighters, piezoelectric ceramic lighters, magnetic induction lighters, battery lighters, solar lighters, and microcomputer lighters.

Types of lighters

Piezoelectric ceramic lighter The ignition mechanism is equipped with piezoelectric ceramic elements. Under the action of mechanical stress, piezoelectric ceramics cause the relative displacement of the internal positive and negative charge centers and polarization, resulting in the appearance of binding charges with opposite signs on the surface of both ends of the material. Therefore, when the piezoelectric ceramic element is subjected to impact pressure, the mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy, and an instantaneous high-voltage electric spark is emitted at the tip, igniting the fuel.

Magnetic induction lighters have magnetoelectric converters inside. During operation, the magnet and the coil move relative to each other, changing the magnetic flux and generating a discharge voltage, which causes sparks between the electrode air gaps to ignite the gas.

Battery lighters use integrated circuit batteries or ordinary batteries as energy sources. When the circuit of the capacitor and transformer is turned on, a high-voltage electric spark is generated, igniting the gas.

Solar lighter After being irradiated by sunlight or other light, its photocell converts light energy into electrical energy and charges it into the battery. When the battery is in use, the capacitor is charged, and the boost coil instantly generates a high resistance electromotive force, which emits an electric spark between the insulated diodes and ignites the gas.

Disposable lighters, everyone is estimated to use no less than a dozen, a dollar a piece, decades without price increases, small things, but it has a huge market. As it stands, the number of disposable lighters that need to be consumed every year in the world is more than 15 billion, and this amount could give everyone in the world two lighters, and there is still a surplus, and note that this is an annual demand.

But in such a huge market in the world, there can almost be said to be only one manufacturer, and that is China. In 2020, more than 95% of the world's disposable lighters were made in China, of which 6.5 billion were only for export, so why did the Japanese invent lighters, Europe and the United States to promote lighters, and finally the market became Chinese?

The invention of the lighter was a big deal.

The sign of man's complete conquest of fire must not be that man can use fire, but that man can successfully create fire. In 1816, the French invented the yellow phosphorus match, which was continuously improved in the following decades to form the modern match. In 1823, German scientists made the world's first lighter with the principle of hydrogen gas from the reaction of dilute sulfuric acid and zinc, which met with cotton and burned.

Later, gasoline lighters, butane lighters and piezoelectric lighters were invented one after another.

But these lighters are very inconvenient to use, the probability of ignition failure is very high, and it is not convenient to carry, in addition, it is easy to leak the incident to cause a disaster, the key is that it is not cheap, not only itself, but even the consumables that need to be added are so expensive, until the Japanese invented the disposable lighter.

1.Introduce.

A lighter is a common ignition device that facilitates the lighting of items such as cigarettes, campfires, and gas stoves. So, when did the convenient invention of the lighter appear? This article will give you a detailed introduction to the invention time and related history of lighters.

2.Time of invention.

The lighter is a relatively new invention that dates back to the early 19th century in human history. In 1816, German chemist Johann Wolfgang Doberenne invented a "friction lighter" and successfully applied for a patent. After that, people began to improve and develop lighters.

3.The development of lighters.

In the middle of the 19th century, in England, William Sugg, Jr., the inventor of the lighter, succeeded in inventing a lighter that used kerosene as fuel. This lighter uses a manual compression pump to generate pressure and ignite by spraying kerosene through a nozzle to the ignition needle. This invention was so significant that it made the lighter a practical everyday item ever since.

4.The popularity of lighters.

At the beginning of the 20th century, due to the rapid development of industrial technology and the improvement of living standards, lighters were gradually popularized into public life. In 1926, a company called the "Wright Gang" in the United States invented a "gas lighter", which is the inflatable lighter we now commonly use.

5.Classification of lighters.

With the development of science and technology, there are more and more types of lighters, and according to the different types of fuel and ignition methods, lighters can be divided into various types. For example, common ones are match-type lighters, compressed gas shouting cherry blossom lighters, electronic lighters, lighters with gunpowder, and so on.

6.Use of lighters.

How do I use a book lighter? The basic method of use is the same, except that the various different types of lighters are used in slightly different ways. First, the lighter needs to be filled with fuel and ignited as instructed; Then aim the ignition with the item that needs to be lit and press the lighter button or trigger.

Finally, users need to pay attention to safety and avoid fire or other hazards.

7.The meaning of lighters.

Lighters are of great significance, it not only provides convenience for human life, but also has important cultural significance. In some cases, lighters are regarded as a valuable artifact or collectible, such as the collection of various lighters by certain smokers. The lighter is also a cultural symbol, such as the "rock matchbox" in rock culture, so the lighter has become an indispensable part of human history and culture.

8.Summary.

In short, lighters, as a daily commodity and cultural symbol, have become an indispensable part of human society. From the early friction lighters to the modern compressed gas lighters and electronic lighters, lighters have been constantly evolving and improving. We believe that the future development of science and technology will make lighters more intelligent.