I recently got a science teaching job and had to buy a cheap see-through lighter to ignite the Bunsens, I don’t understand why the tank has to have two different compartments on the inside. You can tilt it and fill up one or the other, could someone explain why this is necessary instead of one big tank?
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It’s to strengthen the plastic so it won’t burst, not really much to do with separating the tank. It means the tank can be thinner and use less plastic.
I believe it’s for material strengthening purpose. To keep the lighter from breaking when, for instance, you sit on it.
Edit: typo
The lighter is made out of flexible plastic, without the support in the middle, the plastic can flex and crack, letting the flammable fuel leak out (and maybe catch fire).
In addition to providing the tank with the ability to withstand structural compression loads when a heavy object is placed on it, the tank is also under pressure, and the divider connects two opposite walls together the prevent them from expanding outward and breaking the tank.
It’s a support in the middle to keep the tank from being crushed and broken while still using the minimum amount of plastic. Bic brand lights have the more oval shape that gives them strength
Other folks have already answered the main question. A correlary might be: Why is the gap between the two halves at the top rather than at the bottom where it would be able to flow on its own? The answer to that question is because they are injection molded, and a gap at the bottom would make the part stick in the mold
There’s also a wick inside of them to pick up the gas. This gets wicked up as a liquid and only turns to gas at the end. Having that divider means that double of the amount of wick would be in the fluid compared to without.
edit- pics of the wick, for those who had a different childhood.
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The fuel tank is under enough pressure to force the butane gas into being a liquid. That’s quite a bit. The connecting rib in the middle is to keep it from exploding outwards, or being crushed inwards, while using less total plastic than making the walls thicker.
No one’s mentioned that it also helps you get that last bit of fuel? Actually great way to squeeze out a little more utility from the design that is there for structural and manufacturing purposes as people have said.
Think about it, it could have a hole in the middle, but that would lead to two separate tanks. A hole at the bottom would allow the fluid to gather at one of the corners away from the tube so it won’t get fuel.
A hole in the top allows the user to invert the lighter, move all remaining fuel to one well and have it pool up in one corner right by the tube.
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