U.S. patent application number 12/576306 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-14 for cigarette safety holder.
Invention is credited to DMITRY KARPINSKY.
Application Number | 20110083674 12/576306 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43853839 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110083674 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KARPINSKY; DMITRY |
April 14, 2011 |
CIGARETTE SAFETY HOLDER
Abstract
This invention relates to cigarettes and tobacco smoking
devices. The invention allows for the smoker to encapsulate a
cigarette in a reusable holder that prevents fire and burns. The
reusable holder traps hot ashes, is safe to handle and is ergonomic
in design. The cigarette holder can be dropped without starting
fire or causing burns. The cigarette holder can have outer shell
produced of different materials. The cigarette holder can be used
in bad weather.
Inventors: |
KARPINSKY; DMITRY;
(SCOTTSDALE, AZ) |
Family ID: |
43853839 |
Appl. No.: |
12/576306 |
Filed: |
October 9, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
131/175 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24F 13/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
131/175 |
International
Class: |
A24F 13/02 20060101
A24F013/02 |
Claims
1. A Cigarette Safety Holder comprising a tube similar to the look
of a cigarette, but slightly larger in length and diameter, split
in half lengthwise, with lateral pieces fastened with one or more
latches, and held together by two or more hinges;
2. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
invention contains a tube-like hollow cigarette cavity for a
cigarette to be inserted;
3. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
invention contains one or more pegs to hold the cigarette in place
internally on one end by the cigarette butt (filter);
4. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 3, wherein said
invention contains an ash filter to trap ashes on the opposite end
from Claim #3 of the invention;
5. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 4, wherein said
invention has an opening on one side where the cigarette butt would
be seen so that user can smoke and draw the air into the
cigarette;
6. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein said
invention has an opening on opposite side of Claim #5 where air
intake would go in to keep the cigarette burning;
7. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 6, wherein said
invention has peg stand on the bottom of the holder by the ash
filter for stability if the Holder is to be set down;
8. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 7, wherein said
invention has slits in the sides for additional air intake;
9. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 8 wherein said
invention has a secondary hollow air chamber running parallel of
the length of the invention;
10. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 9, wherein said
invention includes a mouthpiece that is made of softened,
rubberized, plastic or other material for the lips;
11. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 10, wherein said
invention is made of any non-combustible material such as metal,
glass, hardened plastic or treated wood;
12. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 11, wherein said
invention may have one or more shells;
13. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 12, wherein said
invention may have interchangeable exterior shell produced with
different materials such as wood, metal, ceramic, leather, cloth,
rubber, glass, gemstones or be painted or airbrushed;
14. A Cigarette Safety Holder as claimed in claim 13, wherein said
invention can be operated in weather elements such as rain, wind or
dust.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
TABLE-US-00001 [0001] Patent # Title Date Issued 2,625,163 Safety
Cigarette Holder Jan. 13, 1953 3,886,954 Fire Safety Cigarette Jun.
3, 1975 4,027,680 Safety Cigarette Holder and Ash Retaining Jun. 7,
1977 Device 4,386,616 Cigarette Tube Jun. 7, 1983 4,570,645 Safety
Holder for Cigarettes Feb. 18, 1986 4,572,217 Fire-Safe Cigarette
Holder System Feb. 25, 1986 4,991,595 Self-Extinguishing Cigarette
with Fail-Safe Feb. 12, 1991 Tilt-Ring
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to cigarettes and tobacco
smoking devices. More particularly, the invention relates to
safeguarding cigarettes from becoming a source of fire and
burns.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention is to produce a reusable cigarette
holder that is safe and renders cigarettes safer to smoke.
[0004] One of the common causes of death is by fire, many of which
are started carelessly by cigarettes. Many people, both smokers and
non-smokers, fall victims to individuals falling asleep while
smoking in bed or carelessly disposing cigarettes. Even more
individuals are injured each year by cigarette burns. Dozens of
forest fires are started each year by cigarettes. Millions of
dollars of damage and medical bills are also contributed to
careless disposal of cigarettes. Many more damages are resulted
through cigarette burns of clothing, upholstery, carpeting, and the
like. Many individuals are hurt each year in car accidents where a
driver who is smoking inadvertently drops a cigarette. Smokers must
also deal with looking for an ashtray and having a place to dispose
the cigarette when done smoking.
[0005] There has been prior art issued for preventing or obviating
the hazards of burning cigarettes, but each has its drawbacks,
which are addressed with this invention. Some prior art (U.S. Pat.
Nos. 4,386,616; 4,572,217) present cigarette holders, but the user
must insert a lighted cigarette into the holder. By doing so, there
is a risk that ashes will hit against the holder, fall to the
ground and ignite, or that cigarette may slip out of holder if
dropped. Other art (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,027,680; 4,572,217) involve
cigarettes being smoked while in the holder where the user smokes
the cigarette holding the butt (or filter) of the cigarette in his
or her mouth as it protrudes from the opening. This creates a
safety concern as the weight of the holder may snap the cigarette
in half with the holder, cigarette and ashes falling to the ground
starting a fire. Other art (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,386,616; 4,572,217)
discusses cigarette holder but does not address containing the
ashes or preventing a fire if the cigarette and/or holder were
dropped. Nor do they adequately address holding the cigarette in
the chamber should the holder be dropped as the cigarette is
usually slid through one of the openings. A permanent disposable
holder (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,886,954; 4,386,616) has been introduced,
but such invention is not a reusable system. Another system
introduced involves several pieces to the holder (U.S. Pat. Nos.
2,625,163; 4,027,680; 4,570,645; 4,991,595) presenting too many
parts or end caps that can wear and tear, fall off, and generally
fail, or worse burn the user trying to assemble or disassemble the
holder. Other art proposes self-extinguishing holders (U.S. Pat.
Nos. 4,570,645; 4,991,595) where if a cigarette is not puffed
within a certain time frame, it is extinguished. This presents a
problem if a cigarette extinguishes too soon, the user would have
to open the assembly and potentially burn him or herself, or risk
of having hot ash flying out. Another challenge is these cigarettes
cannot be smoked in the rain or strong wind.
[0006] Recently there has been a push for cigarette manufacturers
to introduce "fire safe cigarettes". However, many would argue that
safety lies with the user, and hot ashes can still ignite many
materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A principal object of the present invention is to produce a
cigarette holder that renders cigarettes safe to smoke without the
risk of starting a fire or causing burns. Another object of this
invention is to produce a reusable cigarette holder with few parts,
capable of holding cigarette securely, contain the ashes, allow the
cigarette to burn naturally without impeding air flow, be safe to
handle, ability to set it on a flat surface without it rolling
away, stay safe if it was to be dropped. Another object of this
invention is to be able to smoke a cigarette in foul weather such
as rain, wind, and dust without extinguishing the cigarette. The
object of this invention is also for it to be ergonomic in design,
only slightly larger than a traditional cigarette.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently
preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the
general description given above and the detailed description of the
preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain in the
principles of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a side view, depiction 1A showing the right view
of the cigarette holder and depiction 1B showing the left view of
the cigarette holder;
[0010] FIG. 2 is side internal cross section view;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a side dimensional view;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a front view;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a rear view;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a schematic showing a sample cross section open
top view;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a schematic of the airflow within the cigarette
holder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] For the purposes of the following description, the terms
"upper," "lower," "right," "left," "front," "rear," and derivatives
or equivalents thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
FIG. 1. It is understood that the invention may assume various
alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the
contrary. It is also understood that the specific devices and
processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in
the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of
the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence,
specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to
the embodiments disclosed herein are not considered limiting unless
the claims expressly state otherwise. Accordingly, various
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of
scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended
claims and their equivalents.
[0017] An embodiment of the present invention will be described
below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0018] Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the
right side view (FIG. 1A) and left side view (FIG. 1B). The numeral
10 denotes Cigarette Safety Holder, hereby referred as "Holder"
body facing right. In this depiction the user would be holding and
puffing on the left side, with smoke coming out from the right. The
numeral 11 shows Holder body facing left. The rear of the Holder
12, closest to the mouth and front of the Holder 13, closest to the
burning ashes are shown. There is slit 14 running lengthwise of the
holder separating holder into upper and lower halves. The latches
17 and hinges 18 are shown. The latches would have a safety device
preventing them from opening accidentally. This would assure that
if a Holder is dropped, it would not accidentally open. In
addition, two latches would provide additional assurance that the
Holder would not accidentally open. There can be one or more latch
and two or more hinges on the Holder. A peg stand 15 on the bottom
of the Holder in the front prevents the Holder from rolling and
ability for the smoker to set the Holder down. It also elevates the
front end of the Holder slightly so it is not lying when set down.
This further aids in cigarette accidentally rolling off after it is
placed down. The exterior area where the smoker has in his or her
mouth 16 can be made of softer material such as rubber, plastic or
gel-like substance to soften the sense for the lips. There is an
opening in the rear 19 where the smoker will puff on the cigarette.
There is an opening in the front 20 where smoke will come out and
also where the smoker will draw air from. There are upper and lower
body slits 26 on both sides of the cigarette. The air will also be
pulled from these vents and ensure that the cigarette does not
extinguish prematurely. The length of the Holder is approximately
an inch longer than a cigarette and approximately half an inch
thicker. The Holder can be designed to accommodate normal
cigarette, slim cigarettes, cigars or home-made cigarettes rolled
up to the size of a cigarette.
[0019] With reference to FIG. 2 of the drawings, there is a hollow
tube-like cavity 21 within the holder where cigarette will be
inserted. The cavity runs the lengthwise of the Holder, the length
of the cigarette itself. The diameter of the cavity is precisely
the diameter of the cigarette it would hold to allow a snug fit of
the cigarette inside the Holder and would encapsulate the cigarette
all around except front and back. In the front portion of the
Holder, and before the front end of the cigarette is a meshed
filter 22 within the Holder to capture the ashes and allow for air
to be pulled. The filter can be comprised of metallic mesh, carbon
or other heat resistant tightly woven mesh that would trap the hot
ashes and let the air circulate to the cigarette through the
opening. The pointed pegs (or dull pins) 23 that will grip on the
cigarette butt (or filter) are shown. Once the cigarette is placed
in the bottom half of the Holder (see FIG. 6), the top portion
would be closed and latched with the bottom portion. The pegs 23
would thus protrude into the cigarette filter, thereby creating a
fastening to the cigarette so it doesn't move. This is a safety
feature in case the cigarette Holder is dropped; the cigarette
would stay within the cavity of the Holder. Once the cigarette is
smoked, the butt can be easily removed from the pegs and the ashes
deposited in a container.
[0020] FIG. 3 shows what the Holder looks like in closed position
in three dimensions with mouthpiece 16, latches 17, slit 14 and
bottom peg stand 15 being shown. The air will come through the
opening in the front 20 and sides 26, and smoke will come out
through the front 20. The depiction also shows the upper 24 and
lower 25 portions of the Holder. The outer shell 10 of the Holder
can be made with one layer, but the preference is for two or more
layers. For example, the interior layer can be made of metal such
as aluminum, whereas the outer layer can be made of finer material
such as mahogany wood or be painted over.
[0021] FIG. 4 represents a front view of the Holder. An opening 20
where air intake occurs and smoke comes out encapsulated with top
24 and bottom 25 halves. The embodiment shows that there is inner
shell and an outer shell, where inner shell can be a stronger
durable material, and the outer shell can be a more expensive or
painted material. Several shells also allow for heat dissipation
between inner shell and exterior shell so the Holder is not hot to
the touch. The latches 17 and hinges 18 are on the sides which open
14 the two halves. On the bottom the peg stand 15 ensures the
Holder will not roll away when placed on a surface. The filter 22
is permanently attached inside the cavity of the Holder. If the
Holder accidentally touches anything or is dropped, it will not
cause a fire because all the hot ashes are secured within the
Holder. The filter can be maintained by an occasional rinse in the
water to wash away any residual ashes.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a schematic of the rear view of the Holder. An
opening 19 is where the butt of the cigarette is held, the end
which is puffed by the smoker, encapsulated with top 24 and bottom
25 halves. The latches 17 and hinges 18 are on the sides which open
14 the two halves. As the cigarette is used and gets smaller in
length, it is safely in place within the Holder because the user
holds the Holder in his hand rather than cigarette itself. This
allows the cigarette to be smoked safely without breaking in half
at any point due to the weight of the Holder. In addition, if the
cigarette is dropped, the pegs within the Holder hold the cigarette
securely in its place. Once the cigarette is used, the Holder is
opened via latches, and the cigarette butt along with the ashes is
safely discarded.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing cross sectional top view of the
Holder as it is opened. The two halves are shown apart with top
half 24 open from the bottom 25 half. Within the bottom half, one
can see the pegs 23 that hold the cigarette by the butt. There can
be one or several pegs soldered into the cavity to hold the
cigarette firmly in place. The filter 22 is shown at the front of
the cigarette, where the air would intake and the ashes trapped.
The cigarette cavity 21 is shown where a lighted cigarette would be
inserted and later removed. The latches 17 and hinges 18 are shown
with the Holder in the open position. The cigarette would fit
snugly inside the Holder with no portion of the cigarette
protruding out. The slits 26 are represented as additional air
intakes.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the air intake of the Holder.
The smoker will puff 19 on the cigarette once it is in the Holder.
The air will be pulled 27 through front opening 20 and side slits
26. The air that goes through the front opening goes right through
the front filter 28 and makes its way to the front of the cigarette
29 where it stays secured in the cigarette cavity 21. The air that
goes in through the side slits will pass through the side
compartments 30 which run hollow and parallel of the Holder, and
make its way through the filter 28 and the front of the cigarette
29. The cigarette can be smoked in the wind or rain as the
cigarette is protected inside the cavity. Any rain that enters the
Holder from the sides, top or front will not wet the cigarette but
instead drop out from the bottom slits 26. If it is windy, the
cigarette is also protected from the elements as the wind will not
hit the hot ambers directly but must go through slits, front
opening and filter where the wind would be diffused. These elements
of the invention would enable the cigarette to have ample supply of
oxygen and ability to smoke in severe weather elements. As ashes
fall, they will be stopped by the filter 28, cooled, before
dropping out of front end 20 or bottom slits.
[0025] The above description is considered that of the preferred
embodiments only. Modification of the invention will occur to those
skilled in the art and to those who make and use the invention.
Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the
drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes
and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is
defined by the following claims.
[0026] In operation, the invention is used as follows: [0027] (a)
first the smoker would open the Holder by parting its latches;
[0028] (b) smoker would light a cigarette; [0029] (c) cigarette
would be placed into the bottom cavity of the Holder; and [0030]
(d) top half would be closed and latched.
* * * * *