AU2003219754A1 - Attachment for a cigarette box - Google Patents

Description

WO 03/070600 PCT/US03/04418 1 SP E C I F I CATIONS 2 3 ATTACHMENT FOR A CIGARETTE BOX 4 5 6 CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 7 8 This application claims the benefit of U.S. 9 Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 10/078,822, filed 10 February 19, 2002. 11 12 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 13 The field of the invention is cigarette lighter holding 14 devices, and the invention relates more particularly to a 15 cigarette lighter holding device attachable to a cigarette 16 box. 17 Smoking is a regular habit found amongst many people in 18 society. Despite various behavior patterns among smokers, two 19 are extremely common. The first is a reoccurring search for a 20 cigarette light, while the second is a tendency to place the 21 cigarette box on a table after having taken a cigarette out 22 for smoking. Cigarettes typically come in what is known as a 23 hard or soft pack paper box which contains 20 cigarettes 24 inside. Cigarette lighters, on the other hand, are usually 25 fuel (e.g. butane) based incineration mechanisms or an 26 assortment of matches such as those that come in a paper 27 matchbook or matchbox. Although many smokers carry their own 28 cigarette lighter or matchbook with them, both are separate 29 items, totally detached from the cigarette box. Moreover, the 30 common cigarette box does not offer any way of securing or 31 keeping these items close to the box. As a result, cigarette 32 lighters and matchbooks are often misplaced or lost due to 33 their compact size and ability to fit almost anywhere. 34 Misplaced or lost cigarette lighters are often troublesome 35 since some are expensive and even one of a kind. 36 Additionally, not having a lighting mechanism secured to the 37 cigarette box often prevents a smoker from enjoying a WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 cigarette when one is most desired. 2 The smokers' habit of placing their cigarette box on the 3 table is also noteworthy in itself. In almost every 4 circumstance in which this behavior occurs, people around the 5 smoker take notice of the box and may even become fixated on 6 it. This is especially true in places where people get 7 together, including food gatherings such as breakfast, lunch, 8 or dinner. The result is a lost potential for advertising 9 which goes beyond what is directly printed on the cigarette 10 box. 11 12 BRIEF SUEMRY OF THE INVENTION 13 It is an object of the present invention to provide a 14 holding device for cigarette lighters and other small objects 15 which includes a medium containing a message and which is 16 attachable to a cigarette box. 17 It is yet a further object of the present invention to 18 provide a medium, independent of the holding device and 19 attachable to the cigarette box for presenting a message. 20 The present invention is for a holding device for a 21 cigarette lighter and other small objects which can be 22 attached to a cigarette box or the like, and which displays a 23 message such as an advertisement, slogan, logo, trademark, 24 trade name, warning message, personal message, or the like 25 (hereinafter "message"). The cigarette lighter holding device 26 is preferably attached to a base material (hereinafter, 27 "medium") which contains the message. The message may be 28 audible, mechanical, and/or visual. A visual message may 29 consist of written, pictorial, holographic, three dimensional, 30 or otherwise graphic form. Additionally, a visual message may 31 comprise an electronic optical display such as pixilated, 32 light (e.g. conventional, fiber optic, etc.), liquid crystal, 33 etc. Such display may present the message in either an 34 animated or motionless manner, and may further include a sound 35 generating element. According to one embodiment, the medium 36 includes an affixing element, such as an adhesive backing on a 37 surface of the medium. In this respect, the medium can be 2 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 affixed to a cigarette box for displaying a message. The 2 holding device, on the other hand, would have a holding 3 element which would be used to grip a cigarette lighter or 4 other compact object in an abutting manner to the cigarette 5 box. This would likely decrease the possibility of the 6 lighter getting lost and keep it within the smoker's instant 7 reach. Anyone within sight of the cigarette box would be 8 exposed to the displayed message. Additionally, it is further 9 contemplated that the medium be fashioned independent of the 10 holding element and attachable to a cigarette box for the 11 purpose of conveying the contained message. 12 13 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 14 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette lighter 15 holding device, in accordance with one embodiment of the 16 invention, including a medium which displays a message, "XYZ 17 Co.". 18 FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a holding device similar 19 to the device of FIG. 1, configured in a 'closed book" 20 formation and displaying a different message then the holding 21 device of FIG. 1. 22 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the back side of the 23 holding device of FIG. 2, illustrating the device with an 24 adhesive layer covered by a peel away backing. 25 FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the holding device of 26 FIG. 1, together with a cigarette box, with the holding device 27 positioned on the box in accordance with one embodiment, 28 whereby it is capable of grasping a cigarette lighter and most 29 compact objects in an abutting manner to the box while 30 displaying the message. 31 FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the holding device and 32 cigarette box of FIG. 4, wherein the cigarette lighter holding 33 device is utilized to grip a butane lighter ii an abutting 34 manner to the cigarette box while displaying the message. 35 FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a holding device 36 including a medium which displays a message, in accordance 37 with another embodiment of this invention. 3 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the holding device of 2 FIG. 6, wherein the displayed message is configured in a three 3 dimensional composition. 4 FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a holding device, in 5 accordance with yet another embodiment, wherein the medium is 6 configured in a miniature three dimensional model of a beer 7 mug displaying the message "JKL Beer". 8 FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a holding device, in 9 accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention, 10 wherein the medium is configured in a three dimensional 11 character formation displaying the message "XYZ". 12 FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a holding device, in 13 accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention, 14 wherein the device is configured in the form of a retaining 15 pouch and displaying the message "XYZ Co.". 16 FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a holding device, in 17 accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention, 18 wherein the medium comprises an electronic optical display 19 utilizing conventional light element(s). 20 FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a holding device, in 21 accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention, 22 wherein the medium comprises an electronic optical display 23 utilizing a liquid crystal display. 24 FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a holding device, in 25 accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention, 26 wherein the medium comprises an electronic sound generating 27 element. 28 FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a holding device, in 29 accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention, 30 wherein the medium comprises an electronic display combined 31 with a sound generating element. 32 FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a medium, independent of 33 the holding device, in accordance with yet another embodiment 34 of this invention, wherein the medium is configured as a 35 miniature slot machine including an electronic motion 36 generating element. 37 FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the holding device of 4 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 FIG. 11 attached to a cigarette box, wherein separated contact 2 portions of an activation switch activate the circuit, thereby 3 presenting the message "XYZ CASINO" in a luminous manner. 4 FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the holding device of 5 FIG. 11 attached to a cigarette box, wherein touching contact 6 portions of an activation switch de-activate the circuit. 7 8 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODYMENTS 9 The present invention is for a cigarette lighter holding 10 device which can hold a cigarette lighter or other small 11 object(s) together with a cigarette box or the like, while 12 displaying a message. While certain types of cigarette 13 lighter holding devices are illustrated in the drawings, it is 14 to be understood that the present invention applies to any 15 type of device utilized to hold a cigarette lighter together 16 with a cigarette box, which is adapted to display a message. 17 Additionally, this invention equally applies to any medium 18 that is fashioned independent of a holding element and which 19 is attachable to a cigarette box for the purpose of conveying 20 the contained message. 21 Fig. 1 illustrates a cigarette lighter holding device 100 22 according to one embodiment of this invention. The holding 23 device 100 includes a medium 1 for displaying a message and a 24 flexible band 10 for gripping a cigarette lighter and other 25 compact objects. The message displayed may be an 26 advertisement, slogan, logo, trademark, trade name, warning 27 message, personal message, or the like, and may be in written, 28 pictorial, holographic, or other graphic form. For example, 29 the message may be a written phrase such as "DON'T DRINK AND 30 DRIVE". The message may also be electronic, thereby being 31 delivered via audible, motorized, and/or visual electronic 32 means. This includes use of sound producing element(s), 33 motion producing element(s), as well as light producing 34 element(s) such as pixilated, light (e.g. conventional, fiber 35 optic, etc.), liquid crystal, etc. Light producing elements 36 may present the message in either an animated or motionless 37 manner, and may further include a sound generating element. 5 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 The medium 1 may preferably include an adhesive backing, 2 as shown in FIG. 3, such that it can be affixed to a cigarette 3 box. Additionally, the holding device may be configured in a 4 closed book formation, as shown in FIG. 2, wherein the left 5 and right side portions, 2 and 3, (shown in FIG. 1) are folded 6 over to create a closed book for retaining the band 10. This 7 allows for convenient distribution, wherein the band is 8 prevented from becoming entangled with other objects and the 9 medium remains protected. 10 Referring now to FIG. 1, the medium 1 of holding device 11 100 is shown to have a left and right side portion, 2 and 3, 12 respectively, which are attached together to form one 13 congruent article. Left side portion 2 has a front surface 4, 14 while right side portion 3 has a front surface 5. 15 Additionally, both left side 2 and right side 3 portions each 16 have a back surface, 6 and 7 respectively. Although FIG. 1 17 shows medium 1 with two sectioned front and back surfaces, it 18 is of course, understood that the medium 1 may have a single, 19 un-sectioned front and back surface instead, as shown in FIGS. 20 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. Furthermore, the 21 medium 1 can also have more then two sectioned front and back 22 surfaces, depending on the manner in which the medium 1 is 23 designed. 24 Returning now to FIG. 1, it is preferred that the left 25 side portion 2 be easily detachable from the right side 26 portion 3. Allowing for the two portions to be separated may 27 be advantageous for mounting the medium on the cigarette box 28 given the amount of surface space available on the box. The 29 preferred method of sectioning the medium 1, as shown in FIG. 30 1, is by perforating the medium 1 along a vertical plane 9 31 that will allow left side portion 2 to be easily torn apart 32 from right side portion 3. It is noteworthy to mention that 33 the perforation can also be positioned along a horizontal 34 plane when such would be the preferred design scheme. In that 35 respect, the upper side portion (not depicted by a character 36 reference) of the medium 1 would be torn apart from the lower 37 side portion (not depicted by a character reference) of the 6 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 medium 1. Another method (not shown) of detaching right side 2 portion 2 from left side portion 3 involves breaking an 3 adhesive bond that may be holding both portions together. 4 Here, an attaching element would be present which detachably 5 connects right side portion 2 to left side portion 3. 6 Although many different attachment methods can be used, some 7 of the more common include supplemental material such as tape 8 or an adhesive compound. 9 Although the medium 1 is shown in FIGS. 1,4,5,6,and 7 as 10 rectangularly flat in shape, it of course, need not be as 11 such, and may undertake any geometric shape including, 12 circular, triangular, trapezoid, elliptical, etc. Examples of 13 alternate shapes are shown in FIG. 8 holding device 300, FIG. 14 9 holding device 400, FIG. 10 holding device 500, FIG. 11 15 holding device 600, and FIG. 15 where the medium 1 is 16 fashioned into a miniature three dimensional model of a beer 17 mug, a three dimensional character formation, a retaining 18 pouch, an opaque case, and a slot machine. It is noteworthy 19 to mention that with certain designs, as shown in FIG. 10, the 20 medium 1 and cigarette lighter holding device can even be the 21 same composition. There, the pouch serves as both the medium 22 and device for holding a cigarette lighter abuttingly to a 23 cigarette box. 24 The medium 1 can also be made in accordance with any size 25 deemed suitable. For example, although the medium 1 is shown 26 in FIG. 1, holding device 100, as elongated and sectioned, it 27 of course, may be compact and non-sectioned as shown in FIG. 6 28 holding device 200, FIG. 8 holding device 300, FIG. 9 holding 29 device 400, FIG. 10 holding device 500, FIG. 11 holding device 30 600, FIG. 12 holding device 700, FIG. 13 holding device 800, 31 FIG. 14 holding device 900, and FIG. 15. In this respect, the 32 medium 1 may be sized to fit on one of the four walls of a 33 cigarette box, all four walls of the cigarette box, or a 34 select portion thereof. Additionally, the medium 1 may be 35 made out of any type of material, including paper, plastic, 36 wood, glass, polymer, fiber, gel, fiberglass, metal, rubber, 37 elastic, etc. Contrasting material examples are shown in FIG. 7 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 1 where the medium 1 is made out of paper, while FIGS. 8, 9, 2 and 11 show a medium 1 that is made out of material such as 3 plastic. One of the advantages of making the medium 1 from 4 paper is the fact that such material is highly adaptable and 5 cost efficient to work with. An example to this would be a 6 strip of paper such as a paper tag or label. 7 Although the medium 1 is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 6 as having a flat front 4,5 and back 6,7 surface, it need 9 not have such and may instead, have a two or three dimensional 10 surface plane on any of its respective front and/or back 11 surface(s). A two dimensional surface may comprise a 12 holographic image (not shown), while a three dimensional 13 surface may comprise a protruding formation such as show in 14 FIG. 7. There, the message 12 is fashioned in a three 15 dimensional composition so that the lettering "XYZ Co." is 16 protruding outward from the medium 1. Although such is not 17 the case in FIG. 7, it is of course, understood that the 18 entire medium 1 may additionally be fashioned in a two or 19 three dimensional manner. For example, the medium 1 may be a 20 miniature three dimensional model such as a beer mug, shown in 21 FIG. 8, or a three dimensional character formation, as shown 22 in FIG. 9. Additionally, the medium may be fashioned in the 23 form of a retaining pouch, as shown in FIG. 10. It is 24 noteworthy that in all of these configurations, the medium 1 25 has a front surface 5 and back surface 7. Thus, a two or 26 three dimensional medium surface may be utilized over a flat 27 one for various reasons including, but not limited to, 28 advertisement purposes (as it may be more eye-catching), 29 gripping purposes, and/or preferred aesthetic appearances. 30 It is noteworthy to mention that the holding device need 31 not utilize a band 10 for retaining a cigarette lighter or 32 other small object. Any type of element that is capable of 33 gripping and/or holding a cigarette lighter and/or other type 34 of compact article(s) may be utilized. For example, this can 35 be a retaining pouch, as shown in FIG. 10, as well as a clamp, 36 snap-into receptacle, or male/female Velcro strips. It is 37 therefore understood that this invention applies to any type 8 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 of element utilized to hold a cigarette lighter or other 2 compact object together with a cigarette box, which is adapted 3 to display a message. Examples of other suitable holding 4 devices which may be adapted to display a message in 5 accordance with the present invention may be found in U.S. 6 Pat. App. 5,088,684 to Torras et al., U.S. Pat. App. 5,788,479 7 to Galanos et al., U.S. Pat App. 5,918,734 to Devens et al., 8 U.S. Pat. App. 6,223,891 B1 to Devens et al., and U.S. Pat. 9 App. D443,387 S to Torres et al. 10 Preferably, the holding element comprises a band 10, as 11 shown in Fig. 1, that is made out of elastic, rubber, or other 12 flexible material. This is because the advantages of a 13 flexible elastic or rubber band are numerous. First, an 14 elastic band provides a strong holding mechanism that would 15 keep a cigarette lighter and/or other small object secured to 16 the cigarette box 16, despite movement factors such as removal 17 and insertion of the cigarette box 16 to and from a pocket. 18 This is indicated in FIG. 5 where the butane lighter is 19 tightly held abuttingly to the cigarette box. Next, an 20 elastic band is compact which allows it to easily be enclosed 21 in and attached to the medium 1, for example, as with the 22 closed book formation shown in FIG. 2. Third, an elastic band 23 is very versatile in use as it can hold most compact objects 24 (e.g. money, paper slips, keys, pens, make-up items, candy, 25 etc.,) regardless of their shape, instead of, or simultaneous 26 to, holding the cigarette lighter 17. Finally, an elastic 27 band is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. 28 It is further preferred that the band 10 shown, for 29 example, in FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 30 and 17 be attached to the medium 1. Attachment of the band 10 31 to the medium 1 can be accomplished by use of an adhesive 32 compound, such as glue or tape, as per reference character 11, 33 grip clips/clamp (not shown), or other known methods that 34 would hold the two components together. Furthermore, 35 attachment can be permanent or non-permanent wherein the band 36 10 may be detached and reattached to the medium 1 (e.g. as is 37 the case with use of Velcro). It is noteworthy to mention 9 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 that attachment of the band 10 to the medium 1 may be at any 2 location point or points on the medium 1, the band 10, or a 3 combination thereof. Preferably, the point or points for 4 attachment would be in a location that does not block or 5 interfere with any message that may be located on or within 6 the medium 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the attachment location may 7 be at a point right above the message ("XYZ Co.") 12. 8 Additionally, attachment can be at one or more points located 9 below, to the left, or the right of the message. In light of 10 this, therefore, it is of course, understood that many 11 variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art. 12 As previously mentioned, the holding device serves both 13 as a holder for keeping a cigarette lighter or other compact 14 object together with a cigarette box, as well as a platform 15 for displaying a message. This is extremely significant for a 16 number of reasons. First, each time that the smoker reaches 17 for their lighter or other object gripped by the holding 18 element, they will undoubtedly be exposed to the message and 19 likely take notice of it. This could result in the smoker 20 being exposed to the message on numerous occasions, thereby 21 increasing the prospects of it getting across. Second, it is 22 well known that many smokers habitually place their cigarette 23 box on a table or counter top after having taken out a 24 cigarette for smoking. This conduct is extremely noteworthy 25 given that the cigarette box is usually placed in a location 26 where it is openly visible to any person sitting or standing 27 next to it. In other words, just by virtue of placing the 28 medium 1 onto the cigarette box 16, the smoker and those 29 around them become potential targets for the message presented 30 on or within the medium 1. In restaurants, for example, the 31 cigarette box may be left on the dining table for hours 32 throughout the course of a meal. During this time, it is very 33 likely that many of those around the table would spend a good 34 portion of that time glancing and staring at the box, thereby 35 noticing the message displayed on the attached medium 1. It is 36 noteworthy to mention that given the utility of the holding 37 device, smokers would likely be motivated to place the medium 10 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 1 on their cigarette boxes. It therefore ensues that once 2 attached to a cigarette box, the holding device could make the 3 cigarette box a useful article as well as a powerful platform 4 for delivering a message to a substantial amount of people. 5 In lieu of the advantages offered by the holding device, 6 however, it is further contemplated that a medium 1, absent a 7 holding element, may also be attached to the cigarette box. 8 This would allow for the message contained by the medium 1 to 9 still be communicated at times where the utility of a holding 10 element is not desired. As shown in FIG. 15, a medium 1 is 11 displayed absent a holding element. The medium 1 is 12 attachable to a cigarette box (preferably by way of an 13 adhesive backing on back side 7) and is solely provided in 14 order to convey a message. In this case, that message may be 15 that the slots at "XYZ CASINO" 22 result in high winnings. It 16 is noteworthy that although FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 17 14 display holding devices comprising of a holding element 18 (such as band 10) and an attached medium 1, the holding 19 element 10 need not be provided. Elimination of the holding 20 element (band 10) would do away with any utility for gripping 21 an object in an abutting manner to the cigarette box. The 22 result would be a medium 1 fashioned/fabricated only for the 23 purpose of conveying a message to an audience. For example, 24 in accordance with FIGS. 7, 8, and 9, the message may be a 25 company or product name such as "XYZ CO." 12, "JKL BEER" 12, 26 or "XYZ" 12, respectively, presented in a three dimensional 27 formation. With regards to FIGS. 11 and 12, the message may 28 similarly, be a company name such as "XYZ CASINO" 22 presented 29 in an electronically optical manner. In FIG. 13, the message 30 is shown as an audible slogan such as "Marlboro" 25, while a 31 mechanical display such as a slot machine is shown in FIG. 15, 32 as previously mentioned. As will later be discussed, band 10 33 may be used as a means of attaching the medium 1 to the 34 cigarette box despite its additional utility as a holding 35 element. As such, it is further contemplated that the mediums 36 shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 14 may have an 37 attached band 10, yet still be fashioned for the purpose of 11 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 conveying a message, irrespective of a holding utility. 2 Therefore, a distinctly notable aspect of this invention is a 3 "stand alone"/independent utility for delivering a message(s) 4 to an audience whereby the message(s) is contained within a 5 medium that is attachable to a cigarette box. 6 Shown in FIG. 1, front surface 5 contains a message 7 depicting "XYZ Co." 12. Although the message 12 is only shown 8 on front surface 5, it of course, can be placed on front 9 surface 4 as well. The same or a different message may also 10 be placed on back surface(s) 6 and/or 7. This is shown in 11 FIG. 2, where a different message depicts the imprint "Cig 12 Tag" 13, which, in this case, may be a possible company or 13 product logo for the medium 1. Given the diversity in 14 advertising, the message(s) placed on the medium 1 may be a 15 pictorial, holographic, text, and/or other type of graphic 16 image, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the message(s) 17 may also be a fashioned composition, such as a two or three 18 dimensional form that is comprised of various materials, such 19 as, but not limited to plastic, metal, fiberglass, polymer, 20 fiber, rubber, elastic, gel, paper, wood, glass, etc. For 21 example, FIGS. 6 and 7 both display the message "XYZ Co." 12. 22 The difference between the two, however, is that the message 23 12 in FIG. 6 is printed while that shown in FIG. 7 is a three 24 dimensional composition comprised out of construction material 25 such as plastic. Thus, the message(s) on the medium 1 may be 26 comprised of graphic, stationary, and/or any other type of 27 construction material, as mentioned above. 28 It is noteworthy that the message(s) may also be 29 electronically generated by way of visual means, audible 30 means, motorized means, or a combination of the three. In 31 other words, the medium 1 may electronically present the 32 message via use of a luminous display, an audible mechanism, 33 and/or a motorized mechanism. Presenting the message in this 34 manner is extremely advantageous since doing so would highly 35 increase the chances of it being noticed by the smoker and/or 36 those nearby, thus, increasing awareness of the message. A 37 microprocessor integrated into either the optical, audible, 12 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 and/or motorized message(s) circuitry may provide means for 2 delivering the message in a pre-determined, controlled, and/or 3 desired manner. Additionally, a memory module(s), if likewise 4 integrated with these circuit(s) is preferably non-volatile 5 and contains pre-programmed data relating to the message 6 and/or its method of presentation. A power source such as a 7 wafer battery may provide power to the circuit. 8 Visual electronic means may include an optical electronic 9 display comprised of a pixilated element(s), conventional 10 light element(s) (e.g. bulb, fiber optic, etc.), liquid 11 crystal, or other type of electronic optical display. Such 12 display may present the message in either an animated or 13 motionless manner, and may further include additional 14 electronic components needed to present the desired visual 15 message. Such components may include, but are not limited to 16 an activation switch, a power source, a microprocessor, and 17 memory module(s). 18 As shown in FIG. 11, holding device 600, the medium 1 is 19 configured as a case having a front surface 5 and a back 20 surface 7. The medium 1 includes electronic components such 21 as a light bulb 18, a microprocessor 19, a memory module 20, 22 and a wafer battery 21 for powering the circuit. Use of a 23 microprocessor 19 and/or a memory module(s) would allow for 24 the message to be controlled with respect to presentation and 25 content. For example, the microprocessor 19 may be used to 26 control the operation of the circuit. In one embodiment, the 27 microprocessor 19 may be programmed to present the message in 28 a flashing or colored (single or multi) manner. Additionally, 29 programming stored in the memory module(s) 20 may allow for 30 varying message content to be displayed (such as with use of 31 an LDC) during presentation. Despite this, however, it is of 32 course understood that medium 1 need only have the minimum 33 electronic components, as is best known to those skilled in 34 the art, which would be needed to present the message in an 35 electronically optical manner. 36 Returning to FIG. 11, upon activation of the circuit, 37 medium 1 will display the message "XYZ CASINO" 22 in a 13 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 luminous manner 23 until deactivation. While the 2 electronically optical message may be presented through a 3 number of different structural arrangements, the message 22 4 shown in FIG. 11 utilizes an opaque medium 1 having text cut 5 from and/or transparently overlaid on its front surface 5. 6 This will allow the light 23 produced by the light generating 7 element to escape the medium 1 and deliver the message 22 in a 8 luminous manner. Furthermore, the medium 1 may be fashioned 9 into a three dimensional formation that includes electronic 10 circuitry as mentioned above. In this respect the optical 11 message is not limited to a luminous text display and may 12 likewise be delivered by presenting a luminous three 13 dimensional graphic formation (e.g. figure, product, animal, 14 etc.). As a further example of how an electronic luminous 15 display may be arranged, FIG. 12, holding device 700, shows a 16 medium comprised of a liquid crystal display (LCD) 37. The 17 medium 1 is configured as a case having a front surface 5 and 18 back surface 7 with the message display surface of LCD 37 19 positioned towards the front surface 5 of medium 1. While 20 wafer battery 21 may provide power to the circuit, electronic 21 components such as microprocessor 19, and memory module(s) 20 22 may likewise be integrated in order to deliver and/or enhance 23 the intended message. Although LCD 37 of FIG. 12 displays the 24 message "XYZ CASINO" in a type set manner, other ways of 25 presenting the message on the LCD 37 are likewise 26 contemplated. These include the use of animations (movable or 27 motionless), presentation effects (e.g. scrolling data 28 content, blinking data content, color, etc.), etc. Besides 29 messages, the LCD 37 may further display any type of 30 informative data including the time (12:00 AM) 38, date (not 31 shown), user's name, etc. It is noteworthy that despite the 32 structural arrangement shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, other types 33 of arrangements for presenting an electronically optical 34 message likewise exist. These includes use of LEDs positioned 35 in a particular pattern to form a recognizable message (not 36 shown) or any other type of optical electronic display 37 arrangements best known to those skilled in the art. 14 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 Similar to an electronically delivered optical message, a 2 sound generating element may be used to generate an electronic 3 audible message. The audible message may include a pre 4 recorded verbal message, chime, melody, or any other type of 5 audible composition. Components for presenting an audible 6 message may include, but are not limited to an activation 7 switch, a power source, a sound generating element, a 8 microprocessor, and memory module(s). As shown in FIG. 13, 9 holding device 800, the medium is configured as a case having 10 a front surface 5 and a back surface 7. The medium 1 includes 11 electronic components such as a speaker 24, a microprocessor 12 19, a memory module 20, and a wafer battery 21 for powering 13 the circuit. Use of a microprocessor 19 and/or a memory 14 module(s) would allow for the audible message to be controlled 15 with respect to presentation and content. For example, the 16 microprocessor 19 may control the message by presenting it in 17 a repetitive or multi-vocal manner. Additionally, programming 18 stored in the memory module(s) 20 may allow for a more 19 informative message to be presented then would otherwise be 20 the case. Inclusion of a recorder element, such as a 21 microphone (not shown), coupled with the microprocessor 19 22 and/or memory module(s) 20 would further allow a user to 23 continually record messages (e.g. memos) and save them for 24 future playback. Such a feature would be useful in reminding 25 a user of important information. Despite this, however, it is 26 of-course understood that medium 1 need only have the minimum 27 electronic components, as is best known to those skilled in 28 the art, which would be needed to present the message in an 29 electronically audible manner. Referring again to FIG. 13, 30 the medium 1, upon activation of the electronic circuit, will 31 deliver the pre-recorded message "Marlboro" ® 25. 32 In FIG. 14, a medium 1 is further shown as capable of 33 presenting an electronically generated message containing both 34 optical and audible elements. There, medium 1, which is 35 configured as an opaque case has light bulb 18, speaker 24, 36 microprocessor 19, memory module 20, and a wafer battery 21 37 for powering the circuit. When activated, medium 1 is able to 15 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 present the message "XYZ CASINO" 22 in a luminous 23 and 2 audible 26 manner. Microprocessor 19, coupled with memory 3 module(s) 20 may be used to control the message with regards 4 to optical/audio timing and content presentation. 5 Finally, the message may also be presented via way of a 6 mechanical motion generating element. In one embodiment, an 7 electronically motorized element such as a miniature D/C motor 8 may be attached to movable components contained within the 9 medium. As shown in FIG. 15, the medium 1 is fashioned as a 10 slot machine having front surface 5 and back surface 7. The 11 medium 1 includes electronic motor 27 which is powered by 12 wafer battery 21 and has a shaft 28 leading to reels 29, 30, 13 and 31. Additionally, a microprocessor 19 and/or memory 14 module(s) 20 may be included to control the message and/or 15 present it in a particular manner. Upon activation, motor 27, 16 via shaft 28, rotates reels 29, 30, and 31 wherein the 17 character "7" on each respective reel falls on or approaches 18 (as is the case with reel 31) the center bar 32. A message 19 presented in such a fashion may function to convey the notion 20 that slot machines located at "XYZ CASINO" 22 result in 21 frequent payoffs. Despite the slot machine formation, the 22 medium 1 may of course, be fashioned in a wide range of 23 different designs and structures, each of which presents a 24 distinct and/or particular message via the use of a motion 25 generating element(s). Other such contemplated structures 26 and/or designs may include, but are not limited to movable 27 figures that depict people, animals, recreational activities 28 (e.g. sports), products (e.g. vehicles, tools, electronics, 29 furniture), games, game machines, etc. It is also noteworthy 30 that although the motion generating element shown in FIG. 15 31 is an electronic motor 27, it may alternatively be a non 32 electronic spring loaded, wind up, or similar type mechanical 33 motion generating device. Additionally, components such as an 34 electronic optical display and/or sound generating element may 35 be included within the medium 1 to further enhance the 36 message. 16 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 It is preferred that an electronically generated message 2 regarding either the optical, audible, and/or motorized 3 displays be activated via use of an activation switch. The 4 activation switch may consist of a push button, lever (such as 5 that 33 shown in FIG. 15), trigger mechanism (such as touching 6 metal connectors), or any other activation device known to 7 those skilled in the art. A trigger mechanism, for example, 8 may be strategically situated, such as on the medium 1 or 9 cigarette box 16, wherein it will activate the circuit 10 resulting from an action initiated by a user (such as push of 11 a button, opening of the cigarette box top cover, etc.). Once 12 the switch is activated, the electronic message generating 13 circuitry will present the message in an electronically 14 visual, audible, motorized, or combined type form. As shown 15 in FIG. 16, medium 1 (which is fashioned as an opaque 16 rectangular case) is shown to display the message "XYZ CASINO" 17 22 in a luminous 23 setting when the top lid 34 of cigarette 18 box 16 is opened. There, opening of lid 34 separates upper 19 connector 35 from lower connector 36 to activate the circuit, 20 thereby causing light bulb 18 to turn on. As shown in FIG. 21 17, closing of the cigarette box top lid 34, allows connectors 22 35 and 36 to come in contact with one another, thereby de 23 activating the circuit within medium 1. 24 It is preferred that the medium 1 be configured in a 25 "closed book" enclosure formation since such would be 26 advantageous in distribution, handling, and protection of the 27 holding device and/or medium. As shown in FIG. 2, medium 1 28 may be folded along vertical perforation 9 to render it in the 29 "closed book" formation. In this configuration, back surfaces 30 6 and 7, respectively, become the front and reverse outer 31 handling surfaces of the medium 1, with edge 8 forming an 32 outer side surface. The medium 1 can thereafter be detachably 33 sealed along any of its edges so as to keep it in the "closed 34 book" formation. Although the folded "closed book" enclosure 35 is shown in FIG. 2 as rectangular in shape, it of course, need 36 not be as such, and may come in any geometric shape including, 37 circular, triangular, trapezoid, elliptical, etc. It is 17 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 noteworthy to mention that in situations where the "closed 2 book" formation is not desired, the medium 1 can come in an 3 "open - no fold" formation, as is shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, 4 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. It is of course understood, that 5 in such a case, holding devices 200 as per FIG. 6, 300 as per 6 FIG. 8, 400 as per FIG. 9, 500 as per FIG. 10, 600 as per FIG. 7 11, 700 as per FIG. 12, 800 as per FIG. 13, 900 as per FIG. 8 14, and the medium 1 as per FIG. 15 may be individually 9 wrapped, such as with cellophane or other material, in order 10 to protect the entire apparatus throughout the course of 11 distribution. 12 Attachment of the medium 1 directly on the cigarette box 13 16 or the cellophane wrapping, which may be present around the 14 box 16, can be accomplished in a number of ways. Placing an 15 adhesive backing on the back surface(s) of the medium 1 is one 16 conceivable method of doing this. As illustrated in FIG. 3 17 and referenced in FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18 and 15 back surface 7 of medium 1 may have a peel away backing 19 14 which could be removed to reveal an adhesive surface 15 20 underneath. The adhesive layer 15 may be placed on the entire 21 back surface 7 or a select portion of it. 22 Use of an adhesive backing is the preferred method of 23 attaching the medium 1 to cigarette box 16 since such would 24 securely affix the two together. Despite this, however, other 25 methods known in the art, including attachment via clips or a 26 strap such as band 10, are also contemplated. In this 27 respect, an adhesive attachment, although preferred, may not 28 even be needed. For example, the elastic band (vis-a-vis the 29 band 10 of holding devices 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, 700, 800, 30 and 900) can be used to attach the medium 1 to cigarette box 31 16 just by stretching the band 10 around the cigarette box 16. 32 Attachment in this manner would likely be the case with 33 holding devices such as those shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In 34 neither of these examples does an adhesive material need to be 35 resident on the back of the respective medium 1 in order for 36 it to be attached to the cigarette box 16. There, band 10 can 37 act as both the mechanism used for attaching the medium 1 to 18 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 the cigarette box 16 as well as that which is used to grip 2 compact objects. Alternatively, band 10 may simply act as the 3 mechanism for attaching a medium 1, independent of a holding 4 element, to a cigarette box 16, as previously mentioned. Of 5 course, if desired, the medium 1 of FIGS. 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 6 and 14, for example, may also contain an adhesive backing to 7 allow for a stronger attachment to the cigarette box 16. 8 This, however, is not required. 9 Alternatively, attachment of holding devices 100, 200, 10 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800 and 900 to cigarette box 16 can 11 also be accomplished via the use of clips located on back 12 surface 6 or 7 which could dig into cigarette box 16. 13 Finally, attachment can also be removably affixed, such as 14 where Velcro is used to allow for attachment and re 15 attachment. 16 After the medium 1 is attached to cigarette box 16, the 17 seal keeping it in the "closed book" formation (if holding 18 device is configured as such) may be broken (not shown), after 19 which the band 10 can be stretched around box 16, as shown in 20 FIG. 4. Once this is done, a cigarette lighter 17 or other 21 compact object(s) may be held in an abutting manner to box 16, 22 as shown in FIG. 5. It should be mentioned that although the 23 holding device in this disclosure mainly focuses on an 24 apparatus for securing a cigarette lighter 17 to a cigarette 25 box 16, it is wholly contemplated that such a holding device 26 can also be used to secure other compact objects to the 27 cigarette box 16. Such objects may include, but are not 28 limited to money, writing utensils, paper slips, keys, medical 29 drugs, make-up articles and accessories, pouches, wallets, 30 identification cards, debit cards, etc. As is obvious from 31 FIG. 4, any of these objects can be gripped by the holding 32 device(S) of this invention anywhere along the circumference 33 of the cigarette box 16. Thus, once the holding device of 34 this invention is attached to a cigarette box 16, it can 35 provide the user with an apparatus capable of holding most 36 compact objects in an abutting manner to the cigarette box 16. 37 This will help the user keep their items close within reach 19 WO 03/070600 PCT/USO3/04418 1 while exposing them and others to the message(s) contained on 2 the medium 1. Additionally, given the ability to convey 3 messages through the medium attached to a cigarette box, this 4 invention is likewise noted for its method of displaying 5 messages by way of rendering medium 1 independent of a holding 6 element. 7 While the present invention has been described with 8 regards to particular embodiments, it is recognized that 9 additional variations of the present invention may be devised 10 without departing from the inventive concept. The present 11 embodiments of this invention are thus to be considered in all 12 respects as illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of 13 the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather 14 than by the foregoing description. All changes which come 15 within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are 16 intended to be embraced therein. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 20

Claims (28)

I CLAIM:

1. A cigarette lighter holding device for attachment to a cigarette box comprising: a holding element, said element being capable of retaining a cigarette lighter together with a cigarette box and including a medium; and means for presenting at least one electronically generated message through said medium.

2. The holding device of Claim 1, wherein said means for presenting said message include an electronic light generating element.

3. The holding device of Claim 1, wherein said means for presenting said message include an electronic sound generating element.

4. The holding device of Claim 3, wherein said electronic sound generating element further include a recorder element, said recorder element capable of storing inputted sound.

5. The holding device of Claim 1, wherein said means for presenting said message include an electronic motion generating element.

6. The holding device of Claim 1, further comprising: means for affixing said holding element, said medium, or both, to said cigarette box.

7. The holding device of Claim 6, wherein said means for affixing said holding element, said medium, or a combination thereof, include an adhesive element.

8. The holding device of Claim 1, wherein said at least one message comprises an advertisement, slogan, logo, trademark, trade name, warning message, personal message, or a combination thereof.

9. The holding device of Claim 1, wherein said holding element comprises a band, said band capable of being stretched around said cigarette box for holding said lighter together with said box.

10. The holding device of Claim 1, wherein said holding element is attached to a surface of said medium at at least one point of attachment on said holding element, said medium, or a combination thereof.

11. The holding device of Claim 1, wherein said at least one message further includes text, an image, a hologram, or a combination thereof.

12. A holding device for attachment to a cigarette box comprising: a holding element, said holding element being capable of retaining at least one compact object together with a cigarette box and including a medium; and means for presenting at least one electronically generated message through said medium.

13. A device for displaying a message on a cigarette box comprising: a medium attachable to a cigarette box; and means for presenting at least one electronically generated message through said medium.

14. The device^' of Claim 13, wherein said means for presenting said message include an electronic light generating element.

15. The device of Claim 13, wherein said means for presenting said message include an electronic sound generating element .

16. The device of Claim 13, wherein said means for presenting said message include an electronic motion generating element .

17. A method of presenting a message on a cigarette box comprising: providing a medium, said medium including means for electronically generating at least one message; attaching said medium to said cigarette box; and activating said electronically generated message.

18. The method of Claim 17 further comprising: providing a holding element, said holding element being capable of retaining at least one compact object together with a cigarette box.

19. A holding device for attachment to a cigarette box comprising: a holding element, said holding element being capable of retaining at least one compact object together with a cigarette box and including a medium; and means for presenting at least one holographic message, three dimensionally fashioned message, or a combination thereof, through said medium.

20. A method of presenting a message on a cigarette box comprising: providing a medium, said medium including at least one holographic message, three dimensionally fashioned message, or a combination thereof; attaching said medium to said cigarette box; and exposing said cigarette box wherein said message is viewable.

21. The method of Claim 20 further comprising: providing a holding element, said holding element being capable of retaining at least one compact object together with a cigarette box.

22 A holding device for attachment to a cigarette box comprising: a holding element, said holding element being capable of retaining at least one compact object together with a cigarette box and including a medium; and means for presenting at least one mechanically generated message through said medium.

23. The holding device of Claim 22, wherein said means for presenting said mechanically generated message include an electronic motor, a spring loaded element, or a combination thereof.

24. A method of presenting a message on a cigarette box comprising: providing a medium, said medium including at least one mechanically generated message; attaching said medium to said cigarette box; and activating said mechanically generated message.

25. The method of Claim 24 further comprising: providing a holding element, said holding element being capable of retaining at least one compact object together with a cigarette box.

26. The method of Claim 24, further comprising: an electronic motor, a spring loaded element, or a combination thereof for generating said message.

27. A holding device for attachment to a cigarette box comprising: a holding element, said holding element being capable of retaining at least one compact object together with a cigarette box and including a medium; and means for presenting at least one message through said medium.

28. A method of advertisement comprising: providing a cigarette box including a display medium; and displaying an advertisement on said display medium, said advertisement comprising at least one electronically generated message, holographic message, three dimensionally fashioned message, mechanically generated message, or a combination thereof.