AU782929B2

AU782929B2 - Cigarette recepticle

Info

Publication number: AU782929B2
Application number: AU51827/01A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Craig Elden Brown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-06-09
Filing date: 2001-06-08
Publication date: 2005-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 2021-06-08
Also published as: AU5182701A

Description

P/00/011 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT 0 Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor Address for service is: Craig Elden Brown Craig Elden Brown WRAY ASSOCIATES 239 Adelaide Terrace Perth, WA 6000 Attorney code: WR Invention Title: "Cigarette Recepticle" Details of Associated Provisional Application No's.: PQ8051 filed 9 June 2000 and PR3397 filed 27 February 2001 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- -2- Title: Cigarette Receptacle Field Of The Invention In this specification, the term "cigarette" is to be taken as a reference to any item comprising a substance contained with a substantially elongate tubular packaging which is to be ignited and the smoke there from inhaled. In particular, it includes cigarettes, cigars and the like.

The present invention relates to a receptacle for a cigarette.

Background Art With the rising resistance to smoking within the community, there are now many restrictions imposed upon those who choose to smoke. Smoking is now widely prohibited in many places including restaurants, offices, aircraft and many other situations. At the same time, governments have repetitively increased the taxation imposed on the sale of cigarettes so that smoking is now a costly habit. Those who wish to smoke often have to adjourn to designated areas where they often find themselves with limited time available to complete the smoking of a full cigarette. In many cases, the smoker is forced to extinguish his cigarette well before it is completed. In general, it has been impractical to save the remainder of the cigarette since it is found that extinguishing the cigarette by stubbing it usually damages the cigarette.

20 Further, storage of the partly used cigarette has been problematic as ash remnants contaminate the cigarette, especially the butt, as well as soiling anything else present where it is stored.

Disclosure of the Invention In accordance with the invention there is disclosed a cigarette storage receptacle comprising an enclosure having a closure adapted to sealingly close -3the enclosure, the enclosure accommodating a butt support adapted to receive and support the butt end of a cigarette.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the butt support is adapted to receive the butt through a butt opening to isolate the butt from the interior of the enclosure.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the enclosure is provided with a means adapted to reduce the pressure within the enclosure.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the enclosure is of a cylindrical configuration wherein the closure encloses one end of the enclosure.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the butt support is supported by the closure.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the means for reducing the *pressure of the enclosure comprises a one way valve porting to the exterior of the enclosure and which is adapted to open when the pressure within the 15 enclosure exceeds the external ambient pressure, said means for reducing the pressure further comprising a means for reducing the volume of the enclosure, said enclosure being biased to a maximum volume condition.

According to a preferred embodiment, the closure is slidably received on the enclosure to be movable between a first position and a second position at which the enclosure is in a minimum and maximum volume condition respectively, said closure, being biased to the second position.

According to a preferred embodiment, the closure further comprises a manually operable actuating means adapted to releasably unseat the valve member.

According to a preferred feature of the embodiment, the actuating means comprises at least one unseating member receivable through the wall of the closure, having an outer portion adapted to be manipulated and an inner -4portion located adjacent to the valve member whereby manipulation of the outer portion causes the inner portion to unseat the valve member.

According to a preferred feature of the embodiment, the means for porting to the exterior of the enclosure comprises two opposed vents in the wall of the closure and the actuating means comprises two unseating members, the inner portion of each of which is receivable within a respective vent and the outer portions of each being supportably joined by a clip member, each inner portion being provided with a free end adapted to unseat the valve member when displaced from a relaxed position by pressure applied to the respective outer portion.

According to a preferred feature of the embodiment, the actuating means is provided with detent means adapted to be received in the vents of the closure and thereby retain the actuating means to the closure.

According to a preferred feature of the embodiment, each outer portion 15 comprises contact means adapted to be engaged by a thumb and finger of a user to enable resilient, radially-inward displacement of the legs from a relaxed position.

According to a preferred embodiment, the actuating means further comprises an elongate clasp member extending from the actuating means longitudinally along the external surface of the closure and being resiliently biased.

According to a preferred embodiment, the butt opening is closed by a resiliently deformable butt-opening closure adapted to permit insertion of a cigarette butt through the butt-opening closure.

According to a preferred embodiment, the butt-opening closure comprises a barrier membrane formed with a slit to enable movement of a cigarette butt past the barrier.

According to a preferred embodiment, the butt-opening closure is retained with the butt opening by interference fit.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of several specific embodiments.

Brief Description Of The Drawings The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a cigarette storage receptacle according to a first embodiment; Figure 2 is a side elevation of a cigarette storage receptacle according to the first embodiment; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a cigarette storage receptacle according to the first embodiment; Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of a cigarette storage receptacle according to the first embodiment with a cigarette supported within; Figure 5 is an exploded isometric view of the embodiment showing the elements of the cigarette storage receptacle according to the first embodiment; Figure 6 is an isometric view of a cigarette storage receptacle according to a second embodiment; Figure 7 is a side elevation of a cigarette storage receptacle according to the second embodiment; Figure 8 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a cigarette storage receptacle according to the second embodiment; -6- Figure 9 is an alternate sectional elevation of the portion of a cigarette storage receptacle according to the second embodiment Figure 10 sectional elevation of a cigarette storage receptacle according to a third embodiment Figure 11 is an exploded isometric view of a fourth embodiment of a cigarette storage receptacle combining the additional features of the second and third embodiments.

Detailed Description of a Specific Embodiment The first embodiment of the invention as shown at Figures 1 to 5 comprises a cigarette storage receptacle for receiving and storing a cigarette. The cigarette storage receptacle comprises an enclosure 1 having an elongate receiver 11 of substantially cylindrical, tubular shape, having an internal bore, a receiver closed end 21 and a receiver open end 22 for receiving a cigarette. There is .:o.oi further provided a closure 12 of corresponding cylindrical tubular shape with a closure closed end 23 and a closure open end 24 and vents 34 adjacent the closure closed end 23. The closure 12 has an internal diameter which is slightly greater than the external diameter of elongate receiver 11 to enable the closure 12 to slidingly engage over the elongate receiver 11.

The enclosure 1 accommodates a butt support 13 supported by the closure 12.

The butt support 13 is of substantially elongate, cylindrical form and is provided with a valve-end 15 at one end and a butt opening 14 at the other end.

The butt support 13 has an external diameter adapted to slidingly engage the internal bore of the elongate receiver 11. The butt support 13 is further provided with a plurality of annular sealing ribs 19 on the external surface of the butt support 13 adjacent to butt opening 14.

The butt support 13 is also provided with an annular stop-rib 28 in vicinity of the valve end 15 of butt support 13, together with an enlarged diameter portion of -7butt support 13 between the stop-rib 28 and the valve end 15. The interior of the closure 12 has a correspondingly reduced diameter portion in the vicinity of the closure closed end 23 with which the enlarged diameter portion of the butt support 13 is adapted to engage by means of interference fit. The stop-rib 28 is adapted to limit the depth by which the butt support 13 engages the closure 12 thereby providing a recess 34 between the closure closed end 23 and the valve end 15 of the butt support 13. The vents 34 are arranged to open into the recess 33.

The butt opening 14 defines a cavity 18 within the butt support 13 which has an internal diameter adapted to receive and support the butt end 17 of a cigarette 16. The internal diameter of the cavity 18 is sized to enable easy insertion of the butt end 17 of a cigarette 16 within the cavity 18 but is small enough to hold the butt end 17 firmly while the enclosure 1 is transported by the smoker. The depth of the cavity 18 is sufficient to permit the full portion of the butt end 17 that might be inserted into the mouth of the smoker to be inserted within the cavity 18. In this manner, the butt end 17 of the cigarette 16 is isolated from the interior of the enclosure and is thus protected from contamination by ash while the enclosure is transported by the smoker.

A coil spring 25 is provided within the closure 12 surrounding the but support 20 13 and has a first end 26 adapted to engage the stop-rim 28 and the second .il.

***end 27 adapted to engage the receiver open end 22 of the elongate receiver 11.

The butt support 13 is further provided with an orifice 32 in the valve end which provides communication between the cavity 18 and the recess 33. A valve member 31 is received in the recess 33 and has a stem 35 which is received in the orifice 32. The outer end of the orifice 32 comprises a valveseat upon which the valve 31 is seated. The valve 31 is made from resilient, flexible, rubber or plastics material and is adapted to deform to permit passage of gas and/or smoke when the pressure within the enclosure 1 exceeds ambient pressure and further adapted to sealingly seat on the valve-seat when -8ambient pressure exceeds or is the same as the pressure within enclosure 1.

The valve 31 is retained within recess 33 during assembly of the butt support 13 into the closure 12 and is thereby held against the seat. The vents 34 are provided in the wall of closure 12 adjacent the closure closed end 23 to permit exhaustion of air and/or smoke from the recess 33.

In use, the butt of a smouldering cigarette is inserted into the butt end 14 of the butt support 13 which is retained within the closure 12. Thereafter the smouldering end of the cigarette is inserted into the receiver open end 22 of the elongate receiver 11 and the closure 12 is slidingly engaged with the elongate receiver 11. The butt support 13 sealingly engages the bore of elongate receiver 11 by means of the sealing-ribs 19, while the valve 31 is resiliently urged into a sealed condition. A sealed enclosure is thereby defined. As the closure 12 is urged into further engagement with the elongate receiver 11, the second end 27 of the spring 25 engages the rim 29 of the receiver open end 15 22. The closure 12 is forced into further engagement with the elongate receiver 11 until the spring 25 is fully compressed. During this compression, the pressure within the enclosure 1 is increased due to the reduction of volume, so that the valve 31 is opened to release excess air and/or smoke which is exhausted through the vents 34. When the force upon the closure 12 compressing the coil spring 25 is released, the closure 12 is urged by the coil spring 25 to a maximum volume condition. The one-way valve 33 prevents entry of air through the orifice 32 and as a result of the increased volume within the enclosure, the pressure is reduced. The cigarette is extinguished almost *"instantaneously, apparently aided by the rapid reduction of pressure.

The second embodiment as shown in Figure 6, 7, 8 and 9 comprises a cigarette storage receptacle for receiving and storing a cigarette having all of the features of the first embodiment, and like features are denoted in the drawings with the same numerals. The second embodiment further comprises an actuating means 41 which enables the valve member to be selectively opened manually.

-9- The actuating means 41 comprises a clip member formed of resilient material having a substantially C-shaped configuration. The free ends of the clip member are provided with a detent means which is adapted to be received in the substantially opposed vents 34. Each of the free ends support a leg 42 which extends substantially radially inwardly into the closure 12 such that their free ends are located adjacent the valve member 31. Each leg further comprises a contact means adjacent the detent means comprising a raised pad adapted to be engaged by a thumb and finger of a user to enable a user to apply an inwardly directed pressure to the legs 42 which cause the free of the legs to be displaced inwardly and engage the valve member 31. In its relaxed state, the free end of each leg is located adjacent the valve member 31 and when pressure is applied to the contact means to cause inward displacement of the free ends of the legs, they will engage the valve member 31 to unseat the valve member 31.

15 In use, the user applies pressure to the contact means while removing the closure 12 from the receiver 11, thereby preventing a vacuum forming within the enclosure and enabling the closure to be easily removed from the receiver 11.

The clip member further comprises a clasp member 45, adapted to clasp the cigarette storage receptacle to a shirt pocket of a user. The clasp member **comprises an elongate member extending from intermediate the clip member substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the clip member and adapted to lie longitudinally along the external surface of the closure 12. The clasp member is resiliently biased inwardly to apply a retention force at its free end. The free end of the clasp member is rounded. In use, a user may support the cigarette receptacle by slidably engaging the pocket material of the shirt or other apparel being worn between the clasp member 45 and the external surface of the closure 12. The retention force securely retains the cigarette receptacle to the pocket material. The rounded free end of the clasp member acts to prevent the clasp member 45 from inadvertently piercing the material.

The third embodiment as shown in Figure 10 and the fourth embodiment as shown in Figure 11 each comprise a cigarette storage receptacle for receiving and storing a cigarette having all of the features of the first embodiment, and like features are denoted in these drawings with the same numerals. The third embodiment further comprises a butt-opening closure 51 adapted to close the butt opening 14 when no cigarette is inserted. The fourth embodiment also incorporates this feature, in addition to the additional features described in relation to the second embodiment. The features described in relation to the third embodiment may also be viewed by reference to Figure 11.

The butt-opening closure 51 comprises a membrane supported by a rim 53.

The membrane comprises a plurality of sections 52 divided by slits in the membrane extending radially to the rim 53. The sections 52 are resiliently deformable and adapted to deform sufficiently to permit the insertion of a cigarette butt through the rim. In their relaxed state, the sections 52 are biased to enclose the rim 53 thereby forming a disc. The butt-opening closure is adapted to be retained within the butt opening by interference fit of the rim 53 to the butt opening 14.

In use when no cigarette is inserted into the butt opening 14, the relaxed sections 52 of the butt-opening closure 51 provide a disc which closes the butt 20 opening, thereby preventing the entry of any ash into the butt opening. Such ash might otherwise cause soiling of a butt of a cigarette later inserted into the butt opening. When a cigarette is inserted into the butt opening 14 through the butt-opening closure 51, the sections 52 deform to allow the butt to pass through the rim 53 without damage.

A cigarette storage receptacle according to the present invention advantageously provides an enclosed receptacle for storing a partially used cigarette without ash from the cigarette contaminating the butt. It also has the advantage that, as it is fully enclosed, unwanted odours are contained during storage. It further provides a means of rapidly extinguishing the cigarette -11 without damaging the cigarette. As well, partly used cigarettes stored within the receptacle are found to remain relatively fresh.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the embodiments described above.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

O *oo o*

Claims

1. A cigarette storage receptacle comprising an enclosure having a closure adapted to sealingly close the enclosure, the enclosure accommodating a butt support adapted to receive and support the butt end of a cigarette wherein the enclosure is provided with a means adapted to reduce the air pressure within the enclosure.

2. A cigarette storage receptacle according to claim 1 wherein the means to reduce air pressure is adapted to cause the air pressure to be reduced rapidly.

3. A cigarette storage receptacle according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the butt support is adapted to receive the butt through a butt opening to isolate the butt from the interior of the enclosure.

4. A cigarette storage receptacle according to claims 3 wherein the butt opening is closed by a resiliently deformable butt-opening closure adapted to permit insertion of a cigarette butt through the butt-opening closure. A cigarette storage receptacle according to claim 4 wherein the butt- opening closure comprises a barrier membrane formed with a slit to enable movement of a cigarette butt past the barrier. *e 20 5. A cigarete storage receptacle accordinn to claims 4 or claim 5 wherein the butt-opening closure is retained within the butt opening by interference fit.

7. A cigarette storage receptacle according to any one of the preceding claimswherein the enclosure is of a cylindrical configuration wherein the closure encloses one end of the enclosure. -13-

8. A cigarette storage receptacle according to any one of the previous claims wherein the butt support is supported by the closure.

9. A cigarette storage receptacle according to any one of the previous claims wherein the closure is slidably received on the enclosure to be movable between a first position and a second position at which the enclosure is in a minimum and maximum volume condition respectively, said closure being biased to the second position. A cigarette storage receptacle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for reducing the pressure of the enclosure comprises a one way valve porting to the exterior of the enclosure and which is adapted to open when the pressure within the enclosure exceeds the external ambient pressure, said means for reducing the pressure further comprising a means for reducing the volume of the enclosure, said enclosure being biased to a maximum volume condition. 15 11. A cigarette storage receptacle according to claim 10 wherein the closure further comprises a manually operable actuating means adapted to releasably unseat the one way valve.

12. A cigarette storage receptacle according to claim 11 wherein the actuating means comprises at least one unseating member receivable through the wall of the closure, having an outer portion adapted to be manipulated and an inner portion located adjacent to the one way valve whereby manipulation of the outer portion causes the inner portion to unseat the valve member.

13. A cigarette storage receptacle according to claim 12 wherein the one way valve for porting to the exterior of the enclosure comprises two opposed vents in the wall of the closure and the actuating means comprises two unseating members, the inner portion of each of which is receivable within a respective vent and the outer portions of each being supportably joined -14- by a clip member, each inner portion being provided with a free end adapted to unseat the one way valve when displaced from a relaxed position by pressure applied to the respective outer portion.

14. A cigarette storage receptacle according to any one of claims 11 to 13 the actuating means is provided with detent means adapted to be received in the vents of the closure and thereby retain the actuating means to the closure. A cigarette storage receptacle according to any one of claims 11 to 14 wherein each outer portion comprises contact means adapted to be engaged by a thumb and finger of a user to enable resilient, radially- inward displacement of the contact means from a relaxed position.

16. A cigarette storage receptacle according to any one of claims 11 to wherein actuating means further comprises an elongate clasp member extending from the actuating means longitudinally along the external ii i! 15 surface of the closure and being resiliently biased inwardly.

17. A cigarette storage receptacle substantially as herein described.

18. A cigarette storage receptacle substantially as herein described with i: i:reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 7th day of July 2005. CRAIG ELDEN BROWN Applicant Wray Associates Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorneys for the Applicant(s)