EP1856992A1 - Container for storing cigars - Google Patents

Abstract

The receptacle has a base part and a cover, which are moved relatively to each other in a position to close an interior. The receptacle has an outside wall (1) of stone and a lining of wood. The wood lining is fitted at the base part on an inner side of the outside wall. The wood lining is designed as internal wall of the receptacle.

Description

The present invention relates to a container ("humidor") for storing cigars according to the preamble of the independent claim.

The proper storage of cigars is often understood as a separate science. As a matter of fact, storage must be done at the right temperature and humidity. This is to prevent mildew or dehydration of cigars at too high or too low humidity and optimal storage conditions are created. These allow the cigar to burn even after prolonged storage and the aroma can fully develop. For this cigars are kept in often called "Hurnidor" containers. Hurnidore are containers made of wood, preferably made of Spanish cedar, which contain as compensation for evaporation by the wood, usually a passive or even an active humidifier. Examples of passive humectants are soaked sponges. Active electronic humectants are available on the market as 'Hydrocase'.

Known containers for storing cigars are often not optimal for controlling relative humidity. In addition, the humidity must be constantly monitored and, if necessary, water replenished or batteries of an active humectant replaced, since control means must be constantly active.

It would thus be desirable to have a container for the storage of cigars available, which allows optimal air conditioning at the lowest possible maintenance costs and expenses.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide such a container for storing cigars, which allows constant storage conditions as possible, with the lowest possible maintenance costs.

The object is achieved by the container as defined in independent claim 1. Also subject of the use of such a container for the storage of cigars.

The inventive container for storing cigars has, in a manner known per se, a bottom part and a lid, which can be brought into a position relative to one another, in which an interior is closed. The container according to the invention now has an outer wall made of stone, and an insert made of wood, wherein the wood insert is mounted at least on the bottom part on an inner side of the outer wall. By "stone" is meant primarily a rock, that is a solid, during the course of Earth's history resulting mineral mass. Preferred rocks are marble or granite. Particular embodiments of the container according to the invention are based on materials composed of different rocks, from which the outer wall is made.

The outer, preferably the interior completely enclosing and thus also final wall of stone has the effect that in the container prevailing storage conditions are well shielded from external climatic conditions.

A wood humidor according to the state of the art absorbs moisture and releases it, heats up at high temperatures and cools at cool temperatures and releases these fluctuations to the goods to be stored in the humidor. This interaction is greatly attenuated by the outer wall of stone. It will thus avoid the tobacco possibly straining rapid temperature fluctuations and temporary changes in relative humidity. Also, it is easier possible to keep the relative humidity, which is crucial for optimal storage of tobacco products, especially cigars, essentially constant. A preferably present active and / or passive moistening requires less maintenance (power, water).

An advantage of the outer wall of stone is not only that it moderates fluctuations of the moisture content inside and variations in temperature and relative humidity, but also that the temperature can be kept low for a long time. This is possible, for example, even with temporarily higher ambient temperatures and solar radiation and is therefore advantageous, since an optimum storage temperature of cigars is about 18 ° C. At and below this temperature, the larvae of the tobacco beetle can not develop. If a conventional humidor exposed to higher ambient temperatures or sunlight, it is not possible or only with high cooling and humidification performance to keep these low temperatures. An outer wall of stone, on the other hand, already has an air-conditioning and temperature-equalizing effect on its own.

The wood insert is preferably formed as a complete container with bottom part and lid. This container made of wood can be designed as a known as such wooden container for storing cigars. Particularly preferred as a material for the wood insert Spanish cedar wood is combined with suitable for the construction of humidors wood. Cedar wood has known advantages in terms on preserving and developing the aroma of tobacco products. The wooden insert combines the advantages of well-known humidors with those of the outer stone wall. For example, wood can exert a balancing effect on freshly put into a container very moist goods, by temporary local absorption of moisture.

Since certain types of wood, especially cedar wood, to harden after many years, the cigars are preferably not stored in direct contact with such wood. The cigars are preferably placed in or on a separate insert element in the container. This can be flat-drawer or frame-like with one or more trays and is preferably dimensioned and designed so that the exchange of air inside the container is not hindered too much.

Cedar wood is also a very soft wood and is therefore preferably combined with other types of wood for reasons of stability. If, for example, a floor of an inner wall of a floor part is not made of cedar wood, for example of a hardwood, a holding device for the cigars can also be dispensed with.

The container, preferably the wall of stone and the wood insert, has a lid and a bottom part. Lid and bottom part are preferably sealed off from each other via a seal, in particular a seal made of wood or possibly of plastic or rubber. If the container has an inner container made of wood or at least one wooden inner wall, a seal is preferably formed directly through the edges of the inner container or the wooden wall.

Such a seal may also allow limited air circulation between the interior and the environment.

In a preferred embodiment of the container lid and bottom part via at least one shock absorber and / or locking element, preferably via two shock absorbers, connected to each other. If the container is large and heavy, such a lifting and closing the lid is facilitated. The shock absorbers can be of a special type, which facilitates both the opening and the closing and closes the almost closed lid completely when closing or opposes no or only a reduced resistance to the last millimeters of the closing movement.

In order to control and / or monitor temperature and humidity conditions in the container, means for measuring the humidity and / or the temperature in the container are preferably present. Since the critical size of an optimal storage is the moisture of the cigars, and thus the prevailing relative humidity inside the container, preferably also active or passive means for wetting in the container are appropriate. Passive humectants are typically sponges or other storage media for moisture that are placed in the interior and wetted regularly and from which moisture evaporates. Active humectants include electronic moisture control regulators.

Active regulation of the release of moisture takes place, for example, by setting an evaporation surface and controlling it by measuring the temperature and / or humidity. An additional distribution of moisture can be done via a fan, which also ensures good ventilation of the goods stored in the container. Is a regulation of Temperature desired, a heating and / or cooling element in the container, for. B. a Peltier element, be introduced. Air conditioners are also possible for cooling, but dehumidify at the same time, which is not desirable in the rule.

Active control elements can be powered by an internal or external power supply. In order to make a container independent of external infrastructure, batteries or accumulators are preferably used.

Since the container according to the invention is subject to only very small temperature and humidity fluctuations and thus only low regulatory power is needed, a power consumption of any moisture and temperature measuring and control means is very low. Also, the moisture consumption is kept low and the maintenance of the container, in particular the maintenance associated with maintenance, kept to a minimum.

• Figuren 1a und 1b zeigen eine Vorder- und eine Seitenansicht des geöffneten Behältnisses;
• Figur 2 zeigt ein inneres Behältnis aus Holz;
• Figur 3 zeigt einen seitlichen Querschnitt durch ein weiteres Behältnis; und
• Figur 4 zeigt eine Draufsicht auf ein Bodenteil des Behältnisses aus Fig. 3.

In the following, the container according to the invention will be explained with reference to a preferred embodiment of the container.

• Figures 1a and 1b show a front and a side view of the opened container;
• Figure 2 shows an inner container made of wood;
• FIG. 3 shows a lateral cross section through a further container; and
• FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a bottom part of the container from FIG. 3.

Figures 1a and 1b show the opened container with an outer wall of stone 1, for example, granite or marble. This is a most accurate inner container made of wood 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner container is removable. Both the outer wall and the inner container each have a bottom part and a lid. In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom part and the lid of the inner container are fastened to each other via hinges 3. Alternatively or possibly in addition to hinges could be attached to the outer wall.

Cover and bottom part are further on two laterally inside the inner container mounted shock absorber 4; For example, a gas spring, connected together. This measure facilitates the controlled opening and lowering of the lid.

The inner container made of wood has edges 5, which protrude beyond the edges of the outer wall and thus provide a wooden seal the humidor. These edges 5 are preferably only a few millimeters, for example 0.5-20 mm. Edges in a lid are preferably less like margins in a bottom part, with lid and bottom part edges preferably at least partially interlocking. Edges in the lid are preferably 1-8 mm, for example 1.5-5mm. eg 2mm before. Edges in a bottom part are preferably at 2-15, for example at 4-12, z. B. 8mm ago. Of course, conversely, it is also possible that the edges protrude more in the lid than in the bottom part, that the edges of a part do not protrude at all, or that both edges protrude equally far.

In order to avoid a stone-to-stone seal, it is also possible to create only one seal on one side or, if an entire inner container of wood is to be dispensed with, the outer wall on the contact surfaces with a circumferential seal, for example made of wood , Plastic or rubber.

Figures 1a and 1b show the container in a simple embodiment, which can be provided with additional, not subscribed components, such as moisture meter, humectant, in particular a self-regulating humidification etc., and possibly a thermometer.

In the figures, the outer wall on different stone layers. However, bottom part and lid of the outer wall can also be made in one piece and / or from the same stone. Optically different layers can have a decorative effect. However, they can also be chosen in terms of technical optimization of the container. For example, the outer wall may consist of other stone types inside or outside or be of multilayer construction. For example, a type of stone on an inner side of the outer wall may be light and porous. An outer stone layer is preferably rather hard, resistant and as little as possible influenced by external conditions (mechanical, temperature, humidity, etc.). An internal layer of stone can complement the properties of the wood by their nature and optionally have a balancing effect moisture to some extent. The at least partial use of porous stone also makes the entire container easier. Since light stones are usually less hot than dark stones, preferably light stones are used.

Inserted or inserted into the inner wall, the container may still have at least one (not shown) insert element for receiving the cigars. Such is, for example, in the form of one or more shelves available and can be made of wood, but not made of cedar wood: it may have compartments, which are, for example, tuned to the size of the cigars.

Figure 2 shows an inner container made of wood 2 before it is introduced into the outer wall. This inner container could be designed as a conventional humidor. It is preferably made at least in part from Spanish cedar (cedrela odorata). Lid and bottom part are each in one piece or composed of individual parts. Typically harder wood than cedar wood is used for the bottom of the bottom part and the lid. Cedarwood is preferably used as walls of the inner wall. It goes without saying that all types of wood, which, for example, are also used for the construction of conventional humidors, can be used.

The inner container can be removably placed in the outer housing. It may alternatively be fixed in this, for example. By gluing or a positive connection. As a further alternative, the wood insert must not form an entire inner container, but can be incorporated as a cladding of the outer wall in this and form an inner wall in this way.

The bottom part of the inner container has openings here. In the openings, the shock absorbers 4 are mounted on the wall side. On the cover, the shock absorbers are each screwed on the inside laterally.

FIG. 3 shows a cross section through a further embodiment of the container according to the invention. The outer wall 1 of stone is lined with an inner wall 2 made of wood. The inner wall 2 is composed of individual elements. Typically, these are a floor and the walls of the inner wall of the bottom part, as well as a lid lining, which also has individual walls depending on the design of the lid. The edges 5 of the inner wall are chamfered so that they interlock when the container is closed. For this purpose, the edges of the bottom part are beveled on its inside and the edges of the lid on its outside.

The shock absorbers 4 are each pivotally mounted about a mounting pin, so that the necessary slight pivotal movement of the shock absorber when opening and closing the lid is possible. This is particularly evident in Figure 4 , which shows a plan view of a bottom part. It is also seen in FIG. 4 that in a lateral region the wood insert, ie the inner wall, can have two side walls, between which the aforementioned opening for the shock absorber attachment is formed. It may be one of the two side walls, or it may be both or neither of the two side walls of cedar wood.

Claims (13)

A container for storing cigars having a bottom portion and a lid which are relatively movable in a position in which an interior is completed, comprising an outer wall (1) made of stone, and a wooden insert, wherein the wood insert at least at the bottom part mounted on an inner side of the outer wall. Container according to claim 1, wherein the wood insert is formed as an inner wall of the container and completely covers at least the bottom part on the inside. Container according to claim 2, wherein the entire inner side of the outer wall is covered by the wood insert. Container according to claim 3, wherein the wood insert forms an inner container (2). Container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein between the lid and the bottom part, a seal is present. Container according to claim 5, based on claim 4, wherein the seal is formed by an edge (5) of the inner container (2). Container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein cover and bottom part are connected to each other via at least one hinge (3) and wherein at least one shock absorber (4) and / or a locking element between the lid and the bottom part is mounted. Container according to claim 7 based on claim 4 or 6, wherein the hinge (3) and preferably also the shock absorber (4) are mounted on the inner container and wherein directly on the outer wall preferably no hinges are present. Container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer wall has an outer bottom part and an outer lid and in a closed state of the container completely surrounds the interior. Container according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a means for measuring the humidity and / or the temperature. Container according to one of the preceding claims, comprising an active and / or passive moistening agent. Container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer wall (1) made of natural stone and the wood insert is at least partially made of Spanish cedar wood. Use of a container according to one of the preceding claims for the storage and storage of tobacco products, in particular cigars.

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