EP2218344A1 - Disposable cigarette-butt container - Google Patents

Abstract

The receptacle (2) has inlet orifice (6) having conical mouth towards outside, whose inlet diameter is calibrated to grip cigarette-end and prevent cigarette-end withdrawal. The retention force for the cigarette-end is made small so that the thrust exerted by other cigarette-end forces the cigarette-end towards inner portion of the receptacle. A receptacle portion (4) used the inlet orifice as an exit, is extended along the axis of inlet orifice, where the minimum length of the closed receptacle portion corresponds to that of a standard cigarette.

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a disposable receptacle for collecting cigarette butts.

The invention relates more particularly to an individual receptacle, that the smoker can carry in his pocket, but also to a receptacle to fix usable for communities.

Introduction

Awareness of the effects of pollution on the human environment is an increasingly important battle. Consumers are realizing that the most everyday and harmless materials, by their resistance to decomposition, are powerful pollutants. Thus, it is estimated that a cigarette butt with filter can claim a "life" of 1 to 15 years.

The recognition of the rights of non-smokers has had a perverse effect for this type of waste: deliberately deprived of garbage cans and ashtrays, smokers are more likely to disperse their butts in the environment. The only current parade is the repression: throwing a butt gives rise to the perception of increasingly higher fines (several tens of Euros). In California, land of fire, fines for cigarette butts can reach several thousand dollars ... as long as one is caught.

The only real solution is therefore the education of smokers.

State of the art

We know by WO93 / 09686 , DE-101 06 449 , JP-8056638 "cigarette butts" formed of a cylinder tightened in the middle. These devices, made of an incombustible material (usually metal), are used for a separate operation of the butt harvesting, in this case their extinction. Nothing, however, prevents the smoker, when his butt is off, and theoretically "harmless" to eventually reject it eventually in the wild. US-4,497,329 describes such a damper, combined with a conventional ashtray (not closed), which illustrates the existence of a dual problem, namely the extinction and elimination of butts.

US-7,380,553 , JP-2001327277 , DE-199015275U1 also describe damping devices, combined with ashtray-type receptacles, which may be provided with lids to prevent dispersion of their contents. These devices, which can be of an elaborate design, are obviously reusable to infinity as long as they are emptied regularly. The practice unfortunately shows that many smokers, if they manage to discipline themselves to use such ashtrays, rarely empty them in suitable places. From the point of view of pollution, the result is often the same.

Summary of the invention

A first object of the invention is to avoid the dispersion of butts in the environment.

Another object of the invention is to provide smokers with a hygienic and easy to use to get rid of their butts.

Another object of the invention is to promote a cycle of elimination of environmentally friendly butts and workers responsible for the maintenance of public spaces.

Another object of the invention is to promote the civism of smokers.
The object of the invention is a disposable butt receptacle which includes an inlet port. This orifice has a conical mouth, the wide part of which is turned outwards, and its inside diameter, the axial length of which is equal to or smaller than the diameter of a standard cigarette, is calibrated so as to grip a first butt during its introduction. keep it in place and prevent its withdrawal. This butt therefore serves as a stopper for the receptacle. The retention force of this butt is however reduced enough that the thrust exerted by a second butt forces the first butt to move inwardly of the receptacle and fall there.
This receptacle comprises a receptacle whose only outlet is the inlet orifice. This closed container extends substantially along the axis of the inlet orifice and its minimum length, along this axis, corresponding to that of a standard cigarette.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the inner surface of the inlet orifice has the shape of two cones facing each other, tightened towards the middle.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the inner surface of the inlet orifice is provided with non-return lugs, which may be in the form of conical skirts.
In a preferred embodiment, the receptacle is made from a polymeric material.
According to a preferred embodiment, this polymeric material is shaped by blowing.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the receptacle is made from a heat-degradable material, which may be, preferably, made from recycled material. An advantage of this embodiment is that the use of precious raw material is limited, and that, on the other hand, the receptacles can be the subject of a specific, more ecological collection path.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the butt receptacle comprises a fastening member adapted for attachment to a support. This support may be, for example, a wall bracket or a base to be fixed to the ground.
An advantage of this embodiment is that one can put such a receptacle at the disposal of communities (offices, canteens, etc.), the receptacle, removable and recyclable, being regularly replaced and keeping at its site of implantation a clean and neat appearance.

According to a preferred embodiment, it comprises a printable external surface. It can therefore be covered with various slogans in connection with campaigns of cleanliness, various advertisements, etc.

The material of which it is constituted is advantageously at least partially impregnated with aromatic substances.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the axial length of the inlet orifice is of the order of 5 mm.

The advantage of this variant of the invention is that the resistance to the advancement of the butt already introduced is reduced, facilitating the introduction of the next butt.

According to a preferred embodiment, the capacity of the receptacle is proportionate to that of a pack of cigarette, so as to facilitate the accounting of its contents.

Brief description of the figures

• La Fig.1 est une vue en élévation d'un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• La Fig.2 est une vue latérale du mode de réalisation montré à la Fig.1 ;
• La Fig. 3 est une vue en perspective (hors d'échelle) du mode de réalisation des Fig. 1 et 2
• Les Fig. 4a à 4c sont des vues en coupe suivant le plan IV-IV d'un détail de réalisation de la Fig. 1 ;
• La Fig. 5 est une vue en perspective d'un autre mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• La Fig. 6 est une vue en perspective d'un troisième mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• Les Fig. 7 et 8 sont des vues respectivement en élévation et en perspective d'un autre mode de réalisation de l'invention.

These and other aspects of the invention will be clarified in the detailed description of particular embodiments of the invention, with reference to the drawings of the figures, in which:

• The Fig.1 is an elevational view of a first embodiment of the invention;
• The Fig.2 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. Fig.1 ;
• The Fig. 3 is a perspective view (out of scale) of the embodiment of the Fig. 1 and 2
• The Fig. 4a to 4c are sectional views according to the IV-IV plan of a detail of realization of the Fig. 1 ;
• The Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention;
• The Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention;
• The Fig. 7 and 8 are respectively elevational and perspective views of another embodiment of the invention.

The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Generally, similar elements are denoted by similar references in the figures.

Detailed description of particular embodiments

The Fig. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the invention, in this case a "pocket" receptacle.

This receptacle 2 consists essentially of a closed container 4 having for only one outlet an orifice 6. This inlet port 6 (shown in more detail in FIGS. Fig. 4a to 4c ) has substantially the diameter of a standard cigarette (ie between 7 and 8 mm). It flares outwardly into a conical mouth 8, so as to facilitate the introduction of a butt. At this flare 8 follows a short narrowed portion forming a neck 10. As can be seen at Fig. 4a to 4c , the section along a longitudinal plane of this neck 10 can adopt different profiles, either cylindrical ( Fig. 4a ), or converging / diverging ( Fig. 4b ), or simply convergent ( Fig. 4c ). Whatever the profile adopted, the inner diameter of this neck 10 is calibrated so as to grip this butt and hold it in place. This butt therefore serves as a stopper for the receptacle.

The operating principle of the invention is as follows: a butt still lit introduced into the cylindrical orifice 6, opening into the receptacle 4, is held "suspended" at the neck 10, in the axis of the orifice 6 and extinguishes spontaneously for lack of oxygen if the volume of the container is small. When the smoker has finished another cigarette, it is enough for him to introduce his new butt in the orifice 6, exerting a thrust forcing the first butt to fall inside the container. The retention strength of each butt must be sufficiently reduced so that the smoker does not have to develop an excessive effort to force his or her first butt to move in and out of the receptacle.

Particular attention must therefore be paid to the shape of the orifice 6, and in particular to the shape and length of the collar 10 for retaining the butt. It must be sufficiently short (between a few millimeters to half the diameter of a cigarette), preferably of the order of 5 mm, so that the penetration of the cigarette butt pushing a previous butt does not offer such a resistance that the lit butt bends and makes its penetration difficult in the conduit. The invention is distinguished in this respect largely from the prior art, which generally indicates a particularly long conduit and therefore does not lend itself to the proposed use.

On the other hand, the collar must be sufficiently long, however, so that the cigarette butt remains in place and serves as a stopper even in the event of sudden movements of the carrier of a pocket butt receptacle. In practice, a surprising and unexpected effect is found, namely that the friction resistance of the butt on the walls of the neck 10, even over a few millimeters (typically of the order of 3 to 5 mm), is amply sufficient to prevent its fall. in the receptacle or its ejection duct. An explanation of this phenomenon is the very small mass of a butt in relation to its size. Consequently, the use of the butt as a plug ensures perfect hygiene of the receptacle of the invention, and the smoker should not be afraid of seeing the ashes and the contents of the receptacle spread in his pockets. It is also possible to maintain the cap butt further by improving protrusions inside the orifice 6.

Another point to emphasize is the importance of the shape of the mouthpiece 8 (angle at the top and, width and length). This mouth 8 may be, indifferently, concave or convex shape. However, it must be contoured such that an elongated object or one whose end has a relatively small radius of curvature, such as the end of a finger, can not touch the proximal end of the butt cap so as to dislodge it and make it "fall" inside the receptacle 4.

The plug formed by the butt forms a barrier to odors emitted by the receptacle 2 sufficient to significantly reduce the smell of cigarettes consumed, without the need for other devices (The cigarette butt receptacle also has a short life). It is however possible, for essentially marketing reasons, to add one or the other odorous material (perfume or odor absorbing products) in the material used to manufacture the butt receptacle.

The "philosophy" of the receptacle of the invention is that of a systematic collection, which can lead to a particular recycling circuit. This implies that it is single-use and that once full it must be discarded. The capacity of a "pocket" receptacle will therefore be roughly adapted to a number of butts corresponding to the number of cigarettes in a package (typically of the order of 20 cigarettes). We can also consider the realization of larger packages that are made available to a community of smokers, as shown in Fig. 5 to 8 (a volume of 500 ml can contain between 100 and 150 butts!).

One point to take into account is that it must be avoided at all costs that the end of a cigarette still lit comes into contact with the bottom of the container 4, the latter being a priori made from a material sensitive to the heat. As a result, the length of the container 4, measured along the axis of the orifice 6, must imperatively be at least equal to that of a standard cigarette.

As shown on the figure 5 , according to a first variant, the receptacle comprises a quick fastening device 12 (here a simple ring with anti-rotation notch) for securing it by means of fastening 14 to a fixed support. It can also be equipped (see Fig. 7 and 8 ) a base that is to be recessed into soft ground, which allows it to be used in a park or garden. Another variant, shown in Fig.6 , has a wide base, which allows to use it at the table or in a car (its diameter being, in this case, identical to that of a can of drink, all modern cars being equipped with a can support). As for the receptacle for butt "table", the latter, besides it can present various forms and aesthetics, will also help to prevent the dispersion of odors in the house and, just like a wall receptacle, will contribute to cleanliness and hygiene in spaces still reserved for nicotinomaniac customers at the entrance of bars, cafes and restaurants.

It is obvious that the diameter and the length of the neck 10 are fundamental. In the case of a pocket receptacle, a slightly narrower diameter (typically 7.9 mm) will be chosen than for the table or wall variant (typically 8 mm).

This difference is due to the fact that the pocket variant must have a better retention of the plug while the tabletop, car or wall variant must have greater ease of introduction of the butt.

It goes without saying that this diameter should be suitable for cigarillos or for cigars.

The use of a single-use receptacle may seem a priori wasteful. In reality, it is not, insofar as it leads to a much more systematic destruction of waste. It is also a guarantee of cleanliness and hygiene. The one who, at the entrance of a building, has been confronted with the smell, dirt and disgusting appearance of a street ashtray, especially when burning butts are not finished and the filters are burning, will include, as will the maintenance staff responsible for cleaning street ashtrays. It is particularly difficult to protect a public ashtray from rain and moisture. However, the combination of moisture, nicotine, tobacco combustion tar and paper are particularly smelly and contribute to the difficulty of cleaning these street ashtrays, especially when they contain sand supernatant on a grid. The adoption of the receptacle of the invention, which need only be replaced by a new receptacle, makes this task a sinecure and is a guarantee of cleanliness and hygiene. The small opening of the butt receptacle limits the entry of rain into the duct, even if it is open, and completely prevents it if a butt is inserted as a plug.

The success of the placing on the market of such a disposable receptacle is obviously conditioned, more than for another article, by a very low cost price. In this context, this part could be made particularly economically by blowing, (in particular extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding) of a variety of economic polymers such as polyethylene or polypropylene. In addition, there is no need to use a virgin material: a recycled material of low-end here finds a particularly welcome extension of its life cycle.

The full butt receptacle would therefore preferably be made of recycled polyethylene. This material, the cellulose component filters and tobacco residues, are all perfectly combustible elements and can therefore be incinerated in incineration furnaces without consuming energy, on the contrary.

Moreover, the realization in one piece is economically much more advantageous.

However, this does not exclude the possibility of making the receptacle from two different materials (one for the orifice, the other for the receptacle): the fact that the receptacle is made in one piece with the conduit or two-piece is of secondary importance to the functionality of the product.

Obviously, the use of receptacles for cigarette butts of the invention, whether in "pocket" or public format, contributes to the cleanliness of our sidewalks, our streets, our beaches, our trails. skis or our woods. In the latter case, it also contributes to reducing the risk of fire in the forest.

Finally, the cigarette butt receptacle can be a perfectly exploitable advertising medium: nothing is easier than sticking an advertising label on the body of the receptacle! It can therefore generate revenues that help reduce its own distribution cost.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the examples illustrated and described above. The invention comprises each of the novel features as well as their combination. The presence of reference numbers can not be considered as limiting. The use of the term "includes" in no way excludes the presence of other elements other than those mentioned. The use of the definite article "a" to introduce an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of these elements. The present invention has been described in relation to specific embodiments, which have a purely illustrative value and should not be considered as limiting.

Claims (13)

Receptacle (2) with disposable cigarette butts characterized in that it comprises a cylindrical inlet orifice (6) of diameter equal to or smaller than that of a standard cigarette having a conical mouth (8) whose wide part is turned outwards, the internal diameter of this orifice (6), of axial length less than the diameter of a standard cigarette, being calibrated so as to grip a first butt during its introduction, to hold it in place and to prevent its removal, this butt serving as a stopper for the receptacle (2), the retention force of the butt being sufficiently reduced so that the thrust exerted by a second butt forces the first butt to move inwardly of the receptacle (2); - a container (4) whose only exit the inlet port (6), the container (4) extending substantially along the axis of the inlet port (6), the minimum length of this container closed (4), along this axis, corresponding to that of a standard cigarette. Disposable butt receptacle (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner surface of the inlet opening (6) is in the form of two cone-shaped cones, which is tightened towards the middle. Disposable butt receptacle (2) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the inner surface of the inlet opening (6) is provided with non-return pins. Receptacle (2) with disposable butts according to claim 3, characterized in that these non-return pins have the shape of conical skirts. Disposable butt receptacle (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made of a polymeric material. Disposable butt receptacle (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made in one piece. Disposable butt receptacle (2) according to claim 5, characterized in that it is shaped by blow molding. Disposable cigarette butt container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made from heat-degradable material. Disposable cigarette butt container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made from recycled material. Disposable butt receptacle (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a fastening member adapted to be fixed on a support. Disposable cigarette butt container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a printable external surface. Disposable butt receptacle (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the material of which it is made is at least partially impregnated with aromatic substances. Disposable cigarette butt container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that that the axial length of the inlet (6) is of the order of 5 mm.

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