GB2146514A - Automatic cigarette pack - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic cigarette pack capable of causing one cigarette at a time to jump out at an inclination of 35 degrees and lighting the cigarette automatically by a lighter operated by only the stroke of the thumb. The device comprises a cigarette cartridge capable of recharging 22 cigarette, a lift plate mounted adjacent to the cartridge used for lifting up one cigarette at a time, a foldable ash disc, and a built-in replaceable gas lighter capable of lighting the cigarette. A thumb operated means is provided thereon as a trigger to actuate said elements in a predetermined sequence. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Automatic cigarette pack Background of the invention Various types of cigarette packs, lighters and ash discs have been used, but none of them is convenient enough for smokers because the smoker must look for said three units in different pockets or locations at the same time for successful smoking. In particular, it is inconvenient for busy men.

Summary ofthe invention It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a cigarette pack, lighter and ash disc, all three in one unit, which can co-operatetogetherwith only one stroke of the smoker's thumb to cause one cigarette at a time to jump out and be lighted automatically.

Another object of the invention is to provide an alternative means to push up the cigarette without lighting it ortho light the lighter without pushing up the cigarette.

The invention will be readily understood from the accompanying description, taken in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front three-dimentional view of the cigarette pack.

Figure 2 is a backthree-dimentional view of the cigarette pack.

Figure 3 is a side view of the cigarette pack.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cigarette pack, wherein lighter and ash disc have been omitted for clear illustration.

Figure 5 shows the location of the lighter and the ash disc in the housing of the cigarette pack.

Figure 6 is a three-dimentional view of the cigarette cartridge.

Figure 7 is a three-dimentional view of lift plate.

Figure 8 is a three-dimentional view of thumb operated mechanisms.

Figure 9 is a three-dimensional view of the ash disc in Figure 5.

Figure 10 is a three-dimentional view of a table socket for the cigarette pack.

Description of the preferred embodiment of the invention Referring now to Figure 1, the external view of the invention consists of a housing 1, a cigarette recharging cover 2, a cigarette outlet cover 3, lighter flame opening 4, and a thumb knob 5. On the backside of the housing a clamp 6 is provided for clamping the cigarette pack on the smoker's belt or pocket. Atable socket as shown in Figure 10 may be provided for keeping the cigarette pack on the table in case of necessity. The internal structure is shown in Figures 4 and 6 wherein a cigarette cartridge having racks 7 and 7 are fixedly connected together by a strip 15, said racks capable of recharging 22 cigarette, a sloping plate 8 movable up or down between the racks is provided to support the cigarettes, and ratchet gear teeth are formed on both opposite inner side walls 9, 10 of the racks.A lifting means including two retractable claw assemblies each having three arms 11, 12, 13 are coupled at both ends of said sloping plate 8, each claw assembly having a spring 14 loaded to cause the arms to stretch outwardly. Both lower ends of the racks have stop rods 16,16 formed integrally and supported by springs 17, 17 to keep the ends of the stop rods a distance of 0.3cm above the bottom surface of the housing 1. A lift plate 18 used for pushing up one cigarette at a time is mounted vertically adjacent to the racks, two extension bars 19,20 bent 90 degrees from the lift plate are overlapping the top of the racks 7 and 7, a convex spring 21 is fastened to the front surface of the plate 18, and said plate 18 is supported by a spring 22. Ratchet gear teeth are also formed on both inner side walls 23,24 of the housing 1.

thumb operating knob 5 has a horizontal push-pull rod 25 mounted on a vertical movable post 26, said post being supported by a spring 27. A lighter trigger spring 28 and two rocking levers 29,30 are located at a little distance straight underneath the post 26. Said horizontal rod 25 is normally in the push-in position, and contact with said convex spring 21, strikes down the thumb knob 5 which will move the horizontal rod 25 and the post 26 downward. Simultaneously the end of the horizontal rod actuates the convex spring to move the lift plate and the racks downward about 0.3cm.During the downward movement of the racks the sloping plate 8 will remain in position by the arm 13 of the claw assemblies which are stopped by the ratchet gear teeth 23, 24 on both inner side walls, thereby causing one cigarette on the top to be pushed from the racks and to fall onto the adjacent lift plate 18. As soon as said horizontal rod 25 passes the highest point of the convex spring 21, the springs 17, 17 and 22 will return the racks 7,7 and the lift plate 18 to the "up" position, the cigarette which has fallen on the lift plate will now be pushed out of the outlet, and meanwhile the inclined portion of the lift plate and the inclined portion 32 of the housing will clamp the end of the cigarette in a 35 degree position toward the lighter flame opening 4. Further moving the thumb knob 5 and the post 26 downward will actuate the lighter trigger spring 28 and light the lighter 34.An U shaped spring 35 pivotly mounted on the trigger spring 28 will maintain a shut off valve 36 open until the cigarette is lighted and the thumb released. Upward movement of the racks 7,7 will bring the sloping plate 8 upward 0.3 cm, because the arms 11, 12 of the claw assemblies are carried up by the ratchet gear teeth 9, on the side walls of the racks. After repeated striking of the thumb knob 5, the sloping plate 8 will keep going up until the cigarettes are completely used up, and the spring 14 will then fall into a recess at the side walls of the housing. Since there is no longer any spring tension loaded on the claw assemblies, the arms of the claw assemblies will retract to let the sloping plate 8 fall down freely onto a bottom plate 31. Upon additional depression ofthethumbknob5thepost26will actuate two rocking levers 29, 30 to lift up the bottom plate 31 and the sloping plate 8 and cause the springs 14, 14 to be depressed by the convex column 33 on both side walls of the housing. The springs will thus restore their spring tension acting on the claw assemblies. Pulling out the horizontal rod 25 and then striking down the thumb knob will have no effect on the lift plate and the racks. Therefore no cigarette will be pushed out and only the lighter will be lighted. Pushing in the horizontal rod 25 and striking the thumb knob 5 halfway down will cause one cigarette to be pushed out and the lighter will not be lighted.

Claims (5)

1. A cigarette pack capable of pushing out one cigarette at a time inclined at 35 degrees and lighting the cigarette automatically by a lighter therein, comprises a housing which embodies a cigarette cartridge, a built-in replaceable gas lighter and a foldable ash disc; a thumb operated means is provided to push up the cigarette and light the lighter in sequence with only one stroke on the thumb necessary.

2. A cigarette pack according to claim 1, comprising a housing, a cigarette cartridge, a thumb operating means, and a lighter, said housing having a lighter flame opening, the cigarette cartridge having a pair of racks capable of recharging 22 cigarettes, a lifting means is provided wherein the racks, in co-operation with the said thumb operating means, will elevate the cigarettes and one by one the cigarette on the top will be pushed out and fall from the racks, a lift plate adjacent to the racks is provided to receive the fallen cigarette and push the cigarette out of the cigarette outlet in a 35 degree position, bringing the end of the cigarette toward the flame opening of the lighter.

3. A cigarette pack according to claim 2 wherein said housing embodies said cigarette cartridge, comprising a pair of racks capable of receiving 22 cigarettes, a lifting means is provided within the racks, said lifting means consists of a movable sloping plate on which 22 cigarettes are supported and two claw assemblies, each claw assembly has three retractable arms coupling at both ends of the sloping plate, a spring being mounted on both ends of the sloping plate and depressing said arms to stretch the arms outward, ratchet gear teeth formed on the racks and on the said walls of the housing in co-operation with the arms for lifting the sloping plate, and in turn, lifting the cigarettes until the cigarettes are compietely exhausted, the springs on both ends of the sloping plate will go into a recess on the side walls of the housing and lose their spring tension making said sloping plate and the claw assemblies freely fall down to the bottom of the housing ready for recharging.

4. A cigarette pack according to claim 2 comprising a housing, a built-in lighter, a thumb operating means, a lift plate, two racks for recharging cigarettes, said thumb operating means consists of a thumb-knob, a push-pull horizontal rod mounted on a vertical movable post, a convex spring being fastened on the front surface of the lift plate, said lift plate having two extension bars bent 90 degrees overlapping the top of the racks, a lighter trigger spring located just belowthe post, said horizontal rod is normally in push-in position, striking down the thumb knob will move the lift plate and the racks downward, said lift plate and said racks will return upward by springs thereon as soon as the horizontal rod passes the highest point of the convex spring, further depression of the thumb knob causing the post striking the lighter trigger spring to light the lighter, upon pulling out the horizontal bar and striking the thumb knob, said post will strike the lighter trigger spring to light the lighter only, with no effect to the lift plate and racks, therefore no cigarette is pushed out.

5. A cigarette pack according to claim 4 said thumb operating means consists of a thumb knob, a push-pull horizontal rod and a post, a pair of rocking levers and a bottom plate being mounted just below the post, wherein further depression of the thumb knob and the post after recharging of cigarette, said bottom plate will be lifted up by the rocking levers to resetthe spring tension of the claw assemblies.