GB2298351A - Odour suppressing ashtray - Google Patents

Abstract

An ashtray 10 effective to suppress odour and visible smoke from cigarettes comprises a receptacle 12 above a fan chamber 18. A fan 20 is mounted centrally in the floor 16 of the receptacle, and draws air from the receptacle through the intake chimney 26 and through an annular filter cartridge 32. The filter cartridge 32 contains electrostatically charged polymer fibres and activated charcoal. Air passes from the filter cartridge to the outside environment through louvred apertures 34 in the side wall 36 of the fan chamber. A lid 42 serves to seal the receptacle when the ashtray is not in use.

Description

ODOUR SUPPRESSING ASHTRAY This invention relates to an odour and visible smoke suppressing ashtray, which prevents smoke from a cigarette smouldering in the receptacle portion of the ashtray from passing into the surrounding environment.

It has been proposed to draw air and smoke from an ashtray through a filter before exhausting it to the atmosphere.

Because tobacco smoke particles are very small, conventional ashtray filter materials are ineffective at capturing them. In order to achieve significant retention, the filter has to be very dense, and the pressure drop across the filter becomes so high that a small fan is not adequate to draw smoke through it.

Large increases in cost, noise, and energy consumption result from use of larger fans. However, even if efficient filtration of smoke particles is effected, vapours having distinctive odours remain in the filtered air exhausted from the ashtray.

An ashtray according to the invention comprises: a receptacle; a fan in fluid communication with the receptacle to draw air from the receptacle; and a filter unit disposed in the path of air drawn from the receptacle by the fan comprising an electrostatic filter, for example of polymer fibres, and a material carrying an odour suppressor.

Preferably there is at least one outlet to the environment from the ashtray for air which has passed through the filter unit.

Preferred odour suppressors are odourless, or nearly so, and serve to suppress the odour of gaseous products of cigarette smoking. A particularly preferred odour suppressor is activated carbon which is particularly effective at capturing gases.

Activated carbon may be used alone or together with a compound having a desirable odour, such as a-n-hexylcinnamaldehyde.

Preferably, the filter unit is in the form of a removable cartridge. Also preferably, the filter unit is attached to the fan; this reduces the noise generated by the ashtray, and maximizes the exposure of the filter to the smoke.

A filter of electrostatically charged polymer fibres achieves very efficient filtration of the smoke aerosol at a low pressure drop. This is because tobacco smoke is an electrically charged aerosol with a very small particle size, and is efficiently attracted to the fibres.

Smoke from a cigarette, cigar or other smoking article placed in the receptacle of the ashtray is drawn by the fan from the receptacle through the filter and the material carrying the odour suppressor, and the filtered air is exhausted from the ashtray. Preferably, the fan is activated when a cigarette or other smoking article is placed in the receptacle. This can be achieved automatically, for example by a pressure or infra-red sensitive switch. Alternatively, the fan can be activated by a manual switch when the smoker begins smoking, and switched off when she stops, so that the odour suppressor is released into the atmosphere continuously during smoking, acting not only on the smoke released during smouldering of the cigarette in the ashtray, but also on the smoke released during actual smoking.If a manually operated switch is used, this can be operated when a lid covering the receptacle is opened to place the cigarette in the receptacle. It is preferred that when not in use, the receptacle of the ashtray is sealed by a lid to improve the ability of the ashtray to suppress odour. Preferably, when smoking ceases and the lid is closed, the outlets will also be sealed closed. This prevents vapours from ash and butts in the receptacle from leaking into the environment, and allows the activated carbon to capture the residual odours. It also ensures that residual odours are not exhausted into the environment when the ashtray is reactivated.

The invention will be further described by way of example, with reference to the drawing which shows, diagrammatically, a section through an ashtray according to a embodiment of the invention.

The ashtray 10 has a receptacle 12 defined by side walls 14 and a floor 16. The floor 16 of the receptacle separates it from a lower fan chamber 18. A fan 20 is mounted centrally in the floor 16 of the receptacle with its axis of rotation vertical and its motor 22 extending through the receptacle floor and resting on the base of the fan chamber 18. The fan blades 24 are in the fan chamber 18, and the intake chimney 26 of the fan extends centrally up into the receptacle 12. The upper portion of the intake chimney 26 is formed of a mesh screen 28. Helical vanes 29 are disposed on the outside surface of the mesh screen 28. These enhance airflow from the receptacle 12 into the intake chimney 26.

The upper end of the intake chimney 26 is an umbrella shaped (convexly curved) solid wall 30, which also enhances airflow into the intake chimney. The diameter of the wall 30 is greater than that of the intake chimney, so that the wall 30 extends well beyond the cylindrical side wall of the intake chimney. This wall enhances air flow in the receptacle and improves odour and smoke capture, as well as providing a surface upon which cigarettes can be stubbed out. An annular filter cartridge 32 of electrostatically charged polymer fibres 34 and activated charcoal surrounds the fan blades 24. The fibres of the filter cartridge 32 are also impregnated with a-n-hexylcinnamaldehyde. Louvred apertures 34 are provided in the side wall 36 of the fan chamber 18.The fan motor 22 is powered by rechargeable batteries 38 held in the fan chamber 18, and it is actuated by a switch 40 on the side wall 36 of the fan chamber. A lid 42 covering the receptacle 12 may be provided.

In use, the lid 44 is removed from the receptacle 12 and the switch 40 is operated by the smoker to switch the fan 20 on when he starts smoking. When a lit cigarette is placed in the receptacle 12, with the lit end on or toward the floor 16, smoke from the cigarette, together with air, is drawn by the fan into the intake 26 and through the filter cartridge 30 into the fan chamber 18. The electrostatically charged polymer fibres 32 remove particulate matter from the smoke, gases are retained in the activated charcoal and odour suppressor is entrained in the air. The filtered air leaves the fan chamber through the apertures 34 in the side wall 36 of the fan chamber.

Since the fan operates continuously, while there is no cigarette in the receptacle 12 air alone is drawn through the filter cartridge 30 into the fan chamber 18 and is expelled through the apertures 34. Odour suppressor is entrained in the air as it passes through the filter cartridge, and acts on odour components in the atmosphere. When the smoker has finished smoking, the fan can be switched off. When not in use, the lid 42 can be replaced on the receptacle 12 to seal it. As the lid 42 is replaced, the louvred apertures 34 shut, to seal the ashtray completely. This can be achieved by for example a mechanical connection between the lid and the louvres.This will enable the activated charcoal to capture odours from the ash and cigarette butts, so that when the ashtray is switched on again, the odour content of the air initially entering the environment from the receptacle has been considerably reduced.

When the filter cartridge 30 loses filter efficiency or when the amount of odour suppressor left in the cartridge is low, the cartridge is removed and a new cartridge is inserted. The activated carbon may be in the filter cartridge 30.

Alternatively, a separate replaceable cartridge of activated carbon is provided, so that this can be changed independently of the main filter cartridge. The receptacle 12 can be separated from the fan chamber 18 to allow replacement of the filter cartridge and of the batteries 38.

The ashtray of the invention provides a surprisingly effective means of removing particulate material from smoke generated while a cigarette or other smoking article is smouldering in the ashtray, and removes odoriferous gases from the smoke. It can also dispense an odour suppressor into the atmosphere, if desired throughout the time when smoking is taking place. The ashtray of the invention thus provides a means of efficiently reducing odours associated with smoking and reducing the amount of visible smoke entering the environment.

Claims (17)

1. An ashtray comprising: a receptacle; a fan in fluid communication with the receptacle to draw air from the receptacle; and a filter unit disposed in the path of air drawn from the receptacle by the fan comprising an electrostatic filter and a material carrying an odour suppressor.

2. An ashtray according to claim 1 further comprising an outlet from the ashtray for air which has passed through the filter unit.

3. An ashtray according to claim 1 or 2 in which the electrostatic filter comprises polymer fibres.

4. An ashtray according to any preceding claim in which the odour suppressor comprises activated carbon.

5. An ashtray according to any preceding claim in which the odour suppressor comprises a-n-hexylcinnamaldehyde.

6. An ashtray according to any preceding claim in which the filter unit is a removable cartridge.

7. An ashtray according to any preceding claim in which the filter unit is attached to the fan.

8. An ashtray according to any preceding claim further comprising a manually operable switch for actuation of the fan.

9. An ashtray according to any of claims 1 to 7 further comprising a switch for actuating the fan, the switch being sensitive to the presence of a smoking article in the receptacle.

10. An ashtray according to any preceding claim further comprising a lid for the receptacle.

11. An ashtray according to claims 9 and 10 in which the switch is activated by removal of the lid from the receptacle.

12. An ashtray according to any preceding claim in which the fluid communication between the fan and the receptacle is provided by a generally upright cylinder, the lower end of which is located immediately above the fan and the upper end of which opens into the receptacle.

13. An ashtray according to claim 12 in which a portion of the cylinder which is within the receptacle is covered with a mesh.

14. An ashtray according to claim 12 or 13 further comprising helical vanes on the outside surface of the cylindrical side wall of a portion of the cylinder which is within the receptacle.

15. An ashtray according to claim 12, 13 or 14 in which the upper wall of the cylinder is convexly curved.

16. An ashtray according to claim 15 in which the upper wall of the cylinder extends beyond the cylindrical side wall of the cylinder.

17. An ashtray substantially as described with reference to the drawing.