GB2330172A - Clip for cigarette lighter - Google Patents

Abstract

A clip for attaching a cigarette lighter to a cigarette pack comprises an elongate rectangular laminate base 10 connected at the top with a blade 14 which can extend along the inside of the side 40 of a cigarette pack 3. The side of the base 10 is provided with arcuate arms 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b, to resiliently grip a lighter (not shown), and a foot 24 is provided to act as a stop for the lighter. The clip may be formed as an integral structure from plastics material.

Description

SPECIFICATION CLIP FOR CIGARETTE LIGHTER Description The invention relates to a clip for securing a cigarette lighter to a cigarette pack.

It is a well-known fact that whilst a smoker may readily locate a cigarette pack in a pocket or handbag, it may take some time searching through pockets or a handbag to find the lighter necessary to light the cigarette. Moreover, it can happen that the lighter has been left behind or is ernpty of fuel. The present invention relates to a device for avoiding these situations.

According to the invention a clip for securing a cigarette lighter to a cigarette pack comprises a rectangular elongate laminar base connected at one end to elongate laminar blade overlying the base, the base being provided on the side remote from the blade with at least one pair of outwardly extending arcuate arms disposed such as to be able to engage and retain a cylindrical body of a cigarette lighter.

The invention is particularly applicable to a clip for the attachment of an inexpensive throw-away lighter to a so-called fliptop cigarette pack. Inexpensive throw-away lighters have a cylindrical body closed at one end for storing liquid fuel, the open end being sealed by means of a lighter mechanism comprising a valve-controlled burner orifice and a wheel-and-flint sparking arrangement for igniting fuel issuing through the orifice. Such lighters are well-known and need no further explanation here. In such throw-away lighters the cross-section of the cylindrical body perpendicular to its length may have the form of (a) an oval with two parallel sides joined by semicircular ends, or (b) an octagon with two opposed long parallel sides joined at each end by three shorter straight sides. The maximum overall dimension of such a cross-section is generally less than 25mm, and the length of such a lighter is between 80mm and 90 mm.

As is well-known a flip-top cigarette pack is in the form of a parallelepiped with a front, a back, two sides, a bottom and a top. The parallelepiped is cut along the front and along the sides, the cuts along the sides slanting upwardly from the ends of the cut on the front and extending to the back of the parallelepiped. The back is folded along the line joining the ends of the cuts, and this fold acts as a hinge to provide a lid hinged to a lower cigarette-holding portion of the pack A collar may be provided around all or part of the inside of the cigarette -holding portion and extend upwards into the lid when the pack is closed. Such packs are well-known and need no further explanation here. However, an example of such a pack is shown in Figure 9 of the drawings herewith. The most common flip-top packs currently in production are of two sizes; a smaller pack with dimensions 87mm x 59mm x 24mm to accommodate so-called 'king-size' cigarettes 85rnm long, and a larger pack with dimensions 1 02mm x 59mm x 24mm to accommodate so-called 'extra-size' cigarettes which are 1 OOmm long An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 represents a clip according to the invention attached to a flip-top cigarette pack.

Figure 2 represents a front elevational view of the clip of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a side elevational view of the clip of Figure 1.

Figure 4 represents a rear elevational view of the clip of Figure 1.

Figure 5 represents a plan view of the clip of Figure 1.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are similar to Figures 2, 3 and 5 respectively with a lighter held by the clip.

Figure 9 represents a flip-top cigarette pack.

As shown in the Figures a clip 1 according to the invention comprises an elongate rectangular laminar base 10 of plastics material. The upper end of the base is thickened to provide a rearwardly-extending shoulder 12, and secured to the shoulder 12 is a downwardly-directed blade 14 of similar plastics material, the blade 14 underlying the base 10 and being substantially parallel thereto, and having a length and width commensurate with the base. The lower end ofthe blade 14 is tapered at 16, 18 as best seen in Figure 4.

Extending forwardly from the base 10 are two pairs of arcuate arms 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b, dimensioned and disposed so as to resiliently grip around the sides of a throw-away lighter 2 as shown in Figures 6 to 8. Also extending forwardly from the base 10 is a foot 24 acting as a stop for the base of the lighter 2. The face of the base 10 remote from the blade 12 may be provided with projections (not shown) such as bars or pimples to enhance the frictional engagement of the clip with the lighter.

The clip may be formed by moulding from a plastics material the base 10, blade 14, arms 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b, and foot 24 as separate pieces and then welding or gluing these together to form an integral structure. In order to secure the blade 14 to the base 10 the blade may be formed with a tongue 26, Figure 5, which engages within a receiving slot 28 in the shoulder 12 of the base 10, the parts then being welded together.

In Figures 6, 7 and 8 the clip is shown accommodating a lighter of octagonal cross-section.

However, it will be obvious to a skilled person that the pairs of arms 20, 22, can be modified to accept a lighter having an oval cross-section with parallel sides and semi-circular ends.

Whilst in the drawing two pairs of arms 20, 22, have been provided, this being the preferred arrangement, it is clear that a single pair of arms or three or more pairs of arms may be provided.

Figure 9 shows a flip-top cigarette pack 50 with its lid open.

As shown in Figure 1 the clip 1 is attached to such a cigarette pack 3 by sliding the blade 14 inside the pack adjacent a side 40. If the pack contains a collar around all or part of the inside of the upper part of the pack, the blade may be disposed between the collar and the side proper of the pack.

An important subsidiary feature of the invention is that the blade should be long enough to hold the clip securely to the pack. Preferably the length of the blade should be at least half that of the pack. Since a common length for a cigarette pack is 102mum for 'extra-size' cigarettes, the blade should have a total length of at least 52mm to provide a sufficient length of blade inside the pack. Ideally the blade should have a length of at least 70mm. Furthermore, the blade should have a width of 1 5-20mm to provide a satisfactory engagement alongside an inner surface of a pack-side of width 22mum.

Numerous modifications and variations of the arrangements described above will be apparent to a skilled person without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims (8)

1. Claims 1. A clip for securing a cigarette lighter to a cigarette pack comprising a rectangular elongate laminar base connected at one end to an elongate laminar blade underlying the base, the base being provided on the side remote from the blade with at least one pair of outwardly extending arcuate arms disposed such as to be able to engage and retain a cylindrical body of a cigarette lighter
2. 2. A clip according to Claim 1 wherein the arcuate arms are disposed to engage and retain a cylindrical body having a cross-section perpendicular to its length in the form of an oval with two parallel sides joined by semicircular ends.
3. 3. A clip according to Claim 1 wherein the arcuate arms are disposed to engage and retain a cylindrical body having a cross-section perpendicular to its length in the form of an octagon with two opposed long parallel sides joined at each end by three shorter sides.
4. 4. A clip according to any of Claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein the maximum overall dimension of the cross-section is less than 25mm.
5. 5. A clip according to any preceding claim wherein on the side of the base remote from the blade a foot is provided to act as a stop for a lighter.
6. 6. A clip according to any preceding claim which comprises an integral structure of plastics materiaL.
7. 7. A clip according to any preceding claim wherein the length of the blade is greater than 52mm.
8. 8. A clip substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.