IES20070556A2

IES20070556A2 - Combined lighter paper dispenser

Info

Publication number: IES20070556A2
Application number: IE20070556A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Dermot Connolly; Paul Taaffe
Original assignee: Dermot Connolly; Paul Taaffe
Priority date: 2007-08-03
Filing date: 2007-08-03
Publication date: 2009-02-04
Also published as: US20100136494A1; WO2009018947A1; CA2695347A1

Abstract

A combined lighter and cigarette paper dispenser comprises an elongated housing (12) having an ignition mechanism (14) fitted to one end. The housing includes a lighter fluid container (12ÆÆ) in fluid communication with the ignition mechanism (14) and also a cavity (12Æ) to receive a supply (e.g. a packet) of cigarette papers by insertion through an opening in the opposite end of the housing. The papers may be dispensed either by ejecting the entire packet from the housing, using one paper, and re-inserting the packet, or by dispensing the papers individually through a lateral slot in the housing. <Figure 3>

Description

Combined Lighter Paper Dispenser The present invention relates to a combined lighter paper dispenser.

According to the present invention there is provided a combined lighter paper dispenser comprising: an ignition mechanism, a lighter fluid container, in fluid communication with said ignition mechanism, and a housing to which said ignition mechanism is fixed and including said lighter fluid container, said housing being arranged to receive and dispense one or more cigarette papers.

Preferably, said housing includes a generally rectangular cavity arranged to receive a packet of cigarette papers.

Further preferably said housing includes user operable means for urging said packet of papers from said housing.

Alternatively, said housing includes a generally cylindrical cavity arranged to receive a roll of cigarette papers.

In this embodiment, the housing includes a slot through which said papers can be drawn from the housing and tom from said roll.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a first transparent perspective view of a combined lighter paper dispenser according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a second transparent perspective view of the combined lighter paper dispenser of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a further transparent perspective view of the combined lighter paper dispenser of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a transparent perspective view of a combined lighter paper dispenser according to a second embodiment of the invention; and P86058IE00/July 26, 2007 OPES TO PUBLIC INSPECTIOli ΙΙΒΟΕΠ SiS?i C S E5 AKD BUIE 2i MUh>.ii ft /£0 70556 Figure 5 is an exploded transparent view of the combined lighter paper dispenser of Figure 4.

Referring now to Figures 1-3, there is shown a combined lighter paper dispenser 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The lighter of the first embodiment is generally of the conventional disposable butane type in that it comprises a plastics housing 12 divided longitudinally into two portions 12’ and 12”. The first portion 12’ comprises a container (not shown) filled with lighter fluid through a sealable hole 13 in the bottom surface of the housing. The fluid container is in communication with a valve (not shown) housed with an ignition portion 14 fitted to top of the housing 12. The ignition portion includes a spring loaded button 16 which when engaged opens the valve to meter the fluid as it escapes as a gas through aperture 18. The button when engaged also creates a spark by striking metal against a flint (not shown). The spark ignites the escaping fluid causing a flame to come out of the lighter which continues until the button is released, so extinguishing the flame by depriving it of fuel.

The second portion 12” includes a rectangular cavity 34 terminating in an aperture in the bottom surface of the housing. The cavity is sized to receive a packet of cigarette papers, for example, one of the range marketed under the Rizla+ brand through the aperture.

The outside surface of the housing 12 includes two major surfaces 20, 22, one of which 22 forms the outside wall of the cavity 34. A longitudinal slot 24 is formed in the surface 22 and a slider 26 is located for movement within the slot.

The slider 26 projects into the cavity far enough to bear against a major surface of the cigarette paper packet when located in the cavity and so that when the slider is pushed by a user in the direction of the bottom of the housing, the packet is pushed out of the cavity sufficiently far to allow the user to grip and draw the packet from the cavity and so retrieve a paper from the packet for use in rolling a cigarette. Nonetheless, the slider should not protrude further into the cavity than would prevent the packet from being pushed/pulled past the slider when being inserted into/removed from the cavity.

In a preferred implementation, the slider 26 is spring loaded to bias the slider into the cavity so that it tends to bear against and retain a packet located in the cavity. Further P86058I EOO/July 26,2007 °55β preferably, the slider within the cavity is profiled to allow a packet to slide under the slider where it is then retained in position within the cavity.

It will be seen that while the first embodiment has been described in terms of a housing having particular dimensions and ignition portion, the first embodiment of the invention can be implemented in any lighter housing sufficiently large to receive a packet of cigarette papers of the desired dimensions. Furthermore, the slot/slider arrangement 24/26 is again only one example of many possible implementations allowing the packet to be received and held within the housing and dispensed as required by the user.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, there is shown a combined lighter paper dispenser 40 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The lighter dispenser of the second embodiment comprises a cylindrical housing 42 arranged to receive a roll of cigarette papers, for example, of the type marketed under the Juicy Jay's brand.

The housing comprises an upper portion 42’ to which an ignition portion 14’ similar in functionality to that of the first embodiment is fixed. The upper portion 42’ includes a lighter fluid container and this is in communication with a central tube 44 which runs along the longitudinal axis of the otherwise hollow lower portion 42” of the housing and terminates in a sealable hole 45 disposed towards the bottom of the housing through which the fluid container is filled. A longitudinal paper feed slot 47 is formed along the length of the lower portion of the housing. In the illustrated embodiment, a serrated edge 46 is formed beside the slot. In other implementations, the edge can be formed within the slot, so that the rough edges 46 are not exposed from the housing.

In either case, when a roll of papers is located in the housing over the tube 44, the leading edge of the first sheet of paper is fed through and along the slot 47 so that it extends from the side of the housing.

A cap 48 is provided to close off the end of the housing once the roll of papers is inserted.

In use, paper is drawn by a user through the slot and tom off at a required length for use as a cigarette paper, preferably leaving the leading edge of the remaining paper extending at least somewhat from the side of the housing 42.

P86058IE00/July 26, 2007 1E°70556 In a variation of the second embodiment (not shown), the lighter fluid container is filled from a valve located on the outside cylindrical wall at the bottom of the housing and communicating with the lighter fluid container through a conduit running along the cylindrical wall of the lower portion of the housing.

It will also be seen that in further variations of this embodiment, the lighter fluid container can extend through and around the walls of the lower portion 42” of the housing to the extent that a slot remains in the side of the lower portion allowing paper to be dispensed.

Not using the tube as a conduit for filling the fluid container, allows the tube 44 to act only as a hub over which the roll of papers is located. In such implementations, the tube can be shortened to allow a modified cap 48 to be located within the housing so that when in position, the cap engages the roll. The outside edge of the cap can have an irregular shape conforming with an irregular inner surface of the lower portion 42” towards the bottom of the housing so with the cap in position, its engagement with the inner surface prevents the roll either freely dispensing paper or rolling back into the dispenser. As such, the cap needs to be loosened or removed to allow the roll to dispense a subsequent portion of paper to be used in rolling a new cigarette. The cap can then be re-inserted to hold the roll in place, before the user rips the portion of paper to ensure a clean cut.

Again, it will be seen that while the second embodiment has been described in terms of a housing having particular dimensions and ignition portion, the second embodiment of the invention can be implemented in any lighter housing sufficiently large to receive a roll of cigarette papers of the desired dimensions. Furthermore, the serrated edge 46 is again only one example of many possible implementations allowing the roll to be received and held within the housing with individual papers dispensed as required by the user.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment(s) described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

P86O58IEOO/July 26, 2007 Ιε°7°556 Ν ο CM Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 4 The following Claims were filed on 30th July 2008 ,£°70556

Claims

1. A combined lighter and cigarette paper dispenser, comprising an ignition mechanism fitted to a housing which includes a lighter fluid container in fluid 5 communication with the ignition mechanism, the housing further being arranged to receive and dispense one or more cigarette papers.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a cavity for receiving a supply of cigarette papers through an opening in the housing.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein the housing includes user operable means for urging the supply of papers from the housing through the opening.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3, wherein the user operable means comprises a 15 manually operable slider arranged to slide along a slot in a wall of the housing towards and away from the opening, the slider bearing internally on the supply of papers.

5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein a wall of the housing has a slot to allow individual papers from the supply to be drawn laterally from the supply through the slot.