KR20090120489A - Container for smoking articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A container for smoking articles (18) comprises a disposable cylindrical cartridge (10) comprising an outer wall (12) and an inner wall (14) that together define an annular space (16) containing a plurality of smoking articles, the inner wall further defining a central receptacle (20) for receiving smoking article butts, and a cylindrical outer case in which the cartridge is received, the case comprising a cylindrical side wall (42), a top surface (46) and a bottom surface (44), the top surface having a central aperture (48) that gives access to the central receptacle of the cartridge, and the rotatable bottom surface having an offset dispensing aperture (50) through which a smoking article can be dispensed' from the annular space of the cartridge.

Description

Container for Smoking Goods {CONTAINER FOR SMOKING ARTICLES}

The present invention relates to a container for a smoking article, such as a cigarette or cigar.

Many smoking articles are supplied to customers in packs made of folded cardboard or hard paper, which are intended to be discarded after use. However, such packs may be squeezed and the contents may be damaged. In addition, the removal of the first one or two smoking articles from the newly opened pack is cumbersome. Moreover, often no receptacles for ashes and butts are provided, resulting in garbage and fire hazards when smokers smoke without ashes.

Various packs have been provided with internal ashtray parts based on the design of conventional parallel hexagonal cigarette packs as generally described in WO 01/47380.

Another proposed cigarette container is cylindrical and holds a ring of cigarettes. US 3,451,533 describes such a container, where the space in the center of the ring is used to receive ash. The cylindrical portion has a hollow central bore that extends to most of the passage below the cylinder to receive the ash, and a number of small bores disposed around the central bore with a ring. Prior to use, the smoker places the cylinder in a canister that positions the cigarettes in each of the small bores to rotatably grip the sidewalls of the cylinder. The canister has a dispensing hole at the bottom such that the rotation of the canister around the cylinder causes the dispensing hole to align with the smaller bore in the cylinder so that the cigarette can fall through it. The top of the canister is open to allow for access to the ash and to be emptied after use.

US 1,800,035 describes a cigarette cabinet which similarly retains a ring of cigarettes within the annular compartment. The user loads a large number of cigarettes into the compartment to actuate a spring-loaded lever that continuously presses the cigarettes around the ring to a dispensing site that allows the hinged door on the side of the compartment to dispense the cigarette. Individual ashtrays with flanged rims are placed in the central space of the annular circumference.

GB 229,519 discloses that the spring-loaded arm pushes the ring of cigarettes around the annular container into the dispensing position so that the vertical sliding press projecting through the sidewall of the container in the dispensing position lifts the cigarette from the dispensing hole in the top of the container. Can be operated by the user to do so. Again, the ashtray is located in the central space of the container.

Another cylindrical cigarette container includes an optional dispensing mechanism. GB 1,581,141 describes a cylindrical dispenser with a plurality of bores arranged in a ring, in which a smoker places a cigarette in each of the plurality of bores. Each bore has an ejector spring at the bottom, which spring presses the cigarette from the bore. The rotatable lid with the dispensing hole closes the dispenser to hold the cigarette in the bore. The lid can rotate to align the hole with one of the bores, allowing the spring to press the cigarette from the bore.

WO 02/096228 describes a similar distributor using a magnet instead of a spring. Each cigarette receiving bore in the cylindrical case has a magnet at the bottom and the case is rotatable about a base portion having magnets of opposite polarity. Rotation of the base aligns the base magnet with one of the bores and magnetic repulsion forces the cigarette upwards from the bore.

US 1,444,308 describes a distributor comprising a ring of bores again in a cylindrical body, the bores being open at each end. The user loads a cigarette into each bore from the top of the body and covers the top with a lid. The body has a rotatable base with a dispensing hole, the base being rotated by hand to align the bore with the bore so that the cigarettes therein can fall outward. The central compartment inside the ring of the bore is used to store a cigarette which is reserved for loading into the bore when empty.

Each of these various cylindrical cigarette containers and dispensers is intended to be fully reusable, and smokers are required to refill the containers by hand each time the container is emptied. This is a time consuming and cumbersome process involving handling individual cigarettes. In addition, many dispensing devices are valuable, including a large number of parts and / or precision mechanical parts, making the device expensive and prone to failure.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cigarette container.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the invention relates to a container for a smoking article, wherein the smoking article comprises a disposable cylindrical cartridge and a cylindrical outer case configured to receive the cartridge, wherein the disposable cylindrical cartridge is coaxial with and from the outer and outer walls. A spaced inner wall to form an annular space for receiving a plurality of smoking articles, the case comprising a cylindrical sidewall, a first end face and a second end face, one of the end faces having a cartridge in the case Has a central aperture that provides access to the central receptacle of the cartridge when received, one of the end faces having a dispensing aperture offset through the center of the end face, through which the smoking article is retracted Can be distributed from space.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a smoking article container that overcomes the disadvantages associated with the need to effortlessly refill such a case by hand while retaining the advantages of a reusable cylindrical case. The new cartridge of the smoking article can be loaded quickly and smoothly into the outer case each time the previous cartridge is emptied. The combination of the butt receptacles into the disposable cartridge allows the accumulated butts to be disposed of cleanly and safely in one operation, which eliminates the need for emptying and cleaning the reusable ashtrays featured in the cylindrical case of the prior art. The provision of the butt receptacles in the smoking article container reduces the waste and also reduces the risk of fire that begins by inadvertently burning down the butts.

In some embodiments, one of the end faces may have a central aperture and the other of the end faces may have a dispensing aperture. In an alternative embodiment, one of the end faces may have a central through and a dispense through.

One or both of the end faces of the case may be repeatedly removable from the case to allow the cartridge to be inserted into the case. The present invention is flexible in this respect, and an opening can be provided at either end in the case as convenient for other features that may be included in either of the end faces.

Advantageously, the end face of the case having the dispensing aperture rotates so that the dispensing aperture is aligned with the end of the smoking article in the annular space of the cartridge received in the case. This facilitates the removal of the smoking article from the cartridge when the smoking article is consumed, thus reducing the need to shake the case to move the smoking article near the dispensing aperture.

In some embodiments, the end face of the case opposite the surface having the dispensing aperture extends through the surface and is manually operated from the outside of the case to press the smoking article in the annular space of the cartridge through the dispensing aperture in the opposite surface of the case. Possible plungers may be included. This provides a simple mechanism for dispensing smoking articles, further reducing the need to shake the case to urge the smoking article out of the dispensing aperture.

In addition, the end face of the casing including the plunger is rotatable such that the plunger can be aligned with one end of the smoking article in the annular end of the cartridge received in the case.

In some embodiments, one of the end faces includes a recess and the smoking article in the recess can be extinguished. The recess may have an opening and depth that is sized to accommodate the lit end of the smoking article so that the smoking article can be extinguished inside without force. The original appearance of the smoking article butts can be maintained to allow the butts to be easily inserted into the central receptacle. The recess may be at an end face opposite the end face having a central opening.

The central receptacle of the cartridge may be closed at one end intended to be aligned with the central aperture in the case by an elastic stopper having one or more slits therein. Such a device retains the contents of the butt receptacle but does not need to be opened if the butts are to be inserted into the receptacle and additionally provides a stopper that is actually resealed itself when the butts are inserted into the receptacle.

The elastic stopper may be heat resistant or have a heat resistant coating. This reduces the risk of fire and also allows butts that are still on fire to be put into the butt receptacle or allows butts that must be turned off on the elastic stopper before being put into the receptacle into the butt receptacle.

The end face of the central receptacle opposite the end where the smoking article butts are received is inverted to receive the recess to turn off the smoking article in the end face of the outer case. This maximizes the volume of the central receptacle while still allowing the outer case of the cartridge to have an extinguishing recess in the corresponding end face.

The central receptacle may be made of a non-combustible material. It also allows smoking butts to be put into the butt receptacles without risk of fire. When in the receptacle, a small volume of oxygen inside allows the butt to extinguish itself quickly.

The central receptacle may include an odor reducer to reduce or eliminate odors from the butts contained in the receptacle. This solves the problem associated with unpleasant odors from digested butts, otherwise it may be less likely to accumulate butts in disposable receptacles.

The cartridge may be provided with at least one sealing layer that closes the annular space to maintain the freshness of the smoking article contained within the annular space.

At least one sealing layer may be removable and intended to be removed from the cartridge prior to insertion of the cartridge into the case. Optionally or additionally, the one or more sealing layers comprise a material that can penetrate through when the smoking article is pressed against the sealing layer. There is no need for a sealing layer or layers to be removed from the cartridge before use, so that loading of a new cartridge into the outer case can be achieved more quickly and easily.

The cartridge may be provided with a first sealing layer for closing the annular space at the first end and a second sealing layer for closing the annular space at the second end.

The container may further comprise a plurality of smoking articles arranged in the annular space of the cartridge.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a container for a smoking article, comprising a cylindrical outer case configured to receive a disposable cylindrical cartridge, the disposable cylindrical cartridge being coaxial with and spaced from the outer wall and the outer wall An inner wall to form an annular space therein, the inner wall further forming a central receptacle for receiving smoking article butts, the case including a cylindrical side wall, a first end face and a second end face, One of the end faces has a central aperture providing access to the central receptacle of the cartridge received in the case, the other of the end faces having a dispensing aperture offset from the center of the end face and smoking through the dispensing aperture. The article may be dispensed from the annular space of the cartridge received in the case .

A third aspect of the invention relates to a container for a smoking article, wherein the inner wall is coaxial with the outer wall and spaced apart from the outer wall to form an annular space for receiving a plurality of smoking articles, the housing containing the smoking article butts A disposable cylindrical cartridge comprising an inner wall further forming a central receptacle for the plurality of smoking articles, and a plurality of smoking articles arranged in the annular space, the cartridge comprising a cylindrical sidewall, a first end face and a second end face. Configured to be received in an outer case, one of the end faces having a central aperture that provides access to a central receptacle of the cartridge when received in the case, one of the end faces being offset from the center of the end face. The dispensing aperture through which the cart is placed when the smoking article is received in the case. It may be dispensed from the annular space of the ridge.

In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention and to show how the present invention is effectively performed, reference is made to the examples of the accompanying drawings.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a disposable cartridge for a smoking article in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a plan view of the cartridge of FIG. 1,

3 is a bottom view of the cartridge of FIG. 1,

4 is a plan view of the top or bottom of the cartridge of FIG. 1, before removal of the sealing member;

5 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an outer case for receiving the cartridge of FIG. 1;

6 is a plan view of the case of FIG. 5,

7 is a bottom view of the case of FIG. 5,

8 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 1 assembled into the case of FIG. 5;

9A and 9B are cross-sectional views of a portion of a case and cartridge, according to a further embodiment;

10 is a perspective view of a case according to a further embodiment,

11, 12, and 13 are cross-sectional views of the bottom of a case and cartridge according to an embodiment that includes a fire extinguishing port.

The present invention relates to a container for smoking articles comprising an inner disposable cylindrical cartridge containing a plurality of smoking articles in an annular arrangement around a central ash and / or butt receptacle that is loaded into an outer case for use. The outer case is also cylindrical and allows the smoking article to be dispensed from the cartridge and provide access to the butt receptacle. Once all smoking articles have been consumed, the cartridge, including all waste in the butt receptacle, can be discarded and a new cartridge assembled into the case.

1 shows a cross section of a cartridge according to an embodiment of the invention. The cylindrical cartridge 10 includes an outer wall 12 and an inner wall 14 disposed concentrically in the outer wall 12. The annular space 16 formed between the inner wall 14 and the outer wall 12 is such as a cigarette or cigar disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 10, or in the longitudinal axis of the cigar, The ring of smoking article 18 is filled. Thus, the inner wall 14 is spaced apart from the outer wall 12 by a distance slightly larger than the diameter of the smoking article 18. In this example, the smoking article 18 is a filter-tipped cigarette and is disposed below the filter end, so that when the smoking article is dispensed through the lower end of the cartridge 10, the smoking article first passes to the smoker. To be delivered.

The inner wall 14 also forms a cylindrical space 20 on the inner side of the inner wall 14. This is a butt receptacle for receiving and containing butts of smoking articles consumed from the cartridge 10. Thus, the butt receptacle 20 is closed at the lower end by the bottom face 22 and at the upper end by a flexible elastic stopper 24, such as a membrane. The flexible stopper 24 has one or more slits 26 therein, which are arranged as crosses or stars to provide an opening to the butt receptacle. The butts may be pressurized into the butt receptacle 20 via the slit 26 and are closed after use to block the butt receptacle 20 due to the elastic nature of the stopper 24. Thus, the butts can be kept clean and secure inside the receptacle 20 until the cartridge is used and discarded.

Elastic stopper 24 may be aluminum foil or heat resistant fabric or polymer (eg, clay based heat resistant gas barrier polymer, liquid crystal polymer, leather, flame / bum resistant carton), molding It may be made of a heat resistant material such as plastic, rubber, or other suitable synthetic composite material, or a coating of heat resistant material may be provided. This allows the butt which is still on fire to be pressurized through the slit 26 into the receptacle 20 without the risk of the elastic stopper 20 igniting (the butt is fast on its own due to the small volume of oxygen in the receptacle 20). Will be digested). The stopper 24 may also be used as a surface to extinguish a lit smoking product. To achieve this, the stopper 24 must be flexible enough to allow the butts to be pressed through the slit 26 without requiring excess force, but to extinguish a lit smoking article without too much deformation. It must be rigid enough to accommodate the appropriate weak pressure.

The butt receptacle 20 may also include an odor absorbent, such as certain absorbents (which may include flavors or odors) known to those skilled in the art, including carbon, clay, zeolite, silicates, activated carbon, kaolin and chalk. have. This absorbent reduces or eliminates the odor coming from the digested butts in the receptacle 20, or otherwise odors out through the slit 26 when the next butt is pressed into the receptacle 20. The absorbent may be provided as a particle or solid material (in tablet, granule, or powder form) disposed within the receptacle 20, or permeates the inner surface of the inner wall 14 and / or the bottom surface 22, or It may be coated or otherwise attached.

To enhance stability, the inner surface of the butt receptacle 20 may be made by making a butt receptacle with a non-combustible, for example, non-combustible material or by coating the inner surface with a fire retardant material. This reduces the risk of fire if a lit or smoking butt enters the butt receptacle 20.

In this example, the annular space 16 containing the smoking article 18 is open to both the top and bottom portions when the unitary top and bottom surfaces are not provided to the cartridge 10. Instead, both the upper and lower ends of the cartridge 10 are closed with sealing members 28 and 30. These are hermetic sealing members to maintain the freshness of the smoking article 18 until the smoking article is consumed. Thus, for example, sealing members 28, 30, which may be foil, plastic, or plastic coated paper or foil, are attached if desired or otherwise bonded to at least the end face of the outer wall 12, and also the inner wall ( 14) can be fixed to the end face. For ease of manufacture, the sealing members 28, 30 may be substantially disc shaped such that the ends of the butt receptacles 20 are covered. It also protects the resilient cap 24 of the butt receptacle 24 until the cartridge is used. Otherwise, the sealing members 28, 30 are ring shaped such that only the ends of the annular space 16 are covered.

In order to provide access to the butt receptacle 20 and smoking product 18 when the cartridge is about to be used (assembled in the outer case), the sealing members 28, 30 must be easily removable from the ends of the cartridge. do. Thus, the bonding or bonding method provides a secure hermetic seal but also the sealing members 28 and 30 should be easily peeled off from the ends of the inner and outer walls.

2 shows a top view of a cartridge 10 with an upper seal member 30 removed to provide a cartridge 10 for use. The manner in which the inner wall 14 and the outer wall 12 form an annular space 16 is shown where a ring of smoking article 18 fills the annular space 16. For example, an elastic stopper 24 of a butt receptacle with a slit 26 arranged as a cross is visible.

Once the upper and lower sealing members are removed to maintain the position of the outer and inner walls 12, 14, the cartridge may have one or more connecting struts 32 extending between the inner and outer walls 12, 14. Include. Multiple struts can be used when desired to maintain the shape and structural strength of the cartridge. The struts 32 may be located only at one or both ends of the cartridge 10 so that the annular space remains clear, or the struts 32 are in the middle one along the height of the cartridge 10 or It can be located at more points. In the latter case, the strut 32 may extend along the total height of the cartridge 10. In addition, multiple struts may be provided to separate the annular space into small cells, each containing one smoking article. Although separating the annular space 16 in this manner and structurally more complex and more complex to manufacture keeps the smoking article 18 in a parallel position in the upright position, it is possible to obtain the smoking article 18 from the cartridge 10. Helps distribute

3 is a bottom view of the cartridge 10 with the lower sealing member 28 removed to prepare the cartridge for use. The bottom view is similar to the top view of FIG. 2, but from this angle, the bottom face 22 of the butt receptacle can be seen in the annular space 16.

4 shows an end view of the cartridge 10 before the sealing members 28, 31 are removed (both ends have substantially the same appearance under this condition). In this example, the sealing member is disc shaped, such that the end of the butt receptacle is covered and sealed to the ends of both the inner and outer walls as indicated by the dotted lines. Pull tabs 34 extending from the edges of the sealing members 28, 30 can be used to assist the user in gripping the sealing members 28, 30, thereby removing the pull tabs from the cartridge 10. To do that. In addition, the sealing member may be marked or labeled in a predetermined manner for marking, allowing the end of the cartridge to assist the user in loading the cartridge 10 into the outer case. However, this information may optionally or additionally be made apparent from the marks provided on the outside of the outer wall.

5 is a cross sectional view of an outer case for use with a cartridge such as that shown in FIGS. The case 40 includes a cylindrical sidewall 42 of diameter and height of a diameter and height sufficient to accommodate the cartridge 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 in the case. Preferably the cartridge 10 is a relatively fit assembly within the side wall 42, such as an interference fit, so as to limit the relative movement between the two parts, which allows the smoker to move the cartridge 10 into the side wall 42. It is not tight to make insertion difficult. The outer side of the outer wall 12 of the cartridge 10 and the inner side of the side wall 42 of the case 40 can engage one or more mutually engaging recesses and protrusions (not shown) to allow the cartridge ( 10) to prevent rotation. This facilitates the operation of the dispensing portion of the case 40.

The case 40 further includes a top surface 46 and a bottom surface 44 that close the open end of the cylindrical sidewall 42. The upper surface 46 includes a central aperture 48 that provides access to the resilient plug 24 of the butt receptacle 20 of the cartridge 10 that is inserted into the case 40. The central aperture 48 may be circular and may have a diameter no greater than the diameter of the butt receptacle 20 such that the smoking article 18 in the annular space 16 of the cartridge is not exposed.

Dispensing apertures located on one side of the bottom surface 44 so that the bottom surface 44 corresponds to the position of the smoking article in the annular space 16 of the cartridge 10 assembled into the case 40. And 50. The through hole 50 is large enough for a single smoking article to pass through so that the smoking articles can be removed from the cartridge 10 one at a time. Conveniently, the aperture 50 is circular. The bottom surface 44 is rotatable about the side wall 42 such that the bottom surface can be twisted circumferentially such that the dispensing aperture 50 is aligned with the smoking article 18 in the cartridge 10. It may be discharged through the through hole (50). Shaking the case 40 may facilitate the distribution of smoking articles through the aperture 50.

 Bottom surface 44 may not be removable from sidewall 42. In order to provide the required rotation, the bottom surface 44 includes a rim portion 52 extending over the end of the outer side of the side wall 42 and has an flange 54 extending inwardly. This flange engages the flange 56 extending outwards on the outside of the side wall 42 to maintain the bottom surface on the side wall 42 while allowing rotation (optionally the flange 54 is the side wall 42). Can be assembled into a groove outside of the). If the flanges 54, 56, the side walls 42, and / or the rim portion 52 are sufficiently elastically deformable (elastic), the bottom surface 44 may be removed from the side walls 42 and may be “snap assembled” can be replaced via a snap-fit "action. Otherwise, bottom surface 44 may remain coupled to sidewall 42. If the bottom surface 44 is sufficiently tightly assembled on the side wall 42, the flange may not be required and may be forced to fit instead. Also, although the outer rim portion provides a more secure shape for gripping by the user to rotate the bottom surface, the rim portion 52 may extend relative to the inner side of the side wall 42 rather than the outer side. Optionally, other ways may be used in which the bottom surface is removable or non-removable or rotatably connects the two parts together.

In the design of the cartridge and the case in which the cartridge and the case are substantially held and fixed relative to each other with respect to the rotational movement when the cartridge is inserted into the case (for example, by the use of mutual engagement protrusions and recesses as described above). The attachment between the sidewalls and the bottom surface may include a feature to allow step-wise rotational movement to bias the dispensing aperture in true alignment with each of the smoking articles in the cartridge. For example, interlocking teeth can be applied that provide a ratchet type arrangement.

Since the cartridge needs to be inserted into the outer case 40, the top surface 46 should be removable from the side wall 42 if it is not the bottom surface 44. Optionally, bottom surface 44 and top surface 46 may both be removable. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the top surface 46 is rotatable relative to the side wall 42 during use because of the central position of the butt receptacle 20 and the aperture 48 disposed below in the inserted cartridge 10. May not be necessary. Thus, for the removable top surface 46, screw fittings may be provided. Otherwise, any of the fittings described above for the bottom surface 44 may be used, or other optional, removable or other open arrangement, such as a hinge fitting with catch or latch, may be used. If the bottom surface 44 is removable / openable, the top surface according to the example of FIG. 5 does not need to be removable, and because the top surface does not need to rotate, the top surface is fastened or integrated directly to the side wall 42. It can be formed as.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the top surface 46, with a central aperture 48, of a suitable size to provide access to the butt receptacle while properly covering the top end of the annular space of the inserted cartridge.

The cartridge used in connection with the case 40 with the upper end 46 according to the example of FIG. 6 may have a stopper for the upper end of the annular space which is not intended to be removed before the cartridge is inserted into the case 40. . Thus, the cartridge may be formed with an integral end to cover the annular space instead of the upper sealing member 30 described with respect to FIG. 1. Optionally, since the same or similar sealing member is used as the lower sealing member 28, if the upper sealing member 30 is considered convenient, the upper sealing member 30 is not considered to be removed from the cartridge before use. You may not. For example, an annular top seal member that does not cover the elastic stopper 24 of the butt receptacle 20 may be used, or a removable central portion covering the elastic stopper that is removed by the user before the cartridge is assembled into the case. Branched top sealing member can be used. The central portion may be formed by perforations and for example a pull tab may be provided for easy removal.

7 is a bottom view of the bottom surface 44 with an offset dispensing aperture 50. The arrow indicates the rotational movement required to align the dispensing aperture 50 with the smoking article in the cartridge.

8 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 1 inserted into the outer case of FIG. Prior to insertion of the cartridge 10, the upper and lower sealing members 30, 28 are removed from the cartridge 10. One or the other of the top or bottom surface of the case 40 is opened, and the cartridge 10 is pressed into the case and the open surface is replaced or closed. As shown, the smoking article 18 can be extracted when the dispensing aperture in the bottom surface is aligned with the smoking article 18 in the cartridge 10. Shaking of the case 40 can facilitate the dropping of the smoking article 18 through the aperture 50. When the smoking article 18 is smoked, the butts of the smoking article are butt receptacle 20 by forcing the butts through the slit 26 in the elastic stopper 24 via the central aperture 48 in the upper surface 40. Can be stored within. Butts 58 are already shown in butt receptacles 20.

To facilitate removal of the smoking article from the cartridge via the dispensing aperture in the case, an upper surface of the case may be provided with a plunger or similar pressing means capable of extending through the upper surface and supporting the end of the smoking article in the cartridge, When the dispensing aperture is aligned with the smoking article, the dispensing aperture is pressed outward through the dispensing aperture. The plunger may be a spring-loading button, for example.

9A is a cross sectional view of an upper portion of a case 40 having a cartridge 10 therein, where the plunger is coupled to an upper surface 46. Plunger 60 extends through a hole in top surface 46 and is deflected to a retracted position as shown in FIG. 9A by a spring 62 that is concealed in an outer portion of plunger 60. The inner portion of the plunger 60 terminates in a plane suitable for contacting the end of the smoking article without damaging the smoking article. The plane may be provided with a rubberized or cushioned surface, for example, and may have a larger area than the end of the smoking article so as not to be pressed by tobacco.

To allow the use of the plunger 60, the upper surface 46 of the case 40 is rotatable relative to the cartridge such that the plunger 60 can be aligned with each smoking article. Once the plunger 60 and the dispensing aperture 50 are aligned with the same smoking article 18, the plunger 60 is pressed so that the inner portion 64 contacts the end of the smoking article 18 and then the smoking article 18. Is pressed towards and through the dispensing aperture 50. When the plunger 60 is released, the spring 62 returns the plunger 60 to the retracted position so that the upper surface 46 is not rotated further.

FIG. 9B shows the plunger 60 of FIG. 9A in a pressurized position, showing downward movement of both the plunger 60 and the smoking article 18. Other designs of plungers or pressing mechanisms can be used.

To help align the smoking article with the plunger, the top surface can be configured for stepped rotation as described above with respect to the bottom surface. In addition, a connection can be provided between the bottom and top surfaces by a connecting element that allows the two surfaces to rotate together so that the plunger and the dispensing hole are in line with the same smoking article by one adjustment. The connecting element must be separated to allow opening of one or the other of the top or bottom surface for insertion of the cartridge into the case.

If the cartridge is intended for use with a case that includes a plunger, the cartridge 10 includes an upper seal member 30 that can be removed from the cartridge prior to being inserted into the case 40 so that the smoking article has a plunger 60. To the inner part of the

In addition, for the sealing member, one option for the lower sealing member 30 is to provide a lower sealing member in which the smoking article can be easily pressed by the action of the plunger. The sealing member may be made of a relatively weak and easily tearable material, for example, and the sealing member may have perforations or other lines of weakness that break when the smoking article is pressed against the sealing member.

Sealing members of this type can also be used to cover the top of the annular space, in which case the downward movement of the pressed plunger presses the inner part of the plunger through the sealing member to contact and press the smoking article below. In addition, where the upper sealing member comprises a central portion covered with an elastic stopper, a breakable material can also be used here. The first butt, which is placed into the butt receptacle, is pressurized through the central portion and the central portion is torn open before being pressed through the slit of the resilient plug. In one such embodiment, the central portion of the upper sealing member is preferably fire retardant or non-flammable such that undigested butts can be safely pressed through the central portion of the upper sealing member.

A breakable sealing member can be used to provide a more convenient cartridge, and smokers do not have to remove the sealing member before assembling the cartridge into the case. Thus, the case can be reloaded with easy and rapid new filling of smoking articles and empty butt receptacles without the need for separate treatment of the sealing member. In addition, the sealing member remaining in place can maintain a longer freshness of the smoking article, especially when the annular space is divided into individual cells.

Cases intended to be reusable for multiple cartridges may be provided with various attachments or support mechanisms, if desired. For example, a clip may be provided on the outside of the side wall and the case may be clipped to the belt or pocket by the clip. Alternatively or additionally, the chain may be attached to the case, for example to connect the case to a bag or belt loop. A key ring or spring clip of the type used to attach the dog lead can be provided at the other end of the chain so that the case can be attached as required. In addition, a chain or cord may be provided that allows the case to be suspended around the neck.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a belt clip 66 with a key ring 70 and a case 40 provided with both a chain 68 and a neck cord 72.

Advantageously, the outer case may be provided with a dedicated facility for extinguishing smoking articles before the butts are inserted into the butt receptacles. To provide this, the case may comprise an extinguishing port in the form of an indented portion or recess in which the smoking article can be digested. The recess may be located anywhere in the outer case, but the central area of the bottom surface may be convenient for this purpose when not otherwise used.

11 is a cross sectional view of the container portion, showing the cartridge in the outer case 40 engaging a simple fire extinguishing recess. The recess 74 is located in the center of the bottom 44 of the case 40 and includes a shallow indentation in which the lit smoking article can be rubbed by pressing the end of the smoking article against the surface of the recess 74. do.

The butt receptacle 20 in this example has a bottom surface 22 that is higher than the bottom surface 44 of the outer case 10 to make room for the recess 22. Also shown in this example is the odor reducer 76 disposed at the base of the receptacle 20. The odor reducer 76 is held in place by the gauze layer and may be tablet or special shaped.

12 is a cross-sectional view of a container having a fire extinguishing recess according to another embodiment. In this example, the recess 74 is deeper than the shallow indentation of FIG. 11. The depth is sufficient to accommodate a substantial portion of the end of the smoking article. In addition, the recess is relatively narrow and provides an assembly that fits snugly around the perimeter of the smoking article. In this way, the smoking article 80, when inserted into the recess 74, is extinguished in the absence of oxygen. Thus, a smoking article can be extinguished without the need to force or pressurize the smoking article. The shape and structural strength of the butts are maintained so that the butts can be more easily pressed into the butt receptacles 20. In this example, the recess 74 has a truncated cone shape with an internal cross section that widens with depth. However, straight sided recesses may also be used. As in the example of FIG. 11, the bottom surface 22 of the receptacle 20 is raised to receive the recess 74. Deeper recesses 74 require a substantially raised bottom face 22 to reduce the overall volume of the receptacle.

13 is a cross-sectional view of a container according to a further embodiment with a fire extinguishing recess. In this example, the recess 74 is configured as in the example of FIG. 12, but the bottom face 22 of the receptacle 20 also opens the recess 74 with a smaller decrease in the total volume of the receptacle 20. Inverted to receive.

It is also desirable for the outer case to be made of a relatively durable material, such as molded plastic, metal or very thin cardboard. The outer surface can be reinforced in shape by, for example, covering with embossing, family, imitation leather, or printing a pattern or smoking product brand.

Disposable cartridges may be made of low cost materials such as thin plastic, cardboard or heavy paper. Since the cartridge is discarded, regenerated or biodegradable materials are useful.

The cartridge and case are suitable for containing certain types of smoking articles such as cigarettes (including filter tips, filterless and superslim), cigarettes, cigarillos, and cigars.

Thus, in all examples presented so far, the cartridge and case are dispensed with smoking articles through dispensing apertures in the bottom surface of the case and receptacles entering and exiting through a central aperture in the upper surface of the case. However, this arrangement can be reversed so that the dispensing aperture is at the top side and the central aperture is at the bottom side. Optionally, both may have certain plunger mechanisms or fire extinguishing ports on the same end face, top or bottom of the case and corresponding adjustments may be made in the orientation of the features of the cartridge. Thus, in general, the cartridge and case are to be considered as having a first end face and a second end face with dispensing and butt receptacle entry provided via opposite ends or the same end, but not at the top and bottom. Can be.

Claims (41)

An inner wall coaxial with the outer wall and spaced apart from the outer wall to form an outer wall and an annular space for receiving a plurality of smoking articles, the inner wall further forming a central receptacle for receiving a smoking article butt, Disposable cylindrical cartridges, and A cylindrical outer case configured to receive the cartridge, the case comprising a cylindrical sidewall, a first end face and a second end face, one of the end faces being of the cartridge when the cartridge is received within the case. A central aperture providing access to a central receptacle, one of the end faces having a dispensing aperture offset from the center of the end face, through which the smoking article may be dispensed from the annular space of the cartridge; Including a cylindrical outer case, Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 1, One of said end faces has said central aperture and the other of said end faces has said distribution aperture, Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 1, One of the end faces has both the central aperture and the distribution aperture, Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 1, One or both of the end faces of the case are replaceably removable from the case such that the cartridge is inserted into the case, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, An end face of the case having the dispensing aperture may be rotated such that the dispensing aperture is aligned with an end of a smoking article in the annular space of the cartridge received in the case; Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, An end face of the case facing the surface having the dispensing aperture includes a plunger, the plunger extending through the surface and received in the case through the dispensing aperture in the facing surface of the case; Manually operable from the outside of the case to press the smoking article in the annular space to the outside, Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 6, An end face comprising the plunger is rotatable such that the plunger can be aligned with an end of a smoking article in the annular space of the cartridge received in the case; Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, One of the end faces includes a recess in which the smoking article can be digested, Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 8, The recess has an opening and a depth sized to receive a lit end of the smoking article such that the smoking article can be extinguished within the recess without applying force; Container for smoking articles. The method according to claim 8 or 9, The recess is in the end face facing the end face having the central opening, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The central receptacle of the cartridge is closed at one end intended to align with the central aperture in the case by an elastic stopper having one or more slits, through which the butts can be inserted into the receptacle. , Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 11, The elastic stopper is heat resistant or has a heat resistant coating, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, The end face of the central receptacle facing the end where a smoking article butt is received through is inverted to receive a recess for extinguishing the smoking article in the end face of the outer case, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, The central receptacle is made of a non-combustible material, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, The central receptacle contains an odor remover for reducing or removing odors from the butts contained within the receptacle. Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, The cartridge is provided with at least one sealing layer for closing the annular space to maintain freshness of the smoking article contained within the annular space; Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 16, Wherein said at least one sealing layer is removable and is intended to be removable from said cartridge prior to insertion of said cartridge into said case, Container for smoking articles. The method according to claim 16 or 17, The at least one sealing layer comprises a material that can be penetrated through when a smoking article is pressed against the sealing layer, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, The cartridge is provided with a first sealing layer for closing the annular space at the first end and a second sealing layer for closing the annular space at the second end; Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 19, Further comprising a plurality of smoking articles disposed within the annular space of the cartridge, Container for smoking articles. A cylindrical outer case configured to receive a disposable cylindrical cartridge, the disposable cylindrical cartridge including an inner wall coaxial with and spaced from the outer wall to form an outer wall and an annular space into which the plurality of smoking articles enter. The inner wall further defines a central receptacle for receiving smoking article butts, The cylindrical outer case includes a cylindrical sidewall, a first end face and a second end face, one of the end faces having a central aperture providing access to a central receptacle of a cartridge received within the case, the end face One of them has a dispensing aperture offset from the center of the end face, through which the smoking article can be dispensed from the annular space of the cartridge received in the case. Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 21, One of said end faces has said central aperture and the other of said end faces has said distribution aperture, Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 21, One of the end faces has both the central aperture and the distribution aperture, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 23, One or both of the end faces of the case are replaceably removable from the case such that the cartridge is inserted into the case, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 24, An end face of the case having the dispensing aperture may be rotated such that the dispensing aperture is aligned with an end of a smoking article in the annular space of the cartridge received in the case; Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 25, An end face of the case facing the surface having the dispensing aperture includes a plunger, the plunger being smoking in the annular space of the cartridge received in the case through the dispensing aperture in the opposite end surface of the case; Manually operable from outside of the case to pressurize the article to the outside, Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 26, An end face comprising the plunger is rotatable such that the plunger can be aligned with an end of a smoking article in the annular space of the cartridge received in the case; Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 27, One of the end faces includes a recess in which the smoking article can be digested, Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 28, The recess has an opening and depth sized to receive the lit end of the smoking article so that the smoking article can be extinguished without applying force; Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 28 or 29, The recess is in the end face facing the end face having the central opening, Container for smoking articles. Outer Wall, An inner wall coaxial with the outer wall to form an annular space for receiving a plurality of smoking articles, spaced from the outer wall, and further forming a central receptacle to receive a smoking article butt; A disposable cylindrical cartridge comprising a plurality of smoking articles disposed within the annular space, The cartridge is configured to be received in a cylindrical outer case, the cylindrical outer case including a cylindrical sidewall, a first end face and a second end face, one of the end faces being centered in the cartridge when received in the case. A central aperture that provides access to the receptacle, one of the end faces having a dispensing aperture offset from the center of the end surface and dispensing from the annular space of the cartridge when received within the case through the dispensing aperture; Can be, Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 31, wherein The central receptacle of the cartridge is closed at one end intended to be aligned with the central aperture of the outer case by an elastic stopper having one or more slits, through which the butts can be inserted into the receptacle. , Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 32, The elastic stopper is heat resistant or has a heat resistant coating, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 33, wherein The end face of the central receptacle facing the end where a smoking article butt is received through is inverted to receive a recess for extinguishing the smoking article in the end face of the outer case, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 34, wherein The central receptacle is made of a non-combustible material, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 35, The central receptacle contains an odor remover for reducing or removing odors from the butts contained within the receptacle. Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 36, The cartridge is provided with at least one sealing layer for closing the annular space to maintain freshness of the smoking article contained within the annular space; Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 37, wherein Wherein said at least one sealing layer is removable and is intended to be removable from said cartridge prior to insertion of said cartridge into said case, Container for smoking articles. The method of claim 37 or 38, The at least one sealing layer comprises a material that can be penetrated through when a smoking article is pressed against the sealing layer, Container for smoking articles. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 39, The cartridge is provided with a first sealing layer for closing the annular space at the first end and a second sealing layer for closing the annular space at the second end; Container for smoking articles. Substantially described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, Container for smoking articles.

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