US2315900A - Cigarette case - Google Patents

Description

Aprll 6, 1943. R. N. LUPFER CIGARETTE CASE Filed Sept. 27, 1940 IIIIII Patented Apr. 6, 19.43 l

CIGARETTE CASE Robert N. Lupfer, Springfield, O hio, assignor to The Springfield Leather Products Co., Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 27, 1940, Serial No. 358,678

(Cl. G-41) 2 Claims.

This invention relates'to cases in which packaged cigarettes can be carried and be dispensed therefrom as desired.

An object of the invention is to provide a cigarette case for enclosing packaged cigarettes hav' ing a dispensing opening which may be closed by` a rigid slide member suitably retained 'and guided in proper relation with the dispensing opening.

Another object of the invention is to. provide a cigarette case for enclosing packaged cigarettes wherein an end wall of a flexible case is rigidly supported, and a slide is carried by the rigid supporting wall in a slidable manner to permit opening and closing of a dispensing opening in the flexible case.

A further object of the invention' is to provide a exible cigarette case for enclosing packaged cigarettes wherein an end wall is provided with a rigid support which isattached to the wall in such a manner that a slide m'ay cooperate therewith for closing a dispensing opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a leather case for enclosing packaged cigarettes wherein a metal slide and guide means is provided in operative association with a dispensing opening for opening and closing the same.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a metal support upon an end wall of a flexible cigarette case and provide means for securing the metal support to the iiexible end wall in such a manner as to expose a minimum amount of the metal, and wherein the metal support provides means for slidably guiding and supporting a slide member for closing a dispensing opening in the case, and wherein the slide is provided with a manipulator extending through the support.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the drawingl and a reading of the description which follows.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 isa perspective elevational view of a cigarette case embodying features of this invention, and shows a slide in the open position for dispensing cigarettes; v Figure 2 is a perspective elevational view similar to Figure 1, the slide, however, being in closed position;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view I taken along line 3 3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line 4 4 of Figure 1; Y

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along line 5 5 of Figure 1 and looking upwardly in the direction of the arrows.

This invention is adapted for use in connection with carrying lpackaged cigarettes. It iswell-known that the paper package in which cigarettes are packed and sold is lnsuilicient support for the cigarettes when they are carried upon the person. The package becomes damaged andy destroys the cigarettes. A convenient manner for dispensing cigarettes from the original package consists of tearing or cutting one end of the package in such a manner as to expose several cigarettes. Such a manipulation of the end of a package provides a substantially rectangular opening through which cigarettes may be dispensed from the original package, the remaining cigarettes being retained within the package in an attempt to retain their shape and condition while being carried in the pocket of the person.

This invention .permits a cigarette package, prepared as aforementioned, to be placed in a container or case with the prepared end adjacent a dispensing opening in the case.V A slidable closure member is provided for opening and closing the dispensing opening of the case topermit cigarettes to :be dispensed from the case in the same manner as from the original package prepared as aforementioned. It is to be understood, however, that the cigarettes can be removed from the original package and .be placed within the case for protection and from which they can .be dispensed in the same manner as from an original .pack-age.

The cigarette case of this 'invention consists of a substantially rectangular case I0 which can be manufactured from any suitable material such as metal, leather or plastic. It' is more convenient, however, to manufacture the case I0 from a nexible material such as leather since this material will more or less conform to the pocket of I a person, it is light in weight, while providing protection for cigarettes contained therein. The invention is thus disclosed in its preferred form as being applied to a leather cigarette case.

'I'he case I0 consists of side walls i I, edge walls I2 and end walls I3 and I4, respectively. Means are provided for gaining access to the interior of the case I0 by placing a zipper I5 within the edge walls I2 and the end wall I3. A suitable cut-out portion I6 is provided in the edge walls I2 and the end wall I3 to permit operation of the zipper I5 which is stitched to the edge of the cut-out lportion I6 as at I'I.

'Ihe top wall I4 of the cigarette case I0 is provided with a dispensing opening 20 through which cigarettes contained within the case I0 may be dispensed as desired. The dispensing opening 20 is adapted to be closed by means of a slide 2| which is provided with a. manipulator knob 22. The slide 2| is slidably supported in guided relation upon a rigid support and guide member 23.

The guide member 23 has longitudinally extending guide rails 24 integrally formed as a part of the guide member 23 by bending opposite parallel edges ofthe guide member 23 angularly with respect to the plane of the member 23 whereby 1a substantially U-shaped channel is provided. The slide `member 2| is positioned between the guide rails 24 and is retained in guided relationship therewith by the manipulator knob 22, which extends through an elongated slot 25.

The elongated slot 25 positioned within the guide member 23 is arranged with an upwardly extending flange 26 lwhich is adapted to extend through a longitudinally positioned slot 21 provided in the end wall I4 of the case I0. The flange 26 of the slot 25 is-formed over the edge of the slot 21 in the end wall I4, whereby the guide member 23 is retained adjacent the wall I4. The guide member 23 and the slide 2| are positioned adjacent the inner face of the wall I4 whereby an exposed metal edge of a flange 28 and the flange 26 are the only exposed metal parts of the case except for the slide 2| and the manipulator knob 22. The flange 2S is formed over an edge of the dispensing opening 20, this flange in cooperation with ange 26 providing the means for retaining the guide 23 and the slide 2| adjacent the wall I4.

The manipulator knob 22 is secured to the slide 2| by any suitable means, such as by staking the end 29. This manipulator knob 22 extends through the eyelet formed by the slot 25 and the formed flange 26 and terminates in an enlarged head 30, the edges of which overlap parallel longitudinal edges of the eyelet, whereby the slide. 2| is supported adjacent therigid support and guide member 23. The eyelet formed by the slot 25 and the formed flange 26 provides means for limiting the longitudinal movement of the manipulator 22, and thus the slide 2|.

As heretofore mentioned, the cigarette case I0, which includes the wall I4, is constructed from a flexible material such. as leather. The guide member 23 provides a rigid support for the flexible wall I4 whereby the rectangular shape of the wall I4 -is retained when the case is being carried upon the person, since the guide 23 covers -substantially the entire area of the wall i4. When the slide 2| is advanced to its `forward or closed position, as shown in Fig-ure 2, the slide provides the means for retaining the end of the `case having the dispensing'opening therein in proper configuration. If desired, to obtain additional stiffness for the side and edge walls of the case I0, a reenforcement strip 3| 'may be positioned adjacent the inner faces of the respective walls. This, however, is not a necessity and is suggested only if it is desired to provide a firm and rigid cigarette case.

It may readily be seen that the device of this l but which may add considerable to the decorative qualities of the case.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A cigarette dispensing case made of flexible material and shaped to receive and hold a package o cigarettes snugly therein, said case having a continuous slide fastener opening in one end and in the adjacent portions of the side walls to permit insertion of a package of cigarettes, the other end of the case being provided with a double end Wall having a dispensing opening located adjacent to one side of the case, the inner wall portion of said double end wall terminating at its opposite edges in a pair of guide rails, a closure plate of relatively stiff material confined in the case in face contact with the inner surface of said inner wall portion, said plate being guided in the lateral direction by said rails, said closure plate having an operating element projecting through the end Wall and accessible on' the outside of the case, and a flat reenforcin'g member carried by the side wall adjacent to the dispensing opening and substantially the same width as the said sidewall.

2. A cigarette dispensing case made of flexible material and shaped to receive and hold a package of cigarettes snugly therein, said case having a continuous slide fastener opening in one end and in the adjacent portions of the side Walls to permit insertion of a package of cigarettes, the other end of the case being provided with a double end wall having a dispens- -ing open located adjacent to one side of the case, the inner wall portion of said double end wall terminating at its opposite edges in a pair of guide rails, a closure plate of relatively stiif material coniined in the case in face contact with the inner surface of said inner wall portion, said plate being guided solely in the lateral direction by said rails, said closure plate having an operating element projecting through the end Wall and accessible on the outside of the casing, said element being adapted to bear against the upper surface of the outer wall portion of the double end wall, said plate being supported in the vertical direction solely by the bearing effect between said head and the upper wall portion.

ROBERT N. LUPFER.

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