US2613676A

US2613676A - Cigarette holder for automobile ash trays

Info

Publication number: US2613676A
Application number: US187780A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stepkin David
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-09-30
Filing date: 1950-09-30
Publication date: 1952-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 1969-10-14

Description

CIGARETTE HOLDER FOR AUTOMOBILE ASH TRAYS Filed Sept. 50. 1950 IN V EN TOR.

DA V/D STEPK/N AGENT Patented Oct. 14, 1 952 CIGARETTE'H OLDER FOR AUTOMOBiLE ASH TRAYS DavidStepkin, Bronx,N. Y.

Application September 30, 1950, Serial No. 187,780

10 Claims. (01. 131 -235) My present invention relates to improvements in cigarette holders of the type disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 180,475, filed August 19, 19-50, and which has been subsequently abandoned, of which this application is a continuation-in-part.

In my co-pending application, above identified,

I I have described a bifurcate member fiXed-lysecured to a conventional automobile ash receiver and adapted to retain a cigarette which the driver may temporarily deposit therein in order to have full freedom of both hands.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a retractable cigarette holder in combination with means for automatically withdrawing such holder into the receptacle or tray when the latter is restored to its inoperative position in the dash board of an automobile, the holder projecting from the receptacle when the tray is pulled out for use. V

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a retractable cigarette holder so mounted that it will not yield to finger pressure when the user attempts to deposit a cigarette therein, whereby distraction of the drivers attentionduring use or" the holder will be-avoided.

Another specific object of the instantinvention is to arrange the parts in an unostentatious manner and with a minimum of obstruction of the interior of the receptacle.

It is also an object of my present invention to couple a cigarette holder of the character set forth with a cigarette extinguisher retractable simultaneously with the former.

The invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of an ash receiver equipped with a retractable cigarette holder according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the forward portion of the receiver of Fig. '1 incorporating the retractable holder;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, a portion of the adjacent part of the dash board being included for clarity;

Fig. 4. is a top plan view similar to Fig. 2 but representing a modification; and

Fig. 5 is a-section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. i.

Referring first to Figs. 1-3, there is shown an ash receiver consisting, essentially, of a stationary housing It] set in the dash board II and a receptacle l2 slidable into and out of the housing. The receptacle is shown in Fig. 1 in its operative, or partly withdrawn, position permitting the driver to drop ashes into the forward part there- 2' of; complete removal of the receptacle from the housing enables the emptying of the receptacle.

The holder I3, whose bifurcate shape is adapt= ed to retain a cigarette Mes seen inFig. 2, is pivotally mounted on a shaft I5 j ournaled inlugs it which extend inwardly from the front wall of the receptacle I2. Also, pivoted on the shaft I5 and rigid with the holder 1 3,-f-erming an acute angle therewith, is a fork member I? whose prongs straddle the bight of av generally U-shaped spring member I8. Thisspring member is seen to consist of a single wire of; adequate resiliency, the ends of which are fixedsat I 9,. as by-s-oldering, to the side walls of the receptacle I2. The wire I8 is formed with'two aligned cam portions or humps Illa, one on each arm of the. U, which in the operative position of the receptacle project above its upper edge as clearly seen in Fig. 1. These humps are adapted to be cammed downwardly by the front edge of the housing ill when the receptacle I2 is restored to its closed position. The entire assembly I3, IT, I8 is thereby rocked from its operative position,shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 3, to its retracted position illustrated in full lines in the same figure; it will be seen that in the latter position-the tip of holder I3 lies within the outline of the receptacle I2, enabling the latter to be fully inserted into the housing Ill. When the receptacle is again pulled out, the resiliency of springmember I Bcauses the humps |8Ct and the holder I 3 to return-to the position shown in Fig. 1. It will be noted that the holder I3 when projectingfrom" the receptacle is slightly inclined in aforwarddirection, therebyresting against thefront edge of the receptacle; thus the holder will'nrot alter its position when the cigarette it isforced down upon it.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 operates essentially in the same manneras the device just described, except that usehasbeen made of lever action to reduce thetravel of the cam member so that its humpswill project less prominently above the receptacle.

A yoke member I I8, provided with humps H8a similar to the humps of wire I8 in the preceding embodiment, is pivotally secured to the side Walls of the receptacle H2 at II9. This member, which consists of a rigid strip of rectangular cross section, is formed at its center with a cross bar H817, the latter bearing upon a J-shaped blade spring I20 riveted at I2I to the bottom of the receptacle. The free end of spring I20 is hinged to the lower end of a link I22 whose upper end is linked to a spur I I1 which is rigid with the holder I13, extending at an acute angle thereto.

and together with the latter is pivoted on shaft I I5 journaled in lugs I I6.

A tongue I23, provided with a cross-shaped cutout I24, serves as an extinguisher and is pivoted on the shaft H5 in rigid relationship with the members In and H3. When an automobile driver wishes to use the extinguisher, he will reach for the holder II3 whose projecting end serves as a guide to the extinguisher, thus permitting use of the latter without requiring the driver to take his eyes ofi the road. The alternate positions are shown in Fig. 5, full lines indicating the operative and dot-dash lines the retracted position. It will be seen that the extinguisher I23, which in the operative position is maintained horizontal by the upward pressure of spring I20, extends vertically downwardly when the receptacle is replaced, thereby dumping any ashes or cigarette butts that had been deposited thereon. Because the lever action of the movable arm of flat spring I magnifies the vertical displacement of the yoke member I I8, it is only necessary for the humps or cam portions I I8a to rise a small distance above the upper edge of the receptacle II2.

It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the specific forms described and illustrated; more particularly, the arrangement disclosed may be readily adapted to other types of automobile ash trays without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Thus it will be apparent that the downward camming action depressing an operating member such as I8 or II8 may be executed by any stationary element fixed to the dash board or even'by the dash board itself; also, the wire spring I8 or the blade spring I20 may be replaced by an'equivalent arrangement comprising a spring-biased lever pivoted at one end or at some intermediate point. These and other modifications and adaptations will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art and are intended to be included within the scope of the'appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an ash receiver adapted to be mounted in an automobile dash board, in combination, a receptacle movable relative to said dash board, operating means in said receptacle including a cam, a portion of said means being resilient to urge said cam beyond said receptacle into an operative position, said cam being repressible into an inoperative position within said receptacle upon the latter being completely retracted inside said dashboard, and a holder member adapted to retain a cigarette and linked to said operating means, said holder member proj ecting beyond said receptacle upon said cam occupying said operative position and being withdrawn inside said receptacle upon said cam occupying said inoperative position.

2. In an ash receiver adapted to be mounted in an automobile dash board, in combination, a receptaole movable relative to said dash board, operating means in said receptacle including a cam, a portion of said means being resilient to urge said cam beyond said receptacle into an operative position, said cam being repressible into an inoperative position within said receptacle upon the latter being completely retracted inside said dash board, a cigarette holder provided with a bifurcate end and pivotally mounted inside said receptacle, and link means operatively connecting said holder with said operating means, said link means causing said bifurcate end to project from said receptacle upon said cam occupying said operative position and withdrawing said bifurcate end into said receptacle upon said cam occupying said inoperative position.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said link means includes an element rigid 'with said holder and mounted on a common pivot therewith.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said element encloses an acute angle with said holder.

5. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said resilient portion comprises a resilient arm integral with said cam..

6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said operating means comprises a resilient wire of generally U-shaped configuration, said cam comprising a hump provided on an arm of the U.

7. The combination according to claim 2, including lever means translating the displacement of said cam into a magnified displacement of said holder.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said lever means is part of said resilient portion.

9. The combination according to claim 2, including extinguisher means rigid with said cigarette holder and mounted on a common pivot therewith so as to become accessible, together with said holder, upon partial withdrawal of said receptacle from said dash board, said holder by virtue of its projecting end then serving as a guide to said extinguisher.

10. In an ash receiver adapted to be mounted in an automobile dash board, in combination, a housing fixed in said dash board, a receptacle received in said housing and displaceable relative thereto, operating means in said receptacle including a cam, a portion of said means being resilient to urge said cam beyond said receptacle into an operative position, means including said housing repressing said cam into an inoperative position within said receptacle upon the latter being completely retracted inside said housing, and a holder member adapted to retain a cigarette and linked to said operating means, said holder member projecting beyond said receptacle upon said cam occupyingsaid operative position and being withdrawn inside said receptacle upon said cam occupying said inoperative position.

DAVID STEPKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS