US2951487A

US2951487A - Easily cleaned cigarette snuffer slot

Info

Publication number: US2951487A
Application number: US669551A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph G Leone
Original assignee: Glass Containers Corp
Current assignee: Glass Containers Corp
Priority date: 1957-07-02
Filing date: 1957-07-02
Publication date: 1960-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 1977-09-06

Description

Sept. 6, 1960 J. G. LEONE 2,951,487

EASILY CLEANED CIGARETTE SNUFFER SLOT Filed July 2. 1957 /5 I I \/0 HG2. 6 FIGA.

SAT In INVENTOR. JOSEPH 6. E0/v5 52,951,487 EASILY CLEANED CIGARErrE SNUFFER sLoT Joseph G. Leone, Garden Grove, Calif., assigner to Glass Containers Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed July z, 1957, ser. No. 669,551

2 Claims. (c1. 1312s5) This invention relates to and has for its primary object the provision of an ashtray having an improved cigarette snuier slot and resting surface.

Various ashtrays are currently in use which have cigarette -Snuffer slots incorporated therein so that as a cigaretteheld in the slot burns down to the point of engagement with the slot, the burning cigarette will be snuied out. These lashtrays are disadvantageous in that the snuffer slot itself is generally the sole means of support for the cigarette and requires at least a slight degree of pressure to force the cigarette into gripped engagement by the snuler slot. oftentimes, the user will not use suiicient force and the cigarette will be improperly gripped by the ashtray. The cigarette does not extinguish itself as it burns and sometimes falls out of the ashtray, creating -a lire hazard. In addition, these snuter slots become clogged with tars and are very diticult to clean.

The present invention overcomes these problems by providing an ashtray having an ash well with a cigarette supporting or resting surface extending from the well outwardly to theedge of the ashtray. This surface supports the bottom of a cigarette for a large percentage of the length of the cigarette and thus increases the vstability of the cigarette in the ashtray and decreases the possibility that the cigarette Will fall out of the ashtray as the cigarette length decreases in burning. This supporting surface is preferably formed from two inwardly and downwardly inclined facets centrally joined along a depressed junction line extending angularly downwardly from the outermost edge of the ashtray inwardly to the ash well to aid in positioning the cigarette in proper relation to the ash well.

A snuier slot is formed adjacent the ash well by two generally vertical, blunt, knife-like cigarette holding edges in either side of the supporting surface. Since these holding edges are used solely for snufling purposes, rather than lbeing used for the sole, or major, support of the cigarette, they are spaced apart at their bases just slightly less than the diameter of a cigarette. Very little etort is then required to insert a cigarette between these snuting edges, thus insuring the proper disposition of a burning cigarette in the ashtray. Properly positioned, with the cigarette being supported by the above described supporting surface and lightly gripped by the snuffing edges, the cigarette will be 4snuied when it burns down to the snuiilng edges and will not fall out of the ashtray.

Thus, an object of the invention is to provide an ashtray with a cigarette rest and snuffer slot as above described.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ashtray having a configuration such that when a plurality of such ashtrays are stacked on top of one another, air may circulate freely into and out of the ash wells to facilitate drying thereof after washing.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description.

In the drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the same:

hired States lialtent "aast/t? e, n .i i.

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Fig. l is a top plan view of an ashtray constructed in accordance with the present invention and having improved cigarette snuier slots and cigarette nests;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, of the ashtray shown in Fig. 1, looking into the improved snuifer slot of the present invention from its outermost point; I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines III- 'III in Fig. 1, and showing the downwardly inclined cigarette rest of the present invention in association with the snuier slot;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of two ashtrays of the present invention in a stacked position; and

Fig. 5l is a perspective view of the present invention holding a plurality of cigarettes burned to various lengths.

Generally speaking, the improved cigarette snuifer slot, generally indicated at 6, is formed by the two spaced apart wall portions 7 which provide the snutier slot therebetween. When viewed from above (Fig. 1) the wall portions 7 are V-shaped, with the apices of the Vs being closest to each other. The snutler slot wall portions 7 have generally vertical and spacedly opposed blunt cigarette holding edges or surfaces 8 which can firmly grasp a cigarette 9 therebetween. As seen in Fig. 1, the holding surfaces 8 blunt the apices of the V-shaped slot wall portions 7.

The holding surfaces are spaced apart at their lowermost points, a distance slightly less than the diameter of a cigarette. Since a cigarette is cylindrical, and since the vertical holding surfaces 8 are relatively narrow, the cigarette will be grasped at two relatively small, diametrically opposed points thereon. This will Virtually eliminate crushing of the cigarette when grasped by the snuifer slot, while yet having sufficient contact therebetween for snutling purposes.

The slot formed by the holding surfaces 8 tapers 11pwardly with the wider portion being at the upper end to permit the cigarette 9 to be easily slid into full holding and snuffing contact with the spaced edges 8.

The snuffer slot 6 is associated with an ashtray 10 having an ash-retaining well 13 and a cigarette rest 11 in combination with the slot 6, as shown in Figs. 1-4.

As shown in Fig. 3, the cigarette rest 11 has a downwardly inclined bottom from its outermost portion 14 to its innermost edge or portion 15 which is adjacent the ash-retaining well 13. The downwardly inclined cigarette rest 11 includes two inwardly and downwardly inclined facets 17 centrally joined along a depressed junction line 16 extending angularly downwardly from the outermost point 14 of the cigarette rest 11 to the innermost edge 15 thereof. The facets 17 serve to straighten out the cigarette 9 so that it will be aligned with the central inclined junction line 16 and the snuing slot 6.

The substantially V-shaped snuier slot portions 7 includes outer lateral wall portions inclined away from an imaginary central axis of the snuier slot 6 which is coincident with and extends along the inclined junction line 16. This is best illustrated in Fig. l. The V-shaped snuer slot portions 7 also include inner lateral wall portions 19 which, in effect, comprise the upper outer periphery 20 of the ash-retaining well 13, as shown in Figs. 1-5. The upper outer periphery 20 is non-continuous, in that the slots 6 break up the continuity, and has depressed sections 21, whereby air may circulate into the ash-retaining well 13 to hasten drying.

The depressed sections 21 make it possible for numerous ashtrays 10 to be stacked on top of each other, as shown in Fig. 4 for storage and shipping or for drying. This particular ashtray 10, as illustrated herein, touches the upper ashtray 10 at eight points (the apex of the edges 8), and by the point loading arrangement reduces the tendency of the glassy, slick-surfaced, ashtrays 10 to slide, thereby reducing breakage.

1. An ashtray having an ash receiving well and -a cigarette rest adjoining said well, said rest having a bottom comprising two planar facets inclined downwardly slightly toward each other `and meeting in a straight line inclined downwardly towards said well, said ashtray having upstandingV wall portions adjacent said well which include a pair of relatively narrow straight surfaces extending parallel to and generally vertically of said line on opposite sides thereof, said surfaces being slightly inclined away from said line whereby a cigarette placed in the rest will have its longitudinal axis above and parallel to said line and a portion of the cigarette will be wedged between said surfaces whereby the cigarette will be extinguished when the burning end reaches said surfaces.

2. An ashtray having a centrally disposed ash receiving well surrounded by peripheral portions having straight external sides meeting at corners, the height of the peripheral portions being a maximum at the portions thereof immediately adjacent the corners, the portions of each peripheral portion between the corners being arcuate and having a height less than the portions adjacent the corners whereby air may enter the ash receiving wells to dry the same when a similar ashtray is stacked thereon, the ashtray having cigarette rests at each of the corners, each rest being radially inwardly inclined and having 4a bottom portion comprising two planar facets inclined downwardly slightly toward each other yand meeting in a straight line radially disposed with respect to the tray, the inner portion of said rests each having wall portions, the radially innermost parts of which comprise a pair of relatively narrow straight surfaces extending parallel to said line on opposite sides thereof and being slightly inclined away from said line whereby a cigarette placed in the rest will have its longitudinal axis above and parallel to said line and a portion of the cigarette will be welded between said surfaces whereby the cigarette will not fall out of the rest and will be extinguished when the burning end reaches said surfaces.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 114,920 Dyke May 23, 1959 1,492,564 Heller May 6, 1924 1,667,663 Hoos Apr. 24, 1928 1,813,313 Oflltt July 7, 1931 2,063,717 Barbiere Dec. 8, 1936 2,410,487 Eweson Nov. 5, 1946 2,467,405 Phaturos Apr. 19, 1949