US3096878A

US3096878A - Tobacco package with built in ashtray

Info

Publication number: US3096878A
Application number: US118716A
Authority: US
Inventors: James M Whitley; William N Whitley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-06-21
Filing date: 1961-06-21
Publication date: 1963-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1980-07-09

Description

July 9, 1963 J. M. WHlTLEY ETAL 3,096,873

TOBACCO PACKAGE WITH BUILT IN ASI-ITRAY Filed June 21, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TORS James/ INVEN ATTORNEYS,

July 9, 1963 J. M. WHITLEY ETAL 3,096,378

TOBACCO PACKAGE WITH BUILT IN ASHTRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1961 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent ()fiice 3,095,878 Patented July 9, 1963 3,096,878 TOBACCO PACKAGE WITH BUILT IN ASHTRAY James M. Whitley and William N. Whitley, both of 3875 E. 154th L, Cleveland 28, Ohio Filed June 21, 1961, Ser. No. 118,716 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-41) This invention relates to a tobacco package such as a cigarette package, and more particularly to such a cigarette package that has .a built in ashtray.

The primary object of the present invent-ion is to provide a cigarette pacakge which includes a wrapper there on, and wherein the wrapper is adapted to be made of transparent material, and wherein the wrapper is provided with an opening that has a removable closure thereon, so that when it is desired to use the built in ashtray, the removable closure can be manually removed to expose the opening so that ashes from a cigarette or the like can be deposited in a tray that is arranged to conveniently receive the ashes from the cigarette.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a built in portable cigarette ashtray which is arranged and constructed so that ashes can be conveniently received and stored therein, and wherein when desired the parts can be arranged so that the ashes cannot accidentally escape or spill from the ashtray, and a further object of the present invention is to provide a built in portable cigarette ashtray which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description which follows and by reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the built in portable cigarette ashtray of the present invention, and showing the position of the parts in their initial location before the user starts to open the package or wrapper.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view generally similar to FIG. 1 but showing the parts in extended position and illustrating the step of removing the closure to expose the opening in the wrapper for permitting the ashes to be deposited in the tray.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the opening in the wrapper closed by the cigarette package and showing the ashtray in collapsed or folded position.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the parts inextended position so that the ashtray is extended ready to receive ashes, and showing the hole or opening in the wrapper exposed and with the closure for the opening removed.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at right angles to the view shown in FIG. 3 and with the parts in the position of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section-a1 view taken in a plane similar to that shown in FIG. 6, but with the parts in the position of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view, with parts broken away showing ashes being held or stored in the device and showing the opening in the wrapper closed by the cigarette package.

FIG. 9 is a view in elevation, with parts broken away and in section showing how the device can be turned upside down to empty the ashes into a suitable receptacle or the like.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view with the parts in a position such as that shown in FIG. 5, and illustrating the positioning of the cigarette in relation to the ashtray.

FIG. 11 is :a plan view of the blank for making the ashtray and showing the blank per se.

FIG. 12 is an edge view of the blank of FIG. ll.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the ashtray per se, with parts broken away and in section.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the opening for receiving ashes from the cigarette, and illustrating a bright colored line that is adapted to be arranged contiguous to the opening in order to facilitate location of the opening by the user.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 20 indicates the article constructed according to the present invention which is shown to comprise a cigarette package that is indicated generally by the numeral 21, and the numeral 22 indicates a transparent wrapper for the package 21, FIG. 2. The numeral 23 indicates a pull tape that may be provided on the wrapper 22 and this tape 23 can be manually removed when the article is to be used. The cigarette package 21 may be provided with advertisements, printed matter or the like as indicated by the numeral 24, so as to indicate the brand of cigarettes in the package in the usual manner, and such printed matter may be viewed through the transparent wrapper 22.

As shown in the drawings the wrapper 22 includes an end wall 25, as well as spaced parallel side walls 26, and one or both of the side walls 26 may be provided with printed matter thereon as indicated by the numeral 27, FIG. 2, and such printed matter 27 may consist of instructions or directions explaining how to use the article of the present invention. The wrapper 22 further includes spaced parallel back and

front walls

28 and 29, and the front wall 29 is provided with an oval shaped access opening or aperture 30 which is adapted to be selectively closed by a closure 31, as later described in this application, and a tear strip or pull tape 32 is adapted to be manually gripped in the fingers 33 in order to facilitate removal of the closure 31 from the opening 30, as for example as shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. :14 there is illustrated by the numeral 34 a brightly colored line or marking which may have a red color and such a bright line 34 is adapted to be arranged around the outer periphery of the opening 30 in order to call attention to the opening 30 so that the user can readily locate the opening 30, and this bright colored marking 34 may be of the type which is formed on the wall surface 29 by transfer of a bright colored pigment or ink from the closure to the wall surface 29.

According to the present invention there is provided an ashtray which is indicated generally by the numeral 35, and the ashtray 35 is adapted to be made of a material which will not burn as for example the tray 35 can be made of aluminum foil or other incombustible material in sheet form. The sheet is sub-divided by fold lies 38 to form a first panel 50, a second panel 52, a third panel 54, and a fourth panel 56 which extend from one wrapper side wall to the other and are in abutting face to face re lation when the wrapper 22 is in the normal position enclosing the package 21, as in FIGURE 1. Upon opening of the end of the wrapper 22 remote from the one end wall 25, the wrapper 22 may he slid on the package 21 to an extended position, as in FIGURE 2, in which the panels of the tray are unfolded and the intermediate adjacent second panel 52 and the third panel 54 form a trough 39 with the first panel 50 and the fourth panel 56 sloping upwardly on each side of the trough 39. A flap 36 is provided on one of the end panels and adhesive or other securing means fixes the flap 36 to the inner surface of the end wall 25. The opposite end panel of the sheet is provided with a lip 37 similarly secured to the bottom of .the cigarette package 21 so that when the wrapper 22 is slid on the package 21 to the extended position the tray panels will unfold and when the wrapper is slid to the normal position the panels will fold.

The trough 39 formed by the second panel 52 and the third panel 54, when the wrapper is in the extended position, has its apex spaced from the wrapper back wall and spacers with the adjacent portions of the back and side walls forms a chamber 47 for receiving ashes from the trough, there being provided a cutout 41 in one end of the trough providing communication between the trough and the chamber. An abutment or tab 40 is provided in the trough spaced from the cutout so as to receive thereagainst the lit end of the cigarette when projected through the access opening in the wrapper front wall.

In FIG. the numeral 43 indicates the position of a cigarette which is extended through the opening 30 as when the closure 31 is removed, and the cigarette 43 includes a lit or burning end 44, and in FIG. 10 the numeral 45 indicates a supporting structure such as a table or the like which may be used for supporting the article. In FIG. 9 the article is shown upside down whereby ashes can be dumped or emptied into a receptacle such as the receptacle indicated by the numeral 46.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a cigarette package with a built in ashtray, and in use with the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, it will be seen that when the article is initially purchased or obtained, the parts are in the position such as that shown in FIG. 1, and then when the device is to be used the tape 23 can be manually moved so as to permit the cigarette package 21 to be partially withdrawn from the wrapper 22 so that the parts can be moved from a position such as that shown in FIG. 1 to a position such as that shown in FIG. 2. Since the tray 35 is arranged within the wrapper 22, and since one end of the tray as indicated by the numeral 37 is secured as by means of a suitable glue or adhesive to the package 21, while the other end 36 is secured to the end wall 25 of the wrapper, it will be seen that as the package 21 is moved partially out of the wrapper, the tray 35 will be extended or expanded due to its accordion like construction. The indicia or printed matter as indicated by the numeral 27 on the side of the wrapper 22 is adapted to include arrows so as to. provide instructions for the use of the present invention, and for example one arrow may point in one direction indicating the direction of movement to be followed in order to close the device, and there may be an oppositely pointing arrow to indicate the direction for opening the article.

The pull tape 32 can be manually gripped as for example between the fingers 33 and -by removing the tape 32, the closure 31 will be removed from the opening so that with the parts arranged in extended position, a cigarette such as the cigarette 43 can :be positioned or extended through the uncovered or exposed opening 30 whereby the lit end of the cigarette 43 as indicated by the numeral 44 [can rest on the tray 35 as for example as shown in FIG. 10, and the tab helps maintain the ashes 42 in their proper position on the tray 35. With the cigarette 43 removed from the device, after the ashes 42 sufficiently cool off, the device can be manually tapped on so as to cause the ashes to move through the cutout or opening 41 whereby such ashes can be received in the storage area 47, FIG. 8. With the ashes 42 received inthe area, 47, the package 21 can be pushed into the wrapper 22, as for example as shown in FIG. 8 whereby the device can be held in this position until a convenient time, and with the parts in the position of FIG. 8 it will be seen that the package 21 closes the opening 30 so that the ashes will not accidentally spill out through such opening. When a convenient receptacle such as a container 46 is available, the cigarette package 21 can again be partially extended as for example as shown in FIG. 9 and then the entire article can be turned upside down and by tapping on the article gently with the fingers, the ashes 42 will fall out of the opening 47 through the cutout 41, then through the opening 30 into a container or receptacle 46.

The tray 35 is adapted to be made of a material which will not burn, as for example the tray 35 can be made of thin aluminum foil. The wrapper 22 is adapted to be made of a transparent material such as cellophane. While the present invention has been described'specifically for use in connection with a package of cigarettes, it is to be understood that it is adapted to be used with other members or articles such as packages of cigars, other packages of suitable tobacco products or the like.

The flap 36 is secured in place slightly up from the lower end of the wall 25 so as to help insure that the ashtray will be supported in a slightly raised position in order to prevent a hot surface from damaging a finished surface or the like.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapes or sizes.

In the view shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, it will be seen that the tray 35 may consist of a single piece of material which can be folded along crease or fold lines in order to provide the finished tray having the accordion like structure.

The portable built in ashtray of the present invention can be used for holding cigarette butts, ashes, stubs of cigars or the like, and the present invention is especially suitable for use in periods where conventional or regular ashtrays are not readily available and for example can be advantageously used during periods of travel, when in certain buildings or the like.

To open or close the device, the forefinger and thumb are adapted to be placed along the sides of the package and the cellophane wrapper can he slid in the proper direction as indicated by :the arrows 27, and when the cellophane wrapper is slid back into original position, the ashes are held and will not spill. The use of a colored marking strip or border 34 makes the opening 30 readily visible. The tab 40 serves to prevent cigarettes, ashes or the like from falling of]? of the tray, and the hole or opening 41 permits the ashes to fall into the package area as indicated by the numeral 4-7.

When the device is being used, the tear tape 32 is adapted to be pulled on so as to remove the closure 31 and provide the opening 30, and the forefinger and thumb are used to slide the cellophane wrapper 22 :and thus expose the aluminum foil tray 35, and the Wrapper is slid back until the opening 3%) is directly over the center of the tray 35, and the ashtray is then ready for use. To rest a cigarette thereon, the burning tip 44 of a cigarette such as the cigarette 43 is adapted to be directed through the opening 31 and placed against the tab 4t] as shown in FIG. 10, and the ashes can be stored by shaking them through the opening 41 after the ashes cool off. When the wrapper is slid back into its original position as shown in the drawings, the ashes cannot escape or spill.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a cigarette package including a bottom, and a wrapper having spaced side walls, a front wall, a back wall, and an end wall connecting the adacent ends of said front, back, and side walls together, sa d Wrapper norm-ally enclosing said package and upon being opened at the end remote from said end Wall being slidable on said package from the normal position to an extended position in which said end wall is spaced from sa d bottom, of a tray for cigarette ashes, said tray comprismg a flat sheet folded along :a plurality of parallel fold lines to form a flap, first, second, third, and fourth panels, and a lip, said flap being on one end of said sheet and being secured to said wrapper end wall, said lip being on the other end of said sheet and being secured to said package, said first, second, third, and fourth panels being disposed in face to face abutting relation between said flap and said lip when said wrapper is in the normal positron, said sheet unfolding upon execution of movement of said wrapper from the normal position to the extending position so that said second and third panels form a V-shaped trough with said first and fourth panels sloping upwardly on each side of said trough, said Wrapper front wall being provided with an access opening in registry with said trough when said Wrapper is in the extended position, and an abutment in said trough spaced from said trough opening for positioning the lit end of a cigarette 5 When said cigarette projects through said access opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Montgomery Oct. 27, 1936 Douglas Feb. 23, 1937 Duhaime et al. Feb. 24, 1953 Cohen et a1. Oct. 2, 1956 Watkins Jan. 30, 1962 Content Apr. 10, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Feb. 18, 1926 Australia Mar. 2, 1926 Canada June ,29, 1954