WO2006120710A1

WO2006120710A1 - Humidified cigar box

Info

Publication number: WO2006120710A1
Application number: PCT/IT2006/000318
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sara Bargis
Original assignee: Crystal Shop Di Sara Bargis
Priority date: 2005-05-11
Filing date: 2006-05-05
Publication date: 2006-11-16
Also published as: ITBS20050013U1

Abstract

This invention concerns a box for humidification and preservation of cigars, which houses means for canalisation (20) and forced circulation of humidified air by means of a fan (22) inside the box and through the product it contains on one, two or more shelves (18, 19) placed one above the other.

Description

HUMIDIFIED CIGAR BOX

Field of the Invention

This invention concerns in general the preservation of cigars and refers in particular to an improved cigar box. Prior Art

In order to maintain their characteristics, cigars must be kept in a humidified environment.

For this purpose boxes closed by a Hd and having a plurality of shelves one above the other to support at least a same number of layers of cigars have already been proposed and produced. Said shelves can be perforated or provided with slots to enable aeration and humid if ication of the cigars,. In order toprovide humidity to the box used to preserve the cigars, usually, in the box inside the lid are positioned elements such as sponges containing or soaked in water which is gradually released in the form of humidity. With this system however, the humidifying conditions and consequently the preservation of the cigars are not uniform inside the box in that the humidity tends to accumulate on the bottom forming an environment which can be too humid for the lower layer of cigars compared with the drier environment for the cigars in the top layers.

To avoid such a drawback, the cigars need to be regularly removed from the box and repositioned, inverting those placed in the bottom layers with those in the top layers, otherwise preservation will not be correct and the cigars will deteriorate. In any case the cigars will not be kept at a constant level of humidity, but treatment will be variable. Objective of the Invention The objective of this invention is instead to create the conditions so as to guarantee uniform and optimal humidification of the cigars inside a box, for their correct and constant preservation over a length of time, avoiding the inconvenience of having to periodically take them out and reposition them.

This objective and implicit advantages which follow are achieved, in compliance with the invention, by a box to preserve the cigars which incorporates means for canalization and forced circulation of humidified air inside the box using a fan and through the cigars which are placed on one, two or more superimposed shelves.

Basically, the cigar box comprises a body having lateral walls, a bottom, some internal, perforated or slotted shelves placed one above the other, and a lid. This lid defines an internal space, in which the humidifier elements can be placed, for example in the form of sponges soaked in water. Parallel to at least two of the opposite lateral walls, two additional walls are provided supporting a shelf raised off the bottom of the box so as to form a basically U shaped duct, the ends of which are in communication with the internal space of the lid which is associated with a fan to circulate the air through also the cigars placed on the shelves. Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will however be described more in detail with reference to the enclosed indicative and not limiting drawings, in which:

Fig.1 shows a view in perspective of the open cigar box; Fig. 2 shows a sectional view in direction of arrows A-A in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 3 shows a cross sectional view of the box in direction of arrows B-B in Fig. 2. Detailed Description of the Invention

As shown, the cigar box comprises a body 11 which has lateral walls 12, 13 and a flat bottom 14, and which is closed at the top by a lid 15 defining inside it a space which can house the humidifying elements 15', in the form of water soaked sponges for example.

Two additional walls 16, 17 parallel to at least two of the lateral opposite walls 12, are provided and between which is placed or fixed a lower shelf 18, which is located parallel with and raised above the bottom 14 of the box using spacers 18'. Other shelves 19 can be positioned above the lower shelf 18, and between the additional walls 16, 17 and distanced from each other in height. All the shelves 16, 17 are perforated or slotted and are required to place the cigars to be preserved on. The additional walls and the bottom shelf delimit a U shaped duct 20 with the adjacent lateral walls and the bottom of the box, respectively, the ends of which are in communication with the space inside the lid 15.

In one of its parts, the duct forms a chamber 21 housing a fan 22. The chamber 21 can be closed at the top towards the internal space in the lid, by a panel 23 provided with slots in to allow air to enter. The fan can be timed to function at set intervals.

Therefore, when the fan is operating, air is forced to pass through the humidifier elements, which besides can be positioned in the chamber the fan is housed in, and travel through the duct and spread inside the box through the slots in the shelves, flowing over the cigars, keeping them consequently at the correct humidity level regardless of the level they are at in the box.

Claims

C L A I M S 1. Box for humidification and preservation of cigars, characterised in that it comprises means for canalisation and forced circulation of humidified air by means of a fan (22) inside the box and through the product it contains on one, two or more shelves placed one above the other.

2. Box for humidification and preservation of cigars according to claim 1 , comprising a body (11) with lateral walls (12, 13), a flat bottom (14), some perforated or slotted, internal superimposed shelves (18, 19), and a lid (15) defining a space above said shelves, characterised in that, parallel to at least two lateral opposite walls (12), are placed additional walls (16, 17) supporting at least the lower of said superimposed shelves (18) raised above the bottom (14), by the fact that the additional walls (16, 17) and the lower shelf (18) delimit respectively, together with the adjacent lateral walls and the bottom of the box, a duct (20), the ends of which are in communication with the space inside the lid and by the fact that the air ventilation fan (22) is inserted or associated with said duct.

3. Box for humidification and preservation of cigars according to claims 1 and 2, in which along said duct a chamber (22) is provided which is closed at the top by a panel (23) with slots in it to allow air to enter and in which the air circulation fan is housed.

4. Box for humidification and preservation of cigars according to the previous claims, in which the fan (21), is timed to operate at intervals.

5. Box for humidification and preservation of cigars according to the previous claims, in which the additional walls (16, 17) and the lower shelf (18) are joined, whereas the other shelves are resting and can be removed separately.

6. Box for humidification and preservation of cigars according to the previous claims, in which the lower shelf (18) is kept away from and above the bottom (14) by means of supporting spacers (18').

7. Box for humidification and preservation of cigars according to the previous claims, comprising humidifying devices that can be placed in the space under the cover or in the space housing the fan.