Patent Application
20230232897
The invention relates to the field of smoking aids.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,100,263A discloses a combination of a barrel, a knob rotatably fitting one end of said barrel, a mouth extension rising vertically from the barrel and opening thereinto for accommodating a lighted cigarette, and a coil of wire fitted within said knob and snugly confined within said barrel for rotation therein by the knob and having a spread turn for bridging the communication between the mouth extension and said barrel for the snuffing of the lighted end of said cigarette when said cigarette is protruded through the mouth extension into the barrel and into the path of the spread turn.
The apparatus, which is marked by numeral 100, comprises an ashtray (ash receptacle) 10, having cigarette holders 11. Inside the ashtray 10 is disposed a boreholes panel 12 having boreholes 15. In order to extinguish a burned cigarette 13, the user inserts the cigarette with its burned edge into a free borehole, where it extinguishes as a result of absence of oxygen.
In order to empty the accumulated cigarettes and ash (14), the user extracts each of the cigarette butts from the ashtray, turns the apparatus 100 upside-down, and shakes it, as illustrated in
It should be noted that the boreholes panel 12 is stationary, as illustrated in
The main disadvantage of the apparatus described above is their awkwardness.
All the methods described above have not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the problem emptying a combined ashtray and extinguisher apparatus.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to an ashtray apparatus (200), comprising, a boreholes panel (12) having a plurality of boreholes (15), each for extinguishing a lighted cigarette (13) by placing the cigarette therein, a pistons panel (24) having a plurality of pistons (16), each correspondingly with one of the boreholes (15), and a mating mechanism, for mating the pistons with the boreholes, thereby allowing removing cigarette ash and butts from the apparatus at once rather than pulling each of the cigarettes one by one.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the boreholes panel (12) is shiftable and the pistons panel (24) is stationary.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the pistons panel (24) is shiftable and the boreholes panel (12) is stationary.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the mating mechanism comprises a motor (19), for shifting the boreholes panel (12) towards the pistons panel (24).
According to one embodiment of the invention, the mating mechanism comprises a motor (19), for shifting the pistons panel (24) towards the boreholes panel (12) and back from it.
The ashtray apparatus may further comprise a button (20) for switching the apparatus from a normal state thereof to a cleaning state thereof, and vice versa.
The ashtray apparatus may further comprise a handle (22) connected to the boreholes panel or to the pistons panel, for switching the apparatus from a normal state thereof to a cleaning state thereof, and vice versa.
The ashtray apparatus may further comprise a light fixture (21), for illuminating an interior of the apparatus (200), thereby easing a use of the apparatus in dark.
The ashtray apparatus may be adapted to be installed indoors, outdoors, in a vehicle, etc.
The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting.
Embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings:
It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
The invention will be understood from the following detailed description of various embodiments which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features, methods, systems, procedures, components, circuits, and so on, are not described in detail.
The difference between apparatus 200 and apparatus 100 of the previous figures is the vertically shiftable boreholes panel 12, as detailed herein.
Reference numeral 20 denotes a button, for switching the apparatus 200 from its normal state to its cleaning state, and vice versa.
Reference numeral 21 denotes a light fixture, such as a LED, for lighting the apparatus 200, to let a user thereof to see the apparatus in poor light condition. The light fixture may be operated by a battery, or a chargeable battery by a solar panel (not shown).
The light fixture and the button are optional.
The apparatus, 200, comprises a vertically shiftable boreholes panel 12, and a stationary pistons panel 24, such that each of the pistons 16 of the pistons panel 24 corresponds with a borehole 15 of the boreholes panel 12.
One or more springs 17 retain the boreholes panel 12 in its up state, as illustrated in this figure. In the up state, which is referred herein as “normal state”, the ashtray device is ready for use by a smoking person.
By pushing the boreholes panel 12 downwards (see the arrows) such that the springs' objection is overcome, the pistons 16 push upwards (with relative to the ashtray) the ash and cigarette butts (not illustrated in this figure), which fall into the ashtray. In this situation, which is referred herein as “cleaning state”, the user turns the apparatus 200 upside-down and spills the ash and cigarette butts out from the ashtray apparatus.
In contrast to the prior art, where the user has to pull the cigarette butts one by one, according to this embodiment of the invention the user does not pull the butts, but rather pushes the boreholes panel downwards, which removes the butts and ash out of the boreholes. Thus, according to the invention, emptying the butts and ash from the apparatus 200 of the invention is carried out by simpler operations in comparison to the prior art.
It shows the ashtray (ash receptacle) 10, the boreholes panel 12, the springs 17, the pistons 16, and the corresponding boreholes 15. Numeral 25 denotes a frame which holds the parts together.
As mentioned, when boreholes panel 12 is pushed downwards, the pistons 16 mate with the corresponding boreholes 15m thereby pushing the cigarette butts and the ash in the boreholes outwards from the boreholes.
The ashtray apparatus comprises a mating mechanism between the pistons and their corresponding boreholes. According to this embodiment of the invention, a handle 22 is connected to the boreholes panel 12. Pushing handle 22 downwards pushes the boreholes of panel 12 towards the pistons 24, thereby causing the mating operation, which pushes ash and cigarette butts out of the boreholes.
In the normal state, i.e., the state in which apparatus 200 is in use, boreholes panel 12 is in its up state. A user may shift the boreholes panel 12 downwards by pushing handle 22 downwards, thereby causing the pistons to push out the cigarette butts and the ash in the boreholes.
The ashtray apparatus comprises a mating mechanism between the pistons and their corresponding boreholes. According to one embodiment of the invention, the mating operation is carried out by a motor that shifts the pistons towards the boreholes or vice versa.
In this example, the element that lifts/lowers the boreholes panel 12 is the pair of the electric motors 19. Switching from the normal state to the cleaning state and vice versa is activated by button 20.
For the sake of simplicity, in these figures motors 19 are illustrated as a solid object, without detailing the motor components, except the power shaft 23, which is actually a screw that threads in the boreholes panel.
In this figures a pair of electric motors are show. Actually, the number of motors is a matter of design.
Preferably, the motors operate by electric power of a battery (not illustrated).
While in the embodiments described above the vertically shiftable element is the boreholes panel 12 and the stationary element is the pistons panel 24, according to this embodiment of the invention the vertically shiftable elements is the pistons panel 24, and the stationary element is the boreholes panel 12.
Switching from a normal state to a cleaning state and vice versa can be carried out by a motor, a handle connected to the pistons panel, etc. For the sake of simplicity these elements are not shown in
The invention can be used both indoors and outdoors. When being used indoors, the outer bottom of the ashtray apparatus should be flat, or its legs (assuming it has legs) should be on the same plane, in order to be placed on a flat board such as table. For the purpose of using the invention in a vehicle, the ashtray apparatus can be installed in a niche inside the vehicle, attached to an interior wall of the vehicle, etc.
In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals (Reference Signs List) have been mentioned:
In the description herein, the following references have been mentioned: U.S. Pat. No. 2,100,263A
The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form.
Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should to be interpreted according to this definition.
The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 290180 | Jan 2022 | IL | national |
