CIGAR AND CIGARETTE HOLDER

Abstract

A new cigar and cigarette holder having a base, a stem secured to the base, an adaptor secured to the base, and a topper configured to be selectively attached and removed from the adaptor. The topper may have a different sport theme. Also, a kit with a plurality of toppers, each with a different sports theme.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cigar or cigarette holder, and more particularly to such a holder having interchangeable holding heads.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tobacco use is at least 8000 years old and originated in the Americas. Although originally tobacco and other smoking products were generally just rolled leaves, it became known to place the crushed leaves in a silk or paper container to be smoked. Today, smoking has become extremely convenient with uniform and high consistency in a pack of cigarettes and commercially produced cigars.

People often smoke cigars and cigarettes during various recreational activities, like golfing or boating. As the lit cigar or cigarette is too dangerous to be placed anywhere, a person is often required to find a holder or appropriate location to place the lit cigar or cigarette. However, a safe place or appropriate place may not be present. For example, certain vehicles, like golf carts and boats, are often rented or borrowed. The renter may want to place a lit cigar or cigarette down, however, the rented vehicle may not have the appropriate equipment.

Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a cigar or cigarette holder that can be easily attached on various vehicles and other objects to selectively provide a safe and appropriate place to store a lit cigar or cigarette. It would be further desirable if such a hold could be customized or changed to provide for various appearances.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new cigar and cigarette holder has been invented which preferably includes one or more sports themed toppers. Each topper has a wedge-shaped opening configured to receive a cigar or cigarette. The topper is selectively connected so that different toppers may be used. For examples, the toppers may each be associated with a different sport or have different sports themes. Thus, the present invention allows for a holder to be selectively attached to a vehicle and to be customized to provide a holder that invokes a desired response or image.

Accordingly, in an aspect of the present invention, the present invention may be generally characterized as providing a new cigar and cigarette having a base, a stem secured to the base, an adaptor secured to the base, and a topper configured to be selectively attached and removed from the adaptor, the topper having a sport theme.

In another aspect, the present invention may be characterized, broadly, as providing a kit for making a new cigar and cigarette holder, the kit having a base, a stem secured to the base, an adaptor secured to the base, and a plurality of toppers, each topper configured to be selectively attached and removed from the adaptor. The toppers from the plurality of toppers may be different and may each have a different sports theme.

In a further aspect, the present invention may be generally characterized as providing a cigar and cigarette holder having a base, a stem secured to the base, an adaptor secured to the stem, and a topper configured to be selectively attached and removed from the adaptor, the topper having a sport theme and an opening configured to receive a cigar or cigarette.

The opening of the topper may be a wedge-shaped opening. The wedge-shaped opening may include opposing surfaces, each having an undulating texture. The wedge-shaped opening may include a channel at a bottom of the wedge-shaped opening. The channel may have a cylindrical shape.

The base may include a suction cup and a foot secured to and covering the suction cup. A nut may be secured between the foot and the stem. The nut may include a first threaded aperture and a second threaded aperture sized differently than the first threaded aperture. The first threaded aperture may receive a shaft of a bolt and the bolt may be secured to the suction cup. The second threaded aperture may receive a second bolt, and the second bolt may be secured to an end of the stem.

In still another aspect, broadly, the present invention may be characterized as providing a cigar and cigarette holder having: a base with a suction cup, a bolt secured to the suction cup, and a foot, a shaft of the bolt extending through the foot; a nut secured to the shaft of the bolt; a second bolt secured to the shaft; a stem having a first end received in the second bolt; an adaptor secured to a second end of the stem; and a topper removably attached to the adaptor, the topper having a sport theme and a wedge-shaped opening configured to receive a cigar or cigarette.

The wedge-shaped opening may include opposing surfaces, each having an undulating texture. The wedge-shaped opening may include a channel at a bottom of the wedge-shaped opening. The channel may have a cylindrical shape.

In a further embodiment, the present invention may be generally characterized as providing a cigar and cigarette holder with a base configured to selectively mount the cigar and cigarette holder, a stem having a first end secured to the base, an adaptor secured to a second end of the stem, and a topper removably attached to the adaptor. The topper has a wedge-shaped opening configured to receive a cigar or cigarette, the wedge-shaped opening includes two opposing surfaces, each having an undulating texture, and a cylindrically shaped channel at a bottom of the wedge-shaped opening.

The base may include a suction cup and a foot secured to and covering the suction cup. A nut may be secured between the foot and the stem, and the nut may include a first threaded aperture and a second threaded aperture sized differently than the first threaded aperture. The first threaded aperture may receive a shaft of a bolt, and the bolt may be secured to the suction cup. The second threaded aperture may receive a second bolt, and the second bolt may be secured to the first end of the stem.

An angle between the two opposing surfaces may be about 65 degrees.

The topper may include an outer surface forming a golf ball, a soccer ball, a baseball, an American football, a basketball, a hockey puck, or a volleyball.

These and other aspects and embodiments of the present invention will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art based upon the following description of the drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The attached drawings will make it possible to understand how the invention can be produced and practiced, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a cigar and cigarette holder according to one or more embodiments of the present invention with a plurality of toppers;

FIG. 2 is a top of front perspective view of a cigar and cigarette holder according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a side view of the topper from the cigar and cigarette holder of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3B is a side and front perspective view of the topper from the cigar and cigarette holder of FIG. 2; and,

FIG. 3C is a bottom view of the topper from the cigar and cigarette holder of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As mentioned above, a new cigar and cigarette holder has been invented which includes a top having a wedge-shaped opening to hold the cigar or cigarette. The wedge-shaped opening is in a sports themed topper. The topper is selectively interchangeable allowing different toppers to be placed on the cigar and cigarette holder. The wedge-shaped opening includes opposing surfaces that each have an undulating surface to increase the purchase on any cigar or cigarette placed therein. A channel at the bottom of the wedge-shaped opening has a channel for also holding the cigar or cigarette.

Accordingly, with reference the attached drawings, one or more embodiments of the present invention will now be described with the understanding that the described embodiments are merely preferred and are not intended to be limiting.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a new cigar and cigarette holder 10 includes a base 12, a stem 14, an adaptor 16, and at least one topper 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d. The toppers 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, discussed below, are preferably interchangeable and multiple toppers 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d may be provided as a kit 20 including the base 12, the stem 14, and the adaptor 16.

As shown in FIG. 1, the base 12 includes a suction cup 22 that, as is known, comprises a deformable material that creates a vacuum when a bottom surface 24 is placed on a relatively planar surface and the suction cup 22 is pushed towards the relatively planar surface. This suction cup 22 allows the cigar and cigarette holder 10 to be removably attached to a variety of surfaces, including, for example, on a golf cart, atv, boat, or other vehicle commonly used in recreational environments. Accordingly, if a particular vehicle does not require a cigar and cigarette holder 10, it can be removed without requiring tools or damaging the vehicle and installed again when needed or desired. Additionally, such a base 12 allows an operator of the vehicle to move the cigar and cigarette holder 10 to a position that is desired.

Opposite the bottom surface 24 of the suction cup 22 is a top surface 26 which is removably attached to a bolt 28 having a base 30 and a threaded post 32. The threaded post 32 of the bolt 28 extends upwardly though a foot 34 and engages a first threaded aperture 35 in a nut 36. The foot 34 provides support for the cigar and cigarette holder 10 and may cover the suction cup 22.

Opposite the first threaded aperture 35 in the nut 36 is a second threaded aperture 38 which may be differently sized (circumference) compared to the first threaded aperture in the nut 36. A second bolt 40 includes a threaded post 42 at one end and an aperture 44 and the other end. The aperture 44 in the second bolt 40 receives and hold a first end 46 of the stem 14.

The stem 14 is an elongate shaft that extends from the first end 46 to a second end 48. Preferably, the stem 14 is made from a flexible material so that the stem 14 may flex and deform under stress and then return to its original position when the stress is removed. The elongate shaft of the stem 14 may or may not be cylindrical. For example, the stem 14, when viewed along its longitudinal axis (not shown but extending from the first end 46 to the second end 48) may have a hexagonal, octagonal, or other shape instead of a circular one. The first end 46 of the stem 14 may be held in the aperture 44 of the second bolt 40 by friction, with an adhesive, fusing or melting the two together, or other attaching means.

The second end 48 of the stem 14 is secured to the adaptor 16. For example, a first end 50 of the adaptor 16 may be secured to the second end 48 of the stem 14 by frictionally engaging with the inside of an aperture (not shown), with an adhesive, fusing or melting the two together, or other attaching means. Opposite the first end 50, a second end 52 of the adaptor 16 has an engaging portion 54 that include an insertion tab 56 with an outer lip 58.

The outer lip 58 may be deformable and sized to fit in a retention aperture 60 (see FIG. 3C) in the topper 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d. In other words, the outer lip 58 deforms when the topper 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d is pushed onto to the adaptor 16. The outer lip 58 grips the outer surface of the retention aperture 60 and increases the force needed to remove the topper 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d from the adaptor 16. This adequately secures the topper 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d while at the same time allowing the topper 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d to be selectively removed without needing tools. Once removed, another topper 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d may be installed instead.

The insertion tab 56 may have a non-circular cross section when viewed along its longitudinal axis (not shown but extending from the first end 50 to the second end 52). The use of the non-circular cross section for the insertion tab 56 prevents the topper 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d from being rotated, relative to the adaptor 16, when the insertion tab 56 is within the retention aperture 60.

Each of the toppers 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d have a wedge-shaped opening 62 that is designed to hold a cigarette or a cigar. More specifically, as shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the wedge-shaped opening 62 includes opposing surfaces 64a, 64b that each have an undulating texture 66 to increase the purchase on the cigar or cigarette. An angle between the two surfaces 64a, 64b may be, as shown, about 65 degrees; however other sizes may be used. By “about” it is meant that the angle may be +/−10 degrees of the stated size. A smooth lip 68 may surround the undulating textures 66 of the two surfaces 64a, 64b.

A bottom of the wedge-shaped opening 62 may include a channel 70 for also holding the cigar or cigarette. The channel 70 may be mostly cylindrical and be sized to receive a cigarette (or small cigar such as a cigarillo).

While FIGS. 3A to 3C only show the detail of the golf ball topper 18a, it should be appreciated that the other toppers 18b, 18c, 18d in FIG. 1 may include such features mutatis mutandis.

Returning to FIG. 1, the toppers 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d all have an outer surface with a sports theme. For example, the toppers 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d may be a golf ball topper 18a, a soccer ball topper 18b, a baseball topper 18c, or an American football topper 18d, to name a few. Other shapes and sports themes may be used like a basketball, a hockey puck, or a volleyball. Each of the toppers 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d may include various sports logos or emblems (not shown) associated with a particular school or sports team. For example, the baseball topper 18c may include a symbol associated with one of the professional baseball teams from Chicago.

The toppers 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d are each configured to be changed when desired. For example, when baseball season ends (officially or for a particular team), the baseball topper 18c may be removed from the device 10 and the American football topper 18d may be attached.

Returning to FIG. 1, in addition to the suction cup 22 being used to mount the device 10, it is contemplated that the nut 36 and the first bolt 28 may be used to mount the device 10 to a structure. For example, the suction cup 22 and foot 34 may be removed from the device 10, allowing the threaded post 32 of the first bolt 28 to pass through a hole in a structure (not shown), and be secured to the nut 36. This allows for a more secure mounting but still allows the device 10 to be removed if/when desired. Thus, the device 10 provides multiple ways to mount the device to structure.

As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding specification and description. It should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

Claims

1. A cigar and cigarette holder comprising: a base,a stem secured to the base,an adaptor secured to the stem, anda topper configured to be selectively attached and removed from the adaptor, the topper having a sport theme and an opening configured to receive a cigar or cigarette.

2. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 1, wherein the opening comprises a wedge-shaped opening.

3. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 2, wherein the wedge-shaped opening comprises opposing surfaces, each having an undulating texture.

4. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 2, wherein the wedge-shaped opening comprises a channel at a bottom of the wedge-shaped opening.

5. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 4, wherein the channel has a cylindrical shape.

6. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a suction cup and a foot secured to and covering the suction cup.

7. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 6, further comprising a nut secured between the foot and the stem, wherein the nut comprises a first threaded aperture and a second threaded aperture sized differently than the first threaded aperture.

8. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 7, wherein the first threaded aperture receives a shaft of a bolt, the bolt secured to the suction cup.

9. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 8, wherein the second threaded aperture receives a second bolt, the second bolt secured to an end of the stem.

10. A cigar and cigarette holder comprising: a base comprising a suction cup, a bolt secured to the suction cup, and a foot, a shaft of the bolt extending through the foot;a nut secured to the shaft of the bolt;a second bolt secured to the shaft;a stem having a first end received in the second bolt;an adaptor secured to a second end of the stem; anda topper removably attached to the adaptor, the topper having a sport theme and a wedge-shaped opening configured to receive a cigar or cigarette.

11. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 10, wherein the wedge-shaped opening comprises opposing surfaces, each having an undulating texture.

12. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 11, wherein the wedge-shaped opening comprises a channel at a bottom of the wedge-shaped opening.

13. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 12, wherein the channel has a cylindrical shape.

14. A cigar and cigarette holder comprising: a base configured to selectively mount the cigar and cigarette holder;a stem having a first end secured to the base;an adaptor secured to a second end of the stem, anda topper removably attached to the adaptor, the topper comprising a wedge-shaped opening configured to receive a cigar or cigarette, wherein the wedge-shaped opening comprises two opposing surfaces, each having an undulating texture, and a cylindrically shaped channel at a bottom of the wedge-shaped opening.

15. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 14, wherein the base comprises a suction cup and a foot secured to and covering the suction cup.

16. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 15, further comprising a nut secured between the foot and the stem, wherein the nut comprises a first threaded aperture and a second threaded aperture sized differently than the first threaded aperture.

17. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 16, wherein the first threaded aperture receives a shaft of a bolt, the bolt secured to the suction cup.

18. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 17, wherein the second threaded aperture receives a second bolt, the second bolt secured to the first end of the stem.

19. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 14, wherein an angle between the two opposing surfaces is about 65 degrees.

20. The cigar and cigarette holder of claim 14, wherein the topper comprises an outer surface selected from a group consisting of: a golf ball, a soccer ball, a baseball, an American football, a basketball, a hockey puck, or a volleyball.