Patent Application
20120247493
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a device for perforating a cigar. This invention also relates to a method of perforating a cigar.
2. Background Art
A fine cigar is typically hand rolled from cured tobacco leaves and includes, as part of its construction, a closed end called the cap. The cigar is formed by rolling a binder leaf around either full dried tobacco leaves or shredded leaves called “fill”. A wrapper leaf is then wound around the formed cigar. The cap is formed by extending a portion of the external wrapper leaf over the end and gluing it in place with tasteless natural tree gum. This process creates an air-tight or sealed end on the cigar. The components of a cigar are its (i) head, which is the end the cigar is smoked from, (ii) the foot which is the end of the cigar that is lit, and (iii) the shoulder which is at the head of the cigar and the point where the cigar rounds into the main body of the cigar generally a quarter of an inch below the cap.
Prior to smoking a cigar, the head must be opened up. Typically that is done by removing or cutting the cap. Generally, the cap is bitten off or cut in some fashion for smoke to be drawn from the cigar. Biting the cap is not recommended because it will most certainly cause damage to the head of the cigar, fraying the wrapper, but also will allow loose tobacco to be transferred into the smoker's mouth, both of which are highly undesirable to the sophisticated smoker. Furthermore, biting the cap off eliminates any way to effectively control the uniformity and depth of the opening making the smoker's experience unpredictable.
Various devices have been developed as an alternative to biting the cap. Traditionally, there have developed four basic types of cigar cutters: (1) the guillotine cutter, (2) the ‘V’ cutter. (3) the cigar punch, and (4) the cigar piercer or perforator. Hundreds of variations have been derived from these four basic types. All four types suffer significant flaws that result in an unpredictable and less than desirable smoking experience.
The guillotine cutter, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 519,332, slices across the head utilizing a blade that travels slidably over a receiving hole in which the head of the cigar has been inserted. A squeeze of the device causes the blade to engage with the head and slice off the cap. Given the irregular shape of cigars, and the lack of a means to arrest the travel of the cigar through the cutter, it is difficult to get the exact depth of cut necessary for an optimum smoking experience on a consistent basis. Cutting too little off the cap causes the cigar to draw poorly while cutting too much can cause the wrapper to unravel making the cigar less enjoyable in either case. U.S. Pat. No. 715,315 illustrates a device comprised of two opposing blades slidably traveling across one another, similar to scissors, to cut the cap. This method demonstrates the same problem of inconsistent cuts and improper draw as the single blade cutter in the '332 patent. Additionally, as in the '332 patent, it will increasingly damage the head as the blades dull over multiple uses. The blades are not replaceable and neither invention provides a way of storing the cutter where the blade(s) is covered and protected so that the user is kept safe from the blade(s).
Furthermore, if the cut is too deep, or as the blades dull on these cutters, loose tobacco will accumulate in the head. Since the smoker uses an inhaling breath to draw smoke from a cigar during normal smoking, the loose tobacco will become dislodged from the body of the cigar and get sucked into the mouth of the smoker. Most smokers find it texturally offensive to have loose tobacco transferred to their mouths while smoking a fine cigar.
U.S. Pat. No. 236,679, discloses a device utilizing a “V” shaped blade which cross-cuts a “V” shaped wedge from the cap. This invention discloses a mechanism that provides a specific depth of cut, however it will not work for all types of cigars, namely the ‘torpedo’ style cigar. Furthermore, these “V” type cutters exhibit the same problems of the guillotine type cutters in that the filler tobacco also transfers to the smoker's mouth. Additionally, the blade also dulls over time and is not replaceable.
A punch style cutter removes a singular plug from the head through the cap. In its simplest form, it is nothing more than a tubular blade that is thrust into the center of the cigar head with a twisting motion in order to remove a cylindrical plug. There is no gauge for measuring the depth to which it should be pressed into the head so there is no consistency to the cut when using this type of cutter. An inconsistent cut results in inconsistent flavor. This type of cutter can also cause damage to the head when pulling it out providing a less than desirable smoking experience. Since there is no way of cleanly cutting the base of the plug off, this cutter actually rips the plug away from the bunched filler tobacco leaving behind loose filler to be transferred into the smoker's mouth. An example of this type of cutter is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,662.
Although U.S. Pat. No. 1,490,939 discloses a cigarette perforator with a plurality of elements that perforate the cap of the cigar, as explained below, this perforator focuses the draw through the center of the cigar instead of the body and produces a less than desirable smoking experience.
Because all of these cutters result in a central cut through the cap, they result in a draw coming through the center of the cigar instead of eliciting the draw through the body or tobacco fill. The shortcomings of a central draw are twofold: (1) a loss in flavor and (2) a shortened smoking period for the cigar. The tendency for a central draw through these cutters is an inherent problem created due to the technique used to roll cigars. By rolling the binder leaf around either cured leaves or shredded fill, an air passage is naturally formed through the length of the center of the cigar. That central air passage allows air to flow more freely through the center of the cigar as opposed to the entire cross section of the cigar body. Thus the cigar burns hotter and quicker. In addition, oil emitted from the tobacco builds up in and around the length of this central air passage. Once the cigar is smoked over half of its length, the flavor becomes increasingly undesirable due to these oils building up in the air passage and eventually being subjected to high temperatures such that they are burned instead of atomized.
As explained by Philip Morris USA Inc. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,883, tobacco that is heated to a temperature just below combustion, or as it was stated “inefficient oxidization of the combustible material”, yields various distillation and pyrolysis products that are generally referred to as gases. These gases cool and condense as they are drawn through the body of the smoking device and form aerosols that the smoker experiences as flavor and aroma. While this research was done regarding cigarettes, the same is true for cigars.
Cured tobacco leaves used in making fine cigars contain oil that is fermented before the leaves are rolled into a cigar. During normal smoking, the tobacco leaf is oxidized to provide heat to the surrounding tobacco. The heated tobacco yields gases from the fermented oil at a temperature just below combustion. These gases flow through the body of the cigar, condense, and form aerosols that the smoker experiences as flavor and aroma. It is the conversion of these chemicals contained in the tobacco into aerosols that provides the desired experience for the smoker, not oxidation of the tobacco leaf material itself. When subjected to oxidization, the tobacco leaf introduces little flavor or aroma into the smoke stream. In fact, the oxidization of the oil contained in the leaf results in a highly undesirable experience for the smoker. Burning the fermented oil instead of heating it and converting it into aerosols will result in a foul odor and a bitter taste.
The ideal method of smoking a cigar is to take small, slow and even draws. This slower draw allows for the proper pre-heating of the tobacco and results in the maximum amount of oils being atomized into gases as opposed to being burned. Smoking a cigar too quickly, which can occur with the central draw common to other cutters, causes a larger amount of the fermented oil to be burned (therefore oxidized) instead of being converted into aerosols through slow even, heating. Since the goal is to convert the oil into aerosols, smoking a cigar slowly and at the lowest temperature possible is recommended.
Completely removing the cap, while allowing a more even distribution of the smoke, causes an even bigger problem of fouling the cigar. With the full diameter of the head open (by cutting off the cap), too much air can be drawn too quickly through the cigar causing it to burn faster and hotter. Smoking a cigar too hot is called “fouling the cigar” because the oils trapped inside the fermented tobacco leaves are burned instead of being atomized into gases. When a cigar is smoked too fast, not enough time is given to the tobacco to fully release its aerosols resulting in burning the remaining oils trapped in the leaf. In fact, if fermented oil is burned while lighting the cigar, some connoisseurs believe the flavor of the cigar is fouled, and the cigar ruined. For this reason, connoisseurs light their cigars slowly never letting the flame touch the tobacco.
When condensing gases flow through the body tobacco, a portion of the molecules collide with the tobacco fill in the body causing it to collect on the tobacco fill itself. If this condensation collects in a concentrated area, such as in or around the central airway running the length of the cigar, it becomes less likely the existing oil plus the additional condensation will be effectively converted into aerosols. That results in an ever increasing amount of oil being oxidized, instead of atomized, as the cigar is smoked causing it to become bitter. This is a common experience for cigar smokers and some do not smoke cigars past half way because of this change in flavor.
U.S. Pat. No. 829,199, discloses a device comprised of rotating circular blades to create slits, or perforations, below the cap in the shoulder of the cigar. It does not however solve the problems of prior cutters because it is only effective with torpedo style cigars. It is not as effective with modern cigars because the blades are fixed and not adjustable nor does it provide a means to limit the position and depth of the cut by arresting the travel of the cigar head through the ring. There is also no way of safely storing the cutter with the blades being protected and it does not allow for a replaceable blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,832,354 discloses a cigarette perforator that utilizes radially disposed piercers to perforate the end of cigarette to allow more air into the cigarette and mitigate the harmful effects of the nicotine to the smoker by diluting the smoke with fresh air. Unlike the present invention, it requires an internal slidable plunger mechanism to cause the perforators to engage the cigarette. In order to perforate the cigarette with a perforator of this kind, it is necessary to proceed in two steps. First, is to place the cigarette in the holder then second, perforate it by operating a plunging mechanism. This kind of perforator is also complicated and expensive to manufacture. It is also not as portable as the present invention. The present invention is less complicated and uses the force of the cigar itself to engage the blades. Another important difference of between this plunger perforator and the present invention is that its purpose is to allowing fresh air into the smoking device. The present invention's purpose is to allow smoke to be drawn through the smoking device. This plunger perforator creates vents well away from the smokers lips that seal around the head of the cigar and could never provide a pleasurable smoking experience should it be used as a cutter because more than an inch of the cigar would have to extend into the smokers mouth in order to seal the vents and draw smoke out of the cigar.
While all four types of cutters do provide a method of cutting the cap of a fine cigar, they all suffer from some or all of the following disadvantages:
What is needed is a device for cutting an opening in the shoulder of a cigar that will yield a consistent cut, protect the tobacco wrapper and fill from damage, and encourage the draw of smoke through the body of the cigar. It would also be suitable to provide a device for cutting a cigar that is portable and as well reduces the potential for injury to the user. Additionally it would be beneficial to provide a cutter that could be made of a precious metal material with a longer lifespan provided by replaceable blades.
The present invention is directed towards the satisfaction of the needs of perforating a cigar at a consistent depth without damaging the head of cigar and providing a draw through the body of the cigar to improve the overall flavor and aroma. Particularly it relates to a cigar perforator that creates an opening through a plurality of slits in the shoulder of a cigar to facilitate and enhance the experience of smoking a fine cigar. The present invention discloses a cut that allows the draw of smoke to occur through the body, or fill, of the cigar. Distributing the smoke more evenly as it is drawn through the body of the cigar has a profound effect on the smoker's experience as to flavor and aroma of the cigar. This invention further relates to a device for cutting a cigar with enclosed blades for safe and protected portable storage. This invention also relates to a method for slitting the shoulder of a fine cigar.
More specifically, this invention relates to a cigar cutter comprising a housing with an open end and closed end, a plurality of perforating elements, preferably cutting blades, radially disposed upon the interior of the housing angled to the center of the housing depending towards the closed end, and a means of attaching the perforating elements to the housing to create tension such that the perforating elements will engage the head of a cigar when it is inserted into the open end of the housing resulting in a plurality of razor thin slices equally spaced around the shoulder of the cigar at a fixed depth below the cap to cause smoke to be drawn more evenly through the rolled tobacco.
Due to the razor thin slits, the smoke is drawn through the cigar more slowly so as not to over-heat the cigar keeping the flavor at its peak through the entire length of time the cigar is smoked. Furthermore, the plurality of slits allows the smoker control over the draw by application of the desired lip pressure over the perforations, or slits, such that they remain open or closed. Smokers are no longer at the mercy of inconsistent cigar rolling or that of the inconsistent conventional cutters demonstrated above.
This invention includes but is not limited to the following objects and advantages:
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following descriptions, appended claims and accompanying drawings as follows:
Before the present invention is described, it is to he understood that this invention is not limited to a particular cutter as such may, of course, vary. Numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principle of the invention. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting as the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims. Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.
Referring now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
The preferred embodiment of this invention includes a blade assembly 40 comprised of a common band 48 as depicted in
Affixed to the extension guides 44 at their lowermost or opposable end are the blades 50 which may be made of any suitable cutting material but preferably 0.004 inch thick razor thin stainless steel or ceramic material such as zirconium dioxide. The blades 50 may be affixed to the extension guides 44 by any suitable means including soldering, glue or a fastening device.
The extension guides may also be manufactured as one piece with the blades and of the same material as the blades 50 such as flexible stainless steel whereby the steel is sharpened at the blade sufficiently to slit the shoulder of the cigar.
The extension guides 44 may also provide control over the depth that the blade assembly 40 is positioned within the housing 30 as illustrated in
The blade assembly may be comprised of one continuous ring with extension guides 44 and attached blades 50 as depicted in
As another embodiment, the extension guides and/or blades may be attached to the interior wall of the housing directly by any fastening means such as soldering, glue or a fastener. In such embodiment the extension guides may be one-piece with the blades and comprised of flexible stainless steel.
Further flexibility of the extension guides 44 may be provided by fashioning the guides 44 as depicted in
An alternative embodiment is to include a means to provide increased flexibility to the extension guides 44 using a resiliently yielding material such as foam rubber, whether as a continuous ring or separate pieces, affixed to the interior wall of the housing behind the extension guides 44 such that the foam rubber presses against the back of the extension guides 44 forcing them towards the center of the housing 30. Upon insertion of the cigar into the housing 30 the cigar will exert pressure upon the extension guides 44 such as to compress the foam rubber and allow the cigar to travel through the open end of the housing 30 to rest against the closed end at which point the extension guides 44 and blades 50, under sufficient opposing pressure due to the foam rubber, will have slit the shoulder of the cigar. Upon withdrawal of the cigar, the foam rubber will decompress allowing the extension guides 44 to return to their normal state and the cigar to be removed from the housing.
Alternately, flexibility may be provided through a spring assembly or series of springs placed between the interior wall of the housing and the extension guides 44, or blades 50, to provide necessary flexibility and properly engage the blades 50 upon the cigar head.
Another embodiment of the invention is to provide for replaceable blades. One such means is to fabricate the extension guides 44 such that they will have areas of extended thickness of material (a tang) 46 compatible with cut outs 52 in the replacement blades 50 adaptable to receive said tangs when the tang is disposed in the central region of the cut-out so that the new blades will easily snap onto the extension guides. Other means of attaching the replacement blades to the extension guides may also be utilized.
In operation, the cigar cutter provides the user with the ability to create multiple openings in the head of a fine cigar then close the cutter for safe storage. When using the cigar cutter, the user opens the cutter by removing the cap 20 with a slight twisting motion while pulling away from the housing 30. Holding the cigar in the opposite hand from the cigar cutter with the head of the cigar closest to the opening 32, sliding the cigar through the opening 32 along the extension guides 44 until it stops after traveling the entire length of the housing 30, causes razor thin slices to be cut in the outer periphery of the cigar's shoulder. By then sliding the cigar in the opposite direction and removing it from the cigar cutter housing, the user can then replace the cap 20 to protect the blades for future use and protect the person from injury.
Upon the blades becoming dull, the user can remove the blade assembly 40, replace the individual blades and reinsert the assembly into the housing or replace the entire blade assembly 40 as necessary. Replacement of the blades or blade assembly will extend the life of the cutter which would be preferable if it the housing was made of a precious metal.
The previous described versions of the present invention have many advantages including providing a cigar cutter that assures each cigar has a consistent cut that allows draw from the body of the cigar without damaging the head of the cigar, that is portable and safe to use, and that is economical to manufacture.
It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.
