Patent Application
20120266901
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tobacco devices. More particularly, it relates to a cigar punch shaped for draw passages to maximize flow through the cigar and which is configured to operate as a holder providing a not spinning engagement to the held cigar.
2. Prior Art
Cigar smoking is conventionally a thing of leisure, where frequent smokers spend a great deal of time and money finding the type of cigar and method of smoking that fits them. Cigar smoking is often more involved then cigarette smoking where one can just pull a cigarette from a pack and light up.
Conventionally, a smoker must properly prepare a cigar for a smoking session. A cigar typically includes a ‘cap’ end, also referred to as the ‘butt’ or ‘draw’ end which must be cut for proper smoking using a cutting means adapted therefor. It is this draw end which when cut properly, is adapted to engage with the smokers mouth. The cut is important and must be done with requisite care to ensure a proper burn of the lite end so that no smokeable tobacco is lost.
However, in addition to the proper cutting of the draw end of the cigar, many smokers initially or at some point during the smoking of the cigar, also follow up with, or alternatively employ, a punch cut. A punch cut is employed to pierce a typically shallow hole or passage into the cut end of the cigar, substantially parallel to the axis of the cigar, to form passages adapted to enhancing the drawing of smoke into the user's mouth. A proper punch is also a key component to ensure proper burn of the lite end, while concurrently providing axial conduits through the rolled tobacco for the drawing of smoke through the cigar, to the users mouth.
Once smoking has commenced a cigar smoker enjoys the flavor and aromatic experience for several minutes to even half an hour or longer. However, as the lit ember of the cigar edges closer to the end within the users mouth, the shortened cigar can become much more difficult to smoke. This increased difficulty is due to the decreasing size, which usually reaches only a few inches and the heat radiated by the approaching ember. Further, after a period of smoking and the continued drawing of smoke through the tobacco, in a good cigar, the formed and naturally available passages for smoke to traverse through the cigar, can become clogged or smaller due to swelling of the tobacco, smoke, moisture, and a combination thereof.
When a cigar reaches this state it is often referred to as a ‘stogie’ or ‘roach’. Sometimes the cigar is discarded at this point, but given the expensive nature of many fine cigars, disposing of what might be a third of the cigar, is often undesirable, and thus continued smoking is generally desirable. However, the heat of the ember can make holding the shortened cigar hazardous or uncomfortable. As such, it is often desired to hold the short butt of the cigar, with an implement other then the user's fingers.
Many prior art devices have been seen to accomplish the above mentioned tasks of piercing draw holes or holding the cigar. U.S. Pat. No. 232,453 to Carrington teaches a cigar holder which employs a clip to hold the end of a cigar. The clip essentially employs a biasing force on the outer circumference of the body of the cigar to engage it to the clip and includes a handle means extending therefrom to hold the apparatus and engaged cigar for smoking. However, Carrington adds an additional accessory to be carried by a smoker while only accomplishing one task, that is holding the cigar.
U.S. Pat. No. 682,026 to Muller teaches a cigar holder in which a cigar is mounted to the device and employs a mouthpiece of which the user engages to draw smoke into their mouths. However, the device takes away the direct contact the smoker has with the cigar which is often desired by the user and may inhibit the taste and experience of directly smoking a cigar.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,254 to Fleisher et. al. teaches a cigar holder employing a hollow punch means extending within the holder. The holder engages to the cap end of the cigar and is inserted into the user's mouth providing a means to draw smoke in. However, the device further eliminates direct contact of the user's mouth with the cigar which is often part of the taste and experience of the user and may be undesirable in that nature.
U.S. Pat. No. 744,893 to Bailey; U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,674 to Sielck et. al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,808 to Albarello; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,679 to Mc. Glauflin teach cigar punching devices for creating draw passages at the drawing end of a cigar. However, these and similar devices employ short piercing means which are unable to create a draw passage or conduit along the full length of the cigar. Furthermore some employ a plurality of mechanical parts that add to the manufacture and assembly costs. Still further, the structure of the prior art is essentially smooth walled which is undesirable to hold the cigar as it will tend to spin on a smooth walled holder. Additionally, the passages formed by smooth short prior art holders lack the capacity to enhance smoke flow therethrough.
As such, there is a continuing and unmet need for a cigar complementing device which can be employed to create an axial draw passage of any desired length, through a long or short cigar. Such a device should be simple in construction and therefore easily used as well as manufactured. Such a device should provide an easy means to engage and hold a cigar butt for final smoking, yet prevent the cigar butt being held, from spinning on its engagement. Additionally, such a device should in addition to forming conduits for smoke axially, should do so in a configuration which helps maintain the shape and open nature of the passage during use. Further, such a device should be configured structurally to configure passages which enhance smoke flow along the formed passage. Still further, such a device should allow for the interchangeability of components so as to provide a plurality of finger-engageable end portions to adapt to individual comfort requirements. Additionally, such a device should provide a means for displaying indicia for advertising purposes to encourage widespread use and possibly a reduction in price to the user.
The device herein disclosed and described provides a solution to the shortcomings noted above in prior art and achieves the above noted utility through the provision of a cigar piercing and holding device adapted for engagement between the compressed thumb and finger of a user. The device generally includes a handle portion at one end configured for easy and comfortable engagement with the user's thumb and finger.
A piercing means such as an elongated member or the like extends from a handle portion to piercing means such as a preferably sharp or substantially pointed distal end. The piercing means may taper to the pointed end or may be of uniform cross section upon reaching the pointed end. The piercing means so configured, provides a means to puncture the compacted tobacco of a cigar, and thereafter to compress and form an elongated passage through the compressed tobacco, along the longitudinal length of a cigar. The disclosed device is adapted to form one or a plurality of such passages to any desired depth, from the burning end of the cigar, toward the draw end, to allow the user to better draw smoke from the lit ember therethrough to the user's mouth. The piercing means also provides a means to form passages through any developed blockage from within the draw passage of the cigar which might occur as smoking progresses.
A draw passage is typically formed by a piercing through the central area surrounding the longitudinal axis of the cigar but the device herein may be inserted in any location along the length of the cigar to adjust or fine tune the draw of the smoke.
The elongated member forming the piercing means, is preferably shaped to form passages which aid in the smoke flow from one end of the cigar to the other. Such passages are formed by a compression of the compacted tobacco by the circumferential surface of the elongated member. A tornadic flow may be aided by employing an exterior surface of the member which forms a swirled depression along the conduit formed by the insertion of the member. Other shapes form elongated conduits which tend to stay open for long durations to aid the smoker over a time consuming session.
In a particularly preferred mode of the device, the piercing means may also be employed to hold a butt portion of a cigar as defined previously. Since it is undesirable to hold a cigar butt by hand due to heat from the abutting cigar ember, employing the piercing means as a means to additionally support a butt in a smoking position, reduces accessories used by a smoker and is desirable.
In use as a butt supporting means, the pointed end of the elongated member is inserted into the compacted tobacco by communicating it through the sidewall of the cigar in a direction perpendicular to the length of the cigar. The pointed end is preferably inserted at a longitudinal distance that still allows a portion of the butt to extend into or adjacent to the users mouth. It is also preferred that the pointed end be inserted as to not extend through the draw passage pierced through the cigar. In this manner the piercing of the sidewall will not affect the draw of the smoke to the users mouth.
Additionally, the piercing component of the device may be pierced entirely through both sidewalls of the cigar wherein a substantial portion of the piercing component extends through the exiting sidewall. This extending portion of the member allows a user to then engage the pointed end into a surface or into the ground as a means to temporarily store the cigar elevated above a support surface.
In a particularly preferred mode the piercing component is of circumferential shape which is not smooth such as a polygonal cross section such as a triangle, square, or a spiral. This circumferential shape or surfacing accomplishes dual functions. First, it will allow the user to better clear blockage from within a draw passage by actively rotating the device and forming a spiraled or shaped passage while inserted into the passage. Such a shaped passage as noted can help form a laminar or tornadic or other organized flow in place of the turbulent flow the smoke follows through the compacted tobacco without a formed conduit.
Further, the employment of a shaped circumference of the elongated member, when employed as a butt holder, will prevent the butt from rotating about the member as it will with a round or oval or similar smooth circumferential surface. Such conventional cylindrical cross sectional shapes, with smooth outer surfaces where the butt engages, will generally almost always rotate due to its own weight, or when the user puts pressure on the draw end with their mouth. This combined ability to form shaped conduits and prevent spinning when engaged as a support for the butt, is of great advantage over prior art since the disclosed simple and relatively small device can be used to securely hold a cigar butt without being cumbersome and overly complex.
In another particularly preferred mode of the device, the piercing component extends in a spiral fashion from handle end to the pointed end. This spiral mode of the circumferential shape, as noted above, also accomplishes dual functions. Employed as a passage piercing means, the spiral construction better compresses the tobacco along the passage and creates a riffled passage. The shaped passage creates a tornadic flow in the smoke traversing towards the user's mouth with greater efficiency than a simple straight passage. In addition the spiral piercing component may be rotatably engaged to the handle, so as to effortlessly rotate in and out of the cigar creating the riffled passage. The rotating means may also be selectively locked when employed as a stationary handle when the device is employed as a butt holding means.
The spiral construction of the piercing component achieves the similar above mentioned goal of inhibiting a cigar butt from rotating when employed as a cigar butt holder. The spiraled piercing means is essentially screwed into the sidewall to securely support a butt. If the elongated member is rotationally engaged to the grip, a forward pressure along the line of the elongated member will cause it to rotate inward and form the spiral passage. A force in the reverse direction will cause the elongated member to spin and disengage from the passage. Thereafter the engagement to the handle may be temporarily locked to prevent further spinning and allow the user to use the device as a support means for the butt.
In all preferred modes of the device it is a further particularly preferred mode that the handle component of the device be removably engaged to the piercing component by a removable engagement means. Such removable engagement means include, but are not limited to, threaded screw engagement, magnets, snap fit, and the like. The handle component preferably includes a viewable portion such as a planar surface to employ inscribed, etched, or printed indicia. Such indicia can be company logos of a particular cigar lounge, name, picture, etc. Similar to the manner that golfers will often collect ball makers from different golf courses, an avid cigar smoker may collect handles from different cigar lounges, stores, golf courses, etc. A smoker can selectively interchange the handle portion of the device and show off to friends that they have been to “Big Joe's Smoking Lounge” in “So 'n So City, AR” for example. This of course provides business owners with the opportunity to advertise a name, logo, etc. as desired.
In addition, the handle portion of the device itself may include a removably engaged substantially planar component. This planar component can be employed as a golf ball marker and include indicia as previously mentioned. In this fashion the device will allow a golfer to support the butt above the surface of the ground, and to concurrently employ the planar component to mark their ball if needed.
Finally, in another preferred mode of the device, which may be employed in all noted modes, the elongated member form having a distal end providing a piercing means, may be formed in interlocking sections which telescope for use, and compact for storage.
With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is an object of the invention to provide a cigar piercing device comprising a handle and piercing component extending therefor to a pointed end for insertion into a cigar.
It is another object of the invention to provide a cigar piercing device that can clear blockage from within the smoke draw passage of a cigar.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a cigar piercing device that will concurrently provide a means to securely support a cigar butt when held by the user.
An additional object of the invention herein, is the provision of a cigar piercing and draw enhancing device, which will also support the cigar temporarily above the ground or a support surface it engages with.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a piercing means that is polygonal in cross section.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a piercing means that spirals in order to create a riffled passage in which to draw smoke through in or tornadic fashion.
It is still yet another object of the invention to provide a piercing means that is telescopic for compact storage.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a rotatably and removably engaged handle.
A still further object of the invention is to allow business owners and users alike to employ customized indica on the handle portion for advertising and other purposes.
It is still yet another object of the invention to provide a handle portion that is rotationally engaged to the piercing component by a rotational engagement means.
Yet a further object of the invention is a means to rigidly lock the rotational engagement means of the handle portion and piercing component.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a golf ball marker that is removably engaged to the handle portion.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent upon further description of the preferred modes of the device set forth below.
a is a particularly preferred cross section of the piercing component of the device.
b shows another particularly preferred cross section of the piercing component of the device.
a depicts a particularly preferred mode of the device showing the piercing component employing concentrically engage telescoping segments in the open mode.
b depicts the telescoping piercing component of the device.
c shows the closed mode of the particularly preferred telescoping employment of the piercing component of the device.
Now referring to drawings in
As seen in the side view of the device 10 in
Preferred cross sections of the particularly preferred modes of the elongated member forming the piercing component 14 of the device 10 are shown briefly in
Another particularly preferred mode of the cross section of the member forming the piercing component 14″ is shown in
Another particularly preferred mode of the device 10 is shown in
Still another particularly preferred mode of the device 10 can be seen in
Cigar smoking is often considered a leisure activity of the wealthy similar to golfing. Cigar smoking, just like golfing, carries with it the idea of prestige, class, and status. The golfing industry has capitalized on this aspect in that golfers may purchase ball markers or other golf accessories that display the name of the golf course or city in which the golf course is located. A golfer and collector can use these markers or other accessories as mementoes for a well played round, a successful business trip, or simply to show off to friends and colleagues. Therefor, it would be advantageous for the device of the present invention to allow golf courses, smoking lounges, and business owners of the like to achieve the same level of advertisement and customer loyalty gained by the employment of removable engaged components that can be customized with logos, names, and indicia of the like.
As depicted in
A further particularly preferred means for removable engagement of the handle component 12 with the piercing component 14 is shown in
Those skilled in the art will appreciate other means to achieve removable engagement while those depicted are shown merely as preferred modes and should not be considered limiting in the intended scope of the device. Furthermore, it must be noted that these and other removable engagement means not explicitly disclosed can be employed on any of the preferred modes of the device previously set forth and are not limited to one in particular.
In another mode, a means for creating a riffled draw passage as previously described is depicted in
Employment of the device 10 as a cigar butt holder is depicted in
As further shown in
While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
