Patent Grant
10342257
This application claims priority from Provisional Patent Application No. 61/952,688 Date Filed: Mar. 13, 2014
Application Number: Provisional Pat. App. No. 61/952,688
61/268,214
N/A
N/A
Field of Invention
This invention relates to containers with multifunctional lids, more specifically to containers with smoking tools attached to their associated caps, making the loading, packing and emptying of pipe bowls faster and easier.
Prior Art
Pipe smokers often use tools to load and pack smoking material into their pipe, and a poker to clean ash from the pipe bowl when finished. Smokers also use ashtrays, and containers for holding smoking material such as herbs or tobacco. However, carrying these tools around can be cumbersome, they are prone to getting lost and dirty, and tools may not be readily available when needed. The present invention solves these problems by providing smoking tools attached to the caps of the containers, hence making these tools easier to find, more convenient to transport, and cleaner and easier to use.
Several ashtrays have been designed that make it easier to empty ash from a pipe bowl. This type of ashtray has a protruding reamer, the smoker turning their pipe upside down so that the reamer in the ashtray goes into the bowl, the user then moving the bowl in a mostly horizontal circular motion to dislodge ash from the bowl. See U.S. Pat. No. 1,356,586 by Aisenstein as an example.
A disadvantage of these ashtrays is that they do not allow the user to easily see the contents of the pipe bowl and the movement of the poker within the bowl, the action of turning one's pipe upside down to empty ash from the bowl also necessitating turning the pipe back over to look into the bowl in order to ascertain the progress of ash removal, which is often insufficient, requiring the process be performed again. These ashtrays also tend to knock-out bowl screens and push ash into the body of the pipe if there is no screen. Additionally, ash tends to spray out from the bowl when using this type of ashtray, landing on surfaces instead of inside the ashtray, as the poker tends to skip across the inner surfaces of the bowl. Uncovered ashtrays are also prone to having ash blown out of it by even a light breeze or when carrying them to a trash bin.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,998,742 by Sussman and U.S. Pat. No. 2,725,884 by Colby are examples of covered ashtrays. A product that is relevant to this application is the Poke-A-Bowl Home Dome ashtray, having both a poker and a cover, indicating the need for a covered ashtray with a built-in poker. This device still requires the user to turn their pipes upside down for proper use. However, none of these devices are intended for use upside down, nor could they conveniently be used in this manner. If the Poke-a-Bowl Home Dome was indeed used upside down, the round top would not be stable on a surface, and a user holding the bottom portion of this device would find it difficult and awkward to grasp and manipulate the bottom portion to remove ash from their pipe bowl.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,413,981 by Polizzi et al, shows a Pocket Ash Tray designed to extinguish cigarettes and cigars with a built-in standard protruding from a bottom cap of a tubular container. Although showing the bottom cap as removable, his device is designed to not have the bottom cap removed during use, and indeed, would be disadvantageous to do so, since the device would no longer serve as an ashtray and would instead discharge ash and cigarette butts from the device. The only reason to remove the bottom cap is for initial manufacture or cleaning, and his device would not work any differently than if the bottom cap was permanently affixed to the container.
Polizzi acknowledges that only the top cap (18) be removed during normal use by the placement of a chain (21) attaching the cap to the container, to prevent it from being lost. If Polizzi had intended, or even conceived that the bottom cap (13) be removed during normal use, he would have likewise placed a chain from the bottom cap to the container. Polizzi's device is also intended to be used in an upright manner.
Nowhere in Polizzi is it suggested using the snuffing head to clean a pipe bowl, nor removing the bottom cap of the device during use. If Polizzi's device were used in the manner of the present invention, several problems would arise. The first is that the container would need to be used upside down, with the top cap resting on a surface while the user empties the bowl of their pipe into the container. The cap has a protruding anchor post (19) affixed to the middle of the cap, therefore the container, while resting upside down on a surface, would not be steady nor stand upright. Chain (21) would add to this unsteadiness. Ash from a pipe bowl being cleaned might therefore miss going into the container completely. If the cap (18) was removed, the hole (17a) in the inner cap (17) would allow ash to fall through the inner cap.
Another disadvantage of Polizzi's standard and enlarged snuffing head is that it, if it even fit inside a pipe bowl, would be an ineffective bowl cleaner, likely scratching the inside of the bowl and being unable to get into the corners, nor be effective in cleaning smaller bowls, nor bowls in most tobacco vaporizing devices. If a conventional pipe poker were to be used in his device instead of the snuffing head, it would not work as intended, since a poker is insufficient for extinguishing a cigarette or cigar. Finally, if Polizzi's device were used in the manner of the present invention, the inner threads of the bottom container and cap could easily get clogged with ash, which would make re-attaching the bottom cap difficult and require more frequent cleaning. In summary, Polizzi's device is designed and intended for extinguishing cigars and cigarettes, not cleaning the bowls of pipes.
There are several storage jars having lids with spoons and scoops protruding from under the lid, some extendable, but none have integral packing means, nor are they intended for use with smoking devices. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 2,106,313 by Amrine, U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,774 by Engle, U.S. Pat. No. 2,175,735 by Banks, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,149,698 by Humphrey. U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,032 by Wu shows a jar with a spring-actuated tool protruding from the underside of the cap, specifically for use with seasonings, preserving and medical materials. However, none of the above contain means for ejecting and packing materials after being scooped-up.
The present invention solves the above problems in one simple and innovative design.
It is the principal object of this invention to provide containers with smoking tools integrally attached to their caps that are easy and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to disassemble and clean. The tools may vary and be removable to enable a customizable experience. Other objects include providing tools that are easy to grasp and manipulate, by way of them being attached to the cap which now also serves as a handle, as well as tools that are ready to use once the cap is removed, thus obviating the need to locate and pick-up a separate tool. Another object is to provide tools which are stored safely, cleanly, and conveniently within their respective containers.
Another object is to provide an ashtray with a cap to keep smoking waste securely within, having an integral poker in its cap providing fast, easy and convenient ash removal from a pipe bowl, which facilitates the efficient moving of both the bowl and the poker, not requiring the bowl to be turned upside-down, allowing for the stirring of an unfinished bowl, and also providing for the reaming of pipes that should not be turned upside down, such as certain water-pipes.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a container for smoking material with a cap having a combination scoop and packer for the fast, efficient, and convenient transfer, loading, and packing of smoking material into a pipe bowl, and providing a scoop with means for ejecting and packing the smoking material. A further object is to provide a scoop that can poke into the corners of its associated container, easily pick-up smoking material and hold it securely within to prevent spillage during transfer, and to provide a scoop which may accurately and consistently measure the amount of smoking material within it.
Another object is to provide a grinding mechanism within the caps that prevents overfilling, with holes in the bottom surface allowing ground material to fall directly into an attached container, with closure means for partially or completely closing those holes, providing a choice of fineness for the ground material, preventing ground material from falling out of the grinding mechanism when cap is removed from container, and allowing the ground material to remain in the grinding mechanism without falling into a container, further allowing use of the two caps together on their own, unattached to any containers.
This invention relates to containers with multifunctional lids, and more specifically to an improved ashtray with a removable cap having an integral poker on the underside of the cap, as well as a storage jar for smoking materials having a removable cap with a combination scoop and packer protruding from the underside of the cap into the jar.
There are many configurations of this invention, including double-sided versions, whereby two lids may be temporarily or permanently attached at their tops or made as a single part so that they may be used conveniently together, as well as having a built-in grinder for smoking material.
As best seen in
Limiter 131, although secured in place within hole 132, is preferably removable to allow cleaning of the parts and to facilitate the replacement of the scoop. Limiter 131 may take many forms, such as a cylinder, cotter pin, or roll pin. Spring 98 should provide enough resistance to allow scoop to pick-up material 4 with minimal compression, while still being easy to press downward on cap 112 to eject and pack material 4. Limiter 131 limits the upward and downward movement of the scoop so that when the scoop is extended a sufficient space is created within scoop channel 42, up to post end 122, to hold a predetermined amount of ground material within, and when the scoop is fully retracted post end 122 is pressed to or past scoop end 129, so that post end 122 protrudes beyond scoop end 129.
Caps 112, 111, and 110 are removably attached via friction and magnetic attraction. Magnet placement is such that when caps 112 and 111 are attached to each other the magnets enclosed therein are closer in proximity to one another than the magnets enclosed in caps 111 and 110 when they are attached to one another, so that poker cap 110 is easier to remove from cap 111 than cap 111 is to remove from cap 112, whereby cap 110 may be removed from embodiment 100 without inadvertently removing cap 111 from cap 112. The magnets in caps 111 and 110 are also separated by part material, which supplements this effect. Boss 141 and indent 140 are similar in size and shape, with indent 140 being larger enough for cap 110 to remain secured to but facilitate easy removal from cap 111 when desired. Walls 81 and 91 provide friction that helps maintain temporary attachment of caps 112 and 111.
Grinding teeth 85 are truncated, the square shape of magnet boss 86 contributing to the grinding process, with holes 83 interspersed throughout plate 16 between teeth 85. Scoop 97B is in a fully extended position along post 121, providing maximum space within scoop opening 42.
The travel distance of scoops 97B and 97C along post 121 is provided by lengthwise through channels 130 on either side of scoops 97B and 97C, the channels width being slightly larger than the diameter of limiter 131 to allow travel of the outer ends of limiter 131 along channels 130. The length of channels 130 is such that it provides ample room for storage of material 4 within scoop opening 42 when the scoop is in an extended position, while allowing post end 122 to protrude to or past scoop end 129 to facilitate packing when the scoop is retracted.
Post 121 has limiter hole 132 there-through, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of post 121, hole 132 having a similar but slightly larger diameter as limiter 131. Post end 122 is the mostly flat end of post 121 whose purpose is to first eject material from scoop channel 42 when scoop 97B or 97C is retracted inwards, and second to pack material into pipe bowl. Post end 122 may take other forms besides flat, for example it may be curved, angled, pointed, or indented.
Closure 125 comprises a mostly flat disk with through holes 83B that mostly match the size, shape and placement of through holes 83, so that, upon rotation of closure 125 around post 121, holes 83 are either open when they line up with holes 83B or mostly closed when they line-up with the solid segments of closure 125. The outer set of holes 83B may be truncated, as shown here, to allow for unhindered rotation of closure 125 within cap 12 and container 9B. Closure 125 has tabs 126 protruding from its bottom surface, and a post hole 127 mostly centered therein, the diameter of post hole 127 being slightly larger than the diameter of post 121, to allow for the rotation of closure 125 around post 121. Closure 125 may take other forms, for example it may have means for activation that extend outward into a portion of cap 112, as shown in
To assemble cap 112, first closure 125, then spring 98, and then extension scoop 97B or 97C is placed over post 121 and pushed in until limiter 131 can be inserted through channel 130 on one side of the scoop, then through limiter hole 132, and finally out through channel 130 on the opposite side of the scoop, so that the ends of limiter 131 extend mostly equally out from either side of post 121 into channels 130 on both sides of scoop, thereby slidably attaching the scoop to post 121. Other means for holding the respective parts in place may be used, and may be permanent if desired.
The tools, such as post 121 and scoop and packer 41 may, instead of being manufactured as a single piece with its associated cap, be manufactured separately and subsequently fixed, permanently or removably, under cap 12 by adhesive, press-fit, interlocking means, welding or other mechanical method known by those skilled in the art, and may have means for centering upon each other, for example as shown in
Operation of cap 11 is shown in
Operation of cap 31 is shown in
Combination cap 61 and combination device 62 shown in
As shown in
With caps 80 and 90 separated but attached to their respective containers, whole smoking material, such as the leaves of tobacco, mullein, sage, damiana, cannabis, and marshmallow, is placed into chamber 82 which is formed in the space between wall 81, teeth 85, and magnet boss 86 in cap 80. Cap 90 is then pressed firmly into and attached to cap 80, as described above, following which caps 80 and 90 are rotated in counter directions to each other, as shown in
Embodiment 100 works similarly to the previously described embodiments, but with a separate grinder cap 111, extending scoops 97B and 97C, and inner ejecting and packing mechanism in the form of post end 122.
Closure 125 is opened before grinding takes place, by pushing on one or more tabs 126 to rotate closure 125 so that holes 83B are closely lined-up with holes 83, creating through holes, as shown in
Cap 111 is then removed from cap 112, and material to be ground is inserted into chamber 82 in cap 112. Top 111 is replaced upon cap 112, and grinding is commenced, as described above. Cap 110 may be removed before engaging in the grinding process.
To dispense ground material 4 into pipe bowl 2, cap 112 is removed from container 9B, then closure 125 is rotated so that holes 83 are mostly blocked by the solid interweave of closure 125, which helps prevent accidental spilling of any material remaining in the grinding chamber 82 during dispensation, which is further aided by keeping top 111 on cap 112 during this process, as shown in
With scoop 97B or 97C extended to its full length, providing extra reach into the bottom of container 9B, material 4 is scooped from container 9B into scoop channel 42, as shown in
Angled scoop 97B is recommended for larger or more open bowls, since material 4 can exit scoop 97B through the side opening created by the angle, as shown in FIG. 37A, whereas flat scoop 97C is recommended for bowls that are smaller with a rim diameter closely matching the diameter of scoop end 129 of 97C, whereby end 129 rests upon the rim of bowl 2 before cap 112 is pressed to dispense material 4 into bowl 2, as shown in
When finished smoking, ash may be removed from bowl 2 as described above. Poker 13 is offset, which facilitates access to hard-to-reach areas.
The main components of the present invention may be used fully or partially assembled. For example, ashtray container 9A and poker cap 11 may be used together as one, and cap 112 and top 111 along with container 9B may be used together as one.
Accordingly, the reader will see that, according to the present invention, a simple and innovative solution has been provided for the loading, packing, and reaming of a bowl in a smoking device, as well as the convenient grinding of and storage of smoking material and ash. While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of my invention, but as exemplifications of the presently preferred embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the invention.
For example, different types, sizes, and configurations of containers may be used, inserts such as silicone may be used in conjunction with the containers, and other types of attachment means to their associated caps may be used.
The grinder portion may have through holes that have means for allowing ground material to fall downward into the container, but prevent the ground material from going back into the grinding chamber when the device is turned upside-down.
Alternatively, means may be provided for automatically opening the through holes when the grinder is attached to a container, but close automatically once the grinder is removed from the container.
The scoop may have means for easier dispersal of ground material, such as by modifying its shape, as shown in
The dimensions and configurations of the scoop, packer, post, limiter, limiter hole, spring and container may vary to better fit and work with different-sized and shaped bowls, as well as to hold a particular amount of ground material in the scoop. The scoop can be open or closed-off at its sides or top, and the post end may not protrude to or past the scoop end whereby it only ejects material from scoops, and may not perform a packing function. Additionally, other means for temporary or permanent attachment of scoops to post may be used, for example integral tongues and grooves.
Tools may be removable and replaceable, allowing different tools to be substituted or removed completely while providing the option to use the tools without the cap being attached to them. Many methods for attachment may be used, such as screw threads, friction fit, and snap fit. Alternatively, tools may not be attached to cap at all, and instead may reside within the container to be used independently. For example, the scoop and packer mechanism may be made as a standalone device for use with other containers. More than one tool may be attached to a cap, on the same or opposite sides of the cap. Many different tools may be utilized within the present invention, for example tongs, spear, grabber, knife, scraper, scissors, clip, tweezers, magnifying glass, lighter, rolling paper dispenser, and the like.
The spring may be housed to keep it cleaner, and other means for the retraction and extension of scoops may be used.
Device may be integrated with both halves contributing to a unified whole, or may be used as two separate devices that may be temporarily linked together. Additionally, the jars and caps may be interchanged, for example container 9A can hold whole smoking material instead of ash, having a sharp poker in its cap for spearing, or no tool at all.
Naturally, other materials such as powders, arts and crafts items, herbs, spices, and other foods such as syrups and sprinkles, and the like may also be scooped-up and delivered in accordance with the present invention. The scoops and scoop openings 42 used in this instance would benefit from holding predetermined amounts used in cooking, for example a teaspoon or tablespoon.
While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but as exemplifications of the presently preferred embodiments thereof. Many ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, not by the examples given.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1356586 | Aisenstein | Oct 1920 | A |
| 1998742 | Sussman | Apr 1935 | A |
| 2106313 | Amrine | Jan 1938 | A |
| 2149698 | Humphrey | Mar 1939 | A |
| 2175735 | Banks | Oct 1939 | A |
| 2725884 | Colby | Dec 1955 | A |
| 3413981 | Polizzi | Dec 1968 | A |
| 4043348 | Kanady | Aug 1977 | A |
| 4177823 | Glasser | Dec 1979 | A |
| 4717032 | Wu | Jan 1988 | A |
| 5251774 | Engle | Oct 1993 | A |
| 20130025608 | Fakhouri | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160262448 A1 | Sep 2016 | US |
