Patent Application
20200037660
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The disclosure and prior art relates to storage containers and more particularly pertains to a new storage container for stowing smoking articles and a partially smoked item.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a shell that defines an interior space. The shell has a top that is open. A wall is coupled to the shell and positioned in the interior space. The wall extends between a front and a back of the shell proximate to a respective opposing side of the shell. The wall extends from a bottom of the shell to the top to define a small compartment and a large compartment within the interior space. The large compartment is configured to stow smoking articles and the small compartment is configured to stow a lit smoking item. A lid is hingedly coupled to the shell proximate to the top. The lid is positioned to pivot to sealably close the top to extinguish the lit smoking item.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A wall 22 is coupled to the shell 12 and positioned in the interior space 14. The wall 22 extends between the front 18 and the back 20 of the shell 12 proximate to a respective opposing side 24 of the shell 12. The wall 22 extends from a bottom 26 of the shell 12 to the top 16 to define a small compartment 28 and a large compartment 30 within the interior space 14. The large compartment 30 is configured to stow smoking articles, such as cigarettes and cigars, and the small compartment 28 is configured to stow a lit smoking item.
A lid 32 is hingedly coupled to the shell 12 proximate to the top 16. The lid 32 is positioned to pivot to sealably close the top 16 to extinguish the lit smoking item. As shown in
A cover panel 34 is coupled to an interior surface 36 of the lid 32 so that the cover panel 34 aligns with the wall 22 when the lid 32 is closed so that the small compartment 28 is isolated from the large compartment 30.
A first slot 38 is positioned the shell 12 and extends to the small compartment 28. The first slot 38 has an upper end 40 that is positioned proximate to the top 16 and a lower end 42 that is positioned proximate to the bottom 26 of the shell 12.
A first plate 44 is positioned in the small compartment 28 so that the first plate 44 is substantially parallel to the bottom 26 of the shell 12. The first plate 44 is dimensionally smaller than a cross-section 46 of the small compartment 28 so that a first gap 48 is positioned between the first plate 44 and the wall 22, the first plate 44 and the front 18, and the first plate 44 and the back 20. The first gap 48 is configured to allow debris, such as ash, to fall from the first plate 44 to a first debris collection space 50 that is defined by the bottom 26 of the shell 12 and the first plate 44 when the first plate 44 is positioned at the lower end 42 of the first slot 38.
A first slat 52 is coupled to the first plate 44 and extends through the first slot 38. A first knob 54 is coupled to the first slat 52 externally to the shell 12. The first knob 54 is configured to slide the first plate 44 toward the top 16 to lift a first extinguished smoking item from the small compartment 28 through the top 16.
A first gasket 56 is coupled to a circumference 58 of the first slot 38. The first gasket 56 is positioned to frictionally couple to the first slat 52 to fixedly position the first plate 44 and to sealably closing the first slot 38.
In another embodiment, as shown in
A second slot 64 is positioned the shell 12 and extends to the small subcompartment 62. The second slot 64 has an upper end 66 that is positioned proximate to the top 16 and a lower end 68 that is positioned proximate to the bottom 26 of the shell 12.
A second plate 70 positioned in the small subcompartment 62 so that the second plate 70 is substantially parallel to the bottom 26 of the shell 12. The second plate 70 is dimensionally smaller than a cross-section 72 of the small subcompartment 62 so that a second gap 116 is positioned between the second plate 70 and the panel 60, the second plate 70 and the front 18, and the second plate 70 and the back 20. The second gap 116 is configured for debris to fall from the second plate 70 to a second debris collection space 74 defined by the bottom 26 of the shell 12 and the second plate 70 when the second plate 70 is positioned at the lower end 68 of the second slot 64.
A second slat 76 is coupled to the second plate 70 and extends through the second slot 64. A second knob 78 is coupled to the second slat 76 externally to the shell 12. The second knob 78 is configured to slide the second plate 70 toward the top 16 to selectively lift a second extinguished smoking item or the smoking aid from the small subcompartment 62 through the top 16.
A second gasket 80 is coupled to a circumference 82 of the second slot 64. The second gasket 80 is positioned to frictionally couple to the second slat 76 to fixedly position the second plate 70 and to sealably closing the second slot 64.
A sheet 84 is coupled to the front 18 of the shell 12 proximate to the bottom 26 of the shell 12, as shown in
In yet another embodiment, as shown in
In this embodiment, a first protrusion 94 is coupled to the first section 86 and a second protrusion 96 is coupled to the second section 88. The first protrusion 94 and the second protrusion 96 extend from a front edge 98 of the lid 32. The first protrusion 94 and the second protrusion 96 are configured to position a digit of a hand to selectively pivot the first section 86 and the second section 88 relative to the shell 12 to open the small compartment 28 and the large compartment 30, respectively.
In still yet another embodiment, as shown in
In this embodiment, a first extrusion 118 is coupled to the first segment 100, a second extrusion 112 is coupled to the second segment 102, and a third extrusion 114 is coupled to the third segment 104. The first extrusion 118, the second extrusion 112, and the third extrusion 114 extend from the front edge 98 of the lid 32. The first extrusion 118, the second extrusion 112, and the third extrusion 114 are configured to position the digit of the hand to selectively pivot the first segment 100, the second segment 102, and the third segment 104 relative to the shell 12 to open the small compartment 28, the large subcompartment 106, and the small subcompartment 62, respectively.
In use, the user stows the smoking articles, such as the cigarettes, in the large compartment 30. When needed, the user is positioned to stow the lit smoking item in the small compartment 28. Closing the lid 32 causes the lit smoking item to extinguish. When the user wishes to retrieve the first extinguished smoking item from the small compartment 28, the first knob 54 is used to slide the first plate 44 toward the top 16 to lift the first extinguished smoking item through the top 16.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
