Patent Application
20060070634
This invention relates to smoking and sports, and more particularly to a smoking article holder that is adapted for use in certain sports or situations.
Some participants in certain sports, such as golf, for example, enjoy smoking while taking part in the sport. Cigar smoking is currently popular for golfers. However, when the golfer is ready to take his turn to hit the ball, it is necessary to take the cigar out of his mouth, and temporarily set it aside, as keeping the cigar in the mouth while swinging the golf club would likely interfere with the golfer's shot and might also lead to the cigar being dropped or damaged. Some golfers have been known to set their cigars on the ground while taking the shot, but this can be unsanitary to place the cigar portion that will be put back in the golfer's mouth onto the ground. Also, the hot, lit end of the cigar might damage the grass on the course.
To alleviate these concerns, various solutions have been devised. U.S. Pat. No. 3,001,529 shows a golf smoke tee, wherein a tray to hold a cigarette or the like is provided with a vertical shank terminating in a point, to allow the device to be inserted into the ground as a golf tee would be, providing a horizontal resting tray for the cigarette. However, the golfer may not always wish to have the cigarette placed close to the ground.
Others have devised clip on holders, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,143 where the holder clips over the top lip of a golf bag, or U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,481, wherein a spring biased clip attaches to the golf bag, with a holding tray attached to the clip. These types of holders typically extend above the top of the golf bag, which places the cigar or cigarette in a position where it can be easy to knock off when removing or replacing clubs into the bag. Further, sometimes the golfer will set the golf bag in an upright position, but other times the bag might be placed horizontally on the ground. Some of the clip on type holders cannot accommodate the bag in a horizontal position, or would need to be removed and re-clipped in a different manner in order to maintain the holding portion in a substantially horizontal configuration so as to adequately support the cigar or cigarette. Also, these types of holders may not be compatible for attachment to a golf cart, should the golfer be employing a cart.
In accordance with the invention, a smoking article holder is provided with an engagement member adapted to snap onto a snap button, for removable attachment to a variety of devices. A vertical shank with pointed end is also provided, to allow the option of inserting the holder into the ground, or into a golf tee holder on a pull cart or the like, if desired.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved smoking article holder.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved cigar holder for easy attachment to a golf club bag.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved holder for holding a cigar, cigarette, or the like, wherein the holder is removably attachable to a standard size snap attachment.
The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a smoking article holder for use in golfing. Referring to
On one side face of the tray portion, a snap extension member 22 extends outwardly away from the face of the tray, suitably configured as a hollow cylinder portion. The diameter 24 of the opening is suitably chosen to be a standard press snap fastener “button” size, for example, to engagingly fit a 10.5 mm, 11 mm, 12.5 mm, 13.5 mm or 14 mm press snap fastener stud portion within the opening, these being typical sizes in use. Other sizes are accommodated by modification of the diameter 24 of the socket 22, which may be accomplished in manufacture or by inclusion of a diameter reducing insert for making the inner diameter 24 smaller to accommodate a smaller size stud. The extension member 22 thereby functions as a socket portion 22 of a press snap fastener.
The holder 10 is suitably made of an injection molded plastic in the preferred embodiment.
The inclusion of the shaft 16 with pointed end 20 enables the device to also be used by pressing it into the ground, if desired. Thus, in the case where the golf bag is not nearby or not being used or if for some reason a snap fastener stud is not available, the holder can still be employed to hold the smoking article.
A further advantage of the shaft and pointed end, which correspond to the configuration of a golf tee, is that the smoking article holder can be inserted into a golf tee holder such as would be present on a pull cart, for example. Thus, the user has the option of attaching to a press snap stud or securing in a tee holder.
Therefore, in accordance with the invention, an improved holder for smoking articles, such as cigars or cigarettes, is provided that can be easily attached to a snap fastener stud and is rotatable to maintain the holder substantially horizontal so that the smoking article will rest in the holder tray. A golf-tee-like pointed shaft portion may also be mounted to the holder, to enable the holder to be placed in the ground when not attached to a snap fastener stud, or to enable insertion into a tee holder as an alternative to placement on a press snap stud.
While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
