US3057465A - Smoking accessory - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 9, 1962 F. QuERclo, JR 3,057,465

SMOKING ACCESSORY Filed April 19, 1960 FEEDER/0x ausm/0, ./R.

IN VEN TOR.

MMI/,j @MW A TTOR/V Y Patented Oct. 9, 1962 3,057,465 SMUKBNG ACEESSRY Frederick Quercio, Jr., Worcester, Mass., assignor of fifty percent to Norman S. Biodgett, Westboro, Mass. Fitted Apr. 19, 1969, Ser. No. 23,199 1 Claim. (Cl. 20e-41) This invention relates to a smoking accessory and more particularly 4to apparatus arranged to receive cigarette ashes.

A cigarette smoker often finds Ithat he wishes to smoke Whe-re there are no ashtrays available for his use, or where lthere are ashtrays available but there are not enough to provide for all of the people present. Many attempts have been made in the past to solve this problem by providing portable ashtrays of all kinds, some of them associated with a cigarette case. However, in most cases these were complicated to use or were very expensive to manufacture. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have -been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a smoking accessory which is adapted to be associated with a package of cigarettes to receive cigarette ashes.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an ashtray which may be fastened to one end of a package of cigarettes and which may be collapsed and closed when not in use.

A further object of the present inven-tion is the provision of a portable ashtr-ay which is simple in construction and inexpensive lto manufacture.

It is `another object of the instant invention to provide a portable ashtray which may also be used in a ladys purse to carry small objects.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a portable ashtray which may be attached to a package of cigarettes without interfering with access to the cigarettes.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a portable Vashtray which may be closed when not in use and which is constructed so that ashes will not escape from the trap when it is so closed.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in -the art, the invention reside-s in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

The character of the invention, however, may be best f/ understood by reference to one of i-ts structural forms as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the invention taken on the line II-II of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the invention taken on the line III III of FIG. 1.

Referring first to FIG. 1, wherein are best shown the general features of the invention, the smoking accessory, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, is shown in use with a pack 11 of cigarettes. The pack 11 is shown as being of the ip-op type, although, of course, the use of the invention is not limited to this type of cigarette package.

The accessory is shown as consisting of a casing 12 and a tray 13, the latter being slidable in and out of position within the casing. The casing 12 consists of a top wall 14, a bottom wall 15, an end wall 16, a side wall 17 and a side wall 18. Spaced from and parallel to the end wall 16 is a dividing wall 19. The top wall 14, the bottom wall 15, the side walls 17 and 18 and the dividing wall 19 define a rectangular socket or recess 21 in which the end of the cigarette pack 11 may be inserted. The top Wall 14, the bottom wall 15, the end wall 16 and the side wall 17 as well as the dividing wall 19 define a socket or recess 22 into which the tray 13 is insertable. The tray 13 is provided with a bottom wall 23, side walls 24 and 25, and end walls 26 and 27.

The case 12 and the tray 13 are both formed of a rubber-like material such as the plastic known as polyethylene. These substances have a degree of resilience and a highfriction surface so that the insertion of the cigarette pack 11 into the recess 21 will cause the casing to grasp the pack tightly, there being sufficient friction between the surface of the recess and the pack to hold it tightly. In the same way, the fitting between the tray 13 and the walls defining the recess 22 is such that the tray 13 will not easily fall from its position in the casing. The resilience of the material will also cause an excellent sealing action between the upper edges of the tray 13 and the lower surface of the top wall 14 of the casing, thus assuring that ashes contained in the tray will not easily fall out when the tray is closed.

The operation of the invention Will now be lreadily understood in view of the above description. Ordinarily, the accessory would be carried in a ladys purse or similar compartment, but quite possibly might not be attached to a cigarette pack, since normally the owner would not have use for the accessory. When the owner reaches a place, however, where an ashtray is not available to him, the end of the cigarette pack 1-1 is placed in the recess 21 of the accessory and the two are united. The use of the cigarette pack, incidentally, with the accessory assures that the accessory and pack combine to provide a broad base that is not easily upset. When the tray 13 is pulled partly out of the casing, it is available for use as a cigarette ashtray. When the user is through with it, the tray 13 is returned to its position within the recess 22 and, as has been stated above, the resilience of the material of which the casing and tray are made, assures that ashes do not escape from a crack between the upper edge of the tray and the casing 12. At the same time, the excellent friction properties of such rubber-like materials assuresv that the tray does not slide out easily but stays within the recess. It will be understood that, since the accessory is to be used only in emergencies, ladies will often use the tray and casing as a small box to be carried in the purse in which to place small objects such as coins, earrings, and the like. These can be removed when the accessory is to be used as an ashtray. It should be noted that this accessory does not interfere with access to the pack to remove cigarettes. Also, the accessory of the invention, because of its general configuration, may be readily moulded by the injection method from plastic.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

A smoking accessory, comprising a package of cigarettes having an elongated rectangular cross-sectional shape, an elongated ash tray of rectangular cross-sectional form having its upper edge in a single plane, a hollow rectangular casing having a dividing wall defining a rst and a second recess, the casing and tray being formed of a rubber-like material, the first recess facing in a first direction and receiving and clamping the end portion only of the said package, and the second recess facing in a direction at a right angle to the first direction and slidably receiving the tray, the ash tray fitting tightly inthe second recess so that a surface of the casing presses resiliently against the said upper edge of the tray to form a seal therewith, the long dimension of the first recess being parallel to and in the same general plane as the long dimension of the second recess and the ash tray, so that, when the package is in place in the `rst recess and the ash tray is partially withdrawn from the second recess, the package, casing, and ash tray form a stable L-shaped conguraton that prevents overturning.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ball Oct. 6, 1936 Meyerson Mar. 19, 1929 Wirth Aug. 29, 1933 Treat Apr. 7, 1936 Jaquette Aug. 12, 1952 Frankel Dec. 1, 1959

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