Patent ID: 6926009
Filing Date: 2005-08-09
Classification: A24F

Abstract:
1. An ashtray mechanism comprising: a) a housing having a first side wall, a second side wall, a first end wall, a second end wall, a longitudinal axis extending between the first end wall and the second end wall, a transverse axis extending between the first side wall and the second side wall, a top wall, a bottom wall, a height dimension extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, disposal opening defined through the top wall, an internal wall having an upper rim attached to the top wall adjacent to the disposal opening and extending toward the bottom wall, the internal wall having a lower end spaced apart from the top wall and from the first side wall and from the second side wall and from the first end wall and from the second end wall and from the bottom wall, the housing having an internal volume defined by the top wall and the first side wall and the second side wall and the end wall and the second end wall and the bottom wall and a drawer slot defined in the first side wall; b) a drawer slidably mounted on the first side wall of said housing to move between a closed position located beneath the disposal opening of said housing and an open position at least partially located outside of the internal volume of said housing; c) a plurality of cigarette disposal openings defined through the top wall of said housing and located above said drawer when said drawer is in the closed position; d) a cigarette grinder mechanism associated with one cigarette disposal opening of said plurality of cigarette disposal openings, said cigarette grinder mechanism including a motor mounted on said housing inside the internal volume of said housing, a power source located inside the internal volume of said housing, a switch mounted on the top wall of said housing, said switch having an “on” configuration and an “off” configuration and electrically connecting the motor to the power source when the switch is in the “on” configuration, said cigarette grinder mechanism further including a grinder blade connected to the motor and located adjacent to the one cigarette disposal opening to engage a cigarette located in the one cigarette disposal opening and to grind the cigarette located in the one cigarette disposal opening when the motor is electrically connected to the power source, said cigarette grinder mechanism further including a debris chute connecting the grinder blade to said drawer when said drawer is in the closed position; e) a door unit attached to the top wall of said housing adjacent to the disposal opening in the top wall of said housing and including a first door having a first end hingeably connected to the lower end of the internal wall of said housing and a second end located in the internal volume of said housing and spaced apart from the first end of the first door in the direction of the transverse axis of said housing and in the direction of the height axis of said housing, said door unit further including a second door having a first end hingeably connected to the lower end of the internal wall of said housing and a second end located in the internal volume of said housing and spaced apart from the first end of the second door in the direction of the transverse axis of said housing and in the direction of the height axis of said housing, the second door being movable with respect to the first door between a closed orientation with the second end of the second door contacting the second end of the first door and an open orientation with the second end of the first door spaced apart from the second end of the second door in the direction of the transverse axis of said housing, a cigarette disposal path being defined between the first door and the second door when the second door is in the open orientation with the cigarette disposal path being located above said drawer when said drawer is in the closed position; and f) a door-operating mechanism operatively connected to the second door of said door unit to move the second door between the closed orientation and the open orientation thereof, said door-operating mechanism including a button located on the top wall of said housing.