Abstract:
A portable apparatus for holding smoking articles is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a semi-circular member formed from a metal comprising a first melting point, and a coating disposed on that semi-circular member, where that coating comprises a second melting point, where the second melting point is greater than the first melting point. The apparatus further comprises a shaft having a first end and an opposing second end, where the semi-circular member is attached to the first end, and where the second end tapers to a point.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates generally to a portable holder for smoking articles, and more particularly to a portable apparatus for use on a golf course.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Occasionally, golfers smoke cigarettes, and/or cigars, and/or a pipe, while playing their game. The time spent waiting for their partners or traveling to the next hole provides ample opportunity to enjoy a smoke. Generally, it is not practical to bring along an ashtray or other retaining means because of the bulk involved with such a device.  
         [0003]     There are few if any places on a golf course, however, for the golfer to rest his smoking article, when necessary. As such, the golfer is typically forced to place his lit smoking article on the grass. As a result, the end of the cigar that is placed in the mouth comes into contact with, inter alia, chemicals, such as herbicides, dirt and insects.  
         [0004]     As an alternative, the golfer may elect to extinguish and discard the lit article. As a result, the golfer partially smokes, and then discards, a plurality of smoking articles. Depending on the disposal practices of the golfer, such a practice may lead to debris being scattered on the course.  
         [0005]     Similar problems can be encountered by sports spectators. For example, the popularity of youth football, little league baseball, and youth soccer in this country has meant that spectators spend a great deal of time sitting in chairs on the edge of a field.  
         [0006]     There is a continuing need for a portable holder for smoking articles, where that portable apparatus manages the heat released from the lit cigarette, cigar, and/or pipe, such that the apparatus can be conveniently and safely handled and carried.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Applicant&#39;s invention comprises a portable apparatus for holding smoking articles. Applicant&#39;s apparatus comprises a semi-circular member formed from a metal comprising a first melting point, and a coating disposed on that semi-circular member, where that coating comprises a second melting point, where the second melting point is greater than the first melting point. Applicant&#39;s apparatus further comprises a shaft having a first end and an opposing second end, where the semi-circular member is attached to the first end, and where the second end tapers to a point. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The invention will be better understood from a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference designators are used to designate like elements, and in which:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of Applicants&#39; portable holder for smoking articles;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of Applicants&#39; portable holder for smoking articles;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of Applicants&#39; portable holder for smoking articles;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a top view of a portion of the apparatus of  FIG. 3 ; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a portion of the apparatus of  FIG. 3 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     This invention is described in preferred embodiments in the following description with reference to the Figures, in which like numbers represent the same or similar elements. Referring to  FIG. 1 , Applicants&#39; apparatus  100  comprises a semi-circular smoking article holder  110 , vertical shaft  120 , and tapering point  130 , wherein holder  110  is attached to a first end of shaft  120  and tapering point  130  is attached to the second, i.e. opposite end of shaft  120 . Apparatus  100  may be conveniently carried by golfers as they move over a golf course. Using smoking article holder  110  as a handle, tapering end  130  is placed on the surface of the course, and downward pressure is exerted on holder  110  to drive end  130  into the soil thereby fixturing apparatus  100  in an upright orientation. A smoking article, such as for example a cigarette, a cigar, or a pipe, may be placed within holder  110 .  
         [0015]     The temperature of a lit cigarette or cigar at the side of the lit portion is about 400° C., or about 752° F. The temperature of a lit cigarette or cigar at the middle of the lit portion is approximately 580° C., or about 1112° F. Prior art smoking article holders are formed from materials such as wood and/or plastic. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a smoking article holder  110  made from wood and/or plastic cannot withstand temperatures of 400° C. or higher without, at the very least, discoloring. In additional to discoloration, such a wood and/or plastic smoking article holder will likely also suffer degradation of its mechanical properties evidenced by warping, crazing, and the like. Moreover, there exists a significant likelihood that such a wood and/or plastic article might actually ignite and burn.  
         [0016]     Applicants&#39; smoking article holder  110  is formed from a material which can withstand temperatures of 580° C. without discoloring, warping, crazing, igniting, and/or burning. In certain embodiments, Applicants&#39; smoking article holder  110  is formed from aluminum. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, aluminum has a melting point of about 660° C., or about 1221° F.  
         [0017]     As those skilled in the art will further appreciate, aluminum is a good conductor of heat. If a lit cigarette/cigar is placed on Applicants&#39; smoking article holder  110 , heat will be transferred from the cigarette/cigar, and that heat will be conducted throughout the element  110 . Raising the temperature of holder portion  110  could present a number of problems. An attempt to grasp apparatus  100  by element  110  to remove the apparatus from the ground might lead to a burn injury. In addition, if a heated smoking article holder  110  is placed in a golf bag containing one or more golf clubs, damage to both the bag and the clubs could result.  
         [0018]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , to avoid such personal injury and/or property damage resulting from contact with a heated holder element  110 , Applicants&#39; apparatus  200  comprises smoking article holder  210 , shaft  120 , and tapering point  130 . In certain embodiments, smoking article holder  210  comprises a semi-circular element  110  formed from aluminum, with coating  220  disposed over the entire interior surface of holder  210 . Coating  220  has a thermal conductivity less than the thermal conductivity of aluminum. In certain embodiments, coating  220  comprises aluminum oxide. Aluminum has a thermal conductivity at 200° C. of 237 W/mK, and a melting point of about 660° C.  
         [0019]     Aluminum oxide on the other hand has a thermal conductivity at 200° C. of 17.9 W/mK, and a melting point greater than 1200° C.  
         [0020]     In certain embodiments, coating  220  comprises a foam structure comprising struts formed of aluminum oxide and open cells wherein those cells are filled with air. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a cellular aluminum oxide structure has a heat capacity and thermal conductivity less than full density aluminum oxide, and much less than aluminum. Therefore, disposing a porous aluminum oxide coating  220  over the aluminum smoking article holder  110  thermally insulates the aluminum structure from the heat of a burning cigarette or cigar.  
         [0021]     In certain embodiments, aluminum oxide coating  220  is formed over aluminum structure  110  using an anodization process. Anodizing is a type of electrolysis used to place a protective oxide coating on metal. The metal acts as the anode (positive pole) of an electrolytic cell. Negatively charged oxide ions pass through a solution called an electrolyte, and oxidize the surface of the metal. In certain embodiments, the resulting oxide coating comprises a porous outside layer, i.e. a cellular coating.  
         [0022]     In certain embodiments, Applicants&#39; portable apparatus further comprises an ash repository. In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 3 , shaft  320  comprises a tubular member which encloses lumen  330 . Referring now to  FIG. 5 , in these embodiments tapering end  340  comprises tapering point  130  in combination with cylindrical member  352  comprising threads  354 . In these embodiments, distal end  322  ( FIG. 3 ) of tubular member  320  ( FIG. 3 ) is threaded, and the diameter of lumen  330  ( FIG. 3 ) and the diameter of cylindrical member  352  ( FIG. 4 ) are adjusted, such that end portion  340  can be threadedly attached to the distal end  322  of shaft  320 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a top view of apparatus  300 . Smoking article holder  410 , comprising a coating  220  comprising aluminum oxide, is formed to include aperture  430 . Aperture  430  communicates with lumen  330 . The lit portion of a cigarette or cigar comprising an ash component can be inserted into and/or scraped against aperture  430  to remove the ash from the lit cigarette/cigar. That removed ash then falls into lumen  330  for storage. Subsequently, tapering end  340  can be unscrewed from shaft  320  and the ash removed from lumen  330 . In addition, lumen  330  may be rinsed with water, with that water flowing into one end of shaft  320  and flowing out of the opposite end. Tapering end  340  can them be reattached to distal end  322 , and the cleansed apparatus  300  is again ready for use.  
         [0024]     While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in detail, it should be apparent that modifications and adaptations to those embodiments may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.