Abstract:
A smoker&#39;s appliance or apparatus which reduces a quantity smoke from a cigarette during periods of time when the cigarette is not being smoked, by dissipating the heat energy and diminishing the oxygen supply to a cigarette holding receptacle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 601709,306 filed on Aug. 18, 2005. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to an appliance for use with cigarettes. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for reducing the quantity of smoke emanating from a lighted cigarette during periods of time the cigarette is positioned within the apparatus.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     A number of apparatuses have been utilized to diminish the secondhand smoke generated by a smoldering cigarette in the surroundings of the actual and the passive smoker.  
         [0004]     A number of apparatuses have been utilized to diminish the secondhand smoke generated by a smoldering cigarette in the surroundings of the actual smoker and the passive smoker. U.S. Pat. No. 2,340,618 discloses a receptacle for lighted cigarettes which diminishes the emanation of smoke by admitting only enough oxygen to the receptacle to permit slow burning for a short time. The cigarette is inserted vertically into a hole and the lighted end of the cigarette rests on a ledge formed around the interior of the receptacle. Due to a lack of oxygen, the cigarette is snuffed out after approximately one minute.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 2,348,423 discloses an ashtray supporting a spaced apart hood on a column. The hood has a plurality of snuffers formed as thimbles extending inwardly and downwardly from the sides of the hood. Each of the thimbles is open at both ends for receiving a cigarette. The lighted end of the cigarette extends inwardly beyond the open inner end of the thimble. The cigarette will burn for a minute or so and then go out which substantially eliminates the smoke from the cigarette once it is positioned within the thimble.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,329 discloses a cigarette snuffer for extinguishing a burning cigarette. The burning cigarette is inserted vertically into a cylindrical tube having an internal ridge for compressing the unburned material of the cigarette. The compression is sufficient to restrict the flow of air in the unburned material. The portion of the cigarette which is burning quickly uses up available oxygen and is smothered within a few seconds.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 1,874,319 discloses an ashtray having a hollow body and a lid covering an upper open end. The lid has tapered openings and another opening extending there through to the interior of the body. A peripheral flange formed on the lid has radically arranged troughs, and is adapted to rest on the upper end of the body. A lighted cigarette can be inserted into one of the tapered openings to snuff it out or through the opening into the interior of the body. A lighted cigarette also can be placed in one of the troughs whereby ashes will fall through the openings into the body.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 2,883,992 discloses an apparatus for a smoker having an extinguisher and a support for lighted cigarettes adapted for use in an ashtray. The apparatus has an open top receptacle and column supporting a shallow cylindrically shaped framework formed of spaced apart generally horizontally extending upper and lower plates connected by a sidewall. The top plate is provided with apertures of sufficient size to receive a cigarette, and some of the apertures are positioned above tubes mounted in the interior of the framework to snugly and tightly engage a cigarette. Apertures are provided in the lower plate aligned with the apertures in the upper plate but of insufficient size to enable a cigarette to pass there through. Apertures are provided in the sidewall and a rotatable ring in the interior of the framework for controlling the air admitted to the interior. A cigarette can be inserted into the upper plate and will be extinguished if inserted into one of the tubes or if the sidewall apertures are misaligned to cut off the airflow. A timed extinguishment of the cigarette can be controlled by the alignment of the sidewall apertures relative to one another to adjust the airflow to the interior of the framework.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,105 discloses a cigarette having an ash retaining trough-shaped member, formed of a fire resistant material, positioned beneath the forward portion of the cigarette to support the cigarette ashes&#39; cool the smoke and condense undesirable chemical substances before they reach the mouth of the smoker. A snuffer band encircles the cigarette at the rear of the trough to automatically extinguish the cigarette.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,452 discloses a cigarette extinguisher having an extended tubular portion large enough to receive a lighted end of a cigarette. The tubular portion is tapered towards an inwardly extending flange formed at the lower end and has a flared upper end with dimples for securing the tubular portion to a supporting plate. A cigarette is inserted vertically into the tubular portion and the flange prevents the cigarette from passing through the open lower end. The cigarette is forced or pressed against the walls of the tubular portion and heat is conducted away from the lighted end to extinguish the cigarette.  
         [0011]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,317 discloses a collapsible and stackable ash receptacle made from a laminate of paper and foil or other non-flammable material. An inwardly projecting non-inflammable, short cigarette supporting ledge is positioned between a bottom end of the receptacle and an upper end of the receptacle and projects away from a rear wall and upwardly there from at an angle between 32° and 64°. The ledge is perforated by a plurality of openings to enable a lighted cigarette end supported thereby to continue burning. The ledge is sufficiently stiff to enable a lighted cigarette end to be extinguished by forcing the cigarette against the ledge.  
         [0012]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,510 discloses a cigarette-snuffing device which includes a small hollow cylinder which is attached by a bracket to a guide funnel to facilitate the vertical insertion of a lip portion of a cigarette into the cylinder. An annular ridge is located at approximately the midpoint between the ends of the inside of the cylinder. The cigarette is vertically inserted through the funnel into the cylinder until contact is made with the annular ridge. The contact of the cigarette with the ridge forms a seal which prevents oxygen from flowing through the cylinder. The burning cigarette quickly dissipates any available oxygen contained with the cylinder and is extinguished.  
         [0013]     Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,230 discloses a smoker&#39;s appliance which includes a hollow support body having a bottom edge for engaging a supporting surface and a wall with a plurality of retaining apertures formed therein. A plurality of receptacles having a generally tubular body with a longitudinally extending aperture of polygonal cross section extending between an outer end and an inner end mounted in respective ones of the retaining apertures whereby heat energy from the lighted end of a cigarette inserted in one of the receptacles is dissipated through the tubular body and the amount of oxygen supplied to the cigarette is decreased.  
         [0014]     It would be desirable to develop an apparatus which reduces a quantity of smoke from a cigarette during periods of time when the cigarette is not being smoked, by dissipating the heat energy and diminishing the oxygen supply to a cigarette holding receptacle.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     According to the present invention, an apparatus which reduces smoke from a cigarette not being smoked, by dissipating the heat energy and diminishing the oxygen supply to a cigarette holding receptacle has surprisingly been discovered.  
         [0016]     In one embodiment, the apparatus for reducing cigarette smoke includes at least one receptacle for receiving a cigarette, a tubular body having a hollow interior bore extending longitudinally through the body, and a means for positioning said tubular body in an ash-receiving receptacle.  
         [0017]     In another embodiment, the smoker&#39;s appliance for retaining a cigarette including at least one receptacle for receiving the lighted end of a cigarette, the receptacle including a tubular body having a hollow interior bore extending longitudinally through the body, the hollow bore of generally circular cross-sectional configuration having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end including at least one radially inwardly extending spaced apart detents, the detents arranged to retain the lighted end of a cigarette, and means for positioning said tubular body in an ash receiving receptacle. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     The above, as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention, will become manifest to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the accompanying illustrations in which:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective illustration of a smoker&#39;s appliance incorporating the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the smoker&#39;s appliance incorporating the present invention; and  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of the configuration of the arrangement of the tubular body of the smoker&#39;s appliance. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]     The following detailed description and appended drawings describe and illustrate various exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description and drawings serve to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. In respect of the methods disclosed, the steps presented are exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps is not necessary or critical.  
         [0023]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a basic layout of the invention is shown; in practice many variants are possible. The invention includes an ash-receiving receptacle  10  having a generally cup-shaped base  12 , and a hingely connected cover  14 . The receptacle  10  may be adapted to be used in a motor vehicle (not shown). The base  12  may be adapted to be received by a supporting structure. The base  12  may further be adapted such that it is may be readily removed from the supporting structure for emptying and cleaning. During periods of non-use, the cover  14  is moved to a closed position to adequately enclose the otherwise open top of the base  12 . When it is desired to use the mechanism  2 , the cover  14  is manually pivoted to the open position.  
         [0024]     In the open position, the operative mechanism  2  of the appliance  2  becomes apparent accessible. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the mechanism  2  includes a tubular body  20  having a hollow interior bore extending longitudinally through the bore. The interior bore is of generally circular cross-sectional configuration and has a proximal end  22  and a distal end  24 . The distal end  24  of the bore includes radially inwardly extending spaced apart detents  26 . The detents  26  are arranged to retain the lighted end of a cigarette.  
         [0025]     The mechanism containing the tubular body  20  is secured to the undersurface of the cover  14  such that when the cover  14  is in an open position the longitudinally extending bore is aligned such that a cigarette may be readily inserted into the proximal end  22  and be supported by the detents  26  at the distal end  24  as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0026]     In the event, additional oxygen is deemed necessary to support continuous combustion of the lighted cigarette a slot  28  or a series of spaced apart slots  28  may be provided as illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0027]     The smoker&#39;s appliance is particularly useful in reducing the quantity of smoke emanating from the lighted end of a cigarette when the cigarette is not being smoked. Obviously, such smoke is offensive to a smoker as well as a non-smoker.  
         [0028]     In use, the cigarette (not shown) is inserted into the proximal end  22  of the longitudinally extending bore until the lighted end contacts the detents  26 . Since the diameter of the generally circular cross-sectional bore is slightly greater than the cigarette, some oxygen may pass to the lighted end of the cigarette between the inner wall of the bore and the outer surface of the cigarette. Additional oxygen is available for combustion from the distal end  24  of the bore. Accordingly, the cigarette will not be extinguished immediately, but will continue to burn at a very slow rate and without producing smoke for several minutes. If the cigarette is not removed from the appliance after several minutes, the cigarette is extinguished.  
         [0029]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the operative mechanism  2  of the invention is selectively maintained on the undersurface of the cover by hook and loop tape  16 . The mechanism  2  may be readily removed for cleaning, for example, by merely causing the hook and loop tape  16  strips to be separated in the well-known manner. Additionally, other means by which the mechanism  2  may be selectively fastened may be used, such as fore example threaded fasteners, or properly contoured keyway, without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0030]     From the foregoing description, one ordinarily skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, make various changes and modifications to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.