Abstract:
The current invention discloses an inexpensive, easy to use anti-smoking device. The device has an elongated strip having a center portion, a first arm, and second arm along the elongated strip, and a center piece that is attached to the center portion of the elongated strip. The first arm and second arm of the elongated strip can be wrapped around the center piece to attach to the center piece, forming two loops that allow two fingers of the person trying to quit smoking to engage the anti-smoking device. The center piece is to be stuck between two fingers, preferably the fingers the person trying to quit smoking normally uses to clutch cigarettes. The center piece is sized so that two fingers cannot be held close enough to clutch a cigarette.

Description:
This application is a US utility patent application claiming priority from U.S. provisional application 61/614,781 filed on Mar. 23, 2012, the contents of which are fully incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a non-intrusive, easy-to-use anti-smoking device, and more particularly to an anti-smoking device that prevents the physical access to cigarettes and reminds the person using the device and the people around him/her that a conspicuous effort is under way to quit smoking. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Smoking is one of the most harmful behaviors to human health. It is identified as a major contributing factor to a series of diseases, which entail significant health risk. Such diseases include but are not limited to various kinds of cancer, cardiovascular conditions, bronchitis, pneumonia; asthma, and emphysema. Estimations from the Center for Disease and Control (CDC) put cigarette-smoking related deaths in the US at about 440,000 per year. In addition to the harm to human health, smoking also causes enormous economic loss. According to the CDC&#39;s estimate, cigarette smoking was responsible for $193 billion in annual health-related economic losses during 2000-2004 in the United States. 
     The current invention employs a novel approach to facilitate a person&#39;s effort to quit smoking. The anti-smoking device introduced by the current invention focuses on restricting a person&#39;s physical access to cigarettes and providing constant reminder and stress relief to the person. The device is a small, inexpensive accessory that can be worn by a person who is trying to quit smoking on his/her hand. By wearing the device, the user will have significant difficulty in clutching a cigarette. In addition, the user may squeeze the device for stress relief and craving control. Moreover, since many instances of failure to quit started with a casual smoke, sometimes under the urging of a friend or acquaintance, the anti-smoking device of the current invention also serves to remind the person who is trying to quit as well as his/her friends that a conspicuous effort to quit smoking is under way while disturbance of that effort is unwelcome. In summary, the anti-smoking device disclosed by the current invention is an apparatus that restricts a wearer&#39;s physical access to cigarettes as wells as a behavioral mechanism tool that helps the wearer to change his/her habits. 
     Previous anti-smoking approaches focus mostly on aiding the person trying to quit through chemical intervention, such as pharmaceutical products, or psychological encouragements, such as advertising campaigns. The current invention employs a novel approach to facilitate a person&#39;s efforts to quite smoking. The device and method disclosed herein prevents the person from clutching a cigarette in a casual manner. Moreover, by wearing the device, the person trying to quit demonstrates the resolve to quit smoking, reducing the chance he/she is to be subjected to peer pressure to starting to smoke. 
     In terms of structure of the device, some pervious patents or publications have disclosed devices that can be worn on a person&#39;s hand. However, not only do the prior arts serve completely different functions, they also have distinctive structures from the current invention. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,458,149 discloses a device and method for treating stress-induced habits including smoking, drinking, overeating and the like. The invention consists of an adult pacifier made of a flavored or unflavored resilient material, orthodontically shaped to fit inside the mouth and on the tongue of the user. In moments of stress or when the urge to smoke, overeat, or drink arises, the device is placed on the tongue in the mouth and sucked. The simultaneous suction and tongue undulation, much like the stimulation caused by smoking cigarettes, and the like, encourages deep breathing and causes salivation, gastric acid secretion and stimulation of the cranial nerve endings in the tongue. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,576 discloses an adjustable wrist and hand splint, which employs four rigid aluminum stays for providing support for the forearm, fourth and fifth fingers and the outer portion of the hand. The aluminum stays are bendable for accommodating particular needs of the user. The splint also employs a sleeve that encompasses and provides further support for the forearm, fourth and fifth fingers and outer portion of the hand. The sleeve also provides padding between the stays and the forearm, hand and fingers. In addition, the splint includes pockets that are secured to the sleeve. The aluminum stays are housed within the pockets. Further, the splint may be readily put on or removed using a set of adjustable straps. The straps normally include “Velcro” type material that engage the mating “Velcro” type material on the surface of the sleeve. The fastening straps also help to further immobilize the wrist, fourth and fifth fingers and outer portion of the hand. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,121 discloses a medical device for syndactyly of at least two finger or toes, said device being in one piece and the comprising at least two rings joined via at least one connection bar in such a way as to permit sliding of the syndactylized fingers or toes relative to one another. 
     Various implements are known in the art, but their structures are distinctively different from the current invention. Moreover, the prior arts fail to address all of the problems solved by the invention described herein. One embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in more detail herein below. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention discloses an anti-smoking device. The device has an elongated strip having a center portion, a first arm, and a second arm along the elongated strip, and a center piece that is attached to the center portion of the elongated strip. The first arm and second arm of the elongated strip can be wrapped around the center piece to attach to the center piece, forming two loops that allow two fingers of the person trying to quit smoking to engage the anti-smoking device. The center piece is to be stuck between two fingers, preferably the fingers the person trying to quite smoking normally uses to clutch a cigarette. The center piece is sized so that two fingers cannot be held close enough to clutch a cigarette. 
     In addition to the physical restrictions, the anti-smoking device serves as a behavioral mechanism tool to help the wearer to change his/her habits and provides a reminder to the user of the device and his/her friends or acquaintances that he/she is trying to quit smoking. The user may squeeze the center piece of the anti-smoking device for stress relief and craving control purposes. In addition, the device itself and an indicium inscribed on the device may keep the user of the device in constant alert, encourage the user to continue his/her efforts, and reduce the chance that others would urge the user to smoke. Therefore, the anti-smoking device disclosed by the current invention provides both physical restrictions and psychological aid to the person wearing the device. 
     The anti-smoking device is small in overall size and easy to carry around. Moreover, the anti-smoking device is easy to put on and take off. Thus, it enables the user to choose to use the device when the surrounding environments present a higher chance of smoking. For example, in a gathering when some of the persons smoke, the user of the device may choose to put it on, preventing unintentional casual smoking and discouraging others from urging him/her to smoke. 
     The first arm and second arm of the elongated strip of the anti-smoking device may have means of attachment, such as small magnetic pieces, holes that can fit with a pin-like structure, or one half of a hook-and-loop structure attached to the arms. Correspondingly, similar means of attachment may be present on the center piece, allowing the center piece to attach to the first arm and the second arm of the elongated strip and forming two loops that may allow the fingers of the person using the device to engage. There may be multiple units of the means of attachment present on the first arm and second arm, making the sizes of the two loops individually adjustable when different unit of the means of attachment is used. Therefore, different users can adjust the loops to fit the size of their fingers. Moreover, the center piece is an ergonomic design to fit comfortable in any finger size, allowing a user to not worry about how well the anti-smoking would fit at the time of the purchase. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an anti-smoking device that is easy to use and easy to put on and take off. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an anti-smoking device that does not involves chemical intervention or pharmaceutical interference. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-smoking device that restricts the user&#39;s physical access to a cigarette. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-smoking device that reminds the user that he/she is in an effort to quit smoking. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-smoking device that reminds the other persons that the user of the device is trying to quit smoking. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-smoking device that is inexpensive and disposable. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-smoking device that adjustable. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-smoking device that is small in scale and easy to be carried around. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a top-front perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are not attached to the center piece. 
         FIG. 1B  is a bottom-back perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are not attached to the center piece. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are not attached to the center piece. 
         FIG. 3  is a back view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are not attached to the center piece. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are not attached to the center piece. 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are not attached to the center piece. 
         FIG. 6  is a first side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a second side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are not attached to the center piece. 
         FIG. 8  is a back perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are attached to the center piece. 
         FIG. 9A  is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in use. 
         FIG. 9B  is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in use. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified with the same reference numerals. 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiment of the present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. 
       FIG. 1A  shows a top front perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the anti-smoking device  1  when the first arm  100  and second arm  120  are not attached to the center piece  10 . Shown are the anti-smoking device  1 , the elongated strip  80  having a first arm  100 , a second arm  120 , and a central portion  90 , and a center piece  10  having an upper side  20  and a left side  42 . Also shown is an outer surface  130  of the elongated strip  80 . An indicium  180  is inscribed on the outer surface  130  at the center portion  90  of the elongated strip  80 . The first arm  100  and second arm  120  of the elongated strip  80  have wrapping holes  150  on them. 
       FIG. 1B  shows a bottom back perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the anti-smoking device  1 . Shown are the anti-smoking device  1 , the elongated strip  80  having a first arm  100 , a second arm  120 , and a central portion  90 , and a center piece  10  having a lower side  30 , a cavity  70  in the center piece  10  on the lower side  30 , and a back side  50 , as well as a pin  55  attached to the back side  50  and an enlarged head  60  attached to the pin  55 . Also shown is an inner surface  140  of the elongated strip  80 . The first arm  100  and second arm  120  of the elongated strip  80  have wrapping holes  150  on them. 
     The anti-smoking device  1  is generally small in size. The elongated strip  80  may be between 20-30 cm in length and about 1.5-2.5 cm in width. The center piece  10  is about 1.5-2.5 cm from front to back. The upper side  20  of the center piece  10  is molded to a shape that generally fits the shape of the edge of a person&#39;s palm between two fingers, which in most cases are the index finger and the middle finger, because these fingers are the ones used by most people to clutch a cigarette. The center piece  10  is an ergonomic design to fit comfortable in any finger size. The width of the center piece  10  measured at the lower side  30  is crucial to the device because it must be greater than the common diameter of a cigarette. While cigarettes vary in their sizes, the vast majority of which have diameters around or smaller than 1.0 cm. Accordingly, while width of the center piece  10  measured at the lower side  30  may vary slightly due to the cavity  70  in the center piece  10 , it should be around 2 cm without squeezing the cavity  70  in the center piece  10 , and it should be always around or greater than 1.5 cm, ensuring that a cigarette of a common size cannot be clutched by the two fingers engaged in the device. 
     The anti-smoking device  1  can be made from many kinds of materials. The elongated strip  80  is preferably flexible and easy to fold. It may be made from materials including but not limited to rubber or flexible plastics, such as Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), flexible PVC, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Expanded Polypropylene (EPP), or Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA). 
     The center piece  10  of the anti-smoking device  1  may be made from either flexible or rigid materials. In the preferred embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the center piece  10  is preferably made from but not limited to rubber or flexible plastics, such as Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), flexible PVC, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Expanded Polypropylene (EPP), or Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA). In addition to the materials, the cavity  70  in the center piece  10  also allows center piece  10  to be flexible. A user of the anti-smoking device  1  may squeeze the center piece  10  for stress relief and craving control, adding to the likelihood of quitting successfully. 
     In another embodiment of the current invention, the center piece  10  does not have cavity  70  in it. In this embodiment, the center piece  10  is preferably made from rigid but light materials, which include but not limited to plastic, foam, silicone, ABS, Polycarbonate, Noryl™, PVC, Polystryrene, ABS/PVC, PVC/Acrylic, Polysulfone, Acrylic, Polyethylene, and Kydex™. The disadvantage of this design is that the center piece  10  cannot be squeezed comfortably by a user. Nevertheless, this embodiment is even more inexpensive and the inflexibility further ensures that the wearer cannot clutch a cigarette between the fingers engaged with the anti-smoking device. 
       FIG. 1A  also shows an optional easily read indicium  180  on the outer surface  130  of the center piece  10  of the elongated strip  80 . The optional indicium  180  may contain any content, such as the name of the manufacturer of the anti-smoking device  1 . The indicium  180  may also be some words or phrases that encourage the person wearing the anti-smoking device  1  to quit smoking, or it may be words or phrases to discourage others from urging the person wearing the anti-smoking device  1  to smoke. The indicium  180 , together with the presence of the anti-smoking device  1  itself, serves to keep the user and others keenly aware that a conspicuous effort to quit smoking is under way. 
       FIG. 2  shows a front view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Shown are the anti-smoking device  1 , the elongated strip  80  having a first arm  100 , a second arm  120 , and a central portion  90 . The first arm  100  and second arm  120  of the elongated strip  80  have wrapping holes  150  molded in the arms. Shown also is the indicium  180  inscribed on the central portion  90  of the elongated strip  80 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a back view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are not attached to the center piece. Shown are the inner surface of the elongated strip  80  having the first arm  100  and the second arm  120 , with wrapping holes  150  on the first arm  100  and second arm  120 . Shown are also the center piece  10 , the back side  50  of the center piece  10  and the enlarged head  60  anchored to the back side  50 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are not attached to the center piece. Shown are the elongated strip  80  having the first arm  100  and second arm  120 , and the center piece  10  having a lower side  30  with a cavity  70  in the center piece  70  on the lower side  30 . Shown also are the pin  55  attached to the back side  50  of the center piece  10  and the enlarged head  60  attached to the pin  55 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a bottom view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are not attached to the center piece. Shown are the elongated strip  80  having the first arm  100  and second arm  120 , and the center piece  10  having an upper side  20  that is generally molded to the shape of a palm between two fingers. Shown also are the pin  55  attached to the back side  50  of the center piece  10  and the enlarged head  60  attached to the pin  55 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a first side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Shown are the distal end  110  of the first arm  100  of the elongated strip  80 , a left side  42  of the center piece  10 , and the pin  55  attached to the back side  50  of the center piece  10  and the enlarged head  60  attached to the pin  55 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a second side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are not attached to the center piece. Shown re the distal end  125  of the second arm  120  of the elongated strip  80 , a right side  45  of the center piece  10 , and the pin  55  attached to the back side  50  of the center piece  10  and the enlarged head  60  attached to the pin  55 . 
       FIG. 8  shows a bottom back perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the arms are attached to the center piece. Shown are the anti-smoking device  1 , the elongated strip  80  having the first arm  90  and second arm  120 , the wrapping holes  150  on the two arms of the elongated strip  80 , the center piece  10  having a lower side  30  and a right side  45 , a first side of the center piece  10 , the cavity  70  in the center piece  70 , and the enlarged head  60  anchored to the back side  50  of the center piece  10 . In this figure, the elongated strip  80  is wrapped around the center piece  10 . A wrapping hole on the first arm  90  and a wrapping hole on the second arm  120  is pushed past the enlarged head  60  and fastened to the back side  50  of the center piece  10 . The first arm  90  and second arm  120 , together with the center piece  10 , form a first loop  200  and second loop  210  that can be engaged by two human fingers. 
     As indicated above, the width of the center piece  10  at the lower side  30  is carefully designed to prevent a person using the anti-smoking device  1  from being able to clutch a cigarette between the fingers wearing the device. However, people differ in their physical parameters, e.g. the size of their fingers. The first arm  90  and second arm  120  of the elongated strip  80  have multiple wrapping holes  150  in them. The diameter of the wrapping holes  150  is slightly smaller than the diameter of the enlarged head  60  but larger than the pin  55  attached to the back side  50  of the center piece  10 . The wrapping holes  150  can be pushed past the enlarged head  60  because the first arm  90  and second arm  120  of the elongated strip  80  are made from flexible materials such as rubber. 
     The first arm  90  and second arm  120  of the elongated strip  80  can be attached to the center piece  10  through various structures, include the one shown here in the preferred embodiments. For example, the means of attachment can be a hook-and-loop structure, while the hook-and-loop can be used in such a manner that the first arm  90  can be attached to the center piece  10 , and the second arm  120  can be attached to the first arm  90 . In another embodiment, the means of attachments can be small magnets attached to the arms of the elongated strip  80  and the center piece  10 . The measure of attachment can vary, with the key feature remains to attach the first arm  90  and second arm  120  to the center piece  10  to from the first loop  190  and second loop  200  that can be engaged by the fingers of the person using the anti-smoking device. 
     The various types of attachments all allow the size of the loops to be adjustable. For example, if the hook-and-loop mechanism is used, one half of the structure may span the length of the first arm  90  and second arm  120  of the elongated strip  80 , while the other half of the structure may be attached to the back side  50  of the center piece  10 . By changing the position of the attachment of the first arm  90  and second arm  120  to the back side  50  of the center piece  10 , the sizes of the first loop  190  and second loop  200  may be adjusted. 
     It also should be noted that the capacity to adjust the sizes of the loops is not an indispensable feature of the current invention. In one embodiment, the first arm  90  and second arm  120  of the elongated strip  80  are permanently attached to the center piece  10 , making the sizes of the first loop  190  and second loop  200  fixed. The disadvantage of this embodiment is that the device cannot fit to two different hand sizes. However, this embodiment also has the advantage of being even less expensive and more robust in structure. The person who is trying to quit smoking can choose this embodiment if the device fits his/her hand and it will not be used by another. 
       FIG. 9A  shows a back view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in use. Shown are the first arm  90  and the second arm  120  as they are wrapped around the center piece  10 . Also shown is the enlarged head  60  anchored to the center piece  10  by the pin  55 , the enlarged head  60  helping to attach the first arm  90  and second arm  120  to the center piece  10 .  FIG. 9A  shows a human hand, with the index finger and middle finger engaging the first loop  190  and second loop  200 . The width of the center piece  10  is designed to be larger than the diameter of a common cigarette. By wearing the anti-smoking device  1  as shown in  FIG. 9A , the person cannot clutch a cigarette, constantly reminding him/her that he is trying to quit smoking. 
       FIG. 9B  shows a front view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in use. Shown are the outer surface  130  of the central portion  90  of the elongated strip  80  and the indicium  180  inscribed on the central portion  90 . Again, by wearing the anti-smoking device  1 , the person cannot clutch a cigarette between his index and middle fingers, the fingers most likely to be used by a smoker to hold a cigarette. The presence of the anti-smoking device  1  and the indicium  180  remind the person wearing the device, as well as his/her friends and acquaintance, that he/she is trying to quit smoking, discouraging anyone to urge him/her to smoke. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.