Cigarette case

A cigarette case comprises a rectangular frame body, a front cover and an upper cover. The three elements are slidably secured to one another to form a tight enclosure. The frame body includes a front portion, a rear portion and a hollow central portion. The frame body has an elongated slot at a side wall and has a spring-loaded transporting means set in its lower end. A drier storage box with a number of through holes on a front surface thereof is received in the rear portion for absorbing moisture inside the frame body. The front cover includes a side hole on its lower portion for ejecting cigarettes. A switch button of an actuating and lighting means is slidable to uncover the side hole and simultaneously light up a bulb for indicating that the side hole is uncovered.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a case for storing cigarettes and, more 
particularly, to a cigarette case which is portable and which ejects 
cigarettes stores therein by sliding a transporting means and also absorbs 
moisture within the case by means of a drier box located therewithin. 
Cigarettes are easily and frequently damaged from moisture. This 
deterioration and loss of flavor begins immediately to reduce their 
quality after they are unpacked and exposed to the atmosphere. 
A number of types of cigarette boxes have been widely utilized to store 
cigarettes. A typical conventional cigarette box is rigid, with a cover 
provided thereon. The cover is usually openable by a hinge, or slidably 
openable, to allow access to the cigarettes stores within the box. While 
this kind of cigarette box works well to a certain degree, it has the 
inconvenience of requiring the opening of the box and then choosing one 
cigarette therefrom. This cigarette box may be provided with a drier to 
protect the cigarettes from moisture but the utilization of the box is 
still the same, i.e. opening the cover and then retrieving a cigarette. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In one aspect the invention provides a cigarette case incorporating a 
mechanism, or means, for ejecting cigarettes by a sliding movement. And at 
the same time provide a lighting means for indicating this action during 
the ejection of the cigarettes. 
A cigarette case incorporating a drier received in a storage box, in 
accordance with the present invention, and as necessary as described 
above, is provided therewithin to aid in absorbing moisture. Therefore, 
the indicating means for ejection of cigarettes becomes necessary as, it 
is found, that the cover of the casemay be opened and inadvertently not 
closed. 
The means for ejecting cigarettes is preferably spring-loaded because it is 
believed to be more convenient. 
For convenience in manufacture it is preferred that the cigarette case be 
assembled from several independent parts and the parts being slidably 
engageable to form a tight enclosure to prevent moisture from entering.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cigarette case, according to the present 
invention, comprises a substantially rectangular fram ebody 10, a front 
cover 20, and an upper cover 30. The above three elements 10, 20a nd 30 
are slidably secured to one another to form a tight enclosure. The frame 
body 10 includes a front portion 11, a rear portion 12 and a hollow 
central portio 13 and has an elongated slot 14 at a side wall proximate to 
a lower end thereof. 
As shown in FIG. 2, the front cover 20 comprises a side hole 21 on a lower 
portion thereof for ejecting cigarettes. An actuating and lighting means 
is disposed within the front portion 11 of the main body 10. The front 
portion1 1 of the frame body 10 has a corresponding hole on a lower 
portion thereof which is in line with the side hole 21 such that 
cigarettesmay be ejected therethrough. A light aperture 22, which is 
disposed on an upper portion of the front cover 20, is adapted to receive 
a bulb 24 which is lit via, for example, a pair of dry cell batteries or 
the like in a way known to those skilled in the art. A drier storage box 
50 with a plurality of through holes 51 on a front surface thereof is 
received in the rear portion 12 of the main body 10 for absorbing moisture 
inside the main body 10. The upper cover 30 is slidably secured to the 
frame body 10 at an upper end thereof. Though the cigarette case of the 
present invention is design to keep the incoming of moisture to a minimum, 
the drier storage box 50 further provides a complete absorption of 
moisture. 
Referring to FIGS. 3 through 5, a spring-loaded transporting means 40 is 
set within the frame body 10 at its lower end. The transporting means 40 
comprises a slider plate 41, a spring 42 and a pin 43. The slider plate 41 
comprises a base plate 410, a slide plate 412 and a rear plate 414, as 
best shown in FIG. 3. The base plate 410 is slidably resting on a pair of 
flanges 15. The flanges 15 are integrally formed with the frame body 10 
and define a horizontal channel 16, as clearly shown in FIG. 5. The side 
palte 412, which is integrally formed with the slider plate 41 and has a 
button 413 thereon, is used for covering the elongated slot 14. The rear 
plate 414 has a lower portion for ejecting cigarettes. The spring 42 is 
disposed within the horizontal channel 16 and encompasses the pin 43. The 
pin 43 is fixedly mounted to said frame body 10 along the horizontal 
channel 16. A switch button 23 of the actuating and lighting means is 
slidable to uncover the side hole 21 and simultaneously light up a bulb 24 
in the actuating and lighting means for indicating that the side hole 21 
is uncovered. When the cigarette is ejected by sliding the slider plate 41 
forwardly, the spring 42, which is compressed by the lower portion of the 
rear plate 414, will exert a restoring force to return the transporting 
means 40 to its original position. 
As shown in FIG. 5, an arcuate guiding plate 17 opposite to the side wall 
may be preferably disposed within the frame body 10. The arcuate guiding 
plate 17 accurately guides one and only one cigarette to be ejected at a 
time. The cigarettes are stored within the frame body 10 and the one to be 
ejected; i.e., the bottom one, rests upon the base plate 410 of the slider 
plate 41 with the other cigarettes statcked one by one upwardly and 
sidewardly to achieve optimal storage capacity. 
While the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred 
embodiment, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof will 
be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification. 
Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention disclosed herein is 
intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the scope of the 
appended claims.