Patent Publication Number: US-6990983-B1

Title: Disposable foldable cup holder ashtray

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to ashtrays and, more particularly, to an ashtray that is formed from a single blank, and that is disposable, portable, pocketable and foldable, being sized for use in vehicle cup holders and that can also be attached to any surface and placed on table tops. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Discarding cigarette butts from vehicles is an expensive violation of state laws, yet many smokers continue to disregard these laws. In campsites there always seem to be cigarette butts littered around campfires and gathering places. No ashtrays are normally furnished in golf carts; thus cigarette butts are too often seen littered around tees and greens. Many vehicle ashtrays are difficult to remove for cleaning and many are so small that ashes and butts are often spilled therefrom. Many vehicle owners who smoke prefer not to use their vehicle ashtrays as the burning cigarettes and cigars stain the ashtray interior finish which they feel may decrease the value of the vehicle for resale. With state laws increasingly limiting smoking in buildings, more smokers are forced to smoke outside, increasing the potential for littering. Therefore to help preserve the environment, there is a need for an ashtray that is disposable, portable, pocketable and foldable, that fits a vehicle cup holder, that can be mounted to objects, that is simple to assemble, easy to carry and inexpensive so smokers will not hesitate to use them. 
   Prior art discloses many designs of ashtrays that are considered disposable, portable, pocketable and/or foldable. Some will conveniently fit into a vehicle cup holder. Some are made from a single blank. A matrix of prior art is extensive. Therefore, mentioned herein are only a few ashtray inventions that include some of the desired attributes. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2,071,394 to Douglas, U.S. Pat. No. 2,796,067 to McCutcheon, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,670 to Segal et al are all formed from a single blank and are considered disposable, portable, pocketable and foldable. However, these inventions are not adequately designed to rest in a vehicle cup holder and McCutcheon and Segal et al are not for table top use. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,014 to Carr is formed from a single blank, is disposable, portable and will work in a vehicle cup holder only if the user has an opened beverage can. 
   U.S. Design Pat. No. 307,947 to Wells et al, Pat. No. Des. 401,009 to Hicaro et al and Pat. No. Des. 403,804 to Silkaitis are cup holder ashtrays, but are not foldable and pocketable. 
   Heretofore, no prior art addresses a cup holder ashtray that will conveniently fit in a vehicle cup holder that is disposable, portable, pocketable, foldable, un-foldable, reusable, simple and economically inexpensive to fabricate from a single blank. Neither can any prior art ashtray be furnished to the smoker as a packaging box with multiple packs of cigarettes or packaged folded with a single package of cigarettes, or carried folded in a shirt pocket or a purse and mountable to a variety of objects. 
   For purposes of brevity the disposable foldable cup holder ashtray of this invention will be referred to as an “ashtray”. 
   It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an ashtray that is disposable, portable, pocketable, foldable, and reusable. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide an ashtray that fits into a vehicle cup holder. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide an ashtray that can be made available to the smoker as a package for multiple packs of cigarettes. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide an ashtray that will fold to a size that can be packaged with a single pack of cigarettes and carried in a shirt pocket or a purse. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide an ashtray that is simple, easy and quick to assemble. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide an ashtray that can be folded and packaged flat with a plurality of folded ashtrays packaged for marketing. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide an ashtray that is inexpensive. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide an ashtray that can be fabricated from a single blank. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an ashtray that is both functional and convenient. The ashtray is formed from a single sheet of fire retardant paper or other suitable material into a box shape of a size that will fit into a vehicle cup holder, fold flat to a size that will fit in a shirt pocket or a purse, be used for packaging multiple packs of cigarettes and packaged single with a pack of cigarettes. The ashtray can be mounted in a variety of places, be reused, unfolded and conveniently disposed of. The invention is sized to hold the cigarette butts from many packs of cigarettes and accommodate different size packs of cigarettes when used for packaging full packs of cigarettes. When pre-assembled as a package for multiple packs of cigarettes it can be unfolded for convenient portability. The ashtray comprises four sides, a bottom assembly, a folding top closure panel, three top sloping leaf panels for forming a top cavity and a bottom cavity. The top leaf panels slope in from the top opening forming the top cavity for resting a burning cigarette. A space between the edges of the leaf panels allows ashes to fall to the ashtray bottom cavity and also will hold a cigarette butt between the edges of the side leaf panels until it extinguishes and is pushed into the lower cavity. The space will not allow extinguished butts to fall out of the ashtray and minimizes the likelihood of ashes falling out if it is overturned. When the ashtray is full of cigarette butts, the folding top closure lid panel is folded over the top cavity and latched in place with the top lid tab which inserts into the slot aperture provided in the front top leaf panel. The inventive ashtray can then be safely disposed of without fear of spilling its contents. The ashtray can also be reused by unfolding the top leaf panels and emptying the contents, then refolding the top leaf panels. The ashtray is provided with a mounting pad for mounting to any surface and a hole in the top lid for hanging on hook or nail. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered in conjunction with the subsequent, detailed description, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an unfolded flat view of a single blank for forming the ashtray, in accordance with this invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a process folding view of the ashtray blank folding into position for packaging; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the folded ashtray; 
       FIG. 4  is a process folding view of the ashtray illustrating the first step in assembling the ashtray; 
       FIG. 5  is a process folding view of the bottom of the ashtray, folding the panels that form the bottom of the ashtray; 
       FIG. 6  is a process folding view of the top of the ashtray, folding the top cavity leaf panels; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective front view of the assembled ashtray; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective back view of the assembled ashtray; 
       FIG. 9  is a top view of the ashtray; 
       FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view of the assembled ashtray taken along  FIG. 7  lines A—A; 
       FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view of the assembled ashtray taken along  FIG. 7  lines B—B, illustrating the position of the top folding leafs that form the top and bottom cavities; 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective top view of the ashtray, with two packs of cigarettes placed in the ashtray package ready for sealing; 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective top view of the ashtray, positioned in a vehicle cup holder and having a burning cigarette resting in the ashtray; 
       FIG. 14  is a perspective top view of the ashtray, attached to a bench edge with a cigarette butt being deposited into the lower cavity of the ashtray; and 
       FIG. 15  is a perspective top view of the ashtray, with the top closure lid closed ready for disposal. 
   

   For purposes of clarity and brevity, like elements and components will bear the same designations and numbering throughout the FIGURES. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Generally speaking, the invention comprises an ashtray that is formed from a single flat blank of material that can be conveniently folded into an ashtray of a size that fits into a vehicle cup holder. The assembled ashtray can be used for packaging multiple packs of cigarettes or packaged folded with a single pack of cigarettes. It is disposable, portable, pocketable, foldable, reusable and inexpensive to fabricate. The box shape of the inventive ashtray may be either square or rectangular. 
   Now referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a unfolded view of a flat single blank  10  for forming an ashtray  100  ( FIGS. 13–15 ), in accordance with this invention. The ashtray blank  10  is die cut or stamped out and scored with fold lines from a single sheet of fire resistant paper or other suitable web material. Panel fold lines are creases for forming the ashtray box shape from the single flat blank  10 . The embodiments of the invention include a front panel  14 , front panel flap  12 , right side panel  16 , back panel  18 , left side panel  20 , first bottom flap panel  22 , second bottom flap panel  24 , third bottom flap panel  26 , fourth bottom flap panel  28 , front leaf cavity panel  30 , right cavity leaf panel  32 , left cavity leaf panel  36  and a top lid panel  34 , all as outlined by the panel fold lines  50  through  72 . The front panel flap  12  is provided with two tabs  40  that insert into respective tab slot apertures  41  in the left side panel  20  when forming the ashtray. The front cavity leaf panel  30  is also provided with a slot aperture  39  to receive the top lid tab  37  which is permanently affixed to the top lid  34 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , the folding process is shown for folding the ashtray blank into a flat packet, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The panels  12 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  34  and  36  are all folded in toward the center of the blank  10  at fold lines  50 ,  58 ,  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  72 ,  70 ,  68  and  66 , respectively. Panels  14  and  20  are folded forward at fold lines  52  and  56  toward panels  16  and  18 , respectively. Folded panels  14  and  16  are folded backwards at fold line  54  toward folded panels  18  and  20 . Compressing the folded panels flat presents a small packet ready for packaging, transporting or storage. In this folded position the folded ashtray  100  can be carried conveniently in a shirt pocket or a purse. 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , one folded flat ashtray  110  is illustrated ready for packaging. The illustration of the folded ashtray blank  110  as shown is a representation of a square shape ashtray. A rectangular shaped ashtray can also be produced and will fold the same way as the square shaped ashtray, but will be a wider packet by twice the difference between the shorter front and back panels  14 ,  18  and the longer side panels  16 ,  20 . The square size ashtray  100  is ideal for ashtrays that are packaged with a single pack of cigarettes and for packing in plurality without packs of cigarettes. The rectangular shape ashtray is required for packaging multiple packs of cigarettes. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , a process folding view is shown of the first step for assembling the ashtray  100  from the flat blank  10  or the unfolded packet. The front panel  14  is folded over the right side panel  16 , at fold line  52 . The left side panel  20  is next folded over the back panel  18 , at fold line  56 . The front panel flap  12  is folded at fold line  50  and the flap tabs  40  are inserted into the left side panel slot apertures  41  in the left side panel  20 . This process is facilitated by partly folding the right side panel  16  and the back panel  18  at fold line  54 . The flap tabs  40  are folded back toward the left side panel  20  which secures the connection between the front panel  14  and the left side panel  20 . The body of ashtray  100  is then shaped into a rectangular box design as shown in  FIG. 5  by squeezing the assembly corners together at the fold lines  52  and  56 . Fold lines  50 ,  52 ,  54  and  56  become the corners of the ashtray  100 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , a process folding view of the inventive ashtray  100  illustrates assembling the bottom, as is well known in the art. The bottom third flap panel  26  is first folded into the ashtray  100  bottom opening at fold line  62 . Second bottom flap panel  24  is folded into the ashtray  100  bottom opening at fold line  64  and fourth bottom flap panel  28  is next folded into the bottom ashtray  100  opening at fold line  60 . First bottom flap panel  22  is last folded into the ashtray  100  box bottom opening at fold line  58  aligning and tucking the first bottom flap tab  23  into the third bottom flap notch  27 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , illustrates the three cavity leaf panels  30 ,  32 ,  36  beginning to fold. The right and left cavity leaf panels  32  and  36 , respectively, are first folded into the top opening at fold lines  70  and  66  respectively. The front cavity leaf panel  30  is then folded into the top opening at fold line  72  spreading the right and left cavity panels  32  and  36  apart until the front cavity leaf panel tab  31  engages the right and left cavity leaf panel notches  33 , thus latching the three leaf panels  30 ,  32 ,  36  in position. 
   Referring to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , perspective front and back views are shown, respectively, of the ashtray  100  in accordance with this invention, illustrating the left and right cavity leaf panels  32  and  36  held in position with the respective front cavity leaf panel  30 . These leaf panels  32 ,  36  form a top cavity  13  sloping toward a bottom cavity  15  as shown in  FIG. 11 . The back side edges  47  of the left and right cavity panels  32  and  36  are free to flex. A space or opening  29  between the right and left cavity leaf panel edges  44  is maintained for ashes  83  ( FIG. 13 ) to fall into the bottom cavity  15 . The dimension “X” of the space  29  as shown in  FIG. 9  allows the bottom edges  44  of the cavity leaf panels  32  and  36  to hold a cigarette butt  84  until it is pushed into the bottom cavity  15 . Sufficient flex in the leaf panels  32  and  36  allows cigars and cigarettes of varying diameter to be held in position between the leaf edges  44 . Dimension “X” will not allow cigarette butts  84  to escape from the bottom cavity  15  and minimizes ashes  83  from falling out of the bottom cavity  15  if the ashtray  100  is overturned. 
   Shown in  FIG. 8  is an adhesive strip  42  applied to the top of the top lid  34  and covered with a peel off tape  43 , as is well known in the art. Further, it is evident by anyone skilled in the art that the adhesive strip  42  may also be applied to any of the panels  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20 . By removing the peel off tape  43 , the ashtray  100  can be mounted to any surface such as the edge of a park bench  88 . Additionally, the top lid  34  is provided with a punched hole  38  for hanging the ashtray  100  on a hook or a nail. Slot  39  in the front cavity leaf panel  30  receives the top lid tab  37  when the lid  34  is closed. 
   Dimension “X” shown in  FIG. 9  is a critical dimension for opening  29  to hold a burning cigarette  82  from falling out of the ashtray  100  while resting. A cigarette butt  84  that is still burning can be held therein so it can extinguish prior to being deposited in the lower cavity  15 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 10 , a cross sectional view of ashtray  100  is shown taken along lines A—A ( FIG. 7 ) after the ashtray  100  has been assembled, illustrating the four bottom panels  22 ,  24 ,  26  and  28  in their interlocked position. The bottom of pre-assembled ashtray  100  for packaging multiple packs of cigarettes can be formed from different designs, as is well known to anyone skilled in the art. 
   Referring to  FIG. 11 , a cross sectional view of the invention is shown taken along lines B—B ( FIG. 7 ) after the ashtray  100  has been assembled illustrating the sloped position of the cavity leaf panels  30 ,  32  and  36  forming the top and bottom cavities  13  and  15  along with the slot  39  in the front cavity leaf panel  30 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 12 , a perspective front view of the assembled inventive ashtray  100  is shown illustrating two packs of cigarettes  80  placed in the ashtray body or box ready for sealing. The size of the ashtray  100  is determined by the size of the cigarette packs  80  along with the size of vehicle cup holders  86 . It will be apparent to anyone skilled in the art that the size of the ashtray  100  may vary depending on any change in the cigarette pack  80  size and the size of the vehicle cup holder  86 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 13 , a perspective front view of this invention shows the ashtray  100  placed in a vehicle cup holder  86  with a burning cigarette  82  resting in the top cavity  13 . The burning cigarette  82  can be placed in the ashtray  100  with the burning end  83  pushed into the space  29  and there held by the right and left cavity leaf panel edges  44  until retrieved by the user, thus avoiding the risk of the burning cigarette  82  falling out of the ashtray  100  as it burns down to the butt  84 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 14 , a perspective front view of the ashtray  100  is shown attached to a bench edge  88  with a cigarette butt  84  held between the left and right cavity leaf panel edges  44  ready to be pushed into the bottom cavity  15 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 15 , a perspective top view of the ashtray  100  is shown with the top lid  34  closed and the top lid tab  37  inserted into the front cavity leaf panel slot aperture  39 . The ashtray  100  as shown is ready for disposal. 
   Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention. 
   Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims.