Abstract:
A combination bingo card marker or dauber and lighter wherein on one end of the item is the dauber and the other end contains the lighter such that a person playing bingo can light a cigarette without having to put down their dauber.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of previously filed co-pending Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/184,252, filed Feb. 23, 2000. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of devices used to play games and, more specifically, to a mechanical device that combines a cigarette lighter and bingo card marker into one convenient-to-use device.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Bingo is a popular game that avid players enjoy around the world. The game is generally played with cards with numbers placed on the cards. A bingo caller calls out the numbers that are randomly selected, and a player places tokens on, or marks with a dauber, the called numbers if they are on the player&#39;s card. Serious players play with many cards at one time such that reviewing and marking all the cards, which may have a number that has been called, requires speed and concentration. Because of this required speed and concentration a player who smokes generally does not have time to set down the marking device and search for, pick up, and use a lighter when lighting a cigarette while playing the game.  
           [0004]    Thus, this invention combines a lighter with a bingo dauber in a unique configuration such that the player can light his or her cigarette without having to put down their dauber and risk not marking a called number.  
           [0005]    A number of patents disclose various daubers and other bingo playing devices, but only one patent in the prior art includes a lighter along with some aspect of bingo playing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,895, issued to Chuang et al., on Nov. 26, 1991 titled “Lighter Actuated Bingo Means” discloses a bingo device that includes: a gas lighter embedded in a holder casing having a lotto flash driver and a buzzer formed in the casing, whereby upon ignition of the lighter by depressing a gas lever of the lighter, the lotto flash driver will be actuated for flashing plural lamps and also for sounding a buzzer for lighting, entertaining and playing purposes.  
           [0006]    This prior art supplies amusement to the user of the lighter by offering an electronic game on the lighter device but has no functional purpose while used in the actual playing of a bingo game other than to light a cigarette. This device would actually be a distraction for the bingo player if used while in the middle of an actual game.  
           [0007]    As the above background reveals, there is a need for a device, that is convenient and easy to use, that enables a player of bingo to light a cigarette, that is convenient and easy to use without the distraction of putting down their bingo card marker.  
           [0008]    Therefore, it is an object of this invention to supply a simple device that combines a bingo dauber with a cigarette lighter and that allows a bingo player to light a cigarette, yet not be distracted by other aspects of the lighter, while continuing to mark the bingo cards and thus avoid the possibility of missing called numbers.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention is a combination bingo card marker or dauber and lighter wherein on one end of the item is the dauber, and the other end contains the lighter such that a person playing bingo can light a cigarette without having to put down his or her dauber.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention, which follows, when considered in light of the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the device without the lighter inserted;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of the device with the lighter inserted;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the device without the lighter inserted; and,  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the device with the lighter inserted. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]    The present invention will now be described more fully, hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.  
         [0016]    Referring now to FIG. 1, one can readily see the preferred embodiment of this combined bingo card marker and cigarette lighter. Although this device can be made as one solid device with a dauber ( 3 ) at one end and a cigarette lighter holder ( 1 ) at the other end, in the preferred embodiment the device consists of two parts which will screw together using a male/female thread arrangement ( 3 ) at the point where the cigarette lighter holder ( 1 ) joins the dauber ( 2 ). Having the device divisible between the dauber ( 2 ) and the cigarette lighter holder ( 1 ) allows for easy access to refill the ink in the dauber ( 2 ) or replace the dauber ( 2 ) if desired. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other means of holding the two parts of this device together such as snap insertion or clamps will also serve this function. The dauber ( 2 ) is comprised of a marking tip ( 4 ) and an ink holding portion ( 5 ) which has an expandable/compressible section ( 6 ) such that the ink will be forced into the marking tip ( 4 ) and thus applied on the bingo card (not shown) when the device is pressed against the bingo card.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 shows the lighter insert opening ( 8 ) from the bottom of the device. This lighter insert opening ( 8 ) is a concave semicircular opening that has the same general shape and dimensions as a standard cigarette lighter ( 9 ) such that a cigarette lighter ( 9 ) can be inserted and fit snuggly inside the lighter insert opening ( 8 ). Other methods of holding the cigarette lighter will be obvious to those skilled in the art, particularly for lighters not having the standard shape, and those methods are considered to be part of this disclosure and contained within the scope of the claims.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIGS. 2 and 4 show the device with the cigarette lighter ( 9 ) inserted into the lighter insert opening ( 8 ). As can be clearly seen from the figures, the cigarette lighter ( 9 ) is inserted such that the striking/flaming end of the cigarette lighter ( 9 ) is opposite the marking tip ( 4 ) such that when a bingo player is holding the device in his/her hand, grasped such that the marking tip ( 4 ) is pointed downward ready to mark bingo cards, the striking/flame end of the cigarette lighter ( 9 ) is pointed up and available for easy use. In an alternative embodiment, the cigarette lighter portion includes fingertip size indentations ( 7 ) along the side opposite the lighter insert opening ( 8 ) or other grip increasing method such as a non slip coating for ease of griping.  
         [0019]    Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.