US3270752A - Disposable holder for smoker's articles - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 6, 1966 J, J. DORRANCE DISPOSABLE HOLDER FOR SMOKER'S ARTICLES Filed Feb. 18, 1964 11 'ITORNIFYS United States Patent 3,270,752 DISPOSABLE HOLDER FOR SMOKERS ARTICLES Joseph J. Dorrance, 401 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill. Filed Feb. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 345,635 6 Claims. (Cl. 131-240) The present invention relates to improvements in disposable holders for smokers articles and more particularly to an ash tray and a disposable holder structure.

Ash trays having fixed cigarette and cigar holders are hard to keep clean and often become discolored in the holder portions where smoke and tar stains, crusted ashes, and the like, soil the same.

It is, accordingly, an important object of the present invention to provide a new and improved smokers article supporting structure which is readily cleaned by discarding and replacing an inexpensive disposable member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable, low cost smokers article support for ash trays and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination ash tray and disposable smokers article sup- .port.

.which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank for a disposable smokers article support embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a combination ash tray and the blank of FIGURE 1 folded up to provide a disposable'support;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional detail view taken substantially on the line III-III of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a modified form of the disposable support blank; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of another modified form of the holder or support blank.

As shown in FIGURE 1, a disposable smokers article support 5 comprises a preferably originally flat panel of suitable thickness or gauge material such as cardboard, synthetic plastic, thin sheet metal such as aluminum, and the like, affording a low cost blank which may be readily die stamped from sheet or strip stock. The material should be as thin as may practically be used, for the sake of economy, but should be possessed of substantial compression resistance in its plane, with a fair degree of resilience or spring back capability so that when bent along score lines it will tend normally to spring back toward the original plane of the blank.

In a desirable form, the holder blank is rectangular in outline with respective scorings 7 thereacross equally spaced from opposite edges to delineate respective end flanges 8. Parallel to the scorings 7, centrally across the blank 5 is another scoring 9 which divides the area betweenthe scorings 7 into body panels 10.

At least one smokers article-receiving notch 11 is provided by lancing or partially severing material equally from a longitudinal area extending over both of the body panel sections 10. In this instance, two of the smokers article-receiving notches 11 have been shown, and there may be additional such notches, if desired, in a wider disposable holder.

As will be observed, each of the notches 11 is of maximum width at the central scoring 9 providing, in the fiat, a slot which tapers to a narrower dimension at each opposite end of the slot. The differential in width is predetermined by the type of smokers article to be accommodated, that shown being related to the width of a 3,270,752 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 conventional cigarette. For cigars of conventional diameter a greater maximum width would be indicated. If desired, therefore, article-receiving notches of different selected widths to accommodate both cigars and cigarettes may be provided on the same holder, and such a modification is self-evident. At its greatest width, the article-receiving notch 11 is preferably slightly greater than the normal diameter of the article to be accommodated while at its narrowest, the notch is slightly narrower than such diameter. By severing only along longitudinal lines in forming the article-receiving notches 11, and thus only partially severing the material between the severance lines, the partially severed material provides intermediately scored tongue strips 12 which at their opposite ends are joined to the respective body panel sections 10 along score lines 13.

In the flat lanced and scored blank form, a substantial stacked pack-of the holders 5 may be packaged for distribution and sales purposes.

In use, the disposable holder 5 is folded up along the score lines 7 and 9 substantially as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, with the flanges 8 extending oppositely generally coplanar and the body sections 10 folded closely toward one another. Thereby the flanges 8 provide a base for supporting the folded body in upright position.

Desirably, the erected disposable holder 5 is mounted on an ash tray 14 which may have a central pedestal 15 providing a flat crown of about the same size as the area covered by the base flanges 8. On this pedestal the flanges 8 are engaged by retaining means which in a simple form comprise respective retaining flanges 17 mounted to overlie the crown platform of the pedestal 15 and defining therebetween a gap sufficient to clear the upstanding folded body. In the form shown, the retaining flanges 17 are formed from suitable relatively rigid sheet material such as sheet metal having anchoring means such as underturned respective flanges 18 secured on or in the pedestal 15 and thereby supporting the hold-down flanges 17 in substantially fixed relation over the crown platform and in sufficiently spaced relation thereabove to receive the base flanges 8 slidably between the retaining flanges and the crown platform.

To facilitate slidable assembly of the base flanges 8 into position between the retaining flanges 17 and the crown platform of the pedestal 115, the retaining flanges 17 are spaced from the underlying crown platform surface to a slightly greater extent than the thickness of the respective flanges 8. In an efficient arrangement, one or both side edge portions flare upwardly at a divergent angle to the platform surface in dihedral angle relation to a depressed frictional retaining rib 19 substantially at the center of the retaining flanges and which will effect at least a slight frictional grip on the respective engaged base flanges or panels 8 to retain the holder 5 against unintentional displacement but adapted to be overcome with moderate relative manual effort to displace the holder for replacement. Further, to facilitate mounting of the holder 5, the retaining flanges 17 at least at one side but preferably at both sides are slightly narrower than the width of the platform surface of the standard 15 to enable convenient placing of the side margins of the flange panels 8 onto the portion of the platform extending beyond the sides of the retaining flanges to orient the panels for sliding insertion into place under the retaining flanges.

By reason of the resilient flexibility of the material of the holder -5 and tendency to spring back from a folded or bent condition toward the flat condition along the bending hinges afforded by the scorings 7 and 9, the base portions of the holder are thrust into frictional retaining interengagement with the flanges 17 and the underlying base platform surfaces. Thus, the body panel sections 10 of the holder tend to expand and the base flange panels 8 to spring up on their free ends..

Clearance for receiving a smokers article such as a cigarette C in one of the notches 11 is afforded by bending the respective folded tongue 12 outwardly, substantially as shown in FIGURE 2. Through this arrangement, the bent out tongue 12 serves as an upwardly and outwardly extending rest having its tip spaced from the upstanding holder body and against which the smokers article can lie for support against tilting out of the notch 11 between the downwardly converging edges of which the article is frictionally gripped at its sides.

When the holder 5 has become soiled and unsightly or even possibly scorched, it can be readily separated from the supporting ash tray and replaced.

Instead of retaining the material severed in providing the article-receiving notches in the holder as tongue rests 12, the material within the notches may be entirely struck out to provide open slots 11 as shown in the modification of FIGURE 4. Otherwise, this form of the invention may be substantially the same as that already described, with the blank of the holder 5 having the parallel scorings 7' and 9 dividing it into the base flanges 8 and foldable body panel sections 10'. The holder 5 may then be utilized in the same manner as the holder 5.

For convenient use of the holder 5 or 5' by itself and independently of an ash tray having the special retaining flange structure of the ash tray 14, means may be provided on the holder itself for retaining it in the erected folded up condition thereof. One convenient form of such means comprises spots or stripes of self-adhering, pressure sensitive adhesive applied as for example along the margins of the panel sections 10 contiguous to the scorings 7' and on those faces of the body panel sections which oppose one another in the folded up condition. Thereby, on folding the body panels 10' toward one another the opposing adhesive areas 20' will adhesively interengage and retain the erected condition of the holder.

If the holder 5 is to be used in assembly with the ash tray 14, it may be folded to have the body panel sections 10' back-to-back with the faces thereof opposite the adhesive 20. Thereby the adhesive will be on the outside of the folded holder and the body panel structure sections will be free to spring apart for frictional interengagement with the supporting structure of the tray.

In FIGURE 5 is shown another embodiment 5" of the holder also desirably comprising a flanged panel structure also adapted to be economically die cut and scored from flat sheet or strip stock. In this form, however, only a single body panel section 10 is provided having on one end at least a pair of base panels 8" attached thereto on a bendable hinge score line 7" and separated along a severance line 21 extending from their free ends to the score line 7". Thereby, the base flanges can be bent or folded out in respectively opposite directions to support the body panel section 10" upright. At least one smokers article-receiving and supporting slot or notch 11" with downwardly tapering side edges opens from the upper end of the body section 10" and may have a bendable tongue 12" attached at the bottom of the notch on a bendable score line 13".

It will be understod that other modifications and variations may be effected Without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A disposable smokers article holder comprising:

an upright Ibody panel structure having therein an upwardly opening article-receiving notch, base means on the lower end of said body panel structure af- "-'f0rding a stable base on which said body panel structure is maintained in upright position, and

a tongue of substantially the same outline as said notch,

severed at its sides from, and being of the same material as, the panel structure and unsevered at its lower end from the panel structure in the bottom of said notch and bendable adjacent to its unsevered connections to the panel structure from a position substantially in the plane of said panel structure into a notch-opening position extending laterally from said panel structure, thereby to provide a supplementary rest for a smokers article engaged in said notch and extending therefrom into overlying relation to said tongue.

2. A disposable smokers article blank which is adapted to be assembled with an ash tray and comprising:

a panel of generally rectangular outline;

parallel scorings adjacent opposite edges of the panel and defining marginal flanges including said edges;

a score line parallel to said scorings and centrally between the same, dividing the area between said scorings into a pair of congruent foldable body panel sections;

and said blank having at least one smokers article notch extending across said score line and within said panel sections, said panel sections being foldable toward one another and the marginal flanges being bendable into oppositely projecting relation angularly to said sections whereby to provide a base supporting said folded body panel sections upright With the article-receiving notch at the upper end portion thereof, said blank having material partially severed therefrom in forming the notch and providing a tongue having its opposite ends hingedly connected to said sections adjacent to said scorings, said tongue having substantially the same outline dimensions as said notch and having portions foldable toward one another at said score line, to provide a tongue which is bendable out of the notch on said hinge connection to open the notch, whereby the tongue then extends laterally from the notch to provide a rest for a smokers article engaged in the notch.

3. An article blank as defined in claim 2, in which said tongue comprises the same material as said sections and having its opposite ends in unsevered integral connection with said sections.

4. A smokers article supporting device comprising:

a receptacle having an upwardly extending panel structure therein, said panel structure having an upwardly opening notch extending downwardly through its upper edge;

a tongue of the same material as said panel structure having substantially the same outline dimensions as said notch and having a lower end integrally joined to the panel structure in the bottom of said notch;

said tongue extending from its juncture with the panel structure upwardly and laterally from the panel structure and being adapted to receive thereon in supporting relation a smokers article which is engaged in said notch and extends from the notch into overlying relation to said tongue.

5. A smokers article supporting assembly comprising:

a supporting tray member having an upwardly facing supporting planar surface and a pair of retaining flanges in fixed relation on the member and projecting toward one another over said sunface in a substantially horizontal direction and having tips which are disposed in limited opposed spaced relation to one another; and

a replaceable holder comprising an upwardly extending body panel structure having along its lower edge respectively oppositely extending base flanges engaged under said retaining flanges with said body panel structure extending upwardly in the space between said tips;

each of said retaining flanges having a portion, located substantially at the center thereof, and divergent side portions which are inclined from said central portion and away from said surface to a height which is greater than the thickness of said panel structure 5 6 flanges to assist in insertion of said panel flanges, References Cited by the Examiner whereby to enable ready sliding assembly of said UNITED STATES PATENTS panel flanges between said retaining flanges and said R 183,251 7/1958 Evans Surface; 5 1,897,672 2/1933 Neumann. said central portions bearing downwardly against the 1 902 014 3 1933. Campbell 131. 24() panel flanges and frictionally clamping them against 2,068,513 1/ 19-37 Reimer 131-42135 said surface. 3,092,501 6/1963 Beck et a1. 6. An assembly as defined in claim 5, in which said FOREIGN PATENTS central portions comprise respective ribs in said retain- 10 448168 6/1936 Great Britain ing flanges extending to the tips of the retaining flanges and relative to which said side portions extend in di- SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

hedral angle relation- J. s. REICH, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 2. A DISPOSABLE SMOKER''S ARTICLE BLANK WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE ASSEMBLED WITH AN ASH TRAY AND COMPRISING: A PANEL OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR OUTLINE; PARALLEL SCORINGS ADAJCENT OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE PANEL AND DEFINING MARGINAL FLANGES INCLUDING SAID EDGES; A SCORE LINE PARALLEL TO SAID SCORINGS AND CENTRALLY BETWEEN THE SAME, DIVIDING THE AREA BETWEEN SAID SCORINGS INTO A PAIR OF CONGRUENT FOLDABLE BODY PANEL SECTIONS; AND SAID BLANK HAVING AT LEAST ONE SMOKER''S ARTICLE NOTCH EXTENDING ACROSS SAID SCORE LINE AND WITHIN SAID PANEL SECTIONS, SAID PANEL SECTIONS BEING FOLDABLE TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND THE MARGINAL FLANGES BEING BENDABLE INTO OPPOSITELY PROJECTING RELATION ANGULARLY TO SAID SECTIONS WHEREBY TO PROVIDE A BASE SUPPORTING SAID FOLDED BODY PANEL SECTIONS UPRIGHT WITH THE ARTICLE-RECEIVING NOTCH AT THE UPPER END PORTION THEREOF, SAID BLANK HAVING MATERIAL PARTIALLY SEVERED THEREFROM IN FORMING THE NOTCH AND PROVIDING A TONGUE HAVING ITS OPPOSITE ENDS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID SECTIONS ADJACENT TO SAID SCORINGS, SAID TONGUE HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME OUTLINE DIMENSIONS AS SAID NOTCH AND HAVING PORTIONS FOLDABLE TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AT SAID SCORE LINE, TO PROVIDE TO TONGUE WHICH IS BENDABLE OUT OF THE NOTCH ON SAID HINGE CONNECTION TO OPEN THE NOTCH, WHEREBY THE TONGUE THEN EXTENDS LATERALLY FROM THE NOTCH TO PROVIDE A REST FOR A SMOKER''S ARTICLE ENGAGED IN THE NOTCH.

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