Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
l~Z7930
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to dispensing devices
generally, and more particularly to devices adapted for
personal use by a smoker to introduce a quantity of treatment
fluid into a cigarette, cigar or a charge of pipe tobacco
to modify the character of the combustion products produced
by smoking. Devices of the invention disclosed herein are
characterized by their convenience and effectiveness in use
by the smoker, as well as their simplicity and economy of
manufacture.
Description of the Prior Art
Tobacco treatment devices intended for consumer
use have frequently been proposed, an example of one such
device pertinent to this invention being illustrated and
described in U.S. Patent No. 3,677,269. According to that
patent, the device contains a compartment within which a
cigarette is placed by the smoker, after which a bellows
element of the device is operated to induce a pressure
differential ~etween opposite ends of the cigarette, and a
charge of treatment fluid is sumultaneously introduced and
caused to be drawn into and to permeate the tobacco. That
prior device has a relatively complicated mechanical design
and is difficult to mass produce economically; moreover it
lack~ complete suitability for average consumer use.
Many other devices ranging from rather elemental
types such as those illustrated in U.S. Patent Nos. 2,333,049
and 3,319,632, to more complex arrangements such as those
illustrated in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,636,959, 3,732,872 and
3Q 3,847,162, are representative of prior known devices thought
to be most pertinent to the invention disclosed here. The
-2-
' ~Z7930
disadvantage of those prior devices in terms of convenience
and servicability for average consumer use, manufacturing
economy as well as user economy, are believed to be respon-
sible in good measure for the relatively low degree of
acceptance such devices have received in the trade.
It is accordingly a principal objective of this
invention to provide a device for treatment of smoking
tobacco in consumer unit form; i.e., as a cigarette, cigar
or charge of pipe tobacco, in order to modify the combustion
products of the tobacco and render it more acceptable to
the smoker.
The invention is illustrated by the devices shown
in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one form
of the assembled treatment device;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device of
Figure l;
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3
of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a molded
base element forming part of the device;
Figure 5 is an end elevational view of the base
element;
Figure 6 is a side view of a restrictor plug
removabl~- receivable in the base element;
Figure 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of
Figure 6; and
Figure 8 is a side view in cross section of a
modified form of device.
~127930
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The treatment device 20 seen in Figures 1 and 2
comprises a hand-held unit which conveniently may be
approximately the same size as a conventional cigarette
lighter. The device here illustrated is adapted more
specifically for treatment of individual cigarettes, and
comprises an outer casing 22 supporting an upwardly open
cigarette receiver 24 and a conventional valved aerosol
dispenser in side-by-side arrangement. The aerosol dispenser
is in inverted position in casing 22 so that only the
closed bottom end of dispenser 26 is exposed. The user
inserts a cigarette into the exposed end of receiver 24,
usually immediately prior to smoking the cigarette, and
depresses the exposed end of aerosol dispenser 26. This
releases a charge of treatment fluid which is injected into
the cigarette, as will be further explained below.
Referring more particularly to Figure 3, casing 22
is typically formed of molded plastic to provide a generally
cylindrical structure open at its lower end 28 and having
an upper end wall 30 (see Figures 1 an~ 2) partially
closing that end of the casing. As here illustrated,
casing 22 is of roughly eliptical cross-section since the
receiver 24 and dispenser 26 are slightly different in
diameter.
The bottom or open end 28 of receiver 22 is
adapted to receive and retain a base 32, prefera~ly again
of molded plastic, which is fitted in open end 28 and forms
a closure for that end of the casing.
Base 32 is formed with a pair of pedestals 34, 36
which project upwardly within casing 22 in side-by-side
relation. Pedestal 34 has a central or axial passage 38,
~Z7930
and pedestal 36 likewise has an axial passage 40, both of
these passages being in communication with a transverse
passage 42 at spaced points along the latter.
Pedestal 34 is provided with a socket 44 in its
upper end which communicates internally with passages 38
and 42. Socket 44 is adapted to receive and make a fluid
tight coupling with the tubular valve stem 46 of typical
aerosol dispenser 26 so that when fluid is discharged
from dispenser 26, by pressing downwardly on its exposed
upper end, the fluid charge is caused to travel by way of
passages 38 and 42 to passage 40 of the other pedestal 36
and thus into receiver 24.
A hollow injection needle 48 is secured, point
upwardly, in passage 40 of pedestal 36. The lower end of
needle 48 communicates with passage 40 to allow fluid to
enter the needle and to be discharged through ports 50
provided in spaced relation along needle 48.
Receiver 24 is superimposed on pedestal 36, an
aperture 52 being formed in the closed lower end of the
receiver to permit the needle to pass freely upwardly
substantially centrally of the receiver.
To give access to receiver 24 and dispenser 26,
the upper end wall 30 of casing 22 is apertured at 52, 54
to provide access openings which are axially aligned,
respectively~ with pedestals 34 and 36.
A restricter plug 56 is removably received in
transverse passage 42 of base 32. Plug 56 has an enlarged
head 58 which makes a fluid tight fit in the open end 60 of
passage 42 in order to form a closure at that end of the
passage. Plug 56 a~so has a stem 62 whose diameter is
essentially the same as that of passage 42. Stem 62,
~lZ7930
however, has a flattened axially extending face 64 providing
a segm_nt-shaped clearance between the plug and the wall of
passage 42 which thus forms a restriction in the passage
between pedestals 34 and 36. The degree of restriction can
be easily controlled in manufacture of the device by the
amount of flattening of the stem in order to provide and
desired degree of restriction. This is easily modified in
manufacture to adapt the treatment device for different
rates of application of the treatment fluid. In general it
is preferred to control the total amount of treatment fluid
by employing a suitably selected conventional aerosol
metering valve in the aerosol dispenser, such as that shown
in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,185,356 or Z,932,432, each of these
is designed to dispense a predetermined measured amount of
fluid product on each actuation of the dispensing valve.
The modified device illustrated in Figure 8 is
essentially identical to that described above except that
provision is made for incorporating a spare aerosol dispenser
within the casing. In this instance casing 122 is ellipti-
cally elongated to accommodate the extra dispenser 126alongside the active dispenser 26. Dispenser 126 is also
supported in inverted position in the casing ~ut in this
case the ferrule of the valve rests on a peg 170 formed in
base 132 so as to space valve stem 146 out of contact with
the base, and thus prevent actuation of the valve. The
upper end wall of casing 122 is provided with an additional
access opening 1~2 throu~h which dispenser 126 is inserted
to place it in the storage position illustrated. When the
active dispenser 26 is exhausted, it is withdrawn and
replaced by the spare 126. In all other respects the
modified device of ~igure 8 corresponds to that of Figs. 1
llZ7930
to 3 in mechanical structure and operation.
Although specific embodiments of the present
invention have been described above in detail, it is to be
understood that this is for purposes of illustration and
that other modifications may be made by those skilled in
the art for purposes of adapting the invention to particular
applications.
