Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
s.~j
The invention relates to a device by which a cigarette
may be qu;ckly extinguished, and which is convenient to carry,
and to use.
The difficulty in finding a safe, convenient way to
extinguish cigarettes remains a continuing problem for smokers.
Those who attend crowded cocktail parties; theatre goers; campers;
and many others will recognize the advantages of a compact, safe,
clean, instant and disposable method of extinguishing a cigarette.
The invention disclosed, therefore, is of advantage
environmentally, eliminates fire hazards, the odors normally
'~ associated with extinguished cigarettes, and encourages safe
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disposal of extinguished cigarettes.
An object of the invention is to provide an extremely
compact personal, disposable, cigarette extinguisher.
A further object of the invention is to provide a
,
cigarette extinguisher which is most inexpensive, yet may be
attractive in appearance, and, for example, bear advertising
material.
A further object of the invention is to provide a
20 personal, disposable, cigarette extinguisher comprising a pouch
, of metal foil having one open side adapted to receive a burning
cigarette and to extinguish said cigarette.
These and other objects of the invention will become
, apparent with reference to the accompanying description, in
which reference will be made to the attached drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a cigarette extinguisher
according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a
cigarette extinguisher according to the invention;
Figure 3 is a further perspective view of an embodiment
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of the invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective vie~ of a further embodiment
of an extinguisher according to the invention; and
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a cigarette
extinguisher in compacted form, following use.
Detailed reference will now be made to the drawings.
In Figures 1 and 2 a rectangular envelope or pouch 10
having an open top 12 is illustrated, in plan view in Figure 1,
and in perspective view in Figure 2. Envelope or pouch 10 is
provided with a sealed seam 14 on both sides and bottom, and
is formed of metal foil.
In Figure 3 the extinguisher is configured as a foil
tube 16, having a pre-formed bottom 18, and an open top 20. In
Figure 4 the extinguisher is configured as a pyramid 22, also of
foil material, with its base 24 being open. In Figure 5
envelope or pouch 26 is shown in closed form, following extin-
; guishing of a cigarette 28 contained therein.
Experiments with a disposable personal cigaretteextinguisher according to the invention have proved that a
cigarette has extinguished when it is inserted into the envelope
: or pouch illustrated in the drawings (and identified by reference
numeral 10, 16, 22), with extreme rapidity. In fact a cigarette
is extinguished within a very few seconds, and is completely
extinguished even though the burning portion of the cigarette
is not forced into the pouch bottom.
The rapidity of the cigarette being extinguished within
the pouch was at first assumed to be as a result of lack of
oxygen. Extensive experiments were undertaken to determine the
reason for rapid extinguishing of a cigarette within a metal foil
pouch, of whatever configuration, even with the end or side of
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the pouch remaining open, following insertion of a lighted
cigarette therein. Accordingly, extensiv-e experimentation was
undertaken by a consulting professional engineer on behalf of
the inventor.
The experiments lead to the hypothesis that the
extinguishing of the cigarette within a foil pouch was due to
rapid heat loss provided by the foil sides of the pouch coming
in contact with the burning end of the cigarette, rather than
the cigarette being extinguished as a result of lack of oxygen
in the pouch. In order to prove this hypothesis the consulting
engineer undertook the following experiments, which can be
, summarized as follows:
. PURPOSE
The purpose was to conduct experiments which would prove
' or disprove conclusively that the fast-extinguishing characteristics
of the foil pouch designed by the inventor were due to rapid heat
.~ loss caused by a multi-point contact on the sides of the foil
pouch with the burning end of a cigarette.
METHOD
A stopwatch was used to time several cycles of extin-
guishing a burner cigarette in foil pouches provided by the
inventor, in the various forms described above. Times were
measured from the moment of insertion until the complete extin-
~uishing of the cigarette as indicated by a lack of heat when
the formerly-burning end of the cigarette was heid against the
palms of the hand, within the pouch.
(a~ Firstly times were observed for extinguishing
in a foil pouch identified in this application by
the reference numeral 10, these times then being
used as reference times for the other experiments.
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(b) Next, times were taken for a cigarette inserted
into a dense paper pouch which would have the same
oxygen starvation characteristics as a foil pouch
according to the invention, but lacked the "heat
sink" characteristic of the inventor'-s foil pouch.
(c) Next, a foil pouch with the bottom removed was
:i used to allow oxygen to reach the burning end of
; the cigarette after it was inserted into the pouch.
(d) Following experiment (c) above, a tightly fit foil
tube was placed over the cool end of a burning
cigarette and slowly slid up to the burning end.
If the cigarette rapidly extinguished when the foil
, reached the burning end, then it would seem that
heat loss will have been the cause of the cigarette's
~i burning end having been extinguished. It should be
mentioned that a basic law of thermodynamics states
that the rate of heat transfer is proportionate
to the difference in temperatures between the heat
, source and the heat sink. Thus, by varying the
temperatures of the heat sink, it can be proved
that heat loss is the key determinant in distin-
guishing times required for such extinguishing.
(e) Times were then measured for a series of foil
pouches that were oven heated to 350F.
(f) Next, times were measured for a series of foil
pouches that were frozen in a house freezer to
0F
(g) Finally, extinguishing times were taken with a
pouch spread wide open and a cigarette placed in
contact with one inside wall only.
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OBSERVATIONS
' (a) Inventor's Foil Pouch - Extinguishing Times (seconds)
4.4 4.6 4.2 4.4
4.9 4.3 4.4 4.2 Average 4.5 seconds
: 4.1 4.6 4.5 4.2
4.7 4.3 4.6 4.3
4.7 4.4 4.7 4.5
(b) Paper Pouch
; The cigarette was not extinguished on repeated
attempts, but continued to burn for over 20
seconds until it burned through the paper sides
of the pouch.
(c) Bottomless Foil Pouch - Extinguishing Times (seconds)
5.7 3.8 4.6 4.1
5.2 4.4 5.2 4.0 Average 4.5 seconds
4.9 4.7 5.1 4.1
4.2 4.2 4.3 4.0
4.1 4.8 4.3 4.4
(d) Foil Tube Surrounding Cigarette
The cigarette was extinguished rapidl~ ea.ch time
the foil tube reached the burning end of the
cigarette.
(e) Hot Foil Pouches - Extinguishing Times (secon~s)
7.2
7.0 Average 6.9 sec.onds
6.7
6.5
6.9
(f) Frozen Foi _Pouches - Extinguishing Times (seconds)
3.6
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4.0
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3.8 Average 3.8 seconds
3.7
3.9
' ~g) One-Sided Contact, Inventor's Foil Pouch
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The cigarette was not extinguished on repeated
attempts.
CONCLUSIONS
(a) The cigarettes were extinguished rapidly by the
inventor's foil pouch.
(b) The dense paper pouch did not extinguish the
cigarette even though it was excluding oxygen.
Thus it was concluded that the heat sink charac-
teristics of the foil pouch were the major
determinant of the extinguishing characteristic.
(c) Since the bottomless pouch still caused the
cigarette to extinguish, it was concluded that
oxygen starvation was not the cause of the extin-
guishing characteristic.
(d) In a similar way, the foil tube proved that rapid
heat loss, rather than oxygen starvation caused the
extinguishing.
(e) The significantly longer extinguishing times for
the hot pouches as compared with the frozen pouches
proves conclusively that heat loss from the foil
sides is the key determinant to the extinguishing
time.
(f) The finding that extinguishing did not take place
one one-sided contact again proves conclusively
that the rate of heat 10ss 1S the key determinant
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to extinguishing time, and that two-sides contact
;~ is the key to the rapid'ity of effect.
GENERAL CONCLUSION
The rapid extïnguishing phenomenon of the inventor's
. , .
- pouch is due to the rapid heat loss from the burning cigarette
~'~ to the two foil sides of the pouch and' is not due to oxygen
starvation. The close-sided design of the pouch which allows
~ multi-sided contact with a cigarette is the key design feature
'~ which leads to rapid extinguishing due to the removal of heat at
. 10 a higher rate than can be supplied by the burning cigarette.
'~ Accordingly, applicant has provided a safe, convenient
and almost instant apparatus by which a cigarette ma~ be
; extinguished, and may be disposed of in a conven;ent manner.
The foregoing is by way of example only and the inven-
' tion should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
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