SMOKE WITHOUT A TRACE TECHNOLOGY (S.W.A.T.T.)

TECHNOLOGIE PERMETTANT DE FUMER SANS DERANGER

English Abstract

Smoke Without A Trace Technology (S.W.A.T.T.) is a
smoke management system that will allow an individual to smoke
cigarettes in environments where smoking may cause irritation to
others, or in environments which are not conducive to smoking.
This broad range of environments can include office buildings,
lounges, restaurants, homes, malls, and even outdoors in rainy or
windy conditions. A cigarette is placed within the device, thus
enclosing it in a circular tube such that it is completely
contained within the device. The cigarette can then be lit using
an incorporated electronic butane lighter. Smoke is then inhaled
by the user through a one-way valve, and can then be exhaled back
into the device by means of a second one-way valve. The smoke is
then forced through two separate filters (carbon and particle
filters) by the exhalation of the user and with the aid of a
small fan inside the device. At any given time throughout the
smoking process, the cigarette can be extinguished by activating
a mechanism within the device itself which creates an airtight
seal around the cigarette compartment thus depriving the
cigarette of the oxygen it requires in order to burn causing the
cigarette to go out. The ashes are then collected in a small
compartment below the cigarette compartment and can be removed by
opening a small sliding panel. This eliminates all foul odor and
dangerous toxins from the exhaled smoke thus proving the
S.W.A.T.T. to effectively allow the user to smoke virtually
anywhere.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are define as follows:
The claim of this invention as a smoke management system are
that the device can be used to place an unlit cigarette into the
inner cigarette chamber thereby sealing it into the device. The
cigarette can then be lit via the lighting mechanism, and with
the aid of the one-way valves to control the flow of smoke, the
smoker can inhale the smoke from the cigarette and then blow the
smoke back into the device so that all of the smoke produced by
the cigarette can be filtered. The cigarette can also be
extinguished using the extinguishing mechanism and the ashes of
the smoked cigarette disposed of via a device, such as a trap
door or sliding panel, located under the ash disposal area.
Therefore, this device can allow an individual to light, smoke,
and extinguish a cigarette, without exposing the cigarette smoke
to the surrounding environment.

Description

CA 02252198 1998-11-09
Specification
This invention relates to an apparatus that is involved
in both the smoking of cigarettes and the filtration of the smoke
thereof.
It is common for cigarette smoke to be irritating to non-
smokers due to its smell and toxicity. To many, it Can irritate
the eyes and throat, and tends to become trapped in the fibers of
wool, cotton, and many other materials commonly used in the
production of clothing. These factors serve to effectively
irritate and offend those around who do not smoke. As well,
smoke-free ashtrays are not entirely effective. While doing a
mediocre job of removing all smoke from the ashtray itself, it
still allows smoke from exhalation to escape. This does not serve
to adequately pacify the irritation of those nearby.
This smoke management system will overcome the shortcomings
of the products before it because it allows all of the smoke from
the cigarette to be filtered through the filter system. This will
thereby reduce, if not eradicate, all of the irritating and
harmful substances in cigarette smoke.
In the drawings which illustrate embodiments of the
invention, figure la is a vertical cross section down the mid-
line of the device, Figure lb is a horizontal cross section with
a bias just off the mid-line toward. the top of the device, Figure
2a is a depiction of both the direction of air flow and one-way
valve position in response to the exhale of smoke into the
device, Figure 2b is an depiction of both the air flow and one-
way valve position in response to the inhale of smoke from the
cigarette, Figure 3 is view of the extinguishing device used to
extinguish the cigarette.
The inner chamber is located within the main ventilation
area and consists of three components-cigarette compartment 1,
ash collecting compartment 2, and ash disposal compartment 3. The
cigarette compartment 1 is made of a light weight, heat resistant
metal that encases the cigarette. This compartment is provided
with ventilation for burning via a vent 4 on the top of the tube.
This vent 4 is covered by a wire mesh screen that will not only
allow the cigarette to receive its needed oxygen to burn but
also prevent ashes from the cigarette leaving the inner chamber
and escaping into the main ventilation chamber 5, The cigarette
compartment 1 is directly connected to the ash collection area 2
where the ashes from the cigarette will gather. This collection
area 2 in turn is connected to the ash disposal area 3 where the
ashes are stored until removed from the device by opening a flap
located under the ash disposal area. When ashes enter into the
disposal area 3 they are prevented from re-entering the collect-
ion chamber by a wedge 6 that forms a wall on the disposal side
of the inner chamber.

CA 02252198 1998-11-09
At the bottom of the most interior part of the cigarette
chamber i there will be the lighting mechanism 7 for the
cigarette. This lighting mechanism 7 will be a electronic butane
lighter similar to that of a barbecue ignitor. When a button 8 on
the exterior of the device is depressed it leads to both a
release of butane and a spark that will produce a small flame
and light the cigarette. The flame will burn for only the time it
will take to light the cigarette so that heat produced will be
such that the heat resistant metal will remain unaffected, and
that the ventilation in the main chamber 5 will easily control
the internal temperature of the device.
The inner portion of the device between the cigarette
compartment 1 and the mouth piece 23 will contain three one-way
valves 21 (one located behind the filter of the cigarette itself,
the other two located on the walls of the tube just inside the
device). The one-way valves 21 are positioned so that as the
smoker inhales the smoke produced by the cigarette the one-way
valve 21 located in the tube just behind the cigarette filter
will open. The back pressure produced by the flow of air 24
toward the mouth piece 23 will cause the other two one-way valves
21 to seal shut. When the smoker exhales the smoke back into the
device by way of the mouth piece 23 the one-way valve 21 located
in the tube just behind the cigarette filter will close due to
the pressure. Then the one-way valves 21 on the sides of the tube
will open due to the increasing air pressure inside the tube
thereby allowing the exhaled smoke to be emptied into the main
ventilation chamber 5 and filtered through the device.
A flap 9 located adjacent to the mesh covered vent 4 on the
exterior of the cigarette compartment 1 is used to extinguish the
cigarette at anytime during the smoking process. A wire string 10
that is attached to a sliding switch 11 on the exterior of the
device and to the center edge of the extinguisher flap 9. Springs
12 that are attached to the outer corners of the extinguisher
flap 9 are also attached the inner floor of the device. When the
exterior switch 11 is pulled fully back the vent 4 is open and
the flap 9 is up. When the flap 9 is in its upright position the
wire string 10 holds the flap 9 in place and prevents the springs
12 from pulling the flap 9 closed. When the user of the device
wishes to extinguish the cigarette the switch 11 is simply
brought forward and the wire 10 loosens, allowing the springs 12
to pull the extinguisher flap 9 over the vent 4 and deprive the
cigarette from the oxygen it needs to burn. The cigarette goes
out.
There are two filters in this smoke management system. The
first is a carbon filter 14 and is located behind the fan blades
16 providing the support for the fan motor 15. This filter 14
will remove most of the carbon from the smoke. The second filter
17 is located after the fan blades 16 and is a particle or hepa
filter 17 that will remove most of the other particles left in
the air. The fan blades 16 will pull the smoke through the carbon

CA 02252198 1998-11-09
filter 14 and pushes it through the particle filter 17. After the
cigarette smoke has past through the filters 14,17 the air passes
through a screen 18 that is coated with a air freshner that will
give in air a fresh scent.
The battery compartment 19 will hold the power supply. The
power provided will be of sufficient to run the fan motor 15 and
to power the spark used to light mechanism 7. It is unsure as to
what type of power supply will be used.
The butane compartment 20 holds the fuel that will be used
in the light mechanism 7 for the flame that lights the cigarette.
This butane compartment 20 will be refillable be way of a valve
22 on the surface of the device.

Representative Drawing