Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Disposable cigarette-end receptacle
Field of the invention
The invention relates to a disposable
receptacle intended for cigarette ends.
The invention relates more particularly to an
individual receptacle that the smoker can carry in his
pocket but also to a receptacle for fixing that can be
used by communities.
Introduction
Awareness of the effects of pollution on the
human environment is a battle that is becoming more and
more significant. Consumers are in the process of
realising that the most commonplace and harmless
materials, through their resistance to decomposition,
constitute powerful pollutants. Thus it is assessed that
a cigarette end with a filter can be expected to have a
"life" of 1 to 15 years.
Recognition of the rights of non-smokers has
had a perverse effect for this particular type of waste:
deliberately deprived of bins and ashtrays, smokers have
all the more a tendency to disperse their cigarette ends
in the environment. The only current response is
enforcement: throwing away cigarette ends gives rise to
the levying of higher and higher fines (several tens of
euros). In California, the land of fire, fines for
throwing away cigarette ends may attain several
thousands of dollars... provided that one is caught.
The only true solution is therefore the
education of smokers.
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Prior art
"Cigarette-end extinguishers" formed by a
cylinder narrowed at its middle are known through
WO 93/09 686, DE 101 06 449, DE 1 290 754, DE 39 20 192,
GB 407 243 and JP 8 056 638. These devices, produced
from a non-combustible material (generally metal), are
used for an operation distinct from the collection of
cigarette ends, in this case the extinction thereof.
Nothing however prevents the smoker, when his cigarette
end is extinguished, and theoretically "inoffensive",
from then throwing it away, possibly in the countryside.
US-4 497 329 describes such an extinguisher, combined
with a conventional (non-closed) ashtray, which clearly
illustrates the existence of a dual problem, namely the
extinction and disposal of cigarette ends.
US 2006/0 191 944 describes an ashtray
designed to eliminate smoke and tobacco odours.
WO 2008/088 274 describes an ashtray combined
with an extinguisher and a receptacle for a lighter.
US 7 380 553, JP 2001 327 277 and
DE 199 01 527 U1 also describe receptacles of the
ashtray type, combined with extinguishing devices, which
may be provided with lids to prevent the dispersion of
the content thereof. These devices, which may be of
elaborate design, are obviously reusable infinitely
provided that they are emptied regularly. Practice alas
shows that many smokers, though they manage to
discipline themselves to use such ashtrays, will rarely
go as far as emptying them in appropriate places. From
the point of view of pollution, the result is therefore
often identical.
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Summary of the invention
A first aim of the invention is to prevent the
dispersion of cigarette ends in the environment.
Another aim of the invention is to make
available to smokers a means that is hygienic and easy
to use for getting rid of their cigarette ends.
Another aim of the invention is to promote a
cycle for disposal of cigarette ends that is respectful
of the environment and workers responsible for
maintaining public spaces.
Another aim of the invention is to promote the
public-spiritedness of smokers.
The subject matter of the invention is a
disposable cigarette-end receptacle that comprises an
inlet orifice. This orifice has a conical mouth the wide
part of which is turned towards the outside, and its
inside diameter, the axial length of which is equal to
or less than the diameter of a standard cigarette, is
calibrated so as to grip a first cigarette end when it
is introduced, to hold it in place and to prevent
removal thereof. This cigarette end therefore serves as
a stopper for the receptacle. The retaining force of
this cigarette end is however sufficiently small for the
thrust exerted by a second cigarette end to force this
first cigarette end to move towards the inside of the
receptacle and to fall therein.
This receptacle comprises a container, the
only exit of which is the inlet orifice. This closed
container extends substantially along the axis of the
inlet orifice and its minimum length, along this axis,
corresponds to that of a standard cigarette.
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According to an advantageous embodiment, the
internal surface of the inlet orifice is in the form of
two facing cones, narrowing towards the middle.
According to another advantageous embodiment
the internal surface of the inlet orifice is provided
with non-return lugs, which may be in the form of
conical skirts.
According to a preferred embodiment, the
receptacle is produced from a polymer material.
According to a preferred embodiment, this
polymer material is shaped by blow moulding.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the
receptacle is produced from a heat-degradable material
which may preferentially be produced from a recycled
material. One advantage of this embodiment is that the
use of precious raw material is limited and that
moreover the receptacles may be collected in a
dedicated, more ecological system.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the
cigarette-end receptacle comprises an attachment member
for fixing it to a support. This support may for example
be a wall support or a base to be fixed to the ground.
It is possible to provide a multiple support carrying
several distinct receptacles, so that several smokers
can simultaneously get rid of their cigarette ends.
One advantage of this embodiment is that it is
possible to make such a receptacle available to
communities (offices, canteens, etc), the receptacle,
removable and recyclable, being regularly replaced,
keeping a clean and neat appearance for its location
site.
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According to a preferred embodiment, it
comprises an external surface able to bear a decoration,
either by moulded embossment or by direct printing or by
sticking thereon a label or a sleeve. It may therefore
5 be covered with various slogans in relation to
cleanliness campaigns, various advertisements, etc.
The material of which it consists is
advantageously at least partially impregnated with
aromatic substances. It may also be impregnated with
substances increasing resistance to ignition.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the
axial length of the inlet orifice is around 5 mm.
The advantage of this variant of the invention
is that the resistance to the forward motion of the
cigarette end already introduced is reduced,
facilitating the introduction of the following cigarette
end.
According to a preferred embodiment, the
capacity of the receptacle is proportionate to that of a
cigarette packet, so as to facilitate the counting of
its content.
According to another preferred embodiment, the
body of the receptacle comprises at least one
transparent zone making it possible to assess its degree
of filling.
Brief description of the figures
These aspects as well as other aspects of the
invention will be clarified in the detailed description
of particular embodiments of the invention, reference
being made to the drawings of the figures, in which:
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Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a first
embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is a lateral view of the embodiment
shown in figure 1;
Figure 3 is a perspective view (not to scale)
of the embodiment in figures 1 and 2;
Figures 4a to 4c are views in section along
the plane IV-IV of a detail of the embodiment in
figure 1;
Figure 5 is a view in perspective of another
embodiment of the invention;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a third
embodiment of the invention;
Figures 7 and 8 are views respectively in
elevation and perspective of another embodiment of the
invention.
The figures are not necessarily drawn to
scale. Generally similar elements are denoted by similar
reference signs in the figures.
Detailed description of particular embodiments
Figures 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the
invention, in this case a "pocket" receptacle.
This receptacle 2 consists essentially of a
closed container 4, the only outlet of which is an inlet
orifice 6. This inlet orifice 6 (shown in more detail in
figures 4a to 4c) has approximately the diameter of a
standard cigarette (that is to say between 7 and 8 mm).
It splays towards the outside in a conical mouth 8, so
as to facilitate the introduction of a cigarette end
therein. This splay 8 is followed by a short narrowed
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part forming a neck 10. As can be seen in figures 4a
to 4c, the section along a longitudinal plane of this
neck 10 can adopt various profiles, either cylindrical
(figure 4a) or convergent/divergent (figure 4b), or
simply convergent (figure 4c). Whatever the profile
adopted, the inside diameter of this neck 10 is
calibrated so as to grip this cigarette end and to hold
it in place. This cigarette end therefore serves as a
stopper for the receptacle.
The operating principle of the invention is as
follows: a still-lit cigarette end introduced into the
cylindrical orifice 6, emerging in the receptacle 4, is
held "suspended" therein at the neck 10, in the axis of
the orifice 6, and is spontaneously extinguished through
lack of oxygen if the volume of the receptacle is small.
When the smoker has finished another cigarette, it
suffices for him to introduce his new cigarette end into
the orifice 6, thus exerting a thrust forcing the first
cigarette end to fall inside the receptacle. The
retention force of each cigarette end must be
sufficiently small for the smoker not to have to exert
an excessive force to force his first cigarette end to
move towards the inside of the receptacle and to fall
therein.
Particular attention must therefore be paid to
the shape of the orifice 6, and in particular to the
shape and length of the neck 10 holding the cigarette
end. This must be sufficiently short (in the order of a
few millimetres) (preferentially around 5 mm), for the
penetration of the lit cigarette end pushing a previous
cigarette end not to offer resistance such that the lit
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cigarette end bends and makes penetration thereof into
the pipe difficult. The invention is greatly
distinguished in this regard from the prior art, which
generally indicates a particularly long pipe and
therefore does not lend itself to the proposed use.
On the other hand, the neck must be
sufficiently long for the cigarette end to remain in
place and fulfil its function of plug even in the case
of abrupt movement of the carrier of a pocket cigarette-
end receptacle. A surprising and unexpected effect is
found in practice, namely that the resistance to
friction of the cigarette end on the walls of the
neck 10, even over a few millimetres (typically around 3
to 5 mm), is amply sufficient to prevent its falling
into the receptacle or its ejection from the pipe. One
explanation for this phenomenon relates to the very
small weight of a cigarette end compared with its size.
Consequently the use of the cigarette end as a plug
ensures perfect hygiene for the receptacle of the
invention, and the smoker does not have to fear having
the ash and the content of the receptacle spread in his
pockets. It is moreover possible to ensure a further
improved holding of the cigarette end forming a plug by
providing projections inside the orifice 6, which in
addition makes it possible to insert therein cigarette
ends of different diameters (typically 7.8 mm to
8.5 mm).
Another point to be emphasised is the
importance of the shape of the mouth 8 (angle at the top
and width and length). This mouth 8 may be either
concave or convex in shape. It must however be profiled
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so that an elongate object or one whose end has a
relatively small radius of curvature, such as the end of
a finger, cannot touch the proximal end of the cigarette
end forming a plug so as to dislodge it and make it
"fall" inside the receptacle 4.
The plug formed by the cigarette end forms a
barrier to the odours emitted by the receptacle 2
sufficient to significantly reduce effluvia from the
consumed cigarettes, without requiring other artifices
(the cigarette-end receptacle has moreover a short
life). It is however possible, for mainly marketing
reasons, to add one or other fragrant material (perfume
or odour-absorbing products) in the material used to
manufacture the cigarette-end receptacle.
The "philosophy" of the receptacle of the
invention is that of systematic collection, able to end
up in a particular recycling circuit. This implies that
it is single-use and that, once full, it must be
disposed of. The capacity of a "pocket" receptacle will
therefore be adapted roughly to a number of cigarette
ends corresponding to the number of cigarettes in a pack
(typically around 20 cigarettes). It is also possible to
envisage the production of larger containers that are
made available to a community of smokers, as shown in
figures 5 to 8 (a volume of 500 ml can contain between
100 and 150 cigarette ends!).
One point to be taken into account is that it
is necessary at all costs to prevent the end of a still
lit cigarette from coming into contact with the bottom
of the receptacle 4, this in principle being made from a
material sensitive to heat. Consequently the length of
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the receptacle 4, measured along the axis of the
orifice 6, must preferably be at least equal to that of
a standard cigarette.
As shown in figure 5, according to a first
5 variant, the receptacle comprises a quick-fixing
device 12 (here a simple ring with anti-rotation notch)
making it possible to fix it by securing means 14 to a
fixed support. It can also be provided (see figures 7
and 8) with a base intended to be pressed into loose
10 soil, which makes it possible to use it in a park or
garden. Another variant, shown in figure 6, is provided
with a wide base, which makes it possible to use it at
the table or in a car (its diameter in this case being
identical to that of a drinks bottle, all modern cars
being equipped with a support for bottles) . With regard
to the "table" cigarette-end receptacle, the latter,
apart from the fact that it may have varied aesthetic
shapes, will also help to prevent the dispersion of
odours in cars and, just like a wall receptacle, will
contribute to cleanliness and hygiene in spaces still
reserved for nicotine-addicted customers at the entrance
to bars, cafes and restaurants.
It is obvious that the diameter and length of
the neck 10 are fundamental. In the case of a pocket
receptacle, a slightly narrower diameter will be chosen
than for the table or wall variation.
This difference relates to the fact that the
pocket variant must have better holding of the stopper
while the table, car or wall variant must have greater
ease of introduction of the cigarette end.
The use a single-usage receptacle may in
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principle appear to be a waste. In reality it is not at
all, since it results in a much more systematic
destruction of waste. It is also a guarantee of
cleanliness and hygiene. Anyone who, when entering a
building, has been confronted with the odour, dirt and
repugnant appearance of a street ashtray, particularly
when the combustion of the cigarette ends is not
complete and the filters are being consumed, will
understand, just like the maintenance personnel
responsible for cleaning the street ashtrays. It is in
fact particularly difficult to protect a public ashtray
from rain and wet. However, the combination of moisture,
nicotine and the tar from the combustion of tobacco and
paper are particular malodorous and contribute to the
difficulty in cleaning these street ashtrays, in
particular when they contain sand on the surface of a
grille. The adoption of the receptacle of the invention,
which it suffices to replace with a new receptacle,
makes this task easy and constitutes a guarantee of
cleanliness and hygiene. The small opening of the
cigarette-end receptacle limits the entry of rain into
the pipe, even if the latter is open, and prevents it
completely if a cigarette is inserted as a plug.
The success of the marketing of such a single-
usage receptacle is obviously dependent, more than with
another article, on a very low cost price. In this
regard, this part could be produced in a particularly
economical fashion by the blow moulding (in particular
extrusion blow moulding or injection blow moulding) of a
variety of economical polymers such as polyethylene or
polypropylene. In addition, there is no need to use a
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raw material: an inexpensive recycled material finds
here a particularly welcome extension of its life cycle.
The complete cigarette-end receptacle would
therefore preferably consist of recycled polyethylene.
This material, the cellulose making up the filters and
the tobacco residues are all perfectly combustible and
can therefore incinerated in incineration furnaces
without consuming energy, quite the contrary. The
presence of a combustion retarder may be indicated
according to particular safety criteria (when made
available in public places) without for all that
impairing the recycling of the product.
Moreover, production in a single piece is
economically much more advantageous.
This does not however exclude the possibility
of producing the receptacle from two different materials
(one for the orifice, the other for the receptacle): the
fact that the receptacle is made in a single piece with
the conduit or in two pieces is of secondary importance
compared with the functionality of the product.
Because recycled materials are used, the
receptacle is preferably opaque. It is however
advantageous to provide a translucent zone extending in
the axial direction, so as to be able to assess its
degree of filling.
Obviously, the use of cigarette-end
receptacles of the invention, whether they are in
"pocket format" or public, contributes to the
cleanliness of our pavements, our streets, our beaches,
our ski slopes and our woods. In the latter case, it
also helps to reduce risks of forest fires.
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Finally, the cigarette-end receptacle may
constitute a perfectly usable advertising medium:
nothing is easier than to stick an advertising label on
the body of the receptacle! It may therefore generate
revenues helping to reduce its inherent distribution
cost.
It will appear obvious to a person skilled in
the art that the present invention is not limited to the
examples illustrated and described above. The invention
comprises each of the novel features as well as the
combination thereof. The presence of reference numbers
cannot be considered to be limitative. The use of the
term "comprises" can in no way exclude the presence of
elements other than those mentioned. The use of the
definite article "a" to introduce an element does not
exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.
The present invention has been described in relation to
specific embodiments, which have a purely illustrative
value and must not be considered to be limitative.
