Cigarette pack holder

Abstract

A cigarette pack holder adapted to receive in combination a cigarette pack containing cigarettes,

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a holder for retaining a cigarette pack to an object, particularly to a belt, shirt pocket and the like worn by a person.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In the last few years it has been increasingly harder to buy clothes, for example, t-shirts with pockets in which packs of cigarettes can be satisfactorily carried by a person. It can be seen often on the street and at work that smokers place cigarettes in sleeves, down shirts, and in back pockets—which can cause cigarettes to be crushed. This is especially prevalent in a factory environment.

[0003] There is, therefore a need for a person that smokes to have a method by which a pack of cigarettes can be safely carried without risk of damage to or loss of the cigarettes, while the pack remains readily retrievable to the person without the need for special expensive apparatus or clothing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a cigarette pack holder which provides for relatively safe protection from loss or damage to the cigarettes.

[0005] It is a further object to provide said holder which is conveniently portable and retrievable by a person.

[0006] Accordingly, in one aspect the invention provides a cigarette pack holder adapted to receive in combination a cigarette pack containing cigarettes,

[0007] said holder comprising a rectangularly-shaped housing having

[0008] a planar front wall;

[0009] an opposing rear wall;

[0010] a pair of opposing planar side walls connected to said front and rear walls;

[0011] a planar base at one end of said housing;

[0012] said walls and said base defining therebetween a chamber to receive said pack in removable engagement;

[0013] an open-ended top at the other end of said housing through which said pack can operably pass into and out of said chamber;

[0014] said base having portions defining an aperture of requisite shape and size to enable entry of a human digit to effect displacement of said pack within said chamber; and

[0015] retaining means connected to said rear wall adapted to be removably retained by an object worn by a person.

[0016] Preferably, the holder is formed of a semi-rigid, resilient material such as a plastics material, for example, a polyethylene, polyethyleneterephthalate, or more preferably, polypropylene; or a thin metal, such as, for example, aluminum or steel.

[0017] A preferred retaining means comprises an elongate lug integrally formed with and resiliently displaceable from said rear wall to retain said pack in removable engagement to said object.

[0018] A typical object, for example, is an article of attire, such as clothing, such as a belt, pocket or other part of a shirt, pants, trousers, sweaters and the like.

[0019] In a further feature, the invention provides a holder as hereinabove defined in combination with a pack of cigarettes.

[0020] The cigarette pack may be tightly held within the holder or, more preferably, in just sufficient fitting engagement with the walls of the holder as to be retained therein but readily displaced therefrom in whole or in part by means of a finger or thumb.

[0021] In this specification, the term “digit” includes a finger or thumb.

[0022] In this specification the term “cigarette” includes cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and the like.

[0023] The holder may be readily made by processes known in the art, such as for example, injection molding; or by the cutting out of a suitably shaped blank form, sealing and subsequent adhesive bonding or welding of the “boxed” holder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order that the invention may be better understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette pack holder according to the invention in combination with a cigarette pack containing cigarettes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0025] With reference to FIG. 1, this shows generally as 10 a thin walled planar, rectangular shaped holder formed of polypropylene retaining in close fitting engagement a partly displaced cigarette pack 12 containing cigarettes 14.

[0026] Holder 10 has front wall 16 opposing rear wall 18 displaced therefrom by opposing side walls 20, 22.

[0027] Holder 10 at one end has a planar base 24 and at its other end an open-top 26. Walls 16, 18, 20 and 22 and base 24 define therebetween a chamber 28 of such size and shape as to receive pack 12 in close fitting, but displaceable engagement.

[0028] Base 24 has a portion defining an aperture 30 of such shape and dimension as to permit entry of a human digit, such as a finger or thumb 32, to a sufficient extent as to effect displacement of pack 12 within chamber 28 to enable pack 12 to be either totally removed from holder 10 for, example, if it is empty; or to enable a cigarette 14 to be easier picked out of pack 12, as shown by arrows “A” and “B”.

[0029] Front wall 16 has a planar surface to enable sheets bearing literature, drawings, logos, slogans, for example, advertisement and the like, (not shown) to be displayed.

[0030] Rear face 18 has a centrally located thin planar elongate lug 34, integrally formed at an upper portion 36 with rear wall 18 and operably outstanding therefrom in resiliently, flexible displacement, as shown by arrow “C”. Lug 34 is operably engageable with an object or article, (not shown) such as a belt, shirt pocket or other article having a planar member of such thickness as to be received by lug 36 in removable tight fitting abutment against rear wall 18.

[0031] Rear wall portion 36 also constitutes a pair of displaced holes 38 at which upper edges 40 of lug 34 terminate. Such an arrangement has been found to reduce the risk of damage to lug 34 through undesired “running” of edges 40 if holes 38 were not present.

[0032] Side wall 20 has a central portion 42 provided with a strip 44 of“Velcro”® hooked fibres material adhered thereto, to retain a cigarette lighter or matches (not shown).

[0033] Although this disclosure has described and illustrated certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to those particular embodiments. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments which are functional or mechanical equivalence of the specific embodiments and features that have been described and illustrated.

Claims

1. A cigarette pack holder adapted to receive in combination a cigarette pack containing cigarettes,

said holder comprising a rectangularly-shaped housing having

a planar front wall;

an opposing rear wall;

a pair of opposing planar side walls connected to said front and back walls;

a planar base at one end of said housing;

said walls and said base defining therebetween a chamber to receive said pack in removable engagement;

an open-ended top at the other end of said housing through which said pack can operably pass into and out of said chamber;

said base having portions defining an aperture of requisite shape and size to enable entry of a human digit to effect displacement of said pack within said chamber; and

retaining means connected to said rear wall adapted to be removably retained by an object worn by a person.

2. A holder as defined in claim 1 formed of a semi-rigid resilient material.

3. A holder as defined in claim 2 wherein said material is selected from a plastics material or a metal.

4. A holder as defined in claim 3 wherein said plastics material is selected from a polyethylene, polypropylene or polyethyleneterephthalate.

5. A holder as defined in claim 3 wherein said metal is aluminum.

6. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprises an elongate lug integrally formed with and resiliently displaceable from said rear wall to retain said holder in removable engagement to an object.

7. A holder as defined in claim 2 wherein said retaining means comprises an elongate lug integrally formed with and resiliently displaceable from said rear wall to retain said holder in removable engagement to an object.

8. A holder as defined in claim 3 wherein said retaining means comprises an elongate lug integrally formed with and resiliently displaceable from said rear wall to retain said holder in removable engagement to an object.

9. A holder as defined in claim 4 wherein said retaining means comprises an elongate lug integrally formed with and resiliently displaceable from said rear wall to retain said holder in removable engagement to an object.

10. A holder as defined in claim 5 wherein said retaining means comprises an elongate lug integrally formed with and resiliently displaceable from said rear wall to retain said holder in removable engagement to an object.

11. A holder as defined in claim 6 wherein said lug comprises a planar elongate member constituting a portion of said rear wall.

12. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said side walls or said front wall has second retaining means adapted to removably retain ignition means selected from a cigarette lighter and matches to said holder.

13. A holder as defined in claim 12 wherein said second retaining means comprises hooked fibres.

14. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein said front, rear and side walls are of such dimensions as to abut said pack as to retain said pack in close fitting engagement within said chamber.

15. A holder as defined in claim 2 wherein said front, rear and side walls are of such dimensions as to abut said pack as to retain said pack in close fitting engagement within said chamber.

16. A holder as defined in claim 3 wherein said front, rear and side walls are of such dimensions as to abut said pack as to retain said pack in close fitting engagement within said chamber.

17. A holder as defined in claim 4 wherein said front, rear and side walls are of such dimensions as to abut said pack as to retain said pack in close fitting engagement within said chamber.

18. A holder as defined in claim 5 wherein said front, rear and side walls are of such dimensions as to abut said pack as to retain said pack in close fitting engagement within said chamber.

19. A holder as defined in claim 6 wherein said front, rear and side walls are of such dimensions as to abut said pack as to retain said pack in close fitting engagement within said chamber.

20. A combination comprising a holder as defined in claim 1 retaining a cigarette pack within said chamber.