US3080997A

US3080997A - Disposable ash tray

Info

Publication number: US3080997A
Application number: US102590A
Authority: US
Inventors: Theodore G Brown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-04-12
Filing date: 1961-04-12
Publication date: 1963-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 1980-03-12

Description

March 1963 T. G. BROWN DISPOSABLE ASH TRAY Filed April 12, 1961 INVENTOR KGB/awr ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,080,997 DISPOSABLE ASH TRAY Theodore G. Brown, 10501 Croetto Way, Apt. 29, Rancho Cordova, Calif. Filed Apr. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 102,590 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-69) This invention relates to a novel disposable ash tray which is so constructed that the ash tray can be formed from an inexpensive thin sheet material which is fireproof, by a stamping operation, and so that a plurality of the ash trays can be stackedin nested relation to one another for retail sale as a packaged item and for storage until ready for use.

Another and particularly important object of the invention is to provide a disposable ash tray having means whereby it will be adhesively held on a supporting surface to prevent inadvertent overturning of the ash tray.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a disposable ash tray having a bottom which is elevated with respect to the part thereof which engages the sup porting surface so that heat from the burning ends of cigars or cigarettes resting thereon will not be conducted to the supporting surface.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view, partly broken away, of the disposable ash tray;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 22 of FIG URE 1 and showing the ash tray upright and positioned for use;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken radially through a part of the ash tray, and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken radially through a group of the nested ash trays, and on an enlarged scale relative to FIGURES 1 and 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the disposable ash tray in its entirety is designated generally 6 and is formed from a single piece of sheet material 7 which can be shaped by a conventional stamping or pressing operation and possesses sufficient rigidity to retain the shape in which it is stamped or pressed. The material 7 may be a thin sheet metal such as aluminum or may constitute a paper product or other material treated to render it substantially fireproof.

The ash tray 6 is shown as comprising an annularsubstantially frusto-conical outer wall 8 which tapers downwardly. The upper edge 9 of the wall 8 may be provided with any desired number of arcuately cutout or recessed portions =10 in which a part of a cigar or cigarette can be rested. The ash tray 6 has a bottom 11 provided with a downturned marginal portion 12 which merges with the inner edge of a narrow annular inturned flange 13 of the bottom edge of the surrounding wall =8, so that the bottom 11 is elevated relative to the narrow annular base portion 13. The under or exterior side of the annular base portion 13 is provided with a thin adhesive coating 14 which is preferably of a conventional pressure sensitive type. All annular strip or film of a thin flexible material, as seen at 15 in FIGURES 1 and 13, covers the adhesive area 14, until the ash tray is ready for use, and provides a protective shield for said coating.

The ash tray 6 is so shaped that a plurality of said ash trays can be stacked in nested relation to one another, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, for packaging the ash trays for retail sale and for storing the ash trays until ready for use. Either the top or bottom ash tray 6 may be disengaged from the stack, as seen in FIGURE 4, after which the thin protective film or strip 15 is stripped from the coating 14 to expose said coating. The ash tray 6, in an upright position, as seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, can then be placed on any suitable substantially horizontal supporting surface 16, such as a table or desk, and by applying a slight pressure downwardly thereon, the coating [14 will adhere to the surface '16 with a sufficient gripping engagement so that a positive upward pulling force is required to dislodge the ash tray from the surface 16. The coating 14 is of a character such that it will not leave the surface 16 sticky when removed therefrom and will not otherwise mar or injure said surface.

Since the material 7, from which the ash tray 6 is formed, must be very light in weight and inexpensive, the ash tray would be impractical for its intended purpose except for the coating 14 by which the ash tray is secured to a supporting surface, since otherwise the ash tray would be readily overturned and would readily slide relative to the surface 16 if accidentally struck, and in either instance would constitute a fire hazard if the ash tray contained burning tobacco products.

An annular groove 17, formed by the lower part of the surrounding Wall 8, the wall 12 and the base 13, is sufiiciently narrow so that the burning end of a cigar or cigarette cannot be inserted therein. Thus, the burning ends of cigars and cigarettes supported by the ash tray 6 must rest on the elevated bottom 11 which is sufliciently elevated with respect to the supporting surface 16 so that heat cannot be conducted therefrom to damage the surface 16. It will be understood that after use the ash tray 6 is intended to be disposed of with its contents.

rlt will also be understood that the shape and size of the base portion .13 can be varied as well as the coated area or areas 14, and various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the functionor scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A disposable ash tray formed from a sheet of a lightweight material and including a bottom, a base portion surrounding said bottom and disposed below the level thereof, a surrounding outer wall having a bottom edge merging with an outer edge of the base portion, said outer wall being inclined downwardly and inwardly to the base portion, a continuous wall extending downwardly and outwardly at an incline from the marginal edge of the bottom and merging with the inner edge of the base portion, said outer wall and continuous wall cooperating with said base portion to define a continuous upwardly opening groove which is flared upwardly in cross section to facilitate nesting said ash tray within a corresponding ash tray, the taper of said outer wall and container wall being such that the base portions and bottoms of the nested ash trays are maintained out of engagement with one another, and said base portion having an adhesive on its underside for adhesively attaching said ash tray to a supporting surface when the ash tray is removed from its nested position and which adhesive is supported out of contact with said corresponding ash tray in the nested relation of the ash trays.

2. A disposable ash tray as in claim 1, said groove being of a shape and a cross sectional size such as to prevent the burning end of a cigar or cigarette, disposed within the ash tray, from contacting said base portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cushman Mar. 26, 1912 Seez Mar. 9, 1937 Jones July 22, 1958 Salzenhrodt Sept. 6, 1960 ONeil Feb. 14, 1961