US3239099A - Cigarette package - Google Patents

Description

March 8, 1966 HQLSQMBACH 3,239,099

CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed July 16, 1963 I l l l l I /B\E INVENTOR.

JAM/:5 Mf/V/I OLSUMEACH United States Patent 3,239,099 CIGARETTE PACKAGE James Nolen Holsombach, 13210 Boca Ciega Ave., Madeira Beach, Fla. Filed July 16, 1963, Ser. No. 295,351 1 Claim. (Cl. 221232) This invention relates to a cigarette package wherein upward movement of a tab depending from the package pushes a cigarette, or cigarettes, upwardly from the upper end of the package to facilitate gripping the cigarette, and also wherein cigarettes in the package are urged toward one side of the package and to a position above the tab by springs in the package.

The purpose of this invention is to facilitate removing cigarettes from a cigarette package.

In numerous instances cigarettes have been removed from a package by shaking the package so that the cigarettes will be aligned with an opening torn in a corner of a cigarette package, and in other instances cigarettes have been urged upwardly by mashing the lower corner of a package. However, in either case the cigarettes are damaged, and sometimes destroyed.

With these thoughts in mind the present invention contemplates a cigarette package having resilient means therein for urging cigarettes toward one side of the package, and also having a projecting tab at one corner for urging cigarettes of the package through a cigarette dispensing opening in the package to facilitate gripping cigarettes in removing the cigarettes from the package.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide elevating means in a package of cigarettes to facilitate removing cigarettes from the package.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a tab for ejecting cigarettes from a package in which the tab is installed in a package of cigarettes without enlarging the package.

A further object of the invention is to provide means in a package of cigarettes having ejecting means therein, for urging the cigarettes toward the ejecting means.

A still further object is to provide a cigarette package having means for ejecting cigarettes therein in which the ejecting means is of simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a cigarette package having a cigarette ejecting tab extended from one end, with resilient means for retaining the tab in position, and also with resilient means for urging cigarettes in the package toward said ejecting means.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a package of cigarettes with part broken away illustrating a tab for ejecting cigarettes from the package and also showing springs for urging cigarettes toward a position above the tab, the tab being shown in a folded position against the bottom .of the package in dotted lines.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to that shown in FIGURE 1 showing a modification wherein the springs are omitted.

FIGURE 3 is an edge elevational view of a cigarette package showing the ejector extending downwardly and cigarettes extended upwardly, from the upper end of the package, in dotted lines.

FIGURE 4 is a view looking upwardly toward the lower end of a package of cigarettes showing a slot in which the ejector is positiond.

FIGURE 5 is a view looking downwardly upon the upper end of a cigarette package showing the upper corner of the package broken away, which is conventional,

FIGURE 6 is a sectional plan through the lower portion 3,239,099 Patented Mar. 8, 1966 "ice of a package of cigarettes, taken on line 66 of FIG- URE 1, illustrating the tab.

While several embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the above referred to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the invention may be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, without in any manner departing .from the spirit and intention of the device, which is to be limited only in accordance with the appended claim. And while there is stated the primary field of utility of the invention it remains obvious that it may be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following specification, the same reference characters are used to designate the same parts and elements throughout, and in which the numeral 10 represents a cigarette package, of conventional size and design, and in use one corner of the package is torn away providing an opening 11 through which cigarettes 12 are ejected, as indicated by the dotted lines 13. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the cigarettes are ejected by a tabe 14, which depends from one end of a horizontal strip 15, and extends through a slot 16 in one end 17 of the package. The opposite end 18 of the strip 15 extends upwardly substantially to a point 19 for anchoring the tab in the package. To facilitate packaging and shipping, the tab 14 may be folded against the bottom 17 of the package, as indicated by the dotted lines 20.

The cigarette package may be provided with loop springs 21 and 22 anchored to the wall 23 opposite to the wall 24 at the lower end of which the tab 14 is positioned, at the points 25 and 26, and as cigarettes are used from the package, the remaining cigarettes are urged to positions above the tab 14 by the springs.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 2, the springs 21 and 22 are omitted, and a tab 27, similar to the tab 14, depends from an end of a section 28 of a spring member, and the opposite end of the section 28 extends upwardly to a point 29, whereby the ejector is mounted in a package 30.

In use the ejector is pressed upwardly as indicated by the dotted lines in FIGURE 1, forcing cigarettes from the upper end of the package.

With the parts assembled as illustrated and described the cigarettes in a package are urged toward positions above the ejector by the springs, and as the ejector 14 is pressed inwardly a cigarette is forced upwardly, as shown by the dotted lines, so that the upper projecting end of the cigarette may be readily gripped, such as by the thumb and forefinger of a smoker, and the cigarette readily withdrawn.

As cigarettes are used from a package other cigarettes are urged to ejecting positions above the ejector by the springs.

Although the device is described as being particularly adapted for a cigarette package, it may also be incorporated in a cigarette case, as may be desired.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a cigarette package constructed in accordance with this invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

Having now described the invention that which is claimed to be new and desired to be procured by Letters Patent,

A cigarette package which comprises:

(a) a rectangular-shaped cigarette retaining case having four side walls and two end walls and having a cigarette dispensing opening in one end and a slot in the opposite end,

(b) said slot being in alignment with said cigarette dispensing opening,

(c) an ejector mounted in the package adjacent the slot, one end of the ejector being extended from the inside of said cigarette package through said slot, said ejector being mounted to selectively extend from the slot and project through the end of the 'package or fold to a nested position against the outer surface of the package,

(d) spring means comprising loops having free ends poistioned within the package, one end of each spring being attached to said cigarette package with opposite ends of the loops free to slide providing flexibility in the loops, said springs means positioned to urge cigarettes in the package to a dispensing position in alignment with said cigarette dispensing opening and slot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,226,591 5/1917 Primavera et a1. 22160 1,286,809 12/1918 Shaw 221-60 2,257,584 9/1941 Wyllie 221260 2,339,924 1/ 1944 Hadley 221-60 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner;

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