Cigar extinguisher & saver device

Abstract

An improved portable cigar extinguisher and saver device consisting of an assembly of two hollow, cylindrical tube sections coupled together in a slidable, telescopic manner capable of being hermetically sealed by a movable top cap attached to the top tube section and a detachable bottom cap on the bottom tube section. The device can be sealed airtight and shortened or lengthened telescopically, thereby eliminating the space and air within to quickly extinguish a lit cigar and preserve it for later consumption, or to carry a fresh, unsmoked cigar. The device provides cigar smokers with a convenient, socially and environmentally friendly device for extinguishing and carrying a partially consumed cigar.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] None BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates generally to devices for extinguishing and saving tobacco products that have been lit and partially smoked. [0004] 2. Background Art [0005] The popularity of cigar smoking has not been diminished by the widespread implementation of nonsmoking laws, regulations and workplace rules in almost all public and private venues. Because of such restrictions, however, and the length of time needed to smoke a whole cigar, cigar smokers often need to extinguish cigars before they are completely consumed. Moreover, smokers often desire a convenient means of saving partially consumed cigars for later consumption in a socially and environmentally friendly way. [0006] Devices to extinguish and / or save partially smoked cigars are known in the art. An early example is U.S. Pat. No. 1,764,862 to Vogelsang which uses a hollow member to receive the cigar an...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] In operation, the top cap is moved to expose the hollow cavity of the assembly and a lit or partially smoked cigar is inserted therein through the top end of the top tube section. A lit cigar is extinguished quickly and efficiently without smoke escaping into the immediate environment when the top cap and bottom cap are closed and the assembly is sealed airtight. The telescoping action facilitates snuffing the cigar by reducing the inner space of the closed assembly and eliminating the air within, according to the size of the partially smoked cigar. However, if used as a carrying case for a fresh, unsmoked cigar or a partially smoked cigar, the telescoping action lengthens and shortens the assembly accordingly, and facilitates removing the cigar.

Problems solved by technology

Because of such restrictions, however, and the length of time needed to smoke a whole cigar, cigar smokers often need to extinguish cigars before they are completely consumed.

While the design of these devices had certain advantages over previous methods employed to extinguish and preserve cigars that have been lit, there were serious and obvious drawbacks which could even be comical and embarrassing sometimes. With the snuffer mounted on a spring, a cigar inserted in the open end can unexpectedly fly out of the tube through the hands of the smoker when the cap is removed.

Also, since the useful life of the device depends on the strength of the spring, the stronger the spring the more likely the cigar becomes a projectile when the cap is removed.

And there is the obvious awkward difficulty of cleaning ash residue from a device with a spring inside.

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