Cigar-Cigarette Carrying Case

What is this patent about?

’783 is related to the field of smoker's accessories, specifically portable containers designed for the transport and disposal of tobacco products. The background context involves the increasing social pressure on smokers to manage their waste responsibly, creating a need for a device that can safely store both fresh cigars or cigarettes and the messy remnants—such as hot ash and extinguished butts—generated during consumption.

The underlying idea behind ’783 is the integration of a thermally insulated liner within a rigid, portable housing to create a dual-purpose transport and disposal system. By using heat-resistant materials like fiberglass, the inventor realized that a standard carrying case could be transformed into a mobile ashtray capable of holding a glowing tobacco product without damaging the outer shell or transferring excessive heat to the user’s hand.

The claims of ’783 focus on a multi-segmented housing unit equipped with a specialized liner unit and a secure latching mechanism. The core structural requirement is a pair of hinged housing segments that, when closed, compress the edges of the internal liner to form an airtight seal. This seal is critical as it serves to extinguish unconsumed tobacco by oxygen deprivation while simultaneously preventing ash and odors from escaping the container.

In practice, the invention functions as a protective sleeve that transitions from a clean storage case to a waste receptacle. The internal geometry is specifically dimensioned to accommodate the length of a standard cigar or cigarette, and in certain configurations, it utilizes a transverse partition wall to physically segregate fresh tobacco from discarded remains. This ensures that unsmoked products remain clean and untainted by the debris stored in the adjacent compartment.

This design differs from prior carrying cases by moving beyond simple storage to address the thermal and hygiene challenges of post-smoking disposal. While traditional tubes only hold unlit products, the ’783 uses its fiberglass insulation to allow for the immediate storage of hot materials. By combining a rugged exterior with a heat-shielded, sealed interior, the device provides a discrete and practical solution for waste management in environments where traditional ashtrays are unavailable.