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Fire-safe disposal bags for smokers' receptacles

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/844,796 filed Sep. 15, 2006 which is herein incorporated by reference.

The present invention relates in general to the disposal of combustible debris. In particular, the present invention relates a disposable fireproof container for use within a collection device for the collection and disposal of cigarettes, cigars and other small combustible debris.

Most buildings generally have ash trays or other receptacles at building entrances and/or in designated smoking areas, in which smokers can dispose of their used smoking materials. Many of these receptacles have been designed to suppress or prevent fires within the receptacle by eliminating the oxygen needed to fuel a fire. The receptacles often have buckets that collect cigarette butts that are dropped into the containers.

Almost invariably, the buckets become coated with nicotine, become smelly and generally become undesirable to touch and handle. Moreover, the bucket needs to be dumped once it has been removed. This leads to ash and other light material possibly becoming airborne and further irritating the person responsible for dumping the bucket. Changing the buckets becomes an undesirable job which no one wants to do. Often the bucket becomes so polluted with cigarette residue, such as ash, tar and nicotine, that the bucket is simply discarded and replaced.

Most receptacles designed to prevent fires do so by eliminating oxygen around the combustion and thereby suffocating the fire. In general, these containers work well for preventing fires within the receptacle. However, the potential for fire still exist when the receptacles are emptied. When the cover of the cigarette receptacle is removed combustible material may still be smoldering. Oxygen rich air surrounds the material and it may reignite. If not detected the hot or burning material may be dumped into a larger container such as a dumpster or trash can which will often contain other combustible material. Obviously, this may lead to an undesirable and dangerous situation.

The present invention has been developed in view of the foregoing.

A disposable, fireproof receptacle for combustible debris for use in a cigarette receptacle is disclosed. The receptacle may be a liner may be made from an inexpensive, fire resistant material such as metallic foil or plastic. The liner may be used in combination with or without a pail inside the receptacle. The metallic foil or plastic is inexpensive enough to also be disposable. When filled with debris the liner can be removed and sealed to allow clean safe disposal of the grimy and potentially hot debris inside the liner.

An aspect of the present invention provides a receptacle for combustible debris comprising a base having at least one wall defining an interior chamber, a removable cover atop the base having an opening for receiving the combustible debris, a pail positioned under the opening of the removable cover and inside the interior chamber, a fireproof, disposable liner inside the pail.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a receptacle for combustible debris comprising a base having at least one wall defining an interior chamber, a removable cover atop the base having an opening for receiving the combustible debris, a fireproof, disposable liner positioned under the opening of the removable cover and inside the interior chamber.

Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a method of emptying a cigarette butt receptacle comprising the steps of removing a cover from the cigarette butt receptacle, removing a fireproof liner at least partially filled with cigarette butts or other debris, folding and rolling a top edge of the fireproof liner upon other portions of the top edge of the fireproof liner to close the liner, disposing of the liner and debris, positioning a new liner into the cigarette butt receptacle, and replacing the cover on the cigarette butt receptacle.

These and other aspects will become more apparent from the following description.

FIG. 1 is oblique view showing the top and side of a liner according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is oblique view showing the bottom and side of a liner according to one embodiment of the present invention.