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Smoking apparatusRelated Patent Categories: Tobacco, Tobacco Users' ApplianceSmoking apparatus description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060231111, Smoking apparatus. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present general inventive concept relates to a smoking apparatus, and more particularly, to a smoking apparatus that allows a user to light and ventilate a smoking implement when the user does not have access to a personal lighting device and/or ventilation device. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Due to growing public health concerns, smoking in public areas is generally limited to designated smoking areas. However, smoke odors and smoke pollution are not always contained in the designated smoking areas. Accordingly, it is desirable to reduce the smoke odors and smoke pollution occurring in and around the designated smoking areas. [0005] In light of recent security concerns, many public areas do not permit personal sources of heat, ignition, or fire, including cigarette lighters and matches. This is inconvenient for smokers because it prevents smoking even in the designated smoking areas. Accordingly, it is desirable to allow smokers to light smoking implements (i.e. cigarettes, cigars, etc.) without the use of a personal lighting device. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The present general inventive concept provides an apparatus that allows a user to light a smoking implement, such as a cigarette, a cigar, etc., when the user does not have access to a personal lighting device. [0007] The present general inventive concept also provides an apparatus that reduces smoke pollution and odor of a smoking implement, such as a cigarette, a cigar, etc. [0008] Additional aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept. [0009] The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept are achieved by providing a smoking apparatus, including a main body, a lighter unit including a coil attached to the main body to receive electricity to heat the coil, and a control unit to control a supply of electricity to the lighter unit. [0010] The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept are also achieved by providing a smoking apparatus, including a lighter unit to light a smoking implement, a smokeless ashtray to reduce smoke emitting from the smoking implement, and a currency acceptor unit to accept currency and to activate the lighter unit and the smokeless ashtray after accepting a predetermined amount of the currency. [0011] The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept are also achieved by providing a main body, a lighter unit provided at an outer surface of the main body, a smokeless ashtray disposed at the outer surface of the main body to draw smoke emitting from a smoking implement into the main body and filter the drawn smoke, a coin accepting unit to accept coins and to provide a current signal to the lighter unit for a first predetermined amount of time and to the smokeless for a second predetermined amount of time after calculating a predetermined amount of currency from the accepted coins, and a bill accepting unit to accept bills and to provide a current signal to the lighter unit for the first predetermined amount of time and to the smokeless ashtray for the second predetermined amount of time after calculating the predetermined amount of currency from the accepted bills. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: [0013] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a smoking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept; and [0014] FIG. 2 is an interior view illustrating the smoking apparatus of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0015] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept while referring to the figures. [0016] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a smoking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the smoking apparatus includes a main body 1, a door 2 disposed at a side portion of the main body 1 to access an interior portion of the main body 1, a smokeless ashtray 5 provided at an upper surface of the main body 1, at least one lighter 6 provided at the upper surface of the main body 1, a coin machine 9 to accept coins and activate the smokeless ashtray 5 and the lighter 6, and a bill acceptor 8 to accept bills and activate the smokeless ashtray 5 and the lighter 6. The smoking apparatus can be connected to an external power source, such as a wall outlet, to supply power to the smokeless ashtray 5, the lighter 6, the coin machine 9, and the bill acceptor 8. The smoking apparatus can further include a transformer 10 to convert the power supplied from the external power source into a power compatible with the lighter 6. The smokeless ashtray 5 can be an ashtray with an electric fan drawing smoke through a filter 11. [0017] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the main body 1 can be provided in the form of a box, and can have the dimensions of 5''.times.15''.times.18'' in order to fit conveniently on a wall in public places. However the present general inventive concept is not limited to this configuration, and the main body 1 may be provided in any shape or size that is convenient to a user or a location of use. [0018] The coin machine 9 includes a coin slot 3 opened at an outer surface of the main body 1 and a coin reject button 4 protruding from the outer surface of the main body. The user can insert coins into the coin slot 3 and can retrieve the coins inserted into the coin slot 3 by pressing the coin reject button 4 if the coins have not been accepted. The coin machine 9 counts the coins inserted into the coin slot 3 and provides a closed circuit for electricity to flow to the smokeless ashtray 5 from the external power source and to the lighter 6 from the transformer 10 when a predetermined amount of currency has been inserted. The coin machine 9 stores the coins inserted into the coin slot 3 and is accessible through the door 2. [0019] The bill acceptor 8 includes a bill slot opened at an outer surface of the main body 1 to insert bills therein. The bill acceptor 8 counts the bills inserted into the bill slot and provides a closed circuit for electricity to flow to the smokeless ashtray 5 from the external source and to the lighter 6 from the transformer 10 when the predetermined amount of currency has been inserted. The bill acceptor 8 stores the bills inserted in the bill slot and is accessible through the door 2. [0020] The lighter 6 is provided at the upper surface of the main body 1 and contains coils (not shown) to allow the user to light a smoking implement (i.e., a cigarette, a cigar, etc.). The lighter 6 is attached to the main body 1 by a security chain 7 to prevent the lighter 6 from being removed from the smoking apparatus, and wiring to provide electricity to the coils of the lighter 6. The lighter 6, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, can include an automobile type lighter having the coils that heat up to light the smoking implement, and a lighter port to accommodate the automobile style lighter. The lighter port is a 12 volt power source to supply the electricity to the coils of the automobile type lighter when the automobile type lighter is pressed into the lighter port. Continue reading about Smoking apparatus... Full patent description for Smoking apparatus Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Smoking apparatus patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Smoking apparatus or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Accessory outlet apparatus Next Patent Application: Thermally insulative smoking article filter components Industry Class: Tobacco ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Smoking apparatus patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.27419 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Canon USA , Celera Genomics , Cephalon, Inc. , Cingular Wireless , Clorox , Colgate-Palmolive , Corning , Cymer , 174 |
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