Abstract
A smoking article provides one or more sheets of material that can be rolled and packaged, at least one sheet including cellulose. In one embodiment, cellulose and tobacco sheet material are separately rolled layers that can optionally be wrapped around a form casing (or pre-rolled inside) and then packaged. In another embodiment, the sheet is a laminated sheet of tobacco and cellulose layers that can be optionally wrapped around (or pre-rolled inside) a form casing. These sheets can be filled with custom tobacco to make one or more new cigars for an end user. In another embodiment, a complete cigar filled with tobacco material can be disassembled by an end user to produce tobacco and cellulose sheets, enabling the end user to form two new cigars using his or her own custom tobacco.
Claims
1-9. (canceled)
10. A method of fabricating a plurality of cigars comprising: (a) providing a cigar, the cigar comprising: (i) a cigar shell; (ii) the shell having an axis and bore with first and second longitudinal ends, and a first smokable filler in the shell; (iii) the shell comprised of a pair of separable sheets, having first and second sheets; (iv) a light glue seal that holds the shell together; (v) wherein a user can grip the shell at the first and second ends, twist in different directions, causing the shell to open and the first and second sheets to separate; and (vi) a package that contains the shell; (b) removing the shell from the package; (c) gripping the shell on the first and second ends; (d) twisting the first and second ends in opposite directions in directions substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, causing the light glue seal to break, the shell to open, and the first and second sheets to separate; (e) forming a first custom cigar with the first sheet; and (f) forming a second custom cigar with the second sheet.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein in step a the first smokable filler is comprised of tobacco.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein a second tobacco filler is used in step e.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein a second tobacco filler is used in step f.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first tobacco filler is used in steps e and f.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein step a the first sheet is homogenized tobacco material.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein step a the second sheet is cellulose.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein step a the second sheet is transparent.
18. The method of claim 10, wherein step a the package includes a tube.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the tube includes a detachable cap.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0045] For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:
[0046] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0047] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0048] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0049] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0050] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0051] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0052] FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0053] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0054] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0055] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0056] FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of a third embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0057] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0058] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0059] FIG. 14 is a partial perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0060] FIG. 15 is a partial perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating disassembly of the cigar to provide multiple shells;
[0061] FIG. 16 is a partial perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0062] FIG. 17 is a perspective end view of a fifth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0063] FIG. 18 is a perspective end view of a fifth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0064] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0065] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0066] FIG. 21 is a partial perspective view of the sixth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0067] FIG. 22 is a partial exploded perspective view of the sixth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0068] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0069] FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; and
[0070] FIG. 25 is a partial perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0071] FIGS. 1-8 show a first, preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 10 in FIGS. 6-7. Smoking article 10 provides a tobacco sheet 11 and a cellulose sheet 12. The two sheets 11, 12 are preferably rolled together and around a form casing 13. Alternatively, the sheets can be pre-rolled and placed inside form casing 13. The form casing 13 can be for example a polypropylene or other plastic tube. After the two sheets 11, 12 are wound or wrapped around the form casing 13, they are packaged inside of a package 14. Package 14 can be a foil or plastic sealed package having an interior 14A that contains the sheets 11, 12 rolled around form casing 13. Package 14 can be of a material (e.g. foil or plastic) that prevents substantial loss of moisture. Sheets 11, 12 are preferably packaged in roll form and unfilled (see FIGS. 5-6).
[0072] A user can take either of the tobacco sheet 11 or cellulose sheet 12 and form a new cigar as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. The sheet 11 is preferably comprised of tobacco material such as a tobacco leaf material or a homogenized tobacco sheet material and retains a rolled or cylinder form even after removal from package 14 (and form casing 13). The rolled sheet 11 provides a central storage area, bore, or space 16 that can be filled with tobacco filler 15 (see FIG. 7) and rolled to form a new formed cigar 18 as shown in FIG. 7. Similarly, the rolled sheet 12 can be provided with a central storage area, bore, or space 17 that is receptive of tobacco filler 15. The sheet 12 can be rolled around the tobacco filler 15 as shown in FIG. 8 for forming a new cigar 19. Each sheet 11 or 12 can be filled with selected tobacco filler 15 can be sealed with moisture, tobacco glue or the like.
[0073] FIGS. 9-10 show a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 20. Smoking article 20 employs a laminated sheet 21. Laminated sheet 21 includes a cellulose layer 22 that can be transparent and a tobacco layer 23. The smoking article 20 employs a laminated rolled sheet 24 having a central storage area, bore, space, or interior that is receptive of a user's custom tobacco. The sheet 24 can be rolled or wrapped around form casing 13 (FIG. 9) and then contained within package 25. The sheet 24 can alternatively be rolled into a tubular shape and without form 13 (see FIG. 11), then packaged within package 25. Package 25 can be a foil or film or vacuum type package that prevents substantial loss of moisture. The laminated sheet 21 of FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 preferably includes a cellulose layer 22 and tobacco layer 23 that are laminated or joined using tobacco glue as an example. The glue that is used to join the two layers 22, 23 together can be flavored or scented. The tobacco layer 23 can be leaf, whole leaf tobacco or homogenized tobacco. The cellulose layer 22 is preferably an outer layer of rolled laminated sheet 24 to aid in moisture retention.
[0074] FIG. 11 shows a third embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 26. Smoking article 26 provides a rolled sheet 27 that is of a laminated material. Sheet 27 can be the laminated sheet 21 of FIGS. 9-10. Thus, the rolled sheet 27 can be a laminate of a cellulose layer 22 and a tobacco layer 23. Rolled sheet 27 has a bore or interior 28 for containing custom tobacco. In FIG. 11, the rolled sheet 27 is placed inside package 29 and without being wrapped around any form casing. When rolled, the cellulose layer 22 is preferably the outer layer as shown in FIG. 11, thus enhancing the retention of moisture. The tobacco layer 23 thus faces inwardly and contacts any custom tobacco that is added to the bore or interior 28 of the rolled sheet 27 when an end user forms his or her own cigar.
[0075] FIGS. 12-14 show a fourth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 30. Smoking article 30 provides a cone-shaped tube 31 having a smaller diameter end portion 32, a larger diameter end portion 33 and a cone shaped interior or bore 64 that is receptive of a user's custom tobacco filler. The cone-shaped tube 31 can be packaged empty or filled with tobacco or partially filled with tobacco and placed within container 34. A closure cap 35 can be used to close container 34 after cone-shaped tube 31 is placed therein, as shown in FIG. 12. Cone-shaped tube 31 is preferably formed with a laminated sheet such as sheet 21 that was shown and described with respect to the embodiments of FIGS. 9-11. The smaller diameter end portion 31 can be fitted with a filter internally or with a mouth piece. In FIG. 12, the laminated sheet 21 is preferably wound in a cone-shape to provide cone-shaped tube 31 that generally retains its shape once formed. Sheet 21 provides a tobacco layer 23 that is preferably an inner layer. Sheet 21 provides cellulose layer 22 that is preferably an outer layer. The tobacco layer 23 can be sheet or leaf tobacco or homogenized tobacco. A user would typically unroll tube 31 to add custom tobacco, then roll back and close with moisture, cigar glue or the like.
[0076] FIGS. 13-18 show a fifth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 36. Smoking article 36 provides a cigar 37 that has a cylindrically shaped or tubular shell 44. The shell 44 has a shell bore 45 that is filled or partially filled with a tobacco filler 43. The shell 44 is comprised of a pair of separable layers including a first layer 41 and a second layer 42. Cigar 37 can be contained within container 34 and cap 35. FIG. 15 illustrates that the cigar 37 can be easily separated as it is only lightly glued together. By simply twisting the cigar 37 as illustrated in FIG. 15 to create twisted section 38, a user can grip the ends of the cigar 37 with his or her hands 39, 40 and break the very light glue seal that holds cigar 37 together. Once broken apart, the layers 41, 42 can be separated and exposed as shown in FIG. 16. They can then be spaced apart as shown in FIG. 16 enabling the user to fill each one of the layers 41, 42 with his or her own custom tobacco filler 43. The filler 43 supplied by the user can be either a completely new filler 43 or can be mixed with the existing filler 43 that was supplied with the cigar 37 as purchased.
[0077] FIG. 16 illustrates the manufacture of a new cigar by adding tobacco filler 43 to the first layer 41 or to the second layer 42 (see arrows 63). The first layer 41 is preferably of a transparent cellulose sheet material. Alternatively, the cellulose sheet can be non-transparent. In FIG. 19, the layer 42 is a tobacco layer that can be leaf tobacco material or homogenized tobacco material. In FIG. 17, filler 43 has been added to the sheet 41. In FIG. 18, filler 43 has been added to sheet 42. In either case, the sheet 41 or 42 can be rolled with a user's custom tobacco to make two new cigars from the single purchased cigar 37. Moisture or cigar glue can be used to hold each layer 41, 42 in a tube shape after filler 43 has been added to the sheet 41 or 42.
[0078] FIGS. 19-22 show a sixth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention in the form of complete cigars that are designated generally by the numerals 46, 47 and 48 in FIGS. 19-21. In each of the smoking articles 46, 47, 48, a completed cigar with a mouth piece 49 is provided. Mouth piece 49 is positioned at one end portion of each article 46, 47, 48 as shown. The cigars 46, 47, 48 each provide a tobacco filler 53. However, each smoking article 46, 47, 48 has a different outer shell or layering. Smoking article 46 has a cellulose shell 51 that is transparent, the tobacco filler 53 showing through in FIG. 19. Smoking article 47 has a tobacco layer shell 52 filled with tobacco filler 53. Smoking article 48 has a laminated sheet shell 50 that can be a lamination of a tobacco sheet, and a cellulose sheet as with the embodiments of FIGS. 9-14. Smoking article 48 positions the laminated sheet shell 50 such that the outer layer is a tobacco layer 54 and the inner layer is a cellulose sheet 55. In FIG. 21, a part of the tobacco sheet outer layer 54 has been removed to show the inner cellulose layer 55. Alternatively, cellulose layer 55 can be the inner layer, and tobacco sheet layer 54 can be the outer layer. In FIG. 22, the mouth piece 49 has been removed for further illustration. A container 34 having cap 35 can be used to contain each cigar 46, 47, 48 (see FIG. 22).
[0079] FIGS. 23-25 show a seventh embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 58. Smoking article 58 provides a cellulose sheet 59 that is wound upon a form casing 13 and contained inside a package 60. The cellulose sheet 59 is thus rolled, wrapped about the form casing 13 to provide a tubular form 61 that can be removed from package 60 by an end user, then filled with a user's custom tobacco filler 62 as shown in FIG. 27. Alternatively, sheet 59 can be pre-rolled and inserted inside form casing 13. In FIG. 28, the rolled cigar 58 comprising cellulose sheet 59 and tobacco filler 62 can be contained in a container 34 with cap 35 as shown in FIGS. 12-13 and 22.
[0080] The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention.
PARTS LIST
[0081]
TABLE-US-00001 Part Number Description 10 smoking article 11 tobacco sheet 12 cellulose sheet 13 form casing 14 package .sup.14A interior 15 tobacco filler 16 bore/space 17 bore/space 18 formed cigar 19 formed cigar 20 smoking article 21 laminated sheet 22 cellulose layer 23 tobacco layer 24 rolled sheet 25 package 26 smoking article 27 rolled sheet 28 interior 29 package 30 smoking article 31 cone shaped tube 32 smaller diameter end portion 33 larger diameter end portion 34 container 35 closure cap 36 smoking article 37 cigar 38 twisted central section 39 consumer's hand 40 consumer's hand 41 first layer 42 second layer 43 tobacco filler 44 shell 45 shell bore 46 smoking article 47 smoking article 48 smoking article 49 mouth piece 50 laminated sheet shell 51 cellulose shell 52 tobacco shell 53 tobacco filler 54 tobacco sheet outer layer 55 cellulose sheet 58 smoking article 59 cellulose sheet 60 package 61 tubular form 62 tobacco filler 63 arrow 64 cone shaped interior or bore 65 arrows
[0082] All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. All materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible, unless indicated otherwise.
[0083] The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
