SMOKING ARTICLE HOLDING ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A holding assembly is disclosed for holding at least one smoking article while playing golf, comprising a holder configured to hold at least one smoking article, comprising a body with an elongated hole and a notch that are each configured to receive and hold a smoking article, and a stand to support the holder on the ground. The holding assembly also comprises a retainer configured to receive the holder, wherein the housing defines a chamber configured to receive the stand and an engagement structure coupled to the housing and configured to removably engage the retainer with a golf cart. In some embodiments, the body comprises a spherical shape with the first elongated hole being arranged substantially centrally to the body with a central axis being horizontally oriented. In some embodiments, the notch is arranged at a top end of the holder and extends in a horizontal direction.

Claims

1. A holding assembly for holding at least one smoking article while playing golf, comprising: a. a holder configured to hold at least one smoking article, comprising: i. a body having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface defines an elongated hole and the outer surface defines a notch, and further wherein the elongated hole and the notch are each configured to receive and hold the at least one smoking article; and ii. a stand extending downwardly from the body and configured to support the holder on a ground. b. a retainer configured to receive the holder and removably engage with a golf cart to enable retention of the holder with the golf cart, comprising: i. a housing that defines a chamber with an access opening disposed at a top end of the housing, wherein the housing is configured to receive the stand such that body extends outwardly from the chamber to enable holding the at least one smoking article while being engaged to the golf cart; and ii. an engagement structure coupled to the housing and configured to removably engage the retainer with the golf cart.

2. The holding assembly of claim 1, wherein the stand comprises a pin structure configured to be inserted into the ground to enable a positioning of the holder on the ground.

3. The holding assembly of claim 1, wherein the engagement structure comprises at least one magnet configured to magnetically couple the retainer with the golf cart.

4. The holding assembly of claim 1, wherein the stand is positioned inside a flange structure configured to extend inside the housing to form an assembly of the holder with the retainer configured to secure the holder within the housing.

5. The holding assembly of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a spherical shape with the first elongated hole being arranged substantially centrally to the body with a central axis being horizontally oriented.

6. The holding assembly of claim 1, wherein the notch is arranged at a top end of the holder and extends in a horizontal direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] Having thus described the subject matter of the present invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a holding assembly including a holder and a retainer, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 2A illustrates a front perspective view of the holding assembly of FIG. 1 with the holder and the retainer positioned on a ground, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 2B illustrates a smoking article positioned inside a notch of the holder with the retainer arranged besides the holder, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 2C illustrates a smoking article positioned inside an elongated hole of the holder with the retainer arranged besides the holder, according to an embodiment of the disclosure, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the holder standing on a ground with a tip portion inside the ground carrying two smoking articles, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure; and

[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates a side perspective view of the holding assembly of FIG. 1 with the retainer engaged to a golf cart and the holder arranged inside the housing with the body extending outwardly from the housing, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The subject matter of the present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the subject matter of the present invention are shown. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. The subject matter of the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Indeed, many modifications and other embodiments of the subject matter of the present invention set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the subject matter of the present invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the subject matter of the present invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Smoking Article Holding Assembly

[0029] A holding assembly for holding at least one smoking article while playing golf is disclosed, comprising: [0030] a. a holder configured to hold at least one smoking article, comprising: [0031] i. a body having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface defines an elongated hole and the outer surface defines a notch, and further wherein the elongated hole and the notch are each configured to receive and hold the at least one smoking article; and [0032] ii. a stand extending downwardly from the body and configured to support the holder on a ground. [0033] b. a retainer configured to receive the holder and removably engage with a golf cart to enable retention of the holder with the golf cart, comprising: [0034] i. a housing that defines a chamber with an access opening disposed at a top end of the housing, wherein the housing is configured to receive the stand such that body extends outwardly from the chamber to enable holding the at least one smoking article while being engaged to the golf cart; and [0035] ii. an engagement structure coupled to the housing and configured to removably engage the retainer with the golf cart.

[0036] In some embodiments, the stand comprises a pin structure configured to be inserted into the ground to enable a positioning of the holder on the ground.

[0037] In some embodiments, the engagement structure comprises at least one magnet configured to magnetically couple the retainer with the golf cart.

[0038] In some embodiments, the stand is positioned inside a flange structure configured to extend inside the housing to form an assembly of the holder with the retainer configured to secure the holder within the housing.

[0039] In some embodiments, the body comprises a spherical shape with the first elongated hole being arranged substantially centrally to the body with a central axis being horizontally oriented.

[0040] In some embodiments, the notch is arranged at a top end of the holder and extends in a horizontal direction.

[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 4, a holding assembly 100 for holding at least one smoking article, for example, a cigar, a cigarette, etc., and suitable to engage with a ground, for example, a grass surface 300 (shown in FIG. 3), and a golf cart 400 (shown in FIG. 4) is shown. The holding assembly 100 includes a holder 102 for receiving and holding two smoking articles 200, 202 simultaneously and a retainer 104 to hold and receive the holder 102 and configured to be removably engaged with the golf cart 400. The holder 102 includes a first end 106 (i.e., top end 106), a second end 108 (i.e., bottom end 108), a body 110 to receive the two smoking articles 200, 202 and extending from the top end 106 towards the bottom end 108, and a stand 112 to enable the standing of the holder 102 on the ground 300 and extending from the body 110 to the bottom end 108. The body 110 includes an inner surface 116 defining an elongated hole 120 to receive the first smoking article 200 and an outer surface 122 defining a notch 126 i.e., cut-out 126, to receive the second smoking article 202. As shown, the body 110 includes a spherical shape with the elongated hole 120 being a central through hole, and the notch 126 extending substantially parallel to the elongated hole 120 and arranged at the top end 106 of the holder 102. As shown, a central axis 128 of the elongated hole 120 is a horizontal oriented central axis of the sphere, and a central axis 130 of the notch 126 is also oriented horizontally and extends substantially parallel to the central axis 128. Although, the body 110 is shown and contemplated as the spherical body, it may be envisioned that the body 110 may include any other suitable shape, such as, but not limited to, a cylindrical shape, a cuboidal shape, or any other suitable shape known in the art.

[0042] The stand 112 extends downwardly and outwardly from the body 110 from a location diametrically opposite to the notch 126 and includes a pin structure 140 having a tip portion 142 arranged at the bottom end 108 of the holder 102, and a shank portion 144 extending from the tip portion 142 towards the top end 106 of the holder 102. Accordingly, the pin structure 140 is a vertically oriented structure and extends along a central vertical axis of the body 110. The tip portion 142 is a tapered body to enable an insertion of the pin structure 140 inside the ground 300 to enable a standing of the holder 102 on the ground 300. Further, to enable a secure engagement of the stand 112 with the retainer 104, the holder 102 may include a flange structure 150 arranged between the shank portion 144 (i.e., the pin structure 140) and the body 110. The flange structure 150 is shown to include a rectangular shape, however, it may be appreciated that the flange structure 150 may include any other suitable shape, such as, but not limited to, a circular shape, a square shape, a trapezoidal shape, or any other shape known in the art.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, the retainer 104 includes a housing 160 to receive and retain the holder 102 (i.e., stand 112) and an engagement structure 162 adapted to be removably engaged with the golf cart 400, thereby facilitating the removable engagement of the retainer 104, and hence the holding assembly 100, with the golf cart 400. The housing 160 includes a base 164 and at least one sidewall, for example, four sidewalls 166, extending vertically from the base 164 defining a chamber 168 therebetween. To retain the holder 102 with the retainer 104, the stand 112 is inserted inside the chamber 168 via an access opening 170 arranged at a top end 172 of the housing 160, as shown in FIG. 4. It may be appreciated that a height of the stand 112 (i.e., a distance between the bottom end 108 of the holder 102 to the body 110) is substantially equal to a height of the sidewalls 166 to enable a complete insertion of the stand 112 (i.e., pin structure 140 along with the flange structure 150) inside the chamber 168. Accordingly, in an engagement of the holder 102 with the retainer 104, the body 110 remains outwardly from the housing 160, abutting the top end 172 of the housing 160, as shown in FIG. 4. Also, to securely engage and retain the holder 102 with the housing 160, a shape of the flange structure 150 and the housing 160 is complimentary to each other with the cross-sectional dimensions of the flange structure 150 being substantially equal to cross-sectional dimension of the access opening 170. Accordingly, in an engagement of the holder 102 with the housing 160, the flange structure 150 is arranged inside the chamber 168 with an outer side 174 of the flange structure 150 arranged in abutment with an inner side 178 of the housing 160.

[0044] Moreover, referring to FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, and 2C, and 4, the engagement structure 162 includes a protrusion 180 having a hollow cylindrical shape and disposed proximate to the top end 172 of the housing 160 and protruding outwardly from the sidewall 166. The protrusion defines a cylindrical cavity 182 (best shown in FIG. 1), and at least one magnet 184, for example, two magnets 184, best shown in FIGS. 1, and 2A to 2C, are arranged and retained inside the cavity 182. The magnets 184 are configured to magnetically couple the retainer with the golf cart 400. As shown, to engage the retainer 104 with the golf cart 400, a portion of a suitable feature, for example, a disk-shaped protrusion, of the golf cart 400 may be inserted inside the cavity and magnetically coupled/engaged with the magnets 184.

[0045] The advantages of the holding assembly 100 is now described. The holder 102 of the holding assembly 100 holds the cigar/cigarette at a place, when the user indulges in some other activity, for example, taking a shot while playing golf. The holding assembly 100 can hold two cigar/cigarette simultaneously, one in the notch 126 of the holder 102 and other in the through-hole 120. The retainer 104 enables the retention or engagement of the holder 102 with the golf cart 400 in addition to the surface 300, thereby facilitating the use of the holder 102 for positioning smoking articles 200, 202 at multiple locations. The magnets 184 accommodated inside the protrusion 180 facilitates removable coupling of the holding assembly 100 with any metal surface, for example, the golf cart 400.

General Definitions

[0046] Following long-standing patent law convention, the terms a, an, and the refer to one or more when used in this application, including the claims. Thus, for example, reference to a subject includes a plurality of subjects, unless the context clearly is to the contrary (e.g., a plurality of subjects), and so forth.

[0047] Throughout this specification and the claims, the terms comprise, comprises, and comprising are used in a non-exclusive sense, except where the context requires otherwise. Likewise, the term include and its grammatical variants are intended to be non-limiting, such that recitation of items in a list is not to the exclusion of other like items that can be substituted or added to the listed items.

[0048] For the purposes of this specification and appended claims, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing amounts, sizes, dimensions, proportions, shapes, formulations, parameters, percentages, quantities, characteristics, and other numerical values used in the specification and claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term about even though the term about may not expressly appear with the value, amount or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and/or larger or smaller as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill in the art depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained by the subject matter of the present invention. For example, the term about, when referring to a value can be meant to encompass variations of, in some embodiments ?100%, in some embodiments ?50%, in some embodiments ?20%, in some embodiments ?10%, in some embodiments ?5%, in some embodiments ?1%, in some embodiments ?0.5%, and in some embodiments ?0.1% from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate to perform the disclosed methods or employ the disclosed compositions.

[0049] Further, the term about when used in connection with one or more numbers or numerical ranges, should be understood to refer to all such numbers, including all numbers in a range and modifies that range by extending the boundaries above and below the numerical values set forth. The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers, e.g., whole integers, including fractions thereof, subsumed within that range (for example, the recitation of 1 to 5 includes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, as well as fractions thereof, e.g., 1.5, 2.25, 3.75, 4.1, and the like) and any range within that range.

[0050] Although the foregoing subject matter has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that certain changes and modifications can be practiced within the scope of the appended claims.