Automatic self-cleaning cigar punch

Abstract

A cigar punch is designed to cut out plug from the sealed end of a cigar and automatically expel the plug out of the punch.

Claims

1. An automatic self-cleaning cigar punch comprising: a casing having a first cylindrical shaped portion and a wall, said first cylindrical shaped portion having a first opening opposite said wall, said first opening having a cutting edge, said cutting edge adapted to make a cylindrical cut in a first end of a cigar; and a spring having a first end attached to said wall and a second end secured to a first end of a cylindrical piston, wherein said cylindrical piston has a second end having a taper, wherein the first cylindrical shaped portion of said cigar punch further comprises a tapered cylindrical shaped portion, and a first end of said tapered cylindrical shaped portion is attached to an end of said first cylindrical shaped portion away from said first opening, whereby pushing a material that can be cut against said first opening makes said cylindrical cut in said material, and if said material within said cylindrical cut is left within said first opening when the pushing pressure is released, said cylindrical piston will expel said material remaining within said first opening.

2. The cigar punch of claim 1, further comprising a second cylindrical shaped portion, wherein a first end of said second cylindrical shaped portion is attached to a second end of said tapered cylindrical shaped portion and a second end of said second cylindrical shaped portion is attached to said wall.

3. The cigar punch of claim 1, wherein said casing has a length of between about 2.00 and 2.03 inches, an outer diameter of between about 0.460 and 0.485 inches, and a diameter of said first opening of between about 0.33 and 0.36 inches.

4. The cigar punch of claim 1, wherein said spring has a length of between about 1.45 and 1.55 inches and a diameter of between 0.30 and 0.33 inches.

5. The cigar punch of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical piston has a length of between 0.70 and 0.80 inches and a diameter of between 0.29 and 0.32 inches.

6. The cigar punch of claim 1, wherein said casing is made of a metal.

7. The cigar punch of claim 1, wherein said spring is made of a metal.

8. The cigar punch of claim 7, wherein said first end of said spring is soldered to said wall of said casing.

9. The cigar punch of claim 1, wherein said first end of said spring is soldered to said wall of said casing.

10. The cigar punch of claim 1, wherein said second end of said spring is soldered to said first end of said cylindrical piston.

11. The cigar punch of claim 7, wherein said second end of said spring is soldered to said first end of said cylindrical piston.

12. The cigar punch of claim 1, wherein said spring compresses within said casing upon pressure.

13. The cigar punch of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical piston slides down within said casing under pressure.

14. The cigar punch of claim 1, wherein said wall of said casing is affixed with a key chain.

15. The cigar punch of claim 1, further comprising a cover comprising a cover body and a first opening, wherein said cover is releasably secured to said cigar punch by inserting said cigar punch into said first opening of said cover in a non-permanent fashion, and wherein inserting said cigar punch into said cover results in said cover covering said cutting edge of said cigar punch.

16. The cigar punch claim 15, wherein said cover is of any shape.

17. The cigar punch claim 15, wherein said cover is made of plastic, metal, or any combination thereof.

18. The cigar punch of claim 1, wherein the cigar punch is made to resemble a bullet.

19. The cigar punch of claim 18, wherein the bullet resembles a .308 caliber bullet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The features of the invention believed to be novel and the elements characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The figures are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to scale. The invention itself, however, may best be understood by reference to the detailed description that follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 is a simplified view of an embodiment of a self-cleaning cigar punch in accordance with the present invention illustrating a casing attached to a cylindrical piston.

(3) FIG. 2 is a simplified view of another embodiment of a self-cleaning cigar punch in accordance with the present invention illustrating a key chain affixed to a wall of a casing.

(4) FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a cigar punch in accordance with the present invention, before the pressure is applied.

(5) FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a cigar punch in accordance with the present invention after the pressure is applied.

(6) FIG. 5 is a simplified view of another embodiment of a self-cleaning cigar punch in accordance with the present invention illustrating a cover to prevent the cutting edge to be exposed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) I. General

(8) The present invention relates generally to preparing cigars for smoking and, more particularly, concerns a cigar punch to cut out a plug from the sealed end of a cigar and automatically expel the plug out of the punch. In many conventional cigar punches, a plug that is cut and removed from the sealed end of a cigar remains within the cigar punch and has to be ejected manually to clean the cigar punch. In these conventional cigar punches, the plunger is pushed or extended out of its housing to expose the cutting edge or blade end, thus posing a higher health and safety risk for a person in possession of these cigar punches because of the likelihood of accidentally pushing the plunger.

(9) The self-cleaning cigar punch of the present invention is intended to remedy these deficiencies.

(10) II. Automatic Self-Cleaning Cigar Punch

(11) The following description is meant to be exemplary of certain embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that many other embodiments and variations thereof are also contemplated in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

(12) In describing various embodiments of the present invention, reference will be made herein to FIGS. 1-5 of the drawings in which like numerals refer to like features of the invention. Features of the invention are not necessarily shown to scale in the drawings.

(13) With reference now to the figures, and in particular to FIG. 1, a simplified cigar punch 10 is illustrated in accordance with the present invention. The cigar punch 10 includes a cylindrical piston 11, a casing 12, a spring 13, and a wall 14. The cylindrical piston 11 has a first end and a second end that has a taper. A tip of the second end of the cylindrical piston 11 with a taper helps to align the cut in an end of a cigar. The casing 12 further includes a first cylindrical shaped portion 15, a tapered cylindrical shaped portion 16, and a second cylindrical shaped portion 17. The first cylindrical shaped portion 15 has a first opening with a cutting edge 20 and the cutting edge 20 is adapted to make a cylindrical cut in the first end of a cigar. A first end of the tapered cylindrical shaped portion 16 is attached to an end of the first cylindrical shaped portion 15 and away from the first opening of the first cylindrical shaped portion 15.

(14) The cylindrical piston 11 is inserted into casing 12 by placing the first end of cylindrical piston 11 through the first opening of the first cylindrical shaped portion 15. The cylindrical piston 11 is attached to the casing 12 through a spring 13. The spring 13 has a first end and a second end. The first end of spring 13 is soldered to the first end of cylindrical piston 11, while the second end of spring 13 is soldered to the wall 14 of casing 12. Wall 14 is a portion of casing 12, which lies at a transverse angle relative to the length of casing 12 and closes off the second cylindrical shaped portion 17, at the side away from the tapered cylindrical shaped portion 16. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that soldering is not the only means of attaching spring 13 to cylindrical piston 11 and wall 14, and that any other means of permanent attachment may be used.

(15) FIG. 2 is a simplified view of another embodiment of a self-cleaning cigar punch in accordance with the present invention illustrating a key chain affixed to a wall of a casing. The key chain 19 is affixed to a wall 14 of a casing 12.

(16) FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of a cigar punch in accordance with the present invention, before applying it to a cigar. In a resting state, at least part of cylindrical piston 11 should lie outside casing 12, with the tip of the second end with a taper facing away from the first cylindrical portion 15.

(17) It is appreciated that the cigar punch and its components can be of varying sizes in order to accommodate varying cigar sizes. In an exemplary embodiment, the cigar punch is made to resemble a .308 caliber bullet. Here, the casing 12 has a length of between about 2.00 and 2.03 inches, a second cylindrical shaped portion 17 with a diameter between about 0.460 and 0.485 inches, and a first cylindrical shaped portion 15 with a diameter between about 0.33 and 0.36 inches. The spring 13 has a length of between about 1.45 and 1.55 inches and a diameter of between about 0.30 and 0.33 inches. The cylindrical piston 11 has a length of between about 0.70 and 0.80 inches and a diameter of the first end of between about 0.29 and 0.32 inches.

(18) It is appreciated that the cigar punch and its components can be of varying materials. In an exemplary embodiment, the cigar punch and all its components are made of metal. However, other materials (such as plastic) are contemplated. The cutting edge 20 of first cylindrical opening 15 needs to be of a material that is sturdy and sharp enough to cut into a first end of a cigar 18 when applied with an effective amount of force by a person.

(19) Referencing FIG. 3, the present invention is designed to operate by first lining up the tip of the second end with a taper of cylindrical piston 11 with the approximate center of the first end of a cigar 18. Once this is accomplished, the user presses the cigar punch into the first end of a cigar 18 by applying a sufficient amount of force against wall 14, angling the force towards the first end of a cigar 18. This force causes spring 13 to compress. When spring 13 compresses, cylindrical piston 11 further recedes within casing 12. As cylindrical piston 12 recedes, the cutting edge 20 of cylindrical opening 15 is brought into contact with the first end of a cigar 18. A further application of force causes the cutting edge 20 of cylindrical opening 15 to cut into the cigar, thus cutting a hole into the cigar.

(20) FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the cigar punch once a user has pressed the cigar punch into a cigar and cut a hole into the first end of a cigar 18.

(21) When the user has cut a sufficient amount of the first end of a cigar 18, the user pulls the cigar punch away from the cigar. This causes spring 13 to decompress, which in turn causes cylindrical piston 11 to emerge from within casing 12 and return to a resting state. In an exemplary embodiment, the portion of the first end of a cigar 18 that was cut out by the aforementioned pressure application should still be attached to the tip of cylindrical piston 11. This cigar portion can be removed for easy cleaning.

(22) FIG. 5 shows the cigar punch with a cover. The cover is designed to protect the cutting edge of the cigar punch. The cover has a cover body and a first opening which is large enough to fit over the cigar punch. The cover is meant to be secured to the cigar punch in a non-permanent fashion, such that the cover can be later removed manually and without the assistance of mechanical devices. The cover is releasably secured to the cigar punch by inserting the second end of cylindrical piston 11 through the first opening of the cover. It can be further secured through a frictional engagement, a latching mechanism, or a twist and lock mechanism.

(23) It will be appreciated that the cover can be of any shape, including, for example, an elephant, the empire state building, and an effigy of the late chairman mao. It will also be appreciated that the cover can be made of plastic, metal, or any combination of such materials.

(24) As will be appreciated, the cigar punch and/or particular components of the cigar punch can be produced in a variety of colors or with other customizations including printed graphics or the like.