Patent US4037719A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4037719A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cigarette counting case
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1976-06-01
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Granted: 1977-07-26
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Expires: 1996-06-01
Abstract
Abstract A case for containing a pack of cigarettes, the case including a counting mechanism which counts the number of times that the case is opened up so to remove a cigarette from the pack, thus enabling a smoker, who wished to cut down on his smoking habit, to keep track of the number of cigarettes being smoked during a current day, the counting mechanism also having a counter that records the number of cigarettes smoked on a previous day for purposes of comparison.
Inventors
- 👤 Alan Perlmutter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 23:10
CPC Classifications
A; A24; A24F; A24F15/00; A24F15/005
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim
302 words
In a cigarette counting case, the combination of a first housing for containing a pack of cigarettes, a compartment in said first housing having a top opening and a bottom opening, said top opening being normally retained closed by an upwardly pivotable, spring-loaded top door, and said bottom opening being normally retained closed by a downwardly pivotable, spring-loaded bottom door, and said top door having a downwardly protruding post on its underside activating a counting mechanism contained in a second housing integrally formed on a front side of said first housing; said top opening including a pair of inwardly projecting tabs along a center of opposite longitudinal side edges thereof to prevent passage of a cigarette pack through said top opening into or out of said first housing thereby requiring usage of only said bottom opening for entering and removing a cigarette pack into said first housing, said second housing containing also a second counting mechanism that is manually operated; said mechanisms each including a pair of intermeshing, numerically calibrated wheels behind a window opening on said second housing exposing aligned numerical calibrations of said pair of wheels, one said wheel having a knurled edge extending in a notch on an outer side of said second housing for manual resetting of said pair of wheels; said first mechanism being indicated with a text "cigarettes that I smoked today" and said second mechanism being indicated with a text "cigarettes that I smoked yesterday;" and said first mechanism, activated by said post, including a spring-loaded plunger pin which at its lower end bears against ratchet teeth of said knurl-edged wheel, said pin being slidable in a hole which opens on a top edge of said first housing, said pin at rest having an upper end that is flush with said first housing top edge.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
302 words
In a cigarette counting case, the combination of a first housing for containing a pack of cigarettes, a compartment in said first housing having a top opening and a bottom opening, said top opening being normally retained closed by an upwardly pivotable, spring-loaded top door, and said bottom opening being normally retained closed by a downwardly pivotable, spring-loaded bottom door, and said top door having a downwardly protruding post on its underside activating a counting mechanism contained in a second housing integrally formed on a front side of said first housing; said top opening including a pair of inwardly projecting tabs along a center of opposite longitudinal side edges thereof to prevent passage of a cigarette pack through said top opening into or out of said first housing thereby requiring usage of only said bottom opening for entering and removing a cigarette pack into said first housing, said second housing containing also a second counting mechanism that is manually operated; said mechanisms each including a pair of intermeshing, numerically calibrated wheels behind a window opening on said second housing exposing aligned numerical calibrations of said pair of wheels, one said wheel having a knurled edge extending in a notch on an outer side of said second housing for manual resetting of said pair of wheels; said first mechanism being indicated with a text "cigarettes that I smoked today" and said second mechanism being indicated with a text "cigarettes that I smoked yesterday;" and said first mechanism, activated by said post, including a spring-loaded plunger pin which at its lower end bears against ratchet teeth of said knurl-edged wheel, said pin being slidable in a hole which opens on a top edge of said first housing, said pin at rest having an upper end that is flush with said first housing top edge.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-07-25 | 1981-01-24 | 1981-07-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-07-25 | 1985-01-24 | 1985-07-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-07-25 | 1989-01-24 | 1989-07-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |