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US4037719A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Cigarette counting case

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1976-06-01
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Granted: 1977-07-26
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Expires: 1996-06-01
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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.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1985652A Cited
US2148319A Cited
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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

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