Smokeless ashtray

Claim 1

An ashtray comprising, in combination: a substantially cylindrical housing including an upper housing member and a lower housing member adapted to interlockingly mate so as to define an upper housing chamber, a lower housing chamber, a predetermined airflow passage through said housing, and a predetermined, confined filter region intercepting said airflow passage; said upper housing member having a smoking material retention ring, an ash collection cavity extending within and below said smoking material retention ring, and a series of smoke passageways providing communication between said ash collection cavity and said predetermined airflow passage within said housing; said lower housing member having a series of air-release passageways, said airflow passage extending from said smoke passageways to said air-release passageways; battery-driven fan means for developing an airflow from the proximity of said smoking material retention ring and said ash collection cavity through said airflow passage, said battery-driven fan means including a motor within said substantially cylindrical housing and a fan assembly operative substantially within said lower housing member, said motor including a rotor extending into said lower housing chamber; an air filter adapted to remove smoke and impurities from said airflow, said air filter including a rigid housing and a filter medium, said air filter substantially filling and closely conforming to said filter region to substantially avoid bypassing of said filter medium by said airflow; and motor mount means, secured to said lower housing member, for engaging and spring biasing said motor so as to substantially reduce vibration and noise, said motor mount means including a substantially C-shaped tension spring in engagement with said motor.