Disposable ash tray

March 12, 1963 τ. g. brown 3,080,997

DISPOSABLE ASH TRAY Filed April 12, 1961

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ATTORNEY

United States Patent Office

3,080,997

Patented Mar. 12, 1963

3,080,997 DISPOSABLE ASH TRAY

Theodore G. Brown, 10501 Croetto Way, Apt. 29, Rancho Cordova, Calif.

Filed Apr. 12,1961, Ser. No. 102,590 2 Claims. (CI. 220—69)

This invention relates to a novel disposable ash tray which is so constructed that the ash tray can be formed from an inexpensive thin sheet material which is fireproof, by a stamping operation, and so that a plurality of the ash trays can be stacked in nested relation to one another for retail sale as a packaged item and for storage until ready for use.

Another and particularly important object of the invention is to provide a disposable ash tray having means whereby it will be adhesively held on a supporting surface to prevent inadvertent overturning of the ash tray.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a disposable ash tray having a bottom which is elevated with respect to the part thereof which engages the supporting surface so that heat from the burning ends of cigars or cigarettes resting thereon will not be conducted to the supporting surface.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view, partly broken away of the disposable ash tray; ’

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2—2. of FIGURE 1 and showing the ash tray upright and positioned for use;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken radially through a part of the ash tray, and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken radially through a group of the nested ash trays, and on an enlarged scale relative to FIGURES 1 and 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the disposable ash tray in its entirety is designated generally 6 and is formed from a single piece of sheet material 7 which can be shaped by a conventional stamping or pressing operation and possesses sufficient rigidity to retain the shape in which it is stamped or pressed. The material 7 may be a thin sheet metal such as aluminum or may constitute a paper product or other material treated to render it substantially fireproof.

The ash tray 6 is shown as comprising an annular substantially fi usto-conical outer wall 8 which tapers downwardly. The upper edge 9 of the wall 8 may be provided with any desired number of arcuately cutout or recessed portions 10 in which a part of a cigar or cigarette can be rested. The ash tray 6 has a bottom 11 provided with a downturned marginal portion 12 which merges with the inner edge of a narrow annular inturned flange 13 of the bottom edge of the surrounding wall 8, so that the bottom 11 is elevated relative to the narrow annular base portion 13. The under or exterior side of the annular base portion 13 is provided with a thin adhesive °° coating 14 which is preferably of a conventional pressure sensitive type. An annular strip or film of a thin flexible material, as seen at 15 in FIGURES 1 and 3, covers the adhesive area 14, until the ash tray is ready 65 for use, and provides a protective shield for said coating.

The ash tray 6 is so shaped that a plurality of said ash trays can be stacked in nested relation to one another as illustrated in FIGURE 4, for packaging the ash trays 5 for retail sale and for storing the ash trays until ready for use. Either the top or bottom ash tray 6 may be disengaged from the stack, as seen in FIGURE 4, after which the thin protective film or strip 15 is stripped from the coating 14 to expose said coating. The ash tray 6, 10 in an upright position, as seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, can then be placed on any suitable substantially horizontal supporting surface 16, such as a table or desk, and by applying a slight pressure downwardly thereon, the coating 14 will adhere to the surface 16 with a sufto ficient gripping engagement so that a positive upward pulling force is required to dislodge the ash tray from the surface 16. The coating 14 is of a character such that it will not leave the surface 16 sticky when removed therefrom and will not otherwise mar or injure said surface.

Since the material 7, from which the ash tray 6 is formed, must be very light in weight and inexpensive, the ash tray would be impractical for its intended purpose except for the coating 14 by which the ash tray is secured to a supporting surface, since otherwise the ash tray would be readily overturned and would readily slide relative to the surface 16 if accidentally struck, and in either instance would constitute a fire hazard if the ash ₃₀ tray contained burning tobacco products.

An annular groove 17, formed by the lower part of the surrounding wall 8, the wall 12 and the base 13, is sufficiently narrow so that the burning end of a cigar or cigarette cannot be inserted therein. Thus, the burning ₃₅ ends of cigars and cigarettes supported by the ash tray 6 must rest on the elevated bottom 11 which is sufficiently elevated with respect to the supporting surface 16 so that heat cannot be conducted therefrom to damage the surface 16. It will be understood that after use the ash tray 40 6 is intended to be disposed of with its contents.

It will also be understood that the shape and size of the base portion 13 can be varied as well as the coated area or areas 14, and various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims