US20030084911A1

US20030084911A1 - Portable cigar holder for golfers

Info

Publication number: US20030084911A1
Application number: US10/015,999
Authority: US
Inventors: Matthew McGraw
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-11-02
Filing date: 2001-11-02
Publication date: 2003-05-08

Abstract

A portable cigar holder for golfers, small and comfortable enough to be carried in the golfers pocket, designed for insertion into the ground or the spare-tee-holding-holes in most golf carts. Constructed in one piece, the holder has a tapered tee section (5) for securing the holder in the ground or spare-tee-holding holes in a golf cart. A cup section (4) with an internal pin (6) holds cigars of varying widths securely in the vertical plane. The internal pin (6) serves to both pierce the cigar for smoking and allows the holder to securely hold cigars of varying widths.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to a portable cigar holder for golfers.

BACKGROUND

2. Description of Prior Art

Smoking golfers often find themselves with a lit cigar and nowhere to place it when they are about to make their golf shot. The golfer will usually lay the cigar in the grass or balance it somewhere in the golf cart if they do not want to place it on the ground. Often, the cigar will roll out of the golf cart and be forgotten or pickup debris and chemicals from lying on the ground.

To combat these issues, several cigar holders for golfers have been devised. U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,179 to Alcarez (2001) describes a complex plastic “smoking article” holder with several moving parts that is designed to be inserted specifically into the spare-tee-holding-holes found in most golf carts. The Alcarez holder is made from plastic in order to achieve the ability to hold cigars of varying widths. The plastic construction will not be considered an attractive and durable design for the image conscious golfer. The multiple piece construction with “moving tapered shaped segment” could be potentially dangerous for the golfer to carry the item in their pocket. Additionally, this multiple piece construction requires additional cost and labor to produce. This holder, which is described by Alcarez as “an inexpensive smoking article holder,” will be too costly to mass-produce and sell at a profitable margin.

Other patents describing cigar holders for golfers are: Petrone (U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,285); Photakis (U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,448); and Hasselgren (U.S. Pat. No. D380,862). These inventors describe similar holders for smoking articles designed for vertical insertion into the ground. Due to their vertically oriented design they are not intended for and cannot be inserted into the horizontally aligned said spare-tee-holding-hole of the golf cart because the smoking article will obviously fall. The “lay on top” design of these holders provides no way to securely hold the cigar while the cart or golfer is in motion.

In another holder designed for the horizontally aligned golf-tee-holding-holes in the dash of most golf carts, Knudsen (U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,735) describes a very complex design of multiple pieces. Not only will this design be costly to produce but also the cigar has to be of a specific size for it to be held in place by a “clamp” device. Cigars come in a variety of sizes so the smoker would have to obtain multiple holders of different sizes and even that will not guarantee that any particular size article will be adequately clamped. Smaller sized smoking articles cannot be clamped and will fall. Larger sized smoking articles will be crushed or otherwise damaged by the clamp. Additionally, the Knudsen design allows for the holder to be inserted only into the horizontally aligned holes found in most golf carts. The design does not allow the object to be used in the vertically aligned holes still found in some models of golf cart.

In summary, the drawbacks to the aforementioned objects are complexity of design that causes production difficulty and higher cost. The objects do not satisfy the need to securely hold cigars of differing sizes while the golfer is both stationary or in motion. The objects are not constructed for the golfer to comfortably carry in their pockets. Additionally, the objects lack the class and elegance required for effective marketing to the golf and cigar aficionado.

SUMMARY

This portable cigar holder is designed for insertion into the ground and or the spare-tee-holes found in the molded plastic dashboards of most golf carts. The pocket size holder provides the golfer a means to hold their cigar while executing the golf shot. The one-piece holder is constructed of brass or aluminum for life long durability and exceptional quality. The diameter of the holder's cup section and an internal pin allows the holder to accept and firmly hold multiple size cigars. The tee shaped section of the holder allows it to be firmly placed in the ground or in the spare-tee-holder of the golf cart.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

Accordingly, the main object of my invention is to provide a high quality, portable cigar holder, which can be profitably produced. The objects and advantages of my cigar holder that address the disadvantages of the prior art are:

1. The holder can be used both in the golf cart tee-holder and or placed in the ground giving the golfer a choice in how to use the cigar holder.

2. The holder is designed with a

center pin

6, which will both pierce cigars for smoking and securely hold multiple size cigars. This design holds cigars in the tee-holder even while the golf cart is in motion.

3. The holder securely holds cigars of varying lengths and diameters vertically as opposed to horizontally. In previous art, holders were not designed to secure a cigar while the golf cart was in motion.

4. The metal construction (aluminum and brass) makes the holder extremely durable and long lasting.

5. The holder's metal construction gives the piece a quality look and feel that will allow higher price positioning in the golf and cigar accessories markets. The higher price will help to ensure commercial success.

6. The holder is designed for one-piece construction and can be mass-produced by machine tooling. No additional assembly cost or labor would be required as with multiple piece designs.

7. When produced in aluminum the holder can be anodized in multiple colors.

8. The anodized aluminum holder can be easily decorated for custom logos, company names, and promotional applications ensuring multiple unit sales.

9. The holder can be produced in a variety of metals and plastics for future product and price positioning.

10. The smooth design of the holder is comfortable and relaxing to carry and hold.

11. The holder can be carried in the golfer's pocket like the golf tee.

12. Though my design is able to hold cigars of many sizes, it could also be made to hold cigars of specific sizes and could therefore be produced in other sizes to satisfy golfers specific needs and desires.

13. The holder could also be designed in a size to accept only cigarettes or very small cigars.

14. The holder allows the golfer to keep their cigar away from potentially hazardous and ill tasting elements that can be found on or near the golf grounds.

15. The metal construction of the holder allows it to be engraved, etched, printed, or otherwise decorated and personalized for the golfer or purchaser.

16. The holder is constructed in one piece and has no separate or moveable parts, which can be bent, broken or misplaced.

17. The holder provides an elegant gift for the avid golfer or cigar aficionado.

18. Product accessories could be produced to attach the holder to the golfers golf bag and or golf club.

19. Though designed for use with the cigar, the holder will also adequately secure a cigarette.

Further objects and advantages are to provide a high quality portable cigar holder, which is elegant in design, and feel.

DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a one-dimensional bisected view of the cigar holder [0032]
FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view of the cigar holder [0033]
FIG. 3 is a Birdseye view at the top of the cigar holder [0034]
FIG. 4 is an illustration of the holder with a cigar[0035]

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS

[0036] 4. Cup
[0037] 5. Tee
[0038] 6. Pin

DESCRIPTION FIGS. 1,2,3,4

The cigar holder, though constructed in one piece, has three distinct features referenced in FIGS. 1 through 4. FIG. 1 shows a bisected view of the cigar holder pointing out the three features: [0039] cup 4; tee 5; and pin 6. FIG. 2 is a three dimensional view of the cigar holder providing a realistic view of its features. A cup feature 4 is the rounded top of the cigar holder and accepts the unlit end of the cigar. The inside diameter of the cup feature is approximately seven eighths of an inch with a depth of three quarters of an inch. The holder width and depth are constructed to accept commercially available cigars of varying widths and lengths. The outside surface of a cup feature 4 is large and smooth enough to accept commercial decoration. A tee feature 5 at the bottom of the cigar holder is tapered to allow the cigar holder to be placed firmly into the ground or the spare-tee-holder of the golf cart. A pin feature 6 exists in the exact center of a cup 4 and is just slightly shorter than the depth of said cup 4. A pin 6 serves both to pierce the cigar for smoking and to hold various size cigars firmly in place within a cup 4. FIG. 3 shows a Birdseye view looking down on the top of the holder. FIG. 3 provides an indication of the seven eighths inside diameter of the cigar holder and the location of the pin in the exact center of said cup 4. FIG. 4 is a solid three-dimensional view of the cigar holder showing its operation with a cigar. In its preferred embodiment, the cigar holder is two and three quarter inches long and machined in one piece from aluminum, brass, or other metal. The cigar holder may also be produced in plastic or other rigid polymer material.

Operation of Invention

The cigar holder can either be carried in the golfers pocket, golf bag, or golf cart. The operation of the cigar holder is very simple and accomplished by the golfer's direct action. The golfer inserts the unlit end of the cigar into a [0040] cup 4, inserting the pin 6 into the center of the cigar. The golfer can choose to use a pin 6 to pierce the cigar for smoking by pressing the unlit center end of the cigar down upon the pin 6. The golfer may also choose to clip the unlit end of the cigar and insert the center of the clipped end over a pin 6. The golfer then grips a cup 4 and inserts the holder into the ground or spare-tee holder utilizing a tee feature 5. The golfer then executes their golf shot(s) while the holder securely keeps their cigar from rolling off the cart or lying on the ground. When the golfer is ready to resume smoking their cigar they simply remove the cigar from the holder.

Description and Operation of Alternative Embodiments

Additional embodiments and ramifications to the cigar holder can also be provided to individualize it for the golfer or the distributor. The embodiments and ramifications include but are not limited to the following possibilities. Production of the basic design in various sizes and colors with or without the [0041] pin 6. In this embodiment, the operation of the holder remains the same. The pin 6 is not utilized to pierce the cigar and the cup 4 is sized to exactly hold the cigar being smoked. This embodiment might also be used with a cigarette. Alternative embodiments to the outside cup 4 feature of the holder are also possible. Again, the basic operation is the same, however; holes, notches or other modifications are made to accept smoking articles in an alternate manner.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE

Thus the reader will see that the cigar holder provides an attractive, long lasting, heirloom quality product that is of great benefit to the golfer and cigar smoker. Additional embodiments and ramifications can also be provided to individualize the holder for the golfer or distributor. The embodiments and ramifications include but are not limited to the following product possibilities. Alternative production methods utilizing a mold or cast. Production of the basic design in various sizes and colors with or without the [0042] pin 6. Alternative designs to the outside cup 4 feature of the holder. Production in metal, plastic and other materials. Product specialization and decoration by: Anodizing in multiple colors; Engraving; Imprinting; Stamping; Molding; Plating; Enameling; Painting; Coating; Printing; Etching; Adjustments or alterations of the design such as holes or notches to accept smoking articles in an alternate manner.

SEQUENCE LISTING

Not Applicable [0043]

Claims

I claim:

1. A cigar holder for golfers comprising:

a. A single machined piece with an open cylindrical end tapering to a golf tee shaped point

b. a pin centered within said cylindrical end means for piercing and holding cigars of varying diameters

2. The depicted design for a cigar holder with or without said pin.