Box or container with integrated ash tray for smoking product

Abstract

According to some illustrative embodiments, a container with an integrated ash tray for smoking products, such as, e.g., most especially, cigars, includes: a) an upper ash-tray portion having: a central panel; a plurality of perimeter walls extending around a perimeter of the central panel; at least one of the perimeter walls having at least one cut-out recess extending downward from an end the at least one of the perimeter walls, each the at least one cutout having a curved or arcuate surface for supporting a smoking product during use as an ash tray and for facilitating grasping by a user during separation of the upper ash-tray portion; b) a bottom-holder portion having: a bottom floor panel; a plurality of perimeter walls extending around a perimeter of the bottom floor panel; and c) wherein the bottom-holder portion operates as a holder for smoking products, and the upper ash-tray portion operates as both a cover for closing the container in a closed position and as an ash-tray when the upper ash-tray portion is moved from the closed position to an open inverted position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container with an integrated ash tray for smoking products, comprising:
 a) an upper ash-tray portion having:
 a central panel; 
 a plurality of perimeter walls extending around a perimeter of the central panel; 
 at least one of said perimeter walls having at least one cut-out recess extending downward from an end of said at least one of said perimeter walls, each said at least one cutout having a curved or arcuate surface for supporting a smoking product during use as an ash tray and for facilitating grasping by a user during separation of the upper ash-tray portion; 
   b) a bottom-holder portion having:
 a bottom floor panel; 
 a plurality of perimeter walls extending around a perimeter of the bottom floor panel; and 
   c) wherein said bottom-holder portion operates as a holder for smoking products, and said upper ash-tray portion operates as both a cover for closing the container in a closed position and as an ash-tray when the upper ash-tray portion is moved from said closed position to an open inverted position.   
     
     
         2 . The container with an integrated ash tray for smoking products of  claim 1 , wherein said bottom-holder portion includes a plurality of raised inner wall members that extend upwardly around an interior of the plurality of perimeter walls extending around a perimeter of the bottom floor panel. 
     
     
         3 . The container with an integrated ash tray for smoking products of  claim 2 , wherein the raised inner wall members include inner wall members having a height greater than a height of the plurality of perimeter walls extending around the perimeter of the bottom floor panel. 
     
     
         4 . The container with an integrated ash tray for smoking products of  claim 3 , wherein the raised inner wall members have a width that is substantially narrower than the width of the plurality of perimeter walls extending around the perimeter of the bottom floor panel. 
     
     
         5 . The container with an integrated ash tray for smoking products of  claim 3 , wherein said raised inner wall members extend a height greater than a height of the plurality of perimeter walls extending around the perimeter of the bottom floor panel by an amount that is at least as large as a depth of said at least one cut-out recess. 
     
     
         6 . The container with an integrated ash tray for smoking products of  claim 1 , wherein said upper ash tray portion is entirely separatable from the bottom-holder portion. 
     
     
         7 . The container with an integrated ash tray for smoking products of  claim 1 , wherein said upper ash tray portion includes fire-resistant, fire-retardant or fire-proof material. 
     
     
         8 . The container with an integrated ash tray of  claim 1 , wherein said ash tray portion is made with wood, and includes fire-resistant, fire-retardant or fire-proof material. 
     
     
         9 . The container with an integrated ash tray of  claim 7 , wherein said fire-resistant, fire-retardant or fire-proof material includes a layer provided over a surface of said bottom floor panel. 
     
     
         10 . The container with an integrated ash tray of  claim 9 , wherein said layer is a metallic layer. 
     
     
         11 . The container with an integrated ash tray of  claim 9 , wherein said metallic layer is a silver-colored layer. 
     
     
         12 . The container with an integrated ash tray of  claim 9 , wherein said layer includes a logo, symbol or indicia thereon. 
     
     
         13 . The container with an integrated ash tray of  claim 10 , wherein said layer includes a logo, symbol or indicia thereon. 
     
     
         14 . The container with an integrated ash tray of  claim 13 , wherein a width of the plurality of perimeter walls extending around a perimeter of the central panel of the upper ash-tray portion is between about 0.2 inches to 0.8 inches. 
     
     
         15 . The container with an integrated ash tray of  claim 13 , wherein a width of the plurality of perimeter walls extending around a perimeter of the central panel of the upper ash-tray portion is between about 0.25 inches to 0.7 inches. 
     
     
         16 . The container with an integrated ash tray of  claim 13 , wherein a width of the plurality of perimeter walls extending around a perimeter of the central panel of the upper ash-tray portion is between about 0.3 inches to 0.6 inches. 
     
     
         17 . A method of using the container with an integrated ash tray of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a) storing a plurality of smoking products within the container with the container in a closed condition with the upper ash tray portion covering the bottom holder portion;   b) moving the upper ash tray portion from the closed condition to an inverted position for use of the upper ash tray portion as an ash tray.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further including after said storing in step a) and before said moving in step b), transporting said container for retail. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further including after said storing in step a) and before said moving in step b), selling said container to an end consumer, and having said end consumer perform said moving in step b). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further including the end consumer using the upper ash tray portion as an ash tray, with the upper ash tray portion entirely separated from the bottom holder portion, the end consumer removing ashes from the upper ash tray portion freely due to separation of the upper ash tray portion from the bottom holder portion, and then the end consumer replacing the upper ash tray portion on the bottom holder portion to return said container in a closed condition.