Technical field This invention relates to a device for preventing the spread of smoke in the air by capturing it as soon as it is produced by the cigarettes, cigars, pipes and the like, and then extracting and exhausting it directly into the open or after having appropriately filtered it.

Background art The harmful effects of the smoke produced by burning cigarettes, and tobacco in general, on human beings is well known.

Smoking indoors is even more harmful and non-smokers may find it particularly annoying and unpleasant, also because of the odor.

The actual harmfulness of tobacco smoke, together with the campaigns warning about the health hazards of smoking, of passive smoking too, have given rise to a widespread intolerance of smoking and, consequently, of smokers.

This intolerance, often aroused by the smokers themselves, may also manifest itself in the home or the workplace and may seriously embarass those smokers who simply cannot help smoking, even though they are fully aware of the harm they are causing to their own and to other people's health.

Through the years, various attempts have been made to remedy this situation, by means of ozone ionizers, smoke- eating candles and the like, but none of these have proved effective or produced the desired results, probably because smoke is difficult to"capture"once it has spread in the air.

Disclosure of invention This invention relates to a device which, based on the last of the above mentioned observations, i. e. the difficulty of "capturing"smoke once it has spread in the air, prevents the smoke from spreading by extracting it as soon as it comes out of the cigarette, cigar, pipe or the like, and then exhausting it into the open, either directly or after having suitably filtered it.

According to the present invention, the device consists of a funnel shaped element, or the like, connected by means of a tube to an air extraction or ventilation system, which extracts the smoke, filters it and then preferably expels it outside; the funnel shaped element is provided with the means for fastening it close to the smoker's head, so that the smoke produced by the burning tobacco is captured before it spreads in the air.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an orthographic projection of a specific embodiment of the device suited to the bathroom; Figure 2 shows an orthographic projection of a specific embodiment of the device suited to an office; Figure 3 shows an orthographic projection of a specific embodiment of the device suited to the kitchen; Figure 4 shows a front view of the device for application to existing air extraction systems; Figure 5 shows an orthographic projection of a table-top air extractor; Figure 6 shows a specific embodiment of the device for being mounted in vehicles;

Figures 7 and 8 show an improvement to the device for making it suitable to act as an ashtray too.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to figure 1, the device comprises a body 1 containing a filter and a ventilator communicating with the outside. On one side of the body 1, or in any other suitable position, there is a corrugated tube, or the like, 2, terminating in a funnel shaped element 3, which may be fastened to a catch 4, integral with the body 1, when the device is not in use.

For the best performance of the device, the smoker must place the funnel shaped element 3 close to his/her face and leave the extractor switched on for the entire length of the cigarette, and preferably for a few seconds after too, so that all the smoke is captured by the extractor and expelled outside, after being filtered by the filters contained inside the device.

The corrugated tube 2 is sufficiently rigid to remain in the desired position, without the need of any further supports.

Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of the invention particularly suited to be used at home or in the workplace.

In the latter case, the ventilators usually installed at workplaces, in the internal part 5, may provide for a set of telescopic elements 6,7,8,9, of suitable length, so that the funnel shaped element 10 can be extended to the level of the desk, counter or work-bench. The funnel shaped element 10 is connected to the telescopic elements 5/8 preferably by means of a corrugated tube 9, which enables the funnel 10 to be suitably directed and placed as close as possible to the source of the smoke; the smoke captured by the funnel 10 is then conveyed inside the telescopic elements to the extraction-purification system contained

inside the element 12 mounted on the ceiling. The telescopic elements may be moved either manually, or by means of a small remote-controlled motor, of the kind normally used to direct the air outlets of air-conditioning systems. Immediately beneath the element 12 provision may be made for a lamp 11, so as to increase the functionality of the device.

Figure 3 shows a smoke removal device mounted inside cooker hood in a kitchen, for example, preferably using the same system of a corrugated tube, or the like, terminating with a conical element 14; the corrugated tube may be pulled out of the hood and directed towards the smoker.

Figure 4 shows a system applicable to existing air extraction systems; for example, a pipe 16 is applied to an air extractor 15, inside a toilet, the termination of which is connected to a corrugated tube 18, by means of a joint 17, which and terminates with a conical element 19; the corrugated tube may then be directed in the most suitable position for extracting the smoke.

Lastly, figure 5 shows an embodiment which may be adapted to a table-lamp, the base 20 contains a smoke purifier made integral with a very rigid corrugated tube 21, or the like, terminating with a funnel shaped element 22 which, as in all the other above mentioned cases, may be directed towards the smoke produced by the cigarette and/or the ashtray, so as to intercept the smoke, filter and purify it and then emit the odorless air through the slits 23.

Figure 6 shows an embodiment wherein the device is mounted onto the dashboard (24) of a vehicle, so as to considerably reduce the unpleasant effects of smoking; according to the figure, the device is mounted in the middle of the dashboard and is composed of a base (25), made integral

with the dashboard itself and connected to the car's ventilation system, a corrugated pipe (26) and a funnel shaped element (27). The device may be rotated in the preferred direction, according to whether the driver or the front-seat passenger is smoking. Obviously, other embodiments are possible and more than one device may be installed, for example, one for each seat, and they may be mounted directly on the roof, albeit in accordance with the safety regulations, in respect of which the devices mounted inside vehicles will preferably be made of a soft and pliable material, harmless in the case of an accident.

Obviously, such a device may also be easily adopted by and installed in means of public transport, such as taxis, buses, coaches, airplanes, trains, boats, etc.

In order to optimize the performance of the aspirator, especially when it is installed in means of public transport, in another embodiment of the present invention the smoke extraction tube is capable of expelling the cigarette ends too, after they have been stubbed out on a specific tab, or the like, mounted in a suitable position, to prevent the smell of the stubbed out cigarette from fouling the air.

According to this embodiment, shown in figure 7, the smoke extraction tube (29) at a certain point branches out (30) into two separate pipes, one pipe (29a) is for conveying the smoke outside or to the purifier, while the other pipe (29b) conveys the stubs (33) to a special container (31).

At the beginning of the pipe (29a) there is a mesh for preventing the stubs (33) from entering the wrong pipe; the mesh is slightly inclined to prevent the stubs (33) from getting entangled, thus obliging them to fall by gravity

into the special container (31), which may then be easily removed and emptied.

It is now obvious that the present invention is based on the funnel shaped element's capacity to capture the smoke as soon as it is produced by the cigarette, cigar, pipe, or the like, thus preventing it from spreading in the air, where it would be extremely difficult to capture and extract or purify it; moreover, the device's capacity to capture the smoke as soon as it is produced by the cigarette prevents any inconvenience to the people nearby.

The device has been described and illustrated in the preferred embodiments, but other embodiments better suited to specific technical or practical requirements are also possible, as long as they conform to the following claims.