The present invention relates to the field of heat-not-burn tobacco devices, more particularly to devices that employ an electric heating element to generate smoke from tobacco.
A hookah is an implement to vaporize and smoke a combustible substance, most often Mu'assal tobacco, whereby the smoke generated is passed through a water reservoir before inhalation. To begin operating a traditional hookah, tobacco is packed into a bowl which is usually located at the top of the hookah. After that, a heat source is placed over the tobacco. Traditionally, flaming charcoal is employed as the heat source. Before applying the hot coals, the bowl is covered with a perforated piece of aluminum foil. The coals are then placed on the foil to heat and vaporize the tobacco underneath. Upon the user's inhalation from the hookah, air is pulled from the environment into the bowl. The inhaled air captures the vapor produced by the tobacco. This mixture travels down into a water reservoir through an intermediary tube. The end of the tube is immersed in the water of the reservoir. As such, the vapor bubbles up through the water whereby it is filtered and cooled. After that, the vapor fills the top part of the water reservoir to which a hose is connected. When the user further inhales from the hose, the vapor travels from the reservoir into the lungs of the user. This process continues until the session is over.
Unfortunately, the use of ignited charcoal for hookah smoking purposes has a plethora of downsides. Firstly, the preparation of flaming charcoal is a tedious and time-consuming process. Additionally, charcoal use results in remnant ashen residue which causes a huge mess. Moreover, the heat generated by charcoal cannot be controlled. More often than not, the unregulated heat results in tobacco combustion rather than vaporization. This leads to the production of thousands of chemicals which are hazardous to a person's health. Furthermore, the heat associated with burning charcoal is inconsistent as the embers cool down after a period of time. As such, the coals must be replaced at progressive intervals to ensure proper tobacco vaporization. In addition to that, there are inherent risks associated with fiery charcoal use. The act of burning charcoal on its own emits toxic gases that put the consumer at risk of grave health consequences, not to mention that these gases pose a hefty environmental cost due to the greenhouse effect. Also, handling hot charcoal is dangerous in of itself as it poses a serious burn hazard.
The substitution of charcoal with an electrically powered heat source presents a solution to eliminate the complications arising from charcoal use for hookah smoking purposes. Nevertheless, simply replacing charcoal with an electrically powered heating element does not address key points such as the optimization of the flavor, smoke production, and duration of the hookah session, matters which are crucial for the end user. Moreover, certain configurations of an electric heating element within a hookah can even be more hazardous than employing the use of charcoal in terms of user safety and health. For example, a heating element having an exceedingly high temperature may char the combustible substance thus producing a higher concentration of toxic chemicals which are inevitably inhaled by the user.
As such, what is clearly needed is a strategic configuration of the electrically powered heat source within the hookah bowl to optimally vaporize the combustible substance for hookah smoking.
In one embodiment of the invention, a device resembling a hookah to optimize the vaporization temperature of the combustible substance is provided, comprising a circular hookah bowl container that forms the central part of the hookah head, a removeable capsule in which the combustible substance is placed, having a similar shape to the hookah bowl, such that said capsule fits precisely into the bowl to prevent dirtying of the bowl, an electric resistance heating element that provides heat energy to vaporize the combustible substance, a heat insulator which holds the electric resistance heating element, such that said insulator prevents the loss of vapor and thermal energy to the surrounding environment, a hinge that links the periphery of the hookah bowl to the periphery of the heat insulator thus allowing the user to open the configuration to load the removeable capsule with the combustible substance and close the configuration to preserve heat energy, a voltage modulator connected to the electric resistance heating element, such that this voltage modulator regulates the voltage supplied to the heating element, a power source coupled to the voltage modulator, such that the power source supplies the voltage needed to power the heating element, a pressure sensor linked to the hose stem that relays the pressure value inside the hose stem, and a microcontroller unit that receives the pressure readings of the pressure sensor and regulates the action of the voltage modulator upon detecting a pressure difference instigated by the user's draw from the hose, resulting in the increase in temperature of the heating element for the duration of the draw.
Also in one embodiment, the hookah bowl is shaped like a cup with a single hole punched through the center.
Also in one embodiment, the shape of the capsule imitates the contour of the hookah bowl, such that said capsule provides an additional layer to the bowl.
Also in one embodiment, the electric resistance heating element is a metallic-ceramic heating element.
Also in one embodiment, the electric resistance heating element is perforated with one or more holes to provide a path for air to flow without obstruction.
Also in one embodiment, the size of the perforations of the heating element may range from 0.5 to 40 millimeters.
Also in one embodiment, the heat insulator is made from insulating fire brick.
Also in one embodiment, the heat insulator is perforated with one or more holes to provide a path for air to flow without obstruction.
Also in one embodiment, the size of the perforations of the insulator may range from 0.5 to 3 millimeters.
Also in one embodiment, the bottom side of the heat insulator comprises a cavity in which vapor may be collected.
Also in one embodiment, the hinge's leaves are shaped like a ring to link the hookah bowl to the heat insulator, such that the capsule can be inserted into the leaf fastened to the hookah bowl.
Also in one embodiment, the power source is a battery pack positioned in the middle of the hookah around the intermediary tube connecting the hookah head to the hookah base.
Also in one embodiment, the batteries are rechargeable, and the device includes a port for connecting to a power supply for recharging the batteries.
Also in one embodiment, the batteries provide a voltage of 12 volts.
The inventor provides a hookah which replaces charcoal as the heat source with an electrical heating element. In particular, the invention focuses on the overall integrational strategy of the heating element, including the heater's adjuncts, with the hookah for optimal combustible substance vaporization. The present invention is described in enabling detail in the following examples, which may represent more than one embodiment of the present invention.
In one embodiment of the present invention, bowl 201 is shaped like a doughnut mold, with a bowl center stump in the epicenter of the dish encompassing outward facing draw holes in what is referred to as a vortex bowl. In another embodiment, which builds on the design of the previous embodiment, bowl 201 is shaped like a doughnut mold with only a single upward facing draw hole 302 in the middle of the center stump in what is commonly referred to as a phunnel bowl. In a preferred embodiment, the center stump is either short or non-existent as depicted in
Capsule 203 is designed to duplicate the shape of bowl 201 to be installed precisely within the bowl. For example, in the embodiment of
Positioned above capsule 203 is insulator 205. In one embodiment, the outer periphery of insulator 205 is fastened to periphery 202B. Resultantly, hinge 202 as a whole links bowl 201 with the insulator 205. As shown in
In one embodiment, comparable to holes 305 of capsule 203, insulation perforations 306 are punctured into the top surface of insulator 205: These holes are of paramount importance to allow the flow of air into the vaporization chamber upon inhalation of the user. As utilized henceforward, the phrase “vaporization chamber” shall refer to the cavity in which vaporization takes place, namely in the inner boundaries of capsule 203. The forementioned air drawn into the hookah head has two main functions. Firstly, it facilitates the vaporization of the combustible substance. Secondly, it captures the vapor produced in the vaporization chamber that is eventually inhaled by the user. It is crucial to address the size of perforations 306 for more than one reason as they play a critical role in the vaporization process. As the combustible substance vaporizes in the vaporization chamber, vapor is emitted upwards. If perforations 306 are too large, this upward-moving vapor will move through perforations 306 and will be lost to the hookah head's surroundings. Such a scenario is not the case in a traditional hookah whereby the perforations made into the aluminum foil are miniscule in size. As such, in a preferred embodiment, perforations 306 may be of a diameter of around one millimeter to prevent this loss of vapor. With such a minute diameter, similar to perforations made into the aluminum foil in a traditional hookah, the thick, concentrated vapor cannot escape the hookah head; however, air can be drawn into the hookah to facilitate vaporization. Thus, the smoke concentration of the electronic hookah device is greatly enhanced compared to a hookah that does not take this into consideration. Not only do perforations of such size limit the escape of vapor, but they also restrict the free flow of air into the hookah head without affecting the user's effort upon inhalation, given that the number of perforations is sufficient. Increasingly free air flow results in faster burning of the combustible substance. With the implemented restriction, the hookah session is elongated while the flavor of the combustible substance, particularly Mu'assal tobacco, remains flavorsome for the duration of the session. Moreover, less overall heat is needed to vaporize the combustible substance that translates to less electrical energy consumed by the heat source.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an air cavity 307 is made into insulator 205. The role of cavity 307 is twofold. Firstly, it collects the upward-moving vapor from the combustion chamber. The collected vapor settles in the cavity momentarily before the user's next draw. Had this vapor remained in the combustion chamber, its temperature would greatly increase. Upon the user's inhalation, the taste of this vapor would be bitter because of its exceedingly high temperature. Another role of cavity 307 is that it guarantees the flow of air into the combustion chamber. Without cavity 307, the heat source housed in insulator 205 will block or at the very least hinder the flow of air into the combustion chamber.
In one embodiment of the present invention, insulator 205 may be formed of a material with a low thermal conductivity. In a preferred embodiment, such a material is insulating fire rock. This ensures the minimization of heat loss to the outside environment. Moreover, it promotes even heat distribution from the heat source. As such, the combustible substance is heated evenly and the session's duration, not to mention the combustible substance's emitted flavor, is greatly enhanced since the none of the combustible substance is consumed prematurely.
In one embodiment of the present invention, element 204 is fitted into insulator 205 such that the surface of the heater coincides with the bottom of the insulator. Further describing the embodiment, element 204 is circular such that the diameter of cavity 307 is slightly less than the diameter of element 204. This ensures that element 204 is positioned precisely with respect to insulator 205 without moving around. The present inventor realized in an inventive moment that if the actual heat source, in this case element 204, were to be perforated, similar to heater perforations 308 in
In one embodiment of the present invention, insulator 206 is designed such that bowl 201 may be accommodated in the insulator. An insulation central hole 309 is pierced through the center of insulator 206. Consequently, hole 302 and hole 309 are open to each other. Moreover, an insulation sensor hole 310 is drilled through insulator 206 such that this hole coincides with hole 303 of bowl 201. As is the case with insulator 205, it is preferred that insulator 206 is made of insulating fire brick.
As formerly stated, body 102 is the section that holds most of the electronic components of hookah 100. As such, body 102 is designed to contain these components. In a particular embodiment, the foundation of body 102 are three threaded internal rods 402. Rods 402 are screwed into base 103 which acts as the groundwork of hookah 100 as a whole. In such an embodiment, body 102 may be composed of a plurality of internal plates 403 set at different heights or levels. Each plate 403 is punctured with five holes. A plate central hole is punctured in the center of plate 403. Three additional plate holes are punctured into plate 403. With the holes just described plate 403 may be fitted into tube 401 and rods 402. Once fitted, a plate is secured at a certain height using nuts 404 on opposite sides of the plate. Consequently, with this configuration, body 102 may be comprised of one or more levels on which the electrical components are positioned on. Moreover, a wire hole is punctured close to the edge of plate 403 to extend electric wires from the components of body 102 into the electric heater in head 101. Further describing this embodiment, head 101 is mounted onto body 102 by inserting rods 402 into holes 311 of insulator 206. Head 101 is set at a certain height with nuts 404 as can be seen in
In one embodiment of this invention, a power source 405 is positioned on one of the plates 403. Source 405 supplies the voltage needed to power element 204. The voltage supplied may vary depending on the heater employed to reach the necessary temperature for vaporization. In a preferred embodiment, the voltage supplied may be twelve volts. Additionally, in one embodiment, an ON/OFF button 406 and DC charging port 407 are held in place by the aluminum exterior of body 102 (not shown). In such an embodiment, the hookah, specifically the heater, is turned ON with a single push of button 406 and turned OFF by holding the same button for four seconds. This is completed by a momentary-switch-on/hold-turnoff circuit. In a preferred embodiment, a microcontroller unit 408 may be situated on plate 403 under source 405. In such an embodiment, unit 408 receives signals from a sensor or group of sensors and outputs a command in response to these signals. One such sensor that may be employed is a pressure sensor 409. In one embodiment, sensor 409 is linked to the base of the hose of the hookah. As such, upon inhalation of the user, sensor 409 is capable of registering a pressure difference. This difference is relayed to unit 408. Consequently, unit 408 commands element 204 to go from rest mode to engage mode. Rest mode is when the user is not inhaling from the hookah. During this mode, the voltage supplied to the heater is limited by a voltage modulator (not shown). In one embodiment, the voltage modulator may be a MOSFET. As such, element 204 does not reach its maximum temperature. Instead, it heats the combustible substance in preparation for engage mode. Engage mode is when the user inhales from the hookah. During this mode, the voltage supplied to the heater increases such that the heater may reach a temperature of 400 degrees Celsius. Consequently, during this phase, the combustible substance is suitably heated to produce the maximum amount of smoke. This fluctuation in modes and thus in voltage allows a major prolongation of the duration of the combustible substance and thus of the hookah session. Furthermore, sensor 207 is connected to unit 408. Sensor 207 relays the temperature of capsule 203. Moreover, an RGB light 410 is connected to unit 408. Light 410 is used as an indicator. For example, in a certain embodiment, if the battery level is low, the RGB light will emit a specific color or color pattern.
In summary, in one embodiment of the present invention, the hookah 100 works as follows: Firstly, hookah head 101 is opened. A combustible substance such as Mu'assal is packed into bowl 203. With the combustible substance in place, hookah head 101 is closed. Button 406 is pushed once to turn on hookah 100. Once ON, element 204 heats up based on a predetermined voltage to merely heat the combustible substance. Upon inhalation, the pressure sensor sends a signal to unit 408. As such, unit 408 sends a command to allow element 204 to heat to a temperature of around 400 degrees Celsius leading to the vaporization of the combustible substance. Upon subsequent draws by the user, air is pulled from the environment to capsule 203 through perforations 306, cavity 307, and perforations 308. The inhaled air captures the vapor produced by the combustible substance. This mixture travels through hole 305 and hole 302 into tube 401. The mixture continue its journey down tube 401 into vase 501. The vapor bubbles up through the water in vase 501, losing heat, and fills the top part of the vase, to which a hose is connected through hose stem 503. When the smoker inhales from the hose, the smoke travels from the vase into the lungs of the user. Once the smoking session is over, button 406 is held for four seconds. This turns off element 204. In case the user does not want to resume smoking soon, power source 405 is charged through port 407 for the next session.
It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that the hookah bowl thermal vaporizer may be provided using some or all of the mentioned features and components without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will also be apparent to the skilled artisan that the embodiments described above are specific examples of a single broader invention which may have greater scope than any of the singular descriptions taught. There may be many alterations made in the descriptions without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
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ARMiL CFS Insulating Firebrick, <https://armilcfs.com/blog/insulating-firebrick-refractory-materials/>, Apr. 17, 2016. Retrieved Feb. 9, 2023 (Year: 2016). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20220183364 A1 | Jun 2022 | US |