Patent Application
20200404962
The present invention relates generally to hose holders, and, more particularly, relates to an apparatus configured to retain one or more hookah hoses.
Whether it is for social or medical purposes, many individuals utilize a hookah to ingest smoke or vapors generated from oils or herbs contained by the hookah. The hookah device typically consists of a main body having a bowl coupled thereto and that may hold coal and/or tobacco, a windscreen that may sit over the bowl, one or more flexible hoses coupled to the main body and that are typically slender tubes made of vinyl that allow a smoke to be drawn for a distance to cool the smoke, a purge valve connected to an airspace in a base to purge stale smoke that has been sitting unused in the body too long, a water base that the body sits on, and other components. The end of the hose is typically fitted with a metal, wooden, or plastic mouthpiece of different shapes, size, color or material type.
Primarily for sanitary reasons and ease of access to the hose, many hookah manufacturers and users desire to keep the mouthpiece of the hookah hose from touching a ground surface or any other surfaces that may be contaminated, dirty, and/or further away from a user's mouth. There are some apparatus designed to retain hoses or other structures, but they are not specifically configured for quick and effective attachment and removal to a hookah main body, e.g., they require additional fasteners or are permanently installed.
Other known apparatus that can be removably couplable to a main body of a hookah assembly fail to effectively, safely, and/or conveniently retain a hookah hose, much less multiple hookah hoses. For example, some known hose attachment devices include an annular center attachment with two arms extending outwardly and having a distal end with a concave surface configured to hold a hose in a horizontal and/or parallel orientation and configuration with respect to the ground surface. Other devices similarly do not provide a structure to effectively, safely, and/or conveniently retain a plurality of hookah hoses in a preferred and desired orientation of the user.
Therefore, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.
The invention provides a hookah hose attachment apparatus that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and that effectively, safely, and conveniently attaches to a hookah body and retains a plurality of hookah hoses thereon.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a hookah hose attachment apparatus that includes a centralized body attachment member with an annular sidewall having an upper end, a lower end opposing the upper end of the annular sidewall, a body length separating the upper and lower ends of the annular sidewall, an inner surface, an outer surface, and defining a single opening spatially coupled to a receiving channel, the single opening and the receiving channel spanning the body length. The hookah hose attachment apparatus also includes a plurality of arms, with each having a first end directly coupled to the outer surface of the annular sidewall, having a second free end opposing the first end and defining a single arm opening spatially coupled to an arm receiving channel with an orientation substantially parallel to an orientation of the receiving channel defined by the annular sidewall, and having two flange members each with a rounded outer surface and disposed within the arm receiving channel to define a first channel portion with a first arm receiving channel width separating the two flange members less than a second arm receiving channel width of a second channel portion, wherein the first channel portion interposes the single arm opening and the second channel portion and the plurality of arms each extend radially and outwardly away from the outer surface of the annular sidewall in different directions.
In accordance with another feature, an embodiment of the present invention includes the plurality of arms disposed at substantially equidistant arc lengths with respect to one another.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the plurality of arms are each disposed in a substantially 90° configuration with respect to the outer surface of the annular sidewall.
In accordance with yet another feature, an embodiment of the present invention also includes at least three arms, with each having a first end directly coupled to the outer surface of the annular sidewall and disposed in at substantially equidistant arc lengths with respect to one another.
In accordance with a further feature, an embodiment of the present invention also includes each of the plurality of arms further having a U-shaped mouth including the arm opening and the arm receiving channel.
In accordance with an exemplary feature, an embodiment of the present invention also includes the annular sidewall having two side terminal ends, wherein the annular sidewall continually spans and terminates at the two side terminal ends.
In accordance with an added feature of the present invention, the receiving channel is of an annular shape and the inner surface of the annular sidewall defining the single opening is of an arcuate shape.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the single opening defines a first attachment member width separating the opposing portions of the inner surface of the annular sidewall flange members less than a diameter defined by the receiving channel, wherein the single opening interposes the two side terminal ends and the receiving channel.
In accordance with an additional feature of the present invention, the annular sidewall is of a flexible polymeric material.
In accordance with another feature, an embodiment of the present invention also includes the inner surface of the annular sidewall having a deformably resilient material disposed thereon that spans the body length, and substantially surrounds the inner surface of the annular sidewall.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the deformably resilient material has a friction-inducing property.
In accordance with the present invention and in combination with a hookah smoking device having a main body having a bowl coupled thereto, at least one flexible hose coupled to the main body, and a base, an improvement that has a centralized body attachment member with an annular sidewall having an upper end, a lower end opposing the upper end of the annular sidewall, a body length separating the upper and lower ends of the annular sidewall, an inner surface, an outer surface, and defining an opening spatially coupled to a receiving channel with the main body of the hookah smoking device disposed therein and compressively retained by the annular sidewall. The improvement also includes a plurality of arms, each having a first end directly coupled to the outer surface of the annular sidewall, having a second free end opposing the first end and defining an arm opening with the at least one flexible hose of the hookah smoking device disposed therein and spatially coupled to an arm receiving channel, and having two flange members each disposed within the arm receiving channel to define a first channel portion with a first arm receiving channel width separating the two flange members less than a second arm receiving channel width of a second channel portion, wherein the first channel portion interposes the single arm opening and the second channel portion and the plurality of arms each extend radially and outwardly away from the outer surface of the annular sidewall in different directions and retain the at least one flexible hose of the hookah smoking device in a substantially parallel orientation with respect to a longitudinal orientation of the hookah smoking device.
In accordance with yet another feature, an embodiment of the present invention also includes each of the plurality of arms having a U-shaped mouth with the arm opening and the arm receiving channel.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the opening is spatially coupled to a receiving channel defined by annular sidewall is a single opening, wherein the opening and the receiving channel span the body length.
In accordance with an additional feature of the present invention, the arm opening of each of the plurality of arms is a single arm opening.
In accordance with an added feature of the present invention, the arm opening is spatially coupled to the arm receiving channel has an orientation substantially parallel to an orientation of the receiving channel defined by the annular sidewall.
In accordance with an added feature of the present invention, the two flange members on each of the plurality of arms have a rounded outer surface.
In accordance with yet another feature of the present invention, the plurality of arms are each disposed in a substantially 90° configuration with respect to the outer surface of the annular sidewall and disposed at substantially equidistant arc lengths with respect to one another.
In accordance with yet another feature, an embodiment of the present invention also includes at least three arms, each having a first end directly coupled to the outer surface of the annular sidewall.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a hookah hose attachment apparatus, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention. While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward. The figures of the drawings are not drawn to scale.
Before the present invention is disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The term “providing” is defined herein in its broadest sense, e.g., bringing/coming into physical existence, making available, and/or supplying to someone or something, in whole or in multiple parts at once or over a period of time. Also, for purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left,” “rear,” “right,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof relate to the invention as oriented in the figures and is not to be construed as limiting any feature to be a particular orientation, as said orientation may be changed based on the user's perspective of the device. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description.
As used herein, the terms “about” or “approximately” apply to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited values (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances these terms may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure. In this document, the term “longitudinal” should be understood to mean in a direction corresponding to an elongated direction of the hookah device spanning from a lower end to an upper end.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.
and
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward. It is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms.
The present invention provides a novel and efficient hookah hose attachment apparatus designed to quickly, safely, and effectively attach to and remove from a hookah smoking device. Embodiments of the invention also provide users the ability to receive, retain and orient one or more hookah hoses of the hookah smoking device in a safe, effective, efficient, and desired orientation and configuration. Referring now to
The first example of a hookah hose attachment apparatus 100 can be seen best in
With reference to
It should be understood that terms such as, “front,” “rear,” “side,” top,” “bottom,” and the like are indicated from the reference point of a viewer viewing the hookah hose attachment apparatus 100 at an elevational view looking at the front opening 112. Additionally, as used herein, the term “wall” is intended broadly to encompass continuous structures, as well as, separate structures that are coupled together to form a substantially continuous external surface.
When the user desires to attach the centralized body attachment member 102 or “collar” to the hookah device 200, the user will beneficially place the portion of the hookah device 200 desired to be retained against the portion of the collar 102 defining the opening 112 until the collar 102 dynamically expands or flex laterally to receive the hookah device 200, namely the main body 202, through the opening 112 and into the receiving channel 114. Thereafter, the collar 102 will beneficially contract to compressively retain the collar 102 to the hookah device 200 without the use of any fasteners. Said another way, the centralized body attachment member 102 is operable to flex and contract because it is beneficially of a flexible material that permits repeated expansion with minimal force, e.g., approximately 10 lbf or less, without plastic deformation or mechanical failure. When the user desires to remove the centralized body attachment member 102 from the hookah device 200, the user may either flex the two ends 400, 402 outwardly in a lateral direction and/or pull the centralized body attachment member 102 backwardly way from the opening 112 (which will cause the two ends 400, 402 and the attachment member 102, namely the sidewall 104, to flex outwardly laterally.
In one embodiment, the inner surface 108 of the annular sidewall 104 has a deformably resilient material 522, e.g., nitrile, natural rubber, etc., disposed thereon to prevent the hookah device 200 from being damaged by the compressive forces caused by the collar 102. Said another way, the deformably resilient material 522 is operably configured to compress and elastically deform in thickness when subjected to a force ranging from approximately 1-5 lbf, yet return to its static shape when the force is removed. The deformably resilient material 522 may span the body length 304 and may substantially surround the inner surface 108 of the annular sidewall 104 to provide superior coverage and protection for the hookah device 200. Additionally, the deformably resilient material 522 may also have a friction-inducing property that prevents the centralized body attachment member 102 from slipping longitudinally on the hookah device 200.
To effectuate placement and retention of the annular sidewall 104 on the hookah device 200, the sidewall 104 defines an arcuate shape spanning respectively from two side terminal ends 400, 402 thereon. The two ends 400, 402 are operably configured to laterally move to widen or shorten the width 518 of the opening 112. Said another way, the annular sidewall 104 continually spans circularly to define the receiving channel 114 that is annular, then forms a convex point or apex that is shaped like an arc to define the outermost point of the opening 112, and terminates at the two side terminal ends 400, 402.
Using arm 106a as an example, the plurality of arms 106a-n each have a first end 500 directly coupled to the outer surface 110 of the annular sidewall 104 and a second free end 502 defining a single arm opening 504 spatially coupled to an arm receiving channel 506, wherein the second free end 502 opposes the first end 500. Said another way, the arms 106a-n are of a cantilevered configuration with respect to the collar 102 and may extend approximately 3-6 inches in length from the outer surface 110 of the sidewall 104. As seen best in
Referring to
To achieve efficient and convenient retention of each hose 206, the plurality of arms 106a-n are each disposed in a substantially 90° configuration with respect to the outer surface 110 of the annular sidewall 104. Said another way, the plurality of arms 106a-n are each disposed in an orthogonal or upright orientation with respect to the outer surface 110, e.g., +/−15-20°, so that the hose(s) 206 that are effectively and safely retained. Additionally, the plurality of arms 106a-n may also be each disposed at substantially equidistant arc lengths 600a-n, e.g., 8-14 inches, with respect to one another. Further, the plurality of arms 106a-n may also be each disposed at substantially equal angles, e.g., 120°, with respect to one another.
In preferred embodiments, apparatus 100 includes at least three arms 106a-c, with each having a first end 500 directly coupled to the outer surface 110 of the annular sidewall 104 and disposed in at substantially equidistant arc lengths with respect to one another. Each of the plurality of arms 106a-n may also include a U-shaped mouth that includes the arm opening 504 and the arm receiving channel 506. This enables effective retention and receipt of the hose 206, which is typically of cylindrical shape. With reference specifically to
Although a specific order of executing the process steps has been described, the order of executing the steps may be changed relative to the order shown in certain embodiments. Also, two or more steps may occur in succession or may be executed concurrently or with partial concurrence in some embodiments. Certain steps may also be omitted for the sake of brevity. In some embodiments, some or all of the process steps can be combined into a single process.
A hookah hose attachment apparatus has been disclosed that enables user to quickly and effectively attach the apparatus to a hookah assembly, while simultaneously enabling multiple users to effectively, safely, and conveniently receive and retain a hookah hose. That said, various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this disclosure also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the above described features.
