Patent Application
20210145049
Medical and adult use cannabis has been legalized in many nations across the world. In the United States more than half of the states allow for cultivation distribution and use of cannabis products. Smoking cannabis flowers is the traditional mode of delivery because it enables rapid absorption of bio-active cannabinoids. Smoking cannabis also avoids first pass hepatic metabolism which removes over 90% of the active cannabinoids delivered orally and through the digestive tract.
There are drawbacks with smoking. The heat from the smoke can damage the mouth and throat as well as the lungs. Smoke also includes a number of toxins. Both of these problems can be mitigated through the use of appropriate smoking accessories. Water pipes both cool the smoke and function to filter at least some toxins from the smoke. This enables the consumer to have the benefit of consuming cannabis while mitigating possible health problems associated with smoking marijuana cigarettes, for example.
Other types of smoking accessories can cool the smoke, such as a thermally conductive pipe which draws heat from the smoke, or a pipe with an expansion chamber.
The problem with pipes of all sorts including water pipes is that resin from the smoke cannabis clings to the inside of the pipe. Over time this resin builds up and leaves a black residue. The black residue as an undesirable smell, looks dirty, and is generally unappealing. In a water pipe, the resin residue may provide a substrate for cultures of microbiology that in turn generate additional pungent aromas, and perhaps unhealthful effects.
Most consumers prefer smoking with clean smoking accessories, particularly smoking accessories which deliver a clean, temperature moderated, and healthful experience. Such customers are thus faced with the choice of spending time and effort to clean smoking accessories on a regular basis, to smoke with an unclean smoking accessory, or to not smoke at all.
What is desired is a fast and easy way to clean smoking accessories in an effective and hygienic manner.
The present invention includes a system for cleaning smoking accessories. The system includes a tub having a bottom for capturing fluid, a first steam head, and a second steam head. The first steam head mounts in the tub and has a rotatable nozzle configured to direct steam towards the bottom of the tub, in other directions. The second steam head mounts in the tub and has a fixed nozzle configured to direct steam upwards, away from the bottom of the tub. A benefit of the present invention is to sterilize smoking accessories and other objects to inhibit the spread of pathogenic microbiology including viruses, fungi and bacteria. One benefit of having a rotatable nozzle is that the tub itself can be cleaned by the nozzle in addition to smoking accessories.
The invention includes a steam generator in fluid communication with both the first steam head and the second steam head to deliver dry steam at low pressures to the steam heads. Preferably, the pressures are kept below 150 psi to maximize safety of a user of the system. More preferably the pressure is between 14-100 psi. In an alternate embodiment the pressure is variable, and is kept between 14 through 50 psi. The system of the present invention is a low-pressure system that enables the temperature of the steam to clean smoking accessories. The system can also be used to clean residue from other glassware, tableware, ceramics and other pottery.
Preferably the temperature of the dry steam is between 300° F. and 350° F. It is possible to use the present invention in conjunction with steam having a temperature of less than 300° F., or more than 350° F., but the ideal range is between 300° F. and 350° F. The temperature is variable in one aspect of the invention, and fixed in another aspect of the invention.
A pressure regulator, or valve mounts in fluid communication between the steam generator and at least one of the first and second steam heads to regulate steam delivery pressure. Preferably, the pressure regulator, or valve includes a foot-actuated device so that a user can use both hands to articulate an item to be cleaned with respect to the steam heads. Preferably, the item to be cleaned is a smoking accessory.
The steam generator is configured to connect to a water source and to a power source for generating dry steam and delivering the dry steam to at least one of the steam heads. The steam generator has sufficient heating capacity to enable use of both steam heads simultaneously. In this way, two operators of the system can clean smoking accessories, or other item, simultaneously at different, selectively regulated pressures and steam flow rates.
In one embodiment of the invention, the fixed nozzle of the second steam head threadedly attaches to a conduit, the conduit extends vertically from the bottom of the tub and attaches in fluid communication with at least one of said valves.
In another embodiment of the invention, the rotatable nozzle of the first steam head threadedly attaches to a conduit, the conduit extends vertically from the bottom of the tub and attaches in fluid communication with at least one of said valves.
The steam heads can be interchanged to create two, or more, rotatable nozzles in a single system. The steam heads can be interchanged to create two, or more, fixed nozzles in a single system.
The system can be collated as a kit of parts including any combination of components described herein. For example, a kit of parts excluding the tub can be assembled and packaged in accordance with the present invention.
Dry steam is saturated steam that has been very slightly superheated. It results when water is heated to the boiling point and then vaporized with additional heat. If this steam is then further heated above the saturation point, it becomes superheated steam. In dry steam, all the heat which is present is used to transform the water into steam, therefore no micro drops are present. Dry steam sterilizes surfaces upon contact.
When steam is produced in a boiler or steam generator it usually has some moisture present, which comes from the water from which it is generated. The presence of any such moisture is sufficient to render the steam “wet.” The clean/pure steam generators used in the pharmaceutical industry are designed to produce “dry” steam, a clear, colorless vapor with no entrained moisture.
Steam dryness has a direct effect on the total amount of transferable energy contained within the steam, which affects heating efficiency and quality. The steam dryness fraction is used to quantify the amount of water within steam. If steam contains 10% water by mass, it's said to be 90% dry, or have a dryness fraction of 0.9.
Moisture in steam increases the amount of corrosion. Moisture traveling at high steam velocities erodes valve seats and fittings, a condition known as wiredrawing. It also causes erratic operation of control valves. Pure steam cannot carry any impurities, but water can. These impurities increase scaling of pipework and heating surfaces. Impurities can leave water spots on glass and other items to be cleaned. Accordingly, the use of dry steam yields virtually spotless smoking accessories. This is particularly important when cleaning glass pipes such as clear glass water pipes.
Increasing pressure on a volume of dry steam may cause the saturation point to be met, accordingly, dry steam should have pressure managed so that the saturation point is not reached, and formation of water droplets is avoided.
The present invention relies on a low-pressure system that is temperature stable to enable the maintenance of dry steam for use in cleaning smoking accessories.
Dry steam utilized by the present invention is preferably has a dryness fraction of between 0.4 and 0.9 when produced by the steam generator, and does not fall beyond the range of 0.1 and 0.9 anywhere throughout the system of the present invention.
In one embodiment of the invention, the system 10 further includes an ultrasonic generator 31 including an ultrasonic transducer 29, which is submersable in liquid. The ultrasonic transducer 29 is mounted within the tub 18 and wired through a wall of the tub 18 to the ultrasonic generator 31, which is external to the tub 18 and is optimally rated to generate between 1000-2000 watts of peak power. The peak power output can be within the range of 500-5000 watts in various embodiments of the invention.
The tub 18 is designed to have at least a portion that can hold water to enable operation of the ultrasonic transducer 29 while the steam head 20 operates. In this way a number of items can be steam cleaned and ultrasonically cleaned simultaneously. Further the process of cleaning can include intermittently utilizing ultrasound and steam to optimize the cleaning process. Ideally the tub 18 would have more than one segregated region for performing discrete cleaning steps. For example a sink with multiple tubs 18 can be used in accordance with the present invention, where the ultrasonic transducer 29 is submerged under water in one of the tubs and the steam head 20 extends from an adjacent tub 18.
The ultrasound generator 31 generates a uniform frequency in one embodiment of the invention that can be selected within the range of 25-170 kHz. In another embodiment, the generator 31 utilizes pulsed ultrasound utilizing periods of near zero ultrasonic output. In another embodiment, the pulsed ultrasound varies between a first pre-determined frequency to a second pre-determined frequency between the ranges set forth above.
In an alternate embodiment, a separate tub is provided to house the ultrasonic transducer 29 (See
The ultrasonic transducer 29 mounts on the base of the tub 18 in one embodiment of the invention. In another embodiment of the invention, the ultrasonic transducer 29 mounts on a wall of the tub 18.
In a preferred embodiment, two pressure regulators 24 and 25 operatively connect in fluid communication with the respective steam head 22 and 20. The pressure regulators 24 and 25 are a simple valve in one embodiment of the invention.
The pressure regulators 24 and 25 preferably include a foot pedal valve that enables operation of the pressure regulators 24 and 25 by use of a user's foot. The pressure regulators 24 and 25 are connected in fluid communication with the steam generator 14.
The steam generator 14 generates dry steam having a dryness fraction of between 0.4 and 0.9. As steam from the steam generator 14 moves towards the pressure regulators 24 and 25, the dryness fraction and the pressure is maintained. The pressure regulators 24 and 25 have a variable output, and may reduce the dryness fraction. Notwithstanding any reduction of the dryness fraction, the dry steam remains dry, so that no water droplets form within the system 10.
Upon exiting the system 10 via one of the steam heads 20 or 22, the dry steam will cool and release moisture in the form of water droplets. The heat from the dry steam melts resins on any smoking accessory to be cleaned so that the resins change from a solid to a liquid. The moisture released from the dry steam in the form of water droplets carries the liquid resin from the smoking accessory to be cleaned into the tub 18. Accordingly, one mechanism of action in cleaning smoking accessories is due to the combination of heat and condensation to remove liquefied resins from the smoking accessory. Where an internal surface is to be cleaned, the condensation carries away liquefied resins, but it can be appreciated that in the case of a material to be cleaned made of a thermally conductive material, such as glass, the dry steam sprayed on one side can melt resins on the other side. The melted resins can be removed by a dry cloth, without need for direct contact with the dry steam.
Preferably the present invention utilizes an array of ultrasonic frequencies to achieve ultrasonic sweep cleaning and avoid the generation of undesirable standing waves in the tub 18. In an alternate embodiment an array of ultrasonic frequencies are used simultaneously. In yet another embodiment of the invention, a single pre-determined frequency is used. In still another embodiment, a sequence of varied pre-determined frequencies are delivered to effectuate optimal cleaning.
The mechanism of efficacy that the ultrasonic transducer achieves includes on ultrasonic cavitation cleaning. Cavitation is a boiling phenomenon that creates a micro layer of heated water forming vapor bubbles that cling to a surface. When those bubbles pop, the popping force cleans the surface. Ultrasonic cavitation is especially effective in conjunction with the intermittent use of steam for cleaning sticky glass surfaces.
The steam head 22 is fixed in a vertical alignment with respect to the base of the tub 18, which lies in a horizontal plane. The ultrasonic transducer 29 is fixed on the base of the tub 18.
The steam head 20 includes a tube 40, which extends vertically upward from a base 19 of the tub 18. The first elbow 32 mounts on a distal end of the tube 40. A second elbow 34 connects with the first elbow 32 and rotates with respect to the first elbow 32. The second elbow 34 includes a nozzle 36 for directing dry steam in a direction towards the tub 18 during normal operation. The nozzle 36 is shrouded by a sleeve 38.
The sleeve 38 is manufactured from a heat resistant and semi-flexible material to press-fit over the nozzle 36. Preferably the sleeve 38 is made from silicon. The sleeve 38 protects an operator from condensed water that may splash from the region surrounding the nozzle 36 during use. A sleeve 38 also guides steam towards the object to be cleaned. The sleeve 38 may seal against the smoking accessory to direct dry steam into a channel, bowl, stein or other portion of the smoking accessory. Accordingly, the inside of a pipe, such as a mouthpiece, carburetor, bowl, stein or other portion of the pipe may be readily cleaned without misdirection of steam, water vapor, or condensed water.
Preferably the cleaner 70 utilizes a frequency of between 25-170 kHz. In one embodiment, the frequency can be selected at one of 25, 40, 68 and 170 kHz to optimize operation. In another embodiment, customized cycles utilizing more than one of these frequencies can be programmed into the ultrasonic cleaner 70 and utilized so that one frequency can be used initially for a first period of time e.g. 1-5 minutes, and a second frequency can be used subsequently for a second period of time e.g. 1-10 minutes.
Preferably, in accordance with the present invention, the ultrasonic cleaner 70 is utilized alternatingly with the steam head to clean smoking accessories. Typically, the process may consume 30-45 minutes and alternates back and forth between the ultrasonic cleaner 70 and the steam head being directed to remove resin or other contaminant from a pipe.
The ultrasonic transducer is an ultrasonic speaker that transmits ultrasound. The term pipe includes any smoking accessory manufactured from glass, composites, metals, or other heat-resistant materials. Smoking accessories include devices for smoking plant biomass, for vaporizing viscous concentrates, for volatilizing non-viscous concentrates such as wax or shatter. Thus the term “pipe” is broadly defined to include devices for smoking concentrates or plant biomass, or both.
While the present invention is described by way of examples of various embodiments, the true scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part application of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/798,258 filed Oct. 30, 2017 entitled Low-Pressure System Including Dry Steam for Cleaning Smoking Accessories, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15798258 | Oct 2017 | US |
| Child | 16750900 | US |
