Patent Application
20230189878
The present invention relates in general to the field of smoking devices, and in particular, to multi-purpose tools for use with smoking devices.
Tools for tobacco instruments, such as pipes, are well known in the art. One such tool is a tamper which is usually a blunt instrument that aids in tamping down the tobacco in the pipe bowl. Another tool is a pick, which is usually an elongated rod or pin that terminates in a point and is used to aerate tightly packed tobacco. Another useful tool is the reamer, which is typically a flat instrument that is shaped like a dull pen-knife blade or a flattened spoon and used to scrape ash and unburned tobacco (dottle) off the sides and bottom of a pipe. These various tools are routinely used, and often, they are all used in a single smoking session. Because it is cumbersome to carry all the tools separately, several “all-in-one” tools have been created in the art where each tool is typically fastened together by a hinged connection. For these devices, the user is required to manually select the individual tool and then rotate the individual tool from its stored position to its useful position. Because these tools require mechanical connections, they often become worn from continued use or the environment, and consequently, the tools may lose their function or become disengaged or lost. Accordingly, there is a need for a multi-purpose smoker's tool that does not rely on mechanical connections yet retains its versatility and ease of use.
It is an object of this invention to solve the needs of the prior art by creating a multi-purpose tool formed from an integrated unibody construction that is both ergonomic, easy to use, and transportable. The tool comprises a body having a tamper on opposing ends and a poker protruding from the body in a radial direction. Each tamper is operable for packing tobacco into a bowl or other orifice for smoking. The poker is operable to clear any debris or aerate any tightly packed material or tobacco. The tampers and poker can take on a variety of shapes, sizes, and dimensions to accomplish their intended function. For example, a tamper may be dome shaped or alternatively may have a flat surface. The poker may be conically shaped with a distal point, or alternatively, may be configured to include a variety of protrusions such as curvilinear fins or edges created by recesses in the poker which are disposed along the surface such that the poker may also function as a reamer.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are given like reference numerals and, wherein:
The images in the drawings are simplified for illustrative purposes and are not depicted to scale. Within the descriptions of the figures, similar elements are provided similar names and reference numerals as those of the previous figure(s). The specific numerals assigned to the elements are provided solely to aid in the description and are not meant to imply any limitations (structural or functional) on the invention.
The appended drawings illustrate exemplary configurations of the invention and, as such, should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. It is contemplated that features of one configuration may be beneficially incorporated in other configurations without further recitation.
For a further understanding of the nature and function of the embodiments, reference should be made to the following detailed description.
A multi-purpose smoker tool 5 for use with smoking pipes is shown in
One example embodiment of the tool 5 has a total length of approximately 2.25 inches. The dome 25 is sized and dimensioned to fill a 20 mm reamed pipe with a dome base 26 having a diameter approximately 22 mm.
For any of the aforementioned embodiments, the tool 5 may be made from thermoplastics or metals. Additionally, the tool 5 may be coupled to a key chain, lanyard, or some other accessory. This can be accomplished in a number of ways using connection means known in the art, including by having a hole or slit pre-molded into the body 10 or coupled to the exterior surface of the body 10 such that the hole or slit is configured to receive the chain or lanyard.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference has been made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language has been used to describe these embodiments. However, this specific language intends no limitation of the scope of the invention, and the invention should be construed to encompass all embodiments that would normally occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. The particular implementations shown and described herein are illustrative examples of the invention and are not intended to otherwise limit the scope of the invention in any way. For the sake of brevity, conventional aspects of the system (and components of the individual operating components of the system) may not be described in detail. Furthermore, the connecting lines, or connectors shown in the various figures presented are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical or logical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships, physical connections or logical connections may be present in a practical device. Moreover, no item or component is essential to the practice of the invention unless the element is specifically described as “essential” or “critical”. Numerous modifications and adaptations will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/292,240 filed on Dec. 21, 2021. The entire contents of the above application are hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63292240 | Dec 2021 | US |
