Patent Grant
9220299
Not Applicable.
This invention relates to smoking methods and apparatus; and more particularly to a novel and improved smoking device used for smoking tobacco.
Smoking pipes provide a lasting sense of pleasure and a form of relaxation. Traditional smoking pipes typically consist of a burning bowl, a stem or smoke draw passageway which is usually connected to the lower portion of the burning bowl, and a mouthpiece at the end of the stem. The bowl holds loose tobacco, that when lit by fire, can be used to smoke by drawing air through the mouthpiece.
As the fire consumes the tobacco, a combination of smoking material, resin and ash remain in the bowl. Eventually however, the smokers consume unpleasant smoke from built up resin and excess burnt ashes. This unpleasant smoke, mixed with the fresh smoking material, reduces the flavor and enjoyment of smoking. This further leaves the smoker unfulfilled and often causes the smoker to cough due to the harshness of the mixed smoke withdrawn from the smoking pipe. In addition, traditional smoking pipes do not offer a means to effectively regulate the amount of smoke inhaled. The smoker can easily over draw the amount of smoke, which again, may cause unpleasant coughing due to over-consumption and expansion of the smoke within the mouth or lungs. Traditional smoking pipes further require the smoker to reload the pipe constantly after each bowl of smoking material has been consumed, requiring a need for an additional means of tobacco storage. Although some smoking pipes have incorporated an additional storage compartment for the smoking material within the pipe's body, the process of constantly reloading the material often becomes messy, cumbersome, wasteful and time consuming. Moreover, traditional smoking pipes tend to omit odor from either stored, un-smoked smoking material, or burnt ash and resin buildup within the smoking bowl. Finally, traditional smoking pipes typically utilize a small, bowl-sized screen to filter the smoke from the burning tobacco. As the smoke from one or more bowl(s) is forced to flow through the small filtering screen, residual heat and resins quickly build up producing a restricted smoke path, undue strain and disproportionate distortion upon the screen filter. Many traditional smoking pipes may further completely eliminate a means of filtering altogether, subjecting the draw hole to unnecessary contamination and hot embers to inadvertently be drawn into a user's mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,936 issued to Lee on Jul. 16, 2002 discloses a smoking pipe that includes a more traditional style long stem coupled to a manifold with a removably attached turret that is configured with six (6) smoking bowls therein and rotates freely upon the top of the manifold. The smoker may use various smoking materials, however because the smoking pipe depends upon the weight of the brass bowl to function properly, along with its bulky design, it is difficult to be carried comfortably in one's pocket. In addition, the design does not accommodate a mechanical means to align and maintain alignment of the turret with the manifold along a longitudinal axis. Moreover, the smoking pipe does not provide a practical method to regulate the amount of smoke inhaled per draw. The smoking pipe further requires special tools to assemble and disassemble for cleaning and screen replacement and does not have the capability to practically store additional smoking material without the loss of such material during transportation of the pipe. Finely, the smoking pipe channels smoke from all six of its bowl chambers through a single bowl-sized screen, thereby subjecting the screen to excessive clogging and heat buildup which demands the inconvenience of more frequent cleaning and replacement intervals.
One prior art taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,232 issued to Chkadua on Mar. 6, 2001 provides a smoking pipe that includes a base and a mouthpiece. The base includes a bowl for placement of loose tobacco and also includes a permanent neodymium magnet that is embedded within the base. The mouthpiece is a separate component and incorporates a permanent neodymium magnet embedded within the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is generally movable between a smoking position and a transportation position relative to the base by means of detaching and repositioning the mouthpiece. The smoking pipe is of minimal dimensions, allowing for the pipe to be easily carried within the palm of the hand or in a shirt or pants pocket. However, the smoking pipe requires cleaning and reloading after each single bowl of smoking material has been consumed. Further, the smoking pipe does not provide the option for additional storage of desired smoking materials or a practical method to regulate the amount of smoke inhaled per draw.
Another prior art taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,633 issued to Herman on Jun. 13, 2000 discloses a safety smoking pipe that includes first and second parts telescopically receivable, one within the other, and rotatable relative to one another. The first part includes an elongated tube having a screen adjacent one end. The second part includes an elongated tube terminating at its proximal end in a pipe tip and an axially extending cleaning member terminating in a cleaning head. The tobacco materials are loaded into the first tube. The tobacco materials adjacent to the screen end are lit and the ash is formed on the interior of the screen after the tobacco material is burned. By rotating the parts relative to one another, the cleaning head may clean the ash from the end of the pipe. By shaking the pipe screen end down, the weight repacks the tobacco material in the tube whereby the smoking material can once again be ignited. The smoking pipe incorporates a simplified method for cleaning and reloading and further includes a method to self extinguish itself after a determined amount of puffs. However, the design does not provide a practical method to extinguish itself immediately at the smoker's discretion or regulate the amount of smoke inhaled per draw.
Yet another prior art taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,838 issued to Sigrist on Dec. 22, 1998 provides a smoking pipe having a rotatable coupling between a base including a bowl and mouthpiece. The mouthpiece rotates to a first position covering the bowl for storage and to a second position distant from the bowl for smoking the pipe. The collapsed form of the smoking pipe may be more easily carried in one's pocket without loss of debris from the bowl. However, disassembly of the smoking pipe for re-loading and cleaning is difficult. Further, the smoking pipe does not address a practical method to regulate the amount of smoke inhaled per draw.
Therefore, there is a need for a smoking device that can accommodate a greater number of bowls for safely storing and smoking ground tobacco in a more precise and proportionally regulated manner. Such a smoking device would deliver a higher degree of quality smoke by allowing the smoker to take a fresh draw from the plurality of smoking materials without inhaling smoke from, or through excess resin or burnt ash. Such a smoking device would further incorporate a compact and spill proof design that can comfortably be carried in an individual's pocket or purse and may easily be cleaned by means of a common household dishwasher. Moreover, such a smoking device would incorporate a housing enclosure capable of nesting a pre-loaded and disposable smoking material retention cartridge, offering the smoker a more convenient, flexible and accurate means of smoking. Finally, such a smoking device would incorporate the use of a plurality of neodymium magnets to attach the components together and further propel the components apart for ease of assembly and disassembly along with a ball and dimple configuration to obtain precise flame inlet to bowl alignment. By departing from the classic “bowl and stem” pipe configuration utilized for centuries, the present invention accomplishes all these objectives.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for a novel and improved method and means for storing and smoking a plurality of smoking materials. It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved method and means for consistently and accurately measuring a proportioned amount of smoking material within a plurality of tobacco bowls that when lit by fire, may produce a proportionally regulated amount of smoke upon each draw taken.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved method for storing a plurality of smoking materials by means of a smoking material retention cartridge that may be pre-loaded and disposable after each use.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for a novel and improved method and means for a smoker to draw from a plurality of smoking materials without inhaling smoke from, or through excess resin or burnt ash wherein a much higher degree of quality smoke may be delivered.
It is still further an object of the present invention to provide for a novel and improved method and means for a smoker to immediately extinguish burning tobacco enabling the smoking device to be safely placed in a pocket or purse directly after use.
It is moreover an object of the present invention to provide for a novel and improved method and means for incorporating a plurality of bowls that may far greater exceed that of other smoking pipes.
In accordance with the present invention, a method and apparatus for smoking tobacco has been devised which is broadly comprised of a generally flat, cylindrical shaped bowl selector dial, a smoking material retention cartridge, a wire mesh filter element, and a bottom housing that may be stacked along a longitudinal axis and removably attached by a fastener. The bowl selector dial includes a flame inlet opening and a draw hole which is provided on a peripheral edge of the bowl selector dial diametrically opposite to the flame inlet opening, eliminating the need of a traditional “pipe stem” attached thereto. An annular groove, placed on the bottom surface of the bowl selector dial provides a method of evenly transferring smoke regardless of the rotated position of the bowl selector dial. A neodymium magnet may further be embedded on the bottom surface of the bowl selector dial to provide a means of attachment, alignment and a bearing surface when attached to the bottom housing. The smoking material retention cartridge is placed on the bottom surface of the bowl selector dial. The smoking material retention cartridge may further include a plurality of smoking material retention bores. The plurality of the smoking material retention bores are configured to easily store and maintain a precisely calculated and measured amount of ground smoking material thereby providing a practical solution in regulating the amount of smoke inhaled by the user. The plurality of the smoking material retention bores, commonly referred to as tobacco bowls, are formed by means of placing a plurality of cylindrically shaped bores in the smoking material retention cartridge, spaced equidistantly apart and in a generally annular orientation around the outside perimeter of the top surface of the smoking material retention cartridge. The plurality of smoking material retention bores may typically range in number between seven (7) to sixty (60) in a compact smoking device however may be unlimited in number depending upon the actual outside diameter of the smoking device and number of rows of smoking material retention bores included therein. The wire mesh filter element having a toroidal form and a central aperture is placed at the bottom surface of the smoking material retention cartridge. The singular wire mesh filter element may be adapted therewith to serve as a primary means of smoke filtration when said materials are ignited and consumed by fire. By adapting a single wire mesh filter element of a much larger diameter than traditional pipe screens along with the capability of simultaneously accommodating a multitude of formed tobacco bowls, unnecessary clogging, from excessive resin buildup may be greatly reduced. Moreover, the wire mesh filter element may be adapted to be easily cleaned by means of a common household dishwasher. The bottom housing placed below the wire mesh filter element may include a plurality of slots and an annular groove. The plurality of slots, and the annular groove may be formed to interconnect leaving a thin air gap when the wire mesh filter element and the smoking material retention cartridge is seated firmly in place. The thin air gap formed therein, may allow an unrestricted passage for smoke to travel from under the plurality of smoking bowls to further smoke passages. The bottom housing may be adapted to nest therein the wire mesh element and the smoking material retention cartridge. Moreover, the bottom housing may be likewise configured whereas the identical features of the top surface of the bottom housing may be mirrored on the bottom surface thus enabling an additional filter element, smoking material retention cartridge and bowl selector dial to be attached to the opposite side of the bottom housing, thereby doubling the storage and smoking capacity of the smoking device. In use, the bowl selector dial may easily be rotated by grasping the bottom housing with one hand, restricting it's movement, while further grasping the bowl selector dial with the other hand, wherein exerting a slight twisting motion upon the bowl selector dial may accurately position the flame inlet opening over one of the plurality of smoking material retention bores containing the smoking material placed therein. Flame inlet alignment over one of the plurality of the smoking material retention bores may be accurately achieved by means of a ball and dimple configuration placed on the bottom surface of the bowl selector dial and the top and bottom surface of the smoking material retention cartridge. Upon selection of a fresh bowl of smoking material, the tobacco is ignited through the flame inlet opening at the top surface of the bowl selector dial placed diametrically across from the draw hole. As the user produces a small amount of suction at the draw hole, the fire flame burns and consumes the smoking material contained in one of the plurality of portion-regulated smoking material retention bores. The smoke moves downwards through the wire mesh filter element and passes through at least one of the plurality of outer slots formed within the bottom housing. The smoke continues passage through the intersecting annular groove and further intersects with at least one of the innermost grooves formed within the bottom housing. The smoke is then drawn upwards, returning through the wire mesh filter element, through the at least one opening in the smoking material retention cartridge and continuing a path of movement through the annular groove placed in the bottom surface of the bowl selector dial. Finally, the smoke is drawn out through the draw hole in the bowl selector dial which intersects with the annular groove in the bottom surface of the bowl selector dial and is ultimately inhaled by the user. The process may be simply repeated by rotating the flame opening of the bowl selector dial over any one of the plurality of smoking material retention bores containing a plurality of smoking materials or may be instantaneously terminated by rotating the flame opening of the bowl selector dial back over the at least one the park position. It is in this position that the smoking device may be safely transported in one's pocket or purse without worry of spillage of the smoking material or the presence of an open flame, burning ember, or residual smoke. Further, the smoking device may be manufactured to any size or bowl specification allowing the ability to pre-load an exact amount of smoking material based on the quantity, quality, and amount of smoke actually required or desired by the user per draw.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the bowl selector dial of the present invention may be replaced with an extendable bowl selector dial. The extendable bowl selector dial may broadly include a modified bowl selector dial with an attached pivotal cover. The pivotal cover having a generally flat and cylindrical form, may include a draw hole provided on a peripheral edge that when twisted to an open, locked and smokeable position, is located diametrically opposite to the at least one flame inlet opening of the modified bowl selector dial. The modified bowl selector dial, having a generally flat and cylindrical form, may include a flame inlet opening and an offset pivot point. A neodymium magnet may further be embedded in a central aperture placed on the bottom surface of the modified bowl selector dial to provide a means of attachment and alignment to the bottom housing of the present invention. In use, the extendable bowl selector dial may provide a method of further distancing the user's mouth from the flame inlet opening. Upon proper attachment of the extendable bowl selector dial to the bottom housing of the present invention, the pivotal cover may simply be rotated to a side, in a pivotal type movement exposing the flame inlet opening in the top surface of the modified bowl selector dial. The pivotal cover may further be locked in place by a plurality of neodymium magnets embedded therein the top surface of the modified bowl selector dial and the bottom surface of the pivotal cover. The extendable bowl selector dial may easily be rotated by grasping the bottom housing of the present invention with one hand, while further grasping the modified bowl selector dial with the other hand, wherein exerting a slight twisting motion upon the modified bowl selector dial may accurately position the flame inlet opening over one of the plurality of smoking material retention bores containing the smoking material placed therein. The smoking material is ignited through the flame inlet opening at the top surface of the modified bowl selector dial placed diametrically across from the draw hole when the pivotal cover is rotated to an open, locked and smokeable position. As the user produces a small amount of suction at the draw hole, the fire flame burns and consumes the smoking material contained in one of the plurality of portion-regulated smoking material retention bores of the present invention. As the smoke travels throughout the lower portion of the present invention, the smoke continues a path of movement through the annular groove placed in the bottom surface of the modified bowl selector dial. The smoke is then drawn upward though the at least one opening in the top surface of the modified bowl selector dial and into the at least one opening on the bottom surface of the pivotal cover, further being drawn in and through the smoke draw passage within the pivotal cover. The smoke thereafter exits through the at least one opening placed on the outside peripheral edge of the pivotal cover and ultimately is inhaled by the user. The process may be simply repeated by rotating the flame opening of the modified bowl selector dial over any one of the plurality of smoking material retention bores of the present invention, containing a plurality of smoking materials nested therein. When the smoker is satisfied, the modified bowl selector dial may simply be rotated to the at least one park position completely enclosing the smoking device. For storage or transportation, the pivotal cover may be then rotated back over the modified bowl selector dial, in a reverse pivotal motion, and again locked in place by means of a plurality of neodymium magnets embedded therein. The present invention and accompanying embodiment allow a user to take a fresh portion-regulated draw from the plurality of smoking materials without inhaling smoke from, or through excess burnt ash or resin.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent, understood and be more readily appreciated from the following more detailed description of preferred and alternate embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
In the accompanying drawings;
The smoking material retention cartridge 14, as illustrated in
The wire mesh filter element as illustrated in
Moreover, the wire mesh filter element 16 may be adapted to be easily cleaned by means of a common household dishwasher (not shown). Still further, the wire mesh filter element 16 may be composed of common mesh filtering materials selected from a group consisting of alloys such as stainless steel, brass, titanium and glass. The wire mesh filter element 16 may have a diametric measurement ranging between 5.0 cm and 183.0 cm and the central aperture 50 of the wire mesh filter element may further have a diametric measurement ranging between 0.33 cm and 60.0 cm. Finally, the wire mesh filter element 16 may be formed to a circumference that may simultaneously cover all of the plurality of said smoking material retention bores 36 placed therein the at least one said smoking material retention cartridge 14 without exceeding the outer circumference of the at least one said smoking material retention cartridge 14.
The bottom housing 18 placed below the wire mesh filter element 16, as illustrated in
The bowl selector dial 12, the smoking material retention cartridge 14 and the bottom housing 18 may be composed of one or more materials selected from a group consisting of alloys such as aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, and brass, as well as non-metallic materials such as wood, various high temperature plastics, glass, or compressed paper products. Moreover, the smoking device 10 may include a foil type casing (not shown) composed of one or more materials selected from a group consisting of alloys such as aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, or brass that may provide further protection to areas subjected to direct flame or excessive heat.
The components used to attach or align the bowl selector dial 12, the smoking material retention cartridge 14, the wire mesh filter element 16, and the bottom housing 18 may be selected from a group of materials consisting of neodymium magnets, rivets, screws, bolts, roll pins, pins, ball plungers, ball bearings and other common fastening or alignment devices.
In use, referring to
Upon selection of a fresh bowl of tobacco (not shown), the smoking material is ignited through the flame inlet opening 26 at the top surface 24 of the bowl selector dial 12 placed diametrically across from the draw hole 30. As the user (not shown) produces a small amount of suction at the draw hole 30, the fire flame burns and consumes the smoking material (not shown) contained in one of the plurality of portion-regulated smoking material retention bores 36. The smoke (not shown) moves downwards through the wire mesh filter element 16 and passes through one of the plurality of outer slots 56 formed therein the bottom housing 18. The smoke (not shown) continues passage around the intersecting annular groove 62 and further intersects with at least one of the innermost grooves 54 formed within the bottom housing 18. The smoke (not shown) is then drawn upwards returning through the wire mesh filter element 16, through the at least one opening 40 in the smoking material retention cartridge 14 and continuing a path of movement through the annular groove 76 placed in the bottom surface 78 of the bowl selector dial 12. Finally, the smoke (not shown) is drawn out through the draw hole 30 in the bowl selector dial 12 which intersects with the annular groove 76 in the bottom surface 78 of the bowl selector dial 12 and ultimately inhaled by the user (not shown). The process may be simply repeated by rotating the flame opening 26 of the bowl selector dial 12 over any one of the plurality of smoking material retention bores 36 containing a plurality of smoking materials (not shown) or may be instantaneously terminated by rotating the flame opening 26 of the bowl selector dial 12 back over the at least one the park position 46. It is in this position that the smoking device 10 may be safely transported in one's pocket or purse (not shown) without worry of spillage of the smoking material (not shown) or the presence of an open flame, burning ember, or residual smoke. The smoking device 10 may be manufactured to any size or bowl specification allowing the ability to pre-load an exact amount of smoking material (not shown) based on the quantity, quality, and amount of smoke actually required or desired by the user per draw. Further, a plurality of neodymium magnets (not shown) may be embedded in the bottom surface 78 of the bowl selector dial 12 and in the top peripheral surface 66 of the bottom housing 18 placed in a configuration whereas a field of magnetic repulsion (not shown) may be adapted to aid separation of the bowl selector dial 12 from the bottom housing 18 for cleaning and reloading.
Referring to
The pivotal cover 112 having a generally flat and cylindrical form, may include a top surface 116, a bottom surface (not shown), at least one offset pivot point 124, a smoke passage 130, an opening that intersects perpendicular with the smoke passage 138, a peripheral knurled or irregularly shaped edge 134, a draw hole 132 and a plurality of neodymium magnets embedded therein 120, 122, 140. The draw hole 132 may be provided on a peripheral edge 136 of the pivotal cover 112, that when twisted to an open, locked and smokeable position, is located diametrically opposite to the at least one flame inlet opening 126 of the modified bowl selector dial 110. The draw hole 132 may further extend internally through the pivotal cover 112, towards the flame inlet opening 126 of the modified bowl selector dial 110, and intersect with the opening 138 on the bottom surface (not shown) of the pivotal cover 112. The at least one opening 138 of the pivotal cover 112 may be open at the bottom surface (not shown) and configured in an orientation perpendicular to the face of the bottom surface (not shown) of the pivotal cover 112. The at least one opening (not shown) of the modified bowl selector dial 110 and the at least one opening of the pivotal cover 138 may be aligned along a longitudinal axis when stacked together and rotated to an open, locked and smokeable position.
The modified bowl selector dial 110, having a generally flat and cylindrical form, may include a top surface 114, a bottom surface (not shown), a flame inlet opening 126, a central aperture 142, an annular groove 118, an offset pivot point 124, an outer peripheral edge 128, a plurality of neodymium magnets 120, 122, and at least one opening to act as a smoke passage 138. A neodymium magnet (not shown) may further be embedded in the central aperture 142 on the bottom surface (not shown) of the modified bowl selector dial 110 to provide a means of attachment and alignment. Moreover, at least one ball bearing (not shown) may be embedded in the bottom surface (not shown) of the modified bowl selector dial 110 which may removably seat in at least one of the plurality of dimple recesses 32 (
The pivotal cover 112 and the modified bowl selector dial 110 may be fastened at the offset pivot point 124 by means of a screw, rivet or other like fastener and may further include a plurality of neodymium magnets 120, 122, 140 embedded therein the top surface 114 of the modified bowl selector dial 110 and the bottom surface (not shown) of the pivotal cover 112 to limit over-rotation and to secure the components in either the open or closed position.
In use, referring to
The smoking material (not shown) is ignited through the flame inlet opening 126 at the top surface 114 of the modified bowl selector dial 110 placed diametrically across from the draw hole 132 when the pivotal cover 112 is rotated to an open, locked and smokeable position. As the user (not shown) produces a small amount of suction at the draw hole 132, the fire flame burns and consumes the smoking material (not shown) contained in one of the plurality of portion-regulated smoking material retention bores 36. As the smoke (not shown) travels throughout the lower portion of the smoking device (not shown), the smoke (not shown) continues a path of movement through the annular groove 118 placed in the bottom surface (not shown) of the modified bowl selector dial 110. The smoke (not shown) is then drawn upward though the at least one opening (not shown) in the top surface 114 of the modified bowl selector dial 110 and into the at least one opening 138 on the bottom surface (not shown) of the pivotal cover 112, further being drawn in and through the smoke draw passage 130 within the pivotal cover 112. The smoke (not shown) thereafter exits through the at least one opening 132 placed on the outside peripheral edge 130 of the pivotal cover 112 and ultimately is inhaled by the user (not shown). The process may be simply repeated by rotating the flame opening 126 of the modified bowl selector dial 110 over any one of the plurality of smoking material retention bores 36, containing a plurality of smoking materials (not shown) nested therein. When the smoker is satisfied, the modified bowl selector dial 110 may simply be rotated to the at least one park position 46 by means of a knurled or irregularly shaped edge 128, completely enclosing the smoking device 10. For storage or transportation, the pivotal cover 112 may be then rotated back over the modified bowl selector dial 110, in a reverse pivotal motion, and again locked in place by means of a plurality of neodymium magnets 120, 122, 140 embedded therein. It is in this position that the smoking device 10 may be safely transported in one's pocket or purse without worry of spillage of the smoking material (not shown) or the presence of an open flame, burning ember, or residual smoke.
A plurality of neodymium magnets 140 may further be embedded in the top surface 114 of the modified bowl selector dial 110 and in the bottom surface (not shown) of the pivotal cover 112 to limit over rotation of the pivotal cover 112 when rotated to an open and locked position. Moreover, a Teflon or similar washer (not shown) may be provided on the bottom surface (not shown) of the modified bowl selector dial 110 to facilitate smooth rotation of the modified bowl selector dial 110.
While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, an irregular surface may be provided on the top inner surface of the bottom housing to filter the smoke in place of the wire mesh filter element and the plurality of outer grooves. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.
This application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application No. 61/463,375, filing date: Feb. 16, 2011.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5850838 | Sigrist | Dec 1998 | A |
| 6073633 | Herman | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6196232 | Chkadua | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6418936 | Lee | Jul 2002 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20120204888 A1 | Aug 2012 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61463375 | Feb 2011 | US |
