Patent Application
20210100276
The invention generally pertains substance smoking devices, and more particularly to a smokable structure made of a pulverized leaf substance configured with no wrapper or other covering.
Although smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products is on the decline, there are many people throughout the world who still smoke. In the United States and certain other countries it is anticipated that a previously illegal leaf product will soon be legalized for smoking or other uses. In some countries it is already legal.
One of the most predominant concerns of people who smoke manufactured cigarettes is that multiple additives, some of which are harmful to a person's health, are present in the cigarettes. This is also a concern for cannabis smokers in states or locations where cannabis is legal. Many smokers feel that the optimal smoking experience will occur when using a pure pulverized leaf substance without the need for any type of wrapper around the leaf substance.
Typically, a wrapper is made of paper, which is known as cigarette paper or wrapping paper, and is used to maintain tobacco or another pulverized leaf substance in a tube-like structure for smoking essentially. All manufactured cigarettes utilize a wrapper, and people who “roll their own” cigarettes also use a wrapper. The only purpose of the wrapper is to maintain the tobacco or pulverized leaf in a cohesive structure that can be lit and inhaled from.
It would be extremely beneficial to provide a smokable structure that does not require a wrapper or other covering and is made entirely of pulverized leaf. Optimally, the structure would allow manufactured cigarettes or cigars to be provided without a wrapper, and would allow individuals to produce their own wrapper-less cigarettes when desired. A wrapper-less pulverized leaf smokable structure would also preferably be made of one hundred-percent (100%) pulverized leaf, without any additives or chemicals, which are typically extremely harmful.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any literature or patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related:
The U.S. Pat. No. 1,073,422 discloses cigarette made with a long-fiber tobacco filling in which long shreds of tobacco are arranged longitudinally, forming a compact mass within the wrapper. The fibers of a protrusion of the filling extend slightly beyond the ends of the wrapper. This protrusion is desirable in that it renders the roll or stick at the ends slightly less compact in texture than that which is directly within the wrapper. Thus causing the products of combustion passing through the other end to expand and cool.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,929 discloses an apparatus for the production of a cartridge of smoking tobacco for a smoking pipe. The apparatus consists of a mold member defining a cylindrical chamber with a cylindrical plunger adapted for insertion therein for compression of cut pieces of tobacco. Each member has a central axial opening for receiving and supporting the ends of a core piece while tobacco is pressed in the mold member around the core piece.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,285 discloses a smoking article comprising a high density, relatively low porosity coherent mass of combustible tobacco-containing material having at least one passage extending therethrough. The smoking article is a cylinder having at least one passage and a plug of ignitable material in passage blocking position t one end of the passage. The plug permitting puff induced air flow therethrough. At least one additional plug may be similarly disposed at the opposite end of the passage or at an intermediate pint in the passage.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,954 discloses a method for modifying the peripheral conformation of a cigarette, which has an external, beat deformable, wrapper comprising a proportion of thermoplastic fibers or filaments. Heat is applied to the wrapper by a heat forming means moved relatively and in contact with the cigarette, in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cigarette.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,717 discloses a cigarette that is covered with a sheath made of material which does not generate any appreciable amount of smoke when the cigarette is sucked but burns when the cigarette is sucked. The material is made of starch, agar, gelatin or a mixture thereof.
The U.S. Pat. No. 9,032,970 discloses a highly efficient cigarette filter in which materials of natural origin not used before are applied. The cigarette filter can be used for absorbing the toxic components of the cigarette smoke, and neutralizing the free radicals produced during burning of the cigarette.
The 2017/0119039 publication discloses a smokable pulverized leaf structure consisting of a smnokable cylinder and a mold for producing the smokable cylinder. The smokable cylinder is made of pulverize leaf, such as tobacco or cannabis held together by a binding agent. The mold has a plurality of plates that are maintained together in a geometric form by at least one strap. A rod is inserted into the mold and then a quantity of pulverized leaf is poured into the mold. Once the leaf is within the mold, a press is utilized to apply pressure ground the mold, thus compressing the pulverized leaf within. After the pressure is applied the rod is removed.
For background purposes and indicative of the art to which the invention relates reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the patent search.
In its basic design the pulverized leaf cigarette structure is comprised of a smokable cylinder made entirely of one hundred-percent (100%) pulverized leaf means for applying pressure comprising a press or squeezing device are utilized to produce the structure such as tobacco or cannabis. A rod is inserted into the means for applying pressure and then a quantity of pulverized leaf is poured into the means for applying pressure. Pressure from the means compresses the pulverized leaf within. After the pressure is applied, the rod is removed. Additional pulverized leaf is then inserted into the space created when the rod was removed. With the space filled, a solid smokable cylinder is created. If desired a filter can be attached to either end of the smokable cylinder.
In an alternate design, for greater manufacturing quantity, a hopper directs pulverized leaf into an extruding apparatus that produces an elongated smokable cylinder. Whatever desired length of each smokable cylinder can then be cut from the elongated cylinder.
The benefits of the structure are that either individuals or companies can use the inventive concept to produce a smokable structure. The means for applying pressure could be sold as a single unit to an individual for making smokable cylinders at home, or means for applying pressure could be adaptable to large-scale production of smokable cylinders. When used at home, a person can be sure that the pulverized leaf they are using is one hundred-percent (100%) free of additives and/or chemicals.
In view of the above disclosure the primary object of the invention is to provide a pulverized leaf cigarette structure that allows a wrapper-less smokable cylinder of pulverized leaf to be quickly and easily produced.
In addition to the primary object of the invention, it is also an object of the invention to produce a pulverized leaf cigarette structure that:
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms that disclose a pulverized leaf cigarette structure (PLCS) and method for producing the structure. There have long been objects that facilitate the smoking of a crushed or pulverized leaf substance. These objects include pipes, wrapping paper (which is also known as cigarette paper) and, in the case of a cigar, a tobacco leaf wrapper. Rolled cigarettes became and are still the most widely utilized object for smoking tobacco and other leaf substances. This is because cigarettes, whether manufactured or self-roiled, are a quick and convenient facilitates for smoking. Many people though would prefer to smoke a leaf substance in a pipe in order to enjoy just the leaf substance without the paper wrapper.
The structure disclosed herein provides an alternative that offers the convenience of a cigarette without the paper or any other type of wrapper. The smokable structure allows a smoker to inhale only the leaf substance and to know exactly what is added to, or not added to, the leaf substance. This is important because manufactured cigarettes have multiple additives, many of which are deemed harmful to a person's health.
The structure 10, as shown in
A funnel 42 can be utilized to pour the pulverized leaf 22 into means for applying pressure 26. The funnel 42 is either integrally attached to the means for applying pressure 26, or can be a separate component that is placed above the means. During this process the means for applying pressure 26 can be vibrated to ensure the pulverized leaf 22 completely fills the means for applying pressure 26.
Once the pulverized leaf 22 is within the means for applying pressure 26 a center rod 40 which is made of hard material such as metal or plastic is inserted into the pulverized leaf. Pressure is then applied either manually or from mechanical/powered means, thereby compressing the pulverized leaf 22.
After pressure is applied and the pulverized leaf is compressed, the rod 40 is removed and a hard shell of compressed pulverized leaf is left within the means for applying pressure. If desired at this point, to increase the structural integrity of the smokable structure, a binding agent (not shown) such as wax or an oil can be applied to the shell of pulverized leaf. Additionally, a binding agent can be mixed with the pulverize leaf before the leaf is inserted into the means for applying pressure 26.
In an alternate design, a hollow tube can be placed above the PLCS. The hollow tube 38 is filled with additional pulverized leaf. A solid tube rod can then be pushed downward into the pulverized leaf structure thereby creating a solid smokable structure that is made of two or more types of pulverized leaf.
The basic design of the PLCS comprises the following:
The pulverized leaf 22 is inserted into the means for applying pressure 26 via an opening and the rod is inserted into the substantial center of the pulverized leaf within the means for applying pressure. Pressure is applied, the center rod is extracted and a solid, structurally maintained smokable cylinder of pulverized leaf is removed from the means for applying pressure.
The preferred envisioned steps for producing the pulverized leaf structure are:
Alternately, a hopper 56 is filled with pulverized leaf that falls into the extruding device, goes through at least one form to produce the basic shape, proceeds through heating element, is hardened and cut to length. The resulting structure is a solid core or a tube that can be filled and a filter placed thereon. Also, in lieu of an oven as the heating means, a hot/heated air blower could be utilized.
The above disclosed steps are one method of producing the smokable pulverized leaf cylinder. There are other methods and/or embodiments contemplated which can be equally effective for producing a smokable cylinder. For example, a two-piece means for applying pressure design, the pulverized leaf substance is inserted into an opening and pressure is applied. There is no center rod within the opening. Preferably a binding agent is utilized to increase the smokable structure's ability to maintain circular shape.
In another alternate method, instead of utilizing a means for applying pressure comprising a multi-component mold that is opened after pressure is applied, a mold that allows a smokable structure to be manually or automatically pushed outward from the opening and cut at a desired length can be utilized. This design could be made in a relatively larger size to produce a single smokable structure that can be cut at various locations to product multiple smokable structures.
For any of the methods, the pulverized leaf can be passed through a screen, which can be of various mesh sizes to allow for uniformity of and various sizes of leaf to be produced and utilized. After the leaf passes through the screen, a binding agent can be applied to maintain the shape and integrity of the final smokable cylinder. Also, for any of the designs and methods is the components of the means for applying pressure that come into contact with the leaf can be coated with Teflon or a similar substance that will reduce sticking of the leaf to the components.
While a circular shape smokable structure is preferred, the invention is not limited to this shape. Any geometric shape smokable structure can be created by altering the shape of the opening in the means for applying pressure. The circular shape geometry structure can vary in wall thickness and length as well as solid core structure.
To add to the utility and improve the smoking experience for some people, a mouthpiece filter 50, as shown in
While the invention has been described in detail and pictorially shown in the accompanying drawings it is not to be limited to such details, since many changes and modification may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof. Hence, it is described to cover any and all modifications and forms which may come within the language and scope of the claims.
