Patent Application
20070074734
A lighter for using cigarettes in a smokeless manner is disclosed. The lighter can accommodate conventional cigarettes, a flavor cartridge, or both.
A smokeless cigarette lighter may include a generally cylindrical heating arrangement operable to define a generally cylindrical chamber and to maintain the temperature in that chamber between 160° and 200°. The lighter may also include a generally cylindrical jacket surrounding the heating arrangement and being operable to maintain the external temperature of the lighter at or below 40° C., surface temperatures that will not burn the smoker's hand. One end of the jacket defines an opening sized to accept a smoking article, such as a cigarette or cigar. The other end of the jacket connects with an air supply manifold. The air supply manifold connects with a power supply arrangement operable to energize the heating means, to optionally contain the related electronic circuitry, and to optionally simulate glowing tobacco.
To preserve the life of the power supply arrangement, as well as to ensure self-extinction operation of the lighter, a timer circuit may be provided which terminates the supply of energy to the heating arrangement after a period of time correlated to the time associated with burning of a typical smoking article.
To initiate operation of the lighter, a switch may be provided which becomes engaged by a smoking article. Alternatively, or conjunctively, a manually operable switch may be provided so that the smoker can initiate lighter operation or override its electronic circuitry.
If desired, the lighter may also include a glow-indicator light coupled with circuitry operable to sense air flowing through the lighter and to illuminate the glow-indicator light in response to that event.
Turning now to
As illustrated, the lighter 20 receives a substantial portion of the length of the smoking article through an opening at one end. The opposite end of the lighter 20 includes a manifold 28 provided with a plurality of generally radially extending channels 30. The manifold 28 allows air to enter the lighter when the smoker puffs on the cigarette 22 by drawing air therethrough.
Optionally, the end of the lighter opposite to the opening for the smoking article may include an indicator light assembly 36 which can light when the smoker draws air through the smoking article. Thus, the indicator light assembly 36 operates analogously to the coal of a conventional cigarette or cigar when air is drawn into it. The indicator light assembly 36 (see
Within the lighter 20 a heating assembly 50 is provided. The heating assembly 50 defines a chamber 52 which is generally cylindrical with a generally circular cross section. This heater is not limited to that shape and includes other shapes such as frustoconical and other cross sections such as polygonal, elliptical, and the like. Whichever shape may be selected, the chamber 52 has a transverse dimension selected to accommodate the transverse dimension of a smoking article to be used with the lighter. In addition, the length of the chamber 52 is selected to accommodate the length of the associated smoking article such that a mouth engageable portion, i.e., about 0.5 to about 2 inches, extends from the lighter 20.
One end of the chamber 52 has an opening 54 sized to accommodate a smoking article. For example, where a cigarette is the smoking article, the opening 54 may have a transverse dimension in the range of about 8 to about 10 mm (about 0.3 to about 0.4 inches). Where the smoking article is a cigar, the transverse dimension may range from about 10 mm to about 25 mm (about 0.4 to about 1.0 inches).
The other end of the chamber 52 also has an opening 56. This opening 56 communicates with the manifold 28 and receives air that is drawn through the lighter 20 during smoking. The air opening 56 can be sized as desired. In appropriate circumstances, the air opening 56 may define an orifice of reduced transverse dimension. In other circumstances, the air opening 56 is sufficiently large that no airflow restriction or pressure drop is caused thereby.
The air opening 56 has fluid communication with a central bore 58 of the manifold 28. The central bore 58 has fluid communication with each of the channels 30 (see
The central bore 58 preferably has a transverse dimension selected so that it does not restrict airflow through the lighter 20. For example, the bore 58 may have a transverse dimension or diameter as large as the transverse dimension of the air opening 56 of the heating assembly. To avoid restricting airflow into the lighter, the central bore 58 preferably has a cross-sectional area at least as large as the sum of cross-sectional areas of the channels 30 which communicate with the bore 58.
The heating assembly 50 may include a generally cylindrical element 60 having a substantially uniform wall thickness and having a generally circular cross section. The element 60 may be fabricated from a suitable conventional material including, for example, a ceramic material, a thermally insulating material, or a thermally conductive material. The element 60 may have one or more surface-mounted resistance heating members such as films, or shaped ribbons. Alternatively, the element 60 may include one or more internal heating members. Regardless of the type of heating members used, the heating members are arranged in and/or on the heating element 60 so that a substantially uniform temperature can be obtained and maintained in the chamber 52 in both the radial and axial directions.
The heating assembly 50 is operable to raise the temperature in the chamber 52 to preselected temperature or range, preferably in the range of about 160° C. to about 200° C. within a short time period, for example less than about 30 seconds, preferably less than about 20 seconds, and most preferably about 10 seconds or less. Further, the heating assembly 50 is operable to maintain the temperature in the chamber 52 within the range of about 160° C. to about 200° C. The lower temperature of this range, i.e., about 160°, constitutes the threshold for release of volatiles from tobacco which provide the experience of smoking. The higher temperature of this range, i.e., about 200°, defines a heating temperature below which visible smoke does not occur around the lighter. Moreover, at and below this higher temperature, the lighter operates without combustion of tobacco and/or paper cigarette wrapper material. Coincidentally, most of the pyrolytic and pyrosynthetic processes are avoided that otherwise occur when a conventional cigarette is smoked in a conventional manner.
A jacket 62 is disposed on the outside of the heating assembly 50 both to provide a means of holding the lighter 20 and to insulate the smoker's hand and fingers from the heating assembly 50. To that end, the jacket 62 is fashioned from an insulating material such as, for example, ceramic, phenolic, wood, or the like. The jacket 62 has a thickness selected such that the temperature of its external surface does not exceed about 40° C. To further protect the smoker's fingers from accidental burns, the jacket 62 may be substantially coaxial with the heating element 60 and preferably has a similar cross-sectional shape. For the same reason, the jacket 62 preferably has a length which exceeds the length of the heating element 60 so that the jacket can also substantially cover the end of the heating element 60 at the opening 54. When the jacket 62 covers the end of the heating element 60 and extends toward the opening 54, the jacket is shaped so that it provides an opening for the smoking article which is at least as large as the opening 54.
If desired, the jacket 62 may be designed with a tolerance that permits the heating element 60 to slide axially for replacement purposes.
The manifold 28 attached to the jacket 62 and provides a radially extending surface 64 which provides an abutment to hold the heating element 60 in position within the jacket 62. As shown, the surface 64 extends radially across the end of the heating element 60; however, to provide the positioning function, that surface 64 need only overlap a portion of the end of the heating element. The manifold 28 may be attached to the jacket 62 in any of a variety of ways depending on the materials used for the jacket and the manifold. For example, the connection may be with a permanent adhesive, welding, brazing, interference, or a mechanical arrangement. Where the heating element 60 is designed to be replaceable, the connection may be a mechanical one such as mating threads on the jacket and the manifold 28.
If desired, the remote end of the lighter 20 may include a glow light assembly 36. The glow light assembly is operable to sense airflow in the lighter 20 in a suitable conventional manner so that the light 40 comes on when air is passing through the lighter 20, such as when the smokeable object is puffed. When the glow light assembly is not part of the lighter, a simple cap may be substituted having a similar shape and being operable to contain the battery 70. The glow light assembly, or the cap, is removably connected to the manifold 28 so that the battery 70 can be accessed and replaced if needed.
The battery 70 is provided to energize the lighter 20. The battery 70 may be disposed in a conformingly shaped cavity located between the manifold 28 and the light assembly 36. The battery 70 not only supplies energy to the heating element 60, it also supplies energy for the glow light assembly. The battery 70 may have any desired design. For example, the battery 70 may be disposable or rechargeable; however it must be capable of delivering electrical energy to the heating element 60 for a plurality of periods of smoking.
The lighter 20 also includes a comparatively simple control system for regulating delivery of electrical energy to the heating element 60 The control system also operates to control the temperature in the heating chamber 52 to the range specified above. The control system also functions to energize the glow light assembly when that is part of the lighter 20.
While various designs for a control system will be apparent to those skilled in the art, one simple control system is shown in
The optional puff-indicator assembly includes the light 40 and a puff sensor circuit 88. These elements may be connected in series and those elements then connected in parallel with the heating element 60. The puff sensor circuit is operable to determine when airflow through the heating chamber begins and/or increases. When that happens, the light 40 is energized; conversely, when airflow drops or stops, the light 40 is extinguished. Thus, the light 40 simulates the operation of the coal on a burning cigarette when the cigarette is being puffed.
At the end of the timer cycle, energy to the puff sensor circuit 88 and to the heating element 60 stops. As a result, further puffing by the smoker will not be accompanied by lighting of the light 40 and the smoker will know that the operating cycle has ended. Also, since energy to the heating element 60 stops, further heating of the chamber ends at the same time.
For those situations where the smoker wants to continue puffing the smokeable object, a manually operable switch 86 is provided on the lighter 20. As seen in
Various other arrangements for controlling the heating element 60 are possible and are within the scope of this disclosure.
In use, a smoking article such as a cigarette 24 (
The battery 70 is preferably sized to have an electrical capacity sufficient to operate the lighter 20 through multiple cycles. Recognizing that frequent replacement or recharging of the battery 70 could annoy a smoker, the battery 70 is most preferably capable of operating the lighter 20 for about a week for an average smoker. That could be, for example, through 100 to 150 cycles or more before replacement or recharge becomes needed. As a minimum, the battery should be able to operate the lighter 20 for at least a day, for example through about 20 cycles or more before replacement or recharge is needed.
The battery 70 is also selected so that, when the timer 82 is initiated, the temperature of the heating chamber 52 (
The timer circuit 82 (
When the timer circuit reaches the end of the time period, energy flow from the battery 70 to the heating element 60 is interrupted and the heating chamber 52 is no longer heated. At that time, the smoking article may be withdrawn from the lighter 20 and discarded. If, however, the smoker wants to continue smoking the smoking article, a manually operable switch 86, located for example on the outside of the jacket 62 near the open end 54 of the heating chamber 52, can be actuated. When the switch 86 is activated energy again flows through the timer circuit, heating element, and temperature control, so that the smoker can continue smoking the object.
When smoking a cigarette in the normal way, each time the smoker takes a puff the coal at the end of the cigarette glows at least in part as a result of the increased oxygen from airflow through the burning end. That glowing coal provides an indicia that the cigarette is lit and being smoked. If desired, the lighter can provide increased power to the indicator 40 to simulate the smoking experience.
The indicator can remain on during the time the heater is maintained at the desired temperature or the indicator can be turned off between puffs. For example, where the puff sensor 88 and the puff-indicator 40 are used, however, the smoker of the smokeless lighter will get a visual indication when puffing occurs. For example, the puff sensor 88 senses airflow into the internal end 56 of the heating chamber 52 (
During the time when air is drawn into the lighter, i.e., puffing, the air condenses the volatile and semi-volatile vapors of the tobacco and the flavor extracts of the flavor cartridge, when used, into an aerosol that is then drawn out of the end of the smoking article protruding from the lighter 20. That distillation aerosol looks like smoke but does not include the particulate matter, ash, pyrolytic and pyrosynthetic compounds found in conventional tobacco smoke.
As an alternate arrangement, the predetermined time interval for operation of the lighter could be set to a shorter value such as, for example the time typically involved in smoking a cigarette. That arrangement could be desirable as a way to increase battery life or longevity. In such a situation, the puff sensor 88 could be used to restart the preselected time interval when a puff by the smoker is sensed. In this way, the preselected time interval could be as short as the typical length of time between puffs for a smoker who smokes a cigarette slowly, but the lighter would keep the heating element energized so that there would not be any interruption in the smoking experience.
While the lighter 20 discussed above can be offered as a stand-alone item, it may also be offered as a component of a kit or smoking system. For example, the kit could include at least one, perhaps more, smokable articles as well as the lighter and a replaceable power supply.
The lighter 20 can smoke conventional cigarettes. No specially manufactured cigarette or tobacco product is required. Thus, the cost to the smoker for this smoking system is thus reduced compared to other approaches where special cigarettes are required. Furthermore, the components of the lighter 20 are fabricated from inexpensive materials. For example, the electronic components are conventional elements so that the expense associated with sophisticated electronic components is avoided. All these factors contribute to an inexpensive system and an inexpensive lighter assembly.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system described above allows at least a portion of a cigarette rod to be heated maintained at, or heated to, a preselected temperature for a predetermined time interval. The preselected temperature is maintained without substantial interruption between puffs during that time interval and, in the absence of a puff, for the duration of the predetermined time interval. Presence of a puff during the predetermined time interval can be determined by a puff sensor. In an alternate arrangement, the puff sensor can actuate or restart the time interval to extend the smoking period.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the cigarette being smoked is almost entirely enclosed in the heating chamber 52 and the heating temperature avoids combustion products. As a result, virtually no sidestream smoke is generated during a smoke. Thus, the lighter 20 is a smokeless device.
The tobacco smoked in this lighter is maintained in the specified temperature range continuously. Accordingly, the smoker may take as many puffs, or as few puffs, as desired. Further, the frequency of the puffs is unrestricted and can be any frequency the smoker desires. Furthermore, since the temperature range is low, less battery energy is needed than in systems using higher temperatures.
It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the lighter according to this disclosure would require, at most, minimal cleaning. And, when such cleaning is needed, it can be performed very simply. For example, the air channels 30 are externally accessible and can be readily cleaned. The heating chamber 52 is open at one end, and is also externally accessible. To the extent it might be necessary to clean the central channel of the air manifold, that manifold may be removed from the lighter for internal access.
It will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that this specification describes a new, useful, and nonobvious smokeless cigarette lighter and smoking system. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications, variations, substitutes, and equivalents exist for various aspects of the invention that have been described in the detailed description above. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all such modifications, variations, substitutions, and equivalents that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims, be embraced thereby.
