Patent Application
20240251846
The present specification relates generally to devices for cleaning a bowl and more specifically for a device that cleans a bowl that is coupled to a water pipe for smoking tobacco or cannabis.
Smoking pipes and water pipes have been around for thousands of years for smoking organic materials such as tobacco or marijuana. Since some of these materials burn harshly a water pipe is used to make the smoke more palatable. The water pipe usually comprises a mouthpiece, a percolator, base and downstem. The downstem is where a bowl, or sometime referred to as a slide, is removably connected to the water pipe. The bowl is an essential part of the water pipe because it is where the ground up tobacco, cannabis, loose leaf herb, or dry herb sits. The exterior of the bowl typically can be any size or shape where users can put a design on. The bowl can be made from wood, ceramic, plastic, glass or bamboo and can be removed from the downstem to be cleaned separately from the water pipe.
In the current state of the art, it is understood that water pipes, particularly those used for smoking, often accumulate residue and debris in the bowl and stem over time. This buildup can affect the functionality of the pipe, alter the taste of the smoke, and potentially pose health risks to the user. Therefore, regular cleaning of these pipes is necessary. However, traditional cleaning methods often involve disassembling the pipe and manually scrubbing each component, which can be time-consuming and potentially damaging to the pipe. Additionally, these methods may not effectively reach and clean all areas of the pipe, particularly the inner diameter of the bowl stem.
The bowl is usually packed lightly at the bottom and then increases the density towards the top to help facilitate a better burn and airflow. Since the herbs are ground up and either loosely and/or heavily packed within the bowl when the user burns the herbs, residue and ash is left behind within the bowl and within the bowls neck clogging the bowl and making it unusable. So, individuals have developed a device that has a long pick coupled to a collection bowl that allows the user to scrap the contents out of the bowl and the neck into the collection bowl. This process is usually dirty and does not get all the residue out of the bowl. In addition, the pick is usually sharp and can ruin the bowl. Furthermore, the cleaning process can be messy, with residue and cleaning fluids potentially spilling or staining surfaces. Existing cleaning systems may not provide an effective means of containing and disposing of this waste.
Therefore, there is a need for a bowl cleaner that is easy on the bowl and can clean the bowl without scraping and running the bowl.
Accordingly, the present invention is a novel and efficient water pipe bowl cleaning system. The invention aims to offer a system that enables effective and thorough cleaning of water pipe bowls in a simple and hands-free manner. The water pipe bowl cleaning system comprises an outer enclosure with a front side and a back side, the front side featuring a first slot.
The system can include a nozzle that couples to the bowl in the first slot and an adapter that can be detachably coupled to a fluid source. The adapter can fluidly coupled to the nozzle, allowing for the flow of fluid from the source through the nozzle and into the bowl. A valve can be positioned between the adapter and the nozzle, which can be either a mechanical or an electronic valve, including but not limited to a solenoid valve, an on/off valve, a flow adjustment valve, or an air-directional valve. This valve selectively allows fluid to flow from the fluid source through the nozzle into the bowl.
The adapter can be a cartridge charging adapter, cartridge converter, or CO2 adapter which punctures the cartridge as the cartridge is screwed or pushed into the adapter. The adapter is connected to the valve by at least one tube, which can be made of plastic, rubber, stainless steel, or aluminum. The nozzle features at least one hole which directs the air into the bowl and into an inner diameter of the bowl stem.
The first slot of the outer enclosure can include a first hole which can extend to a drawer that supports and houses a removable sponge. The sponge can be made of silicone foam, polyurethane, super absorbent sponge, or polyethylene foam. The system also includes a catch at the bottom of the first slot to collect material ejected from the bowl by the fluid. The catch can be a removable drawer, allowing for easy disposal of the collected material. This invention provides a simple and effective solution for cleaning water pipe bowls, eliminating the need for direct hand contact and ensuring a thorough clean. It is adaptable to various types of water pipe bowls and offers a convenient and efficient cleaning process.
Aspects and applications of the invention presented here are described below in the drawings and detailed description of the invention. Unless specifically noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the specification and the claims be given their plain, ordinary, and accustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts. The inventors are fully aware that they can be their own lexicographers if desired. The inventors expressly elect, as their own lexicographers, to use only the plain and ordinary meaning of terms in the specification and claims unless they clearly state otherwise and then further, expressly set forth the. Absent such clear statements of intent to apply a “special” definition, it is the inventor's intent and desire that the simple, plain, and ordinary meaning to the terms be applied to the interpretation of the specification and claims.
The inventors are also aware of the normal precepts of English grammar. Thus, if a noun, term, or phrase is intended to be further characterized, specified, or narrowed in some way, then such noun, term, or phrase will expressly include additional adjectives, descriptive terms, or other modifiers in accordance with the normal precepts of English grammar. Absent the use of such adjectives, descriptive terms, or modifiers, it is the intent that such nouns, terms, or phrases be given their plain, and ordinary English meaning to those skilled in the applicable arts as set forth above.
Further, the inventors are fully informed of the standards and application of the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f). Thus, the use of the words “function,” “means” or “step” in the Detailed Description or Description of the Drawings or claims is not intended to somehow indicate a desire to invoke the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f), to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) are sought to be invoked to define the inventions, the claims will specifically and expressly state the exact phrases “means for” or “step for” and will also recite the word “function” (i.e., will state “means for performing the function of . . . , without also reciting in such phrases any structure, material or act in support of the function. Thus, even when the claims recite a “means for performing the function of molding a . . . , step for performing the function of molding a . . . ,” if the claims also recite any structure, material or acts in support of that means or step, or that perform the recited function, then it is the clear intention of the inventors not to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f). Moreover, even if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) are invoked to define the claimed inventions, it is intended that the inventions not be limited only to the specific structure, material or acts that are described in the preferred embodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, materials or acts that perform the claimed function as described in alternative embodiments or forms of the invention, or that are well known present or later-developed, equivalent structures, material or acts for performing the claimed function.
Additional features and advantages of the present specification will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present specification will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
Elements and acts in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and have not necessarily been rendered according to any particular sequence or embodiment.
In the following description, and for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various aspects of the invention. It will be understood, however, by those skilled in the relevant arts, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, known structures and devices are shown or discussed more generally in order to avoid obscuring the invention. In many cases, a description of the operation is sufficient to enable one to implement the various forms of the invention, particularly when the operation is to be implemented in software. It should be noted that there are many different and alternative configurations, devices and technologies to which the disclosed inventions may be applied. The full scope of the inventions is not limited to the examples that are described below.
Referring initially to
A nozzle 16 can be coupled to the bowl 50 in the first slot 32 and can be coupled to the enclosure 12 by a nut or a fastener or bolted in. An adapter can be detachably coupled to a fluid source 24 wherein the adapter can be fluidly coupled to the nozzle 16. A valve 14 between the adapter 22 and the nozzle can selectively allow the fluid to flow from the fluid source 24 through the nozzle into the bowl 50 wherein a catch 36 at the bottom of the first slot 32 to collect the material ejected from the bowl by the fluid from the fluid source 24.
The valve 14 can be coupled to a power source 25 and can be coupled to a switch 17. The switch 17 can selectively activate the valve release the fluid to flow to the nozzle 16 or keeping the fluid from the nozzle. The nozzle 16 can be coupled to the first slot and the valve 14 can be coupled within the outer enclosure 12 as shown in
The power source 25 can be such as, for example, AC power, DC power, battery power, or the like. The switch can be such as, for example, pressure switch, button switch, proximity switch, manual valve, toggle switch, slide switch, limit switch, or the like. The switch 17 can be coupled to the power source 25 and the valve 14 by at least one wire that completes the circuit. The valve 14 can be normally closed or normally open wherein the switch 17 can close or open the valve when power is applied to the valve. The power source 25 can be removably coupled to the enclosure 12 wherein the user can replace or recharge the power source.
The valve 14 and the adapter 22 can be coupled to the enclosure 12 through the first slot 32 and the adapter can be coupled to a back cover 27. The back cover 27 can have a protrusion that contains the adapter 22 wherein the adapter can be removably or permanently coupled to the protrusion and can allow the adapter to be coupled to a first fitting 23 which can be coupled to a first tube 31. The back cover 27 can be coupled to the enclosure 12 by at least one fastener 37 which can be such as, for example, bolt, screw, clip, rivet or the like.
The first tube 31 can be connected to one side of the valve 14 wherein a second tube 33 can be coupled to a second fitting 35 which can be coupled to the nozzle 16. The first fitting 23 and the second fitting 35 can be omitted and connected directly to the nozzle 16 and the adapter 22 and in certain embodiments, and can be such as, for example, 90-degree fittings with press fit tube adapters, straight fittings, tube fittings, pipe fittings or the like allowing the tubes to be connected between the first fitting and the second fitting and the valve 14.
The nozzle 16 can be coupled directly to the outer enclosure 12, second fitting or valve wherein the nozzle can have at least one hole 41 which can direct the air into the bowl 50 and into inner diameter of the bowl stem. The at least one hole 41 can point vertical, horizontal, angled or any combination thereof out of the nozzle 16 directing the air flow in a turbulent or laminar flow into the bowl. The nozzle 16 can be such as, for example, single hole, multi-hole convergent, divergent, flat tipped, pintaux, or the like. In other embodiments, the nozzle 16 can be removable and can be changed out by the user to allow the user to replace or customize the nozzle to fit different bowl types.
The first slot 32 can further comprise a first hole 38 which can extend to a drawer which can support and house a removable sponge 36. The drawer 20 can be removable from the outer enclosure 12 wherein the drawer can collect the debris and ash from the bowl. The drawer can be supported by the outer enclosure 12 or can be on rails within the outer enclosure. In certain embodiments, the drawer can be omitted, or the drawer can be coupled or apart of the first slot 32. The first slot 32 can be any suitable shape, size or depth or in other embodiments it can be omitted and the nozzle 16 and valve 14 can be on the front side 28 wherein the drawer 20 and sponge 36 can extend from the front side allowing the user to catch the debris from the bowl. The sponge 36 can be such as, for example, silicone foam, polyurethane foam, natural sponge, super-absorbent sponge, polyethylene foam, or the like.
In other embodiments, the bowl cleaning system 10 can further comprise the fluid source 24 coupled to an adapter 22 wherein the adapter can be removably coupled to a second slot 34 as shown in
The second slot 34 can house at least one extra cartridge 24 by at least one clip 26 that is coupled to the outer enclosure 12. The clip 26 can be such as, for example, plastic clips or metal clips that can be connected to the outer enclosure 12 or integral to the outer enclosure. In certain embodiments, the clip 26 can be omitted. In embodiments, the second slot 34 can have a back cover 27 which can be removably attached to the second slot to allow the user access to the cartridges 24. The second slot 34 can be omitted in other embodiments and the adapter 22 can be located on the back side 30 of the bowl cleaning system 10. The second slot 34 can be any shape, size or depth to fit at least one cartridge and at least one adapter 22 wherein the second slot can be integral to the outer enclosure 12 or can be a separate piece and coupled to the outer enclosure. In embodiments, a front cover 21 can be removably attached to the enclosure partially enclosing the first slot 32 keeping the debris from blowing outside of the side and directing the debris to the sponge 36 and/or drawer 20. The back side 30 has a compartment 39 and back cover coupled to the compartment wherein the cover encloses and the compartment houses within the enclosure at least one of the valve, fluid source, adapter, nozzle, power source, switch and at least one tube as shown in
In closing, it is to be understood that although aspects of the present specification are highlighted by referring to specific embodiments, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that these disclosed embodiments are only illustrative of the principles of the subject matter disclosed herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the disclosed subject matter is in no way limited to a particular methodology, protocol, and/or reagent, etc., described herein. As such, various modifications or changes to or alternative configurations of the disclosed subject matter can be made in accordance with the teachings herein without departing from the spirit of the present specification. Lastly, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, which is defined solely by the claims. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those precisely as shown and described.
Certain embodiments are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the methods and devices described herein. Of course, variations on these described embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described embodiments in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
This application claims benefit from currently pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/441,494 titled “Water Pipe Bowl Cleaning System” and having a filing date of Jan. 29, 2024, and all of which is incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63441494 | Jan 2023 | US |
