U.S. patent application number 15/949810 was filed with the patent office on 2019-10-10 for hookah base and hookah.
This patent application is currently assigned to Mya Saray, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Mya Saray, LLC. Invention is credited to Nizar Youssef Mehio.
Application Number | 20190307164 15/949810 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 68099199 |
Filed Date | 2019-10-10 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190307164 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mehio; Nizar Youssef |
October 10, 2019 |
Hookah Base and Hookah
Abstract
The present invention includes hookah, stem, and base for
longitudinal and lateral motioning of a hookah and its
components.
Inventors: |
Mehio; Nizar Youssef;
(Tallet El Khayet, LB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Mya Saray, LLC |
Sterling |
VA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Mya Saray, LLC
Sterling
VA
|
Family ID: |
68099199 |
Appl. No.: |
15/949810 |
Filed: |
April 10, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24F 1/30 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A24F 1/30 20060101
A24F001/30 |
Claims
1. A hookah base comprising: a base floor; and a base sidewall,
extending upward from said floor, with a sidewall surface having a
sidewall textured surface portion of at least 50% of said sidewall
surface uniformly converging away from said floor and substantially
covered by localized, physical surface details.
2. The hookah base of claim 1 wherein said surface details include
substantially circular depressions having a width-to-depth ratio of
at least 3.
3. The hookah base of claim 2 wherein said surface details include
substantially circular depressions having four or less different,
uniform diameters.
4. The hookah base of claim 3 wherein said surface details include
substantially circular depressions having three or less different,
uniform diameters.
5. The hookah base of claim 2 wherein said surface details include
at least three sets of substantially circular depressions having at
least three or more different, uniform diameters.
6. The hookah base of claim 5 wherein said surface details are
arranged to include at two rows and columns configured in a
wholly-interspersed depression arrangement.
7. The hookah base of claim 6 wherein said surface details are
arranged to from largest-to-smallest from a maxima of said
converging sidewall.
8. The hookah base of claim 5 further comprising a set of discrete
miniature physical details, wherein at least two of said miniature
physical details is interspersed between vertically adjacent
depressions and horizontally adjacent depressions.
9. The hookah base of claim 2 further comprising a set of discrete
miniature physical details, wherein at least two of said miniature
physical details is interspersed between vertically adjacent
depressions and horizontally adjacent depressions.
10. The hookah base of claim 9 further comprising a diverging
sidewall portion initially extending from said base floor and
contacting said converging sidewall portion.
11. The hookah base of claim 10 wherein said textured sidewall
portion includes both said diverging sidewall portion and said
converging sidewall portion bearing said localized, physical
surface details.
12. The hookah base of claim 9 wherein said minitiature physical
details exist in at least a 4:1 quantity with respect to said
substantially-circular depressions.
13. A hookah base comprising: a base floor; and a base sidewall,
extending upward from said floor, with a sidewall surface having a
sidewall textured surface portion of at least 50% of said sidewall
surface, comprising a diverging sidewall diverging away from said
floor and a converging sidewall uniformly converging away from said
floor, both said converging sidewall and said diverging sidewall
and substantially covered by localized, physical surface details;
said surface details comprising: a set of substantially circular
depressions having a width-to-depth ratio of at least 3, and a set
of discrete miniature physical details, wherein at least two of
said miniature physical details is interspersed between vertically
adjacent depressions and horizontally adjacent depressions.
14. The hookah base of claim 13 wherein said minitiature physical
details exist in at least a 4:1 quantity with respect to said
substantially-circular depressions.
15. The hookah base of claim 13 further comprising a base lip,
positioned proximate to a sidewall perimeter minimum.
16. A hookah comprising: a base comprising: a base floor; and a
base sidewall, extending upward from said floor, with a sidewall
surface having a sidewall textured surface portion of at least 50%
of said sidewall surface, comprising a diverging sidewall diverging
away from said floor and a converging sidewall uniformly converging
away from said floor, both said converging sidewall and said
diverging sidewall and substantially covered by localized, physical
surface details; said surface details comprising: a set of
substantially circular depressions having a width-to-depth ratio of
at least 3, and a set of discrete miniature physical details
comprising dimpling, wherein at least two of said miniature
physical details is interspersed between vertically adjacent
depressions and horizontally adjacent depressions; and a stem
comprising: a stem plenum portion wherein wet smoke outlets permit
fluid exchange from a stem interior to a stem exterior; and and a
substantially ovoid bulging stem portion, positioned above said wet
smoke outlets and situated between bulging stem portion termini,
defining multiple circumferential depressions between said
termini.
17. The hookah of claim 16 wherein said minitiature physical
details exist in at least a 4:1 quantity with respect to said
substantially-circular depressions.
18. The hookah of claim 16 further comprising at least one stem
surface depression positioned below said wet smoke outlets.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the field tobacco smoking
devices and more specifically to the field of hookahs.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Of the many proud traditions of Ottoman culture, few have
achieved the world-wide fame of hookah smoking. Once confined to
the Middle East and Near East regions, the hookah' s notoriety was
invigorated by Napoleon's invasion of Egypt and the stream of
curious Westerners which followed thereafter. Painters, such as
Eugene Delacroix and Jean-Leon Gerome, when depicting Oriental
styles typically included a hookah as a symbol of the depicted
culture. The hookah was elevated from a regional curiosity to a
universal symbol of sophistication.
[0003] The hookah, which has maintained a constant popularity in
the Middle East, presently enjoys in American culture a unique,
niched function. Hookah smoking combines community and relaxation
into a single event. Rarely does one witness a group smokers
crowded about a single cigarette, cigar, or pipe. Though hookahs
are often designed with a single smoke outlet; the presence of
multiple hoses, each capable of simultaneous use, emanating from a
single smoking instrument is unique to the hookah. Multiple hose
hookahs form the centerpieces of hookah clubs in which hookah
smokers gather to unwind and converse with other community members.
A hookah combines fashion, art, and function into a single
device.
[0004] A basic hookah includes a base, a pipe, at least one hose
with a mouthpiece, and a bowl. The hookah bowl holds the hookah
tobacco, frequently "massell." Massell is a mixture of tobacco,
molasses, and often a flavor or fruit extract. The molasses and
fruit extract add a substantial amount of moisture to the massell
that is missing in conventional tobacco. This added moisture makes
massell more sensitive to the elements relative to conventional
tobacco; prolonged exposure to air evaporates much of the moisture
of massell and reduces its flavor. When properly protected, massell
allows a smoker a more recreational, flavored smoke than the
tobacco of cigars, cigarettes, pipes, and the like. An experienced
hookah smoker will know to loosely distribute massell into a pile
within the hookah bowl to allow heat to evenly circulate through
the pile.
[0005] The heat that ignites the massell derives from coals
positioned above the hookah bowl. The coals and massell preferably
never contact one to the other. A common method of placing coals
proximate to the massell involves spreading a foil upon the top of
a hookah bowl, punching holes in the foil, and then placing the
coals onto the foil. The heat from the lighted coals travels
through the holes in the foil to ignite portions of the massell.
Particulates from the massell travel in the smoke created by the
ignition down through the hookah bowl into the hookah pipe.
[0006] The hookah pipe is the body of a hookah and is usually
fabricated from brass, tin, or stainless steel. The pipe transports
the massell smoke from the bowl to the hookah base, which is a
cavern containing water. The base of the hookah is typically
fabricated of glass or plastic and tends to be the most expressive
portion of the hookah, ranging from translucent to wildly-colored.
Within the cavern of the hookah base, the massell smoke is cooled
by the water within. The cooled massell smoke then returns to the
back to the pipe, though not through the same entrance by which the
massell smoke enters the base. From the pipe, the massell smoke
travels through the hose and out of the mouthpiece.
[0007] There are presently two prominent versions of hookah
structures: the Lebanese style and the Egyptian style. Although the
aficionado will explain that there are many differences between the
two styles, the practical layman would quickly note the obvious
difference: the connection point between the pipe and the hookah
bowl. The Egyptian style hookah pipe tapers upward into what is
generally referred to as a male connection. The Egyptian style
hookah bowl includes a female connection which receives the pipe's
male connection. In the Lebanese style hookah the bowl has the
tapered male connection and the pipe has the female connection to
accept the Lebanese style hookah bowl. In both styles, to allow a
more airtight connection a collar is generally added to fit around
the male connection.
[0008] Hookahs are used in an often aqueous environment, and when
water is not used with a hookah, some other liquid will be. Because
a liquid is often poured into a hookah by hand, the exterior of a
hookah often receives its share of liquid contact. Hookah bars are
on the rise, particularly in Western cultures, and a slippery glass
object gripped by a user simultaneously imbibing alcohol can be
problematic. Fortunately, there are not too many reasons to move a
filled hookah; however, there are enough reasons to justify a
specially-constructed base that aids a user in preventing droppage.
Hookahs with a solid attachment between the base and stem tend to
be lifted up-and-down by gripping at least part of the
stem--especially the portion of the stem directly beneath the
hose-outlets. Hookahs with loose connections between the stem and
base will often be gripped solely by the base. Hookahs are moved
horizontally, usually on a table or other surface, usually by
gripping solely the base. There is a need for a hookah base that
can be gripped effectively for vertical and horizontal
movement.
SUMMARY
[0009] The present invention is directed to a hookah, and stem and
base associated therewith. The hookah includes the base and the
stem with advantageous gripping surfaces. The base includes a base
floor and base sidewall of one or more portions. The preferred base
sidewall includes two portions, an initially diverging portion
(relative to the floor) and a portion that converges in the
direction of the stem attachment. It is preferred that at least 50%
of the converging sidewall includes a textured surface. A textured
surface is a surface that includes surface details.
[0010] Surface details of the present invention include protrusions
and depressions in the plane, or other continuous surface, of the
sidewall that enhance the grip of a user upon the hookah. The
surface details are localized, meaning that they do not extend
either circumferentially horizontally across a majority of the
perimeter of the base or across the majority of the vertical
surface height of the base. The preferred surface details include
sets of circular depressions dimensioned to accept finger tips
mixed with miniaturized dimpling between the finger sized circular
depressions.
[0011] The stem fitting the base may include any stem known in the
art. A preferred stem includes a plenum portion and a bulging
portion above the stem. The plenum of a hookah is the portion of
the hookah stem whereby wetted smoke travels from the interior of
the hookah to a hookah hose and to a user (or other component)
through wet smoke outlets. The preferred stem includes an ovoid
bulge above the wet smoke outlets. Often when a user picks up a
hookah, s/he does so using wet smoke components (e.g., hose
adapters, pressure release valves, etc.) as a leverage point.
Because part of the gripping hand often goes above the wet smoke
components, the preferred stem includes an ovoid structure above
the wet smoke components that accepts the recess of a user's hand
and further includes multiple depressions that wrap entirely around
the ovoid portion. Accordingly a user's lower fingers can be
upwardly pressed against the wet smoke components while higher
fingers can grip the ovoid portion.
[0012] Therefore, it is an aspect of the present invention present
a hookah, and hookah components, that can be advantageously
repositioned and moved. These aspects of the invention are not
meant to be exclusive. Furthermore, some features may apply to
certain versions of the invention, but not others. Other features,
aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be readily
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art when read in
conjunction with the following description, and accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of a hookah of the
present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a side, revealed view of a hookah of the present
invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 is an upper perspective, exploded view of a stem of
the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 4 is an upper perspective view of a base of the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a side, plan view of a base of the present
invention.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a side, plan view of a base of the present
invention.
[0019] FIG. 7 is a side, plan view of a base of the present
invention.
[0020] FIG. 8 is a side, plan view of a base of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] Referring first to FIGS. 1-2, a hookah 100 according to the
present invention is shown. The hookah includes a base 120 and a
stem 110 with advantageous gripping surfaces. The base 120 includes
a base floor 138 and base sidewall 126 of one or more portions 124,
122. The preferred base sidewall includes two portions, an
initially diverging portion 122 (relative to the floor) and a
portion 124 that converges in the direction of the stem 110
attachment or neck (not shown).
[0022] Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the hookah stem 110 includes the
conventional components of a hookah stem, which may include the
features of U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,806,123 and 8,001,978, the disclosure
of which is hereby incorporated by reference with reference to
stems and all other hookah features and uses/advantages. Hookah
stems typically include a plenum 112, which for most hookahs is the
portion in which both wetted smoke and dry smoke are located
together (but not intermingled) by cross-section. The plenum 112 in
the preferred hookahs 100 of the present invention are located a
lower point in the stem 110 such that the plenum 112 is placed
directly proximate to the neck of the hookah base 120 upon
attachment. The inner components and arrangement of the plenum are
less significant in the present disclosure than prior patent
disclosures; rather, the significance is that because the plenum
includes a place for wetted smoke to be released through wet smoke
exit components 114, which may include hose adapters, pressure
release valves, etc. These wetted smoke components 114 typically
protrude from the stem 110, and more preferably from a
substantially lower portion of the stem 110; and furthermore,
because the wetted smoke components 114 are positioned in a
relatively extreme environment, they 114 tend to be fabricated of
durable metals.
[0023] The stem 110 of the preferred hookah includes other
components of a hookah stem such as dry smoke conduits that shunts
dry smoke from a hookah bowl (not pictured) through the stem and
released via a down tube 118 into the hookah base 120. The stem
includes wet smoke outlets 132 positioned in the stem, preferably
at least two such outlets. The wet smoke outlets 132 may be
significant in some embodiments of the present invention because
they hold protruding wet smoke components 114. The centerpiece of
the present invention is the construction of a hookah around the
ways that users may hold hookahs and creating
dimensions/components/etc that aid the natural grip and movement
positions. An oft-used method of lifting a hookah involves using a
hand to grip a constructed hookah (in such hookahs whereby the stem
is securely fastened to the hookah base) by the stem, placing
hookah wet-smoke components between the index and middle finger. A
user has at that point sufficient grip to both press down with both
substantial force and delicacy (for attachment) and pull upward
with substantial force and delicacy for removal of hookah stems
from a base. More expensive hookahs tend to have relatively fragile
bases, e.g. glass or crystal. Misapplied force can shatter or scuff
hookah bases. So, while some fingers, as commonly placed on a stem,
abut hookah wet smoke components 114, the remaining fingers have a
suitable position to aid in either enhancing the force and/or
delicacy of a stem's movement.
[0024] The index finger is typically placed above the wet smoke
components 114. The present invention utilizes a series of bulges
116 and depressions 118 to aid a user in gripping the hookah. One
such stem bulge 116 is positioned almost immediately above the wet
smoke components 114 for placement by both the index finger and the
thumb. Because the majority of a hand, particularly the palm, will
often be placed under the wet smoke components, the index finger
and thumb will arch upward, and for larger hands curve back
downward upon surrounding the stem. The stem of the present
invention may accordingly utilize a bulge 116 above the wet smoke
components 118 to accept the inside curve of the index finger.
Depressions 118 running around the circumference of the stem bulge
116 provide grip points for the finger, and because the preferred
depressed takes the form of a valley wholly circumscribing the
stem, the finger may come into contact with at least one of the
depressions. By bulge it is meant that there is a positioned a
portion of the stem that diverges outward from an inner point until
the stem reaches a local maximum resulting in a curve whereby the
stem begins to recede back into the stem. The bulge is the portion
from where the stem first begins to diverge, the maximum, and then
the point by which the stem recedes until the stem recedes no more.
The bulge itself aids in the application of delicate pressure and
the depression aids in maintaining a stable position by the hand on
the bulge. The bulge is preferably ovoid with a substantially
arcing surface that allows multiple positions of finger placement,
and accommodates multiple finger sizes and lengths. The continuous
surfaces lack angles and other pointed junctions that urge finger
placement away from the angles.
[0025] Furthermore, the preferred stem of the present invention
includes a bulge 116 under the wet smoke components 114. It is
preferred that this inferior (i.e., lower) bulge include a
diameter/cross-section greater in exterior dimensions than the
superior (i.e., upper) bulge. A user's hand will likely include an
index finger longer than the pinky finger, and the presence of a
smaller bulge above the wet smoke components allows the index
finger (and/or the middle finger) to both wrap around the stem
while turning downward to engulf a wet smoke component. In the
present invention it is further preferred that the wet smoke
components are angled upwards, rather than directly outward, to
permit this down-and-around positioning of the index finger to
maximize delicacy and force. A preferred angle is approximately
forty-five to sixty degrees. The preferred position of the fingers
beneath the wet smoke components is around and almost wholly
lateral--but with a slight downward arc. The main force comes from
the index finger, while the lower fingers maintain stability and
position. To ensure that the lower fingers have a substantially
lateral position the inferior bulge includes a greater girth than
the superior bulge, and that there even include at least two bulges
that form an intermediate depression for both position stability
and force. It is preferred that the superior bulge include a single
bulge with multiple depressions. A depression is not necessarily
the space between bulges; instead bulges may be either the space
between bulges or missing mass whereby if the `depression` were
filled would form a continuous arcing surface in the bulge.
[0026] In the preferred stem 100, as depicted, there are two bulges
116 below the wet smoke components 114. The preferred dimensions
and configurations include that the higher of the lower bulges
include a substantial longitudinal height, while the lower of the
bulges include a significantly lessor height. The depicted stem
embodiment is particularly useful for the placement of a pinky
directly adjacent to the ring finger and include just enough space
for a normal-sized pinky to fit into the depression 118 between the
larger, higher bulge and the smaller, lower bulge, all while
pressing against a jutting stem lip 131 that forms about the
circumference of the stem at, or near, its lowest point. Any place
whereby a protrusion is formed, there is presented a solid source
from which to allow force with a user's hand; any place where a
recess is formed, there is a source from which stability may be
applied.
[0027] Turning now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4-8, the present invention
includes a base 120 and hookah 100 utilizing the base 120. As
previously discussed, a user often grips a hookah base for
side-to-side or lateral motioning of a hookah in use. If a stem is
sufficiently stable, a hookah base is usually less-preferred by a
user to be a source of longitudinal motion (i.e., up-and-down). The
present invention utilizes dimensions, configurations, and
components that permit advantageous movement and stabilization of a
hookah or hookah base. The hookah base 120 includes a floor 138 and
a sidewall 126 with a sidewall surface 128. The floor 138 of the
hookah base 120 is the portion of the hookah that contacts a
surface for hookah use. The floor may wholly contact a surface, or
partially contact a surface. It is preferred that at least the
outer portion of the floor contact a surface to maximize stability.
The diameter/cross-section of the hookah base 120 preferably, at
its greatest portion, includes a diameter greater than that of the
hookah stem 110 (excluding functional protrusions, e.g. wet smoke
components 114 and certainly the accessories that attach thereto,
e.g. hoses). It is further preferred that the diameter of the
hookah base at its greatest be greater than the greatest diameter
of the hookah stem 110, while the minimum dimensions of the hookah
base are less than the maximum dimensions of the hookah stem; and
it is further preferred, that such stem maximum is placed
sufficiently close to the highest portion of the hookah base for
advantageous hand placement.
[0028] The hookah base 120 may be manufactured of glass, crystal,
plastic, or other material sufficient to serve the purpose of a
hookah base. Hookahs, in their use of glass, are a novelty in the
smoking world. Glass and other materials used to construct hookah
bases can make the hookah base exteriors quite slippery when
liquids, which are a natural addition to hookah smoking, are
applied--usually by spillage--to the base exterior. Hookahs are
prone to be dropped or tipped over because of its inherent
slipperiness when contacted by water. A dropped hookah is a
considerably greater nuisance than other mishandled smoking
devices, e.g. cigarettes and pipes.
[0029] The base 120 of the present invention includes dimensions
that highly support latitudinal movement upon a surface. When
viewed from the bottom-to-top, the base 120 converges sharply,
preferably at an angle between sixty and eighty degrees. The lower
portion of the hookah base preferably includes first a diverging
portion 122 adjacent to the hookah floor 138. Because the base 120
initially diverges 122 and curves back in on itself to form a
converging portion 124, there is a crevice running around the
lowest, accessible portion of the hookah base for a user to place a
finger for secured lateral motion. Because a crevice is formed, the
pinky finger can be placed therein with upper support that prevents
slippage of the pinky. It is important and an aspect of the present
invention to allow a finger to be placed in a secure position, with
a hookah surface `ceiling` against which to abut, while
simultaneously permitting the finger to contact the surface upon
which the hookah base sits. From the maximum, local or overall,
formed by the initial divergence and convergence, it is preferred
that the present invention wholly converge 124 by its sidewall 126
throughout the entire, or almost entirely, height of the hookah
base left unexposed by the stem 110 upon affixation. The preferred
embodiment of the present invention utilizes an outer stem with a
stem plenum sidewall that covers a neck 136 of the hookah base
120--and preferably includes a grommet to form an interference
base-grommet-stem fit via grommet compression.
[0030] The preferred upper extremity of the base 120 includes a
neck, covered by the stem, and further includes a base lip 130
about the periphery of the hookah base 120. The lip 130 is a
protrusion that extends outward from the portion of the base
sidewall 126 closest to the hookah neck 136 (and/or point at which
the stem attaches). Here the base lip 130 allows a finger to fit
within a crevice formed by the converging sidewall 124 and the lip
130 for upward or downward force with one hand, while a second hand
simultaneously applies force in the opposite direction. Because the
present invention is configured such that hands not be moved from
an initial grip to effect stem-base attachment, it is preferred
that the present invention be utilized with the attachment
mechanism of the '987 patent. However, this is not to say that a
different attachment system may be used, including the threading
often associated with hookahs at time of the drafting of this
disclosure. The significance of the present invention is that it
permits a highly stable grip for hands directly converging or
diverging, with little or slight movements laterally. This includes
the MX HOOKAH attachment offered by MYA SARY for its MYA line of
hookahs which can utilize sideward motioning for locking, but for a
turn less than 360 degrees. Here, the base lip 130 and the stem lip
131 can be pushed directly adjacent to each other or separated
starting from an almost neighboring point. The lips 130, 131 would
be the primary driver of affixation, while the depression(s)
directly adjacent to the lips 130, 131 form the primary driver of
hand support for dislocation. For the stem 110, there may be a
distinct depression; for the base, there may simply be the space
between lip 130 and converging sidewall 124.
[0031] The base surface 128 of the hookah base 120 strongly
contributes to the motioning features of the present invention.
Although hookah bases featuring crevices have been known in the
art, the base crevices tended to be aesthetic or to indicate
source, e.g. the MYA QT Hookah, rather than functional. The present
invention differs in that the contours of the hookah base are now
meant to aid a user in stably handling a hookah base in key
positions of use, particularly longitudinal motion on a table. In a
basic embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 4-5,
the hookah base sidewall surface 128 includes surface roughening as
microfeatures 140, 140a. The microfeatures 140 include depressions
or protrusions on the hookah base surface 128 that aid in
positioning of a hookah in a way similar to the grooves of a human
fingertip. These are known as microfeatures because they (i) aid in
the stable positioning of a hookah by increasing the `grippyness`
of the hookah base, while simultaneously (ii) not sized to permit a
substantial portion of a finger or fingertip to fit within. A
macrofeature, according to the present invention, includes a
depression of protrusion that allow that (i) aids in the stable
positioning of a hookah by increasing the `grippyness` of the
hookah base, while simultaneously (ii) sized to permit a
substantial portion of a finger or fingertip to fit within in the
case of depressions or fit between the macrofeatures in the case of
depressions.
[0032] The significance of the microfeatures is that they form an
overall surface structure that allows multiple grip features to be
in contact with the surface of a human hand. As shown in FIG. 6, in
particular, the significance of the macrofeatures is that they form
an overall surface structure that allows one grip feature to secure
a human fingertip or the natural bulges of the fingertips between
the joints of the finger, of which non-thumb human fingers include
two joints and three bulges inclusive of the tips of the fingers.
As with the preferred stem 110, the preferred base includes a
converging sidewall that accommodates a thumb and index finger to
be wrapped about the upper portion of the hookah base 120, while
the pinky and ring finger wrap around some portion of the hookah
exterior without sharing a cross-section plane with another finger.
Because of this, it is preferred that the apex of the accessible
hookah base features a circumference that approximately allows a
human wrap to wrap about the hookah base and almost, or slightly
greater or less than, permitting the thumb to contact the index
finger.
[0033] As is the case with the stem 110, the present invention of
the hookah base allows different functions for different fingers.
Longitudinal force is applied by the thumb and index finger, as
well as any radial motioning of the base 120 while the middle
finger, ring finger, and pinky of the hand apply stability.
Accordingly, the preferred grip structure and
configuration/dimensions of the grip structures 140 are sized to
accommodate the features of the present invention. The most
preferred embodiment of the present invention is preferred in FIGS.
5 and 7 as a combination of the microstructures 140a of FIG. 5 with
the macrostructures 140b of FIG. 7. The macrostructure patent of
FIG. 7 includes multiple sizes of macrostructures purposefully
arrayed in advantageous columns and rows of macrostructures 140b.
The microstructures 140a do not require the same degree of
purposeful placement, and generally simply need to be present in
mass quantity. Both microstructures 140a and macrostructures 140b
take the form of dimpling. A finger cannot fit within the
microstructures 140a, yet a fingertip or finger bulge may either
fit within the macrostructure or allow a small amount of finger
bulge to fit within--or almost fit within. Here, the lower
macrostructures 140b are larger in diameter and girth nearer the
bottom than the macrostructures 140b located near the neck. Here,
because the primary purpose of the lower fingers is maintain a
position, the lower macrostructures 140b are size to accommodate a
pinky and ring finger fingertip, and are placed in a sufficient
number of columns to permit a user to achieve this fit without
concentrated effort. In other words, a user's pinky finger is never
more than about an inch away from a lower macrostructure 140b. The
upper macrostructures 140a do not accommodate finger tips,
generally. Because the purpose of the upper fingers is to push
upward or downward, the fingertips are not used as much as the
sides of the fingers. Therefore, the macrostructures are smaller
and used, not to accept a fingertip, but rather to ensure that an
index-finger/thumb placement contacts a significant quantity of
surface features. The fat of the hand, particularly the finger
bulges, fits within the upper macrostructures 160b to improve
stability.
[0034] In the preferred embodiment, the microstructures 140a are
dimpling of a uniform size. Alternative microstructures 104a can
includes a wave pattern similar to that of a human fingertip
whereby the microstructures include one exaggerated dimension. In
other words, there are many walls that form a very relatively
narrowed cross-section with a very relatively long length. Another
preferred version of the microstructure includes the one-dimension
exaggerated structure, whereby twists and turns in the exaggerated
dimension ensure that a `snaking` pattern accepts force
substantially parallel to the base surface 128 in multiple
directions. The relationship of the preferred microstructure and
macrostructure is that the microstructures are positioned between
the macrostructures--and/or even within/upon the macrostructures.
As mentioned, the macrostructures are preferably arranged in
substantially in-line rows and columns, and more preferably with
alternating sizes either in the same column or immediately above
and below. This allows different finger sizes to be accommodated in
substantially the same configuration as larger/smaller hands. The
configuration of the macrostructures of FIG. 7 are similar to
macrostructures present in Applicant's contemplated commercial
version of the present invention (microstructures, although present
in the commercial embodiment as dimples, not shown). The
microstructures are sized and positioned such that there are at
least four or more microstructures between the nearest
macrostructure neighbor of another macrostructure. The quantity of
microstructures greatly outnumber the quantity of macrostructures
in an at least 10:1 ratio. It is preferred that at least 50% of the
surface 128 include structure coverage. By coverage it is not meant
that 50% of the surface is either a protrusion or depression, or
other difference from a plane of the surface, but rather that the
pattern be present on at least 50% of the surface. However, there
are other embodiments of the present invention that may include
patches of the pattern at important locations, for example, perhaps
at the apex of the accessible surface 128 where the
thumb/index-finger would be placed and a vertical patch where
fingertips would be positioned. It is preferred that the pattern be
excluded from the neck. It is preferred that macrostructures are
not positioned on the preferred initial base portion whereby the
base diverges from the base floor.
[0035] The structures of the present invention include protrusions
and depressions in the plane, or other continuous surface, of the
sidewall that enhance the grip of a user upon the hookah. The
surface details are localized, meaning that they do not extend
either circumferentially horizontally across a majority of the
perimeter of the base or across the majority of the vertical
surface height of the base. It is further preferred that the
surface details comprise less than a quarter of the previously
stated perimeter and surface height. It is further preferred that
the surface details comprise less than 20% and even 10% of the
previously stated perimeter and surface height. It is most
preferred that no macrostructure be size significantly greater than
the width of a normal human fingertip. In the preferred embodiment,
the macrostructures are all sized smaller than a man's fingertips,
accepting only the most extreme portion of the fingertips. Although
microstructures are not dimensioned to accept human fingertips and
bulges, the macrostructures are 0.5 to 1.5 mm deep with a diameter
of 5-10 mm. The preferred surface details include sets of circular
depressions dimensioned to accept finger tips mixed with
miniaturized dimpling between the finger sized circular
depressions. The preferred base height is approximately the width
of a human hand with a stem having approximately the same height,
or a height within 50% of each other--excluding a hookah bowl. It
is further preferred that the microstructures and macrostructures
include a continuous surface that minimizes debris accretion.
Furthermore, the perimeter of the microstructures and
macrostructures are preferably continuous to minimize debris
accretion that could occur in `corners` and other angled
junctions.
[0036] Although the present invention has been described in
considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions
thereof, other versions would be readily apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the
appended claims should not be limited to the description of the
preferred versions contained herein.
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