Smoking Apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus is provided in the form of a water pipe having a lower water containing vessel and an upper smoke containing vessel in which a cigarette or other tobacco supporting means is mounted. The lower vessel serves as a base for the apparatus and is formed with an upwardly facing opening while the upper vessel is inverted so that its opening faces downwardly in generally over-lying relationship with the lower vessel opening. A fitting serves to sealingly engage the respective openings and to support the upper vessel in its over-lying relationship relative to the lower vessel. Smoke which is accumulated and contained in the upper vessel is drawn downwardly through an up-standing conduit which extends through the fitting so as to draw the smoke through water contained in the lower vessel. An outlet passage communicates between an upper portion of the lower vessel and laterally outwardly of the fitting to a mouthpiece affixed to a flexible tubing, while an intake passageway is provided from the upper vessel laterally outwardly of the fitting for drawing in fresh air for sustaining combustion of the tobacco in the upper vessel. This intake passage is either filtered or equipped with a one-way ball valve to prevent the escape of tobacco smoke from the upper vessel chamber.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, the present invention relates to utensils and devices for facilitating smoking of tobacco or the like, and more particularly to an improvement in water pipes in which smoke of the burning tobacco is drawn through water or other liquid.

Water pipes are one of the oldest forms of smoking utensils. By means of this device, smoke is inhaled or otherwise consumed by the user after it is drawn through a vessel of water. In general, the smoke is bubbled through the water causing an immediate and effective cooling of the smoke. The use of the water pipe is particularly desirable in the case of stronger tobaccos, such as harsh Turkish tobacco.

It has heretofore been proposed to use water pipes not only for the smoking of loose tobacco, such as pipe tobacco, but also be smoking cigarettes. In either case, the bowl of tobacco or a cigarette holder is disposed so that the smoke may be drawn from the burning tobacco through a conduit submerged in a vessel of water, causing the smoke to filter or bubble through the water. The water cooled smoke is collected in an upper region above the water line of the vessel and drawn therefrom into a mouthpiece held by the user, such as at the end of an elongated flexible conduit. A smoking suction applied to the mouthpiece causes the smoke and air to be drawn through the cooling water and eventually into the mouth of the smoker. Such a device is disclosed in a previously issued U.S. Pat. to Grant, No. 1,579,703.

In the smoking of many tobaccos, particularly the stronger and harsher tobaccos, an odor may be produced which is pungent and disagreeable at least to some persons. This odor may permeate the room, building, and even the clothing of those present. To many, even the smoke from ordinary cigarettes is bothersome and sometimes irritating to the eyes and throat.

It is accordingly one object of the present invention to alleviate the problem of noxious smoke fumes normally produced by smoking tobacco, and particularly as to the smoking of harsh or strong tobacco, such as Turkish cigarettes or tobacco. In this regard, it is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which permits the smoking of tobaccos, and even harsh tobaccos, without irritating others who are present within the same room, building or other confined area, and at the same time to protect the smoker himself from taking in hot and injurious tobacco smoke.

To a certain extent, devices heretofore proposed have met the foregoing objects. For example, there exists on the market today, an apparatus for smoking cigarettes in which a burning cigarette is disposed within a separate vessel which is enclosed except for a slender conduit running to another un-attached and spaced apart vessel in which smoke cooling and filtering water is stored. The two vessels are mounted on a platform in spaced apart relationship and an electrical pump is employed to drive the smoke from the first vessel containing the burning cigarette through the slender conduit into and through the water in the second vessel and from there outwardly to a mouthpiece communicating with the upper region of the water vessel. The water vessel thus functions in a manner similar to the ancient water pipe. Although in this apparatus, the first vessel does partially contain the smoke and prevent its dispersement into the room, the effect of the electrical pump is to continuously force smoke into and through the water vessel and outwardly of the mouthpiece. Thus when the user removes the mouthpiece, the smoke is continually spurting outwardly thereof and into the surrounding area. Also as the smoke is constantly forced through the mouthpiece there is an unpleasant sensaion to the user in that the smoke is injected into his mouth rather than being drawn in by inhaling.

Even apart from the foregoing disadvantages, this prior apparatus has been found undesirable in that it is too expensive to manufacture, too cumbersome to use in that it requires the operation of an electrical motor-pump, and too heavy and bulky to permit portability.

With these shortcomings in mind, it is a further object of the present invention to provide in a smoking apparatus the features and advantages mentioned above together with a construction which is compact, lightweight and thus easily transported and handled, and which is capable of economical mass manufacture.

SUMMARY

Briefly, in accordance with the present invention a smoking apparatus is provided in the form of a water pipe having a lower water containing vessel and an upper inverted smoke containing vessel in which a cigarette or other tobacco supporting means is mounted. The lower vessel serves as a base, which for example may be set on a table, and is provided with an upwardly facing opening while the upper vessel is inverted so that its opening faces downwardly in generally over-lying registration with the lower vessel opening.

Connecting these vessels is a fitting means which sealingly engages the respective vessel openings and serves to support the upper vessel in the over-lying relationship with respect to the lower vessel. The cigarette or tobacco supporting means is carried by the fitting means so as to dispose the burning tobacco in a lower region of the upper vessel. Smoke is accumulated and contained by the boundaries of the upper vessel. An upstanding conduit means extends from the upper vessel downwardly through the fitting means with a lower end of the conduit below the level of water contained in the lower vessel.

The fitting means is formed with a smoke outlet passage which communicates between an upper region of the lower vessel, above the water line, and extends laterally outwardly of the fitting to a mouthpiece which may be attached at the end of a flexible tubing. An air intake passageway is also formed in the fitting means so as to communicate fresh air with the interior chamber of the upper vessel. This intake passage is provided with a smoke trap means which may be a filtering material or a one-way ball valve to prevent the escape of tobacco smoke from the upper vessel chamber and yet permit the intake of air when smoke is drawn from the upper vessel into and through the water reservoir of the lower vessel.

The two vessels and the fitting means connected therebetween forms a light-weight, compact and portable unit which may be easily transported by the user. A handle may be provided for enhancing the portability of the device.

It is contemplated that one advantage of the present invention is to permit its use in public places, such as in restaurangs, where the smoking by some partrons will not disturb other customers. In this respect, the present apparatus is capable of large volume economical manufacture, thus making practical the purchase and use of this device in public transportation, buildings and other public accommodations.

It is also contemplated that the device will be sold to and used by individuals in their homes and other private buildings where the advantages of this apparatus can be utilized. In this regard and in addition to the above mentioned advantages, the smoking apparatus of the present invention has the desirable characteristic of conserving smoke. That is, the smoke generated by the burning tobacco is accumulated within the upper vessel until the user withdraws the smoke therefrom by inhaling. It has been found that the smoke accumulated with the upper vessel can be stored for several minutes, even after the combustion of the tobacco has been completed. Thus, the accumulated reservoir of smoke may be consumed at a rate suited to the user and not necessarily determined by the time it takes for the tobacco to be fully burned.

Additional features of the present invention provide a detachable tobacco bowl which may be used in place of the cigarette holder for smoking loose pipe tobacco.

The mouth or opening of the lower vessel is made large enough to pass ice cubes therethrough, so that the water in the lower vessel may be made ice cold to increase the cooling effect on the smoke.

These and further objects and various features and advantages of the smoking apparatus in accordance with the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description of particular and exemplary embodiments thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Reference will be made to the appended sheets of drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one particular embodiment of the smoking apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along lines II--II therein.

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along the section lines III--III indicated therein.

FIG. 4 is a partial vertical sectional view, similar to FIG. 3, although here illustrating an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is also a partial vertical sectional view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4, here showing a further alternative and preferred embodiment of the smoking apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 3 through 5 showing still another alternative and preferred embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a smoking apparatus 11 constructed in accordance with the present invention generally comprises a lower vessel 12 adapted to be partially filled with water or other liquid 13 and an upper smoke containing vessel 14 which is inverted and disposed in over-lying registration with lower vessel 12. A fitting means 16 serves to engage and join a upwardly facing top opening 17 of lower vessel 12 and a downwardly facing bottom opening 18 of the upper vessel 14. By this arrangement, vessels 12 and 14 and their respective openings are in substantial vertical registration or alignment and the upper vessel 14 is supported by the lower vessel through the interconnecting fitting means 16. The apparatus including both vessels may thus be transported as a unit with a base 19 of lower vessel 12 providing a stable support surface which may be disposed on a table or other planar surface.

Tobacco support means, here provided by a tubular metal member 21, is carried by an upper portion of fitting means 16 so as to dispose and support combusting tobacco, such as the burning cigarette illustrated here within the upper vessel 14.

Vertically extending conduit means is provided for communicating the interior of upper vessel 14 with the water reservoir of the lower chamber. The conduit means may be provided by an upstanding tubular conduit 22 disposed in communication with the tubular metal cigarette holder 21 for drawing air and smoke from vessel 14 downwardly through the burning embers of the cigarette, through holder 21 and conduit 22 and outwardly of the lower end of the conduit into the water filled reservoir of the lower vessel. As illustrated here, metal holder 21 and conduit 22, which may be formed of plastic, are mounted within and supported by a through-bore 23 formed in fitting means 16. Thus the conduit means provided by these elements passes through the fitting means between the upper and lower vessel chambers.

To pass the smoke to the user and serve as a means for drawing the smoke through the water of the lower vessel, a mouthpiece means is provided communicating with an upper region 24 of vessel 12, above the water line 26 therein. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, the mouthpiece means may be provided by a mouthpiece 27 connected by a flexible conduit 28 to an outlet passage 29 formed in fitting means 16 and in which a tubular connector 31 is mounted. Connector 31 provides for attachment to hose or flexible conduit 28. It is observed that passageway 29 extends upwardly from region 24 of lower vessel 12 and makes a right hand turn so as to pass laterally outwardly of the fitting means 16 between the vertically spaced rims of openings 17 and 18 of the vessels. Alternatively, connector 31 may be itself used as a mouthpiece thereby eliminating the flexible hose.

In a similar manner, an intake means is provided, here in the form of a passageway 32 defined in fitting means 16 for passing fresh combustion air and oxygen into the upper vessel 14. It is necessary to provide an intake of fresh air periodically during the combustion of the cigarette or other tobacco, to sustain the burning. Passageway 32 extends laterally inwardly of fitting means 16 between the spaced vessel rims and then turns vertically upwardly into the upper combustion chamber. As described more fully hereinafter, the intake means may be provided with a smoke trap in the form of a filter or one way ball valve to inhibit the escape of smoke from the apparatus.

By this arrangement of components, a compact easily transportable smoking utensil is provided in which the smoke is substantially if not completely contained, preventing its escape into the surrounding room or area. Moreover, this feature of containing the smoke is provided in combination with the lower water filled vessel for cooling the smoke prior to its consumption. Both the containing of the smoke and the processing thereof through the water vessel are desired characteristics in smoking strong and odoriferous tobaccos, such as Turkish tobaccos and other harsh vegetational plants prepared for smoking.

For convenience, the portable unit may be provided with a handle means, such as here shown by opposed handles 35 and 36. In this instance, handles 35 and 36 of the handle means are attached to a neck 37 of lower vessel 12 by a collar 38. However, the handle means may be in any desired configuration and attached at any suitable location to the pair of vessels and/or to the fitting means 16.

Vessels 14 and 12 may be formed of glass, non-toxic platic or any other suitable material and may be either transparent or opaque. Upper vessel 14 is preferably of a transparent material to permit monitoring of the smoke and burning tobacco therein. As a certain amount of somke residue may build up on the inside of upper vessel 14, it has been suggested that an amber color glass or plastic is a preferable material.

The particular shape and dimensions of these vessels is not believed critical except that sufficient volume should be provided by the upper vessel 14 to store adequate qunatities of air and oxygen for facilitating the combustion of the tobacco. This volume should be sufficient to sustain combustion during intervals between the intake of fresh air through passageway 32. Also, the height of vessel 14 should provide generous space between the burning embers of a cigarette and the top of the chamber. These considerations generally result in a size for lower vessel 12 which is somewhat smaller than the upper vessel. as indicated in this instance by the relative dimensions in the drawings. As an example of suitable dimensions, for an overall apparatus height of approximately 13 to 14 inches, the upper vessel 14 may have a height of approximately 9 inches with the lower vessel having a height of 4 inches and approximately one half to three quarters of an inch spacing therebetween at fitting means 16. Although the vessels and fitting means may be of any suitable cross section, in this instance annular or cylindrical components are employed to facilitate the fitting engagement between the various parts. In this instance upper vessel 14 has a diameter of approximately 4 inches while the lower vessel diameter is about 3 1/2 inches.

The dimensions of openings 17 and 18, similarly are not believed critical. However, it may be desirable to form the neck 37 associated with opening 17 of lower vessel 12 to have sufficient size, such as 2 to 3 inches in diameter, to pass ice cubes into the lower water filled chamber. In this regard, it is many times desirable to cool water 13 below ambient temperature to enhance the cooling of the smoke and for this purpose ice water is very convenient.

With respect to opening 18 of the upper vessel and the neck 39 associated therewith, these portions should be dimensioned to slip over the tobacco supporting means, which in addition to the tubular cigarette holder may include a dish-shaped ash tray 41, and/or removable tobacco bowl 42, shown in FIG. 6 and described more fully hereinafter. Because of these requirements, the necks and/or mouth of both vessels may be of the same or approximately same dimensions. In such case, the formation of fitting means 16 is simplified in that it provides for the joining of two like sized vessel openings.

Although fitting means 16 may be of any suitable size and donfiguration, two preferred embodiments are illustrated in the drawings. In FIGS. 1 through 3, fitting means 16 is provided by a solid resilient material, such as rubber, and takes the form of a double ended stopper 43. Stopper 43 is of a generally cylindrical shape having opposed axial ends formed with circumferential tapers 44 and 46 for physically, sealingly engaging mated flared portions associated with openings 17 and 18 of the vessels. Using a slightly resilient, hard rubber stopper material, a snug and structurally sound union is achieved.

Through-bore 23 and passageways 29 and 32 are readily formed within stopper 43. An upper end of stopper 43 may be provided with an annular recess 47 coaxially inwardly of tapered portion 44. The tobacco supporting means in the form of tubular member 21 and ash tray 41 including a stand portion 49 therefor may be nested within this recess. However, such a recess is not necessary, and the various components may be mounted so as to extend from an un-recessed upper surface of the stopper.

An alternative and preferred embodiment of the fitting means is illustrated in FIG. 5, in which primed reference numerals refer to corresponding components in FIGS. 1 through 3. Thus in FIG. 5, fitting means 16' is in the form of a connecting member 51 of generally cylindrical configuration and having opposed threaded portions 52 and 53. These threaded portions are disposed at opposite axial end portions of member 51 for engaging correspondingly threaded portions 54 and 56 of vessel openings 17' and 18' associated with lower vessel 12' and upper vessel 14' respectively. Interposed between the opposed threaded end portions 52 and 53 of member 51, a member body portion 57 is provided in which pissageways 29' and 32' and through-bore 23' are formed.

Connecting member 51 may be formed of a molded, hard, non-toxic plastic, or metal or of any other suitable material. As in the case of the embodiment in FIGS. 1 through 3, upper and lower vessels 14' and 12' may be formed of glass, non-toxic plastic or of any other suitable material and may be dimensioned as described above.

With further reference to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, intake means, here provided by passageway 32, may be equipped with smoke trap means for inhibiting the escape of smoke from the upper vessel. This smoke trap means may be provided by a gravity actuated one-way ball check valve assembly 61. Assembly 61 is provided by a light-weight ball 62, such as formed of a light plastic or hollow material arranged to seat and seal against an upwardly facing annular valve seat 63. Valve seat 63 circumscribes or may be part of passageway 32 such that ball 62 may be forced by gravity to seat and close off the passageway.

To maintain ball 62 in generally over-lying position relative to valve seat 63, means may be provided for afforing limited upward displacement of the ball valve 62 off of valve seat 63. In this instance, such means is provided by an air pervious cage or similar structure 64 mounted over valve seat 63 and ball 62. Cage 64 serves to permit upward displacement of the ball 62 but prevent its movement out of proximity to the valve seat.

In operation, the effect of drawing air and smoke to the user by puffing on mouthpiece 27 causes ball 62 to lift off of the valve seat and allow an intake of air through passageway 32. In particular, by drawing on mouthpiece 27, the pressure within upper region 24 of lower vessel 12 is reduced. This causes the ambient pressure within upper vessel 14 to force smoke downwardly through the cigarette or other tobacco, through the inner passage of conduit 22 and outwardly of the lower end thereof through the water and into the upper portion of the lower vessel where the smoke is drawn off to the user through outlet passageway 29. During this process, there is slight reduction in air pressure within vessel 14 which causes the ambient air pressure externally of the apparatus to force its way in through passageway 32 and lift valve ball 62 so as to permit the intake of fresh air and oxygen for combustion.

During intervals between comsumption of the smoke by the user, the pressures in the various vessels equalize with the atmospheric or ambient pressure causing the ball to seat and block the otherwise escaping smoke.

An alternative and preferred embodiment of the smoke trap means is illustrated in FIG. 4, in which double primed reference numerals refer to corresponding parts described hereinbefore. In this embodiment, a filter or filter material 71 is disposed within intake passageway 32". The filter 71 may be of a fibrous filtering material, or any substance or structure which forms a labyrinth or baffling in passageway 32". Such a filtering structure does not absolutely preclude the passage of smoke outwardly of the intake means, however it has been found to substantially inhibit escaping smoke which otherwise tends to flow freely outwardly of passageway 32". In the absence of any filtering or baffling structure within passageway 32", slight convection currents or a slight differential pressure between inside and outside of vessel 14 causes an outflow of smoke. Filter 71 has been found effective in substantially inhibiting such out flow.

With reference to FIG. 6, an alternative embodiment of the tobacco supporting means is illustrated, and wherein triple primed reference numerals refer to corresponding parts described above. In this embodiment, a detachable tobacco bowl 42 is provided, similar to the bowl of a tobacco pipe, for removable mounting to the upper end of tubular cigarette holding and supporting member 21. If it is desired to smoke loose tobacco, rather than a cigarette, bowl 42 may be mounted as illustrated in FIG. 6 and filled as illustrated with loose tobacco. The detachable mounting of bowl may be provided by any suitable means, and is here provided by a lower annular recess 72, of slightly larger dimension than the circumference of member 21 for fitting thereover. Recess 72 may be provided with an O-ring seal 75 as illustrated for sealing recess 72 with the circumference of tubular member 21'". In use, smoke and air pass through a lower passageway 73 in the bottom of tobacco bowl 42 and into the inner passageway of tubular member 21'" and of conduit 22 '",. Thus passageway 73 is disposed in communication with the open end of the cigarette holder member and in communication with the conduit means extending to the water reservoir of the lower vessel.

To use tobacco bowl 42, upper vessel 14'"is removed from fitting means 16'" to provide access to cigarette holding member 21'" and bowl 42 is slipped thereon. The tobacco is placed within the bowl and lit and vessel 14'"is repositioned on the fitting means.

With further reference to FIGS. 1 through 3, the use of the apparatus for smoking a cigarette is as follows. First, vessel 14 is removed and the lower end of a cigarette is snugly inserted into the upper open end of metal member 21. For this purpose, member 21 is provided with an interior cylindrical portion 75 and a tapered or flared portion 76, as best shown in FIG. 3. The upper cylindrical portion 75 serves to receive and hold commercial machine formed cigarettes, while the tapered portion 76 is effective to hold the end of a hand-rolled cigarette.

The upper end of the cigarette is not lit and the vessel 14 is replaced. During smoking, the ashes fall from the cigarette into the dish-shaped ash tray 41 which underlies the cigarette and is coaxially mounted relative to member 21. In particular, ash tray 41 is provided with a centrally located opening 77 coaxialy mounted over member 21 and the stand portion 49 positions the ash tray just below the upper end of member 21.

Member 21 is preferably formed of a metal or other high temperature material, so as to withstand the temperatures of the burning embers as the cigarettes burns to completion. The conduit means here provided by a combination of a tubular metal member 21, for holding the cigarette, and a lower plastic conduit 22, may of course be provided by a single piece tubular conduit of metal.

While only a limited number of embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed herein, it will be readily apparent to those persons skilled in the art that numerous changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, it is contemplated that it may in some cases be desirable to provide a smoke trap means in or adjacent to outlet passageway 29 to prevent the escape of even the limited amount of smoke within upper region 24 of lower vessel 12. For this purpose, the smoke means may be similar to the one-way ball valve assembly 61 shown in FIG. 3 for the intake passage 32 or similar to the intake passage filter 71 shown in FIG. 4.

Accordingly, because of the possible numerous changes and modifications available, the foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are for illustrative purposes only and do not in any way limit the invention which is defined by the following claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A smoking apparatus for containing, accumulating and storing tobacco smoke for smoking comprising the combination of:

a lower vessel container having a base and a top opening and adapted to be partially filled with water or other liquid,

a smoke containing inverted upper vessel having a bottom opening adapted to be disposed in registration with said top opening of said lower vessel,

fitting means engaging and joining said top and bottom openings of said vessels so as to support said upper vessel above said lower vessel,

tobacco support means carried by said fitting means for supporting combusting tobacco in said upper vessel,

conduit means passing through saud fitting means for providing an air passage between said upper vessel and a lower region of said lower vessel for drawing smoke through water in said lower vessel,

mouthpiece means communicating through said fitting means with said lower vessel in an upper region thereof above the water level, and

air intake means communicating with said upper vessel through said fitting means to permit the intake of fresh combustion air into said upper vessel upon drawing smoke through said conduit means and water in said lower vessel by an applied smoking suction on said mouthpiece.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising smoke trap means disposed in said intake means to inhibit the escape of smoke in said upper vessel therethrough.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, said smoke trap means comprising; a gravity operated one-way check valve.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, said smoke trap means comprising;

a filter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, said fitting means comprising a double ended stopper formed from a resilient material, said stopper having opposed ends for sealingly engaging said respective top and bottom openings of said vessels, said stopper having passageways for accommodating said conduit means and intake means and mouthpiece means.

6. The water pipe of claim 1, said vessels having threaded openings, and said fitting means comprising:

a connecting member having opposed threaded portions for threadedly receiving said threaded vessel openings, said member having a body portion between said threaded portions formed with passageways accommodating said conduit means and said intake means and said mouthpiece means.

7. The water pipe of claim 6, said fitting means member having a generally cylindrical configuration and said opposed threaded portions being at opposed axial ends thereof.

8. The water pipe of claim 1, said tobacco support comprising;

a tubular metal member carried by said fitting means and having an upper cigarette receiving and holding end and a lower end communicating with said conduit means, and a tobacco bowl detachably mounting on said cigarette holding end of said tubular member for holding loose tobacco therein, said bowl having an air and smoke passageway extending therethrough and communicating with said open end of said tubular member.

9. The water pipe in claim 1, said tobacco support comprising;

a upstanding cigarette holding tubular member carried by said fitting means and a dish-shaped ash tray having a centrally located opening for detachable coaxially mounting over said tubular member in said upper vessel.

10. The water pipe in claim 1, further comprising;

a handle fastened to said lower vessel for manual carriage of said upper and lower vessels and fitting means as a unit.

11. The water pipe in claim 3, said gravity operated one-way check valve comprising;

an upwardly facing annular valve seat forming part of said intake means,

a gravity actuated valve ball normally in seated sealing engagement with said valve seat, and

means for affording limited upward displacement of said valve ball off of said valve seat to permit inflow of air into said upper vessel.