Smoking appliance

Abstract

The invention relates to a smoking appliance and includes first and second chambers connected by a conduit to permit the passage of air from one to the other through a quantity of lighted tobacco. A source of compressed air is connected to one of the chambers and a flexible tube including a mouthpiece is connected to the other chamber whereby smoke may be delivered under pressure to the mouthpiece. In a preferred embodiment, the chamber to which the flexible tube is attached contains a quantity of water through which the smoke is forced by the pressurized air supply before it flows into the outlet tube. The tobacco itself may be ignited by means of a flame-type lighter mounted within one of the chambers or by electrical means wherein a resistance element is positioned underneath the tobacco across the flow of fresh air to the tobacco.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is presently common practice in the smoking art for the smoker to draw fresh air through a quantity of lighted tobacco in a receptacle by creating a vacuum at the mouthpiece of the device. Since this method of smoking requires of necessity that the burning tobacco be exposed to the environment with its many variable conditions such as rain, high winds, etc., the smoker is somewhat at the mercy of the elements both from the standpoint of lighting the tobacco as well as smoking the device. Furthermore, the necessity that the smoker exert an effort to reverse the natural draft of a lighted pipe in order that smoke might be withdrawn therefrom is often laborious. This is frequently the case when smoking a water pipe since the smoke must be drawn downward through a quantity of liquid for cooling and filtering purposes.

Additionally, a hazard encountered by smokers in many circumstances is the possibility that a fire or explosion may be caused by exposing the lighted tobacco to flammable materials. Smoking in bed, in boats and other vehicles or while working with volatile fluids are only a few examples of potentially hazardous smoking environments.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a self-contained smoking appliance wherein the lighted tobacco is isolated from the surrounding environment.

A further object of this invention is to provide a smoking appliance which reduces the effort required to draw smoke through a quantity of lighted tobacco.

Another object of this invention is to provide a smoking appliance which reduces the effort required to draw smoke through the cooling and filtering fluid in a water pipe or the like.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a smoking appliance wherein the effect of environmental conditions on lighting and smoking are minimized.

A further object of this invention is to provide a self-contained smoking appliance wherein varying oxygen-containing mixtures of gases may be supplied to the burning tobacco.

A still further object of this invention is to reduce the hazard of causing a fire or an explosion while smoking.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the specification with reference to the appropriate drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a smoking appliance including first and second airtight chambers and means associated with the chambers for permitting a gas to flow therebetween. It further includes a receiver for holding the quantity of lighted tobacco, cooling means supported within one of the chambers for cooling the smoke as it passes through the chamber, conduit means for withdrawing smoke from the last-mentioned chamber and a source of air under pressure connected to the other chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of the invention with portions thereof shown in section;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of another embodiment of the invention with portions thereof shown in section;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of yet another embodiment of the invention with portions thereof shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the tobacco holder and igniter forming a portion of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the mouthpiece forming a part of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of FIG. 5 taken along line 6--6 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a base receptacle or chamber 10 which is designed to hold a quantity of water or other appropriate cooling liquid 12. Combustion chamber 14 is threadedly secured to receptacle 10 by means of cooperating threads 16 and is provided with a removable cap 18 secured thereto by means of threads 20. It should be noted that receptacle 10, chamber 14 and cap 18 are secured to one another in such a manner that they form a substantially airtight unit. A seal 21 is secured to chamber 14 and prevents the passage of gases therefrom into receptacle 10.

A tank or container 22 filled with compressed air is connected to chamber 14 by means of flexible tube 24, the latter passing into chamber 14 through seal 26. Tube 24 may be provided with a valve 28 to adjust the amount of pressurized air which is permitted to flow into combustion chamber 14. It should be noted that tank 22 may contain pressurized atmospheric air, oxygen enriched air or any other mixture of gases which may be desired in order to produce a smoke having particular characteristics. Furthermore, tank 22 may be replaced by a compressor which merely increases the pressure of the ambient air before it is introduced into chamber 14.

A connecting conduit 30 passes from chamber 14 through seal 21 into receptacle 10 at a point below a surface of cooling fluid 12. It may be provided with a conically shaped tobacco receptacle 32 having a screen or other gas permeable floor 34 to support the tobacco T and yet permit the flow of smoke and air from chamber 14 through conduit 30. A butane or other flame-type lighter 36 may be mounted in the wall of chamber 14 and positioned such that a flame directed from its nozzle 38 will ignite the tobacco T supported within receptacle 32.

A flexible withdrawal tube 40 passes into receptacle 10 above the surface of cooling liquid 12 through sealing stopper 42. Tube 40 is provided with a mouthpiece 44 and a valve 46, the latter for the purpose of regulating the amount of smoke passing through mouthpiece 44.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the valve 46 is preferably of the stopcock-type wherein a core 48 is rotatably mounted within a housing 50 with the flow of fluid through passageways 52, 54 and 56 determined by the degree of alignment of passageway 52 with passageways 54 and 56. A knob or handle 58 may be provided to assist in rotating core 48.

The device operates as follows:

Valve 28 is opened thereby permitting the pressurized air from tank 22 to flow into combustion chamber 14. Valve 46 is opened to permit the pressurized air in chamber 14 to flow through tobacco T, connecting conduit 30, up through cooling fluid 12 and finally through tube 40. When a flow of air has been established through tobacco T, it is ignited by directing a flame from lighter 36 thereon. The device may be smoked by opening valve 28 sufficiently to force the smoke created by the smoldering tobacco T down into water 12 where it is cooled and filtered as it rises to the surface. The addition of the smoke and air mixture into receptacle 10 through connecting conduit 30 will raise the pressure therein sufficiently to force the smoke through tube 40 into the mouth of the smoker. By opening and closing valve 46, he may control the times at which smoke is expelled from the device.

An alternate manner of using the device would be to adjust the pressure of the air within chamber 14 to the point at which near-equilibrium conditions exist between chamber 14 and receptacle 10. Under these conditions, the creation of only a slight vacuum within mouthpiece 44 by the smoker will upset the equilibrium thereby causing the smoke to be bubbled through the cooling liquid 12.

Since the smoking device is self-contained and at no time either during lighting or smoking is a flame exposed to the ambient, weather conditions such as rain or high wind or the presence of flammable substances will have no effect on the smoking thereof.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2 includes an outer housing 60 which comprises receptacle 62, a combustion portion 64 secured to receptacle 62 by means of threaded connection 66 and a removable cap member 68 adapted to be threadedly connected at 70 to combustion portion 64. The receptacle 62 is so designed that a quantity of cooling liquid 72 may be contained therein.

Tobacco receptacle 74 is supported within combustion chamber 64 by means of a bracket 76 or the like and includes a screen or other porous supporting member 78 near the lower portion thereof to support a quantity of tobacco T. A convoluted cooling conduit 80, which is disposed within cooling liquid 72, is connected at one end to receptacle 74 and at the other end to withdrawal tube 82. A resilient seal 84 provides an airtight connection between conduit 80 and tube 82 as well as preventing the leakage of air or smoke from housing 60. Withdrawal tube 82 may be provided with a mouthpiece and valve similar to mouthpiece 44 and valve 46 illustrated in FIG. 1. A butane or other flame-type lighter 86 may be mounted within combustion portion 64 for the purpose of igniting the tobacco T supported within receptacle 74.

Air or another gaseous mixture may be introduced under pressure into housing 60 by means of balloon 88 which has been stretched around the neck 90 of cap 68. It would be obvious however, to employ other sources to supply the pressurized gas to housing 60. As was the case with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, it is desirable that housing 60 be relatively airtight so that the smoke or supply of air is not permitted to leak therefrom.

In operation, balloon 88 is filled with air and stretched around neck 90. The valve (not shown) on withdrawal tube 82 is then opened to create a flow of air through tobacco T, conduit 80 and tube 82. If the pressure within housing 60 is greater than that of the ambient, the smoke generated by the smoldering tobacco will be forced through conduit 80, where it is cooled by liquid 72, and then through withdrawal tube 82 to the mouthpiece (not shown).

In a further modification of the invention (FIG. 3) the tobacco T may be ignited by electrical means. The combustion chamber 92 is supported by receptacle 94 and includes a removable cap 96 secured thereto by means of cooperating threads 98. An annular seal 100 maintains the unit airtight.

Air or another gas under pressure is supplied to the lower portion of combustion chamber 92 through a flexible tube 102 which is connected to chamber 92 through a resilient connector 104. A valve 106 regulates the flow of the pressurized gas from tank 108. A rigid conduit 110 is supported within chamber 92 by means of a resilient seal 112 through which it passes. Receptacle 94 is adapted to hold a quantity of cooling liquid 114 such as water which surrounds the lower portion 116 of conduit 110. It should be noted that seal 112 prevents the passage of smoke and air from combustion chamber 92 into receptacle 94 so that all of the gas flow must occur through conduit 110. The smoke may be withdrawn from receptacle 94 by means of withdrawal tube 118 connected thereto by means of seal 120. Tube 18 may be provided with a mouthpiece and valve assembly (not shown) similar to that shown in FIG. 1.

The tobacco T is supported within combustion chamber 92 on a screen or wire mesh 122 through which an electrically resistive wire 124 passes. When the lead wires 126 and 128 are connected to a suitable source of current such as battery 129 and switch 130 is closed, the resistive element 124 will generate a sufficient amount of heat to ignite the tobacco T.

The device operates as follows:

Valve 106 is opened sufficiently to cause the pressurized gas within tank 108 to flow upwardly through screen 122 and tobacco T then downwardly through conduit 110. If switch 130 is then closed, the tobacco T will be ignited and the smoke generated thereby forced downwardly through conduit 110 to be cooled and filtered as it bubbles to the surface of liquid 114 and then drawn off from receptacle 94 through withdrawal tube 118. Since the pressurized air from tube 102 passes around and comes into intimate contact with the glowing resistive element 124, the tobacco T is ignited much more evenly than is the case with conventional resistance igniters. As was the case with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the air pressure within combustion chamber 92 may be adjusted to either force the smoke through tube 118 when the mouthpiece valve (not shown) is opened or to create equilibrium conditions between chambers 98 and 94 such that a slight vacuum must be created at the mouthpiece by the smoker before the smoke will be forced through conduit 110 into the cooling liquid 114.

While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification. This application is, therefore, intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the invention following the general principles thereof and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth and fall within the scope of this invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A smoking appliance comprising:

a. receptacle means having a fluid passageway therein,

b. a gas permeable screen mounted within said receptacle means and positioned across said passageway,

c. said screen being adapted to support a quantity of lighted tobacco, and

d. a heat generating, electrically resistive wire woven into said screen.