US20130146070A1

US20130146070A1 - Smoking Device

Info

Publication number: US20130146070A1
Application number: US13/669,260
Authority: US
Inventors: Edmund Ross
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-12-09
Filing date: 2012-11-05
Publication date: 2013-06-13

Abstract

A smoking device is described. The smoking device is comprised of a bottle with the bottom cut away and an adapter that may be removably attached to the mouth of the bottle. By raising the bottle relative to a water filled reservoir, air is drawn through the adapter and fills the bottle with smoke. Lowering the bottle pushes the smoke out of the bottle for inhalation.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/568,964, Smoking Device, by the same inventor, filed Dec. 9, 2011 and currently pending.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a smoking device.
2. Related Background Art
Water pipes or Hookahs or more recently bongs have existed for a very long time. The advantages of using water to cool and perhaps flavor or otherwise condition the smoke before inhalation are well known. There have been many variations of adapters and connectors for using ordinary drink bottles as integral parts of these smoking devices. There are however still some disadvantages of the adaptations known in the art. The attachment of a glass or metal pipe bowl that is known to get hot during use to a plastic bottle requires some care with respect to heat transfer. In some variations of use it is important to also be able to easily attach and remove the pipe bowl during use. This requires an attachment that is relatively airtight but also allows easy disconnection and reconnection and at the same time allows the user to handle the pipe bowl containing hot embers without harm. A popular variation of a pipe for smoking is known as the gravity pipe. In this case a bottle with the bottom cut off and with an attached pipe bowl attached to the mouth of the bottle is partially immersed in a water reservoir. Raising the bottle with the bowl attached draws air through the pipe bowl and air mixed with smoke into the bottle. The pipe bowl is then removed and the bottle when lowered emits smoke through the mouth of the bottle. The smoker may then inhale the smoke emitted from the bottle without the need to suck on a pipe. This gravity pipe device is especially dependent upon a means to easily attach and remove a smoking device from the mouth of a bottle.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a smoking device and adapters associated with use of the device. One embodiment of the invention is a smoking device comprised of a pipe bowl device comprised of a bowl for containing material to be smoked and a fitting at a second end opposite the bowl. The pipe bowl device is constructed of material that can withstand the heat of burning embers without melting or decomposition. Exemplary materials include glass and metal. The fitting is sized to fit an adapter that is used to create an airtight seal between the pipe bowl device and the mouth of a bottle. In one embodiment the adapter fits to a hole drilled through the cap of the bottle. The cap screwed in place on the bottle. In another embodiment the adapter is sized such that it fits under the cap of the bottle and the cap when screwed onto the bottle fit with the adapter ensures an airtight seal between the adapter and the bottle. In yet another embodiment the adapter is designed such that as a single integrated unit includes the heretofore two parts of the bottle cap and the adapter. Typically the bottles are large two liter plastic bottles such as those used for soft drinks The adapter is constructed such that it creates an air tight seal while at the same time permits easy attachment and removal of the pipe bowl device. An exemplary fitting would be ground glass fittings where the adapter comprises a female fitting and the fitting on the pipe bowl device comprises a male fitting also made of ground glass. The bottom of the bottle is cut away to produce an approximately two-liter cylinder with a mouth with the fittings at one end and an approximately four-inch opening at the other. The device further includes a reservoir that is sufficiently large to contain substantially the entire volume of the bottle. The reservoir is filled with water.
In use, the bottle is lowered into the reservoir with the mouth of the bottle containing the adapter and pipe bowl device above the water level. The bowl of the pipe bowl device is filed with the material that is to be smoked, typically tobacco. The material to be smoked is lit from a flame and the bottle is slowly lifted from the water. The result of the lifting motion is to draw air through the bowl device and substantially fill the bottle volume above the water with smoke from the burning of the material to be smoked contained in the pipe bowl device. The bottle is lifted only so far as to fill the bottle with smoke without lifting the open end of the bottle above the water level in the reservoir. An airtight seal is maintained at the open bottom of the bottle between the bottle and the water in the reservoir. Once the bottle is nearly, but not completely, lifted from the reservoir, the lifting motion is stopped and the pipe bowl device is removed from the adapter opening the mouth of the bottle to the air. The bottle is then lowered back into the reservoir. The lowering action forces the smoke from the interior of the bottle out through the adapter and mouth of the bottle. The smoke is inhaled by the user.
In another embodiment the adapter and the pipe bowl device are replaced by a single integrated unit. The single integrated unit combines a pipe bowl with the adapter fitting such that a single unit is attached to the bottle during use. And in yet another embodiment the single integrated unit is designed such that its shape replicates that of the combined bottle cap and adapter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a complete smoking device according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a close up and parts diagram of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a side view diagram of an integrated adapter embodiment.

FIG. 3B is a bottom view diagram of the embodiment of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing use of the embodiment of FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B.

FIG. 5A is a side view diagram of a fully integrated adapter and pipe bowl device.

FIG. 5B is a bottom view diagram of the embodiment of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing use of the embodiment of FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, a pipe bowl device 101 is seen attached to a bottle 102 that is partially immersed in water 109 contained in a reservoir 103. The bottom of the bottle 104 is cut away. The pipe bowl device is attached to the bottle through use of an adapter 107 and fits through a hole in the bottle cap 108. The pipe bowl device includes a bowl 106 at the top end for receiving the material to be smoked. The pipe bowl device otherwise is comprised of a hollow cylinder 111. Exemplary materials used for the pipe bowl device 101 are glass, metal, ceramic or any material typically used or capable of withstanding the temperatures encountered in a typical smoking pipe. The adapter 107 likewise can be made of any material that can withstand the temperatures encountered and can be machined to create an air tight fit of an inserted pipe bowl device. Typical materials are glass, metal and plastic. In a preferred embodiment the adapter is made of glass. An exemplary and preferred embodiment bottle 102 is a two-liter plastic soft drink bottle. Other materials such as glass are also used. The Bottle 102 could also be a cylinder constructed to have an open bottom and a restricted opening at the top to accept the adapter 107 and need not necessarily be a bottle.
The method of using the device, again referring to FIG. 1, comprises lowering the bottle 102 into the water 109 contained in the reservoir 103. The pipe bowl device 101 is removed from the adapter 107 while lowering the bottle 102 into the reservoir 103. The bottle is lowered only so far such that the cap 108 is still held above the water line 105. Once lowered the pipe bowl device is attached through the adapter fitting 107. The pipe bowl 106 is filled with material to be smoked and the material is lit with a flame. In some case the material to be smoked is lit while simultaneously slowing raising the bottle 102 from the reservoir 103. The bottle is raised only so far as to maintain the bottom of the bottle 104 below the water line 105. Raising the bottle creates a partial vacuum within the bottle thus drawing air through the pipe bowl 106 and smoke from the now lit smoking material into the interior of the bottle. Once fully raised, such that the bottom of the bottle 104 is still below the waterline 105. The pipe bowl device is removed from the adapter 107 and the bottle 102 is lowered back into the reservoir. Lowering the bottles forces the smoke held within the bottle out through the mouth of the bottle. The emitted smoke is inhaled by the user. Exemplary materials for smoking include a wide variety of tobaccos. The device could further be used for the administration of medicants that are capable of being vaporized in much the same fashion as tobacco is used during smoking.
Referring now to FIG. 2 a detailed view of many of the embodiments of FIG. 1 is provided. The pipe bowl device 101 is seen to be comprised of a bowl 106 in which the material to be smoked is contained. The device includes a bowl 111 that will contain the material while still allowing passage of air. Nonlimiting exemplary constructions include a solid bowl with a small hole in the bottom or side as typically is used in construction of smoking pipes, a bowl with a wire screen bottom, and a glass bowl with a fitted glass bottom. The pipe bowl device 101 is further comprised of a fitting 201 located at the lower extremity or end opposite the bowl 106. In a preferred embodiment the fitting 201 is a tapered fitting that is sized to fit the interior 202 of the adapter 107 and form a substantially air tight seal with the adapter. The pipe bowl device is seen to be further comprised of a hollow cylinder 112 connecting the two ends of the device. The adapter 107 is comprised of a cylinder comprising an outer surface 203 an inner surface 202 and a lip 204. The inner surface 202 is of a size and surface finish to mate with the corresponding surface 201 of the pipe bowl device. In a preferred embodiment the pipe bowl device 101 and the adapter 107 are composed of glass and the mating surfaces 201 and 202 are ground glass fittings that enable an air tight fit while still be easily connected and disconnected from one another as required during use of the device as already discussed. The outer surface and overall size of the adapter 107 are selected or constructed such that the adapter will fit through the hole 205 in the cap 108 on the bottle 102. The lip 204 on the adapter is sized slightly larger than the hole 205 to prevent the adapter from passing completely through the hole and provide a mating surface with the bottle cap for attachment with an adhesive (not shown). The cap 108 includes threads that mesh with threads 110 on the mouth of the bottle such that the cap may be screwed onto the bottle and create a substantially air tight seal between the cap and the bottle. In a preferred embodiment the adapter is made of glass and the outer surface 203 is tapered such that when inserted it creates a substantially air tight seal in the hole 205.
Another embodiment further includes an elastomeric washer 208 that is positioned between the cap 108 and the lip of the bottle 206 such that when the cap is screwed onto the bottle the washer 208 is compressed to form a substantially air tight seal between the cap and the bottle.
In another embodiment, not shown, the adapter and the outer surface are constructed and sized such that when inserted the adapter forms a substantially air tight seal with the inner surface of the lip of the bottle 206 itself and the cap 108 is not used in the device.
In another embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the cap and adapter of the previously discussed embodiments is replaced with an integrated unit 301. The integrated unit is comprised of an inner cylinder 302 and a cap 304. The cap and the cylinder are constructed to create a substantially air tight seal when mated with the mouth of the bottle 102 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The integrated adapter unit is further comprised of an inner surface 303 that is sized and constructed to form a substantially air tight seal with the surface 201 (FIG. 2) of the pipe bowl device. The outer surface 302 is sized and constructed so as to form a substantially air tight seal with the mouth of the bottle 206 (FIG. 2). The integrated adapter is otherwise hollow 305 to allow free passage of air and smoke between the pipe bowl device and the interior of the bottle. The integrated adapter may further include a threaded surface 306 (threads not shown) to allow the device to be screwed onto the bottle. The integrated adapter is comprised of material that can either be machined to form the shapes shown, such as would be the case of a metal or wood adapter. In another embodiment the adapter is molded from a high temperature plastic or ceramic material. Exemplary materials include thermoset plastics and thermoplastic materials that can withstand high temperatures such as polyimides, polyether ether ketones and others known in the trade.
FIG. 4 shows use of the integrated adapter 301 in conjunction with a pipe bowl device 101 and a bottle 102. The integrated adapter 301 fits atop the bottle 102 such that the outer surface 302 of the adapter cylinder mates with the inner surface 206 of the mouth of the bottle. In one embodiment the cap portion 304 is threaded on the interior with threads sized to match the threads 110 on the mouth of the bottle. In this embodiment the integrated adapter is screwed onto the bottle top forming a substantially air tight seal. In another embodiment the cap 304 is not threaded and a substantially airtight seal is formed form a friction fit between the tapered outer surface of the adapter 302 and the inner surface 206 of the mouth of the bottle. Another embodiment includes a smoking device that incorporates the integrated adapter, a pipe bowl device and a bottle. The other components the same as previously discussed. The use of the smoking device that incorporates the integrated adapter is equivalent to the use already described.
In another embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B and 6, the integrated adapter 501 further includes a screen 505 that is incorporated in the interior of the of the central cylinder 504 to create an integrated smoking adapter. The interior 503 of the device can now be used as a pipe bowl and the need for a separate pipe bowl device is eliminated. This integrated smoking adapter 501 is comprised of a cylinder 504 having an interior surface 503 and an exterior surface. The device 501 is further comprised of a second cylinder 502. The second cylinder includes an interior surface 507 that may be threaded (threads not shown) to fit the mouth of a bottle as discussed below. The first and second cylinders 502 and 504 are concentrically arranged and joined at one end 508. The insulating gap between 509 between the cylinders provides insulation between the inner cylinder that may become hot during use and the outer cylinder 502 which is handled by the user. The screen 505 is arranged in the interior of the second cylinder 504 such that the cylinder 504 and the screen form a bowl for receiving material such as tobacco to be smoked. In an alternate embodiment not shown the screen may be replaced with a solid plug. In this embodiment a hole is drilled through either the solid plug or through a sidewall of the cylinder 504. The size of the hole is selected such that it is small enough to constrain the material to be smoked within the cylinder yet large enough to allow passage of air through the device when used in a manner similar to the methods already discussed and further elaborated below. The integrated smoking adapter is comprised of material that can either be machined to form the shapes shown, such as would be the case of a metal or wood adapter. In another embodiment the adapter is molded from a high temperature plastic or ceramic material. Exemplary materials include thermoset plastics and thermoplastic materials that can withstand high temperatures such as polyimides, polyether ether ketones and others known in the trade.
FIG. 6 shows how the integrated smoking adapter 501 would fit to the mouth of a bottle 102. The inner cylinder of the adapter 504 is sized and tapered such that when inserted into the mouth of the bottle 601 the outer surface of the cylinder 506 forms a substantially air tight seal with the inner surface 206 of the mouth of the bottle. In one embodiment the inner surface 507 of the outer cylinder 502 is not threaded and the substantially airtight seal is formed by a friction fit. In an alternate embodiment the inner surface 507 of the outer cylinder 502 is threaded (threads not shown in FIG. 5B), the threads sized to fit the threads 110 of the bottle wherein when attached the integrated smoking device my be screwed onto the top of the bottle thereby forming a substantially airtight seal between the smoking device and the bottle.
The method of use of the integrated smoking adapter is substantially the same as described in conjunction with the devices of FIG. 1. The bottle 102 with the bottom of the bottle cut away is lowered into a reservoir such that the top of the bottle is out of the water, above the water line. The inner cylinder 503 of the integrated smoking adapter is filled with the material to be smoked, such as tobacco, and the material is lighted with a match or lighter. The bottle is then raised after lighting the smoking material, or alternatively simultaneously raised while lighting the smoking material from the reservoir. Raising the bottle creates a partial vacuum in the interior of the bottle thus drawing air through the integrated smoking device and filling the interior of the bottle with smoke from the now lighted material within the bowl of the integrated smoking device. The bottle is raised out of the water but without raising it so far as to break the contact of the lower end of the bottle with the water surface. The integrated smoking device is then removed from the top of the bottle and the bottle is lowered into the reservoir thereby forcing the smoke out through the mouth of the bottle. The user inhales the smoke. The raising and lowering process is then repeated. With attachment of the integrated smoking adapter once the bottle is fully lowered. The integrated smoking device is also referred to simply as a smoking device here and in the claims when the distinction from other embodiments is clear.

SUMMARY

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A smoking device comprising:

a) a bottle having a top and a bottom, the top fashioned to accept a screw cap and the bottom cut away producing an open cylinder as the bottom of the bottle,

b) a screw cap fitted to the bottle the screw cap having a hole drilled through the cap,

c) a reservoir filled with water,

d) a pipe bowl device comprising a cylinder, a pipe bowl to hold smoking material at a top end of the device and a tapered fitting at a bottom end of the device and a hollow core connecting the top and bottom ends,

e) an adapter comprising a cylinder having a lip on the upper rim of the cylinder said rim extending outward from the cylinder, the cylinder including an outer surface and an inner surface wherein the inside surface is sized and formed to create a substantially air tight seal with the bottom of the pipe bowl device and the outer surface is sized to fit through the hole in the screw cap and wherein the lip prevents the adapter from passing through the screw cap, said adapter forming a substantially airtight seal with the screw cap.

2. The smoking device of claim 1 where the adapter is made of glass.

3. An adapter for attaching a pipe bowl device to a bottle, said bottle having a mouth with screw threads on the outer surface of the mouth of the bottle, said adapter comprising:

a) an inner cylinder,

b) an outer cylinder said cylinders positioned concentrically,

c) each of said cylinders having a top end, a bottom end and an inner surface and an outer surface,

d) wherein the top ends of the cylinders are joined together such that there is a gap between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, and

e) wherein the outer surface of the inner cylinder is tapered such that it forms a substantially air tight seal when inserted into the mouth of the bottle.

4. The adapter of claim 3 further comprising threads on the inner surface of the outer cylinder said threads fitting to the threads on the outer surface of the bottle.

5. A smoking device for attaching to a bottle, said bottle having a mouth with screw threads on the outer surface of the mouth of the bottle, said device comprising:

a) an inner cylinder,

b) an outer cylinder said cylinders positioned concentrically,

6. The device of claim 5 further comprising threads on the inner surface of the outer cylinder, said threads fitting to the threads on the outer surface of the mouth of the bottle.

7. The device of claim 6 further comprising an elastomeric washer positioned between the mouth of the bottle and the cylinders.