Tobacco – Tobacco users' appliance – Device used for smoking
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-04
2001-07-17
Weiss, John G. (Department: 3735)
Tobacco
Tobacco users' appliance
Device used for smoking
C131S173000, C131S174000, C131S330000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260554
ABSTRACT:
FIELD
This invention relates to an apparatus used in smoking and, more particularly, to an improved, self-extinguishing pipe.
BACKGROUND
It is known to make smoking systems which use pipes to hold the tobacco for smoking instead of rolling a cigarette or buying ready-made cigarettes. It is also known to make the pipe so that it extinguishes itself after each puff. The SmokeLess Cigarette used in the Dugout Smoking System is an example of such a pipe and its related smoking system. Another example of a pipe for use with smoking material and its related system are described in Crow U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,658.
Such self-extinguishing pipes, however, have various drawbacks and shortcomings which ultimately reduce the user's comfort or enjoyment. For example, such extinguishing pipes generally accommodate only short, less effective filters, which at times results in a raw, bitter or otherwise harsh taste when smoke is inhaled.
Another drawback is that self-extinguishing pipes generally have filters located at the portions of the pipe inserted into the user's mouth. As such, the filter frequently comes in contact with the user's mouth or tongue, which causes discomfort to the user, especially when the filter is made of a gauzy material. When such a filter is used, it may become saturated with saliva or other foreign matter at the end closest to the user's mouth, further diminishing enjoyment of the smoking experience.
As still another disadvantage to such pipes, the filters are difficult to install in the pipes. The filters, generally formed of a resiliently compressible material, must be compressed by the user and stuffed through the mouthpiece of the pipe into position. This operation is time-consuming and may even require tweezers to assist in insertion of the filter, making the filters inconvenient to use.
An additional disadvantage is that if the filter is not carefully inserted, it may become cut, damaged, or otherwise lose its integrity from abrading against the mouthpiece of the pipe. The effectiveness of such filters, when damaged, is reduced.
Further drawbacks of current self-extinguishing pipes relate to the difficulty and discomfort in removing filters from the pipes. To remove a used filter, the user must resort to reaming out the filter by inserting a pipe cleaner through the pipe and pushing the filter out. The user generally must also grasp the filter at the end which was in contact with the user's mouth and has been soiled during the smoking process. The user is thus confronted with an unpleasant and inconvenient operation whenever a used filter needs to be removed from a pipe of the current art. Tar from the filter is sometimes inadvertently deposited on the mouthpiece because the filter passes through the mouthpiece during its removal. This, again, results in inconvenience or unpleasantness to the user.
Various additional disadvantages of current pipes relate to the structure of the self-extinguishing pipe apart from the filters used therein. Self-extinguishing pipes are often a single piece. Such a single-piece design makes ashes and any spent tobacco difficult to remove after use. The ashes and other spent material must be reamed out with a pipe cleaner, which, again, is both a time-consuming and messy process.
Current self-extinguishing pipes are disadvantageously constructed of a heat-conducting material, generally a metal. Although such a material resists melting, it makes the pipe far heavier than a traditional cigarette. Thus, users accustomed to holding cigarettes in the mouth or fingers find the heavier pipes clumsy to manipulate and thus distracting enough to interfere with enjoyment of smoking.
In addition, heat from the smoking material is often conducted down the length of the pipe to where the user is holding the pipe, or even as far as the user's mouth. Such heat potentially results, again, in a sharp diminution in smoking pleasure.
Thus, there is a need for a self-extinguishing pipe which is easily cleaned, safe, and comfortable. There is also a need for the pipe to be convenient to operate, namely by having the ashes and filter easily removable.
SUMMARY
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved self-extinguishing pipe for use with smoking materials, which pipe can be simple and convenient to operate.
Another object is to provide a pipe constructed in such a manner as to allow it to be easily cleaned, safe, and comfortable for the user.
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are obtained by a smoking system which includes a pipe separable into a body and an endpiece removably secured to one of the ends of the body. The endpiece has portions which define the reservoir for smoking materials. Components of the endpiece and the body can be manipulated to vary the volume of the reservoir so that it can alternately be filled with smoking materials or emptied of ashes and spent smoking material. According to another aspect of the invention, a chamber is located within the pipe and a filter is removably received within the chamber. One end of the filter abuts an interior surface of the chamber to hold the filter away from the mouth of the user. The other end of the filter protrudes from the chamber through an opening in the body, which enables the filter to be manually grasped for removal from the chamber.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the reservoir includes a base which is longitudinally displaceable toward or away from the edge of the reservoir so as to vary the reservoir depth. The base of the reservoir is connected to an internal component of the endpiece, and the internal component is surrounded by a cowl. The longitudinal displacement of the internal component in relation to the cowl causes the base of the reservoir to be longitudinally displaced.
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patent: 2911984 (1959-11-01), Gerard et al.
patent: 3112756 (1963-12-01), Schmutte
patent: 3451533 (1969-06-01), Butler
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patent: 4294267 (1981-10-01), Glymph
patent: 4589427 (1986-05-01), Baynes
patent: 4612943 (1986-09-01), Meinkowsky
patent: 4850481 (1989-07-01), Chern
patent: 340656 (1959-10-01), None
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River City Manufacturing Brochure “The System”, about 1984.
Photographs of Think Wood Products, about 1989.
K.L. Manufacturing Brochure, about 1989.
C and C Enterprises Brochure “New Stuff”, about 1991.
J & L (aka Wooden Novelties) Photographs of Products, about 1993.
“Pipes” Brochure by Primitive Creations, about 1989.
Page from Chills Catalog, 1994.
Photographs of Swan Design Products, about 1994.
Photograps of Tip Products, about 1994.
The Dugout Smoking System, Oct., 1994.
Burns Corey A.
Carruthers Ronald R.
Gossett Danny R.
Rowland Richard
Anderson Charles W.
Laff, Whitesel, Conte & Saret, Ltd.
Music City Marketing, Inc.
Weiss John G.
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