Abstract:
Provided is a vaporizing pipe having a separator  40  for maintaining a separation distance between a screen (or constriction) and a flame filter. In a simple, one-piece vaporizing pipe, it is necessary to mechanically fix the location of the screen and flame filter. Forming mechanical features for this function on inside surfaces of the pipe is difficult and expensive, particularly if the pipe is made of glass. In the present invention, the separator is disposed between the screen or constriction and filter, and functions to fix the location of the filter. The separator can be a wireform, for example. The separator greatly simplifies and reduces the cost of fabricating the present vaporizing pipe.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of priority of provisional patent application 61/572,142 filed on Jul. 12, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to smoking devices and vaporization devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vaporizing pipe having a separator for positioning a flame filter. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Tobacco and other herbs are typically smoked by burning and inhaling the combustion fumes and smoke. In recent years, interest has grown in the technique of vaporization in which the smoking material is carefully heated so that the desired flavor and psychoactive components are liberated, and combustion is minimized. 
         [0004]    Vaporization provides many benefits over smoking. Vaporization produces much less toxic and carcinogenic pyrolytic products compared to smoking. Also, vaporization is smoother and more flavorful, and lacks the disagreeable burned taste produced by conventional smoking. Further, vaporization allows more efficient use of smoking materials, since desired flavor and psychoactive compounds are not destroyed by combustion. 
         [0005]    However, vaporization is difficult to perform, since vaporization only occurs in a relatively narrow temperature range. If the temperature is too low, desired compounds are not vaporized and nothing is inhaled; if the temperature is too high, combustion will occur. For most smoking materials, vaporization is optimal in a temperature range of about 250-400 degrees Fahrenheit. The optimal temperature depends upon the compounds being vaporized. 
         [0006]    There is significant interest in one-piece “bat” style vaporizing pipes since they are small, lightweight and portable. The one-piece vaporizing pipe has a single body part that encloses a bowl area and contains a flame filter. A difficulty with such pipes is in mounting the flame filter internally, with a space between the flame filter and the bowl area. This is particularly a problem with linear pipes made of glass, because it is difficult to manufacture mechanical features on the internal surfaces of the glass. Without mechanical features (such as a ledge), neither the screen nor flame filter can be properly fixed in position. Retaining rings sometimes do not generate enough friction against the glass to reliably grasp the inner surface of the pipe. 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a bat-style vaporizing pipe without the benefit of the present invention.  FIG. 1  is not necessarily prior art and should not be construed as such.  FIG. 1  is provided merely to better illustrate the advantages provided by the present invention. The linear vaporizing pipe comprises a pipe body  2  having an inner constriction  3  for supporting a metal mesh screen  4 . A ledge  5  supports the flame filter  6 . Retaining rings  7 ,  8  retain the screen  4  and flame filter  6 . An opening  9  provides access to a bowl area where tobacco is disposed. A C-shaped sliding door  10  can slide to cover and uncover the opening  9  as needed. 
         [0008]    A substantial difficulty in manufacturing this design is forming or machining the ledge  5 . This is difficult to do by hot glassworking. Also it is difficult to do by machining, because the ledge  5  and constriction  3  block access to the bowl area. Machine tools have difficulty removing material from the bowl area because they must work around the ledge  5 . 
         [0009]    Another problem with the pipe of  FIG. 1  is that the retaining ring  7  cannot slip even slightly. Even a small movement of retaining ring  7  will put the retaining ring  7  across the opening  9  where it does not effectively hold the screen, and where it interferes with external access to the bowl area and movement of the door  10 . It is necessary, however for screen  4  to be reliably held in proper position. 
         [0010]    Consequently, there is a need for a vaporizing pipe that effectively holds the screen and flame filter in proper position, without having difficult-to-fabricate internal mechanical features, and without having a retaining ring close to the door opening. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    The present invention provides a vaporizing pipe comprising a tubular pipe body with a bowl area inside the pipe body, and a sidewall opening in a sidewall of the pipe body. A screen and flame filter are disposed inside the pipe body, on opposite sides of the bowl area. A separator is disposed in the bowl area, between the screen and flame filter. The separator maintains a separation distance between the screen and flame filter. 
         [0012]    Consequently, the need for mechanical features on the inside surface of the pipe body is minimized. 
         [0013]    In a preferred embodiment, the separator comprises a wireform (e.g. made of stainless steel wire) having two spaced apart support features connected by a connecting leg. The support features are disposed against the screen and filter. The support features can be wire loops or zig-zags, for example. The support features can be approximately planar-parallel. 
         [0014]    Alternatively, the separator can be made of a sheet of heat resistant material, such as metal sheet, metal foil, wire cloth, mice sheet, ceramic sheet, glass sheet or glass tubing, for example. 
         [0015]    The only requirements are that the separator is heat resistant, and can separate the screen and filter (or constriction and filter), and still allow access to the bowl area through the opening. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  (Related Art) shows a vaporizing pipe lacking the features of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a cross sectional side view of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 3   a - 3   f  show embodiments of the separator. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  shows a closeup view illustrating how the separator of  FIG. 3   a  is installed in the pipe. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  shows how the pipe is disassembled and assembled. 
           [0021]      FIGS. 6   a - 6   b  show alternative embodiments of the separator. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  shows an embodiment of the separator made of stamped sheet metal. 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  shows an embodiment of the separator made of a sheet of heat resistant material. 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  shows an embodiment of the separator made of a sheet of heat resistant material. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    The present invention provides a vaporizing pipe with improved manufacturability and performance and lower cost. The present vaporizing pipe has a very simple construction (e.g. one-piece) comprising a tubular pipe body. The interior of the pipe has a screen and a ceramic filter on opposite sides of a bowl area, where tobacco is disposed. In the present invention, a separator is disposed in the bowl area and functions to hold apart the screen and flame filter. The separator holds both the screen in place, and the flame filter in place. Consequently, the separator obviates both the retaining ring  7  and ledge  5  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The separator greatly reduces manufacturing cost and simplifies assembly and construction of the present vaporizing pipe. 
       Definitions 
       [0026]    Flame filter: Any heat-resistant and porous material as described in issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,584, or otherwise known in the art of vaporizing pipes. Examples of suitable flame filter material include ceramic foam, silicon carbide ceramic foam, bonded granules (metal, glass, or ceramic), stacked screens, tangled wire, stacked discs and the like. The present invention is not limited to any specific materials or structures for the flame filter. 
         [0027]    Heat Resistant: Able to tolerate temperatures inside the bowl area (up to about 450 F) without burning, melting, or excessive damage. 
         [0028]    Metal wire: An elongated metallic material with consistent cross sectional shape. Cross sectional wire shape will typically be round, but can also be square, rectangular, elliptical, triangular, hexagonal or any other shape. The term “wire” also includes strips of metal foil. 
         [0029]    Wireform: An object made of a length of metal wire, bent or formed into a desired shape. Wire can be round cross section, square, hexagonal, rectangular, thin rectangular (e.g. aspect ratio of 1:100 or 1:25), or any other cross sectional shape. Wire used for making a separator can have a diameter of about 0.010-0.050 inches, or 0.020-0.030 inches. 
         [0030]      FIG. 2  shows a cross sectional side view of a vaporizing pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention. The pipe has a pipe body  20  comprising a constriction  22 , an inhalation end  24 , an air intake  26 , and a bowl access opening  28 . The bowl access opening  28  is disposed in a sidewall of the pipe body. A C-shaped sliding door  30  clips onto the pipe body  20 , and can slide in a left-right direction  32  to cover and uncover the opening  28 . A metal mesh screen  34  is disposed on the constriction  22 . A flame filter  36  is disposed inside the pipe body and held on one side by a retaining ring  38 . A bowl area  39  for tobacco is located between the screen  34  and the flame filter  36 . 
         [0031]    The pipe body is preferably tubular, and can be straight (as shown), or curved. 
         [0032]    In the present invention, a separator  40  is disposed in the bowl area, between the screen  34  and the flame filter  36 . The separator functions to hold both the screen  34  in place and the flame filter  36  in place. More specifically, the separator  40  holds the screen  34  against the constriction  22 , and the separator holds the flame filter against the retaining ring  38 . The separator  40  thereby prevents both the screen  34  and the flame filter from falling or moving into the bowl area, or moving into an area of the opening  28 . 
         [0033]    The pipe body can be made of many materials such as glass (e.g. borosilicate glass), ceramic, wood or metal. In a preferred embodiment, the pipe body is made of clear, borosilicate glass. Clear glass is easier for some people to use because it provides an unobstructed view of a lighter flame, which makes proper flame positioning easier. 
         [0034]    The sliding door  30  can be made of many materials such as metal or wood. In a preferred embodiment, the sliding door is made of ¼-hard, ½ hard, or ¾ hard temper stainless steel. preferably, the sliding door is resilient so that it grips the pipe body and is not able to move by the influence of its own weight. 
         [0035]    The retaining ring  38  is preferably made of resilient material such as stainless steel. For example, it can comprise multiple loops of metal wire to provide better grip of the interior surface of the pipe body. This is particularly advantageous if the pipe body is made of glass. 
         [0036]    The screen typically comprises a circular piece of wire cloth, a metal plate with small holes, or a star-shaped piece of glass. The screen is optional in the invention. If the screen  34  is not present, then the separator  40  is disposed against the constriction  22 . 
         [0037]    The constriction  22  can be replaced with a retaining ring, for example, or any other mechanical feature capable of supporting the screen  34  or the separator  40 . 
         [0038]    The opening  28  can have an opening angle  42  of about 30-180 degrees, more preferably of about 60-120 degrees. 
         [0039]    In operation, tobacco or other herbs are disposed in the bowl area  39 , and the sliding door  30  is closed over the opening  28 . Then, a user inhales from the inhalation end  24  while flame exhaust from a small flame (not shown) is input into the air intake  26 . The flame filter  36  mixes heat from the flame with cold, ambient air, creating an air stream with a temperature suitable for vaporization (about 250-400 F). This air stream passes through the tobacco in the bowl area, which vaporizes tho tobacco. Operation is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,584, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Operation and use of vaporizing pipes is well known in the art. 
         [0040]    The separator can be made from many types of objects and structures. For example,  FIGS. 3   a - 3   f  show 3-D perspective views of several embodiments of the separator made of wireforms. 
         [0041]    The embodiment of  FIG. 3   a  has two metal wire loops  44   a    44   b  connected by a connecting leg  46 . When used in the present pipe, one loop is disposed against the screen  34 , and the other loop is disposed against the flame filter  36 . The wire loops  44   a    44   b  can be approximately planar parallel. 
         [0042]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 3   b  the loops are polygonal. 
         [0043]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 3   c  the loops are replaced with zig-zag ends  48   a    48   b.    
         [0044]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 3   d  the loops are replaced with zig-zag ends having a single bend. 
         [0045]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 3   e  the separator has simple straight wire ends  50   a    50   b.    
         [0046]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 3   f , the connecting leg is curved/helical. In this embodiment, the separator is essentially a coil spring. 
         [0047]    The loops  44   a    44   b,  zigzag ends  48   a    48   b,  and straight wire ends  50   a    50   b  are generically referred to as “support features” in the appended claims. 
         [0048]    All of the embodiments of  FIGS. 3   a - 3   f  function effectively as separators to hold the screen and flame filter in place, and are with the scope of the present claims. 
         [0049]      FIG. 4  shows a closeup view illustrating how the separator of  FIG. 3   a  is disposed inside the present pipe. Loop  1   44   a  is pressed against the screen  34 ; loop  2   44   b  is pressed against the flame filter  36 . The connecting leg  46  sustains compression forces (if any). The separator  40  maintains a separation distance  47  between the screen  34  and flame filter  36 . 
         [0050]    In another embodiment of the invention, the separator  40  comprises a helical wire winding (i.e. a simple coil spring). In this case, the loops  1  and  2  are understood to be the terminal loops of the coil spring, and the connecting leg  46  is understood to comprise a helical coil connecting the terminal loops. 
         [0051]      FIG. 5  illustrates disassembly of the present vaporizing pipe. When the retaining ring  38  is pulled out of the air intake opening  26 , the flame filter  36 , separator  40  and screen  34  can slide out of the pipe. The pipe is easily reassembled by inserting the parts in order and pressing the retaining ring  38  into place. The retaining ring holds all the parts inside the pipe by friction against the inner surface of the pipe. 
         [0052]      FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  illustrate other embodiments of the present invention in which the separator comprises an undulating, zig-zag wireform rolled into a cylinder shape. In  FIG. 6   a , dotted line circles  54  indicate the planes where the screen  34  and flame filter  36  are disposed. This shape is sometimes referred to as a “zigzag spring” in the furniture industry. In this embodiment, the wire may cross the opening  28  (which is undesirable) if the wire zigzags are close together. 
         [0053]      FIG. 7  shows an embodiment of the separator made of a sheet of heat resistant material (e.g. metal sheet, metal foil, wire cloth, mica sheet, ceramic sheet, glass or the like). The embodiment of  FIG. 7  can be made of glass, ceramic, wood, stamped or deep-drawn sheet metal, or any other heat resistant material. The separator has two supports  58   a    58   b  connected by a ring  60 . When installed, terminal ends of the supports  58   a    58   b  are disposed against the screen  34 , and the ring is disposed against the flame filter  36  (or vice versa). The separator of  FIG. 7  is not a wireform. 
         [0054]      FIG. 8  shows another embodiment of the separator made of a sheet of heat resistant material (e.g. metal sheet, metal foil, wire cloth, mica sheet, ceramic sheet, glass or the like). For example, the separator of  FIG. 8  can be made of (cut from) a section of glass tubing, or from a rolled piece of sheet metal. Ends  60   a    60   b  of the separator are disposed against the screen  34  and filter  36 . 
         [0055]    Optionally, the separator has holes  62 , which provide visibility into the bowl area, if the pipe body  20  is transparent. 
         [0056]    Optionally, the separator has corrugations  66 . 
         [0057]      FIG. 9  shows an embodiment made of a sheet of heat resistant material with a central window  64  cut away. The window provides visibility into the bowl area, if the pipe body is transparent. 
         [0058]    In an alternative embodiment, a separator made of sheet material can be corrugated. 
         [0059]    All of the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 6   a ,  6   b ,  7 ,  8 , and  9  are within the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0060]    The above embodiments may be altered in many ways without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined by the following claims and their legal equivalents.