Patent Publication Number: US-8967153-B2

Title: Glass cigarette

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to the field of portable smoking devices and more specifically to a glass cigarette. 
     Smoking devices are well known. They take the form of cigarettes, cigars and pipes. Various types of smoking substances are used within the smoking device. The primary substance is tobacco. 
     A smoking pipe allows the user to decide how much smoking substance is introduced at any one time, however, a pipe tends to be somewhat bulky and not capable of easily being carried without needing a carrying bag or case. Cigarettes and cigars are disposable but are of a fixed size and shape and must be stored in a water resistant container. 
     There are times that a person may want to smoke a small portion of tobacco or other smoking substance, and would like to have a device that is smaller than a traditional pipe for the purpose. Some small metal pipes are available for this type of use, but they tend to produce a metallic taste and also become physically hot during use, and produce smoke that is hot. Additionally, there may be times where a smoker would like to indulge in smoking activity of a very small amount of smoking material and then be able to discard both the ash material and the smoking device. Currently there are no smoking pipes available that are designed to be disposable. Cigarettes and cigars are disposable but they hold a fixed amount of smoking material which may be more than a user is interested in smoking, causing the user to throw out, or to have to store the remaining cigarette or cigar. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the invention is to provide a glass cigarette that allows a user to discretely smoke a small amount of smokable material while avoiding the increasingly negative social stigma of smokers and smoking culture. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a glass cigarette that provides an efficient low burn rate. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a glass cigarette that can be used as a single use item and then thrown out or recycled. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a glass cigarette that does not produce any metallic aftertaste. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a glass cigarette that is easy to maintain and requires no extra parts. 
     Still yet another object of the invention is to provide a glass cigarette that has improved smoke cooling qualities. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a glass cigarette comprising: an elongate hollow tubular borosilicate glass member, said borosilicate glass member having a first open ended cylindrical smoking material retaining portion, a second cylindrical smoke cooling passage portion, a third tapered tubular mouthpiece portion, a restrictor portion joining said first portion to said second portion, said third tapered portion contiguous with and fixed to said second portion, and said mouthpiece being open ended at said tapered end. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the glass cigarette of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side section view of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the glass cigarette of the invention  100 . It is basically an elongate tubular device which has a first open ended  4  smoking material holding portion  10 , a second central smoke cooling portion  30  and a third mouthpiece portion  40 . There is a restrictor portion  20  positioned between and joining the smoking material holding portion  10  and the smoke cooling portion  30 . In the preferred embodiment, the invention  100  is made from borosilicate glass, which is heat resistant. However, the device  100  can also be made of flit/soda lime glass. A smoking substance is placed in the first smoking material holding portion  10  and is prevented from entering the central portion by restrictor portion  20 . The user inputs tip  2  into his or her mouth and applies a flame type lighting device to the open end  4 . When the user inhales the smoke, it traverses inner smoke passage  8  into the central section  30  where it cools and then travels through tapered mouthpiece portion  40 . The thin taper of mouthpiece portion  40  helps restrict the amount of airflow coming to the user, as well as providing additional surface area for cooling, thus producing a low temperature and controlled inhalation smoking experience. 
       FIG. 2  is a side section view which bisects the invention  100 . Smoking substance  6  can be clearly seen packed into the smoking material holding portion  10 . The dimensions of the present invention  100  are important to the ideal working conditions of the invention  100  and therefore will be now described in full. The smoking material holding portion  10  is approximately eighteen millimeters long and has an inside diameter of approximately five millimeters and an outside diameter of approximately six millimeters. The small inside diameter of the smoking material holding portion  10  is small enough to create an extinguishing effect on the material as to minimize wasted burning. The restrictor portion  20  restricts the inside diameter to approximately four millimeters thus defining inner smoke passage  8  measuring approximately 80% of said inside diameter of said first and second portions. This configuration eliminates the necessity for a screen, which is found in many other smoking devices. The cooling portion  30  returns to the same diameter as the smoke material chamber portion  10 . The smoke cooling portion  30  is approximately thirty-eight millimeters long. The mouthpiece portion  40  is approximately fifty millimeters long and tapers to a thin open end with an inside diameter of one millimeter and an outside diameter of approximately two millimeters at its tapered end exit point  2  of the invention  100 . The overall length is approximately one-hundred and six millimeters. The wall thickness of the elongate hollow tubular glass member is approximately one half of one millimeter. This thin wall thickness also increases the cooling effect of the invention because this allows the glass to cool more quickly between uses. It is important to note that the above mentioned dimensions are approximate, however, they do represent an ideal working configuration that is small enough to be easily carried in a pocket or purse. 
     The present invention  100  is a clean, discrete, practical and highly efficient glass smoking instrument that eliminates the need for expensive smoking equipment. Because of the simple one piece construction, the invention  100  is economical and can even be disposed of after one time use device. The invention  100  allows the user to engage in the activity of smoking while avoiding the increasingly negative social stigma of smokers and smoking culture. 
     The inside dimensions of the present invention  100  produce a low burn rate which efficiently and completely makes use of expensive smoking material. The single use option for the invention  100  means that the user does not have to clean dirty equipment after use if so desired. The user has the option to load the smoking material retaining portion  10  in advance and carry the entire assembly easily in a pocket or purse, eliminating the need to fill a pipe. The borosilicate glass construction provides a clean, smooth, cool taste in comparison to metal pipes that produce metallic tasting, hot smoke. In comparison to a standard cigarette, there is no wasted smoking material that is inevitable in the remaining portion of the cigarette closest to the user&#39;s mouth. The relatively low heat conductivity of glass means that the user can hold the glass cigarette  100  without danger of burning his or her fingers. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.