Patent ID: 6971305

Claim:
A smoke generating assembly comprising: a) a disposable, prefilled, smoke generating cartridge comprising: i) an outer covering defining a chamber with a central axis, the chamber containing wood smoke generating materials therein; ii) a perforate top portion of the outer covering; iii) an imperforate annular upper portion of the covering attached to the top; iv) an imperforate, bottom portion of the covering sealing off the chamber to secure the smoke generating materials therein, the bottom portion constructed of a material that vigorously supports combustion when ignited; v) a tinder material within the lowermost portion of the chamber arranged to burn readily after the bottom portion is ignited; and vi) a plurality of randomly disposed wood pellets arranged to smolder when ignited by the tinder material, the pellets filling the chamber above the tinder material while providing ample interstitial spaces for free passage of smoke therethrough, the pellets arranged to swell from heat and moisture emitted by the burning bottom portion to hold together within the upper portion of the chamber after the bottom portion has burned away; b) a cartridge holder for supporting the cartridge therein with the central axis vertical while the cartridge is smoldering and emitting smoke, the holder comprising: i) an open top dimensioned to pass therethrough the upper and bottom portions of the cartridge while engaging the top portion to thereby hold the cartridge with the central axis vertical to enable smoke to be freely emitted from the top portion by convection; ii) an imperforate upper section dimensioned to closely enclose the upper portion of the cartridge to shield it from combustion; and iii) a perforate lower section to freely pass air to the smoldering cartridge.