Apparatus for lighting smokable material without heat source having physical contact with smokable material

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relies upon U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/310,623 filed Feb. 16, 2022 entitled “Apparatus for lighting smokable material without heat source having physical contact with smokable material”.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The embodiments disclosed in this patent application relate with and/or embody at least an electronic heating device for use with material, known hereafter as smokeable material, that is to be vaporized and/or burned with the presumed intention of inhalation by a human user.

BACKGROUND

Lighters of today function as if they were designed to start camp fires, not for igniting smoking materials which are inhaled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This summary will begin by outlining various technical problems to be solved by one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein. The summary will then outline several exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

There are several, related technical problems, which need to be solved, and which are generally unrecognized. Lighters of today function as if they were designed to start camp fires, not for igniting smoking materials which are inhaled. Looking more broadly, the inventors considered several alternatives to lighting material for smoking:

• • A Gas Lighter uses a nonrenewable gas to create a flame, can explode in your pocket and is not temperature adjustable.
  • A Magnifying Glass only works in conjunction with the Sun, takes a long time, and is hard to smoke and use.
  • A Plasma Lighter makes direct contact with smokable material. The contact causes charred smokable material to build up. And this also degrades the flavor from repeated use.
  • A Car Cigarette Lighter makes direct contact with smokable material. The contact causes charred smokable material to build up. This also degrades the flavor from repeated use.
  • Matches contain phosphorus and other compounds which may corrupt the flavor of the material being smoked through the creation of at least one undesirable biproducts and/or undesirable flavors.
  • A Soldering Iron makes direct contact with smokable material. The contact causes charred smokable material to build up. And this also degrades the flavor from repeated use.
  • A Heat Gun typically does not make direct contact with the smokable material, but it tends to blow the material everywhere. It is not built in such a way that the heating element can get close enough to the smokable material to be practical.
  • Herbal vaporizers may be compatible with existing smoke pieces (water pipes, pipes, etc.), so they can be used as a replacement for a lighter. However, they are incapable of temperatures high enough to ignite the material and cannot be used with existing pipe and water pipe bowl pieces.
  • A torch lighter has similar problems to a Gas Lighter, Plasma Lighter and Heat gun regarding igniting material to be smoked.

When the inventors reviewed these technical problems, they realized that these problems possessed a consistent set of technical solutions addressing a collective reformulation of the above point-specific technical problems, which will be referred to hereafter as the smoking technical problems.

FIG. 1C shows at least one smoking technical problem includes at least one of the following technical problems resulting from the lighting of the smokable material:

• • Residues accumulating near and/or on the apparatus;
  • Excessive incineration of the smokable material;
  • Release of at least one undesirable biproduct and/or undesirable flavor ingested by the user;
  • Damage to the flavor of the smokable material once ignited; and
  • Damage to the natural effect of the smokable material once ignited.

In each embodiment, the apparatus comprises a heating assembly first shown in FIG. 1A, including a housing and a heat source. The housing couples to the heat source to provide a safe distance between the heat source and the smokable material to insure no direct contact between the heat source and the smokable material, first shown in FIG. 1B. This is an embodiment, which solves at least one of the smoking technical problems of FIG. 1C for the user.

• • The heating assembly may further include a first air inlet and a first air outlet. The first air inlet is adapted to provide air into the heat source and the first air outlet provides a heated version of the air (heated air hereafter) from the heat source. The housing may contain a first entrance of the air into the first air inlet and a first outlet of the heated air.
  • The heating assembly may further include a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact adapted to provide electrical power across the heat source to create the heated air sent to the first outlet. Considering FIG. 1A, etc. an electrical circuit is formed between the first and second terminals (+ and −) of the battery and these electrical contacts.
  • One contact may by implemented as a layer of the housing making electric contact with the heat source, and the other contact may be a post in the heating assembly completing the electrical circuit with the terminals of the battery.
  • Alternatively, both contacts with the heat source may be implemented as posts in the heating assembly completing the electrical circuit with the terminals of the battery.

The apparatus of this application includes at least three embodiments:

• • Apparatus for lighting smokable material containing one or more cannabis related products.
  • Apparatus for lighting smokable material containing one or more tobacco related products.
  • Apparatus for lighting a more general smokable material.

There are several potentially valuable ways to look at these embodiments:

• • At least some of these embodiments relate with and/or embody at least an electronic heating device for use with the smokeable material that is to be vaporized and/or burned with the presumed intention of inhalation by a human user.
  • The device may contain a heating assembly which receives electrical stimulus to generate heat delivered across a distance to the smokable material. The distance may be set or adjustable in different implementations of at least one embodiment.
  • The electronic heating device may or may not contain a power assembly. The power assembly may be adapted and/or configured to provide the electrical stimulus to the heating assembly. The device may embody a lighter.
  • Some embodiments may consist essentially of a version of the heating assembly. Some implementations of the heating assembly may be configured and/or adapted to mechanically and/or electrically couple to the power assembly to heat smokeable material intended for human inhalation.
  • Any of these embodiments of the electronic heating device may be contained in a pipe as shown in FIG. 5A onward.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show example embodiments of the electronic heating device including a heating assembly. As shown these embodiments include a power assembly electrically coupled to the heating assembly to provide electrical stimulus to the heating assembly. FIG. 1B shows the electronic heating device providing heated air to smokeable material, lighting the material without direct physical contact to provide vaporized and/or burned material mixed with air for the purpose of human inhalation.

FIG. 1C schematically shows the technical problems being solved by one or more embodiments.

FIG. 1D schematically shows a summary of the various implementations of the heat source for creating the heated air, during the operation of the heating assembly of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1E, FIG. 1F, FIG. 1G, FIG. 1H and FIG. 1I show some examples of the smokeable material FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1J shows schematically some compositions of the heat source and heating element of FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. The heat source and/or the heating element may include any combination of the essentially non-reactive components.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B show two examples of the lighter, the heating assembly and the power assembly shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B.

FIG. 2C shows some details of operation of the heating assembly of FIG. 1B electrically stimulated wherein the arrows indicate airflow and the heat source operates to heat the air entering through the air inlet to create the heated air, which is intended to vaporize and/or ignite the smokable material in a pipe loaded with the material.

FIG. 2D and FIG. 2E show an example of components adapted and configured to create the heating assembly shown in other drawings.

FIG. 3A shows some details of the Stainless Steel (SS) Cone shell as it looks for use in the heating assembly of at least some other drawings. FIG. 3B shows a side view of the heating assembly. And FIG. 3C shows a cross section of the heating assembly.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show two views of an exploded part diagram of the heating assembly.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B further show an example of the pipe adapted and configured to include and use the heating assembly and the power assembly further acting as a carburetor pipe.

FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B and FIG. 7A show an example of the pipe adapted and configured to include and use the heating assembly and the power assembly further acting as a water pipe. The second setting of the water pipe of FIG. 7A may operate similarly to the second setting of FIG. 7B. FIG. 7C shows some further details of FIG. 7A for the water pipe.

FIG. 8 further shows the water pipe including a Carburetor inlet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In at least some of these embodiments, the apparatus includes at least one of the following:

• • A heat source first shown in FIG. 1A adapted to light the smokable material first shown in FIG. 1B. The heat source is adapted and/or configured to light the smokable material without direct physical contact between the heat source and the smokable material. The apparatus additionally solves at least one smoking technical problem shown in FIG. 1C for a user of the apparatus resulting from the lighting of the smokable material.

FIG. 1C shows at least one smoking technical problem includes at least one of the following technical problems resulting from the lighting and/or vaporizing of the smokable material:

• • One or more chemical residues accumulates near and/or on the apparatus;
  • Excessive incineration(s) of the smokable material;
  • Release of at least one undesirable biproduct and/or undesirable flavor ingested by the user;
  • Damage to the flavor of the smokable material once ignited; and
  • Damage to the natural effect of the smokable material once ignited.

FIG. 1D shows the heat source may create the heated air to light and/or vaporize the smokable material through at least one of

• • Resistive heating in response to the electrical power across the heat source to create the heated air,
  • Inductive heating in response to the electrical power across the heat source to create the heated air, and
  • Convective heating in response to the electrical power across the heat source.

In each embodiment, the apparatus may further comprise a power assembly adapted, as first shown in FIG. 1A, to mechanically couple to the heating assembly to electrically couple to the first contact and adapted to contain at least one battery adapted to provide a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal. The assembly may be configured to use the second battery terminal to generate the electrical power used in the heating assembly to create the heated air.

• • The power assembly may incorporate a battery body of a vaping device adapted to screw onto the heating assembly to mechanically couple the power assembly to the heating assembly and couple the first contact between the power assembly and the heating assembly.

In each embodiment, the apparatus may be adapted to implement at least one of:

• • A lighter first shown in FIG. 1A adapted and/or configured to light/vaporize the smokable material without direct physical contact between the heat source and the smokable material, comprising the heating assembly coupled to the power assembly.
  • And a pipe first shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, adapted and/or configured to light/vaporize the smokable material without direct physical contact between the heat source and the smokable material, comprising the heating assembly coupled to the power assembly. As used herein, the term to light/vaporize refers to lighting and/or vaporizing.

The lighter may couple with a second pipe as shown in FIG. 1B to light the smokable material without direct physical contact between the heat source and the smokable material.

The pipe, as first shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, may be adapted and/or configured to include the heating assembly mechanically coupled to the pipe to implement at least two settings of the heating assembly.

• • A first setting shown in FIG. 5A, may configure the heating assembly near the smokable material of the pipe to support lighting/vaporizing the smokable material by operating the heating assembly.
  • A second setting shown in FIG. 5B, may configure the heating assembly away from the smokable material of the pipe so that the heating assembly remains mechanically coupled to the pipe when the smokable material is not being lighted/vaporized.

In each embodiment, the heat source may contain at least one heating element composed of at least one essentially non-reactive component as shown in FIG. 1J.

• • The essentially non-reactive component is a chemical composition which does not form oxides in the presence of oxygen except at a temperature above the operating range required to light the smokable material.
  • As used herein, the operating range required to light a smokeable material is likely to vary based upon atmospheric pressure and relative humidity. By way of example, atmospheric pressure is often a function on Earth of one's local elevation above sea level. Relative humidity can vary, but will be hypothetically assumed to be the humidity range of a country such as the United States, or a continent such as South America. In both of the examples, the relative humidity range is from near 0, say 1 percent (%) to 100%. Hypothetically, atmospheric pressure will range from an average atmospheric pressure at sea level to 5 kilometers (km) or more in altitude. In other circumstances, taking into account ambient temperature may be useful. It seems reasonable to assume an ambient temperature range of a temperate to tropical climate, possibly from an artic climate through temperate to tropical to desert climate.
  • By way of example, given some combination of the preceding hypotheses, cannabis may have a vaporization temperature of about 315 degrees Centigrade, or about 446 degrees Fahrenheit. The ignition temperature may be about 450 degrees Centigrade. Based upon these or similar estimates derived from specific conditions outlined above, the operating range of cannabis vaporization and/or combustion may be between 315 and 450 degrees Centigrade.
  • Another example, tobacco (under similar hypothetical conditions) may have a vaporization temperature of about 257 degrees Centigrade, or about 392 degrees Fahrenheit. The ignition temperature could not be readily found in a preliminary web search, but is likely to be in the neighborhood of 500 degrees Centigrade. This and the preceding two paragraphs constitute an effort to disclose the best mode of the apparatus of this patent application in terms of the thoughts of the inventors. Note that some of the operating conditions are hypothetical, and subject to later and possibly better estimates than are available to the inventors at this time.
  • As used herein, the essentially non-reactive component does not form oxides except at a temperature above the operating range, for example, at temperature N degrees Centigrade above the operating range. N may be a member of a group consisting essentially of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 75, 100, 200, and/or 300 degrees Centigrade above the operating range.
  • For example, the essentially non-reactive component may contain at least one of a stainless steel, a titanium, a titanium alloy, a platinum, a woven carbon nanotube structure, an essentially non-reactive ceramic, a kanthal, a nichrome, a nickel and an aluminum nitrate.

In each embodiment, the pipe may be adapted and/or configured for the smokable material as shown in FIG. 1E through FIG. 1G, in at least one of a dry herb form of the smokable material, a dry concentrate of the smokable material, a liquid form of the smokable material, and an extract of the smokable material.

By way of further examples, consider FIG. 2A to FIG. 2E. FIG. 2A shows a version of the heating assembly of FIG. 1A having a height (disregarding the mechanical coupling to the power assembly) of 25 millimeters (mm) and a width of about 22 mm. Note that 25 mm is about one inch.

FIG. 2B shows a second version of the heating assembly of FIG. 1A again with a height of about 25 mm but a width of about 12 mm. In this version of the heating assembly, the housing is essentially a hollow cylinder, possibly providing notches for the heat source to be held.

FIG. 2C shows some details of FIG. 1B, showing air flowing into the air inlet, the heating source interacting with the air flow from the air inlet to create the heated air traversing the air outlet of FIG. 1A, heats the smokable material thereby lighting the smokable material without direct physical contact as shown in FIG. 1B.

FIG. 2D and FIG. 2E show an example of components adapted and configured to create the heating assembly of other drawings. As used in these drawings, SS indicates at least one form of Stainless Steel. Note that in this example, the SS Cone Shell, when assembled in the heating assembly of other drawings may provide more than one air inlet.

FIG. 3A shows some details of the SS Cone shell as it looks for use in the heating assembly. FIG. 3B shows a side view of the heating assembly. And FIG. 3C shows a cross section of the heating assembly.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show two views of an exploded part diagram of the heating assembly. FIG. 4A shows a slanted view of the components. FIG. 4B shows a side view of the components.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B further show an example of the pipe adapted and/or configured to include and use the heating assembly and the power assembly further acting as a carburetor pipe.

FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B and FIG. 7A show an example of the pipe adapted and configured to include and use the heating assembly and the power assembly further acting as a water pipe. The second setting of the water pipe of FIG. 7A may operate similarly to the second setting of FIG. 7B. FIG. 7C shows some further details of FIG. 7A for the water pipe. And FIG. 8 further shows the water pipe including a Carburetor inlet.