SMOKING ACCESSORY

Abstract

This invention relates to a smoking accessory which includes one or more of a lighter for lighting a smokable substance, a grater for breaking apart the smokable substance in to smaller pieces, a smoking device for smoking the substance, and a container for depositing an amount of the smokable substance and holding it therein until needed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/580,486, filed Dec. 27, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to a multi-purpose smoking accessory. More particularly, this invention relates to an accessory which provides a smoker with some commonly required smoking accessories in one portable assembly. Specifically, this invention relates to an accessory which includes one or more of a lighter for lighting a smokable substance, a grater for breaking apart the smokable substance in to smaller pieces, a smoking device for smoking the substance, and a container for depositing an amount of the smokable substance and holding it therein until needed.

2. Background Information

Heretofore, smokers are required to bring multiple devices, accessories, or elements to facilitate smoking a smokable substance. For example, a lighter for generating a flame to ignite the smokable substance and a pipe to actually smoke the substance. Unfortunately, depending on the chosen method of smoking and the chosen substance, the number of required devices can increase to include items such as a grater for granulating the substance and a container to hold the substance itself. Inasmuch as all of these items are generally beneficial to conduct the smoking activity, losing or misplacing any one of these items may eliminate the ability of the user to smoke the substance. Thus, the user must remember to carry and keep track of all of these items.

Thus, there is a tremendous need in the art for an all encompassing multi-purpose smoking accessory which combines one or more of the above mentioned devices or accessories into one self-contained device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a smoking accessory which includes one or more of a lighter for lighting a smokable substance, a grater for breaking apart the smokable substance in to smaller pieces, a smoking device for smoking the substance, and a container for depositing an amount of the smokable substance and holding it therein until needed. The smoking accessory may also include other devices or components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated of the best mode in which Applicant contemplates applying the principles, is set forth in the following description and is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a front side perspective view of a smoking accessory of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear side perspective view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a similar view thereof, showing a pipe and a container being removed from a housing of the smoking accessory;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 showing a grater pivoting outwardly from the housing;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view of the smoking accessory.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One exemplary embodiment of the smoking accessory of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-11 and indicated generally at 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, smoking accessory 1 extends from a top portion 3 to a bottom portion 5 and includes a front side 7, a back side 9, a left side 8, and a right side 10. Smoking accessory 1 is generally comprised of a main housing 11 which includes a lighter section 13 joined to a compartment section 15. As shown in FIG. 5, lighter section 13 is joined to compartment section 15 by a divider wall 21 extending from a back wall 17 to a front wall 19. Lighter section 13 includes an exterior lighter wall 23, an interior lighter wall 25, and a top lighter wall 26. Likewise, compartment section 15 includes an exterior compartment wall 27, an interior compartment wall 29, and a top compartment wall 31.

As shown in FIG. 3, compartment section 15 is separated into a pipe compartment 33 and a container compartment 35 by way of a divider wall 37 extending between interior compartment wall 29, exterior compartment wall 27, and top compartment wall 31. Pipe compartment 33 is sized to removably receive a pipe 39 therein. Similarly, container compartment 35 is sized to removably receive a container 41 therein. As shown in FIG. 4, pipe 39 and container 41 are sized to slidably move within of pipe compartment 33 and container compartment 35, respectively, as the user desires in the directions of Arrows A. Container 41 is sized to hold any user desired substance therein. However, in the preferred embodiment of smoking accessory 1, container 41 is intended to hold a smokable substance 43. Likewise, container 41 may exist in any common container-like configuration, however, in the preferred embodiment, container 41 includes a lid 45 for releasably sealing container 41 as desired. Other embodiments of the present invention may not include a container-like element and may simply use container compartment 35 as a means for holding smokable substance 43 within smoking accessory 1. Pursuant to this, container compartment 35 may be formed in any shape to complementarily receive a container formed in any desired shape. Likewise, pipe compartment 33 may be formed in any shape to complementarily receive a pipe or smoking device formed in any desired shape.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 10, lighter section 13 is formed to hold a common, off-the-shelf lighter 47 (FIG. 10) therein. Exterior lighter wall 23, interior lighter wall 25, top lighter wall 26, back wall 17 and front wall 19 connect to form a lighter compartment 49 (FIG. 10) for receiving lighter 47 therein. In the preferred embodiment, a flicker aperture 51 is defined by lighter section 13 for allowing a flicker 53 of lighter 47 to extend therethrough for actuation by the user. Similarly, top lighter wall 26 defines a flame aperture 55 for allowing the flame of lighter 47 to extend therethrough and be utilized by the user. Inasmuch as lighter 47 is an off-the-shelf component, all of the internal mechanisms for producing and maintain the flame are commonly known in the art, and therefore not described herein. In the preferred embodiment of smoking accessory 1, flicker 53 is pressed down and released in the directions Arrow D to ignite and extinguish the flame, respectively. Lighter compartment 49 may be formed in any shape to complementarily receive a lighter formed in any desired shape. Further, it is a main feature of the present invention that lighter 47 may be removed from smoking accessory 1 and replaced. Alternatively, lighter 47 may also be refilled with flammable material while remaining in lighter compartment 49.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1, 5, and 9, smoking accessory 1 includes a grinder 57 disposed generally in a grinder compartment 58 between lighter section 13 and compartment section 15 in a retracted position (FIG. 1). In this embodiment of grinder 57, this particular placement within smoking accessory 1 provides protection to this relatively thin and bendable element. While grinder 57 may be disposed or secured to main housing 11 in any orientation or placement with respect to main housing 11, disposing grinder 57 intermediate lighter section 13 and compartment section 15 provides a secure and safe resting place when grinder 57 is in the closed position.

In the embodiment of grinder 57 shown in FIG. 5, grinder 57 extends from a first end 59 to a second end 61 in a generally flat planer sheet or grinder plate, whereby a plurality of grinder holes 63 are defined. A pivot aperture 65 is defined proximate first end 59, and sized to receive a non-threaded section 67 of a bolt 69. In the preferred embodiment, bolt 69 further includes a threaded portion 71 sized to engage a channel 73 defined by a bushing 72 and extending through container compartment 35 and align bolt 69 with pivot aperture 65. Thus, grinder 57 may rotate about non-threaded section 67 of bolt 69 from a closed position, as shown in FIG. 5, to an open position in the direction of Arrow C, as shown in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 8, a pair of washers 75 may also be aligned with pivot aperture 65 to buffer grinder 57 between lighter section 13 and compartment section 15, and to provide a pair of surfaces having a lower friction for grinder 57 to rotate against. As such, bolt 69 may extend through washers 75 and grinder 57. As shown in FIG. 5, grinder 57 includes a tab 78 which extends outwardly away from main housing 11 when grinder 57 is in the closed position. Tab 78 allows the user to grasp grinder 57 and pull outwardly to rotate grinder 57 from the closed position to the open position.

As shown in FIGS. 3-6, smoking accessory 1 includes a bottom cap 80 disposed proximate bottom portion 5. Bottom cap 80 extends from a hinged end 82 to a free end 84. Hinged end 82 is secured to front wall 19 by way of a hinge 86 which facilitates moving bottom cap 80 from a closed position, as shown in FIG. 3, to an open position in the direction of Arrow B, as shown in FIG. 4. Bottom cap 80 includes a cap wall 88 sized to seal and enclose container compartment 35, pipe compartment 39, and lighter compartment 49 when bottom cap 80 is in the closed position. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a clip 90 extends from cap wall 88 proximate free end 84 and includes a latch tab 92 and a release wall 91. Latch tab 92 is sized to frictionally engage a latch aperture 94 defined by back wall 17 to hold bottom cap 80 in the closed position as desired. Release wall 91 extends outwardly away from back wall 17 when bottom cap 80 is in the closed position to allow a user to manually actuate release wall 91 to overcome the frictional engagement between latch tab 92 and latch aperture 94, thus releasing bottom cap 80 to move to the open position. While a frictional engagement between clip 90 and back wall 17 is shown in the preferred embodiment, any style of providing a locking engagement between bottom cap 80 and bottom portion 5 of smoking accessory 1 is within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, a magnetic latch or any other style of locking engagement is within the scope of the present invention.

In operation, a user must first prepare smoking accessory 1 for everyday use. Pursuant to this, smoking accessory 1 may be purchased with lighter 47, container 41, and/or pipe 39 supplied by the manufacturer or reseller of smoking accessory 1. Alternatively, any one or all of aforementioned elements may be supplied by the user as desired. Thereafter, the user fills container 41 with any desired smokable substance 43. As shown in FIG. 4, smokable substance 43 is intended to reside within a container 41 primarily with lid 45 in the closed position. Once container 41 is prepared with smokable substance 43, bottom cap 80 is moved to the open position in the direction of Arrow B so that container 41 may be received in container compartment 35 in the direction opposite of Arrow A (FIG. 4). Likewise, pipe 39 is received in pipe compartment 33 in the direction opposite Arrow A (FIG. 4). With reference to FIG. 3, smoking accessory 1 is shown with container 41 fully received within container compartment 35 and pipe 39 fully received in pipe compartment 33. Thereafter, the user may move bottom cap 80 to the closed position with cap wall 88 sealing container compartment 35 and pipe compartment 33. Thus, the configuration shown in FIG. 3 may be referred to as the portable configuration of smoking accessory 1 as the main components are fully contained within main housing 11 for easy portability as smoking accessory 1 operates as a one-piece unit.

Hereinafter, a method of smoking a substance using smoking accessory 1 is now described in greater detail. When the user desires to smoke smokable substance 43, bottom cap 80 is moved from the closed position to the open position by way of clip 90. The user uses a thumb or finger to actuate release wall 91, thus overcoming the frictional engagement between latch tab 92 and latch aperture 94 and allowing bottom cap 80 to move from the closed position to the open position in the direction of Arrow B (FIG. 4). Thereafter, pipe 39 and container 41 are free to be removed from pipe compartment 33 and container compartment 35, respectively, in the direction of Arrow A (FIG. 4). Once container 41 has been removed from container compartment 35, the user opens lid 45 to remove a portion of smokable substance 43. Typically smokable substance 43 may be in a compacted form. As such, many users find that smokable substance 43 in this state provides an easier, fuller, and longer lasting burn if smokable substance 43 is ground down into a finer granulated form. Thus, as discussed previously, smoking accessory 1 provides a grinder 57 for use in such situations. As shown in FIG. 5, grinder 57 is retracted in the closed position when not in use. As desired, grinder 57 may be rotated in the direction of Arrow C (FIG. 9) to fully expose grinder holes 63 to the user. To provide a simple and easy mechanism for exposing grinder 57, bolt 69 is extended through pivot aperture 65 defined by grinder 57 to allow an easy pivoting motion and to simplify mechanical construction. Once grinder 57 is moved to the open position, grinder holes 63 may be used to grate smokable substance 43 into a finer granulated form (not shown). Once the user is satisfied that smokable substance 43 is ground down to the desired size, grinder 57 is moved in the direction opposite of Arrow C to retract grinder 57 back into the closed position, as shown in FIG. 5. The user then closes lid 45 on container 41 and places container 41 back into container compartment 35 for storage and future use.

With smokable substance 43 in a finely granulated form, smokable substance 43 is thereby prepared for smoking. The user then removes pipe 39 from pipe compartment 33 and fills pipe 39 with the granulated smokable substance 43. Once pipe 39 is fully packed with smokable substance 43, the user then grasps smoking accessory 1 to manually flick flicker 53. As commonly known in the art, manually flicking flicker 53 ignites a flame which extends through flame aperture 55 to provide a flame for igniting smokable substance 43 within pipe 39. After, the user then smokes the granulated smokable substance 43 by way of pipe 39 as desired.

When the user is finished smoking granulated smokable substance 43 by way of pipe 39, pipe 39 is then placed within pipe compartment 33 and bottom cap 80 is moved from the open position to the closed position to thereby seal container 41 and pipe 39 within container compartment 35 and pipe compartment 33, respectively. The user may then place smoking accessory 1 in a pocket or another form of storage in this convenient portable configuration, with all of the required elements for smoking smokable substance 43 contained therein.

It will be noted that the steps performed in the above-described method may be rearranged as desired by the user. For example, the user may desire to grind the entire amount of smokable substance 43 into a more granulated form by way of grinder 57 before placing any of the smokable substance 43 within container 41. The user may then skip the step of grinding smokable substance 43 each time the user wishes to fill pipe 39 as the entire amount of smokable substance 43 within container 41 is already pre-ground to a more finely granulated form. Thus, the user may then potentially even extend pipe 39 into container 41 to pack pipe 39 with the granulated smokable substance 43.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a main housing;

a lighter disposed in the main housing; and

a grinder connected to the main housing.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a lighter section defined by the main housing; and

wherein the lighter is disposed in the lighter section.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a compartment section defined by the main housing.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

a bolt;

whereby the bolt secures the grinder to the main housing.

5. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

a pipe; and

a pipe compartment defined by the compartment section and sized to removably receive the pipe therein.

6. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

a container; and

a container compartment defined by the compartment section and sized to removably receive the container therein.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising:

a pipe; and

a pipe compartment defined by the compartment section and sized to removably receive the pipe therein.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising:

a bottom cap; and

wherein the bottom cap is movable between an open position and a closed position.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the bottom cap abuts the container section and the lighter section when the bottom cap is in the closed position.

10. A device comprising:

a main housing;

a lighter section defined by the main housing and adapted to receive a lighter therein;

a container section defined by the main housing and adapted to receive one of a container and a pipe therein;

a grinder movable between an open position and a closed position, whereby the grinder is disposed between the lighter section and the container section when in the closed position.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising:

a bolt; and

whereby the bolt extends between the lighter section and the container section to secure the grinder to the main housing.

12. The device of claim 11, whereby the grinder includes a grinder plate and a plurality of grinder holes defined by the grinder plate.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a bottom cap;

whereby the bottom cap is movable between and open position and a closed position; and

whereby the container section is sealed by way of the bottom cap when the bottom cap is in the closed position.

14. The device of claim 13, whereby the grinder plate includes a tab, and whereby the tab extends outwardly away from the main housing when the grinder is in the closed position.

15. The device of claim 14, further including a back wall partially defining the lighter section and the compartment section.

16. A method of smoking a substance using a smoking accessory, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a main housing;

grinding the substance by way of a grinder secured to the main housing;

removing a pipe from the main housing and filling the pipe with the ground substance; and

lighting the pipe by way of a lighter disposed in the main housing.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of moving the grinder from a closed position to an open position, whereby the grinder is disposed proximate the lighter in the closed position.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of storing the substance within a container compartment of the main housing.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of storing the pipe within a pipe compartment of the main housing.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of moving a bottom cap from an open position to a closed position to seal the container compartment.