Smoking Instrument Personal Air Filter
As an accessory and in combination to a smoking instrument such as a traditional cigarette, a personal air filter filtering exhale and intermittent smoke emissions, is disclosed. The device is broadly a housing providing a semi-enclosure having a mouthpiece coupled thereto, the mouthpiece including dual check valve technology for an inhale and a reverse exhale function. Separate or multi-directional filters are provided for the exhale function, and also for filtering intermittent emissions occurring between user intakes. The configuration and filter technology herein, seeks to improve air quality in enclosed spaces, additionally further by minimizing or eliminating second hand smoke.
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This patent application claims benefit of the priority date of U.S. Prov. Pat. App. Ser. No. 63/061,330 filed Aug. 5, 2020 entitled “Smoking Instrument Personal Filter.” Accordingly, the entire contents this U.S. provisional patent submission is hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the InventionThe present invention pertains generally to smoking instruments comprising a thin paper cylinder, such as a tobacco cigarette or machine rolled medical cannabis or CBD cigarettes. More specifically, the present invention relates to an exhale and/or ambient filter for such instruments.
Description of the Prior ArtSmoking tobacco or other plant material has notoriously been practiced in numerous cultures for many centuries. Devices for filtering exhaled smoke have also been introduced heretofore. One such early example was proposed by Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,814, entitled “Cigarette Smoke Cleansing and Smoking Device” and was awarded patent protection in 1994. Martin describes a smoking device where a traditional cigarette is smoked through a mouthpiece wherein the same mouthpiece is utilized to exhale therethrough for filtering exhaled smoke. Also notably, the Martin device is an elongated box-like structure that entirely encloses the smoking device.
Importantly, in the last couple decades or so, traditional smoking of tobacco has been banned in places such as bars, casinos and beaches where smoking has traditionally been permitted. Smoking has additionally been banned on airline travel for at least about thirty years where no alternative has been adopted or provided. One challenge to designing a filter solution is that it should completely eliminate smoke emitting from the device as any small smoke emission will be noticeable to people sensitive thereto, especially in an airline flight environment or similar enclosed space or building lacking adequate ventilation.
Recently in addition to traditional cigarettes, cannabidiol (CBD) cigarette delivery has been developed to treat certain ailments such as anxiety and pain disorders, as well as increasing acceptance of cannabis consumption from a machine rolled cigarette, or “pre-roll.” The present invention is intended to be an improvement of the Martin device, also taking advantage of recent advancement in materials and manufacturing technology, such as 3-D printing.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above-mentioned deficiencies, more specifically, the present invention, in a first aspect is a smoking instrument filter assembly presented either with or without the smoking instrument (e.g., traditional cigarette). In a broad sense, the invention is a smoke filter that can filter in two directions separate sources of smoke. The two directions are two distinct filter streams that pass one another within the same housing. The filter is specifically a filter system with different pairs of filters making up the two filter streams. A mouthpiece with check valve technology are also joined to the filter system and housing. The various filter stream channeling provided is also unique to the invention. The channeling increases velocity, breaks up laminar flow with veins and direction changes, and further provides increased travel time and distance in a relatively compact device.
While the apparatus and method has or will be described for the sake of grammatical fluidity with functional explanations, it is to be expressly understood that the claims, unless expressly formulated under 35 USC § 112, or similar applicable law, are not to be construed as necessarily limited in any way by the construction of “means” or “steps” limitations, but are to be accorded the full scope of the meaning and equivalents of the definition provided by the claims under the judicial doctrine of equivalents, and in the case where the claims are expressly formulated under 35 USC § 112 are to be accorded full statutory equivalents under 35 USC § 112, or similar applicable law. The invention can be better visualized by turning now to the following drawings wherein like elements are referenced by like numerals.
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
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As stated herein, filters 43, 44, 45, 47 may comprise screens, HEPA, carbon (e.g. extruded with apertures), felt, (e.g. corrugated or as a wrap), and channeling or baffling (e.g. veins 42). Intermittent filters 43, 44 can be disassembled and washed and/or retreated. Layer(s) of fire-retardant material(s) may be included in invention embodiments. Additionally, with reference to
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The invention in this first aspect is additionally characterized, and as illustrated by
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Yet still further in the second aspect, the invention is charactered in that the filter system 40 further comprises a second filter stream in a direction 92 substantially along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical smoking instrument and the cylindrical lengthwise housing. The second filter stream (
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Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different elements, which are disclosed above even when not initially claimed in such combinations.
While the particular Smoking Instrument Personal Air Filter herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.
Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.
Claims
1. A smoking instrument filter assembly comprising:
- a smoking instrument capable of emitting smoke or vapor;
- a main housing having a longitudinal axis at least partially containing the smoking instrument;
- a filter contained within the main housing, the filter comprising a filter stream in a direction substantially tangential to the main housing longitudinal axis, the filter for filtering potentially harmful pollutants for the smoke or vapor;
- an inlet plenum in fluid communication with the filter, the inlet plenum for gathering and directing smoke to the filter; and
- a vent approximately a top surface of the main housing for exiting said filter stream in the direction substantially tangential to the main housing longitudinal axis.
2. The smoking instrument filter assembly of claim 1, further comprising a mouthpiece, wherein the filter is a first filter and further comprising a second filter, wherein the mouthpiece is in fluid communication with the second filter, also further wherein the filter stream is a first filter stream and further comprising a second filter stream wherein the second filter stream further comprises the mouthpiece and the second filter.
3. A smoking instrument filter assembly comprising:
- a cylindrical smoking instrument capable of emitting smoke or vapor;
- a cylindrical main housing at least partially containing the cylindrical smoking instrument, wherein a portion of the cylindrical smoking instrument remains exposed;
- a mouthpiece coupled to the cylindrical main housing, the mouthpiece in fluid communication with the cylindrical smoking instrument;
- an air filter system in fluid communication with the mouthpiece;
- an intermittent smoke intake system further in fluid communication with the air filter system, the smoking instrument thereby capable of reducing or eliminating second hand smoke.
4. The smoking instrument filter assembly of claim 3, the intermittent smoke intake system comprising:
- an inlet plenum having a funnel configuration including a wide area converging toward a narrow area thereby drawing a volume of air toward the narrow area;
- a vent positioned at the narrow area, the vent in fluid communication with the air filter system, the funnel configuration further comprising a copper diverter plate at an upper portion thereof, the copper diverter plate for funneling smoke and air toward the vent and for providing heat protection to the air filter system, wherein the air filter system further comprises: a filter plenum including a plurality of veins providing turbulence to the volume of air; a first air filter layer contained within the cylindrical main housing for filtering harmful particulate from the volume of air; and a second filter layer juxtaposed to the first filter layer, the first and second filter layers together providing air filtering in a direction substantially tangential to a lengthwise axis of the cylindrical smoking instrument and the cylindrical lengthwise housing.
5. The smoking instrument filter assembly of claim 4, the vent positioned at the narrow area further comprising a venturi nozzle increasing a velocity to the volume of air.
6. The smoking instrument filter assembly of claim 4, the funnel configuration further comprising an A-frame with the vent positioned at the A-frame, the A-frame having a lower portion and the copper diverter plate at the upper portion.
7. The smoking instrument filter assembly of claim 3, further comprising a check valve insert coupled to the mouthpiece, the check valve assembly including an inhale function check valve and an exhale function check valve.
8. The smoking instrument filter assembly of claim 4, further comprising a filter housing containing the air filter system, the filter housing snuggly configured to a top of the cylindrical main housing having a snap-in and a snap-out relationship wherein the first filter layer and the second filter layer can be removed from the from the filter housing and replaced or cleaned.
9. The smoking instrument filter assembly of claim 4, the filter system further comprising:
- a first filter stream in a direction substantially tangential to the lengthwise axis;
- a second filter stream in a direction substantially parallel to the lengthwise axis, the second filter stream further comprising:
- an carbon filter including a plurality of filter channels provided therethrough;
- a duct in fluid communication with the carbon filter for reversing direction of the second filter stream; and
- an elongated tubular HEPA filter in fluid communication with the duct for filtering the second filter stream.
10. A smoking instrument filter assembly comprising:
- a main housing about a longitudinal axis;
- a mouthpiece coupled to the cylindrical main housing;
- a check valve permitting flow in a first direction and diverting air flow in a second reverse direction;
- an air filter system in fluid communication with the mouthpiece;
- an intermittent smoke intake system comprising an inlet plenum further in fluid communication with the air filter system thereby the smoking instrument filter assembly capable of reducing or eliminating second hand smoke.
11. The smoking instrument filter assembly of claim 10 further comprising;
- a cylindrical smoking instrument, wherein the smoking instrument is coupled to the main housing;
- a cylindrical smoking instrument mouthpiece port configured to the main housing for coupling to the smoking instrument; and
- a cut out relief in the main housing, the cut out relief for placing the cylindrical smoking instrument in the cylindrical smoking instrument mouthpiece port.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 2, 2021
Publication Date: Feb 10, 2022
Applicant: Philter Labs Incorporated (Encinitas, CA)
Inventors: John Grimm (Santee, CA), Andrew Lammoureux (Santee, CA), Gianni Grimm (Santee, CA)
Application Number: 17/392,153