INLINE HOOKAH FILTER

Abstract

An inline hookah filter constructed to fit between the hookah outlet and hookah hose, and to filter undesired impurities, such as water, soot, ash, tar, and some toxic chemicals out of the smoke in a standard hookah, or other water pipe. The inline hookah filter is a cylindrical shape, formed with tapered tip and female tapered seal on opposing ends, constructed to accommodate all standard hookah fittings and create airtight seals between the hookah and the inline fitter and between the inline filter and hose with the use specially designed seals and coatings.

Description

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of provisional application No. 61/603,357, filed on Feb. 26, 2012

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to water pipe smoking systems and accessories. The present invention is more particularly, though not exclusively, to an inline filtration system for a water pipe designed to cool the smoke and filter impurities prior to inhalation by the user.

Smoking tobacco dates back thousands of years. From the ancient Mayans to the Middle East to Native Americans, there have been pipes, rolled tobacco “cigarettes.” and countless implements fashioned to inhale the smoke from burning tobacco leaves. The hookah, first emerged in India and Pakistan a thousand years ago and has been reinvented many times through its history. A hookah is a water pipe that was originally adapted to smoke opium and hashish, but has undergone several transformations and most commonly used to smoke many kinds of tobacco today. Smoking hookah has gained popularity, spreading from its native region in India and the Middle East throughout the rest of the world in Europe, and North and South America.

A hookah, also known as a water pipe, narghile, or shisha, is a single or multi-stemmed instrument for smoking flavored tobacco in which the smoke is passed through a water basin (often a glass “base”) before inhalation. The user holds a hose with a mouthpiece that constitutes the end of the system. The user places the mouthpiece to his or her mouth and draws on the mouthpiece creating a pressure differential that pulls smoke through the entire system. The tobacco is packed into a bowl at the top of the system and topped with a screen and hot coals that heat and burn the tobacco. The bowl is formed with holes in the bottom, through which smoke from the burning tobacco flows. The smoke passes through the hookah's stem, into the base, and bubbles through the water in the bottom of the base, out a port in the base, through a hose and ultimately into the smoker's mouth and lungs.

As with any burning tobacco or other such smoking paraphernalia, the smoke emerges from the flames or smoldering tobaccos at high temperatures. Many smoking implements such as cigars, cigarillos, and some cigarettes are dried, rolled tobacco wrapped only in tobacco leaves or paper with no provisions for cooling the smoke as it enters the user's mouth. This presents an uncomfortable situation to many smokers. The water in the bowl of a water pipe, or hookah, on the other hand, serves a primary purpose to cool the smoke; much in the same way the filter on most cigarettes cools and filters the tobacco smoke as it is burned. The water also serves a minimal secondary purpose to fitter and purify the smoke.

While the water in the bowl of the hookah does much to cool the smoke that passes through it, the water does little to actually filter the smoke. As a result, the smoke from the tobacco that passes through the system carries with it the smoke from the coals, in addition to the ash, soot, tar, and toxic chemicals (such as nicotine and carbon monoxide) that are released from the burning tobacco. All of these freely pass through the hookah's plumbing, bubble through the water, directly into the user's mouth and lungs, adversely affecting the user's health over time.

Currently, there are a number of inline systems available that are adapted for filtering the smoke after bubbling through the water into the hose. Some systems use a cotton or carbon filter element to cool and filter the smoke as it passes through the system, but are largely ineffective as they often alter the flavor of the smoke that passes or do little to actually filter the smoke. Other systems have employed a silica gel system in place of the carbon or cotton, but these filters increase the backpressure on the hose, requiring the user to draw harder on the mouthpiece. Further, as most systems include hoses and fittings of a fixed or single circumference, many existing systems do not create a tight enough seal between the hookah port outlet and the filter, or between the filter and the hose fitting, resulting in air leaks as the user draws on the mouthpiece or complete disconnect of the hose from the hookah port due to the loose coupling.

There is therefore a need for an effective, compact, versatile, tightly fitting, and inexpensive method for filtering and cooling the smoke as it passes through the hose to the user.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is an effective, versatile, and inexpensive answer to water pipe filtration needs, addressed by an inline hookah filter formed to fit any common hookah stem and hose combination, fitting securely between the hookah port and the male fitting on the end of the hookah hose, and providing filtration and additional smoke cooling prior to the smoke exiting the system.

The inline hookah filter of the present invention is formed in a conical or cylindrical shape with a tapered tip for adaptation to a hookah port, a female receiver with a rubber or similarly constructed seal tapered to receive the male fitting of a hookah hose, and a filter element contained within the cylindrical filter body, between the tapered tip and the female tapered seal. The tapered, cylindrical nature of the tip of the inline hookah filter is coated with a textured urethane rubber coating, or similar substrate, providing an airtight friction seal when pressed into place and coupled to a hookah port. The filter element of the inline Hookah Filter may be composed of a air-permeable membrane, such as cellulose acetate or a similar compound known to those skilled in the art, providing superior filtration and cooling properties than a similar product with a cotton, charcoal, or even silica gel filter element.

The user inserts the male end of the hookah hose into the receiving end of the inline, hookah filter, coupling the male hose fitting with the female tapered seal providing a tight friction coupling between the male end of the hose and the female end of the inline hookah filter.

As the user draws a breath through the hookah hose, smoke is pulled through the system, cooled as it bubbles through the water, and funneled through the inline hookah filter, which prevents water and impurities, such as ash, soot, tar, and toxic chemicals, from reaching the hookah hose and ultimately the user's lungs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side view of a typical hookah system with the present invention installed between the hookah port and the hookah hose, and further depicting the movement of smoke from burning tobacco, down the hookah stem, through a volume of water in the hookah base, through the port, through the inline hookah filter, into the hookah hose and out the mouthpiece to a user.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the hookah filter, viewed from the inlet, or tapered tip, of the inline hookah filter, and showing the area covered by the urethane coating.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the top or outlet of the inline hookah filter, depicting the position and the interaction of the female tapered seal with the male hose fitting of the hookah hose, and the interaction of the tapered tip of the inline hookah filter with the port in the base of a hookah.

FIG. 4 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention, depicting the inline hookah filter's tapered, conical shape and the urethane coating on the tapered tip.

FIG. 5 is a side cross sectional view of one preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a cross section of the inline hookah filter, positioning of the filter element, the tapered shape of both the tapered tip and the female tapered seal, and the connection surfaces where the filter body and filter cap meet.

FIG. 6 is a top view, looking into the outlet of the inline hookah filter, showing an interior view of the female tapered seal, and the star-shape of the internal screen of the filter cap that maintains filter element position.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view, looking into the tapered tip of the inline hookah filter, showing the perforated opening, and the relative size of the tip to the rest of the inline hookah filter body.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the of one embodiment of the present invention, showing the female tapered seal, the filter cap, the filter element, and the filter body with the tapered tip.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention incorporates a filter apparatus for cooling and filtering the smoke produced by burning tobacco in a hookah or water pipe. A hookah may be formed in many variations, some more ornate than others. Often a hookah will have a manifold with multiple ports, serving multiple hoses, such that multiple users may smoke the hookah simultaneously. For simplicity, the hookah described herein is one designed for a single user and a single inline hookah filter, however that should not be viewed by those skilled in the art as a limiting aspect of the present invention. The present invention may be employed on as many hoses as formed on a given hookah.

Referring to FIG. 1, a simple, single port hookah is generally labeled 100. The hookah itself has a bowl 102, hookah stem 104, and a base 106. The stem 104 and base 106 connect at the top, and bowl 102 is affixed thereto. A hookah base is typically made from translucent or transparent glass, but the base may be constructed from many other substances known in the art, such as composites, plastics, or metal. The base 106 described herein is formed with a single port 108, into which the male hose fitting 110 is ordinarily fit. However, as shown in FIG. 1, the inline hookah filter 200 of the present invention is interposed between port 108 and the male fitting of the hookah, hose 110.

In order to utilize the hookah to smoke tobacco, or specially flavored shisha, the user will pack tobacco 112 (shown in dashed view) in the bowl 102 and cover the top of the bowl with a screen (not pictured) and coals 116. The coals 116 are heated to the point of burning, and as coals 116 smolder, the coals 116 transfer heat across the screen (not shown) and burn the tobacco 112.

Once the tobacco 112 begins to smolder and emit smoke, the user places the mouthpiece 118 to his or her mouth and draws a breath through mouthpiece 118. This action creates vacuum pressure within hookah hose 120, port 108, and base 106. The vacuum pressure draws smoke 122 from the smoldering tobacco 112, through holes (not shown) formed in the bottom of bowl 102, through hookah stem 104 that extends into the water 124 in base 106. As the smoke 122 arrives at the bottom of the hookah stem 104, it bubbles through water 124. The bubbles induce heat transfer, and smoke 122 loses heat to the 5 surrounding water 124. The now cooled smoke 126 is collected within the base 106 and moves out port 108. As the user continues to inhale from the mouthpiece 118, the cooled smoke 126 flows from the base 106 through hookah port 108, through the inline hookah filter 200, into hose 120, and out mouthpiece 118 into the user's mouth and lungs.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the inline hookah titter 200 is interposed between the hookah port 108 and the male hose fitting 110. In use, the inline hookah filter 200 accepts ail of the cooled smoke 126 passing through the hookah's plumbing, filtering water and other undesired impurities from the smoke 15 and further cooling the cooled smoke 126, before the reaching the mouthpiece 118 and the user at the end of the system. The inline hookah filter 200, and more specifically the inner filter element 206 (in FIG. 2F shown in dashed view) traps the undesired impurities such as soot, ash, tar, and toxic chemicals, that may pass through the water 124, and 20 prevent such things from reaching the user's lungs.

Referring to FIG. 2, the inline hookah filter, generally labeled 200, is depicted in perspective from the bottom, or tapered tip 210, looking up. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is formed with a filter body 202, filter cap 204, filter element 206, and a female tapered seal 208. Filter element 206 and female tapered seal 208 are shown in FIG. 3. Filter body 202 is formed with a tapered tip 210 having a perforated opening 212 and rigid and nontoxic coating 214, such as urethane rubber or similar coating known to those skilled in the art. Filter body 202 and filter cap 204 are joined at connection surfaces 222A-B.

Tapered tip 210 is formed with a tapered shape similar to that of a 10 common male hose fitting 110 allowing secure fit to most hookah ports 108 of hookahs 100 in the market. Perforated opening 212 provides structural support to the opening of filter body 202 simultaneously allowing cooled smoke 126 to pass while preventing large impurities and water from entering inline hookah filter 200 and hookah hose 120. When 15 the inline hookah filter 200 is inserted into port 108, coating 214 enables a secure, airtight seal between the inline hookah filter 200 and port 108. Often the male hose fitting 110 of an ordinary hookah 100 is wooden or plastic while the hookah port 108 or manifold is glass or metal. As such, the seal provided between the male hose fitting 110 and the hookah port 108 is often poor, allowing air to flow around the coupling or worse, allowing the male hose fitting 110 to work loose and fall completely out of the port 108. In an effort to remedy this situation, a user may insert a separate piece of rubber, or fabric between male hose fitting 110 and port 108 in order to affect an airtight coupling. Coating 214 on the tapered tip 210 of filter body 202 provides such a solution, eliminating the need for the extra parts while providing an airtight coupling, it is to be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that other coatings besides a urethane rubber coating, as in this embodiment of the present invention, may be utilized to achieve the same ends. Urethane rubber in this sense is not intended to be a limiting aspect of the present invention.

In one alternative embodiment, the filter body 202 is not coated with such a 10 coating 214, but the entire filter body 202 is constructed of a rigid compound providing the similar characteristics.

Referring to FIG. 3, the inline hookah filter 200 is depicted in perspective from the filter cap 204, looking down. Filter cap 204 is formed roughly as a cylinder, with a conical interior shape into which or female tapered seal 208 is fixed. Female tapered seal 208 is formed with ridges 216 extending, laterally around the interior perimeter. Ridges 218 are formed in progressively smaller diameters, moving toward the center of inline hookah filter 200.

In use, the male hookah fitting 110 is moved in direction 218 and 20 inserted into the female tapered seal 208, and the progressively smaller ridges 216 of female tapered seal 208, form a secure, friction-seal around the mate hookah fitting 110 of the hookah hose 120 when firmly pressed in place. Likewise, tapered tip 210 of the inline hookah filter 200 is moved in direction 219 to couple with the hookah port 108, where coating 214, provides a mechanism to create a similar airtight seal with port 108. This construction ensures ail cooled smoke 128 passes through the inline hookah filter 200, and more specifically, filter element 206, in use Filter element 206 (shown in phantom) is contained within filter body 202, and is sized slightly larger than the interior dimensions of filter body 202, ensuring a tight fit. This also prevents the filter element 206 from moving around within the filter body 202.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-5, the preferred embodiment of the inline hookah filter 200 is shown from a side view-FIG. 4 is a view from the outside of the present invention, while FIG. 5 is a cross section of the same. FIG. 4 depicts the relative size of the filter body 202 and the filter cap 204, showing the tapered tip 210 and coating 214. FIG. 5 more clearly shows the positioning of filter element 206 and its relative position within filter body 202. Filter element 206 is held in place by filter cap 204 and, more specifically, the internal screen 220 formed into filter cap 204. Internal screen 220 prevents filter element 206 movement, while simultaneously allowing the cooled smoke 128 to pass and further aiding the prevention of water intrusion into the hookah hose 120.

FIG. 5 further depicts ridges 216 of female tapered seal 208. The five levels of tapering of ridges 216A-216E are shown for illustrative purposes. These should not be viewed as limiting, as those skilled in the art are to appreciate that a different number of ridges 216 and more or less tapering may be appropriate for a given embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the inline hookah filter 200 looking into the filter cap 204 and the female tapered seal 208. This aspect clearly shows the concentric relationship between the female tapered seal 208 and the internal screen 220. Further, the decreasing dimensions of ridges 216A-E of the interior diameter of female tapered seal 208 are apparent. As a male hose fitting 110 is inserted into the female tapered seal 208, the rubber of the ridges 216 of female tapered seal 208 stretches slightly, and as the rubber of the ridges 216 contracts, the ridges 216 form an airtight seal around the male hose fitting 110.

FIG. 7 is a view from the tapered lip 210 of the filter body 202, showing a plan view of the perforated opening 212 of the tapered tip 210. Perforated opening 212 is designed to allow smoke to pass while preventing water intrusion to the filter element 206.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the inline hookah litter 200, illustrating four, major parts: filter body 202, filter cap 204, filter element 206, and female tapered seal 208. The filter body 202 contains the filter element 206. In the preferred embodiment, the filter element 206 is slightly larger than the cavity within filter body 202, creating a tight fit and preventing filter element 206 from moving or sliding into the tapered tip. The filter cap 204 is further secured to the filter body and the internal screen 220 further maintains fitter element 206 position.

Filter cap 204 is formed with a connection surface 222A that has a complementary connection surface 222B on filter body 202. When constructed, filter element 206 is inserted within filter body 202, and filter cap 204 is fit securely in place by use of an adhesive or other appropriate substance known to those skilled in the art, to permanently couple the filter body 202 and filter cap 204 where the two portions meet at connection surface 222A-222B. The preferred embodiment of the present invention affects a permanent bond at connection surface 222A-222B.

Filter cap 204 is further formed with internal ridges 224, running along the longitudinal axis of the interior filter cap 204, as shown in FIG. 8. Corresponding external ridges 226 are formed onto the exterior of female tapered seal 208, orthogonal to ridges 216 on the interior or female tapered seal 208. When assembled, internal ridges 224 of filter cap 204 receive external ridges 226 on female tapered seal 208, maintaining the position of female tapered seal 208 within filter cap 204. Just as the interior surface of female tapered seal 208 maintains an airtight coupling with male hose fitting 110, the exterior diameter of female tapered seal 208 is sized in order to maintain an airtight seal with the interior surface of filter cap 204.

An alternate embodiment of the present invention incorporates filter body 202 and filter cap 204 with connection surfaces 222A-222B that are not permanent-!n an embodiment, connection surface 222A incorporates external threads that are complementary to internal threads formed on connection surface 222B. This embodiment allows a user to twist the filter body 202 away from the filter cap 204 and separate the two parts. In another embodiment, connection surface 222A is formed with a groove on the interior perimeter while connection surface 222B is formed with a complementary ridge formed on the external perimeter, allowing the user to “snap” the filter body 202 and filter cap 204 apart and then back together. In these embodiments, a user can disconnect 15 filter body 202 from filter cap 204 allowing the user to remove a used filter element 206 and replace it with a new filter element 206, and subsequently reattach the two halves.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the filter body 202 and filter cap 204 are constructed from a composite or plastic, enabling the 20 manufacturer to quickly and inexpensively mold the individual parts of the inline hookah filter 200. In another embodiment, the filter body 202 and filter cap 204 can be constructed, of a more rugged material such as a metal or alloy and incorporate the threaded or snap connection surfaces 222A-B, creating a sturdier and more lasting embodiment of the invention.

While the apparatus and method have been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Thus, it is intended that the present description cover the modifications and variations of the apparatus and method provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An improved hookah comprising:

a base having a port adapted to receive a hose;

a stem in fluid communication with the base;

a bowl in fluid communication with the stem; and

a filter removably disposed in the port wherein the filter comprises a filter body, filter cap, filter element, a female tapered seal adapted to receive the hose, and a tapered tip adapted to engage the port, said tapered tip and female tapered seal comprising a resilient non-toxic coating for hermetically sealing the hose to the base.

2. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the tapered tip comprises a male hose fitting.

3. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the perforated opening is gas permeable and solid impermeable.

4. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the perforated opening is water impermeable.

5. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the coating is made of urethane rubber or a material having resilient material characteristics similar to urethane rubber.

6. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the filter is cylindrical in plan view.

7. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the filter is conical in profile view.

8. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the filter element is larger in circumference than the filter body to ensure a tight fit.

9. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the filter element is held in place by the filter cap.

10. The hookah of claim 1 further comprising an internal screen formed into the filter cap.

11. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the female tapered seal comprises ridges adapted to stretch and contract when engaging a male hose fitting.

12. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the tapered tip comprises perforations.

13. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the filter cap is affixed to the filter body with an adhesive.

14. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the filter cap comprises longitudinal ridges.

15. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the filter body and filter cap comprise complimentary internal threads.

16. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the filter body and filter cap comprise a snap fitting.

17. The hookah of claim 1 wherein the filter body and filter cap are made from a material chosen from the list of plastic, plastic composite, metal and metal alloy.