COCOA FIBER SMOKING STICK

Abstract

A smoking device comprises smokable rod paper containing a plurality of cocoa fibers, the cocoa fibers comprising cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers. The smoking device may further comprise a filter affixed to one end of the rod paper. The cocoa fibers may comprise a first smokable material, and the smoking device may further comprise a second smokable material intermixed with the first smokable material and contained within the rod paper. The second smokable material may comprise tobacco. The cocoa fibers may be coated with an additive. The additive may comprise a flavoring. The additive may comprise cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol. The cocoa fibers may comprise cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers each having a width of 0.003-0.050 inches.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to pending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/796,793, filed Jan. 25, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to smoking devices, and more specifically for smoking devices containing a non-conventional smokable material.

BACKGROUND

Smoking sticks, such as cigarettes, typically comprise a smokable material contained within smokable rod paper. While the most common smokable material contained in smoking sticks is tobacco, there are many other materials that are known to be smoked in a smoking stick.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

A smoking device comprises smokable rod paper containing a plurality of cocoa fibers, the cocoa fibers comprising cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers. The smoking device may further comprise a filter affixed to one end of the rod paper. The cocoa fibers may comprise a first smokable material, and the smoking device may further comprise a second smokable material intermixed with the first smokable material and contained within the rod paper. The second smokable material may comprise tobacco. The cocoa fibers may be coated with an additive. The additive may comprise a flavoring. The additive may comprise cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol. The cocoa fibers may comprise cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers each having a width of 0.003-0.050 inches.

Alternative embodiments of the invention may comprise a smokable material comprising a plurality of cocoa fibers, the cocoa fibers comprising cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. The following detailed description of the disclosure will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. It should be understood, however, that the disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a cocoa fiber smoking stick, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “lower,” “bottom,” “upper,” and “top” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly,” “outwardly,” “upwardly” and “downwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the device, and designated parts thereof, in accordance with the present disclosure. Unless specifically set forth herein, the terms “a,” “an” and “the” are not limited to one element, but instead should be read as meaning “at least one.” The terminology includes the words noted above, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to smoking sticks containing cocoa fiber (i.e., cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers, as described herein) in any smokable rod paper, smokable material containing cocoa fiber, methods of manufacturing or processing such cocoa fibers, and methods of manufacturing smoking sticks containing cocoa fibers. Referring now to FIG. 1, a smoking stick 10 comprises conventional cigarette rod paper 12 (or any other suitable smokable rod paper) forming a cylindrical shell into which a plurality of cocoa fibers 14 is placed. A filter 16 may or may not be affixed to one end of the cigarette rod paper 12. While FIG. 1 shows the cocoa fibers 14 as fairly loosely packed, linear, generally unaligned fibers, the cocoa fibers in manufactured embodiments of the invention likely would not be as linear, would be more densely packed, and would be better aligned when in place within the cigarette rod paper 12.

The cocoa fibers 14 are produced from cocoa paper, which in turn is produced from cocoa bean byproducts. The cocoa paper is manufactured by Leaf Lab, a subsidiary of SWM International. Specifications for the cocoa paper are in the Appendix of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/796,793, filed Jan. 25, 2019, to which the present application claims priority and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The cocoa paper from which the cocoa fibers are produced and methods of manufacturing the cocoa paper are described in US Patent Publ. No. 2017/0174404 by Ragot et al., published Jun. 22, 2017, and US Patent Publ. No. 2015/0037389 to Ragot et al., published Feb. 5, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The cocoa fibers 14 are produced by cutting the cocoa paper into elongated fibers which are of a suitable size to be packaged in cigarette rod paper and be smokable when so packaged. The cocoa paper is cut into fibers that have a width of about 0.003-0.050 inches. The length of the fibers is not as important, and there is not a strict upper or lower limit to the fiber length, but the length of the fibers will typically (but not necessarily) be in the range of about 0.25-4.0 inches. The cocoa paper has a thickness of about 0.003-0.020 inches, so the resultant fibers will also have that same thickness. The cocoa paper may be cut up into the desired size cocoa fibers using any suitable method or machine.

The smoking sticks of embodiments of the invention may contain 100% cocoa fibers in the cigarette rod paper. Alternatively, a mix of cocoa fibers and other smokable materials may be used. For example, a mix of cocoa fibers and tobacco may be used to provide a smoking stick with reduced nicotine as compared to conventional tobacco cigarettes. Such a mix may be, for example, 90% tobacco and 10% cocoa fibers (by weight or volume), 70% tobacco and 30% cocoa fibers, or any other suitable ratio. The nicotine is reduced in proportion to the amount of tobacco that has been replaced with cocoa fibers. Any other suitable smokable substance, instead of or in addition to tobacco, may be mixed in any desired ratio with the cocoa fibers of embodiments of the invention.

For example, a variety of hemp products and/or a variety of marijuana products may be mixed with the cocoa fibers of embodiments of the invention, in any suitable ratio(s). Such hemp products may include, but are not limited to, hemp biomass, hemp flowers, hemp leaves, hemp buds, and/or hemp stalks. Such marijuana products may include, but are not limited to, marijuana biomass, marijuana flowers, marijuana leaves, marijuana buds, and/or marijuana stalks.

Flavorings and other additives (e.g., cannabidiol (“CBD”) or tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”)) may be added to the cocoa fibers before the cocoa fibers are inserted into the rod paper. The amount of additive that a user receives when smoking the cocoa fiber smoking stick may be limited by regulating the amount of additive added to a specific quantity (e.g., pound) of the cocoa fibers. The process of adding flavoring and other additives to the cocoa fibers is the same or similar to the process of adding flavoring to tobacco. Additives may include, but are not limited to, THC and/or CBD isolates, THC and/or CBD terpenes, and/or THC and/or CBD tinctures, in any suitable combinations and/or concentrations.

Embodiments of the invention also include cocoa fibers as described herein provided loose (i.e., not in a smoking stick) for use in pipes or other smoking devices or for users to roll their own smoking sticks.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. A smoking device comprising:

smokable rod paper containing a plurality of cocoa fibers, the cocoa fibers comprising cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers.

2. The smoking device of claim 1, further comprising a filter affixed to one end of the rod paper.

3. The smoking device of claim 1, wherein the cocoa fibers comprise a first smokable material; and

wherein the smoking device further comprises a second smokable material intermixed with the first smokable material and contained within the rod paper.

4. The smoking device of claim 3, wherein the second smokable material comprises tobacco.

5. The smoking device of claim 1, wherein the cocoa fibers are coated with an additive.

6. The smoking device of claim 5, wherein the additive comprises a flavoring.

7. The smoking device of claim 5, wherein the additive comprises cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol.

8. The smoking device of claim 1, wherein the cocoa fibers comprise cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers each having a width of 0.003-0.050 inches.

9. A smokable material comprising:

a plurality of cocoa fibers, the cocoa fibers comprising cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers.

10. The smokable material of claim 9, wherein the cocoa fibers comprise a first smokable material; and

wherein the smokable material further comprises a second smokable material intermixed with the first smokable material.

11. The smokable material of claim 10, wherein the second smokable material comprises tobacco.

12. The smokable material of claim 9, wherein the cocoa fibers are coated with an additive.

13. The smokable material of claim 12, wherein the additive comprises a flavoring.

14. The smokable material of claim 12, wherein the additive comprises cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol.

15. The smokable material of claim 9, wherein the cocoa fibers comprise cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers each having a width of 0.003-0.050 inches.