Electric heating for hookah

Abstract

Electric heat for generating smoke from tobacco or the like in a hookah type smoking pipe. Electric heat is obtained from an electrically powered heating element which may be placed proximate the tobacco. The heating element may be contained within a housing which in turn may be placed above the smoking chamber of the hookah. The housing may have adjustably damped holes disposed to pass air over the heating element. Electrical circuitry serving the heating element may comprise a step down transformer and a voltage adjusting switch. The heating element may be integral with the hookah, may take the form of a separate component which is mountable over the smoking chamber of the hookah, or may comprise a free standing assembly which may be placed to stand adjacent to the hookah.

1 . A hookah type water pipe having an electrical heat source for generating smoke, comprising:
 a hookah comprising a liquid chamber, a smoking chamber for receiving a combustible substance and generating smoke by subjecting the combustible substance to heat, a smoke supply conduit disposed to conduct gasses from the smoking chamber to the liquid chamber, at least one smoking conduit disposed to conduct cooled gasses from the smoking chamber to a person smoking using the hookah type water pipe; and   an electric heater disposed in heat exchange relation to the smoking chamber, comprising an electric supply circuit and an electrical resistive heating element connected to the electric supply circuit, wherein the electric supply circuit is disposed to obtain electrical power at a first voltage and to supply electrical power to the resistive heating element at a second reduced voltage.   
     
     
         2 . The hookah type water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the electric heater is integral with the smoking chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The hookah type water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the electric heater comprises a support element disposed to hold the heating element at a predetermined constant orientation relative to the smoking chamber, and a mounting element disposed to mount the support element and the heating element to the smoking chamber and to enable manual removal of the support element and the heating element from the smoking chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The hookah type water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the hookah is a free standing assembly and the electric heater is a second free standing assembly having a base, a rigid generally vertical post disposed to project upwardly from the base when the base is placed on a generally horizontal supporting environmental surface, and an electrical conductor which projects from the vertical post and extends to the heater so as to conduct electrical power to the heater and to enable the heater to be placed over the smoking chamber while the base of the heater rests on the generally horizontal supporting environmental surface beside the hookah. 
     
     
         5 . The hookah type water pipe of  claim 4 , wherein the electrical conductor projects from the vertical post at a height about equal to that of the smoking chamber, whereby length of the electrical conductor is minimized while enabling operation when the hookah and the electric heater are placed on the same generally horizontal supporting environmental surface. 
     
     
         6 . The hookah type water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the electric supply circuit comprises a voltage adjuster. 
     
     
         7 . The hookah type water pipe of  claim 6 , wherein the voltage adjuster comprises a step down transformer located within the base and a plug and cord assembly connected to the transformer, whereby electrical power at one hundred twenty volts may be obtained from an electrical receptacle, and electrical power at reduced voltage is supplied to the heating element. 
     
     
         8 . The hookah type water pipe of  claim 6 , wherein the voltage adjuster comprises a dimming switch. 
     
     
         9 . The hookah type water pipe of  claim 1 , further comprising a selectively variable damper arrangement disposed to regulate volume of air flow over the heating element. 
     
     
         10 . The hookah type water pipe of  claim 1 , further comprising a heater position adjuster disposed to selectively vary proximity of the heating element from the floor of the smoking chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The hookah type water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the heating element comprises an incandescent light bulb. 
     
     
         12 . The hookah type water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein,
 when the hookah type water pipe is in an operable position resting on a generally horizontal supporting environmental surface, the liquid chamber is the lowermost component and the smoking chamber is located above the liquid chamber in vertical registry therewith;   the hookah type water pipe further comprises a gasket disposed to close the top of the liquid chamber and to pass the smoke supply conduit and each one of the at least one smoking conduit from the liquid chamber to the exterior thereof while sealing the smoking chamber against loss of smoke residing therein; and   the liquid chamber, the gasket, the smoke supply conduit, and the smoking chamber are generally coaxial and disposed in vertical registry with one another, whereby the hookah type water pipe displays conventional configuration of traditional combustion based hookahs.   
     
     
         13 . The hookah type smoking pipe of  claim 12 , further comprising a plate which further comprises a flange radiating outwardly between the smoking chamber and the gasket. 
     
     
         14 . The hookah type smoking pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the smoking conduit comprises a flexible hose. 
     
     
         15 . The hookah type smoking pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the heating element comprises a ceramic heater. 
     
     
         16 . An electric heater for a hookah type smoking pipe having a smoking chamber for receiving a combustible substance and subjecting the combustible substance to heat to generate smoke for smoking, comprising:
 an electrical heating element and an electric supply circuit disposed to conduct electrical power to the electrical heating element;   a heater housing disposed to partially envelop the electrical heating element, having a plurality of holes formed therein and disposed to communicate between the electrical heating element and the exterior of the heater housing, for passing air over the electrical heating element, and an adjustable damper arrangement disposed selectively to vary the area of the plurality of holes and to close the holes; and   a heater support element for holding the heater housing in a predetermined position relative to the smoking chamber wherein heat generated by the electric resistive heating element can impinge upon the combustible substance which has been placed in the smoking chamber.   
     
     
         17 . The electric heater of  claim 16 , wherein the housing has a top wall, and some of the holes are located on the top wall. 
     
     
         18 . The electric heater of  claim 16 , wherein the housing has a side wall, and some of the holes are located on the side wall. 
     
     
         19 . The electric heater of  claim 18 , wherein the housing has a top wall, and some of the holes are located on the top wall. 
     
     
         20 . The electric heater of  claim 16 , wherein the electrical supply circuit comprises a voltage adjuster.