Smoking pipe assembly

Abstract

The invention provides a smoking pipe that more effectively distributes heat and allows for user customization and variation in design. The invention provides a smoking pipe having an elongated stem optionally fitted within a sleeve, a pipe bowl having a cylindrical mortise for receiving one end of the stem and sleeve thereby enabling the pipe bowl to be detachably coupled to one end of the stem and sleeve, and a mouthpiece having a cylindrical mortise for receiving the other end of the stem and sleeve thereby enabling the mouthpiece to be detachably coupled to the other end of the stem and sleeve

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cigarette-shaped smoking pipe comprising a stem having a first end and a second end, a pipe bowl detachably coupled to the first stem end, and a mouthpiece detachably coupled to the second stem end, the pipe bowl, stem, and mouthpiece comprising a common central axis. 
     
     
         2 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 (a) the stem comprises a cylindrical body with a hollow interior extending from the first stem end to the second stem end along the body's central axis to form a smoke-conducting passage;   (b) the pipe bowl comprising a chamber adjoining a draft hole that adjoins a first cylindrical mortise configured to fit the first stem end to detachably couple the pipe bowl to the first stem end, the chamber, draft hole and mortise comprising a common central axis; and   (c) the mouthpiece comprising a second cylindrical mortise configured to fit the second stem end to detachably couple the mouthpiece to the second stem end, the second mortise extending to a smoke outlet, the second mortise and smoke outlet comprising a common central axis.   
     
     
         3 . The smoking pipe of  claim 2 , wherein the smoke-conducting passage, the draft hole, and the smoke outlet comprise a substantially similar bore diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The smoking pipe of  claim 3 , wherein the bore diameter is about ⅛ th  inches. 
     
     
         5 . The smoking pipe of  claim 2 , wherein the pipe bowl is detachably coupled to the first stem end through matched threads on an internal surface of the pipe bowl body forming the first cylindrical mortise and on an external portion of the first stem end that is inserted into the cylindrical mortise. 
     
     
         6 . The smoking pipe of  claim 5 , wherein the mouthpiece is detachably coupled to the second stem end through matched threads on an internal surface of the mouthpiece body forming the second cylindrical mortise and on an external portion of the second stem end that is inserted into the second cylindrical mortise. 
     
     
         7 . The smoking pipe of  claim 6 , wherein:
 (a) the pipe bowl further comprises an internal rim angled to the internal surface forming the first cylindrical mortise, the internal pipe bowl rim defining an outward-facing opening that extends from the first cylindrical mortise to the exterior of the pipe bowl, the outward-facing opening of the pipe bowl comprising a bore diameter greater than that of the first cylindrical mortise; and   (b) the mouthpiece further comprises an internal rim angled to the internal surface forming the second cylindrical mortise, the internal mouthpiece rim defining an outward-facing opening that extends from the second cylindrical mortise to the exterior of the mouthpiece, the outward-facing opening of the mouthpiece comprising a bore diameter greater than that of the second cylindrical mortise.   
     
     
         8 . The smoking pipe of  claim 7 , where the pipe bowl comprises a sharp bowl edge. 
     
     
         9 . The smoking pipe of  claim 7 , further comprising a pipe sleeve having a cylindrical body with a first end and a second end wherein:
 (a) the cylindrical body of the pipe sleeve comprises a hollow interior extending along the central axis of the sleeve from the first sleeve end to the second sleeve end;   (b) the first sleeve end is dimensioned to fit securely in the outward-facing, pipe bowl opening;   (c) the second sleeve end is dimensioned to fit securely in the outward-facing mouthpiece opening; and   (d) the hollow interior of the pipe sleeve comprises a bore diameter greater than the outside diameter of the stem so as to enable the stem to be inserted therein.   
     
     
         10 . The smoking pipe of  claim 9 , wherein the hollow interior of the pipe sleeve comprises a bore diameter that is about 0.015 inches greater than the outer diameter of the stem. 
     
     
         11 . The smoking pipe of  claim 9 , wherein the pipe sleeve comprises a length corresponding to the length of the stem between the threaded portions of the first and second stem ends. 
     
     
         12 . The smoking pipe of  claim 9 , wherein:
 (a) the internal rim of the pipe bowl is angled to form a frusto-conical, outward-facing pipe bowl opening comprising a bore diameter that widens toward the exterior of the pipe bowl;   (b) the internal rim of the mouthpiece is angled to form a frusto-conical, outward-facing mouthpiece opening comprising a bore diameter that widens toward the exterior of the mouthpiece;   (c) the first sleeve end comprises a tapered portion dimensioned to fit in the frusto-conical, outward-facing, pipe bowl opening; and   (d) the second sleeve end comprises a tapered portion dimensioned to fit in the frusto-conical, outward-facing, mouthpiece opening.   
     
     
         13 . The smoking pipe of  claim 9 , wherein the pipe sleeve comprises a design element. 
     
     
         14 . The smoking pipe of  claim 13 , wherein the design element comprises an engraving, a color different from that of the sleeve body, a material different from that of the sleeve body, one or more bands encircling the sleeve body, one or more openings passing through the sleeve body, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The smoking pipe of  claim 9 , wherein the pipe sleeve comprises a first sleeve end ring fitted to one end of a center sleeve slide, and a second sleeve end ring fitted to the other end of a center sleeve side, the first and second end rings forming the first and second ends of the sleeve, respectively. 
     
     
         16 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1 , which is about 3 inches in length. 
     
     
         17 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1 , which comprises aluminum, brass, titanium, copper, silver or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece comprises silver or copper. 
     
     
         19 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the pipe bowl comprises titanium. 
     
     
         20 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber is dimensioned to hold a preselected amount of smoking material.