Easy-care smoking apparatus having a disposable bowl liner

Abstract

Pipes, hookahs and bongs have long been used to smoke tobacco and other combustible materials. The combustion chamber or bowl is a feature of all smoking apparatus's and is where the chosen material to be smoked is inserted. The combustion chamber or bowl is a permanent feature which necessitates cleaning the bowl from time to time to remove burned debris and tar. The present invention introduces a disposable combustion chamber or bowl liner which includes means to enhance tar condensation and collection in a disposable member to simplify cleaning of the chosen smoking apparatus after use and a pipe of the preferred embodiment to be used in combination with the disposable liner is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A disposable bowl liner for use with a smoking apparatus having a shank member, a bowl member, a smoke draw tube disposed within the shank member having a smoke collection opening disposed at one end of the smoke draw tube and an air hole disposed at another end of the smoke draw tube for smoking combustible materials and facilitating easy removal of debris and tar after use by a user; the disposable bowl liner comprising:
 a combustion chamber;   a smoke collection chamber coupled to a bottom portion of the combustion chamber;   a screen inserted between the combustion chamber and the smoke collection chamber; and   a liner smoke collection opening disposed along a sidewall of the smoke collection chamber, wherein the liner smoke collection opening is intimately mated to the smoke draw tube of the smoking apparatus when the disposable bowl liner is inserted into the smoking apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The disposable bowl liner of  claim 1 , wherein the disposable bowl liner is a single use component to the smoking apparatus and discarded after a first use by the user. 
     
     
         3 . The disposable bowl liner of  claim 1 , wherein the smoke collection chamber has tapered side walls and the liner smoke collection opening is disposed on a surface of the tapered sidewalls. 
     
     
         4 . The disposable bowl liner of  claim 1 , wherein the combustion chamber includes a land for locating the screen above the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The disposable bowl liner of  claim 1 , wherein a combustible substance is inserted into the combustion chamber and supported by the screen. 
     
     
         6 . The disposable bowl liner of  claim 1 , wherein the smoke collection opening in the bowl member the liner smoke collection opening, and the smoke draw tube provide an air path for a smoke vapor traveling from the smoke collection chamber to the air hole of the smoking apparatus via inhalation by the user. 
     
     
         7 . The disposable bowl liner of  claim 1 , wherein a surface enhancing structure is applied in the smoke collection chamber beneath the screen of the disposable bowl liner causing tar condensation by means of surface area expansion and creation of a tortuous path between the smoke collection chamber and the smoke draw tube. 
     
     
         8 . The disposable bowl liner of  claim 1 , wherein a tab or flange is coupled to a top portion of the disposable bowl liner for removing the disposable bowl liner from the bowl member when the disposable bowl liner is inserted therein. 
     
     
         9 . An easy-care smoking apparatus for smoking combustible materials and facilitating easy removal of debris and tar after use by a user comprising:
 a shank member having an air hole disposed on a first end of the shank member and a smoke draw tube disposed therein; and   a bowl member coupled to a second end of the shank member wherein the bowl member includes a liner insert opening formed at a top portion of the bowl member, a bowl liner housing for receiving a disposable bowl liner, and a smoke collection opening coupled to the smoke draw tube;   wherein the disposable bowl liner is a removable container structure having a combustion chamber, a smoke collection chamber coupled to a bottom portion of the combustion chamber, a screen inserted between the combustion chamber and the smoke collection chamber, and a liner smoke collection opening disposed along a sidewall of the smoke collection chamber, wherein the liner smoke collection opening is intimately mated to the smoke draw tube of the shank member when the disposable bowl liner is inserted into the bowl member.   
     
     
         10 . The easy-care smoking apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the disposable bowl liner is a single use component of the easy-care smoking apparatus and discarded after a first use by the user. 
     
     
         11 . The easy-care smoking apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the disposable bowl liner is be placed into a through-hole in the bowl member. 
     
     
         12 . The easy-care smoking apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the through-hole in the bowl member may be stepped, tapered or straight walled to aid in placement, intimate mating, and retention of the disposable bowl liner to the bowl member. 
     
     
         13 . The easy-care smoking apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein a tab or flange is coupled to a top portion of the disposable bowl liner for removing the disposable bowl liner from the bowl member. 
     
     
         14 . The easy-care smoking apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the bowl member includes a tab cavity for providing a pocket for the tab or flange. 
     
     
         15 . The easy-care smoking apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the disposable bowl liner includes a keyed member along a top portion of the liner combustion chamber to facilitate proper alignment of the disposable bowl liner into the bowl liner housing when inserted. 
     
     
         16 . The easy-care smoking apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein a surface enhancing structure is applied in the smoke collection chamber beneath the screen of the disposable bowl liner causing tar condensation by means of surface area expansion and creation of a tortuous path between the smoke collection chamber and the smoke draw tube. 
     
     
         17 . The easy-care smoking apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the smoke collection chamber mates with a metal ring structure in the bowl member to enhance heat conduction. 
     
     
         18 . The easy-care smoking apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the metal ring structure is temperature controlled by a Peltier cooler via an electronic device having a control circuit powered by a battery and activated by a switch. 
     
     
         19 . The easy-care smoking apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the smoke collection chamber is temperature controlled to enhance tar condensation and effluent vapor fractionation. 
     
     
         20 . The easy-care smoking apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the smoke collection chamber has a tapered body.