Smoking pipe with a dual purpose heat-sink airflow path insert for cooling smoke and reducing particulate content of inhalable smoke

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a smoking pipe with a dual purpose heat-sink airflow path insert for cooling smoke and reducing particulate content of inhalable smoke. Improvements in smoke cooling and reduction of particulate content, over known traditional chillums, derive in part from the configuration of a threadably removable airflow path insert inside the tubular sleeve body of the pipe, to increase the airflow path of smoke over other chillums of the same overall length, to serve as a heatsink, to present a circuitous path for the smoke to follow in order to trap particulates, and to increase the surface area inside the pipe that is available for particulates and post-combustion products to adhere to inside the pipe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A smoking pipe comprising:
 a mouthpiece comprising a mouthpiece outflow aperture;   a tubular sleeve body;   an airflow path insert positioned in the tubular sleeve body, the airflow path insert comprising:
 an insert body; 
 an insert inflow aperture; 
 a recess in the insert body establishing an insert-adjusted airflow path; 
 wherein the inflow aperture is in fluid communication with the insert-adjusted airflow path; 
   a bowl endcap comprising a bowl and a bowl outflow aperture, wherein the bowl is in fluid communication with the outflow aperture;   wherein the bowl endcap is connected to the tubular sleeve body, such that the bowl outflow aperture is in fluid communication with the insert inflow aperture;   wherein the mouthpiece is connected to the first tubular sleeve, such that the mouthpiece is in fluid communication with the insert-adjusted airflow path;   wherein there is a straight-line distance from the bowl outflow aperture to the mouthpiece outflow aperture; and   wherein the length of the insert adjusted airflow path is longer than the straight-line distance.   
     
     
         2 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  wherein the recess establishing the insert-adjusted airflow path is a helix shape. 
     
     
         3 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  wherein the recess establishing the insert-adjusted airflow path is a double-helix shape. 
     
     
         4 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  wherein the insert-adjusted airflow path is established by the recess and an interior wall of the tubular sleeve body. 
     
     
         5 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  wherein the insert body is comprised of metal. 
     
     
         6 . The smoking pipe of  claim 5  wherein the insert body is comprised of brass. 
     
     
         7 . The smoking pipe of  claim 5  wherein the insert body will act as a heat sink, such that when used, smoke travelling along the insert adjusted airflow path will be cooled before it reaches the mouthpiece outflow aperture. 
     
     
         8 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  wherein the airflow path insert weighs at least about 12.8 grams. 
     
     
         9 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an airflow path extension ratio determined by dividing the length of the insert adjusted airflow path by the length of the straight-line distance; and 
 wherein the airflow path extension ratio is between 1.49 and 2.5. 
 
     
     
         10 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an airflow path extension ratio determined by dividing the length of the insert adjusted airflow path by the length of the straight-line distance; and 
 wherein the airflow path extension ratio is greater than 2.5. 
 
     
     
         11 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an empty interior surface area, defined as the surface area of the interior of the smoking pipe between the bowl aperture and the mouthpiece, without respect to the airflow path insert; 
 a modified interior surface area, defined as the surface area of the interior of the smoking pipe between the bowl aperture and the mouthpiece, including the surface area of the airflow path insert; and 
 wherein the modified interior surface area is greater than the empty interior surface area. 
 
     
     
         12 . The smoking pipe of  claim 11  further comprising:
 an interior surface area ratio determined by dividing the value of the modified interior surface area by the value of the empty interior surface area; and 
 wherein the interior surface area ratio is equal or greater than 1.9. 
 
     
     
         13 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an empty airflow path cross-sectional area, defined as the area of a cross-section of the pipe inside the tubular sleeve body, without the airflow path insert; 
 an insert adjusted airflow path cross-sectional area, defined as the area of a cross-section of the pipe inside the tubular sleeve body, with the airflow path insert in place; 
 wherein the insert adjusted cross-sectional area is less than the empty interior surface area. 
 
     
     
         14 . The smoking pipe of  claim 13  further comprising:
 a cross-sectional area ratio determined by dividing the value of the insert adjusted airflow path cross-sectional area by the value of the empty airflow path cross-sectional area; and 
 wherein the cross-sectional area ratio is equal to or less than 0.5. 
 
     
     
         15 . The smoking pipe of  claim 14  wherein the cross-sectional area ratio is equal to or less than 0.33. 
     
     
         16 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  wherein the bowl endcap is removably connected to the tubular sleeve body. 
     
     
         17 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  wherein the airflow path insert is removably connected to the tubular sleeve body. 
     
     
         18 . The smoking pipe of  claim 17  wherein the airflow path insert is threadably connected to the tubular sleeve body. 
     
     
         19 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  wherein the mouthpiece is removably connected to the tubular sleeve body. 
     
     
         20 . The smoking pipe of  claim 19  wherein the mouthpiece is threadably connected to the tubular sleeve body. 
     
     
         21 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  wherein the airflow path insert is removably connected to the bowl endcap. 
     
     
         22 . The smoking pipe of  claim 21  wherein the airflow path insert is threadably connected to the bowl endcap. 
     
     
         23 . The smoking pipe of  claim 1  wherein the tubular sleeve body is comprised of metal. 
     
     
         24 . A smoking pipe comprising:
 a mouthpiece comprising a mouthpiece outflow aperture;   a tubular sleeve body with a sleeve inside diameter;   a bowl endcap comprising a bowl and a bowl outflow aperture, wherein the bowl is in fluid communication with the outflow aperture;   an airflow path insert positioned in the tubular sleeve body, the airflow path insert comprising:
 an insert body; 
 an insert inflow aperture; 
 a flange with a flange airflow aperture; 
 wherein the insert inflow aperture is in fluid communication with the flange airflow aperture; 
   wherein the bowl outflow aperture is in fluid communication with the insert inflow aperture;   wherein the flange has a flange diameter that is substantially the same as the sleeve inside diameter, such that the flange divides the tubular sleeve body into a lower section proximal to the bowl endcap, and an upper section proximal to the mouthpiece;   wherein the upper section is in fluid communication with the mouthpiece outflow aperture;   wherein the insert inflow aperture enables fluid communication from the bowl outflow aperture, through the insert inflow aperture, and into the lower section; and   wherein the flange substantially prevents any airflow between the lower section and the upper section unless the airflow passes through the flange airflow aperture.   
     
     
         25 . The smoking pipe of  claim 24  wherein the flange airflow aperture comprises a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         26 . The smoking pipe of  claim 25  wherein the plurality of apertures are evenly distributed around the flange. 
     
     
         27 . The smoking pipe of  claim 25  where the flange airflow aperture comprises four apertures. 
     
     
         28 . The smoking pipe of  claim 24  wherein the airflow path insert is comprised of metal. 
     
     
         29 . The smoking pipe of  claim 24  wherein the airflow path insert is comprised of brass. 
     
     
         30 . The smoking pipe of  claim 24  wherein the bowl endcap is removably connected to the tubular sleeve body. 
     
     
         31 . The smoking pipe of  claim 24  wherein the airflow path insert is removably connected to the tubular sleeve body. 
     
     
         32 . The smoking pipe of  claim 24  wherein the mouthpiece is removably connected to the tubular sleeve body. 
     
     
         33 . The smoking pipe of  claim 24  wherein the airflow path insert is removably connected to the bowl endcap. 
     
     
         34 . The smoking pipe of  claim 24  wherein the insert body will act as a heat sink, such that when used, smoke travelling along the insert adjusted airflow path will be cooled before it reaches the mouthpiece outflow aperture.