HANDHELD CANNABIS PRESS AND DISPENSER

Abstract

A handheld gun-type cannabis rosin oil press and dispenser is described and claimed having a piston feeding mechanism comprising a trigger arranged to drive clamping means to grasp a piston and move the piston towards a melt chamber of the gun to feed the piston face against the cannabis floral material in the melt chamber. The force of the piston combined with the precisely controlled heat of the chamber causes the extraction of rosin oil from the cannabis material and subsequent dispensing from the outlet orifice of the gun.

Claims

1. A handheld gun-type cannabis press and dispenser, which includes: an inlet for receiving cannabis material, a melt chamber in communication with said inlet and having a narrowing volumetric surface therein such that received cannabis material therethrough is pressed, said melt chamber equipped to apply heat to the cannabis material as it passes therethrough; and an outlet in communication with said melt chamber through which heated pressed cannabis material and rosin extract passes.

2. The handheld gun-type cannabis press and dispenser of claim 1, wherein said melt chamber includes an electrically-powered resistive heating element.

3. The handheld gun-type cannabis press and dispenser of claim 1, wherein said melt chamber includes a heat conductive alloy.

4. The handheld gun-type cannabis press and dispenser of claim 1, wherein said melt chamber includes a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced surfaces.

5. The handheld gun-type cannabis press and dispenser of claim 4, wherein said longitudinally extending spaced surfaces extend from said inlet to said outlet.

6. The handheld gun-type cannabis press and dispenser of claim 5, wherein said longitudinally extending spaced surfaces provide slotted fenestrations which taper from wider at said inlet to narrow at said outlet.

7. The handheld gun-type cannabis press and dispenser of claim 1 wherein said outlet includes a single orifice.

8. The handheld gun-type cannabis press and dispenser of claim 1 wherein said outlet includes an extrusion array element.

9. The handheld gun-type cannabis press and dispenser of claim 8, wherein said extrusion array element incorporates a filter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a side view of the illustrative apparatus with some parts broken away and others in section showing a piston about to be fed to a melt body of the apparatus;

[0021] FIG. 2 is an end view of the melt body shown in FIG. 1 viewed from an outlet end of the melt body;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a view in section of the melt body indicated in FIG. 1, taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a view in section of the melt body, taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

[0024] FIG. 5 is a view of a carriage of clamping means of the illustrative gun showing a clamp element in chain dotted lines in position prior to a feed stroke of the clamping means;

[0025] FIG. 6 is a view of the carriage and clamp element of the illustrative gun taken in the direction of the arrow VI on FIG. 5;

[0026] FIG. 7 is a view of feeding means of the illustrative gun with some parts broken away showing parts in positions occupied prior to a feeding stroke to feed a piston to a melt chamber of the gun; and

[0027] FIGS. 8 and 9 are views of the feeding means similar to FIG. 7 but showing parts in positions occupied partway through a feeding stroke and at the end of a feeding stroke respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0028] The illustrative gun-type cannabis rosin oil press is intended for use with pistons of circular cross-section and comprises a gun body having two parts 10, 12; the part 12 of the body is broken away in FIG. 1 to show feeding means 14, and other parts of the illustrative apparatus. In addition to the feeding means the gun-type rosin oil press has a melt body 16 containing a melt chamber 17, electrically operated heating means for heating the melt body, and an extrusion element 18 through which extracted cannabis rosin oil is expelled from the melt chamber 17.

[0029] The melt body 16 is constructed of a heat conductive alloy and is formed with a generally cylindrical melt chamber 17 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) in which solid cannabis floral material fed to the chamber 17 under force of a piston 54 may be heated. The chamber 17 has a circular inlet 19 through which the piston 54 enters the chamber 17, and an outlet 21 from which melted cannabis rosin oil may be dispensed. Fin elements 23 are disposed lengthwise within the chamber 17 and extend from a location adjacent the inlet to the outlet. The fin elements 23 protrude from a wall surface of the chamber 17 into a cavity of the melt chamber 17 and extend in directions parallel to the axis of the melt chamber 17 and increase in size towards the outlet. The fin elements comprise major fin elements 27 and sub elements 35 each of which fin elements has a plate-like structure having a substantially triangular configuration (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The fin elements comprise three major elements 27 of similar shape and size spatially disposed with angles of at least substantially 120 between adjacent major elements and which have portions of their larger ends joined together at the outlet 21. The major elements 27 are arranged generally as a tripod within the melt chamber 17 which is effective at least towards the outlet 21 of the melt chamber 17 to separate the melt chamber 17 into three sub-chambers and so that inner edge surfaces 29 of the major elements provide surface portions of a substantially pyramidal shaped opening 31 centrally disposed in the chamber 17 and which narrows to a peak 33 located adjacent the outlet 21. The fin elements also comprise six sub elements 35 disposed in pairs at 120 to each other between adjacent major elements, which also have their larger ends joined together at the outlet 21. Each sub element 35 is disposed parallel to the adjacent major element 27. Inner edge surfaces of the sub elements 35 also provide surface portions of the substantially pyramidal shaped opening 31. The fin elements also comprise singular elements 37 disposed on the wall surface of the melt chamber 17 equidistant from adjacent major elements 35, 27. The singular elements 37 are substantially triangular in both the widthwise and lengthwise direction and increase in size progressively towards the outlet 21. The joints between the major elements 27 and between the sub elements 35 extend over a comparatively short length of the melt chamber, thus to provide a short outlet 21 having a series of slotted fenestrations 24 (see FIG. 2) bounded by the fin elements and disposed about the axis of the melt chamber 17. As can be seen from the drawings, the slotted fenestrations are arranged about the axis of the melt chamber and about the axis of the pyramidal opening, and there are no slotted fenestrations located on the axis of the melt chamber 17.

[0030] The melt body comprises three housings 39 each having a tunnel bore having an axis parallel to the axis of the melt chamber 17 for receiving electrically operated resistive heating means in the form of cylindrical self-regulating heaters 45 (FIG. 1) comprising PTC resistors distributed about the chamber 17. The heaters 45 are constructed and arranged so that the melt body may be heated to a maximum temperature of about 200 C. Suitable uniform distribution of the heaters is achieved in the melt body shown together with desirable slim characteristics of the melt body. Webbing 41 and 43 formed between pairs of the housings serve to strengthen the melt body. Locating bosses 55 (FIG. 2) formed on the melt body co-operate with sockets formed in the body parts 10 and 12.

[0031] The melt body has a threaded bore 47 coaxial with the melt chamber into which the extrusion element 18 is threaded. The extrusion element 18 contains a spring loaded ball valve (not shown) which is arranged to be opened by pressure of extracted material when the piston 54 is fed into the melt chamber.

[0032] An outer surface of the melt body at the inlet is formed to provide a tube 25 onto which a flexible inlet sheath 22 is secured (FIG. 1). The inlet sheath 22 is formed from resilient heat resistant material and has a flange 28 at its forward end and is maintained in place on the tube by a bell shaped sleeve 26. The inlet sheath 22 has an inlet passage coaxial with the melt chamber 17 in the melt body through which a piston 54 may be introduced into the inlet end of the melt chamber 17. The inlet sheath 22 is of circular cross section and is formed with an inner lip portion 32, so that as well as guiding the piston 54 into the melt chamber 17, the tube forms a seal with the surface of the piston 54, militating against escape of extracted rosin oil material from the inlet when the piston is fed into the chamber 17.

[0033] A locating ring 19 of resilient heat resistant material encircles a forward portion of the melt body adjacent the extrusion element and is received in co-operating recesses formed in the body portions 10 and 12. The sleeve 26 is formed with a locating ring 27 which is received in co-operating grooves formed in the body portions 10 and 12. The melt body is thus mounted in the body portions 10 and 12 at its outlet and inlet ends by means of the rings 19 and 27 and at a mid-portion by means of the bosses 55.

[0034] A resilient mouthpiece in the form of a guide collar 30 is mounted in the body of the gun at the rear and has a guide opening therethrough coaxial with the melt chamber to guide a piston and maintain the piston properly aligned with the melt chamber as it is supplied to the feeding means. The inlet sheath 22, guide collar 30 and ring 19 are conveniently made of silicone rubber, for example.

[0035] The parts 10, 12 of the gun body are molded of robust polymer material. The two parts 10, 12 of the body are secured together by fastenings included screws or the like (not shown).

[0036] The feeding means 14 (FIGS. 1 and 5 to 9) of the illustrative gun comprises clamping means comprising a carriage 42, mounted for sliding movement towards and away from the melt body 16, by means of flanges 44 which engage in slideways 46, molded in the gun body parts 10, 12 parallel with the axis of the melt chamber 17. It will be apparent that the carriage 42 is thus arranged to move in a direction M defined by the flanges 44 and slideways 46 parallel to the axis of the melt chamber 17. The feeding means 14, further comprises a clamp element 48, pivotally mounted on the carriage 42, and a trigger 50 for actuating the clamp element 48 via a lever 52.

[0037] The carriage 42 comprises an upstanding part 110 having a guide aperture 58 through which the piston 54 passes with a small clearance, as it is fed to the melt chamber. The piston 54 is thus supported by the upstanding part 110.

[0038] The clamp element 48 has a clamping arm portion 71, extending generally in the direction of the piston feed by which the piston may be engaged in the operation of the feeding means to feed the piston 54 into the melt chamber 17 applying pressure to the cannabis floral material contained therein. In order for the clamping element to adequately grasp the piston 54 without creating indentations on the piston's surface as it is fed even under substantial trigger force and despite variations in diameter of the piston 54, and thus to minimize the risk that the seal between the flexible inlet sheath 22 and the piston 54 be rendered ineffective to prevent blow back of extracted material from the melt chamber 17 under pressure of the advancing piston 54, a piston engaging surface of the clamping arm portion has a somewhat arcuate configuration. The surface is serrated in order to enhance grasping of the piston, the serrations taking the form of several blade portions 72 disposed transversely of the direction of piston feed. These are arranged so that one or more and preferably not less than two may engage the piston 54 during feeding. The piston engaging surface is located so that on operation of the trigger at least two of its blade portions are swung into contact with the piston, even though the piston 54 may be under or oversized compared with the optimal diameter piston.

[0039] The clamp element 48 is provided by a casting having pivot pins 60, by which the clamp element is pivotally mounted in the carriage 42, and stabilizing pins 61 located for movement heightwise in guideways 63 in the carriage to an extent limited by slotted surfaces of the guideways. The pivot pins are located at an upper, rearward portion of the clamp element 48. The clamp element is provided with a crank arm 70 having an operating portion in the form of a cam lobe 49 having a convex curved surface 64 located below the pivot pins as viewed in FIGS. 1, 5, 7, 8 and 9, and disposed so that when the feed mechanism is in its rest position as shown in FIG. 1, the curved surface 64 is rearward (considered in the direction of piston feed) of a plane P normal to the direction of piston feed and extending through center lines of the pivot pins.

[0040] The lever 52 is mounted on a dowel 53 formed in the part 10 of the gun body for pivotal movement about the dowel. An upper end portion of the lever is formed as a cylindrical cam surface 202 arranged to provide pressure means to co-operate with the cam lobe 49. A lower end portion of the lever is provided with a roller bearing 206 received in a curved slot 208 formed in a rearward portion of the trigger 50 arranged so that pressure exerted to rotate the connecting lever 52 is varied with increased travel of the trigger during a feeding movement. In the rest position shown in FIG. 1, an angle A between a plane Q which includes the line of contact between the curved surface 64 and the cam surface 202 and a plane which includes the direction M in which the carriage is arranged to move, is acute as can be seen from FIG. 1.

[0041] The trigger 50 is formed with flanges 210 received in slideways 212 formed in the body parts 10, 12. The trigger and lever are so arranged as to facilitate entry of the roller bearing 206 into the open end of the slot 208 during assembly without risk of disassembly when the apparatus is in use. The trigger 50 is molded of a stiff robust polymer material. The trigger 50 has a pressure plate 98 arranged to be contacted by the finger of an operator to operate the trigger 50. The extent of movement of the trigger is restricted by engagement of the pressure plate 98 with the gun body and by engagement of a stop element also molded integrally with the trigger 50, with the parts 10, 12 of the gun body.

[0042] The trigger 50 is arranged to be operated by the operator to pivot the clamp element 48 about the pivot pins 60 to bring blade portions 72 into engagement with the piston 54 supported by the carriage 42, inlet sheath 22, and guide collar 30 to grasp the piston 54 and, with further pressure on the trigger 50 by the operator, to feed the piston 54 into the melt chamber.

[0043] Viewing FIG. 1, when the trigger is moved rearwardly, the lever 52 is caused to rotate in a counter clockwise direction about the dowel 53. The cam surface 202 is thus caused to move in an arc towards the melt body and to press upon the cam lobe 49. Initial pressure causes the clamp element 48 to rotate clockwise about the axis of the pivot pins 60, to an extent limited by engagement of blade portions 72 against the piston. Continued pressure causes the piston to become grasped between the blade portions and the upstanding part 110. During clockwise rotation of the clamp element 48 the disposition of the cam lobe 49 is altered not only in relation to the cam surface 202 but also in relation to the plane P inasmuch as the cam surface 202 engages a portion of the curved surface higher than initially and also the curved surface 64 is moved to a location forward of the plane P (FIG. 7). Also, the angle A becomes less acute, i.e., is increased. Further movement of the cam surface 202 causes the clamp element to act on the carriage 42 to move it towards the melt body, with the piston grasped between the blade portions and the upstanding part. During this movement the cam surface rides up the cam lobe into a region where the angle A has become obtuse (see FIGS. 8 and 9) and pressure is exerted primarily in a direction to move the carriage forward in the direction of the piston feed. By virtue of the disposition of the pivots and the clamping arm and of the shaping of the cam lobe, there is brought about a locking of the clamp element to the piston 54 which is beneficial in reducing the effort needed for grasping the piston 54.

[0044] The feeding means 14 comprises a spring 56 extending between an elongated slot in the clamp element 48 and the lever pivot 53, by which the clamp element 48 is biased in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 and the carriage 42 is biased away from the melt body 16. At the end of a feeding stroke, the trigger may be released, and the spring is effective to swing the clamp element about the pins 60 to lower the clamping arm from the piston and return the clamp element, carriage and lever 52 to their initial positions as shown in FIG. 1 in preparation for another feed stroke.

[0045] The feeding means 14 comprising the carriage 42, clamp element 48, lever 52, trigger 50, and spring 56 are constructed such that they can all be assembled to one another and into the parts 10, 12 of the gun body without further equipment or fastening means. The feeding means 14 has been designed to have as few parts as possible and to be assembled reliably and simply in such a way that when the parts 10, 12 of the gun body are secured together the feeding means remains securely assembled. Each of the pivot pins 60 has two arcuate coaxial bearing portions 62 and two parallel flat faces 79 at opposite sides of the pin 60 (FIG. 6). The pivot pins 60 are arranged to be received in coaxial bearing openings 66 at opposite sides of the carriage 42, (FIG. 6) the bearing openings 66 being defined by circular bearing surfaces 68 against which the bearing portions 62 of the pins 60 are supported. Each of the bearing surfaces 68 has an assembly opening 80 extending around a minor arc in the surface remote from the piston 54 supported by the carriage 42, the assembly openings 80 being sufficiently wide for the pivot pins 60 to pass through the assembly openings 80 when the flat faces 79 of the pins 60 are suitably oriented relative to the assembly opening 80 (with the flat faces 79 generally parallel to a radius of the bearing openings 66 bisecting the assembly openings 80), but when assembled in the gun, the arc of pivotal movement of the blade element 48 being restricted so that the pivot pins 60 cannot reach an orientation where the flat faces 79 are sufficiently aligned with the assembly opening 80 to permit the pins 60 to be withdrawn, or escape, through the assembly opening 80.

[0046] The feeding means 14 can be assembled simply: the trigger 50 is assembled with the lever 52, and assembled to the body part 10. The clamp element 48 is assembled with the carriage 42 by introduction of the pivot pins 60 into the bearing openings 66, and the carriage is mounted with flanges 44 in the slideways 46 of the body part 10. The spring 56 is assembled with the clamp element and the peg 53. When the feeding means 14 is assembled, the carriage 42 will be urged by the spring 56 to a rear-most position along the slideway 46 and the clamp element 48 will be urged in a counter-clockwise direction, so that the blade portions 72 are lowered with respect to the carriage and the trigger will be urged to an outward position. The stop element will engage the part 10 of the body, preventing further clock-wise movement of the lever (viewing FIG. 1): the orientation of the blade element 48, relative to the carriage 42, is such that the pins 60 are unable to escape from the bearing opening 66 through the assembly opening 80 and likewise the lever 52 is unable to reach an orientation which would allow the bearing, 206 to escape from the slot 208. When the feeding means 14 and the other parts of the gun-type cannabis rosin oil press, including the melt body. 16, inlet sheath 22, guide collar 30, electric leads and resistive heater element, are properly assembled in the part 10 of the gun body the part 12 of the body is aligned with the part 10 and the two parts secured together.

[0047] When the trigger is moved rearwardly of the gun by pressure on the pressure plate 98, the lever 52 is caused to pivot about the dowel 53 and to bring about pivotal movement of the clamp element on the carriage and sliding movement of the carriage as described above. Maximum travel of the trigger means is governed by contact of the pressure plate 98 with the body parts 10, 12, in which condition the upstanding part 110 of the carriage 42 is adjacent an inlet end of the inlet sheath 22. When the trigger 50 is released the blade portions are disengaged from the piston and the piston is released from the upstanding part 110 of the carriage 42. The piston 54 is restrained against movement rearwardly by the collar 30 and inlet sheath 22. The carriage 42 slides rearwardly under the pressure of the spring 56 to an extent determined by engagement of the stop element with the body part 10, 12 the carriage sliding relative to the piston 54 so that on a subsequent operation of the trigger 50 a fresh part of the piston 54 is grasped by the blade portions 72 and upstanding part 110 of the carriage 42. As the piston 54 is urged into the melt chamber 17 by the feeding means 14, heat supplied to the melt body 16 by the heating element melts the trichome heads of the cannabis floral material and the extracted material is dispensed through the extrusion element 18 under pressure applied by the feeding means 14 to the piston 54. Relaxation of pressure on the trigger 50 stops feed of piston 54 into the melt chamber 17 and thus extracted material ceases to be dispensed through the extrusion element 18.

[0048] The illustrative apparatus comprises electrical circuitry for connecting the heaters to a source of electricity.

[0049] When it is desired to use the illustrative apparatus, the circuitry is connected to an electrical power source, e.g., wall outlet, and a piston 54 of circular section may be pushed into the apparatus through the guide collar 30, between the upstanding part 110 and the clamp element 48, into the inlet sheath 22, where it is grasped by the distended lip 32 of the inlet sheath 22, and into the inlet of the melt chamber. Operation of the trigger when cannabis floral material in the melt chamber 17 is heated brings about feeding of the piston as aforesaid. As the piston 54 is fed into the melt chamber 17, the cannabis rosin oil is softened and melted, leaving a substantially cone-like solid residue which during continued feeding is forced onto the inner edge surfaces of the fin elements. Thus, the melt chamber walls and the fin elements transfer heat to the cannabis floral material. As the piston 54 is progressively fed into the melt chamber 17, it serves to force heat softened or extracted material before it between the fin elements and through the slots of the outlet and ultimately from the extrusion element.

[0050] The above described embodiments are set forth by way of example and are not for the purpose of limiting the scope of the present general inventive concept. It will be readily apparent that obvious modifications, derivations and variations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the claims appended hereto should be read in their full scope including any such modifications, derivations and variations.