LASER SMOKING APPARATUS

Abstract

A laser smoking device featuring a laser diode heating source for combustion or vaporization. Variants include self-contained versions as well as variants for use with existing water pipes.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a water pipe comprising a vapor tube, the apparatus comprising: a combustion assembly comprising: a combustion assembly upper portion comprising: a battery, control assembly, laser diode, and a collimating lens coupled to the laser diode; a combustion assembly lower portion comprising: a combustion cavity; at least one viewport allowing visual access to the combustion cavity; a viewport shield disposed over the at least one viewport, the viewport shield comprising laser attenuating material, and one or more locking channels, each of the one or more locking channels comprising a first set of electrical contacts; wherein the collimating lens is adapted to direct laser energy generated by the laser diode downward into the combustion cavity; and an adapter assembly detachable from the combustion assembly, the adapter assembly comprising: an adapter assembly upper portion adapted for insertion into the combustion assembly lower portion, the adapter assembly upper portion comprising: a loading chamber housing comprising: a loading chamber; a shielding plate comprising a plurality of receptacle vent holes disposed below the loading chamber; one or more locking lugs, each of the one or more locking lugs comprising a second set of electrical contacts; and an adapter assembly lower portion comprising a stem extending downwardly from a bottom of the adapter assembly lower portion, the stem comprising: one or more exterior exhaust channels; an internal channel terminating in one or more stem exhaust holes, wherein the internal channel is in fluid communication with an adapter assembly plenum; wherein the adapter assembly plenum is (i) disposed below the plurality of receptacle vent holes, and (ii) in fluid communication with the loading chamber housing via the plurality of receptacle vent holes; and an adapter fitting configured for insertion in the vapor tube, the adapter fitting comprising a first end configured to receive the stem;

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser diode is nonfunctional unless the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of electrical contacts are in contact.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combustion assembly and the adapter assembly are cylindrical, wherein the adapter assembly is adapted to rotate relative to the combustion assembly from an unlocked position to a locked position, and wherein the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of electrical contacts are only in contact in the locked position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cup comprising one or more cup vent holes corresponding to the plurality of receptacle vent holes, wherein the loading chamber is configured to receive the cup.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the cup further comprises a first threaded portion and the loading chamber comprises a second threaded portion adapted to engage the first threaded portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser diode is configured to emit light in a 633-670 nm wavelength band.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combustion assembly upper portion comprises a first laser diode configured to emit light in a 633-670 nm wavelength band, and a second laser diode configured to emit light in a wavelength band visible to a human eye.

8. An apparatus, comprising: a combustion assembly comprising: a combustion assembly upper portion comprising: a battery, control assembly, laser diode, and a collimating lens coupled to the laser diode, and a combustion assembly lower portion comprising: a combustion cavity, wherein the collimating lens directs laser energy generated by the laser diode downwardly into the combustion cavity; at least one viewport allowing visual access to the combustion cavity; a viewport shield disposed over the at least one viewport, the viewport shield comprising laser attenuating material; and one or more locking channels disposed in a bottom of the combustion assembly, each of the one or more locking channels comprising a first set of electrical contacts; an adapter assembly, the adapter assembly comprising: an adapter assembly upper portion adapted for insertion into the combustion assembly lower portion, the adapter assembly upper portion comprising: a loading chamber comprising: a loading chamber; a shielding plate comprising a plurality of loading chamber vent holes disposed below the loading chamber; one or more locking lugs, each of the one or more locking lugs comprising a second set of electrical contacts, wherein the one or more locking lugs are adapted for insertion into the one or more locking channels such that the first set of electrical contacts are in contact with the second set of electrical contacts; an adapter assembly plenum disposed below the loading chamber, in fluid communication with the loading chamber via the plurality of loading chamber vent holes; a gas pump comprising a pump intake and a pump exhaust, wherein the pump intake is coupled to the adapter assembly and is in fluid communication with the adapter assembly plenum; wherein the laser diode is nonfunctional unless the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of electrical contacts are in contact.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the combustion assembly and the adapter assembly are cylindrical, such that the adapter assembly is capable of rotating relative to the combustion assembly from an unlocked position to a locked position, wherein the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of electrical contacts are in contact only in the locked position.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a cup having a first threaded portion, and wherein the loading chamber comprises a second threaded portion adapted to engage the first threaded portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a lower portion of the adapter assembly is coupled to a reservoir and a pipe comprising an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet of the pipe is coupled to the adapter assembly plenum such that the pipe is in fluid communication with the adapter assembly plenum, and wherein the outlet of the pipe terminates in the reservoir, wherein the adapter assembly further comprises an exhaust tube having an exhaust tube inlet located in the reservoir, and an exhaust tube outlet coupled to the pump intake.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the laser diode is configured to emit light in a 633-670 nm wavelength band.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the combustion assembly upper portion comprises a first laser diode configured to emit light in a 633-670 nm wavelength band, and a second laser diode configured to emit light in a wavelength band visible to a human eye.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a preferred embodiment of the vaporizer device.

[0008] FIG. 1A is a top view of the generator section.

[0009] FIG. 1B shows the bottom view of the generator section.

[0010] FIG. 2 shows a top view of the vaporizer section cavity.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a profile view of the reservoir section.

[0012] FIG. 3A is a profile view of the vapor pipe.

[0013] FIG. 3B is a profile view of a universal adapter for use in the reservoir section.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a top view of the storage section of the vaporizer unit.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the vaporizer unit.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional water pipe used for smoking.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing of an embodiment of a laser smoking apparatus intended for use with a water pipe.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a cutaway illustration of the adapter assembly and stem fitting of an embodiment of a laser smoking apparatus.

[0019] FIG. 9 is an external plan view of the bottom of the adapter assembly.

[0020] FIG. 10 is a top plan and side elevation view of the cup.

[0021] FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of an alternate embodiment of the device.

[0022] FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of the safety interlock mechanism for one embodiment of the device.

[0023] FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of the device being used with an alternate embodiment of the water pipe showing in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The invention is described in preferred embodiments in the following description with reference to the Figures, in which like numbers represent the same or similar elements. Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or similar language means that the feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment”, “in certain embodiments”, and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. It is noted that, as used in this description, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0025] The described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are recited to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

[0026] In this disclosure, the terms “combustion”, “combust”, and “vaporize”, and “vaporizer” are generically used to refer to the same process, namely, the heating of vaporizable or combustible media, with the only relevant difference being the degree of heating: heating media until the media (or the active ingredient thereof) is vaporized or heating until combustion/burning of the media occurs. This is generally also dependent upon the actual substance being used. For example, substances like nicotine or THC are obtained from plant matter (i.e. tobacco and cannabis, respectively) which is burned. However, the active chemical compositions of these and other substances (e.g. for use in fragrant or aromatherapeutic applications) may also be prepared in a vaporizable media.

[0027] FIG. 1 is an elevation view of one preferred embodiment of a vaporizer device. The device is comprised of five major segments: generator section 101, vaporizer section 201, cooling reservoir 301, storage section 401, and base 501. Each of these sections will be described in greater detail below.

[0028] In preferred embodiments, generator section 101 has a selector dial 102 with index 103, and vaporizer power settings 104. An exterior casing contains laser diode 106 and batteries 107. In certain embodiments in which rechargeable batteries 107 are used, generator section 101 contains charging port 105. As shown in FIG. 1A, power button 108 is located on top of the generator section 101. FIG. 1B is a view of the bottom of the generator section 101, i.e. the section that points downward into vaporizer section 201, showing the collimating lens assembly 204. At the bottom of generator section 101 are magnetic interlocks 109, the purpose of which will be described in greater detail below.

[0029] In certain embodiments of the invention, a laser diode 106 emits the energy used to vaporize a medium that can be inhaled directly into the lungs. Such a medium can range from water vapor, to a medium (e.g. “wax”) containing a variety of pharmacological or therapeutic compounds ranging from nicotine or THC, to aromatics such as herbs or spices used to modify the aroma of a room in order to adjust the mood of an individual (e.g. aromatherapy). The beam generated by a laser diode is diffuse; therefore, laser diode 106 in the preferred embodiment is used in conjunction with a collimating lens assembly 204. The laser diode 106 in the preferred embodiment is a Nichia NDB 7875 450 nm 1.6-2 W 9 mm laser. In certain other embodiments, an infrared (IR) (i.e. ˜633-670 nm wavelength) laser was found to be more efficient in heating the material. Since an IR laser is invisible to the naked eye, one or more laser diodes may be used in connection with the IR laser diode for aesthetic or safety purposes. With regard to the latter purpose, the electrical circuit providing power to the IR and non-IR laser diodes would have an interlock preventing the IR laser diode from emitting without the non-IR laser diode also emitting, so that a user would have a visual indication of the IR laser operating where the visual indication would otherwise be absent. In these embodiments featuring combined IR and non-IR laser diodes, one or more collimating lenses may be used in connection with the diode emitters. The non-IR laser diodes emit colored light, with the color of the laser selected to suit the desired application. Batteries 107 in the preferred embodiment are 1.5 v LR41 arranged in a circular array around the laser diode when viewed from above. In certain embodiments, rechargeable batteries 107 can be used, and in these embodiments, a USB charging port 105 is used.

[0030] To load the unit, generator section 101 is removed from the top of vaporizer section 201. Generator section 101 is held securely in place using magnetic interlocks 109 in the bottom of the generator section, as shown in FIG. 1B. The interlocks are slightly larger in diameter than locking rods 212, which are rigidly attached to the base 214 of vaporizer section 201 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the preferred embodiment, at least the tops of locking rods 212 are made of a ferrous material, which permits these to be securely engaged to magnetic interlocks 109, thereby holding generator section in place magnetically. Magnetic interlocks 109 and locking rods 212 are also part of a circuit preventing the laser from operating when the unit is opened. When locking rods 212 are not in contact with magnetic interlocks 109, this causes the circuit between the batteries 107 and laser diode 106 to open. This acts as one safety mechanism to prevent the laser from operating when generator section 101 is removed from the unit. In preferred embodiments, there are three locking rods disposed 120 degrees around the circumference of base 214. For safety, all of these rods must engage magnetic interlocks 109 in order for the power circuit between battery 107 and laser diode 106 to operate.

[0031] Once the generator section 101 is removed, medium containing the desired pharmacological compound is placed into cup 203, which is held in place by a thin-walled cylindrical bracket 205 that is securely attached to (or even integral with) the bottom of combustion cavity 215, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0032] To use the device, a user selects the vaporization temperature using selector dial 102 to align index 103 with the desired vaporizer power setting 104. In one preferred embodiment, the heating unit has three settings on vaporizer power setting 104, i.e. “OFF”, “ON”, and “MAX”. In all embodiments, the “OFF” setting inhibits the flow of power to the battery and acts as one safety to ensure the laser diode does not operate even if the power button 108 shown in FIG. 1A is pressed. In one embodiment, selection of the “ON” setting results in a temperature in the vaporizer at approximately 410° F., while selecting the “MAX” setting results in a vaporizer temperature of approximately 800° F. In certain embodiments where the laser diode is capable emitting across a continuous power range, the temperature may be varied continuously along a given range, typically between 410° F. to 800° F., depending upon the medium used.

[0033] Once the vaporization temperature is set, the user presses power button 108, which closes a switch providing power from batteries 107 to laser diode 106 and initiates the heating sequence, which in the preferred embodiment typically takes 15-20 seconds, after which the circuit switch automatically opens, and the power button resets. When power is applied during the heating sequence, coherent light is emitted from laser diode 106. Due to the wide diffusion of the beam, a collimating lens assembly 204 is required to focus the beam onto the material containing the pharmacological compound to be vaporized that is held in cup 203. Collimating lens assembly 204 is attached to and protrudes from the bottom of generator section 101 into the top of vaporizer section 201 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 1B, and is positioned directly above cup 203, typically at a distance of 10-20 mm. The exterior wall 202, which in preferred embodiments is made of aircraft-grade aluminum or an alloy thereof, confines the vapor inside the combustion cavity 215; exterior wall 202 may have small check valves permitting one-way flow of air from the exterior of the unit to facilitate the flow of vapor from the vaporizer section 201 through reservoir 304 and through exhaust port 303.

[0034] The beam emitted by laser diode 106 through collimating lens assembly 204 heats the medium in cup 203 to the desired vaporization temperature, which is typically 410° F. to 800° F. as noted above. The resulting vapor is drawn through combustion cavity 215 and slots 206 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 into a plenum 207 at the bottom of vaporizer section 201, and then through a channel 213. Channel 213 connects plenum 207 with pipe 306, which extends downward into reservoir 304, as shown in FIG. 3. Pipe 306 is attached to the threaded lower end 210 of channel 213 using female threaded connection 307. In the preferred embodiments, a universal adapter 309 shown in FIG. 3B can alternatively be used, which uses female threads 310 to securely attach to channel 213 via male threads 209 at the bottom of vaporizer section 201. As shown in FIG. 3, pipe 306 or universal adapter 309 protrudes downward into reservoir 304, which is typically filled with water. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A, pipe 306 contains openings 308 which allow hot vapor drawn from the combustion cavity to pass through a liquid, typically water, contained in reservoir 304, which cools and humidifies the hot vapor. Exhaust port 303 may contain a check valve and in the preferred embodiment has either a threaded coupling or a nipple permitting attachment of inhalation tubing used to conduct the vapor from the device into the respiratory tract.

[0035] While generator section 101 and vaporizer section 201 are held together magnetically by locking rods 212, the vaporizer section 201 and the cooling reservoir 301 are held together by male threaded connection 208 and female threaded connection 302. Cooling reservoir 301 attaches to storage section 401 via male threaded connection 305 and female threaded adapter 402. Storage section 401 in the preferred embodiment holds pharmacological compound-containing media in four different sections: three peripheral storage compartments 403 and one center storage compartment 404, as shown in FIG. 4. Storage section 401 is also designed to slide into base 501, which in profile is a truncated cone shape that holds the assembly securely upright.

[0036] Another embodiment of a combustion unit 500 is shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the walls of vaporizer cavity 215 have one or more viewports 503 which permits the operator of the vaporizer unit to observe the heating or vaporization of the material contained in cup 203. Laser diode 106 as described above is classified as a “Class IV” laser device, which can instantly burn skin and cause severe eye damage even from reflected light. Due to the intensity of the scattered light emitted from laser diode 106, shielding 502 protects the operator's eyes during operation of combustion unit 500. Shielding 502 in certain embodiments is comprised of either extruded or injection-molded polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/plexiglass, polyethlylene, PTFE, or other suitable material that is transparent and is capable of incorporating a laser-absorbing dye. In one preferred embodiment, shielding 502 is produced by mixing PMMA feedstock with red color masterbatch or powder ingredients. The feedstock and powdered dye are then baked at about 80 degrees Celsius and then extruded at a temperature of 220-250 degrees Celsius. Shielding 502 in this embodiment was produced by Dongguan Bozhou Plastic Electronic Material Co.,, Ltd in Dongguan, China. Additionally, the interior of vaporizer cavity 215 is lined with absorptive materials suitable for attenuating the amount of scattered light emanating from viewports 503. In this embodiment, the walls of reservoir 304 are made of clear plexiglass, PMMA, or other suitable transparent materials.

[0037] Another embodiment may be used with an existing water pipe 600 (e.g. hookah, bong, etc.) such as that shown in FIG. 6. The water pipe 600 comprises a removable bowl 601, vapor tube 602, water reservoir 603, vapor chamber 604, inhalation tube 605, and mouthpiece 606. Tobacco, cannabis, or other smokable substances are placed in the removable bowl 601 and burned typically using open flame generated from a lighter or match. The removable bowl 601 and vapor tube 602 are typically oriented upwardly; the overall water pipe 600 must be held generally upright when in use to avoid spilling water contained in water reservoir 603. However, open flame rises vertically, so when using a lighter or a match, the lighter or match must be held at an angle downwardly in order for the flame to come into contact with material located in removable bowl 601. The potential for burned fingers, hair, or even face is not insignificant in such situations, particularly when a user's mouth is in contact with mouthpiece 606. Water pipes are configured to minimize the risk to some extent; however, the embodiment described below solves the problem of an open flame completely.

[0038] An embodiment that is suitable for use with legacy water pipes such as that shown in FIG. 6 is illustrated in FIG. 7. This embodiment features a combustion unit 700 which includes combustion assembly 701 and an adapter assembly 702 that is detachable from combustion assembly 701. The combustion assembly 701 includes control assembly 703, battery 107, laser diode 106, and collimating lens assembly 204. Viewports 503 permits viewing the interior of combustion cavity 215 while the laser is in operation, i.e. so the combustion or vaporization process can be observed directly. Shielding 502 as described above for the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 above covers viewports 503 and prevents eye injury due to the intense laser energy generated by laser diode 106. Combustion assembly 701 also contains one or more air inlets 7001, which facilitate drawing smoke or vapor from the vaporizer cavity 215. Adapter assembly 702 consists of loading chamber housing 706 disposed on shielding plate 707. Multiple locking lugs 705 are attached or integral to the upper sides of loading chamber housing 706. Adapter assembly 702 is inserted into the lower portion of combustion assembly 701 so that loading chamber housing 706 extends upwardly into combustion cavity 215 and locking lugs 705 insert into locking channels 704. Adapter assembly 702 is locked into place when locking lugs 705 are inserted into locking channels 704 of combustion assembly 701 and adapter assembly 702 is rotated relative to vaporizer assembly 701 so that locking lugs 705 cannot be withdrawn from locking channels 704 due to the configuration of the latter.

[0039] The embodiments shown in FIGS. 5, 7-8, and 13 feature a different safety interlock from the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-2. A schematic of this safety interlock is illustrated in FIG. 12. Locking lugs 705 incorporates electrical contact pins 5, 6, and GND (ground). Pins 5 and 6 are electrically connected to an integrated circuit which forms part of the control assembly for laser diode 106, while the third contact is connected to ground. All three pins must be in contact with complimentary pins located in the horizontal (i.e. locked) portion of locking channels 704 in order for the circuit supplying power to laser diode 106 to function. This safety interlock mechanism, in connection with the shielding 502 for viewports 503, and shielding plate 707 described below, permit use of a Class IV laser in the configurations described herein.

[0040] FIG. 8 illustrates a cross sectional view of the adapter assembly 702 through section A-A illustrated in FIG. 7, with the cup 203 removed from loading chamber 7061. Cup 203 is shown in plan and elevation views in FIG. 10. The bottom of cup 203 in this embodiment features cup vent holes 2031 in the bottom of cup 203, which allow the smoke or vapor generated in vaporizer chamber to be drawn downwardly into adapter assembly. Cup 203 may be used in lieu of loading combustible material directly into loading chamber 7061. This is generally more convenient, since one cup can be loaded while the other cup is being used. However, loading chamber 7061 is capable of receiving combustible material directly, without use of cup 203.

[0041] In the embodiment shown, the bottom exterior 2032 of cup 203 comprises a set of male threads; these threads engage female threads 7062 disposed at the bottom of loading chamber 7061. The bottom of loading chamber 7061 features a shielding plate 707, which has a plurality of receptable vent holes 7071, which permit smoke/vapor to be drawn downward into adapter assembly plenum 7072 incorporated into shielding plate 707 thence into an internal channel 712 (see FIG. 9) disposed in stem 708 and out through one or more stem exhaust holes 711. Shielding plate 707 is necessary in part due to safety concerns due to use of a Level IV laser device, primarily to prevent harmful secondary reflections from being emitted through the stem 708.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, stem 708 is to be inserted into adapter fitting 713. The shaft 709 of stem 708 is wider below the stem exhaust holes 711, which form exhaust channels 710 in stem 708 into adapter fitting 713. Adapter fitting 713 is comprised of an elastomeric material such as silicone or rubber that is molded internally to accept insertion of stem 708 and allow smoke or vapor to flow through exhaust channels 710 thence through a hole at the bottom of adapter fitting 713. Adapter fitting 713 comes in a variety of exterior shapes and sizes to facilitate use with a variety of water pipe designs. The lower portion of adapter fitting 713 is molded to facilitate insertion into vapor tube 602 of water pipe 600 at removable bowl 601. Exhaust channels 710 are disposed in the sides of shaft 709 to permit vapor to be drawn from stem exhaust holes 711 through exhaust channels 710, thence through adapter fitting 713 and into vapor tube 602.

[0043] The bottom of the lower portion of adapter assembly 702 in the current embodiment is shown in plan view in FIG. 9 and in cutaway elevation view in FIG. 8. The bottom of adapter assembly 702 is contoured to accommodate the upper surface of adapter fitting 713.

[0044] Another embodiment of the vaporizer unit described in FIGS. 1 through 5 is illustrated schematically in FIG. 11. This embodiment features air pump assembly 1100, which is coupled to exhaust port 303. Air pump 1102 draws smoke/vapor through intake 1103 exhausts smoke/vapor through exhaust 1104 and is powered by rechargeable battery 1101. An example of air pump assembly 1100 is the Light Pump 2 manufactured by Flextailgear®. This embodiment facilitates the use of combustion unit 700 in aromatherapy applications, as the air pump assembly 1100 causes vapor generated by the unit to be distributed to the atmosphere in the vicinity of the unit.

[0045] FIG. 13 illustrates use of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-8 with an alternate configuration of water pipe 600. This embodiment of water pipe 600 features a base 1303 and a plug seal 1300 that is made out of an elastomeric material such as hard rubber. Plug seal 1300 accommodates insertion of adapter fitting 713. Exhaust pipe 1301 connects to the bottom end of adapter fitting 713 to create a seal. Smoke passes through exhaust pipe 1301, through water reservoir 603, vapor chamber 604 and is inhaled through inhalation tube 605.

[0046] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to certain embodiments, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which have been presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.