1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to appliances for smokers and, particularly, to a new and improved variety of such appliances which serves to safely contain a smokeable article and to produce clean air cooled smoke in a sanitary and ashless manner for the pleasure of the user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of devices have been known to the prior art which serve to emit smoke or other vapors for pleasurable purposes. Representative of one such group are toys and, in one instance, smoke emitting toy locomotives as represented, for example, by the U.S. Pat. Nos. to Ives, 324,260 and to Goldfarb, 2,546,123. Another representative grouping of toys are those simulating jet propelled airplanes. Typical patents in this category are those to Brosseit, U.S. Pat. No. 2,409,471 and to Brosseit, U.S. Pat. No. 2,556,296. Also in the toy classification is the U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,607 which discloses a drum and associated smoke chamber so constructed that a beat on the drum causes a puff of smoke to emanate from the smoke generator in the shape of a smoke ring.
In a substantially different category of known devices, but more representative of the present invention, are the U.S. Pat. Nos. to Murai, 2,809,634, and to Schuelein, 2,510,909. In the former instance, an inhaling and sniffing pipe is disclosed which enables a user to inhale volatile liquids which produce, for example, fragrance of tobacco and tobacco smoke, as a substitute for smoking lighted tobacco. Quite different structurally from Murai, the Schuelein patent discloses a device for holding a smokeable article, such as a cigar or cigarette, so that a user can obtain the satisfaction of the aroma of tobacco and of seeing smoke without actually bringing the smokeable article to the user's mouth or requiring him to inhale the tobacco fumes. A chief drawback of the latter patent is that an ignited cigar or cigarette is not enclosed within a structure and is therefore able to completely drop from the holder and away from the person of the user. Additionally, ashes or lighted particles may drop off and ignite clothing, furniture, rugs, and the like, nor is any structure disclosed for directing the smoke or aroma from the cigar or cigarette in a particular direction.
While another representative patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,960,981 does provide a container enclosing a smokeable article, it is of relatively complex construction of a magnitude not sufficiently larger than the smokeable article to assure dissipation of the heat generated. Additionally, unlike the present invention, the U.S. Pat. No. 2,960,981 causes increased burning not only upon compression of the bulb but also upon release and return of the bulb to its original shape.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds