Filters for smoking smokable substances and method for making the filter

Abstract

A tube filter 1 for smoking a smokable substance comprises: a receiving section 12 having a receiving chamber 14 dimensioned to receive the substance; a smoke section 10 having a smoke chamber 13 to output smoke produced while the substance is ignited, wherein the smoke section has a first open end 4 into the smoke chamber 13 and the receiving section has a second open end 6 into the receiving chamber 14 that is opposite to the first end; and a first indentation 8 and a second indentation 9 that separate the receiving chamber 14 from the smoke chamber 13, the indentations forming concave portions 16, 17 of a wall 2 of the tube filter that are at least partially disposed within a cross-section of the tube filter, wherein the indentations form a path 15 inside the tube filter that fluidly couples the receiving chamber 14 to the smoke chamber 12 and runs diagonally through a centre longitudinal axis of the tube filter 1. The filter may further comprise a third indentation, which may be disposed entirely above the first indentation 8, such that the first and third indentations are radially aligned along the centre longitudinal axis.

Description

Fig. 11 shows another filter 111 for smoking smokable substances that includes three or more indentations along a center longitudinal axis according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The filter 111 is similar to filter 1 illustrated in Fig 1. For instance, the filter 111 includes the smoke section 10, the indentation section 11, and the receiving section 12. Filter 111 also includes three (or more) indentations, each of which being a concave portion of the wall of the filter that extends along a portion of the tube in the Z-direction. As shown, each of the indentations at least partially overlaps one or more other indentations along a same section or length of the filter 111. Specifically, a first cross-section of the filter 111 having a length between 19a and 18b in the Z-direction includes a portion of the first indentation and a (first) portion of the second indentation 9, and a second cross-section of the filter 111 having a length between 118a and 19b in the Z-direction includes a portion of the third indentation 112 and another (second) portion of the second indentation 9. In one embodiment, the cross-sections are separate and adjacent to one another, and have a same length along the Z-axis, such that a length (or distance) between 19a and 18b is the same as the length between 118a and 19b. In another embodiment, points 18b and 118a may be the same point. In another embodiment, both of the cross-sections may include equal (or symmetric) portions of respective indentations contained therein. In one embodiment, at least some of the indentations may be radially aligned with one another. In particular, the first indentation 8 may be radially aligned with the third indentation 112 along the Z-axis. For instance, when forming the third indentation, a portion of the tube 20 where heat and pressure are applied may be vertically aligned (along the Z-axis) with the portion 25, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In some embodiments, the indentations may be radially separated as described herein. For example, the first and third indentations are radially separated from the second indentation 9 about the Z-axis by 180°, as shown. Specifically, once each indentation is formed, the filter may be rotated by 180° to then form a next indentation. In another embodiment, the indentations may be radially separated differently. For example, the indentations may be separated in a spiral fashion about the Z-axis, such as the first indentation being at 0°, the second indentation being at 90°, and the third indentation being at 180°. As shown, three or more indentations may be positioned along the Z-axis. For instance, the third indentation 112 is entirely disposed above the first indentation along the Z-axis. In one embodiment, each of the three indentations may be equidistant along the Z-axis. In one embodiment, distances (in the Z-direction) between midpoints of adjacent indentations may be the same (or similar). For example, a distance between a midpoint of the first indentation (e.g., between 18a and 18b) and a midpoint of the second indentation (e.g., between 19a and 19b) may be the same as a distance between the midpoint of the second indentation and a midpoint of the third indentation (e.g., between 118a and 118b). In one embodiment, the addition of indentations also creates additional paths within the hollow interior of the filter that fluidly couple sections 10 and 12 together in order to allow smoke to travel between the sections. As shown, the first and second indentations form the path 15, and the second and third indentations form path 113. Both paths fluidly couple the chambers of sections 10 and 12 together, as described herein. In one embodiment, the paths may be similar (or the same). For instance, the shape and / or size of the paths may be the same. In another embodiment, the paths may be different (e.g., sized differently), which may be based on different sized indentations. As shown, the filter 111 includes an odd number of indentations. In some embodiments, the filter may include an even number of indentations. In which case, a fourth indentations may be disposed entirely above the second indentation 9 (along the Z-axis), and / or may be aligned with the second indentation. Fig. 12 shows another filter for smoking smokable substances that includes several indentations according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. This figure illustrates filter 121 that includes three indentations, 127, 128, and 129 that are entirely aligned along a transverse plane to the Z-axis. Specifically, the concave portions of each of the indentations are extend along a same (or similar) length or section of the filter 121. For example, a cross-section of the (e.g., entire) indentation section 11 includes each of the three indentations along the entire length of the cross-section. This is in contrast to the indentation section of Fig. 1, in which a cross section between 18b and 19b includes a portion of indentation 9 but not a portion of indentation 8. In one embodiment, the indentations are entirely aligned such that no cross-section of either the receiving section 12 or the smoke section 10 includes any portion of the indentations. In another embodiment, a portion of a cross-section of the receiving section and / or the smoke section may include portions of all three indentations. In another embodiment, the concave portions of each of the inventions may have a same size and / or shape. In another embodiment, the concave portions may be different in size and / or shape. In particular, a size and / or shape of one indentation may be different than a size and / or shape of another indentation. For example, a size of the indentation 129, such as a length of the indentation extending from a side of the filter’s wall to the Z-axis, may be different than a length of the indentation 128. Figs 13a and 13b show different views of the filter 121. For instance, Fig. 13a shows a perspective view of the filter 121 that includes the three indentations 127-129. Fig. 13b shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the filter 121. Specifically, this figure shows a cross-section of the indentation section 11 along a transverse plane 140 to the Z-axis, as shown in Fig. 13a. In one embodiment, the indentations are entirely aligned with the transverse plane 140 such that the plane crosses through a midpoint of the indentation section (and midpoints of each of the indentations) and separates each of the indentations into equal halves. For instance, one half of indentation 127 is above the plane 140 and another half of indentation 127 is below the plane. Also shown in this figure, the indentation section includes a hollow interior 141 (or path) that is formed by each of the indentations. Thus, this interior 141 fluidly couples the chambers of the opposing receiving and smoke sections to one another. Also shown, the center longitudinal Z-axis intersects the hollow interior 141 such that no portion of the indentations are intersected by the Z-axis. In one embodiment, each of the indentations are equidistant along a circumference of the tube filter. Specifically, segments or arch lengths between adjacent indentations are the same. This is also illustrated by the angle at which (e.g., a midpoint of) each of the indentations is positioned about the Z-axis. In this case, the angles may be equidistant about the Z-axis. For example, 0i of indentation 127 may be 45°, 02 of indentation 129 may be 180°, and 03 of indentation 128 may be 315°. In another embodiment, the angles may not be equidistant (e.g., a segment between indentation 129 and 128 may be shorter than a segment between indentation 129 and 127). In some embodiments, the filter 121 may include more or less indentations. For example, the filter may include only two indentations that are aligned along the Z-axis and are 180° apart about the Z-axis. As another example, the filter may include four indentations. Tn one embodiment, one or more operations performed in process 100 may be performed similarly or differently to manufacture filter 121. For example, to form the second and third indentation, the tube may be rotated about the Z-axis, and the heat and pressure may be applied at a same or similar point along the Z-axis, such that all (or some) of the indentations are aligned with one another. As previously explained, an embodiment of the disclosure may be a non-transitory machine-readable medium (such as microelectronic memory) having stored thereon instructions, which program one or more data processing components (generically referred to here as a “processor”) to perform the glass manufacturing operations of a vial manufacturing process. For instance, each of the processing operations disclosed herein may be performed by a single machine or a combination of machines, such that each of the steps are considered automated and capable of being performed without user intervention. In other embodiments, some of these operations might be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic. Those operations might alternatively be performed by any combination of programmed data processing components and fixed hardwired circuit components. While certain embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad disclosure, and that the disclosure is not limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. In some embodiments, this disclosure may include the language, for example, “at least one of [element A] and [element B] ” This language may refer to one or more of the elements. For example, “at least one of A and B” may refer to “A,” “B,” or “A and B.” Specifically, “at least one of A and B” may refer to “at least one of A and at least one of B,” or “at least of either A or B.” In some embodiments, this disclosure may include the language, for example, “[element A], [element B], and / or [element C] ” This language may refer to either of the elements or any combination thereof. For instance, “A, B, and / or C” may refer to “A,” “B,” “C,” “A and B,” “A and C,” “B and C,” or “A, B, and C ”

Claims

1. A tube filter (111) for smoking a smokable substance, the tube filter comprising: a receiving section (12) having a receiving chamber (14) dimensioned to receive the smokable substance;5 a smoke section (10) having a smoke chamber (13) to output smoke produced while the smokable substance is ignited, wherein the smoke section has a first open end (4) into the smoke chamber and the receiving section has a second open end (6) into the receiving chamber that is opposite to the first end; anda first indentation (8), a second indentation (9), and a third indentation (112) that are disposed 10 between the receiving chamber and the smoke chamber, wherein a portion of the firstindentation and a first portion of the second indentation are disposed within a first crosssection of the tube filter and a portion of the third indentation and a second portion of the second indentation are disposed within a second cross-section of the tube filter, and the third indentation is entirely disposed above the first indentation along the center longitudinal axis,15 wherein the first, second, and third indentations are equidistant along the center longitudinal axis and wherein the first and third indentations are radially separated from the second indentation about the center longitudinal axis by 180.

2. The tube filter of claim 1, wherein the first indentation and the second indentation form a first path (15) inside the tube filter and the second indentation and the thirdT— 20 indentation form a second path (113) inside the tube filter, wherein the first and second paths fluidly couple the receiving chamber to the smoke chamber.

3. The tube filter of any of claims 1-2, wherein the first indentation is radially aligned with the third indentation along the center longitudinal axis.

4. The tube filter of any of claims 1-3, wherein the first and second cross-sections are25 separate and adjacent to one another, and have a same length along the center longitudinalaxis.

5. The tube filter of any of claims 1-4, wherein the first, second, and third indentations are equidistant along a circumference of the tube filter.

6. The tube filter of any of claims 1-5, wherein each of the indentations are concave30 portions of a wall of the tube filter.

7. The tube filter of any of claims 1-6, wherein each of the concave portions have a same size or wherein at least one of the concave portions is a different size than a size of another one of the concave portions.10 10248. The tube filter of any of claims 1-7, wherein the indentation section includes a hollow interior that is formed by the first, second, and third indentations, and optionally wherein the center longitudinal axis intersects the hollow interior such that no portion of the first, second, or third indentations are intersected by the center longitudinal axis.5   9. The tube filter of any of claims 1-8, wherein the smoke section has a first length thatextends along the center longitudinal axis and the receiving section has a second length that extends along the center longitudinal axis, wherein the first length is less than the second length.

10. The tube filter of any of claims 1-9, wherein the receiving section tapers inward along 10 the center longitudinal axis.

11. The tube filter of any of claims 1-10, wherein the tube filter is composed by at least one of metal and glass.

12. The tube filter of any of claims 1-11, wherein the first and second indentations are disposed closer to the first open end than the second open end.15   13. The tube filter of any of claims 1-12, wherein the first and second open ends haveraised lips that extend around a circumference of the tube filter.

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