Tobacco filter means superimposedly rechargeably filled with disposable filter units

• US 6,745,777 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Te-San Liu
• Original Assignee: Te-San Liu
• Inventors: Liu, Te-San
• Primary Examiner(s): MAYES, DIONNE WALLS
• Application Number:
  US10/280,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20030079755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 131/225, 131/226, 131/227, 131/187, 131/200, 131/341, 131/344
• US Class Current: 131/225
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 1/20 with absorbent linings
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 7/04 with smoke filters filters therefor A24D3/00

Abstract

A tobacco filter device includes a plurality of filter units superimposedly rechargeably filled in a sleeve member, having a bowl member connected to an outer end (smoking end) of the sleeve member and a mouthpiece connected to an inner end (mouth end) of the sleeve member, whereby upon smoking of tobacco or a cigarette as loaded or inserted in the bowl portion, the filter unit or units positioned on an outer portion of the sleeve member adjacent to the smoking end, after being saturated with smoking waste including tar and nicotine, may be pushed outwardly and discarded from the outer end of the sleeve member as thrusted and urged by a fresh (new) filter unit (or units) as recharged into the inner (mouth) end of the sleeve member, thereby still keeping use of those filter units not yet saturated and loaded in the rear portion of the sleeve member, without wasting the useful filter units.

Claims

1. A tobacco filter means comprises:

a sleeve member including a plurality of filter units, having filter material formed in each said filter unit for absorbing or adsorbing smoke waste materials, superimposedly rechargeably filled in a central hole formed through the sleeve member;

each said filter unit formed with at least a lug on a perimeter of the filter unit, with the lug slidably engageable with at least a longitudinal groove longitudinally recessed in an inside wall of the sleeve member and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the sleeve member;

having an outer end portion of the sleeve member adapted for filling tobacco therein or for inserting a cigarette therein; and

having an inner end portion of the sleeve member adapted to be received into or sucked by a smoker'"'"'s mouth;

whereby upon smoking for a time period and when the filter unit loaded on an outer portion of the sleeve member is saturated or clogged by the smoke waste, a new filter unit is recharged into the sleeve member through the inner end portion of the sleeve member for thrusting the filter units forwardly to outwardly discard the filter unit as saturated or clogged through a front end portion of the sleeve member.

2. A tobacco filter means according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve member includes:

an outer adapter connected with a bowl member for filling tobacco or inserting a cigarette in the bowl member; and

an inner adapter of the sleeve member connected with a mouthpiece as received by a smoker'"'"'s mouth.

3. A tobacco filter means according to claim 2, wherein said bowl member includes a recess for filling tobacco therein, and an outer connector fluidically communicated with the recess through a gas passage formed in the bowl member and coupled to the outer adapter of the sleeve member.

4. A tobacco filter means according to claim 2, wherein said mouthpiece includes an inner connector coupled with and fluidically communicated with the inner adapter of the sleeve member;

with the mouthpiece detachably coupled to the inner adapter of the sleeve member for refilling new filter unit into the sleeve member.

5. A tobacco filter means according to claim 2, wherein said bowl member is formed as a short cylinder for inserting a paper cigarette therein.

6. A tobacco filter means according to claim 1, wherein said filter unit includes the filter material which is formed with fibrous materials added with smoker'"'"'s personal favorite additives therein.

7. A tobacco filter means according to claim 1, wherein each said filter unit includes a plug portion protruding forwardly from a front end of the filter unit and a socket portion recessed in a rear end portion of the filter unit so that a rear filter unit may be engaged with a front filter unit by engaging the plug portion of a filter unit with the socket portion of the other filter unit.

8. A tobacco filter means according to claim 7, wherein each said filter unit includes:

a male cover having the plug portion formed on a front portion of the male cover, a front central hole formed through the male cover and a first connecting portion formed in a rear portion of the male cover; and

a female cover having the female socket formed on a rear portion of the female cover and engageable with the plug portion for coupling a front filter unit with a rear filter unit by engaging the plug portion of the rear filter unit with the female socket of the front filter unit, a rear central hole formed through the female cover, and a second connecting portion formed on a front portion of the female cover to be engaged with the first connecting portion formed on the male cover so that the male cover can be combined with the female cover to incorporate a filter material in the front and rear central holes between the male and female covers.

9. A tobacco filter means according to claim 8, wherein each said filter unit is integrally formed by forming the filter material integrally with the male cover and the female cover to be an integrated porous piece, of which a plurality of the porous pieces are superimposed longitudinally lengthywise through the sleeve member.

10. A tobacco filter means according to claim 1, wherein the filter units as filled in the sleeve member are limited by a mouthpiece and a bowl member disposed on opposite ends of the sleeve member.