Method for generating small bubbles for a smoke-filled air stream

• US 6,935,345 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PH(X) Glass, LLC
• Original Assignee: Christopher Carstens, Daniel Carstens
• Inventors: Carstens, Christopher, Carstens, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): MAYES, DIONNE WALLS
• Application Number:
  US10/377,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20030159701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 131/173, 131/200, 131/211, 131/212.1, 131/212.2, 131/216, 131/329, 128/200.24, 128/203.12, 128/203.16, 128/205.12, 128/205.27
• US Class Current: 131/173
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 1/30 Hookahs

Abstract

The present invention is a small bubble generator in a water stage cleaning and cooling a smoke filled air stream. A demister is a second embodiment of the invention to remove entrained water droplets from a cleaned and cooled smoke filled air stream issuing from the water stage.

Claims

1. A method for generating small bubbles for a smoke filled air stream, where the smoke filled air stream is generated by human inhalation of air through burning vegetable matter causing the smoke filled air stream to be drawn through an intervening water stage, comprising:

(a) generating the smoke filled air stream;

(b) drawing the smoke filled air stream into a lower opening of a largest bore of an outer housing, the bore having a longitudinal axis from the lower opening to an upper opening, whereto human inhalation vacuum force is applied as the sole force for generating the smoke filled air stream;

(c) providing a first plate that seals the bore except for a first opening in the first plate about the bore axis and also providing an open ended tube extending from the edges of the first opening along the bore axis to a first height, whereby the smoke filled air stream flows from the first opening through the open ended tube to a second opening at the first height;

(d) providing an enclosure for the open ended tube with a cap on top of walls that extend up from a top surface of the plate to define a first annular space between an outside surface of the tube and an inside surface of the walls and a second annular space between an outside surface of the walls and an inside surface of the bore, where small accelerator openings are provided at a lower part of the walls between the first and second annular spaces;

(e) providing a water based liquid in the second annular space and flowing the smoke filled air stream from the second opening of the tube through the first annular space, substantially accelerating the smoke filled air stream by flowing it through the small accelerator openings and forming small bubbles therewith in the water based liquid; and

(f) flowing the small bubbles to a surface of the water based liquid and thereby reducing the temperature of the smoke filled air and capturing a substantial portion of its undesirable components to form a first cleaned smoke stream.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the top of the tube and an underside of the cap are separated by 0.25 to about 2 inches.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the small accelerator openings have a hydraulic cross section of about 10 square millimeters or less.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the small accelerator openings have a hydraulic cross section of about 4 square millimeters or less.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the small accelerator openings have a hydraulic cross section of about 2 square millimeters or less.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the small bubbles have an average internal diameter of about 4 millimeters or less.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the small bubbles have an average internal diameter of about 2 millimeters or less.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the system steps (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) comprise a first water stage.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first cleaned smoke stream is fed as a smoke filled air stream to a second water stage to repeat the system steps (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) to form a second cleaned smoke stream.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the second cleaned smoke stream is fed as a smoke filled air stream to a third water stage to repeat the system steps (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) to form a third cleaned smoke stream.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the outer housing is substantially tilted away from vertical so that a side of the second annular space in the tilt direction contains substantially more water based liquid than an opposite side of the second annular space, whereafter about the same gas stream flow is maintained through the small accelerator openings as compared with the gas stream flow while the outer housing is vertical.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first cleaned smoke stream comprises a substantial amount of water droplets and is flowed to a demister in the bore to substantially eliminate the water droplets to form a demisted smoke stream.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the demister provides a second plate that seals the bore except for a second opening in the second plate about the bore axis and also providing an enclosure for the second opening a demister cap on top of demister walls that extend up from a top surface of the second plate to define a demisting space and a third annular space between an outside surface of the demister walls and an inside surface of the bore, where demister openings are provided at a lowest part of the walls between the demister space and the third annular space and one or more slots radial to the bore axis are formed in the demister walls between the demister space and the third annular space.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first cleaned smoke stream flows into the demister space and water droplets adhere to a bottom surface of the demister cap.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first cleaned smoke stream flows into the demister space and out through the slots to water droplets on the inside surface of the bore.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein water drains through the demister openings to the second opening and then down to a water stage.