Water Pipe With Interchangeable Percolator Inserts

Abstract

A water pipe can include a bottom plate with upwardly extending first and second side walls, a back wall and a removable front wall. When assembled, the bottom plate and walls form a reservoir for containing a volume of liquid. The side and back walls have channels formed in their interior surfaces for installation of porous inserts effecting filtration of vapor drawn through the inserts. The distal end of a vapor introducing tube extends through a side wall into the reservoir, while a proximal end of the vapor introducing tube extends into the exterior environment. A top plate seals an interior volume formed by the bottom plate and the walls extending upwardly therefrom. The top plate has an upwardly extending mouthpiece. Upon introduction of a source of inhalable vapor at the proximal end of the vapor introducing tube, a negative pressure is drawn from the mouthpiece to induce the vapor to travel through the reservoir and through the porous inserts. Removal of the front wall of the water pipe exposes the interior surfaces of the first side wall, the second side wall and the back wall, whereby deposits on the interior surfaces can be readily accessed and removed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water pipe comprising:
 (a) a substantially rectangular bottom plate having a first side wall extending upwardly from a side perimeter of said bottom plate and a second side wall extending upwardly from an opposite side perimeter of said bottom plate, wherein said first side wall includes at least one first side wall channel formed in an interior surface of said first side wall and said second side wall includes at least one second side wall channel formed in an interior surface of said second side wall;   (b) a removable front wall extending upwardly from a front perimeter of said bottom plate;   (c) a back wall extending upwardly from a back perimeter of said bottom plate, wherein said front wall, said back wall, said first side wall and said second side wall, when assembled, form a reservoir for containing a volume of liquid, and wherein said back wall includes at least one back wall channel formed in an interior surface of said back wall;   (d) a vapor introducing tube extending through one of said first side wall and said second side wall, said vapor introducing tube having a distal end extending into said reservoir and a proximal end extending into the environment exterior to said water pipe;   (e) a substantially rectangular top plate for sealing an interior volume formed by said bottom plate, said front wall, said back wall, said first side wall and said second side wall, said top plate having an opening formed therein, wherein said opening has a mouthpiece extending upwardly therefrom; and   (f) at least one porous insert configured for installation in said at least one first side wall channel, said at least one second side wall channel, and said at least one back wall channel, wherein said at least one porous insert effects filtration of a vapor drawn through said at least one porous insert;   wherein upon introduction of an inhalable vapor at said proximal end of said vapor introducing tube, drawing a negative pressure from said mouthpiece induces said inhalable vapor to travel through said reservoir and through said at least one porous insert.   
     
     
         2 . The water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one porous insert comprises a pair of clamshell members that, when assembled, said pair of clamshell members are capable of containing a quantity of liquid and effecting filtration of said inhalable vapor drawn through assembled said pair of clamshell members. 
     
     
         3 . The water pipe of  claim 2 , wherein said at least one porous insert is rendered porous by a plurality of openings arranged in a honeycomb pattern. 
     
     
         4 . The water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one porous insert comprises a layer of filtration material. 
     
     
         5 . The water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one first side wall channel of said first side wall comprises a first pair of side wall channels, said at least one second side wall channel comprises a second pair of side wall channels and said at least one back wall channel of said back wall comprises a pair of back wall channels, and wherein said at least one porous insert comprises a pair of porous inserts insertable in said first pair of side wall channels, said second pair of side wall channels and said pair of back wall channels. 
     
     
         6 . The water pipe of  claim 1 , further comprising a sealing gasket interposed between said front wall and the side perimeters of said first side wall and said second side wall. 
     
     
         7 . The water pipe of  claim 1 , further comprising a sealing gasket interposed between said top plate and the top perimeters of said front wall, said back wall and said first side wall and said second side wall. 
     
     
         8 . The water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein said first side wall and said second side wall have a plurality of fittings disposed therein for receiving a plurality of fasteners extending through a plurality of openings in said front wall, whereby said plurality of fasteners are capable of attaching said front wall to the perimeters of said first side wall and said second side wall to form a seal between said front wall, said first side wall and said second side wall. 
     
     
         9 . The water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein removal of said front wall exposes an interior surface of said first side wall, an interior surface of said second side wall and an interior surface of said back wall, whereby a plurality of deposits on said interior surfaces can be accessed and removed. 
     
     
         10 . The water pipe of  claim 1 , wherein said back wall is removeable. 
     
     
         11 . The water pipe of  claim 10 , wherein removal of said front wall and said back wall exposes an interior surface of said first side wall and an interior surface of said second side wall, whereby a plurality of deposits on said interior surfaces can be readily accessed and removed.