Modular smoking pipe with interchangeable cartridge

Abstract

A smoking pipe for smoking a tobacco product has an elongated pipe body with a passage therethrough a mouthpiece portion at the first end of the pipe body and a chamber formed in the second end of the pipe body opposite to the mouthpiece portion. A cartridge removably supported within the chamber receives the tobacco product therein. The cartridge can be slidably removed to allow the chamber to be cleaned and refilled simply by removing the cartridge and replacing the cartridge with a new, clean cartridge having fresh smoking product optionally already packed therein. The pipe body may be optionally formed in two body sections joined to one another by respective magnetic couplers at the abutted inner ends of the two body sections.

1 . A smoking pipe for smoking a tobacco product, the pipe comprising:
 a pipe body which is elongate in a longitudinal direction and which includes a passage extending therethrough between a first end of the pipe body and a second end of the pipe body opposite to the first end;   a mouthpiece portion at the first end of the pipe body, the mouthpiece portion receiving the passage communicating therethrough;   a chamber formed in the second end of the pipe body opposite to the mouthpiece portion, the chamber being arranged to receive the tobacco product therein; and   a cartridge removably supported within the chamber, the cartridge being arranged to receive the tobacco product therein.   
     
     
         2 . The pipe according to  claim 1  wherein the cartridge comprises a metal housing. 
     
     
         3 . The pipe according to  claim 1  wherein the cartridge is axially slidable in a direction of the second longitudinal axis relative to the chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The pipe according to  claim 1  wherein the cartridge comprises a cylindrical side wall and an annular end wall partially enclosing an outer end of the annular end wall. 
     
     
         5 . The pipe according to  claim 1  wherein an inner end of the cartridge is fully open. 
     
     
         6 . The pipe according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 the pipe body comprising a first tubular body and a second tubular body; 
 the first tubular body being elongate in a first longitudinal direction of the first tubular body and including a first passage portion of the passage extending in the first longitudinal direction between an outer end of the first tubular body and an inner end of the first tubular body opposite to the outer end of the first tubular body; 
 a first coupler supported at the inner end of the first tubular body; 
 the mouthpiece portion being located at the outer end of the first tubular body opposite to the first coupler, the mouthpiece portion receiving the first passage portion communicating therethrough; 
 the second tubular body being elongate in a second longitudinal direction of the second tubular body and including a second passage extending in the second longitudinal direction between an outer end of the second tubular body and an inner end of the second tubular body opposite to the outer end of the second tubular body; 
 a second coupler supported at the inner end of the second tubular body; 
 the chamber being formed in the outer end of the second tubular body opposite to the second coupler; 
 the first and second couplers being magnetically attracted to one another so as to be arranged to releasably couple the inner ends of the first tubular body and the second tubular body in abutment with one another; and 
 the first passage of the first tubular body and the second passage of the second tubular body being in open communication with one another from the mouthpiece at the outer end of the first tubular body to the chamber at the outer end of the second tubular body when the first and second couplers magnetically couple the inners ends of the first and second tubular bodies to one another. 
 
     
     
         7 . A smoking pipe for smoking a tobacco product, the pipe comprising:
 a first tubular body which is elongate in a first longitudinal direction of the first tubular body and which includes a first passage extending in the first longitudinal direction between an outer end of the first tubular body and an inner end of the first tubular body opposite to the outer end of the first tubular body;   a first coupler supported at the inner end of the first tubular body;   a mouthpiece portion at the outer end of the first tubular body opposite to the first coupler, the mouthpiece portion receiving the first passage communicating therethrough;   a second tubular body which is elongate in a second longitudinal direction of the second tubular body and which includes a second passage extending in the second longitudinal direction between an outer end of the second tubular body and an inner end of the second tubular body opposite to the outer end of the second tubular body;   a second coupler supported at the inner end of the second tubular body;   a chamber formed in the outer end of the second tubular body opposite to the second coupler, the chamber being arranged to receive the tobacco product therein;   the first and second couplers being magnetically attracted to one another so as to be arranged to releasably couple the inner ends of the first tubular body and the second tubular body in abutment with one another;   the first passage of the first tubular body and the second passage of the second tubular body being in open communication with one another from the mouthpiece at the outer end of the first tubular body to the chamber at the outer end of the second tubular body when the first and second couplers magnetically couple the inners ends of the first and second tubular bodies to one another.   
     
     
         8 . The pipe according to  claim 7  wherein each coupler is annular in shape having a central opening aligned with the passage of the tubular body upon which the coupler is supported. 
     
     
         9 . The pipe according to  claim 8  wherein each coupler is received within a counterbore formed at the inner end of the tubular body supporting the coupler thereon, the counterbore being in alignment with the passage in the tubular body. 
     
     
         10 . The pipe according to  claim 9  wherein each coupler is substantially flush with the inner end of the tubular body supporting the coupler thereon. 
     
     
         11 . The pipe according to  claim 8  wherein the central opening of each coupler has an inner diameter which is substantially equal to an inner diameter of the passage in the tubular body supporting the coupler thereon. 
     
     
         12 . The pipe according to  claim 7  wherein the mouthpiece portion at the outer end of the first tubular body is ellipsoid in shape about the first longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         13 . The pipe according to  claim 7  wherein the chamber comprises a counterbore formed in the outer end of the second tubular body in alignment with the second longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         14 . The pipe according to  claim 13  wherein the chamber is coaxial with the second passage. 
     
     
         15 . The pipe according to  claim 7  wherein both couplers are magnetic and are mounted within the tubular bodies with opposing polarity in the mounted position so as to be attracted to one another. 
     
     
         16 . The pipe according to  claim 7  further comprising a cartridge removably supported within the chamber, the cartridge being arranged to receive the tobacco product therein. 
     
     
         17 . The pipe according to  claim 16  wherein the cartridge comprises a metal housing. 
     
     
         18 . The pipe according to  claim 16  wherein the cartridge is axially slidable in a direction of the second longitudinal axis relative to the chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The pipe according to  claim 16  wherein the cartridge comprises a cylindrical side wall and an annular end wall partially enclosing an outer end of the annular end wall. 
     
     
         20 . The pipe according to  claim 16  wherein an inner end of the cartridge is fully open.