They Invented What? (No. 24)

U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,627:  Smoker’s hat.

 

What is claimed is:

1. A portable hat system for enabling the smoking of tobacco-type products without affecting the environment comprising:
         hat means for covering the head of a smoker; 
         means for intaking ambient air into the hat means, the intake ambient air flowing in front of the smoker’s face when the hat is worn by the smoker; 
         separate filter means for removing combustion products released by the smoker into the intake ambient air to produce filtered air; and
         means for exhausting the filtered air from the hat means. 

2. The portable hat system according to claim 1, further comprising a visor dependingly attached to said hat means and covering the face of the smoker when the hat means is worn by the smoker.

3. The portable hat system according to claim 2 further comprising staging means for supporting a lit cigarette under the hat means in a position enabling the intake ambient air to flow therepast.

4. The portable hat system according to claim 3 further comprising receptacle means disposed under said hat means for receiving solid combustion products, said receptacle means being disposed in a position enabling the intake ambient air to flow therepast.

5. The portable hat system according to claim 4 wherein said hat means comprises hard hat means for preventing injury to the smoker’s head from falling objects when the hat means is worn by the smoker.

6. The portable hat system according to claim 5 wherein the means for intaking ambient air includes a battery operated fan and a battery, said fan and battery being disposed in opposite ends of the hat means in order to balance the weight of the portable hat system and cause the center of gravity thereof to be near the center of the smoker’s head when the hat means is worn by the smoker.

7. The portable hat system according to claim 6 wherein the means for removing combustion products from the intake ambient air comprises an electrostatic cathode screen, a removable filter cartridge and duct means for directing intake ambient air and combustion products past the electrostatic cathode screen and through the removable filter cartridge.

8. The portable hat system according to claim 7 wherein the means for intaking ambient air comprises cinder guard screen means for preventing solid combustion products of a predeteremined size from entering the fan and removable filter cartridges.

9. The portable hat system according to claim 8 means for removing combustion products from the intake ambient air further comprising recirculation means for enabling at least a portion of the intake ambient air to pass through the removable filter cartridge more than once.

10. The portable hat system according to claim 9 further comprising cooling duct means for enabling a preselected amount of filtered air to pass over the head of the smoker when the hat means is worn.

11. The portable hat system according to claim 10 wherein the hat means further comprises pocket means for supporting at least one package of cigarettes for ready access thereto.

12. The portable hat system according to claim 11 further comprising means for adding a scent to the filtered air.

13. A portable hat system for enabling the smoking of cigarettes without discharge of smoke to the ambient air and ashes to the surrounding area comprising:  hat means for covering the head of a smoker;  visor means removably attached to said hat means for establishing an intake ambient air channel in front of the face of a smoker when the hat means is worn thereby;  means for intaking ambient air into the hat means through the air channel when the hat means is worn by the smoker;  means for removing smoke released by the smoker into the air channel to produce filtered air; means for exhausting the filtered air from the hat means;  staging means, attached to said visor means, for supporting a lit cigarette within the air channel in order that smoke rising therefrom is carried into the hat means via the intake ambient air; and receptacle means removably attached to said visor means for receiving solid combustion products.

14. The portable hat system according to claim 13 wherein said visor means is adapted to enable attachment of the receptacle means thereto at more than one location.

15. The portable hat system according to claim 14 wherein the means for intaking ambient air includes a battery operated fan and a rechargeable battery, said fan and battery being disposed in opposite ends of the hat means in order to balance the weight of the portable hat system and cause the center of gravity thereof to be near the center of the smoker’s head when the hat means is worn by the smoker.

16. The portable hat system according to claim 15 wherein the means for removing smoke from the intake ambient air comprises an electrostatic cathode screen, a removable filter cartridge and duct means for directing intake ambient air and smoke past the electrostatic cathode screen and through the removable filter cartridge.

17. The portable hat system according to claim 16 wherein the means for intaking ambient air comprises circular guard screen means for preventing solid combustion products of a predetermined size from entering the fan and removable filter cartridges.

18. The portable hat system according to claim 8 means for removing smoke from the intake ambient air further comprises recirculation means for enabling at least a portion of the intake ambient air to pass through the removable filter cartridge more than once.

19. The portable hat system according to claim 18 further comprising cooling duct means for enabling a preselected amount of filtered air to pass over the head of the smoker when the hat means is worn.

20. The portable hat system according to claim 19 wherein the hat means further comprises pocket means for supporting at least one package of cigarettes for ready access thereto.

21. The portable hat system according to claim 20 wherein said hat means comprises hard hat means for preventing injury to the smoker’s head from falling objects when the hat means is worn by the smoker.

22. The portable hat system according to claim 21 further comprising means for adding a scent to the filtered air.

23. The portable hat system according to claim 22 wherein the means for exhausting the filtered air from the hat means is configured for exhausting the air in an upward direction when the hat means is worn by a smoker.