FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to smoking. More particularly, the present invention relates to a smoking device, tablets of smoking material for loading into the smoking device and a loader of the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A smoking device, e.g., a smoking pipe, typically includes a bowl defining a chamber that can hold a combustible smoking material, such as tobacco. The bowl is fluidically linked to a tube generally referred to as a shank. The shank has an internal airway that is fluidically connected to the chamber within the bowl. The shank may further connect to a stem that a user places in their mouth, allowing the user of the smoking pipe to inhale smoke of the smoking material by sucking on the distal end of the stem (generally referred to as the bit), thereby creating a suction force that drives the smoke from the chamber through the stem into the user’s mouth and lungs. A heat source, e.g., a burning match, a lighter, may be placed at the open end of the chamber, to ignite the combustible material contained in the bowl. When the user of the smoking pipe inhales or sucks air via the pipe, air rich with oxygen is drawn into the combusted material inside the chamber, so as to increase the burning of that material and the user inhales gases and fumes resulting from the combustion through the stem.

[0003] Smoking materials that are used for pipe smoking, such as tobacco and aromatic mixtures of tobacco, may come from tobacco leaves. The tobacco leaves are harvested from the tobacco plant. Harvested tobacco leaves are generally large in size and have a considerable water content. As such, harvested tobacco leaves may require treatment before they become fit for smoking. Harvested tobacco leaves, and other leaves meant for smoking, may be dried to reduce the water content of the leaves. Dry tobacco leaves usually burn (and remain lit) better than fresh (e.g., newly harvested, lean and undried) tobacco leaves. Dry tobacco leaves are shredded to various shred sizes depending on intended use. For example, tobacco intended for cigarettes may be thinly shredded, tobacco intended for smoking pipes may have larger shreds than cigarette tobacco, and tobacco intended for cigars may be cut to large pieces or just have the stem of the leaf removed.

[0004] It might be difficult to control the amount of the smoking material used in each session of pipe smoking. Users of smoking pipes generally do not measure accurately or weigh the amount of smoking material they put inside the bowl of the pipe. The Users may decide by feel and by force of habit, how much material approximately they want to use. It may be desired to control the amount of smoking material used in some applications (e.g., smoking for medicinal purposes, wherein controlling the amount of smoking material may be important).

[0005] Smoking a pipe, involves putting smoking material into the bowl of the pipe and igniting the smoking material. Burnt smoking material and residue (e.g. ashes) are left inside the bowl of the smoking pipe after the pipe is smoked. A user of the smoking pipe may clean the pipe before applying new smoking material and before storing the pipe. The pipe cleaning process generally includes removing the old contents from the bowl of the smoking pipe. The user of the smoking pipe may use a pick (e.g., a stick, a metal wire, an elongated tool) and a scraper (e.g., a brush, a metal comb, a tool with a serrated edge, a blade) to expel material from the bowl of the pipe and to scrape the walls of the bowl. If the pipe is not thoroughly cleaned, the following smoking session might give a bad experience for the smoker, stale and used smoking material are generally detrimental to the smoking experience.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] There is thus provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a smoking device that includes a barrel having a bore with two opposing openings and a cylindrical wall, said wall having a lateral opening; and a shank having a duct extending from the lateral opening to a distal opening, said duct fluidically connecting the distal opening of the shank with the bore of the barrel.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the invention, the smoking device includes a stem extending from the shank. [0008] According to some embodiments of the invention, the smoking device comprises a retractable cannula configured to extend from the shank into the bore or retract into the shank.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the invention, the canula has a diagonally oriented opening.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the invention, the barrel comprises a heat source.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the invention, the heat source comprises a heating element and a controller.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the invention, the barrel comprises a thermal sensor, the sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a temperature inside the barrel for use by the controller to regulate the heat source.

[0013] There is thus provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a tablet of smoking material that includes smoking material formed to fit inside a barrel of a smoking device; and a support that fits inside the barrel and is configured to allow fume to flow through.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the invention, the support comprises a central lumen with an upper opening and a bottom opening.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the invention, the tablet further includes a net plate to filter particles greater than a predetermined size.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the invention, the net plate is placed between the smoking material and the support.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the invention, the tablet comprises a swab plate.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the invention, the swab plate is placed adjacent to the support.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the invention, the support is made of pervious material. [0020] There is thus provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a loader for loading a smoking device with tablets of smoking material, the loader includes a dispensing mechanism to dispense one tablet at a time, out of a cartridge of tablets.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the invention, the dispensing mechanism further comprises a level.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the invention, wherein the lever is a resilient lever.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the invention, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises a spring.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the invention, the dispensing mechanism further comprises a plunger.

[0025] According to some embodiments of the invention, the loader comprises a housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order for the present invention to be better understood and for its practical applications to be appreciated, the following Figures are provided and referenced hereafter. It should be noted that the Figures are given as examples only and in no way limit the scope of the invention. Like components are denoted by like reference numerals. [0027] Fig. 1A shows a smoking device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] Fig. IB shows the smoking device shown in Fig. 1A, with a cannula extended into the barrel.

[0029] Fig. 2A shows a tablet of smoking material, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] Fig. 2B is an exploded view of the tablet of smoking material shown in Fig. 2 A.

[0031] Fig. 3 shows a smoking device with a tablet of smoking material loaded inside the barrel of the smoking device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. [0032] Fig. 4 shows a smoking device with a retractable cannula, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0033] Fig. 5 shows a loader for loading tablets of smoking material into the bore of a smoking device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] Fig. 6 shows a smoking device with a controllable heating element in accordance to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, modules, units and/or circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention.

[0036] Although embodiments of the invention are not limited in this regard, discussions utilizing terms such as, for example, “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” “establishing”, “analyzing”, “checking”, or the like, may refer to operation(s) and/or process(es) of a computer, a computing platform, a computing system, or other electronic computing device, that manipulates and/or transforms data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within the computer’s registers and/or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer’s registers and/or memories or other information non-transitory storage medium (e.g., a memory) that may store instructions to perform operations and/or processes. Although embodiments of the invention are not limited in this regard, the terms “plurality” and “a plurality” as used herein may include, for example, “multiple” or “two or more”. The terms “plurality” or “a plurality” may be used throughout the specification to describe two or more components, devices, elements, units, parameters, or the like. Unless explicitly stated, the method embodiments described herein are not constrained to a particular order or sequence. Additionally, some of the described method embodiments or elements thereof can occur or be performed simultaneously, at the same point in time, or concurrently. Unless otherwise indicated, the conjunction “or” as used herein is to be understood as inclusive (any or all of the stated options).

[0037] In some embodiments of the present invention, a smoking device may include a barrel (instead of the bowl in a typical smoking pipe) that defines a bore within a cylindrical wall. The bore may have two opposite openings, one opening of the opposing openings may define a barrel inlet and the other opening may define a barrel outlet. The user of the smoking device can insert smoking material or a tablet containing smoking material through either of the openings into the bore. The barrel may extend or connect fluidically to a shank. The shank may have an internal duct (e.g., airway for passing air and smoke). The duct may extend to the cylindrical wall of the barrel, defining a lateral opening in the cylindrical wall, for facilitating passage of the smoke or fumes.

[0038] In some embodiments of the invention, the shank may connect or extend to another tube generally referred to as a stem. The stem may have an internal duct. The ducts of the shank and the stem define an airway extending from the bore to a distal opening of the stem, allowing a user to suck and inhale smoke from the barrel. When the user sucks on the distal end of the stem, the generated suction force pulls fumes and gases from the barrel through the ducts into the user’s mouth and lungs.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present invention, smoking material may be pressed or prepared in a tablet-like form, or it may be encapsulated in a tablet enclosure (hereinafter referred to as “tablet” for brevity). The tablet may be configured to substantially fit inside the barrel the smoking device. After the smoking material of a tablet is smoked, the tablet may be removed, and a new tablet may be inserted. In some embodiments of the invention, a new tablet may be inserted into one of the opposite openings of the barrel and may expel the used tablet out of the other opening of the barrel. The tablet may be configured to fit inside the barrel so that when a new tablet is pressed into the bore through one of the opposing openings, burnt material, combustion residue or particles left from the previous use will be pushed out and discharged.

[0040] In some embodiments of the present invention, a smoking device may have a barrel. The barrel may have two opposing openings defining a barrel inlet and a barrel outlet. The inlet and outlet of the barrel may be similar. For example, the inlet and outlet of the barrel may be substantially round, have a similar radius, have similar dimensions and have similar shapes. In some embodiments of the present invention, a tablet of smoking material may be configured to fit through the inlet and outlet of the barrel. For example, a tablet of smoking material may fit though at least the inlet or the outlet of the barrel.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present invention, the inlet and the outlet of the barrel may have different sizes. For example, the inlet of the barrel may be larger than the outlet of the barrel. In some embodiments of the present invention, the inlet of the barrel may be configured to receive a tablet of smoking material, the outlet of the barrel may be configured to prevent the passing (e.g., insertion and expulsion) of a tablet of smoking material through the outlet of the barrel. For example, the outlet of the barrel may have a flanged edge, have a smaller radius than the inlet of the barrel, have a different shape than the inlet of the barrel and have a different shape from a tablet of smoking material, so as to prevent the tablet of smoking material from passing through the outlet.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present invention, the inlet of the barrel may be configured to receive a tablet of smoking material, the outlet of the barrel may be configured to facilitate the expulsion of a tablet of smoking material (e.g., the expulsion of a new tablet, a used tablet, burnt material and residue). The outlet of the barrel may be configured to receive a plunger for expelling material from the bore. For example, the outlet of the barrel may be smaller than a tablet of smoking material (e.g., the tablet of smoking material may not pass through the outlet), and the outlet of the barrel may be large enough to receive a plunger (e.g. the plunger is smaller in diameter than the tablet of smoking material and the plunger is smaller in diameter than the outlet the barrel). For example, the plunger used to expel material from the barrel may be an elongated member (e.g., a rod, a stick, a cylinder, a tube) that can fit through the outlet of the barrel (e.g. the shape and area of at least the tip end of the plunger may be smaller than the outlet of the barrel).

[0043] In some embodiments of the present invention, a tablet of smoking material may have a swab plate. The swab plate may be configured to fit in a barrel of a smoking pipe. The swab plate may be used to expel material from the barrel to clean the barrel (e.g., remove old and used smoking material and provide a cleaner barrel for a better smoking experience). For example, when inserting a new tablet of smoking material to the barrel, the swab plate may push and expel material (e.g., old tablet, burnt material) from the barrel. The swab plate may be used to expel the burnt material of a tablet after the tablet is used. For example, after a tablet of smoking material is inserted to the barrel, the tablet may be smoked (e.g., the user may ignite and smoke the tablet), a plunger may be used to push the used tablet out of the barrel, the swab plate (while being expelled) of the used tablet may expel the burnt material and clean the walls of the barrel.

[0044] Fig.lA shows a smoking device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. Smoking device 100 may include barrel 106. Barrel 106 may have bore 107 extending through barrel 106 between inlet 108 and oulteltl 10. Bore 107 is surrounded by wall 109 (e.g., cylindrical wall) which has a lateral opening 112. Barrel 106 is configured to contain smoking material, e.g., tablet 200 (see Figs. 2A, 2B and corresponding description hereinafter), which may be ignited (e.g., using a lighter, an igniter, a heater) for example through inlet 108 of bore 107 to ignite the smoking material that was placed inside bore 107. Wall 109 may have one or a plurality of protrusions or ridges for holding tablet 200 in bore 107. For example, wall 109 may have a protrusion that helps to hold tablet 200 in a predetermined position inside bore 107.

[0045] Barrel 106 may be made from heat resisting material, such as dense wood or metals, for withstanding the heat of combusting materials inside the barrel. Additionally, shank 104 and cannula 114 may be made from heat resisting material for withstanding the heat of the combusting materials and the hot smoke. Stem 102, and distal end of stem 102 may be made of materials with low thermal conduction, such wood and plastic, to prevent stem 102 and distal end of stem 102 from heating and burning the user's mouth. Additionally, barrel 106 may be bade of material with low thermal conduction, for preventing the user from being burnt when the user holds ignited pipe 100 at barrel 106.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, smoking pipe 100 and/or parts of smoking pipe 100 may be made of and/or comprise glass such as borosilicate glass. For example, barrel 106, shank 104 and stem 102 may be made of glass such as borosilicate glass. In some embodiments of the present invention, thermal insulating material may coat and/or cover smoking pipe 100 and/or parts of smoking pipe 100, for withstanding the heat of combusting materials. For example, thermal insolating material such as heat resistive silicon, heat resistive polymers and rubber may coat barrel 106, shank 104 and stem 102. [0047] Shank 104 extends laterally form barrel 106 and may be configured to facilitate drawing of fume or smoke from barrel 106. Duct 105 extends through shank 104 from proximal opening 117, positioned laterally on wall 109 of barrel 106, to distal opening 116. Shank 104 may be extended by stem 102. Stem 102 may detachably connect to shank 104. Separating the stem from the shank may be useful, allowing access to the inside of duct 105 and to the lateral opening 117 for a cleaning accessory. Stem 102 may include duct 122 with distal opening 118 and proximal opening 120. Stem 102 may be used to as an elongation to shank 104, together defining an airway from barrel 106 to distal opening of stem 118.

[0048] Fig. IB shows a smoking device, with a cannula extended into the barrel, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. Smoking device 100 may include cannula 114 stashed inside shank 104 and/or stem 102. Cannula 114 may be extended into bore 107 of barrel 106 or be retracted back into shank 104 and/or stem 102. Shank 104 may include a mechanism for extending and deploying cannula 114. For example, shank 104 may include a spring-loaded mechanism or a sliding mechanism for moving cannula 114 between a retracted position and an extended position.

[0049] Cannula 114 may be configured to penetrate into the smoking material or impale tablet 200 placed inside barrel 106, so as to immobilize the smoking material or tablet inside bore 107 of the barrel 106. After retracting cannula 114 tablet 200 may be discharged from barrel 106 to allow loading of a new tablet or insertion of smoking material or to facilitate cleaning of the barrel. Cannula 114 may include opening 115, in some configurations cannula 114 is tapered or has opening 115 diagonally oriented to define a sharp end and easily penetrate the smoking material or the tablet inside the barrel. Diagonally oriented opening 115 may by directed upwards to allow airflow to descend from the inlet 108 of bore 107 of barrel 106 and be directed into cannula 114.

[0050] Fig. 2A shows a tablet of smoking material, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. Tablet 200 may include smoking material 212, for example in a cylindrical form to fit bore 107 of barrel 106. supported smoking material 212 nay be attached to or mounted onto matching support 204 (e.g., also cylindrical). Support 204 may be formed to fit barrel 106 configured to allow fume or smoke of the smoking material when consumed to flow through and may include a swab plate 202. Swab plate 202 may laterally protrude so that when tablet 200 is inserted into bore 107, swab plate 202 may rub against wall 109 of barrel 106 and sweep away any residues or combusted materials of the previous tablet.

[0051] Fig. 2B is an exploded view of the tablet of smoking material shown in Fig. 2A. Tablet 200 may include smoking material 214, in some embodiments smoking material 212 may be compressed, formed, shaped or enclosed in enclosure 214. For example, tobacco shreds may be compressed in a mold using a press, the mold may be configured to produce compressed tobacco in a form factor that fits inside barrel 106 of smoking pipe 100. Smoking material 112 may be formed by mixing dry ingredients (e.g., tobacco) with adhesive materials, so that smoking material 112 may keep its form after being compressed. Smoking material 112 may be categorized and measured so that a user of tablet 200 may get information regarding tablet 200. For example, smoking material 112 may be categorized and measured so as to provide information such as the type of smoking material, the weight and amount of the smoking material, and key ingredients and chemicals of the smoking material.

[0052] Smoking material 212 or the containing enclosure 214 may have an upper surface

211 and a lower surface 209. In some embodiments of the invention producing a tablet of the smoking material 214 may serve to control the amount or weight of smoking material 214 per each tablet 200, ensuring desired dosage of substances or active materials of the smoking material 214 per each tablet.

[0053] Tablet 200 may further include support 204 with upper surface 207, and lower surface 205. The size of support 204 defines a volume of the tablet without smoking material, which may be used to control the amount of smoking material in tablet 200, e.g., by determining the height of support 204 with respect to the height of smoking material 214. Support 204 may be made of soft or penetrable material so as to allow the penetration of cannula 114 such that cannula opening 115 may be placed under smoking material 214. Support 204 may be provided with central lumen 203 extending between upper opening 208 and lower opening 206. Central lumen 203 of support 204 an airway through which fume or smoke may pass from the consumed smoking material.

[0054] Tablet 200 may also include net plate 210 that is paced between smoking material

212 and support 204. Net plate 207 may be used as a filter to prevent the passage of particles greater than a predetermined size (depending on the size of filtering holes of the net plate 207 to prevent inhalation of such particles by the user.

[0055] Tablet 200 may include swab plate 202 placed adjacent to and beneath the support, laterally protruding from support 204. Swab plate 202 may serve to sweep and expel burned material smoking material residues out of barrel 106. Swab plate 202 may form a cork preventing smoke and fumes from seeping out of lower opening 206 to ensure that all smoke and fumes are directed via duct 105 of shank 104, and duct 122 of stem 102 to be inhaled by the user.

[0056] Fig. 3 shows a smoking device and a tablet of smoking material loaded inside the barrel of the smoking device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. Tablet 200 may be configured to fit, e.g. closely fit, inside barrel 106, so as to prevent inadvertent discharging of the tablet from the barrel. Tablet 200 may be designed to be placed such as that upper face 211 of smoking material 212 is on top at an upper end of bore 107, and swab plate 202 is located at the bottom of bore 107 facilitating proper penetration of cannula 114 into a designated area of support 204 of tablet 200.

[0057] Fig. 4 shows a smoking device with a retractable cannula in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. Canula 114 when extended may be configured to penetrate tablet 200. For example, cannula 114 may penetrate support 204 as shown in Fig. 4. Cannula 114 has cannula opening 115 that facilities passage of fume and/or smoke through the cannula to duct 105 of shank 104.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present invention, cannula 114 may be pointed. For example, cannula 114 may have a pointed edge to help penetrate tablet 200. In some embodiments of the present invention, cannula 114 may have sharp edges for helping cannula 114 to penetrate tablet 200. Cannula 114 may have a beveled edge. Cannula 114 may have an edge with multiple bevels. Tablet 200 may have a portion with a weak physical structure so as to ease the penetration of cannula 114 through tablet 200. For example, support 204 of tablet 200 may have a thin portion, support 204 may have a series of punctures in a predetermined position where cannula 114 may pass through. Support 204 may be made of pervious material (e.g., net, porous material, sintered metal, punctured plates, a support structure with holes and ducts) to allow and ease the flow of fume and smoke from barrel 106 to shank 104 and stem 102. [0059] In some embodiments of the present invention, capsule 200 and support 204 may be configured to clean cannula 114, when canula 114 penetrates capsule 200 and support 204. Support 204 may clean cannula 114 and/or parts of cannula 114, such as, cannula opening 115, the exterior of cannula 114, and the duct of cannula 114. For example, Support 204 may clean cannula 114 and/or parts of cannula 114 by scraping and pushing away burnt and/or used material from cannula 114.

[0060] Cannula 114 may extend to barrel 106 and may retract from barrel 106 with a retraction mechanism. For example, cannula 114 may be configured to extend (e.g., sidle, elongate) into barrel 106 when stem 102 is pushed toward barrel 106, and cannula 114 may retract from barrel 106 when step 102 is pulled away from barrel 106. Cannula 114 may extend to barrel 106 with a rotating mechanism configured to extend cannula 114 into barrel 106 when stem 102 and/or shank 104 are rotated in a direction, and cannula 114 may retract from barrel 106 with a rotating mechanism configured to retract cannula 114 into barrel 106 when stem 102 and/or shank 104 are rotated in an opposite direction. Cannula 114 may be configured to extend to barrel 106 to a maximal predetermined length. For example, smoking device 100 may have a stopper that prevents cannula 114 from extending to barrel 106 beyond a predetermined length. For example, cannula 114 may be long enough to reach wall 109 of barrel 106, a stopper or a latch may prevent cannula 114 from extending beyond a predetermined length so as to position opening 115 of cannula 114 near the center of tablet 200.

[0061] Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a loader in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention for loading a tablet from a cartridge filled with tablets. Loader 500 may include housing 502 with a bottom opening 508 at proximal end of housing 502. Housing 502 may have level 516 connected to pushing rod 504 at housing 502 proximal end. pushing rod 504 may comprise a plunger and an elastic element (e.g., spring). Lever 516 is configured to be held by a user. The user may push lever 516 to pivot about an axis near proximal end of housing 502. Pushing Rod 504 may be pivotally linked to lever 516. When the user pushes lever 516, Pushing rod 504 may apply a downward force on tablet 552 located at an end of a row of tablets placed inside cartridge 510, discharging that tablet 522 from cartridge 510 laterally towards bottom opening 508 of the driving loader housing 502. Thus, when smoking device 100 is placed adjacent to bottom opening 508 of housing 502 as shown in Fig. 5., tablet 522 may be pushed into barrel 106. Old or used tablet 550 placed inside the barrel 106 of smoking device 100 is pushed out of barrel 106 by newly loaded tablet 552.

[0062] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, loader 500 may include cartridge 510 having driving mechanism 512 (e.g., spring, resilient element) at a distal end of housing 502. Driving mechanism 512 of cartridge 510 may be configured to apply force on tablets 554 within cartridge 510 to advance the tablets towards opening 508 at the proximal end of housing 502. Cartridge 510 may be configured to contain a plurality of tablets, defining a storage or a stack of tablets, facilitating the dispensing of single tablets at a time into housing 502 and further loading the dispensed tablet into the barrel of a smoking device (e.g., barrel 106 of smoking device 100).

[0063] Loader 500 may have an incline near opening 508 for easing the dispensing of tablets. Tablet 554 may be pushed with driving mechanism 512 toward opening 508 of housing 502, tablet 554 may slide on the incline near opening 508 until tablet 554 reaches opening 508.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present invention, loader 500 may have lever 516, lever 516 may couple to cartridge 510. For example, loader 500 may not have a housing or a container for cartridge 510, loader 500 and lever 516 may couple to cartridge 510 and dispense tablets from cartridge 510 to smoking device 100. Lever 516 may be a resilient lever. For example, lever 516 may be elastic so that when a user applies force on lever 516, lever 516 will bend and then return to an original shape and position of lever 516. Cartridge 510 may include a resilient element for pushing the tablets inside cartridge 510 towards an edge of cartridge 510. For example, cartridge 510 may be configured to couple to loader 510 at a proximal end of cartridge 510, cartage 510 may have a resilient element at distal end of cartridge 510 to push the tablets inside cartridge 510 towards the proximal end of cartridge 510 to be dispensed. Cartridge 510 may have an incline near a proximal end of cartridge 510 to ease the dispensing of tablets from cartridge 510 to smoking pipe 100.

[0065] Fig. 6 shows a smoking device including a heat source in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. Smoking device 600 may include heat source 603 that includes heating element 602, controller 604 and thermal sensor 606. Heat source 603 may be used for igniting smoking material 214 rather than using an external lighter or igniter. Controller 604 is configured to receive a signal from the thermal sensor indicative of the temperature inside the barrel adjacent the thermal sensor, and to control heat element 602to ignite the smoking material of the tablet or reignite it if combustion is ceased. In some embodiments thermal sensor 606 communicates a signal indicative of the temperature inside the barrel to controller 604, and controller 604 is configured to use the signal to regulate the actuation of heat element 602. For example, when the signal of the thermal sensor indicates temperature below a predetermined level, e.g., below the ignition temperature for smoking material 214, controller 604 may regulate heating element 602 to raise the temperature.

[0066] In some embodiments, smoking device 600 may have housing 610. Housing 610 may include controller 604 and power source 612. Controller 604 and power source 612 may be placed inside housing 610 instead of being placed inside the smoking device's barrel, to avoid exposing controller 604 and power source 612 to the heat generated by heat element 602 or by igniting the smoking material inside the barrel.

[0067] According to some embodiments tablet 200 may include label 608 (e.g., a bar code, QR code) with information or a link to website presenting information regarding the tablet 200, such as but not limited to, serial number, manufacturing data, smoking material information, material concentration data, expiry date, authenticity data, dosage data, authorization and restrictions data. Controller 604 may read using an optical code reader included or linked to the controller or receive reading of label 608, for example as data transmitted from a smartphone with code reading facility. The retrieved information may be used by controller 604 in controlling and regulating the heat element 602 in accordance with the data retrieved using label 608. For example, controller 604 may disable the heat element to prevent smoking by an unauthorized user or limit the temperature of heat element 602 as to prevent tablet 200 from consuming too fast, or from reaching to a certain temperature.

[0068] Different embodiments are disclosed herein. Features of certain embodiments may be combined with features of other embodiments. Thus, certain embodiments may be combinations of features of multiple embodiments. The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that many modifications, variations, substitutions, changes, and equivalents are possible in light of the above teaching. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.

[0069] While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.