Noncombustion system for the utilization of tobacco and other smoking materials

In an arrangement for utilizing tobacco and the like smoking materials without effecting combustion thereof, a side and bottom wall means defining a casing, said side wall means having openings therein adjacent the bottom wall means, a tubular chamber suspended within said casing and supported by said casing, said chamber being open at its lower end, heating means within said chamber for imparting heat to air entering the same through said openings and said open lower end, a tubular conduit in communication with the upper end of said chamber, a tubular mouthpiece means, an apertured tubular smoking material container removably arranged within one end of said mouthpiece means and having a length such as to protrude therefrom, said container being dimensioned such as to telescopically fit within said tubular conduit whereby to communicate air heated in the aforementioned chamber through said container to the mouth and respiratory passages of the user by way of the mouthpiece-contained smoking material;

• the heat energy in the heated air being imparted by convective and conductive transfer mechanisms to the smoking material wherefrom the volatile ingredients are evaporated away from the nonvolatile cellulosic components of the smoking material and are thence carried as a vapor in the heated air stream to the mouth and respiratory passages of the user.