Personal vaporizing inhaler with translucent window

• US 10,092,713 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Terry, Nathan Andrew, Minskoff, Noah Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): WOODWARD, VALERIE LYNN
• Application Number:
  US14/275,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20140246018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/42 Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/60 Devices with integrated user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/041 using heaters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0001 Details of inhalators; Constructional features thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0025 with caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0035 Piercing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0205 Materials having antiseptic or antimicrobial properties, e.g. silver compounds, rubber with sterilising agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0233 Conductive materials, e.g. antistatic coatings for spark prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/13 with means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. lip sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/59 Aesthetic features, e.g. distraction means to prevent fears of child patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/005 Parameter used as control input for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/65 Impedance, e.g. conductivity, capacity

Abstract

A personal vapor inhaling unit is disclosed. An electronic flameless vapor inhaler unit that may simulate a cigarette has a cavity that receives a cartridge in the distal end of the inhaler unit. The cartridge brings a substance to be vaporized in contact with a wick. When the unit is activated, and the user provides suction, the substance to be vaporized is drawn out of the cartridge, through the wick, and is atomized by the wick into a cavity containing a heating element. The heating element vaporizes the atomized substance. The vapors then continue to be pulled by the user through a mouthpiece and mouthpiece cover where they may be inhaled.

Claims

1. A personal vaporizing unit, comprising:

a housing that approximates a smoking article, the housing having a side wall between two ends, the side wall including an opaque part and a non-opaque part; and

,

a hollow translucent tube disposed inside said housing, the tube surrounding a cartridge, wherein light passing through said tube is visible from outside of said housing via said non-opaque part.

2. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is removable from said tube.

3. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 2, further comprising:

a light source that is selectively turned on to indicate a state of said personal vaporizing unit.

4. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 3, wherein said light source is selectively turned on to indicate a fluid level associated with said cartridge.

5. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein said non-opaque part comprises an opening cut through said opaque part of said side wall.

6. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein said tube emits light through said non-opaque part.

7. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 6, wherein said non-opaque part of said opaque cylindrical housing comprises an illuminated character.

8. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 6, wherein said non-opaque part of said opaque cylindrical housing comprises an illuminated symbol.

9. A personal vaporizing unit, comprising:

a cylindrical housing that approximates a smoking article, the housing having an opaque wall with a non-opaque part cut through said opaque wall;

a hollow translucent tube disposed inside said housing, a wall of the translucent tube to conduct light received by said translucent tube past at least a portion of said opaque wall where said light is not visible through said cylindrical housing to said non-opaque part whereby said light is visible from outside of said cylindrical housing via said non-opaque part; and

a cartridge disposed in an end of said translucent tube, said cartridge having an end that diffuses said light.

10. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 9, wherein the translucent tube comprises a translucent acrylic plastic.

11. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 9, wherein the cartridge is removable from said tube.

12. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 9, further comprising:

a light source that produces said light received by said translucent tube.

13. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 12, wherein said light source is selectively turned on to indicate a state of said personal vaporizing unit.

14. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 12, wherein said light source is selectively turned on to indicate a fluid level associated with said cartridge.

15. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 12, wherein said translucent tube emits, through said non-opaque part, light produced by said light source.

16. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 15, wherein said non-opaque part comprises a character.

17. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 15, wherein said non-opaque part comprises a symbol.

18. A personal vaporizing unit, comprising:

a housing that approximates a smoking article with two end portions, the housing having an opaque side wall between the two end portions, the side wall having a non-opaque part cut through the opaque side wall; and

,

a translucent tube conducting light from a location internal to the housing where said light is not visible through said opaque side wall to a location external to the housing where said light is visible through said non-opaque part.

19. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 18, further comprising:

a light source to supply said light at said internal location internal to the housing.