Securely attaching cartridges for vaporizer devices

• US 10,104,915 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JUUL Labs, Inc. (PAX Labs, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: JUUL Labs, Inc. (PAX Labs, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bowen, Adam, Christensen, Steven, Monsees, James, Morenstein, Joshua, HibmaCronan, Christopher Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): CHUNG TRANS, XUONG MY
• Application Number:
  US15/815,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20180070646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/167 in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes
• 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: A61K 31/465 Nicotine; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0015 located upstream of the dispenser, i.e. not traversed by the product
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0016 located downstream of the dispenser, i.e. traversed by the product
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/54 Inspection openings or windows
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0227 Applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/021 Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids

Abstract

Systems and methods to generate an inhalable vapor in an electronic vaporization device. Described herein are cartridges including a vaporizable material that may be securely connected to a rechargeable base unit.

Claims

1. A cartridge comprising:

a storage compartment configured to hold a vaporizable material, the storage compartment having a non-circular cross section, the storage compartment having a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end along a first dimension, wherein the non-circular cross section includes two short sides and two long sides, the two short sides being shorter than the two long sides to result in the non-circular cross section, and wherein the storage compartment comprises a plastic material;

an aerosol outlet disposed proximate to the top end of the storage compartment;

a heater chamber disposed proximate to the bottom end of the storage compartment, the heater chamber comprising a heating element configured to aerosolize the vaporizable material, when the vaporizable material is present, to form an aerosol;

a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact each configured and disposed to couple and complete an electrical circuit with a third electrical contact and a fourth electrical contact in a receptacle of a vaporizer device body, the electrical circuit configured to provide power to the heating element when the vaporizer device body is present;

an aerosol channel within the storage compartment, the aerosol channel extending from the heater chamber to the aerosol outlet, the aerosol channel configured so that the aerosol, when the aerosol is present, is inhalable through the aerosol channel;

a first exterior wall extending between the top end and the bottom end;

a second exterior wall extending between the top end and the bottom end, wherein the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall are respectively intersected by the two short sides of the non-circular cross section;

a first locking gap disposed within six millimeters from the bottom end of the storage compartment and formed within the first exterior wall, the first locking gap configured to engage with a first locking detent within the receptacle of the vaporizer device body when the vaporizer device body is present, wherein a height of a first interior wall of the vaporizer device body comprising the first locking detent is at least thirteen millimeters; and

a second locking gap disposed within six millimeters from the bottom end of the storage compartment and formed within the second exterior wall, the second locking gap configured to engage with a second locking detent within the receptacle of the vaporizer device body when the vaporizer device body is present, wherein a height of a second interior wall of the vaporizer device body comprising the second locking detent is at least thirteen millimeters.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is configured so that engaging the first locking gap with the first locking detent and engaging the second locking gap with the second locking detent secures the cartridge to the vaporizer device body.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the first exterior wall is disposed opposite the second exterior wall.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a mouthpiece comprising the aerosol outlet, wherein the first exterior wall has a first point between the bottom end of the storage compartment and the top end of the storage compartment, wherein the second exterior wall has a second point between the bottom end of the storage compartment and the top end of the storage compartment, wherein the mouthpiece terminates in a distal edge, and wherein the distal edge of the mouthpiece is disposed at the first point and the second point.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the distal edge of the mouthpiece forms a cutout into the mouthpiece, through which the storage compartment is visible.

6. The cartridge of claim 4, further comprising:

a first mouthpiece detent on the first exterior wall proximate to the first point; and

a second mouthpiece detent on the second exterior wall proximate to the second point, wherein the mouthpiece is secured to the storage compartment by the first detent and the second detent.

7. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the mouthpiece forms a cavity configured to receive and couple to the storage compartment, the mouthpiece disposed to cover a first portion of the storage compartment, the mouthpiece disposed to not cover a second portion of the storage compartment, the second portion comprising a surface through which the vaporizable material is visible when the vaporizable material is present.

8. The cartridge of claim 7, wherein the aerosol channel comprises a cannula, and wherein the cannula is visible through the surface.

9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the first electrical contact comprises a first surface exposed at the bottom end of the storage compartment, and wherein the second electrical contact comprises a second surface exposed at the bottom end.

10. The cartridge of claim 9, wherein the first surface and the second surface are disposed in a plane that is substantially parallel to the bottom end of the storage compartment.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the first locking gap forms a first channel within the first exterior wall, and wherein the second locking gap forms a second channel within the second exterior wall.

12. The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the first channel is configured to receive and couple to the first locking detent, and wherein the second channel is configured to receive and couple to the second locking detent.

13. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a third exterior wall extending between the top end and the bottom end, the third exterior wall disposed between the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall, the second exterior wall disposed opposite the first exterior wall; and

a fourth exterior wall extending between the top end and the bottom end, the first exterior wall disposed between the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall, the fourth exterior wall disposed opposite the third exterior wall, wherein the third exterior wall and the fourth exterior wall are respectively intersected by the two long sides of the non-circular cross section.

14. The cartridge of claim 13, further comprising:

a first spacing detent on the third exterior wall, the first spacing detent configured to contact a third interior wall within the receptacle of the vaporizer device body when the vaporizer device body is present; and

a second spacing detent on the fourth exterior wall, the second spacing detent configured to contact a fourth interior wall within the receptacle of the vaporizer device body when the vaporizer device body is present, wherein the fourth interior wall is disposed opposite the third first interior wall.

15. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a wick configured to draw the vaporizable material towards the heating element, wherein the heating element is in thermal contact with the wick.

16. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment is flexible.

17. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the non-circular cross section is substantially perpendicular to the first dimension, and wherein the storage compartment is elongated relative to the non-circular cross section along the first dimension.

18. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising the vaporizable material, wherein the vaporizable material comprises a liquid nicotine formulation.

19. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein each of the first locking gap and the second locking gap are within three to four millimeters from the bottom end of the storage compartment.

20. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein each of the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall are substantially flat with the first locking gap and the second locking gap respectively formed within the substantially flat first and second exterior walls.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a vaporizer device body comprising;

a receptacle;

a third electrical contact and a fourth electrical contact disposed within the receptacle;

a first locking detent and a second locking detent within the receptacle; and

a first interior wall and a second interior wall within the receptacle, wherein each of the first interior wall and the second interior wall are at least thirteen millimeters in height, wherein the first interior wall and the second interior wall respectively comprise the first locking detent and the second locking detent; and

a cartridge having a bottom end and a top end opposite the bottom end along a first dimension, the cartridge comprising;

a storage compartment configured to hold a vaporizable material, the storage compartment having a non-circular cross section, wherein the non-circular cross section includes two short sides and two long sides, the two short sides being shorter than the two long sides to result in the non-circular cross section, and wherein the storage compartment comprises a plastic material;

an aerosol outlet at the top end of the cartridge;

a heating element proximate to the bottom end of the cartridge, the heating element configured to aerosolize the vaporizable material to form an aerosol for delivery through the aerosol outlet;

a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact configured and disposed to couple and complete an electrical circuit with the third electrical contact and the fourth electrical contact, the electrical circuit configured to provide power to the heating element;

a first exterior wall and a second exterior wall extending between the top end and the bottom end, wherein the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall are respectively intersected by the two short sides of the non-circular cross section;

a first locking gap disposed within six millimeters from the bottom end of the storage compartment and formed within the first exterior wall, the first locking gap configured to engage with the first locking detent; and

a second locking gap disposed within six millimeters from the bottom end of the storage compartment and formed within the second exterior wall, the second locking gap configured to engage with the second locking detent.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the cartridge and the vaporizer device body are configured so that engaging the first locking gap with the first locking detent and engaging the second locking gap with the second locking detent secures the cartridge to the vaporizer device body.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first locking gap forms a first channel within the first exterior wall, wherein the second locking gap forms a second channel within the second exterior wall, wherein the first channel is configured to receive and couple to the first locking detent, and wherein the second channel is configured to receive and couple to the second locking detent.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first locking detent protrudes from the first interior wall within the receptacle of the vaporizer device body, wherein the second locking detent protrudes from the second interior wall within the receptacle, and wherein the second interior wall is disposed opposite the first interior wall.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the storage compartment is flexible.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the non-circular cross section is substantially perpendicular to the first dimension, and wherein the storage compartment is elongated relative to the non-circular cross section along the first dimension.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of the first locking gap and the second locking gap are within three to four millimeters from the bottom end of the storage compartment.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall are substantially flat with the first locking gap and the second locking gap respectively formed within the substantially flat first and second exterior walls.

29. A cartridge having a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end along a first dimension, the cartridge configured for insertion into a receptacle of a vaporizer device body, the vaporizer device body having a third electrical contact and a fourth electrical contact in the receptacle, the vaporizer device body also having a first locking detent and a second locking detent within the receptacle, the vaporizer device body also having a first interior wall and a second interior wall within the receptacle, each of the first interior wall and the second interior wall being at least thirteen millimeters in height, the first interior wall and the second interior wall respectively comprising the first locking detent and the second locking detent, the cartridge comprising:

a flexible storage compartment configured to hold a vaporizable material, the flexible storage compartment having a non-circular cross section having two short sides and two long sides, the two short sides being shorter than the two long sides to result in the non-circular cross section, the flexible storage compartment comprising a plastic material;

an aerosol outlet proximate to the top end;

a heater chamber proximate to the bottom end, the heater chamber comprising a heating element configured to aerosolize the vaporizable material;

a channel in fluid communication with the heater chamber and the aerosol outlet;

a first electrical contact disposed proximate to the bottom end and configured to couple with the third electrical contact;

a second electrical contact disposed proximate to the bottom end and configured to couple with the fourth electrical contact, the coupling of the first electrical contact with the third electrical contact and the second electrical contact with the fourth electrical contact completing an electrical circuit configured to provide power to the heating element;

a first exterior wall between the top end and the bottom end, the first exterior wall intersected by one of the two short sides of the non-circular cross section, the first exterior wall having a first locking gap within six millimeters from the bottom end and configured to engage with the first locking detent; and

a second exterior wall between the top end and the bottom end, the second exterior wall intersected by an other of the two short sides of the non-circular cross section, the second exterior wall having a second locking gap within six millimeters from the bottom end and configured to engage with the second locking detent.

30. The cartridge of claim 29, wherein the non-circular cross section is substantially perpendicular to the first dimension, and wherein the flexible storage compartment is elongated relative to the non-circular cross section along the first dimension.

31. The cartridge of claim 29, wherein each of the first locking gap and the second locking gap are within three to four millimeters from the bottom end of the flexible storage compartment.

32. The cartridge of claim 29, wherein each of the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall are substantially flat with the first locking gap and the second locking gap respectively formed within the substantially flat first and second exterior walls.