Vaporizer apparatus

• US 10,111,470 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• 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: Monsees, James, Bowen, Adam, Christensen, Steven, Morenstein, Joshua, HibmaCronan, Christopher Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Felton, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/833,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20180116291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: A61M 11/042 electrical
• 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 1/0244 Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/021 Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/022 Heaters specially adapted for heating gaseous material
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/04 Waterproof or air-tight seals for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/44 heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material

Abstract

Cartridges for use with a vaporizer device are provided. In some implementations, a cartridge comprises a storage compartment, a mouthpiece, a wicking material, and a heating element. The storage compartment is configured to hold a vaporizable material and has a distal end, a proximal end opposite the distal end, and a compartment side extending between the distal end and the proximal end. The mouthpiece encloses the proximal end of the storage compartment and has a side adjacent to the compartment side. The mouthpiece has a notch extending away from the edge of the mouthpiece toward the end of the mouthpiece, exposing a region of the compartment side. The wicking material is proximate to the storage compartment, disposed to contact the vaporizable material. The heating element is proximate to the storage compartment, is in contact with the wicking material, and is configured to generate an aerosol from the vaporizable material.

Claims

1. A cartridge for use with a vaporizer device, the cartridge comprising:

a storage compartment configured to hold a vaporizable material, the storage compartment having a distal end and a proximal end opposite the distal end, the storage compartment having a compartment side extending between the distal end and the proximal end;

a mouthpiece enclosing the proximal end of the storage compartment, the mouthpiece having a mouthpiece side adjacent to the compartment side, a first end of the mouthpiece terminating in an edge disposed adjacent to a location between the distal end and the proximal end of the storage compartment, the mouthpiece having a notch in the mouthpiece side, the notch extending away from the edge of the mouthpiece toward a second end of the mouthpiece that is opposite the first end of the mouthpiece, wherein the notch exposes a region of the compartment side;

a wicking material proximate to the distal end of the storage compartment, the wicking material disposed to contact the vaporizable material; and

a heating element proximate to the distal end of the storage compartment, the heating element in contact with the wicking material, the heating element configured to generate an aerosol from the vaporizable material.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a first electrical contact proximate to the distal end of the storage compartment; and

a second electrical contact proximate to the distal end of the storage compartment, wherein the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are configured to complete a circuit with the heating element when the cartridge is received in a cartridge receptacle of the vaporizer device.

3. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are disposed outside of the storage compartment.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece further comprises a pair of aerosol outlets at the second end of the mouthpiece, each aerosol outlet of the pair of aerosol outlets configured to allow for passage of the aerosol.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the pair of aerosol outlets are in fluid communication with a heater chamber comprising at least a portion of the wicking material and at least a portion of the heating element.

6. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a cap configured to enclose the distal end of the storage compartment.

7. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment has a first dimension extending from the distal end of the storage compartment to the proximal end of the storage compartment, wherein the storage compartment has a second dimension extending from a first side of the storage compartment to a second side of the storage compartment opposite the first side and a third dimension extending from a third side of the storage compartment to a fourth side of the storage compartment opposite the third side, wherein each of the second dimension and the third dimension are substantially perpendicular to the first dimension, and wherein the second dimension is longer than the third dimension.

8. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment has a first U-shaped member and a second U-shaped member, and wherein the first U-shaped member and the second U-shaped member each hold the wicking material.

9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the notch comprises an approximately rectangular cutout region, an approximately triangular cutout region, or an approximately oval cutout region.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece is opaque, wherein the region of the compartment side is transparent, and wherein the vaporizable material is visible through the region of the compartment side.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece attaches to the proximal end of the storage compartment by a snap fit coupling.

21. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece side is substantially parallel to the compartment side.

22. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the mouthpiece side is in contact with at least a portion of the compartment side.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a cartridge comprising;

a storage compartment configured to hold a vaporizable material, the storage compartment having a distal end and a proximal end opposite the distal end, the storage compartment having a compartment side extending between the distal end and the proximal end;

a mouthpiece enclosing the proximal end of the storage compartment, the mouthpiece having a mouthpiece side adjacent to the compartment side, a first end of the mouthpiece terminating in an edge disposed adjacent to a location between the distal end and the proximal end of the storage compartment, the mouthpiece having a notch in the mouthpiece side, the notch extending away from the edge of the mouthpiece toward a second end of the mouthpiece that is opposite the first end of the mouthpiece, wherein the notch exposes a region of the compartment side;

a wicking material proximate to the distal end of the storage compartment, the wicking material disposed to contact the vaporizable material; and

a heating element proximate to the distal end of the storage compartment, the heating element in contact with the wicking material, the heating element configured to generate an aerosol from the vaporizable material; and

a vaporizer device body comprising;

a receptacle configured to insertably receive the cartridge; and

electrical contacts configured to complete an electrical circuit with the heating element when the cartridge is insertably received within the receptacle.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cartridge further comprises:

a first electrical contact proximate to the distal end of the storage compartment; and

a second electrical contact proximate to the distal end of the storage compartment, wherein the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are configured to complete a circuit with the heating element and the electrical contacts of the vaporizer device body.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mouthpiece further comprises a pair of aerosol outlets at the second end of the mouthpiece, each aerosol outlet of the pair of aerosol outlets configured to allow for passage of the aerosol.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the pair of aerosol outlets are in fluid communication with a heater chamber comprising at least a portion of the wicking material and at least a portion of the heating element.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the storage compartment has a first dimension extending from the distal end of the storage compartment to the proximal end of the storage compartment, wherein the storage compartment has a second dimension extending from a first side of the storage compartment to a second side of the storage compartment opposite the first side and a third dimension extending from a third side of the storage compartment to a fourth side of the storage compartment opposite the third side, wherein each of the second dimension and the third dimension are substantially perpendicular to the first dimension, and wherein the second dimension is longer than the third dimension.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the storage compartment has a first U-shaped member and a second U-shaped member, and wherein the first U-shaped member and the second U-shaped member each hold the wicking material.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mouthpiece is opaque, wherein the region of the compartment side is transparent, and wherein the vaporizable material is visible through the region of the compartment side.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the vaporizer device body has a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end, wherein the receptacle is disposed at the top end, wherein the vaporizer device body has a second notch extending from the top end of the vaporizer device body toward the bottom end, wherein body notch exposes a second region of the compartment side when the cartridge is insertably received within the receptacle.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the region of the compartment side is transparent, wherein the vaporizable material is visible through the region of the compartment side and wherein the region of the compartment side is visible through the body notch.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mouthpiece side is substantially parallel to the compartment side.

24. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the mouthpiece side is in contact with at least a portion of the compartment side.