Assembly directed airflow

• US 10,159,278 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• 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: Minskoff, Noah Mark, Terry, Nathan Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): WOODWARD, VALERIE LYNN
• Application Number:
  US14/285,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20140283859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/13 with means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. lip sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8237 Charging means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/086 Docking stations

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. An assembly for a personal vaporizing unit, said assembly comprising:

a chamber having a proximal end configured to be placed in a human mouth and a distal end;

an atomizer held by said chamber, the atomizer having a heating element for vaporizing a liquid in a fluid at said heating element;

a housing held by said atomizer, said housing holding said fluid to be vaporized into a mixture of air and vaporized fluid by said assembly, wherein said housing and an interior surface of said chamber form at least one void space between an exterior surface of said housing and an interior surface of a sleeve that defines a mixing chamber for a vaporized mixture to be mixed with outside air before being drawn out of said assembly, wherein said void space is disposed away from said heating element where said vaporizing occurs;

a side air intake for receiving the outside air, wherein the side air intake is disposed on the proximal end; and

an airflow directional standoff located in a path of air flow from the side air intake that directs the air flow away from a chamber outlet towards the at least one void space and further prevents the outside air from the side air intake from flowing directly to the chamber outlet.

2. A personal vaporizing unit comprising:

a body comprising a longitudinal axis extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the body including a chamber outlet at an end of the proximal end of the body perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the body including a chamber storing liquid extending along the longitudinal axis at the proximal end;

a side air intake for receiving outside air that flows through the personal vaporizing unit, wherein the side air intake is disposed along a side that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the personal vaporizing unit near the chamber storing liquid at the proximal end;

at least one wicking element that generates vapor from the liquid in the chamber, wherein the vapor is added with the outside air from the side air intake for passing to the chamber outlet; and

an airflow directional standoff that prevents the outside air from the side air intake from flowing directly to the chamber outlet.

3. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 2 wherein the side air intake comprises a chamber clean air intake and the outside air does not include the generated vapor upon initial entry through the side air intake but flows through the at least one wicking element to be mixed with the generated vapor.

4. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 2 wherein the airflow directional standoff is between the side air intake and the chamber outlet.

5. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 2 further comprising a heating element coupled with the at least one wicking element that heats the liquid to generate the vapor.

6. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 5 further comprising a cartridge with the chamber that acts as a fluid reservoir for storing the liquid.

7. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 6 wherein the at least one wicking element comprises:

a first wick coupled with the chamber to receive liquid for vaporizing; and

a heating support element coupled with the first wick that supports the heating element.

8. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 6 wherein the airflow directional standoff comprises a cartridge fluid reservoir standoff that is a portion of the chamber extending between the side air intake and the chamber outlet.

9. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 6 further comprising an anti-vacuum channel coupled with the chamber.

10. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 5 wherein the outside air from the side air intake flows adjacent the heating element.

11. An assembly for a personal vaporizing unit, the assembly comprising:

a chamber storing liquid;

an atomizer, disposed near a proximal end of the assembly, that receives the liquid and generates a vapor from the liquid at a heating element;

a housing comprising a longitudinal axis extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the housing holding the liquid to be vaporized into the vapor, wherein the housing and an interior surface of the chamber form at least one void space between an exterior surface of the housing and an interior surface of a sleeve that defines a mixing chamber for the vapor to be mixed with outside air before being drawn out of the assembly;

a clean air intake disposed on a side of the assembly adjacent the proximal end and near the atomizer, wherein the clean air intake receives outside air directly from outside the personal vaporizing unit, for an air flow through the atomizer so that the vapor is mixed with the outside air as part of the air flow;

a chamber outlet at an end of the proximal end of the housing perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the assembly for exiting of the air flow; and

an airflow standoff that prevents the outside air from the clean air intake from flowing directly to the chamber outlet.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the atomizer comprises:

a first wick coupled with the chamber to receive liquid for vaporizing; and

a heating support element coupled with the first wick that supports the heating element.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the heating support element comprises a second wick.

14. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the airflow standoff prevents the outside air from the clean air intake from flowing directly to the chamber outlet without passing through the atomizer.

15. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the airflow standoff is between the clean air intake and the chamber outlet.

16. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the airflow standoff comprises a cartridge fluid reservoir standoff that is a portion of the chamber extending between the clean air intake and the chamber outlet.