Vaporizer System For Delivery of Inhalable Substances

• US 20110030706A1
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HexBG LLC
• Original Assignee: HexBG LLC
• Inventors: Sands, Kent, Gibson, Nathaniel, Hexter, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/328
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/041 using heaters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/07 having air pumping means
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/28 in boilers heated electrically superheating using an electrical heat source independent from heat supply of the steam boiler F22G1/165
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8376 Combined

Abstract

A vaporizer system that supplies clean, heated air to vaporizable material by directing ambient air from an area surrounding the vaporizer system through a secure air passageway that leads the air through a pump, a heat source, and then onto the vaporizable material. The air passageway prevents the interaction of the air with possibly emissive components. The heated air drives out active ingredients from the vaporizable material, which may be subsequently captured in a removable container or inhaled directly. The vaporizer system includes an air chamber surrounding the receptacle for receiving the material to be vaporized which isolates the material from environmental disturbances. The removable container attaches to a valve, which attaches to the top of the vaporizer system. The valve is configured to be operable between three positions with the use of only one finger and a thumb of one hand.

Claims

1. A vaporizer system comprising:

a housing;

a heater disposed within said housing;

a stem coupled to said housing;

a receptacle for receiving material to be vaporized, said receptacle interposed between said heater and said stem; and

a valve releaseably coupled to said stem.

2. A vaporizer system according to claim 1, wherein said heater has a first portion and a second portion, said first portion including a plurality of chambers sized and configured to accept at least one heating element, and further wherein said second portion has a plurality of ducts in thermal communication with said at least one heating element.

3. A vaporizer system according to claim 2, further comprising an air passageway via which ambient air may be transported to said plurality of air ducts.

4. A vaporizer system according to claim 2, wherein said first portion is axially offset from said second portion so as to provide a recess in said heater.

5. A vaporizer system according to claim 4, wherein said at least one heating element is a single heating element threaded through each of said plurality of chambers, and wherein said axial offset is equal to or greater than the thickness of said single heating element.

6. A vaporizer system according to claim 2, wherein said first portion is positioned radially inwardly of said second portion.

7. A vaporizer system according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of air ducts and said plurality of chambers are concentrically arranged.

8. A vaporizer system according to claim 2, further including a pump disposed inside said housing and having an input and an output, said input in fluid communication with the region surrounding said housing and said output in fluid communication with said air passageway.

9. A vaporizer system according to claim 8, further including a potentially emissive component in said housing, wherein said pump, said air passageway, and said heater cooperate to provide heated air to said receptacle from the region without any fluid communication with said potentially emissive component.

10. A vaporizer system according to claim 8, wherein said second portion of said heater includes an end and said air passageway includes an air intake having an inner and outer wall, said inner and outer wall sized and configured to mount to said end of said second portion.

11. A valve for use with a vaporizer having a structure for exhausting vapor, the valve comprising:

a body having an opening for receiving the structure of the vaporizer;

a clamping assembly associated with said body so as to be in communication with said opening, wherein said clamping assembly is movable between a first position, in which said clamping assembly cooperates with the structure to releasably secure said body thereto when the structure is present in the opening, and a second position, in which said body may be moved freely on and off the structure;

a mouthpiece in fluid communication with said opening so that vapor may be drawn through said opening via said mouthpiece; and

a connector for securing a vapor-receiving container to said body proximate said opening.

12. A valve according to claim 11, wherein said clamping assembly is further operable from either of said first and second positions to a third position in which said clamping assembly blocks said opening.

13. A valve according to claim 12, wherein said clamping assembly includes a plug and a biasing member for urging said plug toward said third position.

14. A valve according to claim 12, wherein said clamping assembly is sized and configured to permit a user to move said clamping assembly with a single digit of the user'"'"'s hand between said first, second, and third positions.

15. A vaporizer system comprising:

a housing having an interior;

a receptacle for receiving a material to be vaporized;

a heater disposed in said interior of said housing;

an air passageway occupying a first portion of said interior of said housing and extending from a region adjacent said housing to said receptacle, said air passageway for conveying air from the region to said receptacle in fluid isolation with respect to portions of said interior other than said first portion, said air passageway including a first section surrounding said heater and in thermal communication therewith so that heat generated by said heater may be transferred to air in said first section; and

a pump in fluid communication with said air passageway for causing air in said air passageway to move toward said receptacle, wherein said pump is disposed in said housing.

16. A vaporizer system according to claim 15, wherein said housing includes a lid and a stem, and said stem is mounted to said lid.

17. A vaporizer system according to claim 16, further including a valve releasably mounted to said stem, wherein said valve includes a body having an opening extending therethrough and a clamping assembly, said clamping assembly being operable between a first position, in which clamping assembly cooperates with said stem to secure said body thereto, and a second position, in which said body may be moved freely on and off said stem.

18. A vaporizer system according to claim 15, wherein said heater includes a plurality of chambers sized and configured to accept at least one heating element.

19. A method of consuming active ingredients of a vaporizable material, the method comprising:

inserting a quantity of the vaporizable material into a vaporizer;

propelling heated air through the vaporizable material to release and entrain at least some of the active ingredients of the vaporizable material in a vapor stream;

directing the vapor stream through a valve and into a container coupled to the valve;

removing the valve and container from the vaporizer; and

opening the valve with one hand of a user and removing vapor out the container through the valve while the valve remains coupled to the container.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the vaporizable material is vaporized substantially without pyrolysis.

21. A vaporizer system comprising:

a removable receptacle for containing material to be vaporized, said receptacle having a top portion;

a housing having an interior chamber for receiving said receptacle, wherein said interior chamber defines a volume of air that surrounds said receptacle so as to insulate said receptacle from temperature fluctuations and moving air in the region surrounding said housing.

22. A vaporizer system according to claim 21, wherein said housing includes a bottom portion, a top portion, and a sidewall extending between said bottom portion and said top portion that together define said interior chamber.

23. A vaporizer system according to claim 22, wherein said top portion is releasably coupled to said vaporizer and includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion is sized and configured to engage said top portion of said receptacle and said second portion is sized and configured to engage said sidewall.

24. A vaporizer system according to claim 22, wherein said vaporizer further includes a heater that generates a hot air stream, and wherein said bottom portion includes an aperture for receiving said hot air stream.