VAPORIZER

• US 20150128971A1
• Filed: 03/04/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VMR Products LLC (PAX Labs, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMR Products LLC (PAX Labs, Inc.)
• Inventors: Verleur, Jan Andries, Recio, Dan, Lu, Yifeng, Zhang, Yinjun, Fajardo, Arturo, Verleur, Hans
• Granted Patent: US 10,039,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/329
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/00 Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/20 Devices using solid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/40 Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/42 Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/44 Wicks
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/53 Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/90 Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0021 Mouthpieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/07 having air pumping means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/332 Force measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3633 thermally insulated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/584 having a color code
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6027 Electric-conductive bridges closing detection circuits, with or without identifying elements, e.g. resistances, zener-diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6081 : Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 : battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8237 : Charging means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/20 : having means for promoting or enhancing the flow, actively or passively
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/06 : Packaging for specific medical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 : characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 : concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 : with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 : Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

An electronic cigarette or vaporizer may include a shell and a cartomizer receivable within a chamber within a portion of the shell. The cartomizer may hold a vaporizable fluid, dry substance, or other vaporizable substance such as a wax. A charger may also be included which in one embodiment may be insertable into the chamber, and in another embodiment may be connectable to an end of the shell. Various electrical components, such as a printed circuit board, a rechargeable battery, various indicator lights, a sensor, and display screen, for instance, improve the functionality of the vaporizer from known vaporizers. Magnets are also provided in order to secure the cartomizer or the charger to the shell.

Claims

1. A vaporizer comprising:

a shell having a battery segment and a cartomizer receiving segment, the cartomizer receiving segment defining a chamber having an insertion end distal to the battery segment of said shell and a base end proximate to the battery segment, the chamber dimensioned to receive a cartomizer inserted into the chamber at the insertion end of the chamber;

a battery housed within the battery segment;

electrical contacts provided between the base end of the chamber and the battery segment, the electrical contacts including a positive contact and a negative contact insulated from the positive contact; and

electronic circuitry housed within the battery segment of said shell and operable to direct an electrical current between the battery and the electrical contacts;

wherein said electrical contacts and battery each in electrical connection with said electronic circuitry, and

wherein the cartomizer is securable within the chamber as a cartomizer surface and a magnetically attracted chamber surface are placed adjacent to one another.

2. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the chamber surface is a chamber magnet provided proximate to the base end of the chamber, the chamber magnet insulated from the electrical contacts.

3. The vaporizer of claim 2 further comprising an additional chamber magnet provided proximate to the base end of the chamber, the additional chamber magnet insulated from the electrical contacts and the chamber magnet, the additional chamber magnet having a polarity opposite to that of the chamber magnet.

4. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry includes a printed circuit board.

5. The vaporizer of claim 1 further comprising:

an activation button provided on the exterior of the shell in electrical communication with the electronic circuitry, the electrical contacts and the battery, wherein manipulation of the activation button by a user of the vaporizer operates to control the current from the battery to the electronic contacts;

a printed circuit board; and

an indicator ring surrounding at least a portion of the activation button, the indicator ring in electrical communication with the electronic circuitry, the electrical contacts and the battery, said indicator ring illuminable to indicate a state of the vaporizer, the indicator ring controllable by the printed circuit board;

said printed circuit board in electrical communication with the electrical contacts, the battery, the activation button and the indicator ring.

6. The vaporizer of claim 1 further comprising a display screen provided on the exterior of the shell, said display screen in electrical communication with said printed circuit board and battery, the display screen controlled by the printed circuit board and operable to display a message.

7. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the electrical contacts is a spring-loaded pin extending into a portion of the chamber and retractable when pressed by the cartomizer when inserted into the chamber.

8. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the shell includes a window provided at the cartomizer receiving segment so that a portion of the chamber is visible from outside the shell.

9. A vaporizer comprising:

a shell having a battery segment and a cartomizer receiving segment, the cartomizer receiving segment defining a chamber having an insertion end distal from the battery segment and a base end proximate to the battery segment;

a cartomizer insertable into the chamber at the insertion end, the cartomizer including;

a cartomizer body dimensioned to hold a vaporizable substance,

a heating element provided within or proximate to the cartomizer body operable to heat the vaporizable substance,

cartomizer electrical contacts provided on the exterior of the cartomizer,

cartomizer electrical circuitry operable to direct an electronic current between the cartomizer electrical contacts and the heating element, and

a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the cartomizer body, the mouthpiece extending from the insertion end of the chamber when the cartomizer is inserted in the chamber,

wherein the heating element is activated by the current and is operable to heat the vaporizable substance to a vaporization temperature;

a battery housed within the battery segment;

battery electrical contacts provided between the base end of the chamber and the battery segment, the battery electrical contacts positioned to contact the cartomizer electrical contacts when the cartomizer is inserted in the chamber; and

battery electrical circuitry housed within the battery segment and operable to direct an electrical current between the battery, the battery electrical contacts, the cartomizer electrical contacts, the heating element, and the inserted cartomizer.

10. The vaporizer of claim 9, wherein the vaporizable substance is a fluid, the heating element includes a wicking element for absorbing the fluid, and at least a portion of the cartomizer body is composed of a translucent material.

11. The vaporizer of claim 9, wherein the cartomizer further includes a container provided within the cartomizer body and dimensioned to hold the vaporizable substance, wherein the heating element is provided exterior to at least a portion of the container and is operable to heat the container thereby heating the vaporizable substance to the vaporization temperature.

12. The vaporizer of claim 11, wherein the heating element includes conductive material intertwined with non-conductive material, and the conductive material is in electrical communication with the cartomizer electronic circuitry.

13. The vaporizer of claim 11 further comprising a printed circuit board housed in the battery segment and in electrical communication with the battery electrical circuitry, and

the cartomizer further includes a sensor in electrical communication with the cartomizer electrical circuitry, wherein the printed circuit board is operable to process environment information received from the sensor when the cartomizer is inserted into the chamber.

14. The vaporizer of claim 11, wherein the mouthpiece is detachably connected to the cartomizer body.

15. The vaporizer of claim 9, wherein the cartomizer further includes a basin for holding the vaporizable substance, and wherein the heating element is provided proximate to the basin in order to heat the basin.