Activation trigger for a personal vaporizing inhaler

• US 8,746,240 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2010
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: NATE Terry & Michael Edward Breede
• Inventors: Terry, Nathan Andrew, Minskoff, Noah Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Justine
• Assistant Examiner(s): SKORUPA, VALERIE LYNN
• Application Number:
  US12/780,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20110277756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,487 Days
• Field of Search: 12820011-20013, 12820014-20023, 128/200.24, 128/202.21, 12820312-20414, 128/204.17
• US Class Current: 128/202.21
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/40 Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/60 Devices with integrated user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/95 structurally associated with cases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/04 operated by the vapour pressure of the liquid to be sprayed or atomised air-humidification, e.g. "room humidifiers" F24F6/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/041 using heaters
• 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 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated

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. A personal vaporizer unit, comprising:

circuitry;

a vaporizer that vaporizes a substance in response to being activated;

a first conductive surface on a main shell configured to contact a first body part of a person holding said main shell of said personal vaporizer unit; and

,

a mouthpiece having a second conductive surface, conductively isolated from said first conductive surface, configured to contact a second body part of said person, wherein said circuitry activates said vaporizer in response to detecting a change in conductivity between said first conductive surface and said second conductive surface.

2. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first conductive surface and said second conductive surface is used to pass a charging current to a battery.

3. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 1, wherein said change in conductivity comprises a drop in impedance between said first conductive surface and said second conductive surface.

4. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 1, wherein said change in conductivity comprises a change in capacitance between said first conductive surface and said second conductive surface.

5. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 1, wherein said first body part is a finger.

6. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 5, wherein said second body part is a lip.

7. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 5, wherein said second body part is a second finger.

8. A method of operating a personal vaporizing unit including circuitry, comprising:

detecting a first impedance with said circuitry between a first conductive surface and a second conductive surface, said first conductive surface disposed on a main shell that is used to hold said personal vaporizing unit, said second conductive surface disposed on a mouthpiece of said personal vaporizing unit;

detecting a second impedance with said circuitry between said first conductive surface and said second conductive surface;

based on said second impedance meeting a criteria, activating said personal vaporizing unit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first impedance indicates conductive isolation and said second impedance indicates electrical continuity.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said first impedance is associated with only one of a first body part and a second body part being in contact with only one of said first conductive surface and said second conductive surface.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first body part is a finger.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said second body part is a lip.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said second body part is a second finger.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said second impedance is associated with a first body part being in contact with said first conductive surface and a second body part being in contact with said second conductive surface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said first body part is a finger.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said second body part is a lip.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said second body part is a second finger.

18. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

charging a battery of said personal vaporizing unit by passing a current through at least one of said first conductive surface and said second conductive surface.

19. A personal vaporizer unit, comprising:

circuitry;

a vaporizer that vaporizes a substance in response to being activated;

a first conductive surface on a main shell configured to contact a first body part of a person holding said main shell of said personal vaporizer unit; and

,

a second conductive surface on said main shell, conductively isolated from said first conductive surface, configured to contact a second body part of said person, wherein said circuitry activates said vaporizer in response to detecting a change in conductivity between said first conductive surface and said second conductive surface.

20. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 19, wherein said first body part is a first finger and said second body part is a second finger.