Vaporizer assembly and cartridge

• US 9,352,288 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• 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: Terry, Nathan Andrew, Minskoff, Noah Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Woodward, Valerie L
• Application Number:
  US14/284,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20140251326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: A24F 40/44 Wicks
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0001 Details of inhalators; Constructional features thereof
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/213 by spraying or atomising of the liquids

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 vaporizing unit having a proximal end configured to be placed in a human mouth, the personal vaporizing unit comprising:

a housing holding a fluid to be vaporized into a vaporized mixture of air and vaporized fluid;

an atomizer that vaporizes the fluid with a heating element; and

a sleeve to hold the atomizer and the housing that conducts light entering a proximal end to a distal end, wherein the light exiting the distal end of the sleeve is visible external to the personal vaporizing unit, the sleeve having a distal end direction, at least one space between an exterior surface of said housing and an interior surface of said sleeve defining a passage for outside air without said vaporized mixture to be drawn from outside said personal vaporizing unit, said outside air without said vaporized mixture to be drawn from said distal end direction, along said passage, to said second end of said housing for delivery to said atomizer.

2. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises a light pipe sleeve, further wherein at least an end surface of said housing is translucent to diffuse light produced internally to said personal vaporizing unit, wherein the light is visible at the distal end of the light pipe sleeve and the distal end of the housing.

3. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein said at least one space is created by a flat surface on said housing and a round inner diameter of said sleeve.

4. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein air is drawn from outside said personal vaporizing unit to said at least one space through a space determined by at least one stand-off that creates a space between said first end and a distal assembly of said personal vaporizing unit.

5. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein said housing has at least one anti-vacuum channel in an interior surface that allows air into a housing chamber holding said fluid to be vaporized.

6. An assembly for a personal vaporizing unit, the personal vaporizing unit having a proximal end configured to be placed in a human mouth, the assembly comprising:

a light pipe sleeve having a first end and a second end, the light pipe sleeve configured to be disposed within said personal vaporizing unit and diffuse light through the light pipe sleeve;

an atomizer held by said light pipe sleeve, the atomizer having a heating element configured to vaporize a fluid; and

a housing held by said light pipe sleeve, said housing holding the fluid to be vaporized into a mixture of air and vaporized fluid by said personal vaporizing unit, the light pipe sleeve holding the atomizer and the housing such that a proximal end of said atomizer is disposed closer to said proximal end of said personal vaporizing unit than a proximal end of said housing.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said housing and said light pipe sleeve form at least one space between an exterior surface of said housing and an interior surface of said light pipe sleeve defining a passage for outside air without said vaporized mixture to be drawn along said passage from a distal end direction to said second end.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein said housing further comprises:

at least one anti-vacuum channel formed by an interior surface of said housing that, allows air into said housing to replace said fluid that is removed from said housing.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein said fluid is removed from said housing by a capillary action of a wick in contact with said fluid.

10. The assembly of claim 7, wherein at least an end surface of said housing is translucent to diffuse light produced internally to said personal vaporizing unit.

11. The assembly of claim 7, wherein said at least one space is created by a flat surface on said housing and a round inner diameter of said interior surface of said light pipe sleeve.

12. The assembly of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one stand-off that, when said assembly is inserted in said personal vaporizing unit, creates a space between a distal end assembly of said personal vaporizing unit and said first end of said housing.

13. A personal vaporizing unit having a proximal end configured to be placed in a human mouth, the personal vaporizing unit comprising:

a light pipe sleeve that conducts light entering a proximal end of the light pipe sleeve to the distal end of the light pipe sleeve; and

a cartridge held by the light pipe sleeve, wherein light exiting a distal end of the light pipe sleeve is diffused by the cartridge, the cartridge comprising;

a housing, the housing having a first end and a second end, the housing configured to be disposed within said personal vaporizing unit, said housing configured to hold a fluid to be vaporized into a mixture of air and vaporized fluid by said personal vaporizing unit, said housing and said personal vaporizing unit forming, when said cartridge is disposed in said personal vaporizing unit, at least one space between an exterior surface of said housing and an interior surface of said personal vaporizing unit that defines a passage for outside air without said mixture to be drawn from outside said personal vaporizing unit from a distal end direction and along said passage to said second end.

14. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 13, wherein said housing further comprises:

at least one anti-vacuum channel formed by an interior surface of said housing that allows air into said cartridge to replace said fluid that is removed from said cartridge.

15. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 14, wherein said fluid is removed from said cartridge by a capillary action of a wick in contact with said fluid.

16. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 13, wherein at least an end surface of said housing is translucent to diffuse light produced internally to said personal vaporizing unit.

17. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 13, wherein said at least one space is created by a flat surface on said housing and a round inner diameter of said interior surface of said personal vaporizing unit.

18. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 13, further comprising:

at least one stand-off that, when said cartridge is disposed in said personal vaporizing unit, creates a space between a distal end assembly of said personal vaporizing unit and said first end of said housing.

19. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 13, wherein said fluid contacts a wick when said cartridge is inserted in said personal vaporizing unit.

20. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 13, wherein an interior surface of said housing is configured to contact said personal vaporizer unit to form a contact seal that prevents said fluid from flowing into said at least one space.