Vaporizer apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076139-B2
Application number	US-201615257760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2016
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

Vaporizer devices and apparatuses are provided. In some implementations, an apparatus comprises a cartridge and a vaporizer body. The cartridge comprises a storage compartment configured to hold a vaporizable material, a heater comprising a resistive heating element for generating an aerosol, and a mouthpiece comprising an opening for passage of the aerosol. The vaporizable material is visible through at least one side of the storage compartment. The vaporizer body comprises a proximal end, a distal end opposite the proximal end, and a cartridge receptacle at the proximal end, the cartridge receptacle configured to house the cartridge. The cartridge receptacle comprises a notch extending from the proximal end towards the distal end, and a portion of the storage compartment is visible through the notch when the cartridge is housed in the cartridge receptacle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vaporizer apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a cartridge having:
a storage compartment configured to hold a liquid vaporizable material, the storage compartment comprising an elongate storage compartment, wherein the liquid vaporizable material is visible through the storage compartment, and wherein the storage compartment comprises a distal end and a proximal end;
a mouthpiece at the proximal end of the storage compartment;
an opening through the mouthpiece and at a proximal end of the mouthpiece; and
a heater at the distal end of the storage compartment, wherein the heater comprises a heating chamber, a wick within the heating chamber, and a resistive heating element in thermal contact with the wick; and

a vaporizer, the vaporizer having:
a body having a distal end, a proximal end, a front side, a back side, and a pair of lateral sides extending between the distal and proximal ends of the body, wherein the body comprises an elongate and opaque body, wherein the body is resistive to rolling when placed on a flat surface because a diameter between the front and back sides is smaller than a diameter between the pair of lateral sides, yielding a relatively flattened body;
a cartridge receptacle formed at the proximal end of the body, wherein the cartridge receptacle has a proximal-facing opening into the proximal end of the body, and wherein the cartridge receptacle comprises a proximal edge around the proximal-facing opening, and wherein the proximal edge of the cartridge receptacle forms a notch in the front side of the body, the notch extending towards the distal end of the body so that a portion of the storage compartment is visible through the notch when the cartridge is housed within the cartridge receptacle;
a pair of electrical contacts in a distal surface within the cartridge receptacle, the pair of electrical contacts configured to connect to electrical contacts on the cartridge when the cartridge is housed within the cartridge receptacle; and
a detent on each of the pair of lateral sides, wherein the detents project into the cartridge receptacle and engage a mating region on the storage compartment to hold the cartridge within the cartridge receptacle and with the mouthpiece outside of the cartridge receptacle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece comprises an opaque mouthpiece.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment comprises the liquid vaporizable material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment comprises the liquid vaporizable material, and wherein the liquid vaporizable material comprises a nicotine solution.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the notch comprises a rectangular, triangular or oval cutout region.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a cannula within the storage compartment is visible through the notch when the cartridge is housed within the cartridge receptacle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a rectangular cross-section.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pair of electrical contacts comprises pogo pins.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece comprises an opaque cover that is secured over the proximal end of the storage compartment, the opaque cover having a front side adjacent to a first side of the storage compartment extending between the proximal and distal ends of the storage compartment, wherein a distal end of the opaque cover terminates in a distal edge that extends around a perimeter of the storage compartment from a position between the distal end and the proximal end of the storage compartment.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the cartridge further comprises a cartridge notch in the front side of the mouthpiece and extending from the distal edge of the opaque cover towards the proximal end of the mouthpiece, wherein the cartridge notch exposes a region of the storage compartment beneath the mouthpiece, and wherein the cartridge notch aligns with the notch in the front side of the body when the cartridge is housed within the cartridge receptacle.

11. A vaporizer apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a cartridge having:
a storage compartment configured to hold a liquid vaporizable material, the storage compartment comprising an elongate storage compartment, wherein the liquid vaporizable material is visible through the storage compartment and wherein the storage compartment comprises a distal end and a proximal end;
a mouthpiece at the proximal end of the storage compartment;
an opening through the mouthpiece and at a proximal end of the mouthpiece; and
a heater at the distal end of the storage compartment, wherein the heater comprises a heating chamber, a wick within the heating chamber, and a resistive heating element in thermal contact with the wick;
a cannula within the storage compartment and extending through the liquid vaporizable material from the heater to the proximal end of the storage compartment so that the liquid vaporizable material at least partially surrounds the cannula when the storage compartment is filled with the liquid vaporizable material, wherein the cannula forms a fluid connection between the heating chamber and the opening through the mouthpiece from which vaporized liquid vaporizable material may be inhaled; and

a vaporizer, the vaporizer having:
a body having a distal end, a proximal end, a front side, a back side, and opposite lateral sides extending between the distal and proximal ends of the body, wherein the body comprises an elongate and opaque body, wherein the body is resistive to rolling when placed on a flat surface because a diameter between the front and back sides is smaller than a diameter between the opposite lateral sides, yielding a relatively flattened body;
a cartridge receptacle formed at the proximal end of the body, wherein the cartridge receptacle has a proximal-facing opening into the proximal end of the body, and wherein the cartridge receptacle comprises a proximal edge around the proximal-facing opening, and wherein the proximal edge of the cartridge receptacle forms a notch in the front side of the body, the notch extending towards the distal end of the body so that a portion of the storage compartment and the cannula are visible through the notch when the cartridge is housed within the cartridge receptacle;
a pair of electrical contacts in a distal surface within the cartridge receptacle, the pair of electrical contacts configured to connect to electrical contacts on the cartridge when the cartridge is housed within the cartridge receptacle; and
a detent on each of the opposite lateral sides, wherein the detents project into the cartridge receptacle and engage a mating region on the storage compartment to hold the cartridge within the cartridge receptacle and with the mouthpiece outside of the cartridge receptacle.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the mouthpiece comprises an opaque mouthpiece.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the storage compartment comprises the liquid vaporizable material.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the notch comprises a rectangular, triangular or oval cutout region.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the body comprises a rectangular cross-section.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the pair of electrical contacts comprises pogo pins.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the mouthpiece comprises an opaque cover that is secured over the distal end of the storage compartment, the opaque cover having a front side adjacent to a first side of the storage compartment exten

Assignees

• Juul Labs Inc

Inventors

• Monsees James
• Bowen Adam
• Christensen Steven
• Morenstein Joshua
• Hibmacronan Christopher Nicholas

Classifications

• H05B2203/022

  Heaters specially adapted for heating gaseous material · CPC title

• A61M15/06

  Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes · CPC title

• A61M11/042

  electrical · CPC title

• A61M2205/3653

  by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance · CPC title

• A61M2205/8206

  battery-operated · CPC title