Securely attaching cartridges for vaporizer devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10104915-B2
Application number	US-201715815666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2017
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods to generate an inhalable vapor in an electronic vaporization device. Described herein are cartridges including a vaporizable material that may be securely connected to a rechargeable base unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge comprising:
a storage compartment configured to hold a vaporizable material, the storage compartment having a non-circular cross section, the storage compartment having a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end along a first dimension, wherein the non-circular cross section includes two short sides and two long sides, the two short sides being shorter than the two long sides to result in the non-circular cross section, and wherein the storage compartment comprises a plastic material;
an aerosol outlet disposed proximate to the top end of the storage compartment;
a heater chamber disposed proximate to the bottom end of the storage compartment, the heater chamber comprising a heating element configured to aerosolize the vaporizable material, when the vaporizable material is present, to form an aerosol;
a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact each configured and disposed to couple and complete an electrical circuit with a third electrical contact and a fourth electrical contact in a receptacle of a vaporizer device body, the electrical circuit configured to provide power to the heating element when the vaporizer device body is present;
an aerosol channel within the storage compartment, the aerosol channel extending from the heater chamber to the aerosol outlet, the aerosol channel configured so that the aerosol, when the aerosol is present, is inhalable through the aerosol channel;
a first exterior wall extending between the top end and the bottom end;
a second exterior wall extending between the top end and the bottom end, wherein the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall are respectively intersected by the two short sides of the non-circular cross section;
a first locking gap disposed within six millimeters from the bottom end of the storage compartment and formed within the first exterior wall, the first locking gap configured to engage with a first locking detent within the receptacle of the vaporizer device body when the vaporizer device body is present, wherein a height of a first interior wall of the vaporizer device body comprising the first locking detent is at least thirteen millimeters; and
a second locking gap disposed within six millimeters from the bottom end of the storage compartment and formed within the second exterior wall, the second locking gap configured to engage with a second locking detent within the receptacle of the vaporizer device body when the vaporizer device body is present, wherein a height of a second interior wall of the vaporizer device body comprising the second locking detent is at least thirteen millimeters.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge is configured so that engaging the first locking gap with the first locking detent and engaging the second locking gap with the second locking detent secures the cartridge to the vaporizer device body.

3. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the first exterior wall is disposed opposite the second exterior wall.

4. The cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mouthpiece comprising the aerosol outlet, wherein the first exterior wall has a first point between the bottom end of the storage compartment and the top end of the storage compartment, wherein the second exterior wall has a second point between the bottom end of the storage compartment and the top end of the storage compartment, wherein the mouthpiece terminates in a distal edge, and wherein the distal edge of the mouthpiece is disposed at the first point and the second point.

5. The cartridge of claim 4 , wherein the distal edge of the mouthpiece forms a cutout into the mouthpiece, through which the storage compartment is visible.

6. The cartridge of claim 4 , further comprising:
a first mouthpiece detent on the first exterior wall proximate to the first point; and
a second mouthpiece detent on the second exterior wall proximate to the second point, wherein the mouthpiece is secured to the storage compartment by the first detent and the second detent.

7. The cartridge of claim 4 , wherein the mouthpiece forms a cavity configured to receive and couple to the storage compartment, the mouthpiece disposed to cover a first portion of the storage compartment, the mouthpiece disposed to not cover a second portion of the storage compartment, the second portion comprising a surface through which the vaporizable material is visible when the vaporizable material is present.

8. The cartridge of claim 7 , wherein the aerosol channel comprises a cannula, and wherein the cannula is visible through the surface.

9. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical contact comprises a first surface exposed at the bottom end of the storage compartment, and wherein the second electrical contact comprises a second surface exposed at the bottom end.

10. The cartridge of claim 9 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are disposed in a plane that is substantially parallel to the bottom end of the storage compartment.

11. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the first locking gap forms a first channel within the first exterior wall, and wherein the second locking gap forms a second channel within the second exterior wall.

12. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the first channel is configured to receive and couple to the first locking detent, and wherein the second channel is configured to receive and couple to the second locking detent.

13. The cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third exterior wall extending between the top end and the bottom end, the third exterior wall disposed between the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall, the second exterior wall disposed opposite the first exterior wall; and
a fourth exterior wall extending between the top end and the bottom end, the first exterior wall disposed between the first exterior wall and the second exterior wall, the fourth exterior wall disposed opposite the third exterior wall, wherein the third exterior wall and the fourth exterior wall are respectively intersected by the two long sides of the non-circular cross section.

14. The cartridge of claim 13 , further comprising:
a first spacing detent on the third exterior wall, the first spacing detent configured to contact a third interior wall within the receptacle of the vaporizer device body when the vaporizer device body is present; and
a second spacing detent on the fourth exterior wall, the second spacing detent configured to contact a fourth interior wall within the receptacle of the vaporizer device body when the vaporizer device body is present, wherein the fourth interior wall is disposed opposite the third first interior wall.

15. The cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wick configured to draw the vaporizable material towards the heating element, wherein the heating element is in thermal contact with the wick.

16. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment is flexible.

17. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the non-circular cross section is substantially perpendicular to the first dimension, and wherein the storage compartment is elongated relative to the non-circular cross section along the first dimension.

18. The cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising the vaporizable material, wherein the vaporizable material comprises a liquid nicotine formulation.

19. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein each of the first locking gap and the second locking gap are within three to four millimeters from the bottom end of the storage compartment.

20. Th

Assignees

• Juul Labs Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A24B15/167

  in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes · CPC title

• H05B1/0227

  Applications · CPC title

• A61K31/465

  Nicotine; Derivatives thereof · CPC title

• A61M11/06

  of the injector type · CPC title

• A61M2205/8206

  battery-operated · CPC title