Charging case assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11196274-B2
Application number	US-201916258491-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2019
Priority date	Jan 26, 2018
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

A charging case assembly for a vaporizer device includes a lower housing pivotably coupled to an upper housing. The lower housing can include a rechargeable power supply and a coupling mechanism configured to receive and position the vaporizer device within the lower housing. The coupling mechanism can include a cradle portion positioned along the lower housing and further include an elongated base that is recessed along an inner surface of the lower housing. The cradle portion can be configured to receive the vaporizer device such that a first elongated side of the vaporizer device is positioned against the base of the cradle portion. The coupling mechanism can further include a pair of case contacts positioned adjacent a first end of the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charging case assembly for securing and charging a vaporizer device, the charging case assembly comprising:
an upper housing; and
a lower housing pivotably coupled to the upper housing, the lower housing comprising:
a rechargeable power supply configured to be recharged and to provide power to the vaporizer device; and
a coupling mechanism configured to receive and position the vaporizer device within the lower housing, the coupling mechanism comprising:
a cradle portion positioned along the lower housing and comprising an elongated base that is recessed along an inner surface of the lower housing, the cradle portion being configured to receive the vaporizer device such that a first elongated side of the vaporizer device is positioned against the elongated base of the cradle portion and a second elongated side of the vaporizer device is exposed and facing away from the lower housing, the second elongated side opposing the first elongated side and extending between a mouthpiece and a charging end of the vaporizer device;
a pair of case contacts positioned adjacent a first end of the elongated base, the pair of case contacts in electrical communication with the rechargeable power supply and positioned to contact a pair of vaporizer contacts of the vaporizer device for charging the vaporizer device; and
a first magnet positioned along the first end of the elongated base for magnetically coupling with a second magnet associated with the vaporizer device, the first magnet magnetically coupling with the second magnet to secure the first elongated side of the vaporizer device against the elongated base and the charging end of the vaporizer device against the first end of the elongated base thereby securing contact between the pair of case contacts and the pair of vaporizer contacts.

2. The charging case assembly of claim 1 , wherein the elongated base is recessed a first distance from the inner surface of the lower housing, and wherein the first distance is approximately equivalent to a thickness of the vaporizer device.

3. The charging case assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cradle portion includes a pair of elongated sidewalls extending approximately parallel to each other along opposing sides of the elongated base and a pair of end walls extending between the pair of elongated sidewalls, and wherein the pair of case contacts are positioned along a first end wall of the pair of end walls.

4. The charging case assembly of claim 3 , wherein the pair of elongated sidewalls are positioned a second distance apart, and wherein the second distance is approximately equivalent to a width of the vaporizer device.

5. The charging case assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second distance is sized to allow a sliding fit between the vaporizer device and the pair of elongated sidewalls.

6. The charging case assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coupling mechanism is configured to receive the vaporizer device in more than one orientation.

7. The charging case assembly of claim 1 , wherein the upper housing and the lower housing are pivotably coupled by a hinge assembly that allows the charging case assembly to form an open configuration where the upper housing is pivoted away from the lower housing and a closed configuration where the upper housing is pivoted towards the lower housing.

8. The charging case assembly of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the upper housing and the lower housing comprises a transparent material allowing visualization of an illuminating device indicator along the vaporizer device when the illuminating device indicator is illuminated and the charging case assembly is in the closed configuration.

9. The charging case assembly of claim 7 , wherein the inner surface of the lower housing includes at least one illuminating case indicator for indicating one or more of a charging level and a charging state of either the charging case assembly or the vaporizer device.

10. The charging case assembly of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the upper housing and the lower housing comprises a transparent material allowing visualization of the at least one illuminating case indicator when illuminated and the charging case assembly is in the closed configuration.

11. The charging case assembly of claim 9 , wherein the lower housing further comprises a switch configured to activate one or more of the at least one illuminating case indicator when the charging case assembly is moved between the closed configuration and the open configuration.

12. A method of charging a vaporizer device, comprising:
receiving the vaporizer device in a coupling mechanism of a charging case assembly, the charging case assembly having an upper housing that is pivotably coupled to a lower housing for allowing the charging case assembly to transition between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the coupling mechanism comprising:
a cradle portion positioned along the lower housing and comprising an elongated base that is recessed along an inner surface of the lower housing, the cradle portion being configured to receive the vaporizer device such that a first elongated side of the vaporizer device is positioned against the elongated base of the cradle portion and a second elongated side of the vaporizer device is exposed and facing away from the lower housing, the second elongated side opposing the first elongated side and extending between a mouthpiece and a charging end of the vaporizer device;
a pair of case contacts positioned adjacent a first end of the elongated base, the pair of case contacts in electrical communication with a rechargeable power supply and positioned to contact a pair of vaporizer contacts of the vaporizer device for charging the vaporizer device; and
a first magnet positioned along the first end of the elongated base for magnetically coupling with a second magnet associated with the vaporizer device; and

magnetically coupling the first magnet associated with the lower housing with the second magnet associated with the vaporizer device to secure the first elongated side of the vaporizer device against the elongated base and the charging end of the vaporizer device against the first end of the elongated base thereby securing contact between the pair of case contacts and the pair of vaporizer contacts of the vaporizer device.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising indicating at least one of a charging state and a charging level of the vaporizer device or the charging case assembly, wherein the indicating includes illuminating at least one illuminated indicator associated with the charging case assembly or the vaporizer device, the at least one illuminated indicator being viewable through the upper housing by a user when the charging case assembly is in the closed configuration.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more illuminated indicators of the at least one illuminated indicator is positioned along the inner surface of the lower housing such that the one or more illuminated indicators are contained within the charging case assembly when the charging case assembly is in the closed configuration.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more illuminated indicators of the at least one illuminated indicator is positioned along the vaporizer device such that the one or more illuminated indicators are contained within the charging case assembly when the vaporizer device is positioned within the cradle portion and the charging case assembly is in the closed configuration.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising connecting a power source to at least one of a devi

Assignees

• Juul Labs Inc

Inventors

• Ambriz Rios Cesar
• Chang Wei-Ling
• Cheung Brandon
• Johnson Richard
• Lau Nolan Y T
• Lomeli Kevin
• Monsees James
• Ringrose Alexander
• Wacyk Roxolana

Classifications

• H02J7/825

  Detection of fully charged condition · CPC title

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/731 Primary

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title