Patent Application
20240277947
This invention relates to the classification of Devices for Introducing Media Into, or Onto, the Body and one or more sub-classifications for Inhalators or Sprayers or Atomisers Specially Adapted for Therapeutic Purposes. Specifically, this invention is an adapter allowing an attachment to be mated with a vaporizer.
Electronic vaporization devices are commonly used to vaporize herbs, tobacco or other botanical products for the purpose of inhaling the released vapors. Otherwise referred to as personal vaporizers (“Vaporizers”) such devices typically have at least the following components: a power source, a power button, a heating element, a heating chamber, a mouthpiece and an airpath that connects the heating chamber to the mouthpiece.
Vaporizers are typically designed to work with one or more standard mouthpieces. However, many users prefer to use alternative Attachments, such as a glass tube, a water pipe adapter, a bent or curved tube or a mini bubbler (which holds water and forces the inhaled vapors to pass through the water before being inhaled). Regardless of the material or features that are desired and offered by such Attachments, they all have a common connection point: a tubular end. Attaching the tubular end to the rest of the Vaporizer is a problem in need of a solution.
In addition, when the tubular end of the Attachment is connected to the Vaporizer it blocks access to the power button in many Vaporizers currently on the market. This is a problem because it makes it more difficult to operate the Vaporizer after an attachment has been connected. Therefore, there exists a need for a device that can simultaneously connect a tubular Attachment to the Vaporizer's body, create a continuous seal between the Attachment and the Vaporizer's Airpath and facilitate the continuous operation of the Vaporizer's power button.
No such solution exists today.
This summary is intended to disclose the present invention, an Adapter for Vaporizer Attachments. The embodiments and descriptions are used to illustrate the invention and its utility, and are not intended to limit the invention or its use. In the illustrated embodiment, the Adapter for Vaporizer Attachments is shown in conjunction with attachments for vaporizers.
A Vaporizer typically comes with a single style of mouthpiece. For users wishing to use their Vaporizer with a glass tube, a water pipe adapter, a bent or curved tube or a mini bubbler (which holds water and forces the inhaled vapors to pass through the water before being inhaled), a novel Adapter is disclosed in this Application. All of the Attachments have a tubular end. The tubular end fits in an opening in Adapter called the Attachment Interface. The Attachment Interface is designed to form an air-tight seal with the tubular end of an Attachment. It does this by having an elastomeric inner surface that is specifically sized so as to make a nominal interference fit with the tube on the Attachment.
The Adapter fits into the base of the Vaporizer, replacing the original mouthpiece. The Adapter creates a continuous air path between the Attachment and the airpath of the Vaporizer leading to the heating chamber. The Adapter creates an air-tight seal with the base of the Vaporizer. The Adapter has a rigid insert that terminates in an actuator. By pressing on the Attachment, a user is able to cycle a power button by transmitting force through the rigid insert and actuator to the power button. This allows the user to get the full benefits of the Vaporizer while using an Attachment rather than the manufacturer's mouthpiece.
The present invention is illustrated with 7 figures on 6 sheets.
The following descriptions are not meant to limit the invention, but rather to add to the summary of invention, and illustrate the present invention, by offering and illustrating various embodiments of the present invention, an Adapter for Vaporization Attachments 10. While embodiments of the invention are illustrated and described, the embodiments herein do not represent all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the descriptions, illustrations, and embodiments are intended to teach and inform one skilled in the art without limiting the scope of the invention.
The Adapter for Vaporizer Attachments 1 connects any attachment with a tubular end 11 (“Attachment”) to a vaporizer 1 with an interface similar to the example shown in
The claimed invention differs from what currently exists. Although there are other devices that can connect a tubular attachment to a Vaporizer 1, and they can do so while forming a substantially airtight connection, none of these currently available devices provide for a means to operate the power button 6 on the Vaporizer 1. In fact, other devices make it more difficult to operate the power button 6 because they block access to the power button 6 once they are installed. Therefore, unlike the current invention, devices that currently exist must be removed from the Vaporizer 1 every time the user wishes to depress the power button 6. This is especially important when the Vaporizer's 1 functions or modes can be controlled through alternative actions applied to the power button 6, such as depressing the power button 6 multiple times in a row, or depressing and holding down the power button 6 for a predetermined period of time. Under such circumstances, having continued access to the power button 6 is essential to the proper and complete operation of the Vaporizer 1 and is therefore a very important feature of the invention 10.
The Pressure Point 4 allows a user to depress the peg 5, activating the power button 6.
The mouthpiece 2 sits flush with the rim 35 of the base 36.
The Attachment 11 is a hollow cylinder having an outer diameter 91, an inner diameter 92, an opening at the top 50, and an opening at the bottom 51.
In the embodiment shown here, the Adapter 10 has a cylindrical void (“Attachment Interface”) 12 in its top surface 72. The Attachment Interface has an inner diameter 90 at the point it meets the top surface 72. The Attachment Interface 12 is coated with an elastomer. The inner diameter 90 of the Attachment Interface 12 is nominally equal to the outer diameter 91 of the Attachment 11. This insures an air-tight fit between the Attachment 11 and the Adapter 10. The Attachment Interface 12 has a longitudinal axis 70 that it shares with at least the end of the mating end 74 of the Attachment 11. The longitudinal axis 70 forms an angle 71 with the top surface 72 of the Adapter 10. In this embodiment, the angle is 90°, but the angle 71 can practically range from about 45° to 90°. The Adapter 10 has an upper side surface 73. The Adapter 10 has a lower side surface 13 that fits inside the inner side surface 33 of the Vaporizer 1 base 36.
The Adapter 10 houses a rigid insert 15 that has an actuator 18. The rigid insert 15 is internally adjacent to the bottom surface 80 with the actuator 18 protruding. The bottom surface 80 of the Adapter 10 has a void 14 to create a continuous air-flow channel between the airpath 7 and the Attachment 11.
The figures show a progression of how the invention 10 works with the Attachment 11 and the Vaporizer 1.
Additional description of the various elements discussed here is as follows:
Attachment Interface. The Attachment Interface 12 is a cylindrical void that has a inner diameter 90 nominally equal to the outer diameter 91 of the Attachment 11.
In this embodiment, the Attachment Interface 12 vertical with an opening facing upward, and the entirety of the internal surface is made up of an elastomeric material. Ribs (not shown) can optionally be molded into the elastomeric material. The bottom of the Attachment Interface supports the rigid insert 15.
Vaporizer Interface. The Vaporizer Interface is a structure that complements and attaches the Adapter 10 to the Vaporizer 1. The lower side surface 13 of the Adapter 10 has a silicon O-ring 60 to create the air-tight fit between the Adapter 10 and the base 36 of the Vaporizer 1. The lower side surface 13 is made of an elastomeric material. The lower side surface 13 is designed to have a nominal interference fit with the inner side surface 33 of the base 36 of the Vaporizer 1. In an alternative embodiment, the lower side surface 13 of the Adapter 10 is tapered, starting slightly larger than the inner side surface 33 of the Vaporizer 1 and terminating so that it is slightly smaller than the inner side surface 33 of the Vaporizer 1 base 36.
Rigid Insert. The rigid insert 15 is a rigid, button-like structure that has an upward facing surface 81 that has an outer diameter 98 that is larger than the outer diameter 91 of the Attachment 11. The rigid insert 15 has a lower surface 83 with an outer diameter 96 that is at least as large as the inner diameter 92 of the Attachment 11.
In alternative embodiments of the invention, some of the above features may be absent or may be present in different forms. Below is a discussion of some, but not all, of these possible variations.
The Attachment Interface 12 may vary. The direction of the Attachment Interface 12 does not have to be perpendicular to and may be at an angle to the top of the Adapter 10. In one alternative embodiment, the longitudinal axis of the Attachment Interface 12 may be at a 45-degree angle to the upper surface of the Vaporizer 1.
Additional embodiments can be made by modifying the material that forms the sides of the Attachment Interface 12. The material that forms the sides of the Attachment Interface 12 may be a mixture of elastomeric and rigid materials. For example, a portion of the cylinder constituting the Attachment Interface 12 may have larger in diameter than that of the Attachment 11. Elastomeric ribs may then be embedded in the Attachment Interface 12 in order to create an interference fit between the ribs and the Attachment 11. Conversely, the entirety of the portion of the cylinder constituting the Attachment Interface 12 may be made of elastomeric material that causes a nominal interference fit with the Attachment 11.
Regardless of the embodiment, there are two important relationships between the components. The first relationship creates a continuous route for the air/vapor to travel through as it moves from the Vaporizer 1 to the user's mouth. This occurs when the Vaporizer Interface creates a non-permanent, but substantially air-tight connection between the Adapter 10 and the Vaporizer 1 and directs the air through the airpath 7, void 14, through-holes 17 in the rigid insert 15, and through the Attachment 11.
The second relationship creates a continuous kinetic link between the Attachment 11 and the power button 6. This is accomplished because the Attachment Interface 12 holds the Attachment 11 in contact, or nearly in contact, with the rigid insert 15 which itself is designed to transfer kinetic energy from the Attachment 11 down through its Actuator 18 through the Silicone Membrane 9 and into the power button 6.
A user uses the Adapter 10 by pressing an Attachment 11 into the Attachment Interface 12 and then mounting the Adapter 10 to the Vaporizer 1 Base 36. The user can cycle power by pressing down on the Attachment 11 which will cause the actuator 18 to depress the power button 6. The user can use the power button 6 to control other functions if the power button 6 is so enabled. The user can then draw vapor from the heating chamber 8 through the airpath 7, the void 14, the through-holes 17 in the rigid insert 15, the Attachment Interface 12 and the Attachment 11.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Utility Application No. 63/485,668 filed Feb. 17, 2023.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63485668 | Feb 2023 | US |
