Patent Application
20220346454
Personal vaporizers provide an alternative to smoking techniques, which involve combustion of organic matter and inhalation of the vapor. Instead vaporizers atomize a substance (e.g., a nicotine substance or cannabis substance) using a heating element to simulate the combustion found in traditional cigarettes. Personal vaporizers often use removable/replaceable cartridges containing a substance for atomization. The cartridges often have fixed concentrations of substances, and set flavors.
The present disclosure involves systems, methods, and an apparatus for inhaling vaporized substances. An attachable personal vaporizer is disclosed comprising a body having a power supply, a control circuit, and a cartridge. The cartridge includes a first channel that provides a flow path to transport vaporized substance to a first end of the body. A mouthpiece is coupled to the first end of the body that includes a second channel, which extends the flow path from the first end of the body through the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece and the body are shaped to abut to a second personal vaporizer.
Implementations can optionally include one or more of the following features.
In some instances, the personal vaporizer and the second personal vaporizer are substantially the same.
In some instances, the body includes side couplers that are configured to couple the body to a body of the second personal vaporizer. In some instances, the side couplers include magnetic latches.
In some instances, the mouthpiece includes flat surface that is configured to abut to a second mouthpiece of the second personal vaporizer to form a combined mouthpiece. In some instances, the combined mouthpiece is shaped to fit insight a user's mouth. For example, it may have rounded edges.
In some instances, the body includes contacts configured to enable communication between the control circuit and a second control circuit of the second personal vaporizer when the personal vaporizer is abutted with the second personal vaporizer.
The details of these and other aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
This disclosure describes a personal vaporizer such as an electronic cigarette, a vape pen, vape kits, e-cig, or e-hookah, electronic nicotine delivery system that can be coupled to another personal vaporizer in order to allow the user increased flexibility in vapor delivery. Personal vaporizers can provide controlled substances (e.g., nicotine, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD), etc.). In addition to the controlled substances, personal vaporizers allow for unique flavors as compared to traditional inhalation devices (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, or pipes). Since cartridges for personal vaporizers often provide a fixed dosage of substance and limited range of flavors, it can be desirable to allow the user to mix and combine multiple cartridges.
Turning to the illustrated example,
Attachable personal vaporizers 100 include side couplers 110, which allow the vaporizers 100 to couple. The side couplers 110 provide for connecting and disconnecting the two personal vaporizers 100. In some implementations, the side couplers 110 include magnets that are aligned to attract and hold the personal vaporizers 100 together. The magnets can be recessed into the body, which can further include mating male and female profiles (e.g., guide slots and ribs), or another manner for establishing and maintaining proper alignment when the vaporizers 100 are attached. In some implementations, the side couplers 110 include latches, or a tongue and groove system, which allows for interlocking of the personal vaporizers 100.
Body 202, includes side couplers 208A-208C. The side couplers can be magnetic or have an interlocking mechanism, which allows the personal vaporizer 100 to be coupled with another personal vaporizer. The body 202 can further include features that assist with alignment and traction between vaporizers. For example, body 202 can include a number of ridges and grooves, which are configured to slot into similar ridges and grooves on the body of another personal vaporizer. While three side couplers 208A-C are illustrated, more, or fewer side couplers are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, body 202 can include side couplers on both sides, or one side and the front, in order to facilitate coupling with multiple additional vaporizers (e.g., three or four coupled vaporizers).
The body 202 further includes a power source 210, which can provide electrical power to control circuits 212, and a heating element in the atomization chamber 214. Power source 210 can include a battery, such as a lithium ion (Li-ion), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), Alkaline or other battery. In some implementations, the battery is user replaceable. In some implementations, the battery is integrated with the body 202. Power source 210 can also include charging circuitry required for recharging the battery.
Control circuitry 212 can include necessary circuitry to operate the personal vaporizer 100. Control circuitry 212 can include one or more microcontrollers, or analog circuits, as well as sensors for operation. A puff sensor can be provided in the control circuitry 212, which detects whether or not a user is drawing on the mouthpiece. The puff sensor can be a microphone, or a diaphragm based pressure sensor, or other pressure sensor. In some implementations, the control circuitry 212 can detect whether or not a cartridge is installed, or whether or not the personal vaporizer 100 is coupled to another vaporizer. In some instances, the control circuitry 212 can communicate with the control circuitry of another vaporizer coupled to the personal vaporizer 100, for example, to average the outputs of both puff sensors and provide equal atomization across both vaporizers.
Cartridge 204 includes and an atomization chamber 214, through which air flows past a heating element and a wick that is exposed to a substance to be atomized. The atomized vapor can leave the vaporization chamber with the flowing air up through a passage or chimney 216. Cartridge 204 further includes a reservoir that contains the substance to be atomized. In some implementations, a puff sensor is located in the cartridge 204, and communicates with control circuitry 212 when the cartridge 204 is coupled with the body 202. One or more air inlet vents 224 are provided on the cartridge 204 for allowing airflow into the cartridge 204 when the user draws air through the personal vaporizer 100. In some implementations, the liquid reservoir includes a clear or translucent window 220 to the exterior of the cartridge 204 for visually determining the liquid level within the liquid reservoir.
Mouthpiece 206 includes a channel 218, which extends the chimney 216 and provides a flow path through the atomization chamber 214 into the user's mouth when the mouthpiece is coupled to the cartridge 204. As illustrated in
Although this disclosure has been described in terms of certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
In general, a user can use an attachable personal vaporizer individually, or attached with multiple vaporizers. When a user places a personal vaporizer in their mouth, and draws air through it, the puff sensor detects airflow, and begins atomizing the substance in the cartridge. The user inhales that atomized substance. Each cartridge may contain different substances, which may accomplish different tasks. For example, a cartridge may contain a substance that provides flavor, while another cartridge may contain a controlled substance (e.g., nicotine, THC, etc.).
By attaching additional vaporizers, the user can draw from more than one cartridge, which can provide for a unique user experience. For example, a user could have a three-vaporizer configuration, with two flavor cartridges (e.g., apple and cinnamon) and a nicotine cartridge. In this example, the user experience could be similar to an apple cinnamon cigarette. In another example, a user could combine two or more of the same cartridge. For example, a user could combine two cherry flavored cartridges and a single vanilla flavor, to achieve their desired overall flavor.
In some implementations, a user may wish to combine multiple cartridges to increase or decrease their dose of the substance. For example, while using a single vaporizer a user may get a fixed dose of nicotine (e.g., 24 mg per cartridge). If the user wants to reduce their nicotine intake, they may combine a nicotine cartridge with a nicotine free flavored cartridge by attaching another vaporizer. In this example, each puff the user takes will only have half the nicotine as compared to use of the single vaporizer. Other combinations are possible, for example, a user may combine multiple substances (e.g., THC and nicotine) or substances and flavors in order to achieve their desired effect.
Although this disclosure has been described in terms of certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
