ELECTRONIC VAPORIZER AND CONTROL METHOD FOR VAPORIZING A VISCOUS MATERIAL

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention

This application relates generally to an electronic vaporizer and control method that controls a viscosity of a vaping material to facilitate conveyance of the vaping material to a heating element, which converts at least a portion of the vaping material into an aerosol.

2. Description of Related Art

Electronic vaping devices commonly include a power source (e.g., a battery), and a heating element that is energized with electric energy supplied by the battery. A vaping material commonly referred to as “juice” or “vape juice” is stored in a reservoir to be conveyed to the heating element by a wicking material. The heating element is energized to generate heat that converts at least some of the juice into an aerosol (e.g., a vapor), that is inhaled by a user who is drawing a puff through a mouthpiece.

Conventional juice is a relatively-low-viscosity fluid at room temperature (e.g., approximately 70° F.) that is conveyed to the heating element by wicking material. Even during an initial puff taken after a long period during which the vaping device is not used, the juice readily flows at room temperature to the wicking material, and is wicked by the wicking material to the heating element.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

More recently, conventional juice has been replaced by a relatively-high-viscosity material such as cannabis oil, for example. Cannabis oil is not water-based like many conventional juices, and more viscous than free-flowing liquids at room temperature. Due in part to its higher viscosity, cannabis oil clogs up the cotton-batting, ceramic or other wicking material used with conventional juice, and prevents the cannabis oil from being conveyed to the heating element by the wicking material in such a thermal state. As a result, conventional electronic vaping devices frustrate users who will often have to wait for lengthy periods of time for the viscous cannabis oil to be heated to an extent to be conveyed by the wicking material to the heating element.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a portable electronic vaping device and control method that enters a maintenance mode following operation of the vaping device during a puff. In the maintenance mode, the vaping device and control method maintains the vaping material in a first thermal state in which the vaping material has a relatively-low viscosity.

According to one aspect, the maintenance mode can be established for a defined period of time after completion of the puff. For example, the vaping device can operate in maintenance mode for at least X seconds after completion of the puff, where X can be any positive integer between 5 and 300, however any duration of operation mode is contemplated by the present disclosure. After expiration of the maintenance mode period, the control circuit can terminate operation of maintenance mode automatically, without human intervention. According to alternate embodiments, the vaping device can be configured to operate in maintenance mode until a subsequent puff is initiated. According to yet other embodiments, the vaping device can be configured to operate in maintenance mode until the user manually terminates maintenance mode by pressing a button, using a switch, or otherwise entering a termination command.

During at least a portion of maintenance mode, a control circuit provided to the vaping device controls the supply of electric energy from the battery to the heating element to maintain the vaping material at a temperature above ambient temperature (e.g., room temperature of approximately 70° F.) and below a vaping temperature. According to some embodiments, the vaping temperature can be a temperature at which the vaping material is converted into an aerosol. For such embodiments, the temperature of the vaping material in maintenance mode causes the viscosity of the vaping material to be lower than the viscosity of the vaping material at room temperature.

The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/or methods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, embodiments of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment of an electronic vaping device according to one or more aspects;

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting heating element according to one or more aspects;

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional, schematic diagram of a wire of the heating element of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of a control circuit that controls a supply of power to a heating element in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram representing an illustrative example of a process of operating a heating element in maintenance mode in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. Relative language used herein is best understood with reference to the drawings, in which like numerals are used to identify like or similar items. Further, in the drawings, certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic form.

It is also to be noted that the phrase “at least one of”, if used herein, followed by a plurality of members herein means one of the members, or a combination of more than one of the members. For example, the phrase “at least one of a first widget and a second widget” means in the present application: the first widget, the second widget, or the first widget and the second widget. Likewise, “at least one of a first widget, a second widget and a third widget” means in the present application: the first widget, the second widget, the third widget, the first widget and the second widget, the first widget and the third widget, the second widget and the third widget, or the first widget and the second widget and the third widget.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment of a vaping device 100. As shown, the vaping device 100 can include a power source 110, a control circuit 120, an atomizer 130, and a mouthpiece 140. The atomizer 130 can include at least one heating element 132 generally positioned within an air channel 134 leading to the mouthpiece 140. Further, the heating element 132 can be in fluid communication with a vaping material 138 held in a chamber, tank or any suitable container 136 that contains a vaping material 138, including a cannabis-derived oil such as cannabidiol, for example, as described herein. At an ambient temperature such as room temperature (e.g., approximately 70° F., or less; or approximately 80° F., or less, etc.), the vaping material has a relatively-high viscosity to be substantially resistant to fluid flow. For example, the relatively-high viscosity can include viscosities of at least 1,000 mPa*s, or at least 2,000 mPa*s, etc.) at room temperature. For reference, honey at room temperature can have a viscosity within a range from about 2,000 mPa*s up to about 10,000 mPa*s. According to other embodiments, the vaping material can be in the form of a gel or wax, which has a relatively-high viscosity at room temperature that resists fluid flow under the force of gravity (e.g., at least 10,000 mPa*s).

As discussed in greater detail below, a wicking material or other delivery mechanism can be employed to convey vaping material 138 from the container 136 to a location proximate to the heating element 132. Vaping material 138, which is deposited near or in contact with the heating element 132, boils and transitions to a vapor when the heating element 132 is heated via electrical power provided by power source 110 and regulated by control circuit 120. The vapor, once generated, can be drawn up the air channel 134 by an air flow created by a user via the mouthpiece 140.

While referred to herein as a vapor, it is to be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the output of the vaping device 100 is an aerosol mist form of vaping material 138. For example, the term “vapor,” as used herein, refers to gaseous molecules of the vaping material 138 that are evaporated, and small liquid droplets of the vaping material 138 that are to be suspended or entrained in the air flowing through the electronic vaping device 100 as an aerosol, as a result of being exposed to an elevated temperature of a heating element 132 provided to the atomizer 130. It is the vapor entrained in the air that is inhaled by a user through the air channel 134 of the mouthpiece 140 provided to the electronic vaping device 100.

It is to be understood that the above-described embodiment of the electronic vaping device 100 is provided by way of example as a non-limiting example of the electronic vaping device 100. Alternate embodiments of the vaping device 100 can employ a plurality of heating elements 132, operated independently or synchronized with each other, a removable or permanently fixed container 136, and any other variants. For the sake of brevity and clarity, however, the embodiment of the vaping device 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B will be used in the description that follows.

Turning briefly to FIGS. 2A and 2B, a schematic diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment of heating element 132 is illustrated. As shown in FIG. 2A, the heating element 132 can be a heating coil at least partially positioned within the air channel 134. A wicking material 210, being in fluid communication with vaping material 138, conveys vaping material 138 to the heating element 132, where the vaping material 138 can be vaporized (more specifically, aerosolized). FIG. 2B depicts a cross-sectional view of a wire 202 of the heating element 132. The wicking material 210 deposits a liquid phase layer 206 of vaping material 138 around the wire 202. Due to the current carried by the wire 202, a portion of the liquid phase layer 206 is heated to a boiling point and transitions to a vapor, thereby creating a vapor phase layer 204. In response to air flow 220 through air channel 134, vapor in the vapor phase layer 204 is carried away from the wire 202. However, as the vapor phase layer 204 is substantially surrounded by the liquid phase layer 206, the vapor particles condense, cool, and increase in size. After transiting across the liquid phase layer 206, the vapor condenses to aerosol particles 208 having a larger particle size than the vapor particles of the vapor phase layer 204.

In yet another aspect, operation of the heating element 132 can be controlled, via control circuit 120 for example, to establish and/or maintain a desired thermal state of the vaping material 138. For instance, the second heating element 310 can be temperature controlled and/or power (wattage) controlled by control circuit 120 via any technique that maintains the vaping material in the thermal states as described herein. For example, a reference resistance of the heating element 132 can be established. The reference resistance, according to one example, can be a resistance of the heating element 132 at room temperature relative to an operating temperature of the atomizer 130. The heating element 132 can have known resistance characteristics versus temperature. Accordingly, a relative change in measured resistance can be translated into a relative change in temperature of the heating element 132, which can be fed back to control circuit 120 to allow the supply of power from the power source 110. Based on the reference resistance, the control circuit 120 can determine an actual average temperature of the heating element 132. By monitoring the average temperature of the heating element 132, the control circuit 120 can control the temperature of the heating element 132 to maintain the vaping material 138 in a thermal state while operating in a maintenance mode to promote conveyance of the vaping material 138 to the heating element 132 by the wicking material 210. However, any other control techniques can be employed to establish and/or maintain a thermal state of the vaping material 138 as described herein, and are considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of a control circuit 120 that controls a supply of power from the power source 110 to a heating element 132 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. According to the illustrated embodiments, a user interface 124 includes an actuator that can be manipulated by the user to trigger a puff. According to some embodiments, the user interface 124 can include a fire button that, when pressed, causes the control circuit 120 to initiate the supply of power from the power source 110 to the heating element 132 through a switch 135 as described herein. The heating element 132 is energized by the output power to generate the vapor for the puff, thereby producing the yield and/or concentration profile as described herein.

According to alternate embodiments, the fire button can be replaced and/or supplemented by a control routine programmed into a non-transitory computer-readable medium 137 provided to the control circuit 120. For example, the user interface 124 can include a sensor disposed adjacent to the air channel 134 to sense an airflow through the air channel 134 indicative of the user inhaling during a puff. In response to sensing such an airflow, the control circuit 120 can control the supply of power to the heating element 132 to convert a portion of the vaping material 138 into a vapor.

A computer processor 128, such as a microcontroller for example, can be operatively connected to receive signals transmitted by the user interface 124 through an input/output module 129. The input/output module 129 can be integrated into the processor 128 and include one or a plurality of pins of the processor 128. According to other embodiments, the input/output module 129 is a discrete circuit that facilitates communications between the processor 128 and the user interface 124.

The control routine executed by the control circuit 120 can optionally be governed by computer-executable instructions stored in the CRM 137. When executed, the instructions of the control routine cause the processor 128 to selectively control the switch 135 to activate the heating element 132 in response to initiation of a puff through the user interface 124. Output power is supplied during the puff by the power source 110 to the heating element 132 under the control of the control circuit 120 to generate the vapor.

Following completion of the puff, the control circuit 120 can control operation of the heating element 132 in a maintenance mode to maintain the vaping material 138 in a second thermal state according to a process represented in FIG. 4. Prior to the puff, the vaping material 138 has a relatively-high viscosity if allowed to rest long enough to reach a first thermal state. For example, the vaping material can be in a substantially-gelatinous phase in the first thermal state, resisting fluid flow or at least exhibiting slow conveyance by the wicking material 210 to the heating element 132. During the puff, the heating element 132 is energized to heat at least a portion of the vaping material 138, thereby at least partially liquifying the vaping material 138 to improve flowability of the vaping fluid 138, and accelerate conveyance of the vaping fluid 138 by the wicking material 210 compared to the rate of wicking of the vaping material 138 in the first thermal state. The portion of the vaping material 138 introduced to the heating element 132 is converted into the vapor during the puff and inhaled by the user through the air channel 134.

With reference to FIG. 4, the control circuit detects completion of a puff at block 240. Completion of the puff can be detected in any desired manner, based on any sensed parameter. For example, the puff can be determined to be complete when a sensor of the user interface 124 senses a rapid decrease in the air flow 220 through the air channel 134. As another example, the signal transmitted to the processor 128 by the input/output module 129 can be interrupted or commenced in response to the user releasing the fire button. Regardless of how an end of the puff is identified, the control circuit 120 can enter a maintenance mode in which the control circuit controls operation of the heating element 132 after the puff to maintain at least a portion of the vaping material 138 in the second thermal state. In the second thermal state, the vaping material has a relatively-low viscosity that is less than the relatively-high viscosity. For example, a cannabis oil that is substantially gelatinous in the first thermal state, is maintained in a substantially-liquid phase in the second thermal state.

At block 242, the control circuit controls the power supplied to the heating element 132 in the maintenance mode to maintain the vaping material 138 in the second thermal state. The control circuit 120 controls operation of the heating element 132 to maintain a temperature of the vaping material 138 at a temperature above the temperature of the bulk of the vaping material 138 in the first thermal state. In the second thermal state, the vaping material 138 exhibits improved fluidity and ability to be conveyed by the wicking material to the heating element 132 relative to the vaping material 138 int eh first thermal state.

When the user takes a first puff while the vaping material 138 is in the first thermal state, the user may experience a delay before conversion of the vaping material 138 into the vapor begins. It is believed that the delay is at least partially attributable to the time required to heat a portion of the vaping material 138 in the first thermal state to at least partially fluidize a portion of the vaping material 138, which the wicking material 210 can readily transport to the heating element 132. However, after the puff is complete, the control circuit 120 can operate the heating element 132 in a maintenance mode, which maintains at least a portion of the vaping material 138 in a fluidized state with the relatively-low viscosity. Accordingly, rather than having to wait for the temperature of the vaping material 138 to exceed the temperature of the vaping material in the first thermal state to improve wicking, the vaping material is already in the second thermal state at a time when a subsequent puff is commenced.

At block 244, however, the control circuit regulates the power supplied to the heating element 132 to interfere with, and optionally prevent vaporization of the portion of the vaping material 138 introduced to the heating element 132 in the second thermal state while in the maintenance mode. For example, the control circuit 120 maintains the vaping material 138 in the second thermal state below a vaporization temperature at which a substantial (e.g., majority) portion of the vaping material 138 exposed to the heating element 132 is converted into the vapor. Controlling operation of the heating element 132 can be based on the computer-executable instructions stored in the CRM 137 of the control circuit 120, and achieved by temperature control techniques, power control techniques, a combination thereof, or via any other technique.

According to some embodiments, the control circuit 120 can maintain operation of the heating element 132 in maintenance mode until a subsequent puff is commenced by the user, as determined at decision 246. If it is determined that a subsequent puff is commenced at decision 246, the control circuit 120 terminates maintenance mode at block 248, and the process returns to detecting completion of that subsequent puff at block 240.

According to some embodiments, the control circuit 120 can optionally include a timer 139 (FIG. 3), that can limit the duration of the maintenance mode at decision 250. The timer 139 can optionally be integrated into the processor 128, or implemented as a discrete circuit. For such embodiments, the control circuit 120 can optionally be configured to operate the heating element 132 in the maintenance mode to maintain the vaping material 138 in the second thermal state for a defined period of time following completion of the preceding puff. If, at decision 250, it is determined that the defined period of time has expired based on the timer 139, then maintenance mode is terminated at block 252 before returning to block 240 and monitoring for completion of a subsequent puff. Otherwise, the process returns to decision 246 to monitor for the start of a subsequent puff at decision 246, or expiration of the defined period of time at decision 250.

Illustrative embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above devices and methods may incorporate changes and modifications without departing from the general scope of this invention. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

ELECTRONIC VAPORIZER AND CONTROL METHOD FOR VAPORIZING A VISCOUS MATERIAL

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