IP Library Granted Patent US 9,555,203
Granted Patent B2
US 9,555,203 · App. 14/275,454 · Granted Jan 31, 2017

Personal vaporizing inhaler assembly

Inventors: Nathan Andrew Terry (Lowman, ID); Noah Mark Minskoff (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
A61M15/06A24F47/002A24F47/008A61M11/042A61M15/0001B01F3/04021A61M2205/13A61M2205/3553A61M2205/3561A61M2205/3584A61M2205/3592A61M2205/502A61M2205/52A61M2205/8206A61M2205/8237A61M2209/086
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,555,203
App. No.
14/275,454
Granted
Jan 31, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A personal vapor inhaling unit is disclosed. An electronic flameless vapor inhaler unit that may simulate a cigarette has a cavity that receives a cartridge in the distal end of the inhaler unit. The cartridge brings a substance to be vaporized in contact with a wick. When the unit is activated, and the user provides suction, the substance to be vaporized is drawn out of the cartridge, through the wick, and is atomized by the wick into a cavity containing a heating element. The heating element vaporizes the atomized substance. The vapors then continue to be pulled by the user through a mouthpiece and mouthpiece cover where they may be inhaled.

Claims (34)

1. A personal vaporizing unit having a proximal end configured to be placed in a human mouth and a distal end, the personal vaporizing unit comprising:

a shell open at the distal end of the personal vaporizing unit;

a removable cartridge within the shell that can be removed at the opening of the distal end of the shell, the removable cartridge comprising a housing having a first end and a second end and holding a fluid to be vaporized into a mixture of air and vaporized fluid; and

a sleeve holding an atomizer, the shell configured to couple with the sleeve, at least one space between an exterior surface of said housing and an interior surface of said sleeve defining a passage for outside air without said vaporized mixture to be drawn from outside said personal vaporizing unit at the distal end, said outside air without said vaporized mixture to be drawn along said passage from said distal end to said second end for delivery to said atomizer.

2. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1 , wherein at least an end surface of said housing is translucent to diffuse light produced internally to said personal vaporizing unit.

3. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1 , wherein said at least one space is created by a flat surface on said housing and a round inner diameter of said sleeve.

4. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1 , wherein air is drawn from outside said personal vaporizing unit to said at least one space through a space determined by at least one stand-off that creates a space between said first end and said distal end of said personal vaporizing unit.

5. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1 , wherein said housing has at least one anti-vacuum channel in an interior surface that allows air into a housing chamber holding said fluid to be vaporized.

6. A personal vaporizing unit having a proximal end configured to be placed in a human mouth and a distal end, the personal vaporizing unit comprising:

a shell open at the distal end of the personal vaporizing unit; and

a removable cartridge within the shell that can be removed at the opening of the distal end of the shell, the removable cartridge holding a fluid to be vaporized into a mixture of air and vaporized fluid, the cartridge comprising:

a sleeve disposed within said personal vaporizing unit;

an atomizer held by said sleeve, the atomizer having a heating element; and

a housing held by said sleeve, said housing holding the fluid to be vaporized.

7. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 6 , wherein said housing and said sleeve form at least one space between an exterior surface of said housing and an interior surface of said sleeve defining a passage for outside air without said mixture to be drawn along said passage from said distal end to said second end.

8. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 7 , wherein said housing further comprises:

at least one anti-vacuum channel formed by an interior surface of said housing that, allows air into said housing to replace said fluid that is removed from said housing.

9. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 7 , wherein said fluid is removed from said housing by a capillary action of a wick in contact with said fluid.

10. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 7 , wherein at least an end surface of said housing is translucent to diffuse light produced internally to said personal vaporizing unit.

11. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 7 , wherein said at least one space is created by a flat surface on said housing and a round inner diameter of said interior surface of said sleeve.

12. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 7 , further comprising:

at least one stand-off that, when said assembly is inserted in said personal vaporizing unit, creates a space between said distal end of said personal vaporizing unit and said first end of said housing.

13. An assembly for a personal vaporizing unit, the personal vaporizing unit having a proximal end configured to be placed in a human mouth and having a shell with an opening at a distal end, the assembly comprising:

a sleeve, the sleeve having a first end and a second end, the sleeve configured to be disposed within said personal vaporizing unit;

an atomizer held by said sleeve, the atomizer having a heating element;

a housing held by said sleeve, said housing holding a fluid to be vaporized into a mixture of air and vaporized fluid by said personal vaporizing unit; and

at least one stand-off that, when said assembly is inserted in said personal vaporizing unit, creates a space between said distal end of said personal vaporizing unit and said first end of said housing;

wherein said assembly may be removably disposed, at the opening in the distal end of the shell, in said personal vaporizing unit without a seal to hold said fluid in said housing.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein said housing and said sleeve form at least one space between an exterior surface of said housing and an interior surface of said sleeve defining a passage for outside air without said mixture to be drawn along said passage from said distal end to said second end.

15. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein said housing further comprises:

at least one anti-vacuum channel formed by an interior surface of said housing that, allows air into said housing to replace said fluid that is removed from said housing.

16. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein said fluid is removed from said housing by a capillary action of a wick in contact with said fluid.

17. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein at least an end surface of said housing is translucent to diffuse light produced internally to said personal vaporizing unit.

18. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein said at least one space is created by a flat surface on said housing and a round inner diameter of said interior surface of said sleeve.

Assignments (7)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE U.S. PATENT NO. 9,259,020 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038004 FRAME 0633. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Apr 28, 2017
From: R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
To: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 042370/0292 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2016
From: R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
To: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 038004/0633 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 7, 2014
From: MINUSA HOLDINGS LLC
To: R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
Reel/Frame 033489/0166 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 18, 2014
From: TERRY, NATHAN ANDREW; MINSKOFF, NOAH MARK; BREEDE, MICHAEL EDWARD; DUFFIN, LAWRENCE
To: MINUSA HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 033128/0053 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 13, 2014
From: BREEDE, MICHAEL EDWARD
To: TERRY, NATHAN ANDREW
Reel/Frame 033108/0628 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2014
From: TERRY, NATHAN ANDREW
To: MINUSA HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 033126/0371 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2014
From: MINSKOFF, NOAH MARK
To: MINUSA HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 033094/0170 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 12780873 · May 15, 2010
Related Publication 20140246017A1 · Sep 4, 2014