IP Library Granted Patent US 9,861,773
Granted Patent B2
US 9,861,773 · App. 14/278,087 · Granted Jan 9, 2018

Communication between personal vaporizing inhaler assemblies

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,861,773
App. No.
14/278,087
Granted
Jan 9, 2018
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 (28)

1. A personal vaporizing unit, comprising:

a shell;

a mouthpiece assembly configured to be placed in a human mouth, the mouthpiece assembly removable from the shell;

an atomizer, coupled with the mouthpiece assembly, configured to receive one or more substances to be vaporized into one or more vaporized substances in the air;

a porous wick that absorbs the one or more substances and provides the one or more substances to the atomizer for vaporization, wherein the shell is configured to interface with the mouthpiece assembly and pass the vaporized substances to the human mouth through the mouthpiece assembly; and

circuitry disposed in the shell that communicates data with a contact disposed on the mouthpiece assembly, wherein data communicated to the contact disposed on the mouthpiece assembly includes an indicator of an empty cartridge condition.

2. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry includes a memory and data stored in said memory is communicated to the contact disposed on the mouthpiece assembly.

3. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1 , wherein data communicated to the contact disposed on the mouthpiece assembly includes a number of times said empty cartridge condition has occurred.

4. A personal vaporizing unit, comprising:

a shell;

a mouthpiece assembly configured to be placed in a human mouth, the mouthpiece assembly removable from the shell;

an atomizer, coupled with the mouthpiece assembly, configured to receive one or more substances to be vaporized into one or more vaporized substances in the air;

a porous wick that absorbs the one or more substances and provides the one or more substances to the atomizer for vaporization, wherein the shell is configured to interface with the mouthpiece assembly and pass the vaporized substances to the human mouth through the mouthpiece assembly; and

circuitry disposed in the shell that communicates data with a contact disposed on the mouthpiece assembly, wherein data communicated to the contact disposed on the mouthpiece assembly includes a number of cycles the device has been triggered.

5. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 4 , wherein data communicated to the contact disposed on the mouthpiece assembly includes a duration of the cycles.

6. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 4 , wherein said circuitry includes a memory and data stored in said memory is communicated to the contact disposed on the mouthpiece assembly.

7. A personal vaporizer unit comprising:

a removable cartridge comprising:

a mouthpiece configured for contact with a mouth of a person that provides suction to draw air into the personal vaporizer unit from outside of the personal vaporizer unit, wherein the mouthpiece includes a contact for communicating data about operation of the personal vaporizer unit, wherein the data comprises a duration of usage or a number of times the removable cartridge is detected to be empty;

an atomizer with a heater for vaporization in which one or more substances are vaporized into one or more vaporized substances in the air; and

a porous wick that provides the one or more substances to the heater for vaporization; and

a battery portion coupled with the removable cartridge and configured to provide power to the removable cartridge for the vaporization.

8. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 7 further comprising:

circuitry disposed in the personal vaporizer unit that communicates the data about operation of the personal vaporizer unit with the contact.

9. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 8 wherein the contact comprises a connector between the mouthpiece and the circuitry.

10. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 7 wherein the circuitry is coupled with the battery portion for receiving power.

11. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 7 wherein the circuitry is disposed in the removable cartridge.

12. The personal vaporizer unit of claim 7 wherein the circuitry comprises a microprocessor and memory.

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 →