IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,752,448
Granted Patent B1
US 11,752,448 · App. 17/731,133 · Granted Sep 12, 2023

Device and method for vacuum distilling cannabis terpenes

Inventor: Ken Jahn White (Terrebonne, OR)
B01D3/10B01D8/00B01F27/722
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,752,448
App. No.
17/731,133
Granted
Sep 12, 2023
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system for vacuum distilling terpenes from plant material, such as from cannabis, may include an extractor having an extractor body with a lower discharge manway, a top loading manway, an interior chamber with an agitator rotatable mounted within the interior chamber, and a dimple jacket encircling at least a portion of an exterior of the extractor body; a cold trap operatively attached to the extractor body, such that volatilized terpenes travel from the extraction body to the cold trap to condense/freeze; a circulating fluid chiller operatively attached to the cold trap; a heated fluid circulator operatively attached to the dimple jacket; a vacuum operatively attached to the extractor body, such that the vacuum is capable of reducing pressure within the extractor body; and a heat exchanger operatively attached to the heated and chilled fluid circulators and the extractor body.

Claims (26)

1. A system for vacuum distilling terpenes from plant material, the system comprising:

an extractor comprising an extractor body with a lower discharge manway extending from a lower surface of the extractor body, a top loading manway extending from a top surface of the extractor body, an interior chamber with an agitator rotatable mounted within the interior chamber, and a dimple jacket encircling at least a portion of an exterior of the extractor body;

a cold trap operatively attached to the extractor body, such that volatilized terpenes travel from the extraction body to the cold trap to condense/freeze;

a circulating fluid chiller operatively attached to the cold trap;

a heated fluid circulator operatively attached to the dimple jacket;

a vacuum operatively attached to the extractor body, such that the vacuum is capable of reducing pressure within the extractor body; and

a heat exchanger operatively attached to the heated fluid circulator, the circulating fluid chiller, and the extractor body.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the extractor body comprises a horizontally oriented, cylindrically shaped chamber with a motor endplate closing off and supporting a first end thereof and an access endplate closing off and supporting a second end thereof, such that the extractor body is suspended between the motor endplate and the access endplate.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:

the agitator comprises a double-helix shaped agitator with a central, elongate shaft; and

the shaft extends between and through each of the access endplate and the motor endplate.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein:

a motor is mounted to an exterior surface of the motor endplate;

the motor endplate includes a first shaft orifice extending therethrough, wherein the first shaft orifice is sized to accommodate insertion of a first end of the shaft therethrough, such that the first end of the shaft is operatively engaged with the motor; and

a bearing is mounted to an exterior surface of the access endplate, wherein the access endplate includes a second shaft orifice extending therethrough, the second shaft orifice sized to accommodate insertion of a second end of the shaft therethrough, such that the second end of the shaft is operatively engaged with the bearing.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the extractor further comprising a nitrogen tank operatively attached to the extractor body.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the top loading manway includes a grate suspended therein and a lid configured to close off the top loading manway.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cold trap comprises a substantially vertically oriented cylindrically shaped trap body with an upper end cap and a lower end cap.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the cold trap further comprises:

an inner spool body extending from an interior of the trap body through the upper end cap, the inner spool body comprising a substantially cylindrically shaped spool body with an inner spool bottom cap and an inner spool top cap;

a long spool extending from an interior of the inner spool body through the inner spool top cap, the long spool comprising a substantially cylindrical spool with a diameter smaller than a diameter of the inner spool body; and

a short spool extending upward from the inner spool top cap, wherein the short spool has a length shorter than the long spool.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the short spool is operatively attached to an inlet on the circulating fluid chiller; and

the long spool is operatively attached to an outlet on the circulating fluid chiller.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the cold trap further comprises a drain extending from the lower end cap.

Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 63161222 · Mar 15, 2021