Portable vaporizer

Abstract

A vaporizer and method of vaporizing a botanical material is described. Embodiments of the apparatus include a self-contained, fully enclosed, battery operated vaporizer having an air inlet and a mouthpiece. The vaporizer includes a window for viewing a botanical material contained therein and a heating element that is also visible through the window and through an air inlet. The vaporizer also includes a push-button switch that rapidly provides power to heat air, which is then drawn through the botanical material by inhaling. Embodiments of the method include utilizing a push-button switch for heating vaporizer air and viewing the glow of the heating element as a signal that the vaporizer is ready for use.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention generally relates to the field of vaporizers for consuming botanical materials, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for using a portable, self-contained vaporizer for heating the materials to a temperature sufficient to release the volatile components without combustion.[0003]2. Discussion of the Background[0004]Devices for consuming botanical materials, including but not limited to tobacco, flowers, botanical blend, or aromatic herbs, commonly ignite the botanical materials, requiring that the consumer inhale products of combustion along with any volatile compounds that are present. For many botanical materials it is the volatiles, such as the nicotine present in tobacco, that provide a physiological response in the consumer, while the combustion products may actually be harmful.[0005]Prior art vaporizers commonly employ a continuous heating source such as a butane-powered flame, a bu...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]One embodiment of the present invention includes a computer controlled temperature regulation system that allows for the proper vaporization temperatures for aromatic herbs, flowers, and tobacco.

[0019]It is one aspect of the present invention to provide a method of providing a vapor of a botanical material using a vaporizer, where the method includes manually actuating the vaporizer, where the vaporizer includes a receptacle for containing the botanical material, and a flow passageway extending from an inlet, through a heater to heat air, through the receptacle, to an outlet, and a window to allow a user to view thermal radiation from the heater; and when a user perceives a glow from the heater through the window, inhaling through the outlet. The user thus has a visual cue that inhaled air may be heated to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the botanical material.

Problems solved by technology

For many botanical materials it is the volatiles, such as the nicotine present in tobacco, that provide a physiological response in the consumer, while the combustion products may actually be harmful.

This may result in high temperatures, leading to singing and charring of the botanical material near the heat source.

Further, many prior art vaporizers require several minutes of heat-up time as they need to heat both the mass of the botanical material and a holder of the material to a desired temperature before they can extract volatile vapors.

Further, since the heating is typically continuous, rather than on-demand, many existing vaporizers use their power inefficiently as they are often providing heat to maintain a steady state of elevated temperature that does not correspond to the user's intended duty-cycle of intermittent inhalation of the vapors produced.

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