evaporator cartridge

Abstract

Cartridge that can be inserted into an evaporator device, the cartridge comprising the following: a body having a storage compartment configured to receive a vaporizable material, the body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the body having a mouthpiece arranged at the first end, and the second end being configured to be inserted into a receptacle of the vaporizer device; a heating element designed to vaporize the vaporizable material; a steam pipe extending between the heating element and the mouthpiece; a seal that can be inserted at the second end in the storage compartment of the body, wherein the seal is designed to retain the evaporable material in the storage compartment, Seal that has a heating chamber for retaining the heating element Internal surfaces arranged within an interior space of the seal and extending from the storage compartment to the heating chamber, designed to direct the flow of the evaporable material in the storage compartment towards the heating chamber; wherein the inner surfaces include inclined surfaces which are inclined in one direction from the storage compartment to the heating chamber, and a cap that can be inserted at the second end to hold the seal in the storage compartment.

Description

AREA OF INVENTION

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to evaporator cartridges and in particular to evaporator cartridges with a distributed support feature for insertion into an evaporation device and an internal sealing system for directing fluid flows. BACKGROUND

[0002] Previous inventors attempted to secure cartridges by creating a notch in the base of the cartridge, which could be coupled with an extrusion in the battery joining area. Magnets were also used to secure cartridges in the joining area. However, both approaches present the problem that the cartridge is not adequately supported towards the nozzle end, giving the impression that the cartridge is not properly inserted or is loose. Such instability can also affect the reliability of the electrical contacts.

[0003] The liquid funnel serves to direct the liquid contained in the vaporizer cartridge to the heating chamber. Previous designs failed to account for the fact that some of the liquid in a cartridge never reaches the heating element, resulting in liquid pooling that the user could not access or utilize. Furthermore, the liquid funnel acts as a seal, controlling the liquid flow from the reservoir to the chamber. Instead, designs relied on wicks to deliver liquid to the heating element, often leading to uncontrolled flow (too little liquid, too much liquid).

[0004] Furthermore, steam pipes are currently often located directly above heating elements, either without seals or with additional seals. Therefore, excess liquid can travel further up the steam pipe and seep out of the opening.

[0005] Previous designs relied on shaping the cartridge housing, which is covered by a cosmetic mouthpiece. This involved an additional manufacturing step and extra components. Furthermore, cartridges relied on a viewing window, which was created either by embossing a window contour or by creating a window contour when inserting the cartridge into the vaporizer body.

[0006] It would be useful to develop an evaporator cartridge that addresses these shortcomings. SUMMARY

[0007] For example, aspects of the present disclosure are aimed at disclosing a novel evaporator cartridge.

[0008] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the disclosed evaporator cartridge comprises: 1) a body having a storage compartment configured to receive a vaporizable material, the body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the body having a mouthpiece arranged at the first end, and the second end configured for insertion into a receptacle of the evaporator device, 2) a heating chamber having a heating element configured to vaporize the vaporizable material, 3) a vapor tube extending between the heating element and the mouthpiece, 4) a seal that can be inserted at the second end into the storage compartment of the body, the seal being configured to retain the vaporizable material in the storage compartment and having a recess for retaining the heating element and internal surfaces.which are inclined from a distal end of the seal towards the shaft to direct the flow of the evaporable material in the storage compartment towards the shaft, and 5) a cap which can be inserted at the second end to hold the seal in the storage compartment.

[0009] According to an additional aspect of the disclosure, 1) the second end of the body has a rectangular cross-section, which is bounded externally by two opposing side surfaces, a front surface and a rear surface, 2) each of the two opposing side surfaces further comprises a stabilizing extrusion extending outwards from the surface at a proximal end of the second end of the body, 3) at least either the front surface or the rear surface has a plurality of stabilizing extrusions, and 4) the stabilizing extrusions are designed to position the body stably in the receptacle of the evaporator device.

[0010] This summary is provided to briefly highlight some aspects of the present disclosure, which are further described in the following description. This summary is not intended to highlight any decisive or essential features of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0011] A more complete understanding of the present disclosure can be obtained by referring to the accompanying drawing, for which the following applies. Fig. Figure 1 illustrates an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figures 2A to 2D illustrate additional aspects of the evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 3 illustrates a funnel seal of the evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figures 4A to 4D illustrate several internal components of the evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 5 provides an expanded diagram illustrating a heating coil used in an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 6 provides a bottom view of an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 7 illustrates a heating coil and a cap of an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 8 illustrates a funnel seal of the evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 9 illustrates a bottom view of an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 1O illustrates an airflow path for an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 11 illustrates several views of an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 12 illustrates another airflow path for an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 13 illustrates orthographic and perspective views of an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present revelation. Fig. Figure 14 illustrates a sectional view of an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 15 illustrates separated views of an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. Figures 16A to 16C illustrate another airflow path for an evaporator cartridge according to aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The following merely illustrates the principles of revelation. It is therefore understood that a person skilled in the art may devise various arrangements which, although not expressly described or shown herein, embody the principles of revelation and are included within its scope.

[0013] Furthermore, all examples and conditional language listed herein are intended solely for educational purposes, to facilitate the reader's understanding of the basic principles of revelation and the concepts contributed by the inventor(s) to the advancement of technology, and are to be interpreted as not restrictive to the specific examples and conditions listed.

[0014] Furthermore, all statements herein that cite fundamental principles, aspects, and embodiments of the disclosure, as well as all specific examples thereof, shall include both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Moreover, such equivalents shall include both currently known equivalents and future developed equivalents, i.e., all subsequently developed elements that perform the same function, regardless of their structure.

[0015] Unless expressly stated otherwise herein, the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0016] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a novel vaporizer cartridge. The cartridge features a leak-proof design that can be inserted into a battery housing. The user of the device would inhale through the cartridge, thereby triggering a process activated by a pressure sensor that heats the liquid contained in the aforementioned cartridge to produce an aerosol.

[0017] The cartridge preferably has extrusions on its sides, designed to stabilize and secure the cartridge both in the area where the cartridge side meets the device receptacle and in an area further above the receptacle. This is achieved by the extrusions on the cartridge sliding past the receptacle area of ​​the battery. Additionally or instead of extrusions, locking recesses can be added at any point within the receptacle area. Embodiments may include further stabilizing features at equal or varying intervals. The design allows the cartridge to be inserted and removed securely. The support provided to the cartridge by both the lower and upper stabilizers ensures that it is supported in both areas.The lower and upper stabilizers are arranged along the sides of the cartridge / base, as shown in . Fig. 1 illustrates.

[0018] Furthermore, the three extrusions on one side of the cartridge provide additional support and tactile guidance for the user to insert the cartridge so that the tapered nozzle and the elongated tip are oriented upwards (see, for example, the three extrusions on an upper surface of the cartridge in Fig. 2A are shown). Fig. Figure 2B illustrates how the joining area could interact with the cartridge extrusions. Fig. 2B represents an alternative arrangement of tactical commands compared to Fig. 1. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure provides for any number of embodiments which include one or more guides which may be presumably arranged in a symmetry which is tactically identifiable and which positionally supports the cartridge / base within the device.

[0019] Furthermore, the secure attachment of a cartridge to the evaporator mount can involve one or more magnets. The magnet also guides the user in securely attaching the cartridge. In the design with bottom air holes, ring magnets can also be used. Ring magnets would be inserted at the location of the air holes and can be positioned around them. This solution can save space in a small area and avoid additional complexity in the molding process (see, for example, [reference]).

[0020] Fig. 2C).

[0021] Another embodiment may include magnets placed where air holes would conventionally be located if the airflow path were generated by side air inlets. In this embodiment, the magnets would look like, for example, in Fig. Shown in 2D.

[0022] The liquid funnel serves to direct the liquid contained in the vaporizer cartridge towards the heating chamber. This component naturally facilitates the flow of liquid to the heating element, ensuring that all of the liquid is utilized. This design eliminates liquid accumulation in areas where it cannot be directed to the heating element (see, for example, [reference]). Fig. 3).

[0023] The liquid funnel also acts as a seal, controlling the flow of liquid from the reservoir to the chamber, thus minimizing the likelihood of liquid overflowing from the chamber or seeping into the vapor pipe. This feature aids in regulating the wicking action. The funnel directs the liquid to the heating element, which is a conventional wick made of cotton, silica, wood fiber, etc., or of ceramic materials, housed within the heating chamber. The conventional wick, made of cotton or silica, may be wound around a coil, such as one made of nichrome, Kanthal, stainless steel, etc., or it may be located inside the coil, enclosed by the heating wires, the latter being in Fig. 4A is described. Fig. Figure 4A does not show the cotton wick, only the heating wires for illustrative purposes. Furthermore, the ceramic element can be wrapped with cotton to improve the wicking effect, or made of a porous material that does not require a wrapped wick. An embodiment of the ceramic heating element without cotton is shown in Fig. Figures 4B (fitted into the heating chamber) and 4C (without the heating chamber) are shown. The ceramic heating element may have a partially hollow interior to allow airflow to move toward the heating chamber, may provide a sufficiently porous material for airflow to pass through, or may provide airflow that flows around one of its sides. The shape of the ceramic heating element may be elliptical, square, or irregular. The heating chamber may have one or more fluid inlets. The fluid inlets can be varied in size, number, and placement to accommodate a variety of fluid viscosities. Particularly with ceramic materials, the guiding function of this design aids in the transport of fluid to the fluid inlets of the heating chamber. Other embodiments utilizing the above components may also be employed.

[0024] Additionally, a seal between the steam pipe and the heating chamber reduces the likelihood of excess liquid escaping from the heating chamber, through the steam pipe, and out of the cartridge. Elements highlighted in turquoise can be made from a variety of materials, including but not limited to plastic or silicone (see, for example, Fig. 4D and Fig. 5).

[0025] Our invention features two air holes and a point where the two pins (in) meet the base at its lower part in relation to the housing. Fig. 6 not shown, but in Fig. (9 shown) are used to conduct electric current. The two air holes serve as air inlets from the bottom of the cartridge. The airflow is such that air moves upwards from the air inlets. Fig. 6) Instead of the airflow from the two air inlets going directly into the heating area, the airflow is directed from the air inlets into the base and then hits the underside of the funnel seal. Fig. 8) The airflow is then directed through the opening formed by combining the funnel seal and the base, causing it to move downwards and towards the center. Fig. 7) Thus, air from both inlets below the heating element converges before being directed to the heating element. This "winding path" of the airflow makes it less likely that liquid will leak from the heating element into the cartridge holder. The airflow is in Fig. 9 and Fig. Figure 10 illustrates this. One embodiment is that the airflow comes from lateral air inlets of the base, either above or below the stabilizer, instead of from air inlets at the bottom of the base. This is described further below.

[0026] According to aspects of the present disclosure, lateral air holes can be used instead of bottom air holes. The lateral air hole would still allow air to enter the cartridge, following a similar convoluted path as the bottom air hole. The function of the lateral air holes is facilitated by the design of the stabilizer, which positions the side walls away from the inner side walls of the device and creates an air gap between the cartridge and the side walls of the receptacle. The lateral inlet would have the additional benefit of increasing the space available for the magnetic connection at the base and simultaneously allowing other information to be placed there to identify the cartridge (e.g., barcode, RMD resistance, etc.) (see, e.g., Fig. 11). The airflow is in Fig. 12 further illustrated.

[0027] Fig. 10 and Fig. Figure 12 further shows the three openings on the top of the cartridge; these can also be provided in any other alternative configuration (e.g., 2 or 4 openings, or openings at different intervals, or openings placed in different locations). The function of these openings includes guiding the user to correctly insert the cartridge into the battery compartment. They also stabilize the cartridge against the joining area on the top. Furthermore, these openings can also serve to provide sufficient space so that air holes can be placed on this side instead of, or in addition to, the side or bottom air inlets. In this configuration, a coiled path can be added near the mouthpiece on the top of the cartridge, as an alternative or in addition to the air channel. See, for example, Fig. Figures 16A to 16C illustrate an exemplary cap inserted at the tip of the mouthpiece to redirect the central air channel, which directs aerosols from the heating chamber, to two openings in the mouthpiece. This is to provide additional filtration and / or limit fluid leakage, as exemplified in Fig. As illustrated in Figures 16A to 16C, the path sections in the mouthpiece just below the cap have chambers for holding a filter material (for example, cotton).

[0028] The outer cartridge housing is preferably molded in one piece with a matte black, translucent finish. This allows the user to see the fluid fill volume from any angle or during use, while remaining discreet. This gives the user the ability to see the fluid level and determine whether the cartridge is full or nearly empty without having to remove the cartridge from the battery compartment or incorporate a viewing window or notch. The preferred cartridge material provides a matte black, translucent finish that allows a user to visually determine the fluid fill level. There are many suitable plastic materials, including, but not limited to, PCTG (glycol-modified polycyclohexylenedimethyl terephthalate). Other translucent materials, as well as potentially materials with a clear finish, may also be suitable.

[0029] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the cartridge mouthpiece is designed with novel ergonomic shape features, including a taper on one side and an elongated tip on the other side (see e.g. Fig. 11) This design allows the user to place the cartridge more comfortably on their lips.

[0030] It is understood that, although various aspects of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described by way of example, the invention claimed herein is not limited to such examples, but may be implemented differently in other ways within the scope of the following claims. For example, although the exemplary embodiments herein are directed to an evaporator cartridge with an insertable section of the housing having a rectangular cross-section, aspects of the disclosure are not to be understood as limited to this exemplary configuration. For example, the evaporator could be designed such that the insertable section of the housing has a circular, elliptical, hexagonal, pentagonal, or octagonal cross-section, as well as any other geometric or non-geometric shape that would effectively fit the battery receptacle.

Claims

[1] Cartridge that can be inserted into an evaporator device, the cartridge comprising the following: a body having a storage compartment configured to receive a vaporizable material, the body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the body having a mouthpiece arranged at the first end, and the second end being configured to be inserted into a receptacle of the vaporizer device; a heating element designed to vaporize the vaporizable material; a steam pipe extending between the heating element and the mouthpiece; a seal that can be inserted at the second end in the storage compartment of the body, wherein the seal is designed to retain the evaporable material in the storage compartment, Seal that has a heating chamber for retaining the heating element Internal surfaces arranged within an interior space of the seal and extending from the storage compartment to the heating chamber, designed to direct the flow of the evaporable material in the storage compartment towards the heating chamber; wherein the inner surfaces include inclined surfaces which are inclined in one direction from the storage compartment to the heating chamber, and a cap that can be inserted at the second end to hold the seal in the storage compartment. [2] Cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of contact pins which are in electrical contact with the heating element and extend through openings in the seal and the cap. [3] Cartridge according to claim 1 and 2, wherein the first and second ends of the body are formed as a one-piece molded part. [4] Cartridge according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one-piece molded part is a matte black, translucent molded part. [5] Cartridge according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: one or more air holes arranged on a bottom surface of the cap, which are in fluid communication with one or more air channels extending through the cap and the seal, wherein the one or more air channels are further in fluid communication with the heating chamber. [6] Cartridge according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cap is connected to the seal. [7] Cartridge according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the seal comprises a cavity with a circular cross-section configured to accommodate one end of the steam pipe. [8] Cartridge according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inclined surfaces comprise a first and a second inclined surface inclined to each other to form a funnel directed towards the heating chamber. [9] Cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the second end of the body has a rectangular cross-section which is bounded on the outside by two opposing side surfaces, a front surface and a rear surface. [10] Cartridge according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cartridge is leak-proof.

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