Modular vape apparatus

Abstract

A modular vape apparatus 10 is provided which comprises a main body 12 having a battery 78 housed therein, a receiving opening 18 in one end, and at least one electrical contact 26 located within the

Description

The present invention relates to a modular vape apparatus suitable for use as an electronic cigarette. The invention further relates to a reusable component of said apparatus, and also to a disposable component of said apparatus. A vape apparatus is a type of electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette, which heats a flavoured liquid, typically containing nicotine and referred to as e-liquid, for inhalation. The vape apparatuses are typically battery operated using a small, handheld device which performs the heating necessary to create a vapour. Many vape apparatuses are single-use, and as consumable devices, create vast amounts of waste. This includes electrical waste, due to the battery-powered nature of the apparatuses. Refillable vape apparatuses are available, but it is possible to damage the apparatus by incorrect filling with the e-liquid. The present invention seeks to provide a more sustainable and efficient way of providing a vape apparatus. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular vape apparatus comprising: a main body having a battery housed therein, a receiving opening in one end, and at least one electrical contact located within the receiving opening and which is in electrical communication with the battery; and a vape head having a vape liquid chamber, a mouthpiece for inhalation by a user, a heating element for heating vape liquid in the vape liquid chamber, and at least one electrical contact in electrical communication with the heating element; at least one of the main body and vape head including a magnetic attachment means for magnetic engagement of the main body and vape head when the vape head is placed in the receiving opening, such that the respective electrical contacts are correctly aligned for electrical communication with one another. By providing a two-component modular vape apparatus, there is no need to provide a disposable battery compartment. Instead, the vape capsule or head is the only interchangeable part. Interengagement of the two components is achieved by magnetic means, and therefore electrical contact and airflow pathways are automatically aligned due to the magnetic click-lock approach. Optionally, the main body may include at least one magnet. Since the main body is the part which is non-disposable, it is prudent to have a magnet at least in this part of the apparatus for the click-lock effect. Preferably, the at least one magnet may be co-located with the at least one electrical contact of the main body. Co-Iocation of the magnet and contact ensures that the electrical contact is correctly seated for conduction, so that the heating element of the vape head can be powered without further user adjustment. Optionally, the vape head may include at least one magnet. A more powerful connection, and therefore alignment of the main body and vape head is achieved where multiple magnets are used. The main body may include at least two magnets, and the vape head may include at least two magnets, magnetic members, or magnetisable members. Where multiple magnets are used in each of the main body and vape head, improved alignment between the two is achieved, preventing rotational dislocation of the electrical contacts during use. Preferably, the at least one magnet may be co-located with the at least one electrical contact of the vape head. Co-Iocation of the magnet and contact ensures that the electrical contact is correctly seated for conduction, so the vape head can be easily aligned to the main body. Each of the main body and vape head may include two electrical contacts. Having a plurality of electrical contacts may be necessary for the formation of a full and complete circuit between the vape head and the main body. This makes alignment of the two much more critical, and the magnetic engagement allows this to occur. Preferably, the main body may include at least one air passage in the receiving opening, and the vape head may include at least one air channel, the at least one air passage and at least one air channel being correctly aligned to one another when the main body and vape head are in magnetic engagement with one another. Suction on the vape head requires an air flow through the modular vape apparatus. Typically, this will flow through the main body, and therefore it is important that an airflow path through the whole device is complete and available. Preferably, the vape head may comprise a perimetric shoulder. The provision of a perimetric shoulder allows the vape head to be seated onto the rim of the receiving opening without the risk of overapplication of pressure between the electrical contacts. Optionally, the vape head may have an insertable portion having a complementary shape to the receiving opening. Shape-matching of the vape head to the receiving opening may assist with inhibiting rotation therebetween, maintaining contact between the electrical contact pairs of the vape head and main body. The at least one electrical contact of the vape head may be formed from a magnetic or magnetisable material. It may be possible to avoid using a magnet in the vape head, providing that there is something which can attract to the magnet or magnets of the main body. This achieves the alignment effect whilst potentially eliminating the use of permanent magnets in the disposable component. In one preferable embodiment, the at least one electrical contact of the main body may be formed as a spring pin contact. A spring pin contact enables there to be a force applied between the vape head and main body without causing damage to the contact pairs. Optionally, the main body comprises a battery housing within which the battery is housed, the at least one electrical contact of the main body being positioned in a receiver of the battery housing. A modularised battery component simplifies the assembly of the main body for construction. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a reusable part of a modular vape apparatus, the reusable part comprising: a main body having a battery housed therein, a receiving opening in one end, and at least one electrical contact located within the receiving opening and which is in electrical communication with the battery; the main body and vape head including a magnetic attachment means for magnetic engagement of the main body and a counterpart vape head when the vape head is placed in the receiving opening, such that the at least one electrical contact is correctly aligned for electrical communication with a counterpart at least one electrical contact of the said vape head. According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a disposable part of a modular vape apparatus, the disposable part comprising: a vape head having a vape liquid chamber, a mouthpiece for inhalation by a user, a heating element for heating vape liquid in the vape liquid chamber, and at least one electrical contact in electrical communication with the heating element; the vape head including a magnetic attachment means for magnetic engagement of the vape head and a counterpart main body of the modular vape apparatus when the vape head is placed in a receiving opening of the counterpart main body, such that the at least one electrical contact is correctly aligned for electrical communication with a counterpart at least one electrical contact of the said main body. The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a first embodiment of a modular vape apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the invention; Figure 2A shows a perspective view of the main body of the modular vape apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 2B shows a top view of the main body of Figure 2A; Figure 3A shows a perspective view of the vape head of the modular vape apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3B shows a side view of the vape head of Figure 3A; Figure 3C shows a top view of the vape head of Figure 3A; Figure 3D shows a bottom view of the vape head of Figure 3A; Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the modular vape apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 5 shows an exploded view of a second embodiment of a modular vape apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the invention. Referring to Figure 1, there is a shown a modular vape apparatus, referenced globally at 10, and which takes the form of a vape pen when fully assembled. The modular vape apparatus 10 comprises two main parts: a main body 12, which is shown in detail in Figures 2A and 2B; and a vape head 14, shown in detail in Figures 3A to 3D. The vape head 14 is receivably engagable with the main body 12 in a modular fashion, allowing different vape heads 14 to be selectably engaged with the main body 12. The main body 12 comprises an elongate handle 16 having a receiving opening 18 at one end thereof, which is dimensioned to receive the counterpart vape head 14. Whilst a cylindrical interface is shown, it will be apparent that any complementary shape fit will be feasible for the receiving opening 18 and an insertable portion 20 of the vape head 14. The main body 12 contains the electrical components of the modular vape apparatus 10, which may preferably include a rechargeable battery, here chargeable via a USB interface 22 on an end cap 24 of the main body 12. Inside the receiving opening 18, and as can be seen in Figure 2B, there are electrical contacts 26 which are configured to make an electrical connection with the vape head 14 when the vape head 14 is inserted into the receiving opening 18. The electrical contacts 26 are here formed as spring pin electrodes, deflectable into the main body 12 under an insertion force from the vape head 14 once inserted. There is also at least one air passage 28 which opens into the receiving opening 18. This may be controllable by a valve on the modular vape apparatus 10 so as to alter whether a user can perform a vaping action on the vape head 14. The vape head 14, as shown in Figures 3A to 3B, includes a mouthpiece 30 which sits atop the insertable portion 20. The insertable portion 20 is formed as a cylinder which matches the shape of the receiving opening 18. As noted above, the exact shape will be determined by the shape match. The mouthpiece 30 is shaped to have a wide flat suction portion which is easily introduced into the mouth of a user, and has a suction opening 32 on the distalmost end 34 thereof. The mouthpiece 30 has a perimetric shoulder 36 which overhangs the insertable portion 20, so as to rest on the rim 38 of the receiving opening 18 when inserted into the main body 12. At a lower end 40 of the insertable portion 20, there are counterpart electrical contacts 42 which connect with and form an electrical connection with the electrical contacts 26 of the main body 12. The counterpart electrical contacts 42 may be wider than the electrical contacts 26, so as to accommodate any tolerance in the alignment therebetween during insertion. Corresponding air channels 44 are provided in the vape head 14 which connect to the suction opening 32, and align to the air passages 28 of the main body 12. This allows for a full draw of air to pass through the entire modular vape apparatus 10 once assembled, so that operation of the device is achieved. The air channels 44 may be slightly recessed relative to an end 40 of the vape head 14, so that inconsistent alignment of the air passages 28 and air channels 44 does not inhibit operation of the device. The insertable portion 20 forms a chamber within which vape liquid is stored. Operation of the modular vape apparatus 10 occurs once the main body 12 and vape head 14 are interconnected, and drawing air through the suction opening 32 causes vaporisation of vape liquid in the vape head 14 for inhalation. The internal components of the modular vape apparatus 10 are shown in Figure 4. The main casing 48 of the vape head 14 is engagable with the end cap 50 housing the counterpart electrical contacts 42. A sheath 52 may be provided to protect the end cap 50 in transit. Various seals 54, 56 may be provided which seal the end cap 50 into the main casing 48 of the vape head 48. A vape path member 58 is provided which is received within the main casing 48, and which creates the air channels 44 to the mouthpiece 30. There are various interconnecting components 60, 62, 64 which assist with stabilisation of the vape path member 58, at least some of which may be absorbent to absorb the e-liquid for heating. At least one, and preferably a plurality of head magnets 66 is provided which are receivably engagable in the end cap 50, preferably at or adjacent to the counterpart electrical contacts 42. Seals 68 may be provided to prevent e-liquid engagement with the electrical contacts 42. The heating element 70, here in the form of a mesh coil, for the e-liquid is also provided as part of the vape head 14. The main body 12 has an external casing 72, an internal sleeve 74 which at least in part defines the receiving opening 18, and a battery housing 76 within which a battery 78 of the modular vape apparatus 10 is provided. A PCB 80 is provided which mounts the USB port 22 and which electrically connects to the battery 78 via the battery housing 76. A seal 82 is provided to seal the components together, and the end cap 24 includes a child lock 84 component which creates an air seal to prevent inhalation. A printing film 86 may be provided which attaches to the internal sleeve to display an improved visual effect. This is most pronounced where the external casing 72 is at least in part transparent. The top of the battery housing 76 comprises a receiver 88 with which the electrical contacts 26 engage. Associated therewith is at least one, and preferably a plurality of housing magnets 90 which couple with the head magnets 66 when the vape head 14 is introduced into the main body 12. This creates a click-lock engagement mechanism. A second embodiment of a modular vape apparatus is shown in Figure 5, referenced globally at 110. Identical or similar components of the modular vape apparatus 110 are referenced using identical or similar reference numerals to that of the first embodiment described above, and further detailed description is omitted for brevity. The vape head 114 has a main casing 114 having the insertable portion 120 and mouthpiece 130, as per the first embodiment. During transit, the mouthpiece 130 is sealable using a stopper 192, here made from a silicone material. The chamber unit 194 in which the e-liquid is stored, is indicated here, and has a barrier cap 196 at one end, having an absorbent member 198 associated therewith, as well as a main absorbent member 200 which is the storage member inside the chamber unit 194. The heating wire assembly 202 is provided as a single unit, to which the heating element 170 is mounted and insertable into the centre of the main absorbent member 200, which is how vaporization of e-liquid occurs. A lower barrier member 204 is provided to seal the lower end of the chamber unit 194, and which is engagable with the end cap 150 mounting the counterpart electrical contacts 142. Notably, there are no dedicated magnets in the vape head 114. Instead, the counterpart electrical contacts 142 are formed from a magnetic or magnetisable material. The main body 112 includes the external casing 172, which holds the battery housing 176 and battery 178. Again, the top of the battery housing 176 includes a receiver 188 with which the electrical contacts 126 and housing magnets 190 engage. The housing magnets 190 are co-located with the electrical contacts 126 so as to enforce alignment with the counterpart electrical contacts 142 which are magnetic or magnetisable of the vape head 114. At the base of the battery housing 176 is a seal 182 for regulating airflow through the battery housing 178. A child lock 184 is again provided as part of the end cap 124 of the main body 112, and a USB interface 122 is also provided. It is therefore possible to provide a modular vape apparatus having a reusable part, that is, the main body having the battery, and a disposable part, which is the vape head. To facilitate simple interengagement of the two components, there is a magnetic engagement system, which forms a click-lock, thereby simplifying the process for installing a pod of a particular e-liquid. The words ‘comprises / comprising’ and the words ‘having / including’ when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof. It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination. The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.

Claims

1. A modular vape apparatus comprising:a main body having a battery housed therein, a receiving opening in one end, and at least one electrical contact located within the receiving opening and which is in electrical communication with the battery; anda vape head having a vape liquid chamber, a mouthpiece for inhalation by a user, a heating element for heating vape liquid in the vape liquid chamber, and at least one electrical contact in electrical communication with the heating element;at least one of the main body and vape head including a magnetic attachment means for magnetic engagement of the main body and vape head when the vape head is placed in the receiving opening, such that the respective electrical contacts are correctly aligned for electrical communication with one another.

2. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body includes at least one magnet3. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one magnet is co-located with the at least one electrical contact of the main body.

4. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vape head includes at least one magnet.

5. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one magnet is co-located with the at least one electrical contact of the vape head.

6. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main body includes at least two magnets, and the vape head includes at least two magnets, magnetic members, or magnetisable members.

7. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the main body and vape head include two electrical contacts.

8. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main body includes at least one air passage in the receiving opening, andthe vape head includes at least one air channel, the at least one air passage and at least one air channel being correctly aligned to one another when the main body and vape head are in magnetic engagement with one another.

9. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vape head comprises a perimetric shoulder.

10. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vape head has an insertable portion having a complementary shape to the receiving opening.

11. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one electrical contact of the vape head is formed from a magnetic or magnetisable material.

12. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one electrical contact of the main body is formed as a spring pin contact.

13. A modular vape apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main body comprises a battery housing within which the battery is housed, the at least one electrical contact of the main body being positioned in a receiver of the battery housing.

14. A reusable part of a modular vape apparatus, the reusable part comprising:a main body having a battery housed therein, a receiving opening in one end, and at least one electrical contact located within the receiving opening and which is in electrical communication with the battery;the main body and vape head including a magnetic attachment means for magnetic engagement of the main body and a counterpart vape head when the vape head is placed in the receiving opening, such that the at least one electrical contact is correctly aligned for electrical communication with a counterpart at least one electrical contact of the said vape head.

15. A disposable part of a modular vape apparatus, the disposable part comprising:a vape head having a vape liquid chamber, a mouthpiece for inhalation by a user, a heating element for heating vape liquid in the vape liquid chamber, and at least one electrical contact in electrical communication with the heating element;5 the vape head including a magnetic attachment means formagnetic engagement of the vape head and a counterpart main body of the modular vape apparatus when the vape head is placed in a receiving opening of the counterpart main body, such that the at least one electrical contact is correctly aligned for electrical communication with a counterpart10 at least one electrical contact of the said main body.

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