Instant portable convection vaporizer

Abstract

This invention provides an immediate, portable thermal convection vaporizer that offers efficient transfer of heated air and rapid delivery of vaporizable materials to the user. [Solution] An immediate, handheld vaporizer operating primarily by thermal convection. The vaporizer is configured to heat air drawn through the oven chamber to a predetermined or selectable vaporization temperature very rapidly (e.g., within a few seconds) in order to vaporize a substance held in the oven chamber 501 (e.g., plant material in the form of chopped leaves). The vaporizer provides efficient transport of the heated air, as well as rapid delivery of the vaporizable substance to the user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 351,272, filed Jun. 16, 2016, entitled “Electronic Vaporizer Devices,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 441,090, filed Dec. 30, 2016, entitled “On-Demand Portable Convection Vaporizers,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as part of this specification.

Background Art

[0002] Vaporizer devices, including electronic vaporizers or electronic vaporization devices, enable the delivery of vapor containing one or more active ingredients by inhalation. Electronic vaporization devices are increasingly popular for both prescription use in medical drug delivery and the consumption of other plant-based smokable substances such as tobacco and cannabis, including loose-leaf, solid / liquid substances (e.g., suspensions, liquid coating substances), wax extracts, and filled pods (cartridges, packaged containers, etc.) of such substances. In particular, electronic vaporization devices can be portable, self-contained, and convenient to use. Generally, such devices are controlled by one or more switches, buttons, etc. (control devices) on the vaporizer, but recently, several devices that can communicate wirelessly with an external controller (e.g., a smartphone) have become available.

[0003] Vaporization by heat can be carried out by other means, including convection, conduction, radiation, and / or various combinations thereof. Vaporizers that primarily heat by convection (so-called thermal convection vaporizers) have been described, but they typically heat up slowly and are therefore less convenient than other vaporizers, such as conduction or primarily conduction vaporizers. In particular, it has been difficult to provide a portable / handheld thermal convection vaporizer that is sufficiently "on-demand" to provide immediate or near-immediate (e.g., within a few seconds) vaporization of a vaporizable substance when inhaled into the vaporizer. Currently available thermal convection portable vaporizers do not offer such immediate heating and vaporization. In general, thermal convection portable vaporizers require a certain amount of heating time for the device to properly vaporize the substance of interest, and this time can often be long enough to be inconvenient for the user, and it may also take even longer to cool down.

[0004] For example, the aforementioned convection-type portable vaporizers require some form of physical selection input from the user to turn on or make the device usable. This has generally been done via some form of mechanical switch or push button, and once the device is turned on, it takes some time (tens of seconds or several minutes) for the device to reach the proper vaporization temperature before the user can substantially use the device and vigorously inhale vapor. With such convection-type portable vaporizers, some of the active ingredients of the vaporizable substance may escape into the surrounding environment (and thus not be enjoyed by the user) due to, for example, relatively long periods of heating and cooling when not in use at high temperatures, and the internal characteristics of the vaporizer. In addition, such convection-type vaporizers may not be able to precisely control the temperature of the air in contact with the substance. This lack of air temperature control, coupled with changes in airflow caused by the user, can lead to significant variations in the quality and quantity of vapor produced. In particular, many so-called instantaneous or "instantaneous heating" vaporizers suffer from this problem, where the heating element can heat up very rapidly, but the airflow may not be heated properly and / or uniformly. This can be at least in part due to the large heat mass surrounding the heater and the wasted energy dissipated within the device rather than circulating air. As a result, the user may have to "puff" repeatedly or wait for a long time before the device can produce a sufficient amount of high-quality steam to the user's satisfaction. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an immediate, portable thermal convection vaporizer that provides efficient transport of heated air and rapid delivery of vaporizable material to the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vaporizer according to a particular embodiment of the present invention comprises a vaporizer body having an outer housing; a heater located within the vaporizer body, the heater having at least one opening through which air passes and is heated; an oven chamber containing a vaporizable substance which is heated by the air heated by the heater and held inside such a configuration that the vaporizable substance is at least partially vaporized into the heated air; a controller coupled to the heater and configured to heat the heater to a certain temperature; and a mouthpiece configured to deliver the heated air and the vaporized substance.

[0007] A vaporizer according to a particular embodiment of the present invention comprises: a vaporizer body having an outer housing and an internal structural housing housed within the outer housing and defining a cavity; an air inlet extending through a portion of the outer housing into the cavity of the internal structural housing, through which air enters the cavity; a heater suspended within the cavity of the internal structural housing, the heater having one or more openings through which air passes, the heater and the multiple openings generating turbulence in the air when air passes over the heater for heating; an oven chamber located within the cavity of the internal structural housing, containing a vaporizable substance configured to be heated by air heated by the heater and vaporized in the heated air; a controller coupled to the heater and configured to heat the heater to a predetermined temperature when an airflow to the heater is detected; and a mouthpiece configured to deliver heated air and vaporized substance.

[0008] A method according to a particular embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: detecting suction in the mouthpiece of a vaporizer; supplying energy to the heater of the vaporizer; monitoring the air temperature of the heated air from the heater; limiting the oven temperature of the oven chamber of the vaporizer by changing the energy supplied to the heater; and adjusting the heater temperature of the heater so as to control the heater temperature in response to a change in the resistance of the heater.

[0009] A vaporizer according to a particular embodiment of the present invention comprises a vaporizer body having an outer housing; a heater located within the vaporizer body, the heater configured to disturb the airflow within the heater's region and heat the airflow within the heater's region; an oven chamber fluidly connected to the heater and containing a vaporizable substance configured to be heated by the air heated by the heater and vaporized in the heated air; and a mouthpiece configured to deliver the heated air and the vaporized substance.

[0010] Details of one or more modifications of the subject matter described herein are described in the accompanying drawings and in the following “Modes for Carrying Out the Invention.” Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein should be apparent from the “Modes for Carrying Out the Invention” and the drawings, and from the claims. Certain features of the subject matter of this disclosure are described for illustrative purposes with respect to vaporizers, but it will be readily apparent that such features are not intended to be limiting. The claims following this disclosure are intended to define the scope of the subject matter to be protected.

[0011] The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and constituting part thereof illustrate specific embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with “Modes for Carrying Out the Invention,” help to illustrate some of the principles relating to the disclosed embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1A] Figure 1A shows the external features of an exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] Figure 1B shows the external features of an exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1C] Figure 1C shows the external features of an exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1D]Figure 1D shows the external features of an exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded view showing the features of an exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the characteristics of an exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A shows various features of the exemplary vaporizer shown in Figure 3. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B shows various features of the exemplary vaporizer shown in Figure 3. [Figure 4C] Figure 4C shows various features of the exemplary vaporizer shown in Figure 3. [Figure 4D] Figure 4D shows various features of the exemplary vaporizer shown in Figure 3. [Figure 4E] Figure 4E shows various features of the exemplary vaporizer shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5A] Figure 5A shows various features of an additional exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] Figure 5B shows various features of an additional exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5C] Figure 5C shows various features of an additional exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5D] Figure 5D shows various features of an additional exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5E] Figure 5E shows various features of an additional exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the features of a controller that can be adapted to adjust the temperature of a vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the characteristics of a control circuit for adjusting the temperature of a vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a graph showing the temperature profile of air in the vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a graph showing an enlarged part of the graph of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the features of an exemplary heater for use with an exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a process flow chart explaining the features of a method of regulating and adjusting the air temperature applied to the vaporizable substance in the vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] In practice, the same reference numerals indicate similar structures, features or elements.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention include methods and devices for vaporizing one or more substances for inhalation by a user. The term "vaporizer" is generally used in the following description to refer to a vaporizing device. Examples of vaporizers according to embodiments of the present invention include electronic vaporizers, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), and the like. Generally, such vaporizers are often portable, often hand-held devices that heat a vaporizable substance to supply an inhalable amount of the substance.

[0015] A vaporizer according to a particular embodiment of the present invention is a hand-held device that operates mainly by convection to provide efficient transfer of heated air and rapid delivery of the vaporizable substance to the user.

[0016] A vaporizer according to a particular embodiment of the present invention is configured to allow very rapid heating (e.g., within 3 seconds, within 2 seconds, within 1 second, etc.) of air drawn through an oven chamber in order to heat the vaporizable material (e.g., plant material in the form of chopped leaves) in the oven chamber to a target vaporization temperature. The oven chamber may be thermally conductive (to allow for further heating and vaporization of the material in the oven) or thermally insulating (so that heat is not transferred to the oven, and as a result, heat is transferred only to the vaporizable material). The oven chamber may be located at the distal end of the apparatus, opposite the proximal mouthpiece. Alternatively, the oven chamber may be located adjacent to or in close proximity to the mouthpiece, for example, below or adjacent to the mouthpiece portion of the apparatus.

[0017] The oven chamber may be connected to the distal end of the apparatus (e.g., the frame or skeleton of the vaporizer) via one or more contacts, but part or most of the oven chamber may be surrounded by a gap (or other insulating means, e.g., insulating material) to suppress heat transfer from the oven chamber to other parts of the apparatus. The oven chamber may be provided with a lid. The oven chamber may be manufactured as a deep-drawn oven and may have, for example, a certain depth, a certain width, and a certain breadth, where the depth of the oven chamber (distance from the inside of the lid to the bottom, e.g., the screen) may be, for example, 0.3 to 2 times the breadth of the oven, and the breadth may be 0.1 to 1 time the breadth. In general, the oven chamber may be sized for the intended use of the vaporizer in which the oven chamber is housed, and / or the oven chamber may be sized based on manufacturing considerations. The oven chamber may have solid walls, perforated walls, basket weave structures, or any other configuration of solid and open regions, or a combination thereof, configured to rationally accommodate the substance to be vaporized. The oven chamber may be configured to accept a further internal container (not shown) that can contain a vaporizable liquid or wax, etc.

[0018] A heater (e.g., a resistance heating element) may be placed in an air path and configured to rapidly heat the air passing around and / or through the heater. The heater may include one or more openings, passages, channels, slots, slits, etc., through which air passes through and / or around the heater, and one or more of such air passages may have irregular, jagged, fractal, protruding edges, etc., which, together with and / or separately from the configuration of the heater, increase turbulence passing through or around the heater and increase heat transfer to the air as the air passes through or around the heater. In one embodiment, the heater may be an elongated tube extending along a long axis, the tube having one or more notched regions along its entire length to generate turbulence in the air traversing and / or passing along the long axis of the tube. In some modifications, the heater may comprise one or more thin or sheet-like materials having multiple slots, slits, or notched areas through which air passes, and these sheets may be folded, crumpled, or layered, or in some modifications, the sheets may be flat. In other modifications, the heater may be a coil or string-like resistive material, which may have surface variations, irregularities, vanes, etc. to increase the surface area, thereby improving heat transfer to the air flowing around the heater.

[0019] In certain embodiments of the present invention, the heater may be controlled by a heater control circuit including four terminal inputs, where a first pair of inputs may correspond to heater power leads / inputs, and a second pair of inputs / leads may be offset from the heater power inputs (and in some modifications, positioned between the heater power leads) and configured to detect a voltage drop across the region of the heating element. The four-terminal measurement control can be used to determine the temperature of a resistance heater with relatively fine resolution (e.g., within ±5°C, ±4°C, ±3°C, ±2°C, etc.). Alternatively, a two-terminal temperature sensing system can be used, in which case the same leads used to supply the heater power current may be supplied with a smaller current to measure the voltage drop across the leads, thereby allowing the heater temperature to be measured at a time different from when the heater current is supplied.

[0020] In addition, temperature sensors (e.g., thermocouples, infrared sensors, etc.) can be placed in the airflow path downstream of the heater (e.g., between the heater and the oven chamber, inside the oven chamber, etc.) to detect the temperature of the air flowing into, through, or around the oven chamber, which vaporizes the material inside the oven chamber. In any of the modifications described herein, the temperature control circuit can receive input from the heater (e.g., resistance measured by two- or four-terminal measurement, and therefore the temperature of the heater) and can also receive input from downstream airflow temperature sensors (e.g., one or more thermistors at the inlet for the heated airflow into the oven chamber). The temperature control circuit may be configured to deliver increased power (current) to the heater at a first frequency / duty cycle as soon as it detects negative pressure caused by the user inhaling into the mouthpiece. This increased power can raise the heater temperature almost immediately (e.g., above 500°C), but can be limited by the control circuit to remain below a safety limit (e.g., 700°C) or within a useful temperature range. The control circuit can further monitor the temperature of the heated air that has passed over the heater before entering the oven chamber (e.g., via one or more thermistors), and as part of the control loop, it can limit the temperature of the oven chamber (e.g., by changing the power supplied to the heater and / or the frequency / duty cycle of the power supplied to the heater). Thus, the vaporization temperature, corresponding to the temperature of the air added to vaporize the substance in the oven chamber, can be maintained at a desired target temperature or within a desired or useful temperature range.

[0021] The target temperature may be predetermined (e.g., pre-set on the device) and / or selected or modified by the user. The target temperature may be a single temperature, multiple temperatures including a temperature profile (e.g., multiple temperatures over time), or an acceptable temperature range. The user may input an absolute temperature (e.g., Celsius or Fahrenheit) or change a given temperature (up or down).

[0022] In general, vaporizers according to some embodiments of the present invention may be configured for use with chopped leaves, or with liquids, waxes, or other vaporizable substances. Any of these devices may be configured to wirelessly connect to one or more devices, including user-controlled devices, to modify the operation of the vaporizer. For example, the devices described herein may wirelessly connect to a user interface that enables medication control (dose monitoring, dose setting, dose limiting, user tracking, etc.), location information (e.g., location of other users, location of retailers / sales locations, location where vapor was inhaled, etc.), vaporizer customization (e.g., vaporizer naming, vaporizer lock / password protection, parental controls, vaporizer association with user groups, vaporizer registration, etc.), and participation in social activities with other users (games, groups, etc.).

[0023] The vaporizer according to embodiments of the present invention may include a stacked arrangement of the circuit board, battery, and other components. The oven chamber can have a relatively small thermal mass despite being relatively large compared to the overall size of the vaporizer, and therefore can be heated rapidly (e.g., within 1 second) to the vaporization temperature of the substance (e.g., 100°C to 300°C for tobacco). Thus, the relative size / ratio of the vaporization chamber can be larger compared to other devices. The overall device can be thin and small. Because the device can heat up rapidly (within 1 second) for vaporization and can keep energy loss due to thermal mass around the convection heating path relatively low, a user who takes a puff (or if the device is activated by detecting lips) (or alternatively, a user who turns it on (e.g., selects or presses a button, etc.)) can obtain a sufficient amount of vapor almost instantly by puffing for 3-4 seconds, effectively replicating the effects of conventional combustion cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc., and increasing user satisfaction.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the vaporizer may have a large, or even unlimited, number of customizable temperature settings. The number of sessions per charge and the number of times the user puffs per charge, as well as the charging time of the vaporizer, can be determined based on the size of the battery used.

[0025] Referring to Figures 1A to 1D, the external features of an exemplary vaporizer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown. As shown, the vaporizer 100 may have an elongated or substantially rectangular shape, with the lengths of two opposing ends being shorter than the lengths of two opposing sides. However, variations in size and shape are possible for the exemplary vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, the vaporizer 100 may have an essentially square, tubular, spherical, faceted, oval, or other shape, or a combination thereof. As shown in Figure 1B, the vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention may be small and sized to fit easily in the user's hand. The vaporizer 100 comprises an outer housing 114, a mouthpiece 122 at the top (or proximal) end 120, and a lid 110 at the bottom (or distal) end 130. As shown in Figure 1D, an intake port 160 is provided on the outer housing 114 and extends through it. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) charging port 170 is also provided, extending through the outer housing 114.

[0026] Figure 2 shows some of the features of the apparatus 100 in an exploded view. Inside the outer housing 114 is a structural housing component 212. One or more side air channels 215 (one is shown in Figure 2) may be formed on one or more sides of the structural housing component 212. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the internal structural housing component 212 may be made of a ceramic material, another insulating material, or another material (such as metal) that is insulated from the heater. The battery 240 and the printed circuit board (PCB) 216 are stacked and housed within the structural housing component 212. Part of the oven chamber 201, having a surrounding housing 213, is also housed within the structural housing component 212 near the end 130 of the vaporizer 200. Electrical leads 205 are shown extending from inside the housing 213. A lid 110 covers the open portion of the oven chamber 201. A mouthpiece 122 is located at the end 120 of the vaporizer 200.

[0027] Figure 3 shows some features of the vaporizer 300 in a cross-sectional view. As shown in Figure 3, the vaporizer 300 includes an internal oven chamber 301 with a surrounding oven housing 313, located near (e.g., nearly adjacent to or adjacent to) the bottom end 330. The lid 310 is fitted to the outer housing 314 at the bottom end 330, or otherwise attached. The mouthpiece 322 is fitted to the outer housing 314 at the top end 320, or otherwise attached. Inside the outer housing 314 are structural housing components 312. One or more internal side slots or channels 309 are formed between the outer wall of the structural housing component 312 and the inner wall of the outer housing 314 and extend along their length. The internal side channels 309 extend from the oven chamber 301 to the mouthpiece 322 and provide a cooling path for the vaporizable material to be inhaled by the user.

[0028] The heater 302 is a plate plating heater capable of rapid heating, driven by the melting point of the dielectric, capable of high watt density (e.g., about 60 W / in²), and can have a high operating temperature limit (about 700°C).

[0029] Figures 4A to 4E illustrate various features of the exemplary vaporizer of Figure 3. Figure 4A shows, in cross-sectional view, features of the oven chamber 301 and heater 302 according to some embodiments of the present invention, and Figures 4B and 4C show the airflow through these oven chamber 301 and heater 302. As shown, heated air flows upward from the heater 302 through the oven chamber 301 containing the vaporizable material and back over the edge of the oven chamber 301. Power leads 305 are shown connected to the heater 302.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figure 4A, the heat conduction path passes through the flange of the oven chamber 301, and the oven chamber 301 may have a plurality of perforated bottoms (e.g., screen 315). The openings passing through the bottom may be arranged in a pattern that uniformly distributes the heated air, for example, having a density pattern of holes that is larger in the external region than in the internal region, or having other variations for equal or nearly equal heat distribution. To recover any heat from the oven 301, an intake path may circulate outside the oven 301. The heater 302 may be mechanically trapped between the two bottoms of a deep-drawn part (e.g., a deep-drawn SS oven to which another deep-drawn part is welded). The heater 302 may be welded and / or brazed to the oven chamber 301, or optionally mechanically trapped. In some embodiments of the present invention, the heater 302 may include a “thick-film heater” that is fixed only at the coldest point.

[0031] Figures 4A to 4E also show some additional features of the oven chamber 301, as well as the surrounding area of ​​the device 300, including the outer housing 314, structural housing components 312, and lid 310. Two spring-loaded power leads 305 and an air intake vent 360 are also shown.

[0032] Referring to Figures 4B and 4C, the screen 315 can be installed within the oven chamber 301 to prevent vaporizable material from coming into contact with the flat plating heater 302. The heater 302 can be positioned approximately 1 mm below the screen 315 (e.g., 0.5 mm to 5 mm, 0.5 mm to 3 mm, etc.). The screen 315 and the heater 302 may be constrained by peripheral welds or other means. Figures 4B and 4C show the air path from the air inlet to the heater, circulating from below through the interior of the heater upwards and then into the oven chamber above it.

[0033] The heater 302 can be a low-mass composite structure. Figure 4D shows an enlarged view of an exemplary heater structure, and Figure 4E shows the air passage. The substrate 450 of the heater 302 can be, for example, 0.003-inch 430 stainless steel. Each face of the heater substrate 450 can be covered with a thin layer of glass dielectric 452 of about 0.002 to 0.003 inches. The bottom layer of the heater 302 is a resistive heating element 454 which may be made of a silver-palladium alloy with a thickness of about 0.001 inches. A thin layer of glass dielectric (not shown) may also be deposited on the resistive element to reduce damage due to oxidation. These glass and resistive layers can be applied as a paste using, for example, a screen printing process.

[0034] In one embodiment, the heater 302 may comprise a stainless steel (SS) substrate having a glass dielectric layer and screen-printed resistance wires with a total thickness of approximately 0.010 inches.

[0035] In the operation of the vaporizer 300 shown in Figures 3 to 4E, the user removes the lid 310, loads the substance to be vaporized into the oven chamber 302, returns the lid 310 to its original position, and takes a puff from the device 300 on the side opposite the oven of the device where the mouthpiece is located. When the user inhales through the mouthpiece, ambient air enters the device through the inlet of the outer housing 314, passes through the structural support housing 312 (e.g., the skeleton) that structurally supports the oven chamber 301 and other internal components, and enters the oven chamber 301 around the notch 332 for the contact pin 305, creating a pressure drop in the device that can be measured by a pressure sensor (not shown). When this pressure drop is detected, the heater 302 is powered by passing an electric current through the spring-loaded power pin 305, rapidly increasing the temperature of the resistive elements of the heater 302. Air drawn into the oven chamber 301 is heated from below the heater 302, as it passes through the central hole 337 of the heater 302, and as it is redirected above the heater by the non-perforated area of ​​the screen 315. The rest of the screen 315 is perforated to allow hot air to easily pass through the material in the oven chamber 301 before it exits the top of the oven chamber 301 and flows down the side channels 309 of the frame (skeleton) to the user. The increased air turbulence generated by the structure of the apparatus, including the airflow into the oven chamber 301 across the bottom of the heater 302, through its central hole (or any number of other holes), then across its top surface, and then over the oven screen 315, enables efficient heat transfer from the heater 302 to the air and to the vaporizable material, increasing efficiency and time to vaporization.

[0036] To minimize energy loss from the heater 302, the oven may be extremely low in mass (walls less than 0.25 mm) and may be insulated. As shown in Figure 4A, there may be a small gap 304 between the oven chamber 301 and the structural housing 312 that acts as insulation, which helps prevent heat sinking (transfer) from the heater 302 to the outer housing 314. In this way, much of the energy in the form of heat from the heater 302 passes through the material to be vaporized rather than the body of the apparatus 300, or is transferred to the oven chamber 301 itself, which also aids vaporization (by conductive heating).

[0037] In the examples in Figures 3-4E, thermocouples are not shown, but one or more thermocouples may be suspended in or above the central hole 337 of the heater 302, or somewhere inside the oven chamber 301. This may provide closed-loop control of the air temperature. Although not required, thermocouples allow for faster steam generation because the heater 302 can be operated initially at a higher temperature and then lowered once the thermocouple indicates the desired vaporization air temperature.

[0038] A vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a resistive heating element (e.g., a heater 302) powered by an electric current passing through two terminals (e.g., lead wires 305). A precision resistance measurement circuit can be used to track the resistance of the heating element when it is not heating and when it is heating, allowing the temperature of the heater 302 to be controlled based on the change in the resistance of the material in the heater.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present invention, the vaporizer has an "on" / active mode, but ideally the heater is ignited only by triggering a pressure / flow sensor, by capacitive lip detection, or by the user pressing a button for use.

[0040] Figures 5A to 5E illustrate, through various diagrams, the features of another exemplary vaporizer 500 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figures 5A and 5B are front cross-sectional views of the device 500 and show a heater assembly and oven assembly that can replace the heater and oven assembly shown in the entire vaporizer embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4. The device 500 according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured as an immediate thermal convection vaporizer. Figure 5C shows an exemplary heater 502. Figure 5D shows a top perspective view of the device 500 and shows details of the oven chamber 501. Figure 5E shows the airflow through the device 500.

[0041] The vaporizer 500 comprises an oven chamber 501 capable of holding vaporizable material, which may be packed into the oven chamber 501 or otherwise inserted. The oven chamber (or oven) 501 may be formed by a progressive die molding process. The vaporizable material (including vaporizable material in the form of chopped leaves) can be contained within the oven chamber 501 for vaporization. The vaporizer 500 may also comprise an oven lid 510 that can cover, enclose, and / or seal the loading side of the oven chamber 501. The lid 510 may be mounted over the accessible portion of the oven chamber 501 by various mechanisms, including friction fitting, magnetic mounting, mechanical mounting, or any combination thereof. The apparatus 500 also includes a notched tube heater 502 (e.g., a heating assembly, a thermal convection heating assembly) which may be positioned directly or substantially adjacent to the oven chamber 501 (e.g., below Figures 5A and 5B) and may be located within an open chamber or cavity 507 in the elongated flat body of the apparatus 500 and include a heating element. The notched tube heater 502 may be made of a tube made of some kind of resistant metal alloy that is notched or slotted by a process such as laser etching. The notched regions can provide higher electrical resistance than the rest of the tube so that air (e.g., drawn in by the user) passes through the slots in relatively large turbulence before coming into contact with the vaporizable material. The notched tube heater 502 may be held in an air path and coupled to the internal chamber of the vaporizer 500 by a small number of contacts or by adiabatic or insulating coupling, insulating lining, etc., to minimize heat transfer.

[0042] During operation, the vaporizer 500 can be loaded with vaporizable material by removing the oven lid 510 and loading the desired vaporizable material into the oven chamber 501. The user can then return the oven lid to its original position and inhale from the device 500 on the opposite side of the oven where the mouthpiece (e.g., mouthpiece 122 shown in Figure 2) is located. When the user inhales through the mouthpiece, ambient air enters the device 500 through the outer housing 514 (which may be a shell or other extruded product, including an aluminum extruded product) (through air inlets of the same type as the air inlet 160 in Figure 1 and the air inlet 360 in Figure 4A), passes through the support housing (e.g., support fixtures or skeleton) 512 within the outer housing 514 (which may provide structural support for the notched tube heater 502 and the oven chamber / heater housing 517), enters the cavity 507, and may produce a pressure drop detected by the pressure sensor 508. When this pressure drop is detected, the notched tube heater 502 is powered by passing an electric current through the power leads 505, which can rapidly increase the temperature of the notched or slotted region of the heater 502. Air drawn into the cavity 507 flows into the tube of the heater 502, and its temperature can rise as it passes through the tube extension and the notched region 555. Once the air has passed through the notched region 555 of the heater 502, it begins to flow upwards over the thermocouple sensor 503 suspended near the screen 515 at the bottom of the oven chamber 501. The screen 515 is perforated to allow hot air to easily pass through the material in the oven chamber 501 before it exits the top of the oven and flows down the side slots 509 formed by the housing 512 (e.g., support frame or skeleton) to the mouthpiece at the opposite end for user inhalation.

[0043] To minimize energy loss from the notched tube heater 502, the heater 502 and oven chamber 501 may be housed in a low thermal conductivity material such as zirconia. The walls of the oven chamber / heater housing 517 may be relatively thin to reduce the amount of thermal mass associated with the material. As can be seen from Figure 5A, there is a small gap 504 between the oven chamber 501 and the housing 517 that can act as an insulator (or may contain an insulating material) to help prevent heat sinking (transfer) into the housing 517. In this way, most of the energy in the form of heat passes through the material being vaporized rather than through the body of the device 500 (e.g., the outer housing 514).

[0044] The heater 502 may be a resistance heating element heated by an electric current flowing between two terminals 505 to which the heater 502 is attached. The heater 502 may be a hollow, elongated tube (having any suitable cross-sectional shape, including circular, elliptical, rectangular, square, etc.), the tube may be straight, curved, or bent (including folding itself), and may include one or more notches or openings on the side of the elongated tube into which air can be drawn. The tube of the heater 502 is positioned substantially across the air path of the apparatus so as to draw in air through the notches or openings by drawing air in through a mouthpiece, thereby heating the air and creating turbulence through the heater 502, which allows the heated air to be mixed to prevent localized hot / cold spots.

[0045] The apparatus 500 may also include a precision resistance measuring circuit for tracking the resistance of the heater 502 when not heating and / or when heating, in order to control the temperature of the heater 502 based on the change in the resistance of the elements from room temperature to vaporization temperature. This measuring circuit may be a multi-terminal (e.g., 4-terminal) sensing system that detects a voltage drop across a region of the heater 502, for example, across a notched region of the heating element, using, for example, two smaller leads 506, when a test current (e.g., a small but known constant current) is applied via the test leads 506. This applied test current may be different from the heating current used to heat the heater 502 to a high temperature via the power leads 505, and may be applied to the heater 502 when making measurements during heating.

[0046] In the exemplary apparatus 500, the measuring circuit may be configured to provide a four-terminal resistance measurement, which in certain cases may provide a more accurate resistance measurement than a two-terminal resistance sensing circuit. The four-terminal measuring circuit can avoid resistance changes that the power leads undergo due to thermal conduction (when the power leads are welded to the heater tube) and electrical heating due to high current. In some configurations, the two-terminal resistance measuring circuit may not accurately compensate for resistance changes in the power leads, resulting in distorted results for the calculated temperature.

[0047] Figure 6 shows the features of a controller that can be adapted to adjust the temperature of a vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Block diagram 600 includes a measuring circuit 620 that can measure the resistance of a resistance heater (e.g., heater 502) and supply an analog signal to a microcontroller 610. The device temperature, which can be input to the microcontroller 610 from a temperature sensor 503, and inputs from sensors (e.g., a pressure sensor 508, a button, or other sensors) can be used by the microcontroller 610 to determine when the resistance heater 502 should be activated, for example, when a user is inhaling the device or when the device is scheduled to be set to a higher temperature (e.g., standby temperature). In Figure 6, an example of the signal from the measuring circuit 620, shown in Figure 7, goes directly to the microcontroller 610.

[0048] An example of an embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 6 provides the delivery of electrical energy from a power source, which may be part of the vaporizer 500, to the heater 502. In addition, an additional input may be a desired temperature input 630, which is determined and entered by the user and used by the microcontroller 610 as described below. The desired temperature input may be predetermined and entered into the microcontroller 610, rather than being entered by the user.

[0049] Figure 7 shows the features of a control (e.g., measurement) circuit 620 for adjusting the temperature of a vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] To accurately control the temperature of a resistive element during heating, a relatively accurate resolution of the resistance measurement can be useful. Based on the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the metal alloy used in the heating element, a change of just a few milliohms (mΩ) can represent a change of more than 100°C. To achieve high-resolution measurement of such temperature changes, a scalable resistance measurement circuit (e.g., a four-terminal resistance measurement circuit) can be used. Figure 7 shows an example of a circuit diagram of a resistance measurement circuit configured as a four-terminal resistance measurement circuit. As shown in Figure 7, a power supply 720 is provided. During operation, the circuit can enable MOSFET Q10 704, which allows a small current from the current source U2 706 to pass through the heating element 702 (connected to the circuit separately by terminals HI+ and HI- via power leads 505 in Figure 5A to allow a larger heating current to flow), where the voltage drop across the heating element can be detected via the leads HV+ 708 and HV- 708' (via leads 506 shown in Figures 5A and 5B). This small voltage drop (tens of millivolts) is detected by a first-stage amplifier circuit (U12A) 710, which can be configured as a differential amplifier with unit gain. High resolution for resistance measurement is achieved by scaling the second-stage amplifier circuit (U12B) 712. A selectable scaling factor 714 allows scaling of the input to the second-stage amplifier, which can be configured as a non-inverting amplifier with fixed gain by selectively switching specific combinations of MOSFETs Q5-Q9 (under the control of the microprocessor 610), enabling higher resolution measurement of the heater's resistance. Scaling the second stage rather than the first stage of the amplifier circuit ensures that the scaling resistors R10-R14 have little to no effect on the closed-loop gain of the differential amplifier. This is desirable because it is preferable for the differential stage to remain symmetrical in order to accurately measure the differential voltage on the heating element. The circuit also has the ability to measure the thermoelectric effect, or Seebeck effect, that occurs when two dissimilar metals are at different temperatures. This allows the vaporizer to compensate for the Seebeck effect.For example, the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) of a microcontroller can be used to sample the output voltage of the second-stage amplifier, convert it to a binary representation, and then use a lookup table to convert these readings to resistances. The lookup table may be determined theoretically (e.g., from circuit analysis) and may also be corrected with measurements taken for the Seebeck effect, along with some fixed offset resulting from component tolerances.

[0051] Vaporizers according to some embodiments of the present invention can regulate and adjust the temperature of the air added to the vaporizable substance. In any of the modifications described herein, the vaporizer may be configured to allow the user to select a different air temperature (desired temperature input 630) to vaporize the substance of interest (for example, by a button or other control input on the device, or wirelessly, via a user interface on a remote device such as a smartphone communicating with the vaporizer). The vaporizer control circuit (for example, block diagram 600 in Figure 6) may include one or more controllers for adjusting the overall temperature selection.

[0052] In particular, the device controller 610 can use a first controller circuit (control law) to adjust the temperature of the heating element 502 (resistance heater) to control and rapidly heat the resistance heater, and estimate its temperature based on the TCR of the resistance heater. A second controller circuit (control law) may further adjust the resistance heater, which can be sensed by one or more thermocouples 503 located in the airflow path (e.g., downstream of the resistance heater and / or between the resistance heater and the oven chamber), based on a user-selected or predetermined vaporization temperature (e.g., 200°C to 500°C). These two controller circuits can cooperate with each other to adjust the heating temperature or the rate of heating increase by modulating the duty cycle of the energy supplied to the heater.

[0053] For example, a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller may be implemented on a microcontroller 610 that monitors a thermocouple sensor 503 above the heating element 502 and uses this as a feedback mechanism for the air temperature controller. Separately, another second PID controller can be used to adjust the temperature of the heating element 502 using the TCR of the metal alloy (of the resistance heater) to determine the target resistance setpoint of the heater so as not to exceed the safe operating point. These two PID controllers can be operated simultaneously, for example at 128 Hz, and control logic can be used to determine which PID controller output (air temperature or heater temperature) to use at any given point. The outputs of both PID controllers can be alternated, with only one output at a time, to control the transistor with a duty cycle of a PWM signal input to the power MOSFET 701 (e.g., Q2 in the schematic of Figure 7). The start of a puff can be determined from a sensor such as a pressure sensor (see, for example, 508 in Figure 5A) (or from a button pressed by the user), and when the device detects that the user has started a puff, the TCR sensing heater temperature PID controller may be activated first. This ensures that the temperature of the heating element rises rapidly to its maximum operating temperature in order to heat the incoming air as quickly as possible. As described above, the temperature of thermocouple 503 is monitored, and if it exceeds a predetermined threshold, the output of the air temperature PID controller is applied. For example, if the user sets the vaporization temperature to 350°C and starts drawing in air in the device (removing the pressure sensor threshold for the start of a puff), this causes the microcontroller to start pulse-driving the power MOSFET using the duty cycle from the heater temperature PID controller to adjust the temperature of the heating element to the maximum allowable value of 700°C. Once the incoming air is heated, the air temperature PID controller controls the given heater current when the detected air temperature exceeds a set threshold (for example, corresponding to a temperature of 300°C).Next, the heating element is controlled via an air temperature PID controller to adjust the air temperature to 350°C, while a heater temperature PID controller ensures that the heating element's temperature does not exceed the 700°C cutoff. If the airflow is insufficient to allow the heating element to reach its maximum allowable safe operating temperature, the system can alternate between the two PID controllers. In other words, if the airflow is too high, the heater may not reach its maximum temperature.

[0054] The above embodiment was tested using a heating element and an airflow of 4 L / min passing through the oven, while recording data from the thermocouple during the session. As seen in Graphs 800 and 900 in Figures 8 and 9, respectively, the thermocouple reached its vaporization temperature in approximately 1 second (Figure 9 shows a more detailed plot showing the heating time from 3 to 7 seconds from Figure 8). The control law implemented in this apparatus uses resistance measurements of the heating element to ensure that the heating element never exceeds a safe operating temperature (e.g., 700°C). The apparatus continuously monitors the thermocouple and adjusts the air temperature to a set value (350°C in this example). Overshoot is observed during heating, which may be intentional in order to raise the vaporizable substance to its vaporization temperature as quickly as possible. The coarse resolution of the lower data is due to the minimum sampling time of the thermocouple monitor used in the apparatus. However, this resolution is sufficient to control the air temperature within at least ±5°C. Higher resolution control systems are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0055] In some of the modifications of the immediate heat convection vaporizers described herein, the resistance heater (resistance heating element) may be formed from one or more different types of metal alloys, such as stainless steel 316, stainless steel 309, nichrome, or other resistant metal alloys. Alternatively or additionally, the housing for the resistance heating element and oven may be made from a metal or alloy, such as aluminum or stainless steel flakes. The heating element may be insulated from the housing by a sleeve or bushing made of Teflon® or a similar material.

[0056] In any of the modifications described herein, the vaporizer may be equipped with a heat exchanger that is thermally in contact with the heater, thereby achieving better efficiency. This may include a circular type of metal baffle or disc that is inserted into each side of the tube of the heating element and can be mounted near a notched area such as a notched area 555. Some of the heat conducted along the tube away from the notched area can also be conducted to these heat exchangers. As air is drawn in through the ends of the tube, these alternative heat exchangers proposed take advantage of some of the lost heat conducted along the ends of the tube and return this inherently "lost" energy to the drawn air. Another method similar to such a disc or baffle includes a raised portion of the heater tube projecting toward the center of the tube, or fins. These fins can provide another style of heat exchanger to help return heat to the air path.

[0057] According to some embodiments of the present invention, instead of incorporating the thermocouple sensor 503 into the vaporizer 500, a thermocouple may be incorporated into the vaporizer. In one example, instead of using a thermocouple to measure the air temperature, the temperature of the screen 515 can be measured. For example, if the screen 515 is insulated from the oven chamber 501, the screen 515 can be used as a thermistor. By including lead wires extending from both ends along the long axis, resistance can be measured through them. This technique allows the microcontroller 610 to calculate the average temperature of the screen 515, which should be highly correlated and may be used as an alternative to measuring the air temperature. In another example, if the screen 515 remains electrically connected to the oven chamber 501, a single lead wire of a dissimilar material can be drawn from the screen 515 to create a temporary thermocouple. By measuring the voltage between the oven chamber / screen structure and the lead wire of the dissimilar material, the temperature at the junction between the two materials can be calculated by the microcontroller 610. Alternatively, an infrared sensor inside or near the oven chamber can similarly measure the temperature of the air vaporizing the material. Alternatively, the downstream air temperature sensor can be completely removed, and an algorithm can be used to predict the downstream air temperature as a function of heater temperature, flow rate, and / or time.

[0058] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the oven chamber and mouthpiece of the vaporizer do not need to be located at opposite ends of the vaporizer. For example, the mouthpiece may be adjacent to or nearly adjacent to the oven chamber. In such a configuration, one or more air paths through which steam passes from the oven chamber connected to the mouthpiece can be configured so that the steam can cool sufficiently before being supplied to the user through the mouthpiece. For example, a turbulent path for the airflow after the oven chamber can be provided to allow sufficient cooling. Such a turbulent path may include a zigzag path, a path with various bumps and / or protrusions, or other configurations or methods to allow relatively rapid heat exchange from the heated steam.

[0059] Figure 10 shows another modification of the heater element 1000, where the heater is a flat plate heater with a thin, meandering design made from, for example, a resistant metal alloy. This design can replace the heater 302 shown in Figures 3–4E. In this design, the flat heating element can be placed directly within the air path below the oven chamber. Instead of the air path passing through the tube and changing direction to exit the tube from the notched region, as described above with reference to Figures 5A and 5B, in Figure 10 the air path can be more direct. Air may enter the apparatus from below the meandering element 1000 of the heater and pass through the slot 1005 of the heater 1000 before entering the oven chamber. As shown in Figure 5A, a thermocouple may be installed between the heater and the oven chamber to measure and control the air temperature before contacting the vaporizable material or otherwise heating it. In some modifications, the heater (resistive heating element) may be a thin-film resistive heating element arranged in a coiled, bent, or otherwise 3D structure, having an appropriate number (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 5, etc.) of channels, slits, slots, etc., to allow air to flow over the resistive heater for rapid heating. In any of these modifications, the resistive heater 1000 may be held in an air path and coupled to an internal chamber of the apparatus by a small number of contacts 1010 to minimize heat transfer, or the heater 1000 may be connected by a heat-insulating and / or insulating coupling. In any of these modifications, the channels, slits, etc., or surface areas of the heater may have fractal, serrated, finned, or other features to further enhance heat transfer to the air.

[0060] Referring to Figure 11, process flowchart 1100 illustrates the features of the method, which may optionally include some or all of the following: In 1110, suction at the mouthpiece by the user of the vaporizer is detected (or alternatively, a button or other start indicator may be selected by the user). This detection may be via a pressure sensor in the airflow path of ambient air entering the vaporizer cavity. In 1120, energy is supplied to the vaporizer heater, thereby initiating a process that rapidly increases the heater to a high temperature or maximum operating temperature in order to rapidly heat the incoming ambient air. In 1130, the air temperature of the heated air from the heater is monitored. This monitoring may be by determining the temperature of the air leaving the heater via one or more thermocouple sensors between the vaporizer heater and the oven chamber. In 1140, the oven temperature of the vaporizer oven chamber is limited by changing the energy supplied to the heater. This may ensure that the heater does not exceed a predetermined threshold. At 1150, the heater temperature is adjusted to control the heater temperature in accordance with the change in the heater's resistance.

[0061] As described above, embodiments of the present invention include methods and apparatus for vaporizing a substance so that it can be inhaled by a user. Apparatuses described herein include vaporizers and systems comprising vaporizers. In particular, immediate thermal convection vaporizers (apparatuses) (devices and systems) that can be configured for user control and operation are described herein. The following description of exemplary embodiments is provided to illustrate various features that may be part of the present invention. These are not intended to limit the scope.

[0062] For example, an immediate handheld thermal convection vaporizer may include an elongated body having an outer shell, a mouthpiece on the elongated body, a sensor for detecting inhalation through the mouthpiece, an oven chamber located within the elongated body, the oven chamber having side walls surrounded by gaps, a thermal convection heater located within the elongated body, the thermal convection heater having a plurality of slots and / or openings configured to allow air to pass over the thermal convection heater and generate mixed turbulence as the air passes over and / or through the thermal convection heater, and a heater control circuit configured to heat the thermal convection heater to a temperature exceeding 500°C when it detects inhalation through the mouthpiece, and further the heater control circuit limits the heater to a maximum temperature, and further the air flowing from the heater into the oven chamber is heated to a target vaporization temperature.

[0063] The immediate handheld thermal convection vaporizer comprises an elongated body with an outer shell, a mouthpiece at the proximal end of the elongated body, a sensor for detecting suction through the mouthpiece, an oven chamber at the distal end of the elongated body, the oven chamber having more than 80% of its side walls surrounded by air gaps, and a thermal convection heater located within the elongated body, the thermal convection heater passing air over the thermal convection heater, creating a mixture of turbulent air as the air passes over and / or through the thermal convection heater. A thermal convection heater having a plurality of slots and / or openings, configured to perform the following: and a heater control circuit, the heater control circuit is configured to heat the thermal convection heater to a temperature exceeding 500°C when it detects suction through a mouthpiece, and further, the heater control circuit limits the heater to a maximum temperature, so that the air flowing from the heater into the oven chamber is heated to a target vaporization temperature exceeding 200°C within 4 seconds of detecting suction through the mouthpiece.

[0064] Any of these vaporizers can use a tubular convection heater, such as an elongated tube extending along its long axis, which has multiple notched regions along its entire length to generate turbulence in the air passing through it. For example, an immediate handheld thermal convection vaporizer is described herein, comprising: an elongated body having an outer shell; a mouthpiece at the proximal end of the elongated body; a sensor for detecting inhalation through the mouthpiece; an oven chamber at the distal end of the elongated body, wherein more than 80% of the side walls of the oven chamber are surrounded by air gaps; a thermal convection heater comprising an elongated tube extending along its long axis, the tube having multiple notched regions along its entire length to generate turbulence in the air passing through it; and a heater control circuit, which, upon detecting inhalation through the mouthpiece, is configured to heat the thermal convection heater to a temperature exceeding 500°C, further comprising an immediate handheld thermal convection vaporizer, wherein the heater control circuit limits the heater to a maximum temperature, so that the air flowing from the heater into the oven chamber is heated to a target vaporization temperature exceeding 200°C.

[0065] Any of the embodiments of the present invention may include or utilize a heater control circuit equipped with a four-terminal measuring circuit. For example, an immediate handheld thermal convection vaporizer may include an elongated body having an outer shell, a mouthpiece at the proximal end of the elongated body, a sensor for detecting inhalation through the mouthpiece, an oven chamber at the distal end of the elongated body, the oven chamber having side walls surrounded by gaps, a thermal convection heater having multiple slots and / or openings along its entire length to generate turbulence in the air passing through it, and a heater control circuit, the heater control circuit comprising a four-terminal measuring circuit having four lead wires coupled to the thermal convection heater, two of which are configured to detect a voltage drop across the region of the heating element, and further configured, when it detects inhalation from the mouthpiece, to heat the thermal convection heater to a temperature above 500°C and limit the heater to a maximum temperature, and the air flowing from the thermal convection heater into the oven chamber is heated to a target vaporization temperature.

[0066] Therefore, generally, if the device comprises a four-terminal measuring circuit with four lead wires coupled to a thermal convection heater, two of the lead wires are configured to detect the voltage drop across the region of the heating element, and these lead wires may be between the two outer lead wires. The two outer lead wires can supply power to the thermal convection heater. For example, the first and second lead wires of the four lead wires of the heater control circuit may be configured to supply power to heat the thermal convection heater. The two lead wires configured to detect the voltage drop can be spaced apart from the power supply lead wires so that the temperature rise due to the supplied high level of power does not affect the resistance / conductivity of the voltage sensing lead wires.

[0067] Any of the vaporizers according to the embodiments of the present invention may be equipped with a temperature sensor between the thermal convection heater and the inside of the oven chamber, the temperature sensor providing an air temperature input to the heater control circuit.

[0068] Generally, a heater control circuit can be configured to control the energy supplied to a convection heater based on the temperature of the convection heater and the temperature of the air between the convection heater and the oven chamber.

[0069] In any of these devices, the mouthpiece may be located at the proximal end of the elongated body, and the oven chamber may be located within the distal end of the elongated body.

[0070] The apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention may be configured to heat air immediately or nearly immediately to vaporize a substance in an oven chamber. For example, the air flowing from the heater into the oven chamber may be heated to a target vaporization temperature of over 200°C within 4 seconds (e.g., within 3 seconds, 2 seconds, 1 second, etc.) of detecting inhalation through the mouthpiece.

[0071] The side walls of the chamber (for example, the side walls perpendicular to the bottom of the oven chamber) may be surrounded by gaps such that at least 50% of them are surrounded by gaps (for example, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 95%).

[0072] A method for operating any of the devices described herein may include a method for vaporizing a substance. For example, a method for operating an immediate handheld thermal convection vaporizer may include features such as: detecting an inductance in the mouthpiece of the vaporizer; supplying energy to the conductive heater of the vaporizer; adjusting the energy supplied to the conductive heater based on a four-terminal measurement including a first pair of inputs corresponding to a first pair of lead wires connected to the conductive heater and a second pair of inputs corresponding to a second pair of lead wires connected to the conductive heater, wherein the second pair of lead wires is offset from the first pair of lead wires; and vaporizing a vaporizable substance in the oven chamber of the vaporizer.

[0073] The step of supplying energy to the conductive heater of the vaporizer may include raising the temperature above 200 degrees within about 1 second, and / or supplying energy from a first pair of lead wires. A second pair of lead wires may be placed between the first pair of lead wires.

[0074] Any of these methods may also include a step of determining the temperature of the conductive heater from a four-terminal measurement.

[0075] The step of adjusting the energy supplied to the conductive heater based on four-terminal measurements may include adjusting the frequency and / or duty cycle of the energy supplied to the conductive heater.

[0076] Any of these methods may also include the step of adjusting the energy supplied to the conductive heater based on the temperature of the air between the vaporizer's convection heater and the oven chamber, and / or the step of sensing the temperature of the air between the vaporizer's convection heater and the oven chamber.

[0077] Any of these methods may also include a step of limiting the energy supplied to the conductive heater so that the temperature of the conductive heater does not exceed a maximum threshold (e.g., 500°C, 550°C, 600°C, 650°C, 700°C, 750°C, etc.).

[0078] For example, a method for operating an immediate handheld thermal convection vaporizer may include: detecting suction at the vaporizer mouthpiece; supplying energy to the vaporizer's conductive heater from a first pair of lead wires to raise the temperature above 200 degrees within approximately one second; adjusting the energy supplied to the conductive heater based on a four-terminal measurement including a first pair of inputs corresponding to the first pair of lead wires and a second pair of inputs corresponding to a second pair of lead wires connected to the conductive heater, wherein the second pair of lead wires is positioned between the first pair of lead wires; adjusting the energy supplied to the conductive heater based on the temperature of the air between the vaporizer's thermal convection heater and the oven chamber; and vaporizing a vaporizable substance in the vaporizer's oven chamber.

[0079] In this specification, if a feature or element is described as being "on" another feature or element, it may be directly on the other feature or element, or there may be further intermediate features and / or elements. In contrast, if a feature or element is described as being "directly on" another feature or element, there are no intermediate features or elements. If a feature or element is described as being "connected," "attached," or "coupled" to another feature or element, it should be understood that it may be directly connected, attached, or coupled to the other feature or element, or there may be other intermediate features or elements. In contrast, if a feature or element is described as being "directly connected," "directly attached," or "directly coupled" to another feature or element, there are no intermediate features or elements.

[0080] Even if a feature or element is described or illustrated in one embodiment, that feature or element may be applicable to other embodiments. As those skilled in the art will understand, when referring to a structure or feature that is "adjacent" to another feature or element, it may have portions that overlap or lie beneath the adjacent feature.

[0081] The terms used herein are for the sole purpose of describing specific embodiments and implementations, and are not intended to be limiting. For example, as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises” and / or “comprising,” as used herein, identify the presence of the described features, steps, actions, elements, and / or components, but are not intended to exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, actions, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the terms “and / or” include any combination of one or more of the listed related items, and may be abbreviated as “ / .”

[0082] In the above description and claims, phrases such as “at least one of” or “one or more of” are followed by multiple elements or features accompanied by a conjunction. The term “and / or” is also placed between two or more elements or features. Unless implicitly or explicitly negated in the context in which they are used, such phrases are intended to mean any individual of the enumerated elements or features, or any combination of any of the enumerated elements or features with any of the other enumerated elements or features. For example, “at least one of A and B,” “one or more of A and B,” and “A and / or B” are intended to mean “A alone, B alone, or A and B together,” respectively. The same interpretation is intended for lists containing three or more items. For example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, and / or C” are intended to mean “A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A and B and C together,” respectively. The use of the term “based on” in the foregoing and in the claims is intended to mean “based at least in part on,” so as to allow for features or elements not described.

[0083] In this specification, terms indicating spatial relative relationships, such as “under,” “below,” “lower,” “over,” and “upper,” may be used to facilitate the description of the relationship between one element or feature and another element or feature(s) shown in the drawings. It will be understood that terms indicating spatial relative relationships are intended to include different orientations in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings of the device in use or operation. For example, an element described as “under” or “beneath” another element or feature will be positioned “over” the other element or feature when the device shown in the drawings is inverted. Thus, the exemplary term “under” may encompass both upward and downward orientations. The device may also be oriented in other orientations (rotated 90 degrees or to a different angle), and the descriptors indicating spatial relative relationships used herein will be interpreted accordingly. Similarly, unless otherwise specified, terms such as “upwardly,” “downwardly,” “vertical,” or “horizontal” are used herein solely for illustrative purposes.

[0084] In this specification, the terms “first” and “second” may be used to describe various features / elements (including steps), but unless the context indicates otherwise, these features / elements are not limited by these terms. These terms may be used to distinguish one feature / element from another. Thus, without deviation from the teachings presented herein, a first feature / element described below may be referred to as a second feature / element, and similarly, a second feature / element described below may be referred to as a first feature / element.

[0085] Where used herein and in the claims, including where used in examples, all numbers, unless expressly specified, can be construed as if they were stated, even if the term “about” or “approximately” is not explicitly placed before them. The term “about” or “approximately” can be used when describing size and / or location to indicate that the stated value and / or location falls within a reasonably expected range of values ​​and / or locations. For example, a number may have a value that is ±0.1% of the stated value (or range of values), ±1% of the stated value (or range of values), ±2% of the stated value (or range of values), ±5% of the stated value (or range of values), ±10% of the stated value (or range of values), and so on. Any number shown herein should also be understood to include its value approximately, unless the context otherwise means otherwise. For example, if the value “10” is disclosed, “about 10” is also disclosed. Any range of numbers enumerated herein is intended to include all subranges contained therein. As will be well understood by those skilled in the art, when a value is disclosed, it will also be understood that "less than or equal to," "greater than or equal to the value," and possible ranges between values ​​are also disclosed. For example, if a value "X" (for example, if X is a number) is disclosed, then "less than or equal to X" and "greater than or equal to X" are also disclosed. Throughout this application, data is provided in several different formats, and it should also be understood that this data represents endpoints and starting points, and that it also represents a range over any combination of data points. For example, if a specific data point "10" and a specific data point "15" are disclosed, it should be understood that not only the range between 10 and 15, but also the range greater than 10 and greater than 15, 10 or more and 15 or more, less than 10 and less than 15, 10 or less and 15 or less, and equal to 10 and equal to 15 are disclosed. It should also be understood that each unit between two specific units is also disclosed.For example, if 10 and 15 are disclosed, then 11, 12, 13, and 14 are also disclosed.

[0086] While various exemplary embodiments have been described above, any number of modifications can be made to various embodiments without departing from the teachings herein. For example, the order in which various described method steps are performed may often be changed in alternative embodiments, and in other alternative embodiments, one or more method steps may be skipped together. Optional features of various apparatus and system embodiments may be included in some embodiments and not in others. Therefore, the above description is provided primarily for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0087] One or more embodiments or features of the subject matter described herein can be realized in digital electronic circuits, integrated circuits, specially designed application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various embodiments or features may include implementations in one or more computer programs executable and / or interpretable on a programmable system, comprising at least one programmable processor, which may be for special or general purposes, at least one input device, and at least one output device, coupled to a storage system for sending and receiving data and instructions. The programmable system or computing system may include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally remote from each other and typically interact via a communication network. The client-server relationship arises thanks to computer programs running on each computer that have a client-server relationship with each other.

[0088] These computer programs, which may also be called programs, software, software applications, applications, components, or code, contain machine instructions for a programmable processor and can be implemented in high-level procedural languages, object-oriented programming languages, functional programming languages, logic programming languages, and / or assembly / machine language. As used herein, the term “machine-readable medium” means any computer program product, apparatus, and / or device used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including, for example, a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as machine-readable signals. The term “machine-readable signals” means any signals used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor. A machine-readable medium can store such machine instructions non-temporarily, for example, non-temporarily, solid-state memory or a magnetic hard drive or any uniform storage medium. Alternatively or additionally, a machine-readable medium can store such machine instructions temporarily, for example, a processor cache or other random-access memory associated with one or more physical processor cores.

[0089] To enable user interaction, one or more embodiments or features of the subject matter described herein can be implemented on a computer having, for example, a display device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), or light-emitting diode (LED) monitor for displaying information to the user, a keyboard, and a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball to which the user can provide input to the computer. User interaction can also be provided using other types of devices. For example, the feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback, and input from the user may be received in any form, including but not limited to acoustic, voice, or tactile input. Other possible input devices include, but are not limited to, touchscreens or other touch-sensitive devices such as single or multi-point resistors or capacitive trackpads, speech recognition hardware and software, optical scanners, optical pointers, digital image capture devices and associated interpretation software.

[0090] The examples and drawings included herein illustrate, not limitingly, specific embodiments in which the subject matter of the invention may be carried out. As stated above, other embodiments may be used and derived therefrom so that structural and logical substitutions and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Such embodiments of the subject matter of the invention may be referred to individually or collectively in this specification by the term “invention,” merely for convenience, and without the intention of spontaneously limiting the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept, if more than one is actually disclosed. Thus, while specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, any specific embodiments shown may be replaced by any configuration calculated to achieve the same objective. This disclosure is intended to encompass all possible adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the embodiments described above, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, should be apparent to those skilled in the art by considering the above description.

Claims

1. A vaporizer body with an outer housing, A heater located within the vaporizer body, the heater having at least one opening through which air passes and is heated, An oven chamber is configured to hold a vaporizable substance inside, such that the vaporizable substance is heated by the air heated by the heater, and at least partially vaporized in the heated air. A controller is coupled to the heater and configured to heat the heater to a certain temperature. A mouthpiece configured to deliver the heated air and vaporized substance, A vaporizer equipped with a vaporizer.

2. The vaporizer according to claim 1, further comprising an intake opening formed through a portion of the outer housing, wherein when a user inhales through the mouthpiece, the air enters the vaporizer body through the intake opening.

3. The vaporizer according to claim 2, further comprising a pressure sensor configured to detect the airflow of the air, wherein the pressure sensor is coupled to the controller and transmits a signal to the controller when it detects the airflow.

4. The vaporizer according to claim 3, wherein the signal causes the controller to heat the heater.

5. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a structural housing for a heater, the structural housing encloses at least a large portion of the heater and suspends the heater via one or more extensions between the inner wall of the structural housing and the heater.

6. The system further comprises a structural housing that accommodates the heater, the oven chamber, and the controller. At least one internal side channel is formed between the oven chamber and the mouthpiece, between the outer wall of the structural housing and the inner wall of the outer housing, and extends along its length. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one internal side channel forms at least one cooling path for the heated air and vaporized material to move to the mouthpiece.

7. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the heater comprises an elongated tube having notched regions at at least several points along its length.

8. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a side wall having a surface region of the oven chamber, wherein the majority of the surface region of the side wall of the oven chamber is surrounded by a void.

9. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a screen located at the bottom of the oven chamber, the screen having a plurality of perforations for allowing the heated air to pass through the oven chamber.

10. The vaporizer according to claim 9, wherein the screen is insulated from the oven, and the controller is further configured to determine the temperature of the screen from the resistance measured along the length of the screen.

11. The vaporizer according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the temperature of the screen from a voltage measured between the screen and the oven chamber.

12. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the air temperature of the heated air as a function of one or more of the heater temperature, flow rate, and time.

13. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising one or more thermocouple sensors located between the heater and the oven chamber, the one or more thermocouple sensors being configured to detect the air temperature of the heated air and to provide a temperature input to the controller.

14. The controller comprises a microcontroller coupled to a measurement circuit. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the measurement circuit measures the heater temperature of the heater.

15. The vaporizer according to claim 14, wherein the measurement circuit comprises a two-terminal measurement circuit.

16. The vaporizer according to claim 14, wherein the measurement circuit comprises a four-terminal measurement circuit.

17. The vaporizer according to claim 14, wherein the microcontroller is configured to control the energy supplied to the heater based on the heater temperature and the air temperature of the heated air between the heater and the oven chamber.

18. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the mouthpiece is located at a first end of the outer housing, and the oven chamber is located at a second end of the outer housing opposite to the first end.

19. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the mouthpiece and the oven chamber are adjacent to each other.

20. The heater is suspended within the vaporizer body, as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the heater and the at least one opening cause turbulence as the air passes over the heater.

22. The vaporizer according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein vaporizer operation is initiated when an airflow caused by the user using the mouthpiece is detected.

23. A vaporizer body comprising an outer housing and an internal structural housing housed within the outer housing and defining a cavity, An air inlet extending through a portion of the outer housing into the cavity of the internal structural housing, through which air enters the cavity; A heater suspended within the cavity of the internal structure housing, wherein the heater has one or more openings through which the air passes, and the heater and the plurality of openings generate turbulence in the air when the air passes over the heater for heating, An oven chamber is located within the cavity of the internal structure housing, and is configured to hold a vaporizable substance inside such that the vaporizable substance is heated by the air heated by the heater and vaporized into the heated air. A controller is coupled to the heater and configured to heat the heater to a predetermined temperature when an airflow to the heater is detected. A mouthpiece configured to deliver the heated air and vaporized substance, A vaporizer equipped with a vaporizer.

24. A step to detect inhalation at the mouthpiece of the vaporizer, The steps include supplying energy to the heater of the vaporizer, The steps include monitoring the air temperature of the heated air from the heater, The steps include: limiting the oven temperature of the vaporizer's oven chamber by changing the energy supplied to the heater; The steps include adjusting the heater temperature of the heater so as to control the heater temperature in accordance with the change in the resistance of the heater, Methods that include...

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the suction in the mouthpiece is detected from the detected pressure drop of the ambient air in the cavity of the vaporizer.

26. The method according to claim 24 or 25, wherein the temperature of the heated air is measured by one or more thermocouple sensors located between the heater and the oven chamber.

27. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the step of adjusting the heater temperature includes the steps of determining a target resistance setpoint of the heater and adjusting the heater temperature so as not to exceed a predetermined threshold.

28. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 27, further comprising the step of determining the heater temperature of the heater from a four-terminal measurement.

29. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 28, further comprising the step of adjusting the energy supplied to the heater in accordance with the four-terminal measurement by adjusting one or more of the frequency and duty cycle of the energy supplied to the heater.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the step of adjusting the energy supplied to the heater is performed according to the air temperature of the air between the heater of the vaporizer and the oven chamber.

31. A vaporizer body with an outer housing, A heater located within the vaporizer body, wherein the heater is configured to disturb the airflow within the heater's region and heat the airflow within the heater's region. An oven chamber is connected to the heater, and is configured to hold a vaporizable substance inside such that the vaporizable substance is heated by the air heated by the heater and vaporized into the heated air. A mouthpiece configured to deliver the heated air and vaporized substance, A vaporizer equipped with a vaporizer.

32. The vaporizer according to claim 31, further comprising channel regions for further distributing and cooling the flow of the heated air and vaporized substance as the heated air and vaporized substance move through the outer housing to the mouthpiece.

33. The vaporizer according to claim 31, further comprising a controller coupled to the heater and configured to heat the heater to a predetermined temperature.

34. The vaporizer according to claim 31, further comprising an intake opening formed through a portion of the outer housing, wherein when a user inhales through the mouthpiece, the air enters the vaporizer body through the intake opening.

35. The vaporizer according to claim 31, wherein the heater comprises an elongated tube including a notched region along its length.

36. The vaporizer according to claim 31, wherein the walls of the oven chamber are surrounded by air gaps.

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