US 10,117,465 B2Granted

Vaporization device systems and methods

AssigneeJUUL Labs, Inc.

InventorsJames Monsees, Adam Bowen, Steven Christensen, Joshua Morenstein, Christopher Nicholas HibmaCronan

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Abstract

Vaporizer devices and apparatuses are provided. In some implementations, a cartridge for use with a vaporization device comprises a wick, a resistive heating element in contact with the wick, a heater chamber configured to be disposed within a receptacle of the vaporization device, a plastic enclosure defining at least a portion of the heater chamber, and heater contacts comprising exposed contact tabs and fixation sites disposed proximate to opposite sides of the heater chamber, the heater contacts having surfaces defining at least a portion of the opposite sides, the exposed heater contact tabs positioned and configured to electrically couple with contacts within the receptacle. The resistive heating element is attached to and suspended between the fixation sites, the plastic enclosure is configured to receive the surfaces, and the heater chamber comprises at least a portion of the resistive heating element and at least a portion of the wick.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a cartridge having a non-cylindrical shape, the cartridge comprising:
a heater chamber having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;
a first heater contact comprising a first exposed heater contact tab and a first fixation site, the first fixation site disposed proximate to the first side, the first heater contact having a first surface defining at least a portion of the first side;
a second heater contact comprising a second exposed heater contact tab and a second fixation site, the second fixation site disposed proximate to the second side, the second heater contact having a second surface defining at least a portion of the second side;
a wick;
a resistive heating element in contact with the wick, the resistive heating element attached to the first fixation site and the second fixation site, the heater chamber comprising at least a portion of the resistive heating element and at least a portion of the wick, wherein the resistive heating element is suspended between the first fixation site and the second fixation site, and wherein the resistive heating element is configured to generate an aerosol from a vaporizable material within the heater chamber;
and
a plastic enclosure further defining the heater chamber, the plastic enclosure configured to receive the first surface and the second surface;
and
a device body having a non-cylindrical shape, the device body comprising:
a cartridge receptacle configured to insertably receive the cartridge, the heater chamber disposed within the cartridge receptacle when the cartridge is insertably received within the cartridge receptacle;
a first receptacle contact positioned to electrically couple with either of the first exposed heater contact tab or the second exposed heater contact tab when the cartridge is insertably received within the cartridge receptacle;
and
a second receptacle contact positioned to electrically couple with either of the first exposed heater contact tab or the second exposed heater contact tab when the cartridge is insertably received within the cartridge receptacle.

11 more elements

A cartridge for insertion into a receptacle of a vaporizer device body, the cartridge having a non-cylindrical shape, the cartridge comprising:

a heater chamber having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the heater chamber configured to be disposed within the receptacle when the cartridge is inserted into the receptacle;
a first heater contact comprising a first exposed heater contact tab and a first fixation site, the first fixation site disposed proximate to the first side, the first heater contact having a first surface defining at least a portion of the first side, the first exposed heater contact tab positioned and configured to electrically couple with either of a first receptacle contact within the receptacle or a second receptacle contact within the receptacle when the cartridge is inserted into the receptacle;
a second heater contact comprising a second exposed heater contact tab and a second fixation site, the second fixation site disposed proximate to the second side, the second heater contact having a second surface defining at least a portion of the second side, the second exposed heater contact tab positioned and configured to electrically couple with either of the first receptacle contact or the second receptacle contact when the cartridge is inserted into the receptacle;
a wick;
a resistive heating element in contact with the wick, the resistive heating element attached to the first fixation site and the second fixation site, the heater chamber comprising at least a portion of the resistive heating element and at least a portion of the wick, wherein the resistive heating element is suspended between the first fixation site and the second fixation site, and wherein the resistive heating element is configured to generate an aerosol from a vaporizable material within the heater chamber;
and
a plastic enclosure further defining the heater chamber, the plastic enclosure configured to receive the first surface and the second surface.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/813,096Filed 14 Nov 2017 · continuation
Priority: 23 Dec 2013
Published: US 2018/0064175 A18 Mar 2018
Granted: 6 Nov 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

A24F 40/40
Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially…:…
H05B 3/04
Details: waterproof or air-tight seals for heaters
A24F 40/42
Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts: cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
A24F 40/46
Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts: shape or structure of electric heating means

Family

Application61/920,225Us provisional application · filed 23 Dec 2013
Application61/936,593Us provisional application · filed 6 Feb 2014
Application61/937,755Us provisional application · filed 10 Feb 2014
Application14/581,666Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Dec 2014
Application62/294,281Us provisional application · filed 11 Feb 2016
Application15/053,927Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Feb 2016
Application15/379,898Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Dec 2016
US 9,549,573 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Jan 2017
US 2018/0064175 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Mar 2018
US 10,058,129 B2Parent of this continuation
Application15/379,898Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 10,058,124 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2015/0208729 A1Published application
US 2016/0174611 A1Published application
US 2017/0095005 A1Published application
US 10,117,465 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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