US 11,452,177 B2Granted

Vaporization device systems and methods

AssigneeJUUL Labs, Inc.

InventorsAriel Atkins, Adam Bowen, Steven Christensen, Nicholas Jay Hatton, Christopher Nicholas Hibma Cronan, James Monsees, Joshua Morenstein

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Abstract

Provided herein are systems and methods to generate an inhalable vapor in an electronic vaporization device. The vaporization device may generate a vapor with one or more defined characteristics. In some cases, the vapor may have a predetermined aerosol number density and/or a predetermined average aerosol diameter. The vaporization device may generate a vapor from a vaporizable material. In some cases, the vaporizable material may be a liquid material housed in a cartridge. The vaporization device may comprise a rechargeable power storage device.

Claims37

Dependent claims

A device for generating an inhalable aerosol, the device comprising:

a cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end, the cartridge comprising:
a heater comprising a heating element configured to heat a vaporizable material to a vaporization temperature to generate a vapor;
a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact at the distal end, the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact electrically isolated and disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the distal end of the cartridge;
and
a mouthpiece disposed at the proximal end and comprising a condensation chamber in which at least a fraction of the vapor condenses to form the inhalable aerosol, the condensation chamber in fluid communication with the heater, the mouthpiece further comprising at least one aerosol outlet in fluid communication with the condensation chamber;
a body comprising a power source, the body including a receptacle configured to insertably receive and couple to the cartridge, the heating element positioned in the receptacle when the cartridge is insertably received in the receptacle;
a first air inlet in fluid communication with a first airflow path configured to deliver air towards the heater;
and
a second air inlet in fluid communication with a second airflow path configured to deliver air towards the heater.

6 more elements

A device for generating an inhalable aerosol comprising:

a cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end, the cartridge comprising:
a heater comprising a heating element configured to heat a vaporizable material to a vaporization temperature to generate a vapor;
a mouthpiece comprising a condensation chamber in which at least a fraction of the vapor condenses to form the inhalable aerosol, the condensation chamber in fluid communication with the heater, the mouthpiece further comprising at least one aerosol outlet in fluid communication with the condensation chamber, the mouthpiece forming a cavity, the mouthpiece comprising a first coupling feature and a second coupling feature;
and
a storage compartment configured to hold the vaporizable material, the mouthpiece attached over a first portion of the storage compartment by a snap-fit coupling, the first portion of the storage compartment disposed inside of the cavity of the mouthpiece and a second portion of the storage compartment disposed outside of the cavity, at least part of the second portion configured for insertion into a receptacle, the storage compartment comprising opposing exterior surfaces between the proximal end and the distal end of the cartridge, the storage compartment comprising a third coupling feature and a fourth coupling feature on the opposing exterior surfaces, the third coupling feature configured to couple with one of the first coupling feature and the second coupling feature, and the fourth coupling feature configured to couple with the other of the first coupling feature and the second coupling feature;
a body comprising a power source, the body including the receptacle configured to insertably receive and couple to the cartridge, the heating element positioned in the receptacle when the cartridge is insertably received in the receptacle;
a first air inlet in fluid communication with a first airflow path configured to deliver air towards the heater;
and
a second air inlet in fluid communication with a second airflow path configured to deliver air towards the heater.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/114,204Filed 27 Aug 2018 · continuation
Priority: 6 Feb 2014
Published: US 2019/0008212 A110 Jan 2019
Granted: 20 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification24 codes

H05B 1/0227
Automatic switching arrangements specially adapted to apparatus ; Control of heating devices: applications
A24F 40/00
Electrically operated smoking devices
A24F 40/485
Fluid transfer means, e.g. pumps: valves; Apertures
A61M 15/06
Inhalators: inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes

Family

Application61/936,593Us provisional application · filed 6 Feb 2014
Application61/937,755Us provisional application · filed 10 Feb 2014
Application14/581,666Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Dec 2014
US 2019/0008212 A1Pre-grant publication · published 10 Jan 2019
US 10,058,124 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2015/0208729 A1Published application
US 11,452,177 B2This patent

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

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