US20220338555A1

US20220338555A1 - Nail accessory for vaporization rig

Info

Publication number: US20220338555A1
Application number: US17/727,284
Authority: US
Inventors: Rodrigo Escorcio Santos
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-04-22
Filing date: 2022-04-22
Publication date: 2022-10-27

Abstract

The nail assembly presented herein includes a neck assembly that can be removably connected to one or more distal portions to form one or more annular structures. The one or more annular structures can support interchangeable heatable portions, each of which defines a nail receptacle configured to receive a vaporizable substance. The heatable portions are separate and distinct from the nail assembly and, thus, may be formed from a different material than the nail assembly. In one instance, the nail assembly is formed from titanium and the heatable portion is formed from quartz.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/178,057, filed Apr. 22, 2021, which is incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward an accessory for a vaporization device, and in particular, to a multi-piece nail accessory for a cold start vaporization rig.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In view of developments in technology and the law, vaporization devices have become quite popular. Often, to function, a vaporization device heats a consumable and/or inhalable product such as oils, concentrates, combustible plant substances to create a vapor for a user to inhale. Heating liquid or wax consumables has become particularly popular since liquids and waxes may be more concentrated and/or specialized as compared to plant substances and/or because a quantity of wax or liquid may last longer than a similar quantity of plant substance (which may further decrease the amount of materials that a vaporization user needs to carry).
Often, vaporization devices are pen-sized and/or pen-shaped and fit easily into a pocket included in a garment. However, there are disadvantages associated with pen-style devices related to volume and taste. This leads many users to use vaporization rigs instead of vaporizations pens, but vaporizations rigs are often made primarily of fragile materials, such as glass or quartz. Quartz, in particular, is widely preferred for portions of vaporization rigs that hold vaporizable substance (i.e., “nails” or “bangers”) due to its heat transfer properties (quartz is conductive, able to quickly transition between hot and cold) and porosity (e.g., quartz is non-porous and, thus, resists staining that can negatively impact flavor and/or cleanliness).
The fragility of quartz (or similar materials) may be particularly problematic for nails/bangers for cold start vaporization rigs, which often have long necks susceptible to breaking. Moreover, regardless of whether a nail has an extended neck, it may also be difficult for a user to safely transport multiple fragile nails, for example, if a user wants to use different nails (e.g., different shapes) for different uses and/or purposes. Still further, nails formed from quartz or like materials may be expensive to manufacture and the manufacturing/formation techniques for these materials can limit the shapes and/or configurations that are produced. Consequently, improved nail accessories for vaporization devices (e.g., cold start vaporization rigs) are desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment, the nail assembly presented herein includes a neck assembly that can be removably connected to one or more distal portions to form one or more annular structures. The one or more annular structures can support interchangeable heatable portions, each of which defines a nail receptacle configured to receive a vaporizable substance. The heatable portions are separate and distinct from the nail assembly and, thus, may be formed from a different material than the nail assembly. In one instance, the nail assembly is formed from titanium and the heatable portion is formed from quartz.
The neck assembly can include a neck that is fluidly coupled to an interior cavity defined by the one or more annular structures. Thus, if vapor is generated within the interior cavity, the vapor may flow through the neck towards a mouthpiece of a vaporization rig (e.g., by way of a main body of the vaporization rig). The neck assembly can also include a proximal portion, which may be fixedly coupled to the neck.
The nail assembly presented herein may be embodied as a stand-alone a nail, a vaporization rig, or a kit including the nail assembly and one or more interchangeable heatable portions or “cups.”

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example embodiment of the nail accessory presented herein installed on a vaporization device with which embodiments of the present invention are usable.

FIG. 2 illustrates a back perspective view of an example embodiment of the nail accessory of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate side and bottom views of the nail accessory of FIG. 1 while in a connected state.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate perspective views of the nail accessory of FIG. 1 while in a disconnected state.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the nail accessory of FIG. 1 with a first cup positioned therein, the nail accessory being disposed in a disconnected state.

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of the nail accessory of FIG. 1 with a second cup positioned therein, the nail accessory being disposed in a connected state.

Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements throughout this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Presented herein is an accessory for a vaporization rig, such a cold start vaporization rig. The accessory is often referred to as a nail or nail accessory and, for the purposes of this application “nail” and “nail accessory” are used interchangeably. The accessory may also be referred to as a “banger.” Generally, a nail is a component that can receive a vaporizable substance and position the vaporizable substance in a position to be heated (e.g., to create vapor). When heating of the vaporizable substance creates a vapor, the nail accessory may direct the vapor towards a mouthpiece (e.g., via a main body of a vaporization rig). For example, a torch may be positioned beneath a receptacle of the nail (referred to herein as the “nail receptacle”) to generate a flame that acts on the nail receptacle. Alternatively, one or more coils of an electric heating element can act on the nail receptacle to heat the nail receptacle and/or a substance disposed therein.
Advantageously, the nail accessory presented herein is constructed from multiple parts that allow the nail assembly to receive interchangeable cups that define a nail receptacle within the nail assembly. The multi-part construction also allows a majority of the nail to be constructed from strong, break-resistant materials, such as metals, which are typically not preferred for supporting vaporizable substances during heating, for example, due to porosity and/or heat transfer issues that degrade taste and/or cleanliness. Specifically, among other issues, metal nail receptacles can experience oxidization, discoloration, corrosion, flaking and/or pitting that could tarnish vapor. Additionally, metal nail receptacles often need to be carefully prepared for use (i.e., “seasoned”) and continuously maintained with labor-intensive cleaning techniques (e.g., torching, water-dipping, etc.), which may be particularly difficult with a porous metal.
By comparison, quartz is a non-porous conductor that can quickly transition between hot and cold and, thus, may provide nail receptacles that provide better flavor and cleanliness, among other advantages, as compared to metal nail receptacles (as another comparison, glass is an insulator and, thus, may be preferred for rig portions that a user will touch). However, quartz and other like materials are fragile and can easily break when subjected to force (e.g., if dropped, bumped, knocked over, etc.). Thus, nails formed from quartz (or other like materials), especially nails with long/narrow “necks” or other elongate tubular structures, may be particular fragile. Additionally, quartz shaping/formation techniques (as well as shaping/formation techniques for other like materials) may limit the number of shapes, sizes, formations, etc. in which nails can be provided. Alternatively, nails with unique shapes, sizes, structures, etc., may be prohibitively expensive since unique shapes, shapes, etc. usually cannot be mass produced and usually must be produced as hand-made custom productions.
Now turning to FIG. 1, this Figure illustrates a vaporization device 10 with which the nail accessory presented herein may be used. The vaporization device 10 includes a support structure 100, a vaporization rig 200 (which includes a nail 350), and a heating element 300. The depicted heating element 300 is a torch that consumes a fuel and generates a flame (e.g., a butane torch). However, this is merely an example and the heating element 300 could also be an electric heating element. In fact, while the embodiments shown in the Figures are often described herein in connection with a “torch” and/or “flame;” it is to be understood that any such description is used as an example and should be applicable to embodiments including an electrical heating element in place of a torch.
That said, in the depicted embodiment, the vaporization rig 200 includes a main body 202, a removable nail 350, and a mouthpiece 206. The main body 202 may include a chamber that can (but does not necessarily need to) receive water (or some other liquid substance) and may define one or more pathways that allow vapor to flow from the nail 350 to the mouthpiece 206 (i.e., so that the mouthpiece 206 is in fluid communication with nail 350). The chamber and pathways may be provided in any manner now known or developed hereafter. Moreover, in the depicted embodiment, the support structure 100 includes a first receptacle 170 to support the torch 300 and a second receptacle 150 to support the vaporization rig 200. These two receptacles align a torch head of the torch 300 (i.e., a heat generating portion of torch 300) with a heatable portion of the nail 350 of the vaporization rig 200. However, vaporization device 10 is only one example of a vaporization device with which the nail accessory presented herein may be utilized.
In fact, and now turning to FIGS. 2-8, but with continued reference to FIG. 1, the nail accessory presented herein may be provided as a stand-alone component or as part of a vaporization rig (e.g., rig 200). That is, the nail 350 may be removably attachable or fixedly coupled to other components of a vaporization rig, such as main body 202 of rig 200. Put still another way, the nail accessory presented herein may be integrated into a vaporization rig, such as rig 200 (e.g., formed integrally therewith) or may be removably attachable to a component of a vaporization rig, such as to main body 202 of rig 200. Regardless, nail 350 includes at least one piece that is removably attachable to the remainder of the nail 350 so that the nail 350 can removably support a variety of interchangeable heatable portions (e.g., “cups”) therein.
More specifically, and now focusing on FIG. 2, the nail accessory 350 presented herein includes a neck 352 and a multi-part retainer 358. In the depicted embodiment, the multi-part retainer 358 is formed from two parts: a proximal portion 360 and a distal portion 370. Collectively, the proximal portion 360 and the distal portion 370 form an upper annular structure 380 and a lower annular structure 390. The upper annular structure 380 extends from an outer surface 386 to an inner surface 382, and the inner surface 382 at least partially defines an interior cavity IC. Additionally, the upper annular structure 380 includes an opening 384 that extends through the inner surface 382 and the outer surface 386 to fluidly couple the interior cavity to an interior channel 354 (see FIG. 4) of the neck 352. Thus, if a vapor is generated in the interior cavity IC, the vapor can flow through the opening 384 into the neck 352 (via interior channel 354).
In the depicted embodiment, the neck 352 is generally L-shaped, with a soft curve (as opposed to a hard corner). Importantly, due to the overall structure of the nail 350, the neck 352 of the nail 350 presented herein may be manufactured from a strong, impact-resistant material, such as a metal or metal alloy, like titanium or a titanium alloy, and, thus, need not be designed to minimize joints or fragility. Instead, the neck 352 may have any desirable shape, including irregular, ornamental shapes, like helical shapes, spirals, etc. That is, although the depicted neck is generally L-shaped with a soft curve, in other embodiments, the neck 352 may be curved without any straight segments, can be straight, or may be or include any desirable shape.
Regardless of its shape, the neck 352 may include a mount at its distal end (the end opposite the multi-part retainer 358) to allow the neck 352 to be removably installed in/on a vaporization rig (e.g., on the main body 202 of rig 200). Alternatively, the distal end may be permanently coupled to a vaporization rig. Either way, when the neck 352 is coupled to a vaporization rig, the neck 352 operably connects the multi-part retainer 358 to the vaporization rig, insofar as the term “operably connect” is used to describe a sealed connection that allows vapor to flow between components.
Still referring to FIG. 2, but now in combination with FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower annular structure 390 also extends from an inner surface 392 to an outer surface 396. However, a lip 394 extends radially inwards from a bottom of the inner surface 392 to define a retaining cavity RC with a smaller diameter than the inner cavity IC. That is, the lip 394 defines a shoulder at a bottom end of the multi-part retainer 358. Consequently, a heatable portion or “cup” (examples of which are described in detail below) can be installed in the multi-part retainer 358 with a shoulder of the cup sitting or resting against the inwardly extending lip 394. Additionally or alternatively, a bottom edge 388 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the upper annular structure 380 may be contoured to secure a top of a cup within the interior cavity IC. As is described in further detail below, a contoured bottom edge 388 or another similar engagement feature allows the multi-part retainer 358 to engage the top and bottom of a heatable portion or “cup” installed in the interior cavity IC.
In the depicted embodiment, the retaining cavity RC is open so that a portion of the cup can extend through the retaining cavity RC, below the lower annular structure 390. In some embodiments, the lip 394 could extend completely across the bottom of the lower annular structure 390, connecting and closing or partially closing a bottom of the lower annular structure 390. But, partial closure (i.e., not full closure) may be preferred to ensure that a heatable portion (i.e., “cup”) installed in the multi-part retainer 358 can be accessed and heated directly.
Still referring to FIGS. 2-4, in the depicted embodiment, the upper annular structure 380 and the lower annular structure 390 are each substantially circular and are connected by two elongate supports: a first elongate support 366 included in the proximal portion 360; and a second elongate support 376 included in the distal portion 370. Since supports 366 and 376 are relatively narrow, a gap is disposed between the upper annular structure 380 and the lower annular structure 390 and structures 380 and 390 appear relatively well-defined (i.e., appear to be separate rings). However, the depicted embodiment is merely one example embodiment and, in other embodiments, the multi-part retainer 358 may define a single annular structure or may define multiple annular structures (e.g., two or more) of any shape or size, alike or different, connected by any number of supports of any shape or size.
As two examples, the multi-part retainer 358 could define a single ovular structure (i.e., a solid oval) or three irregularly shaped annuli (e.g., ovals bent around an axis) connected by a plurality of elongate structures (e.g., two or more). Moreover, in other embodiments, the multi-part retainer 358 need not include two portions and may include any number of portions. That is, the multi-part retainer 358 may be formed from a plurality of portions that collectively define one or more annular structure, provided that at least one portion of the plurality of portions is at least partially removable/detachable from other portions to allow a cup to be removably secured with the multi-part retainer 358.
Now turning to FIGS. 5 and 6, these Figures illustrate perspective views of the nail accessory 350 while in a disconnected state, clearly illustrating two features: (1) a top engagement feature for a heatable portion or “cup;” and (2) removable coupling between portions of the multi-part retainer 358. First, in FIGS. 5 and 6, the bottom edge 388 of the upper annular structure 380 is shown. As can be seen, the bottom edge 388 is contoured to define an upper shoulder or retaining element. For example, an inner portion of the bottom edge 388 can be chamfered to provide a soft edge (as opposed to a hard corner) that can engage a top edge of a cup installed in the interior cavity IC. More specifically, with the depicted embodiment, a cup can be installed in the interior cavity by securing a portion of the cup between inward lip 394 and the bottom edge 388, with a bottom shoulder of the cup pressed against lip 394 and a top edge of the cup pressed against bottom edge 388.
Since the contour is disposed at the bottom edge 388, the entire cup will be positioned below (i.e., longitudinally lower) the opening 384 and vapor emanating from the cup can flow into the opening 384 (e.g., when suction from a user inhaling at a mouthpiece fluidly coupled to the opening 384 draws vapor into opening 384). However, in other embodiments, the bottom edge 388 need not be contoured and the multi-part retainer 358 may include any other feature to secure a top of a cup within the interior cavity IC, such as an inwardly extending lip, shoulder, rib, etc. In fact, in some embodiments, the multi-part retainer 358 may be configured to position a cup over the opening 384 and the cup can include an opening (not shown) that is alignable with the opening 384. In these embodiments, as well as other embodiments, the multi-part retainer 358 might also include mechanical features that key (i.e., angularly align) a cup within the multi-part retainer 358 in a particular angular orientation (to align a cup opening with opening 384).
Still further, in the depicted embodiment, the interior cavity IC is disposed substantially between a bottom of upper annular structure 380 and a bottom of lower annular structure 390 (with lip 394 and bottom edge 388 defining boundaries of the interior cavity IC). However, in other embodiments, the interior cavity IC may span different longitudinal portions of the multi-part retainer 358. For example, the interior cavity IC may span only a portion of or the entirety of the lower annular structure 390 and/or a larger portion (or the entirety) of the upper annular structure 380. As another example, in embodiments with a single annular structure, the interior cavity IC may span any portion (or all of) of the single annular structure. To be clear, neither an entire cup nor a portion of a cup needs to be completely disposed within an interior cavity IC defined by the multi-part retainer 358. Instead, the interior cavity IC is an area of the cup in which a cup may be secured within the multi-part retainer 358 via one, two, or more than two engagement points, such as inward lip 394 and bottom edge 388.
Still referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the second feature illustrated by these Figures is the removable coupling between the proximal portion 360 and the distal portion 370. As is shown in FIG. 5, the proximal portion 360 of the depicted embodiment includes distal faces 362 with mating elements 364. Meanwhile, as is shown in FIG. 6, the distal portion 370 of the depicted embodiment includes proximal faces 372 and mating elements 374 configured to mate with the distal faces 362 and mating elements 364, respectively. Mating the faces 362 and 372 via mating elements 364 and 374 forms the upper annular structure 380 and the lower annular structure 390. The mating elements 364 and mating elements 374 can be any combination of features now known or developed hereafter that form a removable coupling, such as magnets, snaps, bosses and protrusions (e.g., that form a friction fit), and/or detent features.
Additionally, in the depicted embodiment, mating elements 364 and 374 are entirely disposed on faces 362 and 372, but the mating elements could be disposed on other surfaces of the multi-part retainer 358, either in addition to or as alternative to mating features disposed on faces 362 and 372. For example, the mating elements 364 might comprise protrusions that can friction fit into holes of mating elements 374 and the multi-part retainer 358 might also include latches or other releasable, mechanical fasteners on a surface of the multi-part retainer 358. This example embodiment, or any other embodiment, could also include mating elements embedded within the multi-part retainer 358, such as embedded magnets.
Regardless of how the portions of the multi-part retainer 358 are removably connectable (i.e., regardless of the elements used to form mating elements 364 and 374), the removable connection ensures that the multi-part retainer 358 includes one or more removable portions. In the depicted embodiment, only the distal portion 370 is removable from the nail 350. That is, the neck 352 and the proximal portion 360 are integrally formed as a single piece and the distal portion 370 is removably coupleable to the neck 352 and proximal portion 360. Thus, for simplicity, the neck 352 and proximal portion 360 may be referred to collectively as the “neck assembly.” However, again, the depicted embodiment is only one example and other embodiments may have more than one removable component. For example, the distal portion 370 could be formed from two subportions that are removably coupleable to each other and each subportion could include one face/feature that is removably coupleable to the neck assembly. Put simply, at a high-level, the nail 350 presented herein includes a neck assembly (i.e., neck 352 and proximal portion 360) that can be connected to one or more portions to form one or more annular structures.
Still referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, in the depicted embodiment, the upper annular structure 380 includes five identical pairs of mating elements 364 and 374 (three pairs of protrusions and holes on one side and two pairs of protrusions and holes on the other) and the lower annular structure 390 includes two identical pairs of mating elements 364 and 374 (one paired protrusion and hole on each side). However, in other embodiments, the upper annular structure 380 and lower annular structure 390 may include any arrangement of paired mating elements 364 and 374. For example, only upper annular structure 380 or only lower annular structure 390 may include mating elements 364 and 374 (which need not be paired). As another example, the upper annular structure 380 and lower annular structure 390 may have an equal number of paired mating elements 364 and 374 (or unpaired mating elements). Still further, in some embodiments, some mating elements may create a removably coupling while others provide stability for this coupling (e.g., one detent lock and a plurality of posts that can slide into paired holes).
Now turning to FIGS. 7 and 8, since the distal portion 370 is removably coupleable to the neck assembly, the distal portion 370 can be removed and a heatable portion can be installed therein. This allows interchangeable heatable portions or “cups” to be used with the nail 350 and, thus, allows the nail 350 to be easily reconfigured for different uses, purposes, or desires. For example, a user might dedicate specific heatable portions (i.e., cups) to specific vaporizable compositions (i.e., specific chemistries) and may switch out cups to prevent cross-contamination. This may improve taste, accuracy of medical treatments, and/or cleanliness. In FIG. 7, the nail 350 is shown with a first heatable portion 410 and the distal portion 370 disconnected (i.e., in a “disconnected state”). In FIG. 8, the nail 350 is shown with a second heatable portion 420 and the distal portion 370 fully connected to the proximal portion 360 (i.e., in a “connected state” where the distal portion 370 is fully connected to the neck assembly). Heatable portions 410 and 420 are each described in turn below.
First, the first heatable portion 410 includes an upper section 412 and a lower section 416. The upper section 412 defines a nail receptacle 418 within which a vaporizable substance may be positioned and heated. Additionally, the upper section 412 is configured to sit within the interior cavity IC of the multi-part retainer 358 and engage the upper annular structure 380 and the lower annular structure 390 to secure the first heatable portion 410 within the multi-part retainer 358. Specifically, the upper section 412 includes an annular wall 4122 that defines an open-top cavity that serves as the nail receptacle 418 and extends to a bottom wall 414 from which the section 416 extends. However, the lower section 416 has a reduced diameter as compared to the annular wall 4122 so that the bottom wall 414 extends radially between the annular wall 4122 and the lower section 416 and defines a shoulder that can engage the inward lip 394 of the lower annular structure 390. Meanwhile, a top edge of the annular wall 4122 extends to the bottom edge 388 of the upper annular structure 380.
Thus, when the distal portion 370 is removably coupled to the proximal portion 360, the removable coupling between the proximal portion 360 and distal portion 370 prevents the first heatable portion 410 from moving laterally with respect to the nail 350 (i.e., in the x- or z-direction). Meanwhile, the engagement features of the upper annular structure 380 and the lower annular structure 390 (the inward lip 394 and the bottom edge 388) prevent the first heatable portion 410 from moving longitudinally with respect to the nail 350 (i.e., in the y-direction). That is, securing the first heatable portion 410 within the multi-part retainer 358 restricts movement of the first heatable portion 410 in all but one degree of freedom (rotation about its central axis) with respect to the neck assembly (i.e., neck 352 and proximal portion 360). However, in some embodiments, securing the first heatable portion 410 in the multi-part retainer 358 may also restrict rotational movement (e.g., with a keying feature and/or with tight clamping of the portions 360 and 370 against heatable portion 410) and may restrict movement of the first heatable portion 410 in all degrees of freedom with respect to the neck assembly.
Still referring to FIG. 7, the lower section 416 of the first heatable portion 410 includes a rounded bottom 4164. In the depicted embodiment, the rounded bottom also defines the nail receptacle 418 and, thus, vaporizable substances may be disposed within the rounded bottom 4164. The rounding may maximize the surface area of the nail receptacle 418 that is exposed to heat, for example, when a torch flame is focused on a bottom of the first heatable portion 410.
Now turning to FIG. 8, the second heatable portion 420 also has an upper section 422 and a lower section 426. The upper section 422 is substantially similar to the upper section 412 of the first heatable portion 410 and, thus, for brevity, any description of upper section 412 included above should be understood to apply to like parts of upper section 422. For example, the upper section 422 includes an annular wall 4222 that is equivalent to annular wall 4122 and also includes a bottom wall 424 that is equivalent to bottom wall 414. Thus, the descriptions of annular wall 4122 and bottom wall 414 included above apply to these parts of FIG. 8 (e.g., these parts can be secured within the multi-part retainer 358).
The main difference between the first heatable portion 410 and the second heatable portion 420 is the lower section 426. The lower section is designed with a “terp slurper” design that includes a stem 4264 and a tray 4266. The tray 4266 defines a relatively unbounded nail receptacle 428 that can hold a vaporizable substance (e.g., liquid or wax) and the stem 4264 includes at least one opening to allow vapor emanating from the nail receptacle 428 to flow through the tray into a cavity 430 defined by the annular wall 4222 of the upper section 422. The cavity 430 (which may also be referred to as an upper nail receptacle 430) and the stem 4264 are each sized to receive one or more “marbles” (i.e., carb balls of different sizes) that can control a flow of vapor through the second heatable portion 420, for example, to create a natural spiral of air to vaporize a vaporizable substance.
Now referring generally to FIGS. 7 and 8, as mentioned, nails for vaporization rigs, especially cold start vaporization rigs, are often manufactured from quartz. However, with the nail 350 presented herein, the nail 350 can be manufactured from impact-resistant materials, such as metal or metal alloys, including titanium and titanium alloys, because the nail holds a heatable portion instead of defining a heatable portion. That is, the nail is not a single-piece with a nail receptacle defined therein, the nail presented herein is a multi-piece nail assembly that removably secures a heatable portion therein. Consequently, the nail will not be in direct contact with a vaporizable substance and can made of metal and/or other strong, impact-resistance materials. Thus, the nail will be much stronger and extremely unlikely to fracture, crack, shatter, or otherwise break. Since nails often include a relatively long and narrow neck, nails are often quite delicate (i.e., prone to breaking) and difficult to transport safely. Thus, the nail accessory presented herein solves a long encountered problem.
The heatable portion, which will be in direct contact with a vaporizable substance, such as a wax or liquid concentrate, can still be made of quartz or another such material to ensure that heat is conducted to the material without transferring toxins or tarnishing the taste of vapor created by heating the vaporizable substance. However, the quartz (or other such material) only forms a relatively small portion of the nail and, thus, may be easier to pack and transfer safely and securely. Thus, an end user can easily package and transport multiple quartz cups while only carrying a single less breakable (or non-breakable) nail assembly, without worrying about breaking the necks of multiple nails during travel/transport.
In one preferred embodiment, the nail is formed from titanium and the heatable portion is formed from quartz, which may be advantageous for performance and for manufacturing. First, manufacturing the nail form metal, such as titanium, instead of quartz and glass may allow for more precise manufacturing (e.g., precisely dimensioned necks) that reduces the occurrence of manufacturing defects. Additionally or alternatively, manufacturing the nail form metal, such as titanium, may allow mass production of unique shapes in an inexpensive manner, at least as compared to mass production of quartz.
However, this example should not be construed as limiting and the multi-part nail assembly presented herein could be formed from any materials and receive cups/heatable portions formed from any materials. As non-limiting examples, the multi-part nail assembly presented herein could receive and support (and potentially secure) cups/heatable portions with formed from ceramic, amber, sapphire, titanium, and/or titanium alloys. Likewise, if desired, the nail assembly itself could be formed from any of these materials or any other suitable materials. Moreover, to be clear, the heatable portions depicted in the Figures are merely examples and the multi-part nail assembly presented herein could also receive cups with flat bottoms, irregular bottoms, hybrid bottoms (e.g., one shape on the exterior and another on the inside), etc.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since it will be apparent that various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the scope the inventions and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. In addition, various features from one of the embodiments may be incorporated into another of the embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.
Additionally, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. For example, it is to be understood that terms such as “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “height,” “length,” “width,” “upper,” “lower,” “interior,” “exterior,” “inner,” “outer” and the like as may be used herein, merely describe points of reference and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or configuration. Further, the term “exemplary” is used herein to describe an example or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as exemplary is not to be construed as a preferred or advantageous embodiment, but rather as one example or illustration of a possible embodiment of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A nail assembly for a vaporization device comprising:

an interchangeable heatable component including a receptacle configured to hold a vaporizable substance that vaporizes into a vapor when heated; and

a retainer configured to retain the interchangeable heatable component.

2. The nail assembly of claim 1, wherein the retainer comprises a first part removably connectable to a second part, wherein the interchangeable heatable component is removable when the first part is disconnected from the second part.

3. The nail assembly of claim 2, wherein the first part and the second part connect via at least one mating element comprising at least one magnet, snap, boss, protrusion, detent, latch, releasable fastener, or mechanical fastener.

4. The nail assembly of claim 1, wherein the retainer comprises at least one of an inwardly extending lip, shoulder, or rib configured to secure the interchangeable heatable component to the retainer.

5. The nail assembly of claim 1, wherein the retainer comprises an upper annular structure and a lower annular structure connected by at least one elongate support.

6. The nail assembly of claim 5, wherein a bottom edge of the upper annular structure includes a contoured edge configured to contact a top edge of the interchangeable heatable component.

7. The nail assembly of claim 5, wherein a bottom portion of the lower annular structure includes a radially inward protruding lip configured to contact a bottom surface of the interchangeable heatable component.

8. The nail assembly of claim 1, wherein the nail assembly further comprises a hollow neck portion integrally formed with at least a portion of the retainer and configured to transport the vapor towards a mouthpiece of a vaporization rig to which the nail assembly is operable coupled.

9. The nail assembly of claim 1, wherein the retainer comprises an impact-resistant material.

10. The nail assembly of claim 9, wherein the impact-resistant material is a metal or a metal alloy.

11. A multi-part retainer of a vaporization device, the multi-part retainer being configured to retain an interchangeable heatable component and comprising:

a first part; and

a second part removably attachable to the first part, wherein, when the first part is disconnected from the second part, the interchangeable heatable component may be inserted into or removed from the multi-part retainer.

12. The multi-part retainer of a vaporization device of claim 11, wherein the first part and the second part connect via at least one mating element comprising at least one magnet, snap, boss, protrusion, detent, latch, releasable fastener, or mechanical fastener.

13. The multi-part retainer of a vaporization device of claim 11 further comprising at least one of an inwardly extending lip, shoulder, or rib configured to secure the interchangeable heatable component to the multi-part retainer.

14. The multi-part retainer of a vaporization device of claim 11, wherein, when the first part and the second part are connected, the multi-part retainer further comprises an upper annular structure and a lower annular structure connected by at least one elongate support.

15. The multi-part retainer of a vaporization device of claim 14, wherein a bottom edge of the upper annular structure includes a contoured edge configured to contact a top edge of the interchangeable heatable component.

16. The multi-part retainer of a vaporization device of claim 14, wherein a bottom portion of the lower annular structure includes a radially inward protruding lip configured to contact a bottom surface of the interchangeable heatable component.

17. The multi-part retainer of a vaporization device of claim 11, wherein the retainer comprises an impact-resistant material.

18. The multi-part retainer of a vaporization device of claim 17, wherein the impact-resistant material is a metal or a metal alloy.

19. A vaporization device comprising:

a main body configured to receive a liquid substance;

a nail assembly comprising:

an interchangeable heatable component including a receptacle configured to hold a vaporizable substance that vaporizes into a vapor when heated, and

a retainer configured to retain the interchangeable heatable component; and

a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the nail assembly via one or more passageways formed in the main body.

20. The vaporization device of claim 19, wherein the retainer comprises a first part removably connectable to a second part, wherein the interchangeable heatable component is removable when the first part is disconnected from the second part.