US20240423290A1

US20240423290A1 - Windowless window system for electronic cigarettes and/or handheld vaporizer devices

Info

Publication number: US20240423290A1
Application number: US18/487,192
Authority: US
Inventors: Allen David Hoffmann; Erik Stewart; Michael Pugliese
Original assignee: Airo Brands Inc
Current assignee: Airo Brands Inc
Priority date: 2023-06-20
Filing date: 2023-10-16
Publication date: 2024-12-26
Also published as: WO2024263395A1

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing vapor is presented. The apparatus includes an atomizer configured to atomize fluid, a monolithic body including a leading end portion and a trailing end portion in fluid communication with the atomizer, and a mouth cap in fluid communication with the leading end portion of the body. The body includes at least a portion of a translucent or transparent material.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/509,164, filed on Jun. 20, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of vaping apparatus, and more particularly, to windowless vaping apparatus.

BACKGROUND

Known vaping apparatus windows often have problems, such as making the device prone to leaks and disturbing the surface finish of the vaping device. In addition, known opaque vaping devices without windows do not allow the user to view the amount of oil left in the apparatus to determine when it is time for a refill. These issues can ruin the vaping experience.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for dispensing vapor. The apparatus includes an atomizer configured to atomize fluid, a monolithic body including a leading end portion and a trailing end portion in fluid communication with the atomizer, and a mouth cap in fluid communication with the leading end portion of the body. The body includes at least a portion of a translucent or transparent material.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus may further include a light source configured to provide backlight for the fluid.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus may further include a power terminal configured to supply energy to the atomizer, wherein the power terminal is configured to mate with a trailing end portion of the body.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the body may further include an outlet port configured to enable release of fluid from the body.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the body may further include an inlet port configured to enable an ingress of fluid into the body.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the material of the body may fade from a translucent or transparent material to an opaque material at a predetermined location.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the material of the body may include glass, polycarbonate, polyamide, and/or engineered thermoplastics.
An aspect of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for dispensing vapor. The apparatus includes an atomizer configured to atomize fluid, a monolithic body including a leading end portion and a trailing end portion in fluid communication with the atomizer, and a mouth cap in fluid communication with the leading end portion of the body. The body is entirely comprised of at least one of a translucent or a transparent material.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus may further include a light source configured to provide backlight for the fluid.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus may further include a power terminal configured to supply energy to the atomizer, wherein the power terminal is configured to mate with a trailing end portion of the body.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the body may further include an outlet port configured to enable release of fluid from the body.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the body may further include an inlet port configured to enable an ingress of fluid into the body.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the material of the body may include glass, polycarbonate, polyamide, and/or engineered thermoplastics.
An aspect of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for dispensing vapor. The apparatus includes an atomizer configured to atomize fluid, a body including a leading end portion and a trailing end portion in fluid communication with the atomizer, and a mouth cap in fluid communication with the leading end portion of the body. The body is comprised of at least a portion of a translucent or a transparent material without seams or joints.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus may further include a light source configured to provide backlight for the fluid.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus may further include a power terminal configured to supply energy to the atomizer, wherein the power terminal is configured to mate with a trailing end portion of the body.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the body may further include an outlet port configured to enable the release of fluid from the body.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the body may further include an inlet port configured to enable an ingress of fluid into the body.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the material of the body may fade from the translucent material or transparent material to an opaque material at a predetermined location.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the material of the body may include glass, polycarbonate, polyamide, and/or engineered thermoplastics.
Further details and aspects of the present disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present disclosure will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative aspects, in which the principles of the present disclosure are utilized, and the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an example of an apparatus for dispensing vapor, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side view of another example of an apparatus for dispensing vapor, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of another example of an apparatus for dispensing vapor, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of vaping apparatus. More specifically, an aspect of the present disclosure provides systems and methods for dispensing vapor.
Aspects of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements.
Although the present disclosure will be described in terms of specific aspects and examples, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that various modifications, rearrangements, and substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.
For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to exemplary aspects illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the present disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the novel features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the present disclosure as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the present disclosure. For illustrative purposes, the following detailed description is directed to vaping devices, however, other devices which require the dispensing of vapor are within the scope of the present disclosure as well.
Referring to FIG. 1 , an apparatus 100 for dispensing vapor is shown. Apparatus 100 is configured to enable a user to see the remaining fluid in the apparatus 100 before it is dispensed. The apparatus 100 generally includes an atomizer 130, a body 120, and a mouth cap 140. The apparatus 100 may further include a power terminal 110 (e.g., a battery). The body 120 includes a leading end portion 120 a configured to mate with the mouth cap 140 and a trailing end portion 120 b configured to mate with the power terminal 110. The apparatus 100 provides an airpath that carries vapor from the atomizer 130 to the mouth cap 140 (e.g., a mouthpiece) in response to a negative pressure generated in the apparatus (e.g., a user's inhalation).
The atomizer 130 is configured to convert a fluid (e.g., an oil precursor) into vapor, typically by using heat. For example, the atomizer 130 may have embedded or exposed heating elements configured for heating the fluid and converting the fluid to a vapor. The fluid may be stored in container 127 that is in fluid communication with the atomizer 130. The atomizer 130 may generally be disposed within the body 120, particularly within a second conduit 122 of the body 120 but may be disposed elsewhere as needed. For example, the atomizer 130 may be disposed outside of and abutted to the body 120. The atomizer 130 may be made from ceramic or another suitable material. The atomizer 130 includes a leading end portion 130 a and a first conduit 132. The first conduit 132 includes an internal surface 132 b that defines a passage 132 a therethrough. Energy may be supplied to the atomizer 130 by the power terminal 110 (e.g., connected to a battery). The power terminal 110 may be configured to mate with the body 120 via any suitable method, such as threading, magnetics, snap-fit, fastening, and/or any other suitable technique for joining components. The fluid may enter the atomizer 130, for example, through wicking material 134 from container 127. The wicking material 134 may be constructed from cotton, silica, mesh, hemp, rayon, and/or another suitable material. In aspects, the wicking material 134 may cover all sides of the atomizer 130, with the exception of the first conduit 132, but may generally surround the side walls of the atomizer 130. Atomizer 130 transforms the fluid into vapor by heating the fluid, which then enters the first conduit 132 as a vapor.
The body 120 includes the leading end portion 120 a, the trailing end portion 120 b, and a second conduit 122. The body 120 may generally be cylindrical but may include another suitable shape. Body 120 is constructed of a material that enables the user to see the remaining fluid (e.g., oil) within the container 127 without disrupting the surface finish of the apparatus 100. In aspects, the body 120 may be constructed of a transparent or a translucent material that is configured to enable the user to see the fluid level via reflected light, refracted light, and/or from an internal light source 160 (e.g., an LED).
The light source 160 may be configured to illuminate the fluid from within the body 120 which allows the natural color of the fluid to show through the transparent or translucent material of the body 120. The LED is powered by the power terminal 110. In aspects, the LED may include customizable colors. In aspects, the LED may be configured to change colors based on, for example, battery voltage, fluid level (determined using a fluid sensor), or under user control (e.g., by a button).
In aspects, the body 120 may be made of different colors that can be faded to produce a transparent or translucent finish (FIG. 2 ). For example, the material of the body 120 may fade from translucent material to opaque material at a predetermined location along the length of the body 120. For example, the predetermined location may be near or at the leading end portion 120 a of the body 120. In another example, the predetermined location may be near or at the trailing end portion of the body 120. The material of the body 120 may fade from the transparent material to the opaque material at the predetermined location along the length of the body 120. It is contemplated that the predetermined position may be any suitable location along the length of the body 120.
The body 120 may be constructed from one or more of a glass, polycarbonate, polyamide, engineered thermoplastics, and/or any other suitable material. For example, multiple colors of plastics may be used that cross-fade into each other. It is contemplated that materials other than those listed may become available and would be readily utilized to achieve the disclosed effect. The body 120 provides the benefit of solving the problems of bodies that include windows. For example, body 120 may be formed without seams or joints to enable viewing of the fluid without disrupting the surface finish of the body 120 that is caused by a window. By having a monolithic construction of the body 120, the apparatus 100 avoids the problem of fluid leaks around windows.
The mouth cap 140 is configured to mate with the body 120. The mouth cap 140 may be configured to mate with the body 120 via threading, magnetics, snap-fit, fastening, and/or any other suitable technique for joining components. In aspects, the mouth cap 140 may be integral with the body 120. The mouth cap 140 includes a leading end portion 140 a and a trailing end portion 140 b. The mouth cap 140 may be made from glass, steel, alloy, ceramic, polycarbonate, polyamide, engineered thermoplastics, stone, and/or any other suitable material.
In aspects, the body 120 may include inlet port(s) 126 (e.g., oil inlet port) to introduce fluid into the atomizer 130 and/or wicking material 134 from container 127. The inlet port 126 is disposed proximate to the atomizer 130. In other aspects, the body 120 may include an outlet port 124 (e.g., an air outlet port). The outlet port 124 is configured to permit vapor and/or air to be externally released from the apparatus 100 when the mouth cap 140 is attached to the body 120.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example embodiment of the apparatus 100, where the color fades from clear to white. In this example, as the color transitions, the white portion of the body 120 becomes solid white.
FIG. 3 illustrates another example embodiment of the apparatus 100′. In this example, the body 120 is a translucent blue color.
Although the colors of white and blue have been demonstrated in the examples, it should be noted that any color can be used to be transitioned into from the clear or transparent portion of the apparatus 100. It is contemplated that the entire body may be transparent and/or translucent. In aspects, a portion of the body 120 may be transparent/translucent. For example, translucency in some colors may facilitate viewing of the oil while providing additional discretion for those unfamiliar with the apparatus while also providing cosmetic appeal to the consumer. The body 120 may be manufactured using injection molding, thermoforming, 3D printing, and/or hydrographic printing on a transparent body with various colors. The disclosed technology provides the benefit of there being no opening nor backfilled opening present on the body 120, thus, there is no window. By creating differential volumes of pigment, a region of the body 120 material is created that is transparent enough to see the underlying container 127 (i.e., the cartridge) and, therefore, the underlying fluid without disrupting the surface of the body which is appealing to consumers from a psychoaesthetics perspective and provides the benefit of reducing manufacturing costs due to fewer manufacturing steps. There is no punching of a window or post mold polishing, and there is no backfill of another material to create a transparent section of the body 120; thus, there are fewer steps and less cost to produce the above-described look.
In an aspect, paint may be layered over a transparent or translucent plastic to achieve the difference in pigmentation resulting in an area of the body being opaque while another area is translucent. In another aspect, mold printing may be used to achieve the same effect where the “paint” may be another plastic or material, which may enable multiple viewing areas within a apparatus at high specificity. In another aspect, co-molding may be used to simultaneously inject materials of different pigmentation which results in a natural transition between the materials that may be abrupt or gradual in its nature. It is contemplated that new molding techniques may be applied that would be used by the manufacturer of the apparatus.
Certain aspects of the present disclosure may include some, all, or none of the above advantages and/or one or more other advantages readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the drawings, descriptions, and claims included herein. Moreover, while specific advantages have been enumerated above, the various aspects of the present disclosure may include all, some, or none of the enumerated advantages and/or other advantages not specifically enumerated above.
The aspects disclosed herein are examples of the disclosure and may be embodied in various forms. For instance, although certain aspects herein are described as separate aspects, each of the aspects herein may be combined with one or more of the other aspects herein. Specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Like reference numerals may refer to similar or identical elements throughout the description of the figures.
The phrases “in an aspect,” “in aspects,” “in various aspects,” “in some aspects,” or “in other aspects” may each refer to one or more of the same or different example Aspects provided in the present disclosure. A phrase in the form “A or B” means “(A), (B), or (A and B).” A phrase in the form “at least one of A, B, or C” means “(A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C).”
The foregoing description is only illustrative of the present disclosure. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variances. The aspects described with reference to the attached drawing figures are presented only to demonstrate certain examples of the disclosure. Other elements, steps, methods, and techniques that are insubstantially different from those described above and/or in the appended claims are also intended to be within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dispensing vapor, the apparatus comprising:

an atomizer configured to atomize fluid;

a monolithic body including a leading end portion, and a trailing end portion in fluid communication with the atomizer, wherein the body comprises at least a portion of a translucent or transparent material; and

a mouth cap in fluid communication with the leading end portion of the body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light source configured to provide backlight for the fluid.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power terminal configured to supply energy to the atomizer, wherein the power terminal is configured to mate with a trailing end portion of the body.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body further includes an outlet port configured to enable release of fluid from the body.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body further includes an inlet port configured to enable an ingress of fluid into the body.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the material of the body fades from the translucent material or transparent material to an opaque material at a predetermined location.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the material of the body includes at least one of glass, polycarbonate, polyamide, or engineered thermoplastics.

8. An apparatus for dispensing vapor, the apparatus comprising:

an atomizer configured to atomize fluid;

a monolithic body including a leading end portion, and a trailing end portion in fluid communication with the atomizer, wherein the body is entirely comprised of at least one of a translucent or transparent material; and

a mouth cap in fluid communication with the leading end portion of the body.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a light source configured to provide backlight for the fluid.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a power terminal configured to supply energy to the atomizer, wherein the power terminal is configured to mate with a trailing end portion of the body.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the body further includes an outlet port configured to enable release of fluid from the body.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the body further includes an inlet port configured to enable an ingress of fluid into the body.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the material of the body includes at least one of glass, polycarbonate, polyamide, or engineered thermoplastics.

14. An apparatus for dispensing vapor, the apparatus comprising:

an atomizer configured to atomize fluid;

a body including a leading end portion, and a trailing end portion in fluid communication with the atomizer, wherein the body is comprised of at least a portion of a translucent or transparent material without seams or joints; and

a mouth cap in fluid communication with the leading end portion of the body.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a light source configured to provide backlight for the fluid.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a power terminal configured to supply energy to the atomizer, wherein the power terminal is configured to mate with a trailing end portion of the body.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the body further includes an outlet port configured to enable release of fluid from the body.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the body further includes an inlet port configured to enable an ingress of fluid into the body.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the material of the body fades from the translucent material or transparent material to an opaque material at a predetermined location.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the material of the body includes at least one of glass, polycarbonate, polyamide, or engineered thermoplastics.