WO2025235974A1 - Inductive heater control - Google Patents
Inductive heater controlInfo
- Publication number
- WO2025235974A1 WO2025235974A1 PCT/US2025/028785 US2025028785W WO2025235974A1 WO 2025235974 A1 WO2025235974 A1 WO 2025235974A1 US 2025028785 W US2025028785 W US 2025028785W WO 2025235974 A1 WO2025235974 A1 WO 2025235974A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- inductors
- vaporizer device
- inductor
- electrical properties
- susceptor
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
- A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
- A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
- A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
- A24F40/46—Shape or structure of electric heating means
- A24F40/465—Shape or structure of electric heating means specially adapted for induction heating
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
- A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
- A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
- A24F40/50—Control or monitoring
- A24F40/57—Temperature control
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- H05B6/00—Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
- H05B6/02—Induction heating
- H05B6/06—Control, e.g. of temperature, of power
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- H05B6/00—Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
- H05B6/02—Induction heating
- H05B6/10—Induction heating apparatus, other than furnaces, for specific applications
- H05B6/105—Induction heating apparatus, other than furnaces, for specific applications using a susceptor
- H05B6/108—Induction heating apparatus, other than furnaces, for specific applications using a susceptor for heating a fluid
Definitions
- Vaporizer devices which can also be referred to as vaporizers, electronic vaporizer devices, or e-vaporizer devices, can be used for delivery of an aerosol (for example, a gas- phase and/or a condensed-phase material suspended in a stationary or moving mass of air or some other gas carrier) containing one or more active ingredients by inhalation of the aerosol by a user of the vaporizer device.
- an aerosol for example, a gas- phase and/or a condensed-phase material suspended in a stationary or moving mass of air or some other gas carrier
- ETS electronic nicotine delivery systems
- Vaporizer devices are battery powered and that can be used to simulate the experience of smoking, but without burning of tobacco or other substances.
- Vaporizer devices are gaining increasing popularity both for prescriptive medical use, in delivering medicaments, and for consumption of tobacco, nicotine, and other plant-based materials. Vaporizer devices can be portable, self-contained, and/or convenient for use.
- a vaporizer device In use of a vaporizer device, the user inhales an aerosol, colloquially referred to as “vapor,” which can be generated by a heating element that vaporizes (e.g., causes a liquid or solid to at least partially transition to the gas phase) a vaporizable material, which can be liquid, a solution, a solid, a paste, a wax, and/or any other form compatible for use with a specific vaporizer device.
- a heating element that vaporizes (e.g., causes a liquid or solid to at least partially transition to the gas phase)
- a vaporizable material which can be liquid, a solution, a solid, a paste, a wax, and/or any other form compatible for use with a specific vaporizer device.
- the vaporizable material used with a vaporizer device can be provided within a cartridge (e.g., a separable part of the vaporizer device that contains vaporizable material) that includes an aerosol outlet (e.g., a mouthpiece or an outlet in fluid communication with a mouthpiece) for inhalation of the aerosol by a user.
- a cartridge e.g., a separable part of the vaporizer device that contains vaporizable material
- an aerosol outlet e.g., a mouthpiece or an outlet in fluid communication with a mouthpiece
- a user can, in certain examples, activate the vaporizer device by taking a puff, by pressing a button, and/or by some other approach.
- a puff as used herein can refer to inhalation by the user in a manner that causes a volume of air to be drawn into the vaporizer device such that the inhalable aerosol is generated by a combination of vaporized material (e.g., gas-phase material) with the volume of air.
- a vaporizer device generates an inhalable aerosol from a vaporizable material involves heating the vaporizable material (e.g., within a cartridge, an insert, a vaporization chamber, a heater chamber, an oven, and/or a compartment associated with a heating element) to cause at least a portion of the vaporizable material to be converted to vaporized material (e.g., gas-phase material).
- a vaporization chamber, heater chamber, oven, or the like can refer to an area or volume in the vaporizer device within which a heat source (for example, a conductive, convective, and/or radiative heat source) causes heating of a vaporizable material to produce a vaporized material and allow the vaporized material to mix with air to form an aerosol for inhalation by a user of the vaporizer device.
- a heat source for example, a conductive, convective, and/or radiative heat source
- Vaporizer devices can be controlled by one or more controllers, electronic circuits (for example, sensors, heating elements, buttons, switches), and/or the like on or in the vaporizer device. Vaporizer devices can also wirelessly communicate with an external controller (e.g., a computing device such as a personal computer or smartphone).
- cartridges that contain solid vaporizable material must be heated to undesirably high temperatures in order to cause inner regions of the vaporizable material to be heated to a minimum temperature required for vaporization.
- portions of the solid vaporizable material contained within a cartridge can burn or char at these high temperatures and produce combustion or partial combustion byproducts (e.g., chemical elements or chemical compounds) that can have undesirable characteristics, such as unpleasant smells or tastes, negative health impacts, etc.
- Some issues with current vaporizer devices include the inability to efficiently and effectively heat the vaporizable material without wasting a significant amount of energy.
- some vaporizer devices include a heater body surrounding a tobacco consumable, requiring the entire heater body to be heated to create an oven.
- Vaporizer devices configured to embed some or part of a heater apparatus inside of the tobacco material can include airflow passing through the tobacco material thereby prohibiting tight tobacco compaction around the heater, thus diminishing heat transfer from the heater to the tobacco material. Furthermore, vaporizer devices with a heater element embedded within or at least partially surrounded by the tobacco can also experience cleaning and hygiene issues.
- vaporizer device for generating an inhalable aerosol.
- the vaporizer device includes one or more inductors configured to generate an electromagnetic field to heat one or more susceptors, memory configured to store first electrical properties of the one or more inductors, and/or a controller.
- the controller is configured to control power delivery to the one or more inductors, apply a resonant signal to the one or more inductors, and/or determine second electrical properties of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the resonant signal.
- the controller can be further configured to estimate one or more properties of the one or more susceptors based at least in part on the first electrical properties and the second electrical properties.
- the controller can be further configured to adjust the power delivery to the one or more inductors based at least in part on the estimated one or more properties of the one or more susceptors.
- the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors includes a temperature of the one or more susceptor.
- the electromagnetic field is generated to induce eddy currents in the one or more susceptors, and/or the induced eddy currents generate heat in the one or more susceptors based at least in part on a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the one or more susceptors.
- the memory is further configured to store a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the one or more susceptors, and the estimation of the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors is further based at least in part on the temperature coefficient of resistance.
- control of the power delivery to the one or more inductors includes controlling a duty cycle of a voltage applied to the one or more inductors.
- adjusting the power delivery to the one or more inductors includes changing a duty cycle of a voltage applied to the one or more inductors.
- changing the duty cycle of the voltage applied to the one or more inductors includes determining a difference between the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors and a setpoint property, determining a target duty cycle based at least in part on the determined difference, and/or applying the voltage to the one or more inductors based at least in part on the target duty cycle.
- the setpoint property includes a setpoint temperature for the one or more susceptors.
- the first electrical properties include a corresponding reference inductance and reference resistance of the one or more inductors at a reference temperature of the one or more inductors.
- the first electrical properties include a plurality of corresponding reference inductances and reference resistances of the one or more inductors mapped to a plurality of reference temperatures of the one or more inductors.
- the first electrical properties include a linear or non-linear relationship of reference inductance of the one or more inductors to reference temperature of the one or more inductors, and/or a linear or non-linear relationship of reference resistance of the one or more inductors to reference temperature of the one or more inductors.
- the controller is further configured to apply a plurality of resonant signals to the one or more inductors, determine the first electrical properties of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the plurality of resonant signals, and/or store the first electrical properties of the one or more inductors in the memory.
- the first electrical properties of the one or more inductors are determined and stored during manufacture or calibration of the vaporizer device. [0024] In optional variants of the implementations described, the first electrical properties are indicative of reference properties of the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are not inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors.
- the controller is further configured to detect whether the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors, apply an error check resonant signal to the one or more inductors, the error check resonant signal applied to the one or more inductors when the one or more inductors are detected to not be inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors and at least one other condition is met, and/or determine offset electrical properties of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the error check resonant signal.
- the at least one other condition includes a period of time passing since the power delivery to the one or more inductors and/or a temperature of the one or more inductors being at or below a temperature threshold.
- the period of time is greater than 5 minutes, greater than 10 minutes, or greater than 20 minutes.
- the temperature threshold is approximately 30°C, approximately 25°C, approximately 22°C, or approximately 20°C.
- the controller is further configured to determine one or more differences between the stored first electrical properties and the offset electrical properties, and/or update the first electrical properties stored in memory based at least in part on the one or more difference.
- the second electrical properties include a heated inductance and a heated resistance of the one or more inductors.
- the resonant signal is applied to the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors.
- the second electrical properties are indicative of heated assembly properties of the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are above an ambient temperature and inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors.
- the controller is further configured to apply a third resonant signal to the one or more inductors, determine third electrical properties of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the third resonant signal.
- the third resonant signal is applied to the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors.
- the third electrical properties include an initial inductance and an initial resistance of the one or more inductors.
- the third electrical properties are indicative of initial assembly properties of the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are approximately at an ambient temperature and inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors.
- the controller is further configured to detect whether the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors.
- the third resonant signal is applied to the one or more inductors when the one or more inductors are detected to be inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors and/or the one or more inductors are approximately at an ambient temperature.
- the resonant signal decays over time.
- the controller is further configured to determine a decay of the resonant signal over time. In other optional related implementations, the controller is further configured to determine the decay based at least in part on a plurality of voltage peak measurements of the resonant signal. In other optional related implementations, determining the decay based at least in part on a plurality of voltage peak measurements includes determining a slope of a curve across the voltage peak measurements. [0033] In optional variants of the implementations described, the controller is further configured to determine a frequency of the resonant signal. In optional related implementations, the controller is further configured to determine the frequency of the resonant signal based at least in part on a number of voltage zero-crossings over a determined period of time.
- the second electrical properties of the one or more inductors are determined based at least in part on the decay and the frequency.
- determining the second electrical properties based at least in part on the decay and the frequency includes calculating a quality factor based at least in part on the frequency divided by the envelope, estimating an inductance of the one or more inductors based at least in part on an inverse relationship of the quality factor, and/or estimating a resistance of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the inductance divided by the quality factor.
- the controller is further configured to determine a temperature of the one or more inductors, and estimating the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors includes calculating an inductive difference between the estimated inductance of the one or more inductors and an expected inductance of the one or more inductors at the determined temperature based at least in part on the first set of electrical properties, calculating a resistive difference between the estimated resistance of the one or more inductors and an expected resistance of the one or more inductors at the determined temperature based at least in part on the first set of electrical properties, calculating a proportion based at least in part on dividing the resistive difference by the inductive difference, calculating an offset based at least in part on subtracting a baseline ratio from the calculated proportion, calculating a temperature difference based dividing the offset by the baseline ratio and a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the one or more susceptors, and/or estimating a temperature of the one or more susceptors based at least in part
- the controller is further configured to determine a clock offset for the resonant signal, the second electrical properties of the one or more inductors determined based at least in part on the clock offset.
- determining the second electrical properties based at least in part on the clock offset includes measuring a frequency of the resonant signal, applying the clock offset to the measured frequency to determine an adjusted frequency, and/or determining the second electrical properties based at least in part on the adjusted frequency.
- determining the clock offset includes applying an unclamped resonant signal to the one or more inductors when the one or more inductors are not inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors, measuring a plurality of unclamped voltage peaks from the unclamped resonant signal, measuring a plurality of clamped voltage peaks from the resonant signal, and/or calculating the clock offset based at least in part on the difference between the plurality of unclamped voltage peaks and the plurality of clamped voltage peaks.
- the plurality of clamped voltage peaks and/or the plurality of clamped voltage peaks are each measured over a plurality of sequential resonant signals.
- the vaporizer device further includes a device body including the one or more inductors, the memory, and the controller, and/or a cartridge including the one or more susceptors and a vaporizable material, where the one or more susceptors are in thermal contact with the vaporizable material.
- the susceptor includes aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or invar. In optional related implementations, the susceptor consists of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or invar.
- the controller includes power control circuit electrically coupled to the one or more inductors.
- the controller includes a separate microcontroller and power control circuit, and/or the power control circuit includes a chip electrically coupled to the processor and the one or more inductors.
- the power control circuit is electrically coupled to one or more temperature sensors in thermal and/or physical contact with a respective one of each of the one or more inductors.
- each of the one or more temperature sensors are configured to detect a temperature of the respective one of each of the one or more inductors.
- the vaporizer device further includes an electrical bridge electrically coupled to the one or more inductors, and the power control circuit includes at least one gate driver configured to control the electrical bridge.
- the electrical bridge includes two half bridge circuits forming a full bridge circuit, and the at least one gate driver includes two separate gate drivers configured to independently control each of the two half bridge circuits.
- the vaporizer device further includes a plurality of electrical switches electrically coupled between the electrical bridge, the one or more inductors, and at least one ground.
- the plurality of electrical switches are configured to selectively couple a voltage source across the electrical bridge to each of the one or more inductors.
- the vaporizer device further includes a plurality of electrical switches electrically coupled between a voltage source, the one or more inductors, and at least one ground.
- each of the one or more inductors is electrically coupled between two of the electrical switches.
- the vaporizer device further includes one or more capacitors electrically coupled between the one or more inductors and a first of the two electrical switches.
- the one or more capacitors are configured to be charged by the voltage source when the voltage source powers the one or more inductors.
- the one or more capacitors are configured to be charged by a digital-to-analog converter when the voltage source is not powering (e.g., providing heating power to) the one or more inductors.
- the capacitor is configured to provide a discharge voltage to the inductor when the voltage source is not powering (e.g., providing heating power to) the one or more inductors.
- the discharge voltage provides the resonant signal.
- the discharge voltage is provided when the voltage source is not powering (e.g., providing heating power to) the one or more inductors.
- each of the two electrical switches includes an upper gate and a lower gate. In other optional related implementations, the upper gate of each of the two electrical switches is electrical coupled between the one or more inductors and the voltage source.
- the lower gate of each of the two electrical switches is electrical coupled between the one or more inductors and the at least one ground.
- applying the resonant signal to the one or more inductors includes opening the upper gate of each of the two electrical switches, closing the lower gate of each of the two electrical switches, and/or providing a discharge voltage to the one or more inductors.
- the one or more inductors includes a first inductor and a second inductor.
- the one or more susceptors includes a single susceptor, the first inductor is configured to generate a first electromagnetic field to heat a first region of the single susceptor, and/or the second inductor is configured to generate a second electromagnetic field to heat a second region of the single susceptor.
- the first region is downstream of the second region along an airflow path that extends though the single susceptor.
- the first electromagnetic field is generated to heat the first region to a first temperature
- the second electromagnetic field is generated to heat the second region to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.
- the one or more susceptors includes a first susceptor and a second susceptor, the first inductor is configured to generate a first electromagnetic field to heat the first susceptor, and the second inductor is configured to generate a second electromagnetic field to heat the second susceptor.
- the first susceptor is downstream of the second susceptor along an airflow path that extends though the one or more susceptors.
- the first electromagnetic field is generated to heat the first susceptor to a first temperature
- the second electromagnetic field is generated to heat the second susceptor to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.
- the method includes controlling power delivery to one or more inductors configured to generate an electromagnetic field to heat one or more susceptors, applying a resonant signal to the one or more inductors, determining second electrical properties of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the resonant signal, estimating one or more properties of the one or more susceptors based at least in part on first electrical properties of the one or more inductors stored in memory and the second electrical properties, and/or adjusting the power delivery to the one or more inductors based at least in part on the estimated one or more properties of the one or more susceptors.
- a method includes determining first electrical properties associated with an inductor.
- a resonant signal is applied to an assembly comprising the inductor and an inductively coupled susceptor.
- Second electrical properties associated with the assembly are determined, based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal.
- One or more properties associated with the susceptor are determined, based at least in part on the first electrical properties and the second electrical properties.
- Power is applied to the inductor to heat the susceptor based on the one or more properties.
- applying power to the inductor to heat the susceptor based on the one or more properties includes generating heating instructions based at least in part on the one or more properties; and modifying an inductive heating process configured to cause the susceptor to heat a vaporizable material to produce an inhalable aerosol.
- determining the first electrical properties associated with the inductor includes applying a resonant signal to the inductor. The first electrical properties are determined based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal.
- the first electrical properties include an inductance and a resistance of the inductor.
- the susceptor is incorporated into a cartridge and/or the inductor is incorporated into a vaporizer body.
- applying the resonant signal to the assembly includes electrically coupling a resonant circuit to the assembly.
- the resonant circuit includes a capacitor.
- applying the resonant signal to the assembly further includes charging the capacitor; and generating the resonant signal by discharging the capacitor.
- the second electrical properties include an inductance and a resistance of the assembly.
- determining the second electrical properties includes determining, over a duration, a plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal corresponding to a plurality of time points of the duration; determining an energy change value, based at least in part on the plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal.
- the energy change value is a quality factor.
- the duration is a portion of the period of the resonant signal.
- an amplitude of the resonant signal decays over time. In optional variants of the implementations described, the decay is an exponential decay.
- the method further includes determining an exponential decay measure of the decay from the plurality of amplitude measurements.
- the energy change value is inversely proportional to the exponential decay measure.
- the one or more properties include a temperature of the susceptor.
- generating the heating instructions includes determining a temperature of the susceptor based on the first electrical properties and second electrical properties associated with the inductor.
- determining the temperature includes generating a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) measurement of the inductor.
- the inductive heating process includes generating an eddy current in the heater chamber of the cartridge.
- applying power to the inductor includes using pulse-width modulation (PWM).
- PWM pulse-width modulation
- applying power to the inductor includes using a buck-boost circuit.
- modifying an inductive heating process includes modifying a driving frequency of the inductor.
- the susceptor includes aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or invar.
- an inductance of the susceptor does not change with temperature.
- the inductor includes an inductive coil.
- the method further includes determining fourth electrical properties associated with a second inductor; applying a resonant signal to a second assembly including the second inductor and an inductively coupled susceptor; determining fifth electrical properties associated with the second assembly, based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal; determining sixth electrical properties associated with the susceptor, the sixth electrical properties based at least in part on the fourth electrical properties and the fifth electrical properties; and applying power to the second inductor to heat the susceptor based on the sixth electrical properties.
- the second inductor includes a second inductive coil.
- the plurality of amplitude measurements corresponding to the plurality of time points and the energy change value are determined by a first integrated circuit.
- the first integrated circuit is configured to provide the plurality of amplitude measurements and the energy change value to a second integrated circuit.
- the second integrated circuit is configured to determine the second electrical properties.
- a vaporizer device for generating an inhalable aerosol includes an inductor, a measurement circuit, a susceptor, a resonant circuit, and a controller.
- the controller is configured to cause the measurement circuit to determine first electrical properties associated with the inductor, detect an assembly comprising the inductor in thermal contact with the susceptor, cause the resonant circuit to apply a resonant signal to the assembly, determine second electrical properties associated with the assembly, based at least in part on the resonant signal, determine one or more properties associated with the susceptor, the one or more properties based at least in part on the first electrical properties and the second electrical properties, generate heating instructions based at least in part on the one or more properties, and modify an inductive heating process configured to cause the susceptor to heat a vaporizable material to generate the inhalable aerosol.
- applying power to the inductor to heat the susceptor based on the one or more properties includes generating heating instructions based at least in part on the one or more properties; and modifying an inductive heating process configured to cause the susceptor to heat a vaporizable material to produce an inhalable aerosol.
- determining the first electrical properties associated with the inductor includes applying a resonant signal to the inductor. The first electrical properties are determined based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal.
- the first electrical properties include an inductance and a resistance of the inductor(s).
- the susceptor is incorporated into a cartridge.
- the inductor(s) is incorporated into a vaporizer body.
- applying the resonant signal to the assembly includes electrically coupling a resonant circuit to the assembly.
- the resonant circuit includes a capacitor.
- applying the resonant signal to the assembly further includes charging the capacitor; and generating the resonant signal by discharging the capacitor.
- the second electrical properties include an inductance and a resistance of the assembly.
- determining the second electrical properties includes determining, over a duration, a plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal corresponding to a plurality of time points of the duration, and/or determining an energy change value, based at least in part on the plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal.
- the energy change value is a quality factor.
- the duration is a portion of the period of the resonant signal.
- an amplitude of the resonant signal decays over time. In optional variants of the implementations described, the decay is an exponential decay.
- the vaporizer device further includes determining an exponential decay measure of the decay from the plurality of amplitude measurements.
- the energy change value is inversely proportional to the exponential decay measure.
- the one or more properties include a temperature of the susceptor.
- generating the heating instructions includes determining a temperature of the susceptor based on the first electrical properties and second electrical properties associated with the inductor.
- determining the temperature includes generating a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) measurement of the inductor.
- the inductive heating process includes generating an eddy current in the heater chamber of the cartridge.
- applying power to the inductor includes using pulse-width modulation (PWM).
- PWM pulse-width modulation
- applying power to the inductor includes using a buck-boost circuit.
- modifying an inductive heating process includes modifying a driving frequency of the inductor.
- the susceptor includes aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or invar.
- an inductance of the susceptor does not change with temperature.
- the inductor includes an inductive coil.
- the vaporizer device further includes determining fourth electrical properties associated with a second inductor; applying a resonant signal to a second assembly including the second inductor and an inductively coupled susceptor; determining fifth electrical properties associated with the second assembly, based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal; determining sixth electrical properties associated with the susceptor, the sixth electrical properties based at least in part on the fourth electrical properties and the fifth electrical properties; and applying power to the second inductor to heat the susceptor based on the sixth electrical properties.
- the second inductor includes a second inductive coil.
- the plurality of amplitude measurements corresponding to the plurality of time points and the energy change value are determined by a first integrated circuit.
- the first integrated circuit is configured to provide the plurality of amplitude measurements and the energy change value to a second integrated circuit.
- the second integrated circuit is configured to determine the second electrical properties.
- FIG. 1A illustrates a block diagram of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 1B illustrates a block diagram of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 1C illustrates a block diagram of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 2 illustrates a front perspective view of an implementation of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 3 illustrates a front perspective exploded view of an implementation of a cartridge for use with a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG.4B illustrates a front cross-sectional view of the vaporizer device of FIG.4A, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective view of a holder assembly for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 5B illustrates a perspective view of a holder assembly for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 5C illustrates a perspective view of a holder assembly for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 5D illustrates a perspective view of a holder assembly for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective view of a holder assembly for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 5B illustrates a perspective view of a holder assembly for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG. 5C illustrates a perspective view of a holder assembly for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the
- FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a heating element for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG.7 illustrates a perspective view of a cartridge, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG.8A illustrates an exemplary cross-section of a cartridge and/or receptacle of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG.8B illustrates an exemplary cross-section of a cartridge and/or receptacle of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG.8C illustrates an exemplary cross-section of a cartridge and/or receptacle of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG.8D illustrates an exemplary cross-section of a cartridge and/or receptacle of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter
- FIG.8E illustrates an exemplary cross-section of a cartridge and/or recept
- Implementations of the current subject matter include methods, apparatuses, articles of manufacture, and systems relating to vaporization of one or more materials for inhalation by a user. For example, various implementations of vaporizer devices are described herein that provide a number of benefits, including improved generation of controlled energy transfer to inductively heated cartridges.
- Implementations of the present disclosure may comprise systems and methods for determining the temperature of a heating element of a cartridge, such as a susceptor.
- the systems and methods described may determine the temperature by relating electrical properties (e.g., a determined inductance and a determined resistance) of the susceptor.
- the temperature, resistance, and inductance of the susceptor may be difficult to determine or may not be able to be determined by direct measurement.
- a resonant circuit is configured to couple to an inductor(s) of the vaporizer device.
- the resonant circuit can generate a resonant signal by discharging a capacitor coupled with the inductive coil. Due to the resistance in the circuit, the resonant signal experiences a decay.
- a control unit may determine a quality factor from this decay, which can be used to determine inductance and resistance associated with the inductive coil.
- the controller can calculate the electrical properties of the inductive coil without the cartridge coupled to it, can calculate the electrical properties of the inductive coil with the cartridge coupled, and/or can derive the electrical properties of the susceptor from the change in electrical properties.
- the resonant circuit can be configured to operate during a portion of a heating cycle (e.g., during pulse-width modulation (PWM) heating).
- PWM pulse-width modulation
- the controller can be configured to modify or update the heating cycle to raise, lower, or maintain the temperature of the cartridge based on the determined temperature of the susceptor.
- An additional benefit that can be provided by various implementations of vaporizer devices described herein is improving contact between a heating element and/or heated surface of a heating system and a cartridge containing vaporizable material to ensure efficient and effective thermal transfer between the heating element and vaporizable material. For example, by maintaining intimate contact between the cartridge and the heating element and/or heated surface, thermal losses (e.g., to a surrounding housing of the vaporizer device) can be reduced, and heating efficiency (e.g., per amount of power consumption) can be increased.
- An additional benefit that can be provided by various implementations of vaporizer devices described herein is increased user satisfaction.
- the proper mixing of relatively cool air (e.g., ambient temperature air) and heated air containing vaporized material can improve the formation of sub-micron sized aerosol particles, thereby reducing condensation of one or more compounds released during heating of the vaporized material onto internal surfaces (e.g., inhalation tubes and/or mouthpiece components) of the vaporizer device.
- Such condensates can ultimately be drawn into the mouth of a user in liquid form, thereby leading to unpleasant taste sensations, and are not available for inhalation, thereby reducing an amount of available inhalable product. Accordingly, by ensuring proper mixing and aerosol generation, implementations of the current subject matter can increase user satisfaction.
- the vaporizable material can be placed within a location that is in direct contact with and/or in close proximity to a heating element of a heating system to allow for efficient and effective heat transfer from the heating element to the vaporizable material.
- a cartridge comprising the heating element and the vaporizable material e.g., vaporizable material contained within an appropriately configured structure
- a cartridge comprising the vaporizable material e.g., vaporizable material contained within an appropriately configured structure
- the vaporizable material can be placed within a vaporization chamber, heater chamber, oven, or the like, in which case the area or volume in the vaporizer body within which a heating element causes heating of at least a portion of a vaporizable material includes an internal area or volume of the cartridge.
- Characteristics of an appropriately configured structure include being formed at least partially of metal and/or some other material that is durable under heating and that has a sufficient thermal conductivity, one or more openings through which air can enter the cartridge to aid in heating the vaporizable material and/or transfer of the vaporizable material as it is vaporized, one or more openings through which ambient air mixes with the vaporized material to form at least a portion of an inhalable aerosol, conveyance of the inhalable aerosol out of the cartridge, and/or the like.
- the vaporizer devices, heating systems, cartridges, and vaporizable material described herein can provide more efficient heating of vaporizable material and formation of inhalable aerosol compared to some currently available vaporizer devices.
- aerosol formation can occur concurrently with (e.g., immediately after) vaporization of the vaporizable material, such as based on air that is present within or near the vaporizable material, and that the provision of ambient air can accelerate the formation of the inhalable aerosol.
- vaporizer device refers to any of a self-contained apparatus, an apparatus that includes two or more separable parts (e.g., a vaporizer body that includes a battery and other hardware, a cartridge and/or insert that includes a vaporizable material, and/or a mouthpiece (including a mouthpiece portion of the cartridge) configured to deliver an inhalable aerosol to a user), and/or the like.
- a “vaporizer system,” as used herein, can include one or more components, such as a vaporizer device, a charger for charging the vaporizer device, a wired or wireless communication device in communication with the vaporizer device, a remote server in communication with the communication device, and/or the like.
- vaporizer devices examples include electronic vaporizers, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and/or the like.
- Such vaporizer devices can be hand-held devices that heat (such as by convection, conduction, radiation, induction, and/or some combination thereof) a vaporizable material to provide an inhalable dose of the material to a user.
- Vaporizer devices can be regarded as “generating” inhalable aerosols, as they provide the capabilities and/or functionality required to convert vaporizable material into inhalable aerosols (e.g., heat, airflow path(s), condensation chambers, etc.).
- the vaporizable material used with a vaporizer device can optionally be provided within a cartridge (e.g., an insertable and removable part of the vaporizer device that contains the vaporizable material) which can be refillable when empty, or disposable such that a new cartridge containing additional vaporizable material of a same or different type can be used.
- a vaporizer device can be a cartridge-using vaporizer device, a cartridge-less vaporizer device, or a multi-use vaporizer device capable of use with or without a cartridge.
- Some cartridge implementations can include a vaporizable material, which can be packed to an appropriate density, as described herein.
- a vaporizer device can include a compartment (e.g., a receptacle, heater chamber, and/or the like) configured to receive a cartridge directly therein and heat the vaporizable material for forming an inhalable aerosol.
- a vaporizer device can be configured for use with a liquid vaporizable material (for example, a carrier solution in which an active and/or inactive ingredient(s) are suspended or held in solution, or a liquid form of the vaporizable material itself) and/or a non-liquid vaporizable material (e.g., a paste, a wax, a gel, a solid, a plant material, and/or the like).
- a non-liquid vaporizable material can include a plant material that emits some part of the plant material as the vaporizable material (for example, some part of the plant material remains as waste after the material is vaporized for inhalation by a user) or optionally can be a solid form of the vaporizable material itself, such that all of the solid material can eventually be vaporized for inhalation.
- a liquid vaporizable material can likewise be capable of being completely vaporized, or can include some portion of the liquid material that remains after all of the material suitable for inhalation has been vaporized.
- Implementations of vaporizable material can be partially made of a non-liquid vaporizable material, such as tobacco (e.g., leaves, stems, and/or the like), other plant substances, and/or other solids such as cotton.
- the vaporizable material further includes a humectant or other aerosol forming material or carrier, such as propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, an acid (e.g., organic acid such as benzoic acid, citric acid, etc.), and/or the like.
- FIGs. 1A-1C depict block diagrams illustrating example vaporizer devices 100a, 100b, 100c (collectively referred to as vaporizer device 100) consistent with implementations of the current subject matter.
- the vaporizer device 100 can include a power source 112 (for example, a battery, which can be a rechargeable battery), and a controller 104 (for example, a processor, circuitry, etc. capable of executing logic) for controlling delivery of heat from one or more heating elements 142 (collectively referred to as heating element 142) to cause at least a portion of the vaporizable material 102 (such as a solid, a liquid, a solution, a suspension, a part of an at least partially unprocessed plant material, etc.) of a cartridge 120 to be converted to the gas-phase.
- the controller 104 can be part of one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) consistent with certain implementations of the current subject matter.
- At least some of those gas-phase compounds can condense to form particulate matter in at least a partial local equilibrium with the gas phase as part of an aerosol, which can form some or all of an inhalable dose provided by the vaporizer device 100 during a user’s puff or draw on the vaporizer device 100.
- the interplay between gas and condensed phases in an aerosol generated by a vaporizer device 100 can be complex and dynamic, due to factors such as temperature (e.g., ambient or local at various points within the vaporizer device and/or cartridge), relative humidity, chemistry, vapor pressure of one or more vaporizable compounds, flow conditions in airflow paths (both inside the vaporizer device 100 and in the airways of a human or other animal), and/or mixing of the one or more compounds in the gas phase or in the aerosol phase with other air streams, which can affect one or more physical parameters of an aerosol.
- temperature e.g., ambient or local at various points within the vaporizer device and/or cartridge
- relative humidity e.g., relative humidity, chemistry, vapor pressure of one or more vaporizable compounds
- flow conditions in airflow paths both inside the vaporizer device 100 and in the airways of a human or other animal
- mixing of the one or more compounds in the gas phase or in the aerosol phase with other air streams can affect one or more
- the heating element 142 can include one or more of a conductive heater, a radiative heater, inductive heater, and/or a convective heater.
- a resistive heating element can include a material (such as a metal or alloy, for example a nickel-chromium alloy, or a non-metallic resistor) configured to dissipate electrical power in the form of heat when electrical current is passed through one or more resistive segments of the resistive heating element.
- heating element 142 is a susceptor, which can include a material (such as a metal or alloy, for example an aluminum alloy and/or a ferritic material such as a stainless steel alloy) configured to absorb and convert energy into heat when magnetic and/or electromagnetic energy is radiated into one or more segments of the susceptor.
- the heating element 142 e.g., a resistive heating element, a susceptor, and/or the like
- the heating element 142 is configured to generate heat for converting, to the gas phase, one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102 to generate an inhalable dose of the one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102.
- the vaporizable material 102 includes a non-liquid vaporizable material including, for example, a solid-phase material (such as a gel, a wax, or the like) or plant material (e.g., tobacco leaves and/or tobacco stems).
- the heating element 142 can be a part of the cartridge 120 (e.g., part of the disposable part of the vaporizer 100), as shown in the vaporizer device 100a of FIG.1A.
- the cartridge 120 can include a mouthpiece portion 130 that includes one or more inserts 124 (e.g., one or more filters, such as illustrated by way of an example implementation of the insert 124 in FIGS.
- the mouthpiece portion 130 can be releasably coupled to a part of the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the mouthpiece portion 130 can be integrated with the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the mouthpiece portion 130 can include one or more elements of the cartridge 120 (e.g., airflow pathway, insert, end cap, vaporizable material, etc.), such as described herein. [0150] In some implementations, the cartridge 120 can include one or more inserts 124, and each insert 124 can include one or more filters and/or filter material.
- the one or more inserts 124 can be made of material that is one or both of non-vapor permeable and moisture-resistant (e.g., resists damaging effects of water, at least to some extent).
- material can include one or more of metal, metal alloy, cotton, paper material such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature-resistant plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), cellulose acetate, non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like.
- the insert 124 can be inserted into and/or surrounded by one or more elements, including one or more elements associated with the cartridge 120 and/or vaporizer body 110.
- one or more inserts 124 can be positioned adjacent to, in contact with, and/or offset (e.g., along the length or longitudinal axis) from one or more of a divider (e.g., divider 454 in FIG. 4A-4B) a first end of the cartridge 120 (e.g., a distal or upstream end), a second end of the cartridge 120 (e.g., a proximal or downstream end), the vaporizable material 102, and/or the like, as described herein.
- a divider e.g., divider 454 in FIG. 4A-4B
- an “end cap” can refer to at least one of a variety of materials and/or elements that are positioned adjacent an end of the cartridge 120, such as a first end or second end of the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the end cap can be positioned at an end of the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the end cap can be positioned offset (e.g., along the length of the cartridge 120) from an end of the cartridge 120, including not being a most distal or proximal element within an implementation of the cartridge 120.
- the end cap can form a part of an outer surface of the cartridge 120 and/or the end cap can be fully contained within the outer surface of the cartridge 120.
- the heater portion 141 can optionally include one or more inserts 124, such as at the end of the vaporizable material 102 (e.g., distal end of the cartridge 120) to help retain the vaporizable material 102 within the cartridge 120.
- the one or more inserts 124 can contain a plurality of openings, such as inlets, channels, and/or outlets.
- at least a portion of the one or more inserts 124 can be permeable, such that vapor and/or aerosol can pass through the inserts 124.
- the heater portion 141 can be releasably coupled to a part of the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the heater portion 141 can be integrated with the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the heater portion 141 can include one or more elements of the cartridge 120 (e.g., airflow pathway, insert, vaporizable material, etc.), such as described herein. In some implementations, the heater portion 141 can include more than one separable and/or releasably coupleable parts. For example, one part of the heating portion 141 can be integrated with the cartridge 120 and a second part of the heating portion 141 can be integrated with an element apart from and/or outside of the cartridge 120, such as integrated with the vaporizer body 110.
- the mouthpiece portion 130 and the heater portion 141 can be joined together via an outer layer, such as one or more layers of material (e.g., wrappers 122, as shown by way of example in FIGS.1A and 1B, shells, or other comparable structural material or materials).
- the heater portion 141 can be regarded as including at least a portion of the cartridge 120 that is insertably received in the receptacle 118 and the mouthpiece portion 130 can be regarded as at least some of a portion of the cartridge 120 that remains outside of the receptacle 118 when the cartridge 120 is insertably received in the receptacle 118.
- the receptacle 118 can be configured to insertably receive and couple to the cartridge 120 via a snap-fit, press-fit, friction fit, magnetic attachment, and/or the like.
- the vaporizer body 110 can include a ledge 121 that at least partially defines an opening into the receptacle 118.
- the ledge 121 can include features, such as a chamfered edge, that facilitate placement of the cartridge 120 into the receptacle 118.
- the heating element 142 can be wrapped around (at least in part), pressed into thermal contact with, or otherwise arranged to deliver heat to the vaporizable material 102 to cause release of one or more compounds into the gas phase.
- driving circuitry 143 (as shown in FIG. 1C) is provided for driving the heating element 142.
- the driving circuitry 143 can include two or more electrical contacts (e.g., positioned at least partially within the receptacle 118) for providing an electrically conductive pathway between the power source 112 of the vaporizer body 110 and the heating element 142 of the cartridge 120, when the cartridge 120 is insertably received within the receptacle 118.
- the driving circuitry 143 can include one or more inductors, such as two or more inductive coils, configured to generate an electromagnetic field directed and positioned to affect the heating element 142, which can take the form of a susceptor, to cause the susceptor to generate heat.
- the heating element 142 can be a part of the vaporizer body 110 (e.g., part of the durable or reusable part of the vaporizer 100), as shown in the vaporizer device 100b of FIG.1B.
- the cartridge 120 can include a mouthpiece portion 130 that includes one or more inserts 124 and a container portion 123 that includes vaporizable material 102.
- the mouthpiece portion 130 and the container portion 123 can be joined together via an outer layer, such as one or more wrappers 122.
- the heating element 142 can be wrapped around (at least in part), pressed into thermal contact with, or otherwise arranged to deliver heat to the cartridge 120 containing the vaporizable material 102 to convert the one or more compounds from the vaporizable material 102 to the gas phase for subsequent inhalation by a user in a gas-phase and/or a condensed (for example, aerosol particles or droplets) phase.
- the heating element 142 can be positioned within the receptacle 118 and disposed to directly or indirectly heat the container portion 123 (e.g., by conductive, radiative, or convective heating), which in turn can heat the vaporizable material 102 contained therein.
- the heating element 142 can be positioned outside of the receptacle 118 and disposed to heat the receptacle 118 itself, so as to create an oven that provides convective and/or conductive heat. In either case, the heating element 142 can be at least partially or substantially wrapped around a perimeter of the receptacle 118.
- the heating element 142 can be a part of a cartridge 120 containing a liquid vaporizable material 102 in a liquid reservoir 182, as shown in the vaporizer device 100c of FIG.1C.
- the cartridge 120 can include a mouthpiece portion 130 and a shell portion 192 containing a heater portion 141 and a reservoir 182 configured to hold a liquid vaporizable material 102.
- the mouthpiece portion 130 and the shell portion 192 can be integrally formed (e.g., manufactured as a single piece) or can be joined together via mechanical coupling means, such as snap fit, press fit, friction fit, adhesive, and/or the like.
- the heater portion 141 can include a heating element 142 and a wicking material (not shown) configured to transfer the liquid vaporizable material 102 from the reservoir 182 to be in contact with the heating element 142 via capillary action.
- the heating element 142 can be in direct contact with the wicking material, such as by being pressed against one or more sides of the wicking material, wrapped at least partially around the wicking material, and/or the like.
- the heating element 142 can be configured to generate heat to convert the one or more compounds from the vaporizable material 102 to the gas phase for subsequent inhalation by a user in a gas-phase and/or a condensed (for example, aerosol particles or droplets) phase.
- the heater portion 141 can include circuitry configured to receive and/or convert an applied electromagnetic field into an electrical current that is used to power, and thereby heat, the heating element 142.
- the heating element 142 itself can be configured to generate heat based on having a structure (e.g., material and shape) configured to receive and convert an applied electromagnetic field into an electrical current that is used to power, and thereby heat, the heating element 142.
- the heater portion 141 and/or heating element 142 can be powered via the driving circuitry 143, as described herein.
- the heating element 142 can be part of, or otherwise incorporated into or in thermal contact with, the walls of a heating chamber or compartment (e.g., receptacle 118) into which the cartridge 120 and/or the vaporizable material 102 is placed. Additionally or alternatively, the heating element 142 can be used to heat air passing into, through, or past the cartridge 120, to cause convective heating of the vaporizable material 102 (e.g., within the cartridge 120).
- the heating element 142 can be disposed in intimate contact with the vaporizable material 102 such that direct conductive heating of the vaporizable material 102 of the cartridge 120 occurs from within a mass of the vaporizable material 102, as opposed to only by conduction inward from walls of the heating chamber (e.g., an oven and/or the like). Convective heating of air passing through or past the cartridge 120 can also occur in such configurations. Additionally, conductive heating can occur by means of inductively heating the heating element 142.
- the heating element 142 can generate heat based on conversion of electromagnetic energy into heat, and this heat can be thermally transmitted (e.g., conducted) to other parts of the cartridge 120, such as for example other parts of the heating element 142 that are not as directly affected by the electromagnetic energy, the vaporizable material 102, other thermally conductive parts of the cartridge 120 or the vaporizer body 110, etc.
- the vaporizable material 102 can be vaporized by this heat based in part on being in contact with one or more surfaces of the heating element 142 and/or other materials that are conductively heated by the heating element 142.
- the vaporizable material 102 can be heated via one or more heating elements 142 that is not in physical contact with the vaporizable material 102, such as by convective heating.
- a heating element 142 can be configured to heat air passing along, through, and/or near the heating element 142 such that a temperature of the air reaches a temperature sufficient to vaporize at least a portion of the vaporizable material 102.
- the vaporizable material 102 can be vaporized by both conductive heat from at least one heating element 142 and convective heat from at least one other heating element 142.
- the heating element 142 can provide heat to convert, to the gas phase, one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102 in association with a user puffing (e.g., drawing, inhaling, etc.) on a mouthpiece portion 130 and/or end of the vaporizer device 100 to cause air to flow from an air inlet, along an airflow path for assisting with forming an aerosol that can be delivered out through an air outlet (or aerosol outlet) in the mouthpiece portion 130 and inhaled by a user.
- a user puffing e.g., drawing, inhaling, etc.
- Incoming air moving along the airflow path moves past (e.g., around, over, etc.) and/or through the cartridge 120 and/or vaporizable material 102 where compounds released from the vaporizable material 102 into the gas-phase are entrained into the air.
- the heating element 142 can be activated via the controller 104, which can optionally be a part of the vaporizer body 110 as discussed herein, causing current to pass from the power source 112 through a circuit including or otherwise electromagnetically coupled to (e.g., as part of an inductor-susceptor pairing) the heating element 142, which can be part of the vaporizer body 110.
- the heating element 142 can be activated in association with a user interacting with the vaporizer device 100.
- activation of the heating element 142 can be caused by automatic detection of a puff or other user interaction based on one or more signals generated by one or more sensors 113.
- the one or more sensors 113 and/or the signals generated by the one or more sensors 113 can include one or more of: a pressure sensor or sensors disposed to detect pressure along the airflow path of the vaporizer device 100 relative to ambient pressure or optionally to measure changes in absolute pressure; a temperature sensor or sensors, such as a thermistor, a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) circuit such as a PTC thermistor, a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) circuit such as an NTC thermistor, a thermocouple, and/or the like disposed to measure the temperature of the receptacle 118, the heating element 142, and/or some other component of the vaporizer body 110 or the cartridge 120; one or more circuits configured to determine a temperature of the heating element 142, for example based on measuring or determining a resistance and/or inductance of the heating element 142 via comparison to one or more resistors with a known resistance and/or one or more inductors with a known inductance; a motion sensor or sensors, such
- an airflow sensor or sensors configured to detect a flow rate of air, gas, or liquid within the vaporizer device 100; a capacitive sensor configured to detect touch, such as of a user’s finger(s), palm(s), lip(s), etc. on some part of the vaporizer device 100; circuitry configured to detect interaction with the vaporizer device 100 via one or more input devices 116, such as buttons, other tactile control devices, or the like of the vaporizer device 100; circuitry configured to receive and process signals from a computing device in communication with the vaporizer device 100; and/or circuitry configured for determining that a puff is occurring or imminent.
- the vaporizer device 100 can be configured to start a heating cycle that can include a period of heating the heating element 142, receptacle 118, cartridge 120, and/or vaporizable material 102 to an operating (e.g., pre-determined) temperature or temperature range (e.g., a temperature or range sufficient to convert, to the gas phase, one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102).
- an operating (e.g., pre-determined) temperature or temperature range e.g., a temperature or range sufficient to convert, to the gas phase, one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102).
- the vaporizer device 100 can be configured to maintain or otherwise regulate the application of heat such that the vaporizable material 102 can be vaporized without burning.
- additional heat can be provided via the heating element 142 upon detection of an event, such as a user placing their lips on the vaporizer device 100, the user taking a puff on the vaporizer device 100, and/or any of the signals (e.g., generated by the one or more sensors 113) described herein.
- an event such as a user placing their lips on the vaporizer device 100, the user taking a puff on the vaporizer device 100, and/or any of the signals (e.g., generated by the one or more sensors 113) described herein.
- the heating cycle can terminate upon detection of an additional interaction with the vaporizer device 100 via the one or more input devices 116, upon determining that a certain amount of time has elapsed since the start of the heating cycle, upon determining the user is no longer puffing on the vaporizer device 100 (e.g., mouthpiece 130 of the cartridge 102), upon determining that a certain amount of time has elapsed since the last detection of a user puff, upon determining that a cartridge 120 is not present within the receptacle 118, as a result of other events, actions, detected durations of the same, and/or the like, consistent with implementations described herein.
- the vaporizer device 100 can be configured to connect (e.g., wirelessly or via a wired connection) to a computing device (or optionally two or more devices) in communication with the vaporizer device 100.
- the controller 104 can include communication hardware 105.
- the controller 104 can also include a memory 108.
- the communication hardware 105 can include firmware and/or can be controlled by software for executing one or more protocols for the communication.
- a computing device can be a component of a vaporizer system that also includes the vaporizer device 100, and can include its own hardware for communication, which can establish a wireless communication channel with the communication hardware 105 of the vaporizer device 100.
- a computing device used as part of a vaporizer system can include a general-purpose computing device (such as a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, some other portable device such as a smartwatch, or the like) that executes software to produce a user interface for enabling a user to interact with the vaporizer device 100.
- a general-purpose computing device such as a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, some other portable device such as a smartwatch, or the like
- a user interface for enabling a user to interact with the vaporizer device 100.
- such computing device(s) used as part of a vaporizer system can be a dedicated piece of hardware such as a remote control or other wireless or wired device having one or more physical or soft (e.g., configurable on a screen or other display device and selectable via user interaction with a touch-sensitive screen or some other input device 116 like a mouse, pointer, trackball, cursor buttons, or the like) interface controls.
- the vaporizer device 100 can also include one or more outputs 117 or devices for providing information to the user.
- the outputs 117 can include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to provide feedback to a user based on a status and/or mode of operation of the vaporizer device 100.
- LEDs light emitting diodes
- the one or more LEDs can be single-color LEDs and/or multicolored LEDs (e.g., both can be separately used).
- the computing device executes one or more computer instruction sets to provide a user interface and underlying data handling.
- detection by the computing device of user interaction with one or more user interface elements can cause the computing device to signal the vaporizer device 100 to activate the heating element 142 to reach an operating temperature for creation of an inhalable dose of aerosol.
- the temperature of the heating element 142 of the vaporizer device 100 can depend on a number of factors, including an amount of power or energy delivered to the heating element 142, a voltage applied to the heating element 142 and/or driving circuitry 143, a duty cycle at which power or current is delivered, a frequency at which power is provided is applied to the heating element 142 and/or driving circuitry 143, a time during which the power or current is delivered, an efficiency of the heating element 142 converting current to heat, a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the heating element 142, the construction and geometry of the heating element 142 (e.g., thickness, number of layers, number of folds or bends, etc.), conductive and/or radiative heat transfer to other parts of the vaporizer device 100 (e.g., vaporizable material 102), and/or to the environment, la
- TCR temperature coefficient of resistance
- the vaporizer device 100 can make use of signals from the one or more sensors 113.
- the one or more sensors 113 can include a pressure sensor and/or airflow sensors, to determine when a user is inhaling.
- the one or more sensors 113 can optionally be positioned in the airflow path and/or can be connected (for example, by a passageway or other path) to an airflow path containing an airflow inlet for air to enter the vaporizer device 100 and an airflow outlet via which the user inhales the resulting aerosol such that the one or more sensors 113 experiences changes (for example, pressure changes) concurrently with air passing through the vaporizer device 100 from the airflow inlet to the airflow outlet.
- the heating element 142 can be activated in association with a user’s puff, for example by automatic detection of the puff, or by the one or more sensors 113 detecting a change (such as a pressure change or flow rate) in the airflow path.
- the vaporizer device 100 can make use of other signals from one or more sensors 113.
- the one or more sensors 113 can include a capacitive, conductive, and/or electromagnetic sensor, to determine the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element 142.
- the one or more sensors 113 can optionally be positioned in a location that is in physical contact with the heating element 142 (for example, within the receptacle 118) or in a location that is sufficiently close to the heating element 142 to measure the variations in an electromagnetic field or components affecting the heating element 142 (e.g., within, touching, or proximate to at least some part of the receptacle 118).
- the one or more sensors 113 can be in electrical communication with an inductor configured to inductively heat the heating element 142 and/or configured to determine the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the inductor.
- the one or more sensors 113 can include a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the inductor and/or heating element 142. Based on information derived from the one or more sensors 113, the controller 104 can be configured to estimate a temperature of the heating element 142, as described herein.
- the heating element 142 can be activated and/or power provided to the heating element 142 can be adapted in association with an estimated temperature of the heating element 142, for example by comparison of the detected inductance and/or resistance of the heating element 142 via the one or more sensors 113 with a suitable sensing circuit.
- the one or more sensors 113 can be positioned on and/or coupled to (e.g., electrically or electronically connected, physically or via a wireless connection) the controller 104 (e.g., a printed circuit board assembly or other type of circuit board).
- the controller 104 e.g., a printed circuit board assembly or other type of circuit board.
- the seal which can be a gasket, can be configured to at least partially surround the one or more sensors 113 such that connections of the one or more sensors 113 to the internal circuitry of the vaporizer device 100 are separated from a part of the one or more sensors 113 exposed to the airflow path.
- Such arrangements of the seal in the vaporizer device 100 can be helpful in mitigating against potentially disruptive impacts on vaporizer components resulting from interactions with environmental factors such as water in the vapor or liquid phases and/or to reduce the escape of air from the designated airflow path in the vaporizer device 100.
- Passage of air, liquid, or other fluid passing and/or contacting circuitry of the vaporizer device 100 can cause various unwanted effects, such as altered pressure and/or airflow readings, and/or can result in the buildup of material, such as moisture or residue, errant portions of the vaporizable material 102, etc., in parts of the vaporizer device 100 where they can result in poor pressure and/or airflow signal, degradation of the one or more sensors 113 or other components, and/or a shorter life of the vaporizer device 100.
- Leaks in the seal can also result in a user inhaling air that has passed over parts of the vaporizer device 100 containing, or constructed of, materials that may not be desirable to be inhaled, such as the controller 104, power source 112, and/or the like.
- the one or more sensors 113 can additionally or alternatively be positioned on a surface that is biased against some part of the heating element 142.
- the one or more sensors 113 can be disposed on a surface of a spring or other resiliently deformable structure, or otherwise biased by a spring or other resiliently deformable structure, such that the one or more sensors 113 remains in physical contact with a surface of the heating element 142.
- a spring or other resiliently deformable structure in the vaporizer device 100 can be helpful in mitigating against potentially disruptive impacts on vaporizer components resulting from interactions with environmental factors such as those described herein.
- the cartridge 120 and vaporizer device 100 can include electrical connection features (e.g., electrical contacts, conductors, and the like) for completing a physical circuit that includes the controller 104 (e.g., a printed circuit board, a microcontroller, or the like), the power source 112, and the heating element 142.
- electrical connection features e.g., electrical contacts, conductors, and the like
- the circuit completed by these electrical connections can allow delivery of electrical current to the heating element 142 (e.g., resistive heating element) and can further be used for additional functions, such as measuring a resistance of the heating element 142 for use in determining and/or controlling a temperature of the resistive heating element based on a thermal coefficient of resistivity of the resistive heating element.
- a different circuit can be provided for measuring a resistance of the heating element 142, compared to the circuit that allows for delivery of the electrical current to the heating element 142, such as a circuit that includes one or more sensors 113 and the heating element 142, as described herein.
- the power source 112 can be part of a vaporizer body 110 and the heating element 142 can be disposed in the cartridge 120 and configured as a susceptor to be electromagnetically coupled with one or more inductor coils that are part of the driving circuitry 143 in the vaporizer body 110.
- a physical circuit in the vaporizer body 110 includes the controller 104 (e.g., a printed circuit board, a microcontroller, or the like), the power source 112, and the one or more inductor coils, which can be or form part of the driving circuitry 143.
- the physical circuit delivers electrical current to the one or more inductor coils and can further be used for additional functions, such as measuring inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element 142 for use in determining and/or controlling a temperature of the heating element 142 based on a thermal coefficient of resistivity of the heating element 142.
- a different circuit can be provided for measuring inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element 142, compared to the circuit that allows for delivery of the electrical current to the one or more inductor coils, such as a circuit that includes one or more sensors 113 as described herein.
- the receptacle 118 can include all or part of the heating element 142 (e.g., a heating coil, resistive heating element, etc.) that is configured to conductively, radiatively, convectively, etc. heat the cartridge 120 received in the receptacle 118, such as for forming an aerosol to be inhaled by a user of the vaporizer device 100.
- the receptacle 118 can include various implementations of the heating element 142 that are configured to receive and/or be placed in contact with the cartridge 120.
- the cartridge 120 can be configured for insertion in the receptacle 118, such as for forming contact between an outer surface of the cartridge 120 and one or more inner walls of the receptacle 118.
- the cartridge 120 can have a same or a similar shape as the receptacle 118.
- the cartridge 120 can include a square or rectangular shape.
- the cartridge 120 can include a circular cross-section and/or a cylindrical shape.
- the cartridge 120 can have a non-circular cross-section transverse to the longitudinal axis along which the cartridge 120 is inserted into the receptacle 118.
- the non-circular cross-section(s) of the cartridge 120 and/or receptacle 118 can include two sets of parallel or approximately parallel opposing sides (e.g., having a parallelogram-like shape), or other shapes, including curved shapes, having rotational symmetry of at least order two. For example, FIGs.
- FIG. 8A-8F illustrate example cross-sections of the cartridge 120 and/or receptacle 118, including a rectangular shape (FIG.8A), a rounded rectangular shape (FIG.8B), an elliptical or oval shape (FIG.8C), or other shapes that include corners, bends, edges, protrusions, recesses, and/or the like (FIGs. 8D-8F).
- approximate shape indicates that a basic likeness to the described shape is apparent, but that sides of the shape in question need not be completely linear and vertices need not be completely sharp. Rounding of both or either of the edges or the vertices of the cross-sectional shape is contemplated in the description of any non-circular cross-section referred to herein.
- At least one of the one or more inner walls forming the receptacle 118 can include the heating element 142 and/or include thermally conductive material.
- cartridge 120 configurations in which the cartridge 120 forms a sliding fit and/or forms close contact with the receptacle 118 can allow for efficient heat transfer between the heating element 142, the receptacle 118, and the cartridge 120, thereby causing efficient and effective heating of the vaporizable material 102 within the cartridge 120.
- At least one of the one or more inner walls forming the receptacle 118 can include ridges that only contact the cartridge 120 in specific locations, in order to minimize conductive heat losses from the cartridge due to physical contact with surfaces of the vaporizer body 110 that are not actively heated.
- cartridge 120 configurations in which the heater portion 141 (or other thermally conductive parts) of the cartridge 120 only contacts the receptacle 118 in certain regions, such as regions distal to the heating element(s) 142 can allow for maintaining a higher temperature at the heating element 142, thereby causing efficient and effective heating of the vaporizable material 102 within the cartridge 120.
- the cartridge 120 can include compressed and/or higher density configurations of non-liquid vaporizable material 102, which can further contribute to efficient and effective heating and converting, to the gas phase, one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102.
- vaporizable material 102 in a compressed and/or high- density configuration can include a minimal amount of air or pockets of air in the vaporizable material 102 thereby increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of transferring heat within the vaporizable material 102.
- Such a configuration can allow for reduced power consumption at least because less heating power is needed to effectively heat the vaporizable material 102 to a temperature sufficient to cause release of inhalable substances.
- the vaporizer device 100 can include a heating system configured to receive and heat the vaporizable material 102 for generating an inhalable aerosol.
- implementations of the heating system can include one or more heating elements 142 positioned at, against, near, within, outside, and/or along the walls of the receptacle 118 (e.g., extending along at least a portion of the wall(s) at the distal end (e.g., bottom) of the receptacle 118, extending along at least a portion of each of the distal wall(s) and/or side wall(s) of the receptacle 118, etc.).
- the walls of the receptacle 118 e.g., extending along at least a portion of the wall(s) at the distal end (e.g., bottom) of the receptacle 118, extending along at least a portion of each of the distal wall(s) and/or side wall(s) of the receptacle 118, etc.
- the one or more heating elements 142 can be configured to heat one or more of the walls of the receptacle 118 from the outside to the interior of the receptacle 118 (e.g., with the vaporizable material 102 being in the interior of the receptacle 118).
- implementations of the heating system can include one or more heating elements 142 positioned at, against, near, within, outside, and/or along the walls of the cartridge 120 (e.g., extending along at least a portion of the wall(s) at the distal end (e.g., bottom) of the cartridge 120, extending along at least a portion of each of the distal wall(s) and/or side wall(s) of the cartridge 120, etc.).
- the one or more heating elements 142 can form one or more of the walls of the cartridge 120 to heat from the outside to the interior of the cartridge 120 (e.g., with the vaporizable material 102 being in the interior of the cartridge 120 and optionally, in the interior of the heating element 142).
- the heating system can also include at least one airflow pathway, which can be configured to move heated air through the vaporizable material 102.
- the heating system can be configured to receive the cartridge 120 and heat the cartridge 120 using at least one heating element 142 to provide an inhalable aerosol via one or more airflow pathways for inhalation by a user.
- the heating system of the vaporizer device 100 is configured to heat a non-liquid vaporizable material, such as a tobacco-based material.
- the vaporizer body 110 can include one or more heater portions 141 or containers 123 that each accept and heat vaporizable material 102 via one or more heating elements 142, thereby generating an inhalable aerosol.
- the vaporizer device 100 can include one or more airflow pathways that extend through the cartridge 120 positioned within a respective receptacle 118, and out through a mouthpiece portion 130 to a user.
- the cartridge 120 can include one or more barriers configured to contain vaporizable material 102 and/or hold the components of the cartridge 120 together.
- the one or more barriers can be provided by the heating element 142 itself, a container 123, an insert 124, an outer layer, such as one or more wrappers 122, and/or the like.
- the one or more barriers can be made of material that is one or both of non-vapor permeable and moisture-resistant (e.g., resists damaging effects of water, at least to some extent).
- Such material can include one or more of metal, metal alloy, cotton, paper material such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature-resistant plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), cellulose acetate, non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like.
- use of a metal (such as aluminum) in the heating element 142 and/or a container 123 can be advantageous where efficient heat transfer (e.g., requiring less energy to spread across a larger region) is required, which can be the case where a singular heat source is provided.
- a metal such as stainless steel in the heating element 142 and/or a container 123 can be advantageous where efficient heat transfer is of less concern, such as where multiple heat sources are disposed to heat different regions of the cartridge 120.
- Containing the vaporizable material 102 within a non-vapor permeable and/or moisture-resistant barrier can protect the receptacle 118 and/or other portions of the vaporizer device 100 from vapor deposits and/or remains of the vaporizable material 102, such that cleaning of the heating element 142, receptacle 118, and/or other portions of the vaporizer device 100 after use may not be required.
- one or more of the heating element 142, the container 123, the insert 124, and/or the outer layer can provide a barrier between the vaporizable material 102 and the components of the vaporizer body 110, with the barrier optionally being non-vapor permeable and/or moisture-resistant.
- the heater 141 of FIG. 1A and/or the container 123 of FIG. 1B cartridge 120 can be configured to hold the vaporizable material 102 with a lid, outer layer and/or inner layer(s) (e.g., wrapper(s) 122), insert 124, and/or other component configured to retain the vaporizable material 102 therein.
- FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an implementation of a vaporizer device 200, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter.
- the vaporizer device 200 can be an implementation of one or more components of the vaporizer device 100 of FIGs.1A- 1B. Separately, any of the structure of functionality described with respect to the vaporizer device 200 of FIG.2 can be implemented in or by the vaporizer device 100 of FIGs.1A-1B.
- the vaporizer device 200 can include a vaporizer body 210, a receptacle 218, and a ledge 221 outside of the receptacle 218.
- a cartridge 220 containing vaporizable material 102 (including any implementation of the vaporizer material 102 of FIGs. 1A-1C) can be inserted into the receptacle 218, and at least a portion of the cartridge 220 can remain outside of the receptacle 218, such as at least part of the mouthpiece portion 230 that includes an airflow outlet 228. At least part of the heater portion 241 of the cartridge 220 can be inserted into and/or at least partially enclosed within the receptacle 218.
- the cartridge 220 can extend from a cartridge proximal end 220a to a cartridge distal end 220b and contain two or more portions, such as a heater portion 241 and a mouthpiece portion 230.
- the total distance between the cartridge proximal end 220a and the cartridge distal end 220b can be regarded as the cartridge 220 length, for example, extending along the y-axis as illustrated in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIG. 3).
- any component of the cartridge 220 can be referred to as having a length as referenced by the y- axis in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIG.3).
- the vaporizer body 210 can extend from a body proximal end 210a to a body distal end 210b.
- the total distance between the body proximal end 210a and the body distal end 210b can be regarded as the vaporizer body 210 length, for example, extending along the y-axis as illustrated in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIGs. 5A-5D).
- any component of the vaporizer body 210, as well as the vaporizer device 200 can be referred to as having a length as referenced by the y-axis in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIGs.5A-5D with respect to components of the vaporizer body 210).
- the cartridge 220 can be regarded as having two additional dimensions that are transverse to the cartridge 220 length, which are the depth and the width.
- the cartridge 220 depth can be the distance between two points on opposing faces (e.g., surface areas, which can be substantially the same size and shape when rotated about a central longitudinal axis, which can be regarded as an axis along which the cartridge 220 length extends) of the exterior of the cartridge 220, in a dimension that is perpendicular to the cartridge 220 length, for example, extending along the z-axis as illustrated in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIG. 3).
- any component of the cartridge 220 can be referred to as having a depth as referenced by the z-axis in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIG.3).
- the cartridge 220 depth can be understood as the greatest distance of the cartridge 220 along the z-axis and/or the distance between two opposing points on the exterior of the cartridge 220 (e.g., with the opposing points being opposite each other along an axis that is perpendicular to the center of the cartridge 220 width).
- the cartridge 220 width can be the distance between two points on opposing faces of the exterior of the cartridge 220, in a dimension that is perpendicular to both the cartridge 220 length and the cartridge 220 depth, and is the longer of the two transverse dimensions, for example, extending along the x-axis as illustrated in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIG. 3).
- any component of the cartridge 220 can be referred to as having a width as referenced by the x-axis in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIG. 3).
- the cartridge 220 width can be understood as the greatest distance of the cartridge 220 along the x-axis and/or the distance between two opposing points on the exterior of the cartridge 220 (e.g., with the opposing points being opposite each other along an axis that is perpendicular to the center of the cartridge 220 depth). Accordingly, the axis along which the cartridge 220 width extends can be referred to as the first transverse axis and/or the cartridge long axis, and the axis along which the cartridge 220 depth extends can be referred to as the second transverse axis and/or the cartridge short axis.
- a surface of the cartridge 220 extending primarily along the cartridge 220 width can be referred to as a long side of the cartridge 220 and/or as being on a long side of the cartridge 220, and a surface of the cartridge 220 extending primarily along the cartridge 220 depth can be referred to as a short side of the cartridge 220 and/or as being on a short side of the cartridge 220.
- Each of the referenced surfaces of the cartridge 220 can be a surface area on the exterior of the cartridge 220.
- the longer opposing faces can be regarded as being on the long/longer sides of the cartridge 220, offset along the cartridge 220 depth, and the smaller opposing faces can be regarded as being on the short/shorter sides of the cartridge 220, offset along the cartridge 220 width.
- this terminology can be applied to any implementation of a cartridge and its subcomponents described herein (e.g., heater portion, mouthpiece portion, heating element, layer of material, wrapper, insert, and/or the like), and this terminology is not redefined with respect to each implementation or subcomponent for the sake of brevity.
- the vaporizer body 210 can also be regarded as having two additional dimensions that are transverse to the vaporizer body 210 length, which are the depth and the width.
- the vaporizer body 210 depth can be the distance between two points on opposing faces of the exterior of the vaporizer body 210, in a dimension that is perpendicular to the vaporizer body 210 length, for example, extending along the z-axis as illustrated in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIG.5A).
- any component of the vaporizer body 210, as well as the vaporizer device 200, can be referred to as having a depth as referenced by the z-axis in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIG.5A with respect to components of the vaporizer body 210).
- the vaporizer body 210 depth can be understood as the greatest distance of the vaporizer body 210 along the z-axis and/or the distance between two opposing points on the exterior of the vaporizer body 210 (e.g., with the opposing points being opposite each other along an axis that is perpendicular to the center of the vaporizer body 210 width).
- the vaporizer body 210 width can be the distance between two points on opposing faces of the exterior of the vaporizer body 210, in a dimension that is perpendicular to both the vaporizer body 210 length and the vaporizer body 210 depth, and is the longer of the two transverse dimensions, for example, extending along the x-axis as illustrated in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIGs. 5A-5D).
- any component of the vaporizer body 210, as well as the vaporizer device 200 can be referred to as having a width as referenced by the x-axis in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIGs.5A-5D with respect to components of the vaporizer body 210).
- the vaporizer body 210 width can be understood as the greatest distance of the vaporizer body 210 along the x-axis and/or the distance between two opposing points on the exterior of the vaporizer body 210 (e.g., with the opposing points being opposite each other along an axis that is perpendicular to the center of the vaporizer body 210 depth). Accordingly, the axis along which the vaporizer body 210 width extends can be referred to as the first transverse axis and/or the vaporizer body long axis, and the axis along which the vaporizer body 210 depth extends can be referred to as the second transverse axis and/or the vaporizer body short axis.
- a surface of the vaporizer body 210 extending primarily along the vaporizer body 210 width can be referred to as a long side of the vaporizer body 210 and/or as being on a long side of the vaporizer body 210, and a surface of the vaporizer body 210 extending primarily along the vaporizer body 210 depth can be referred to as a short side of the vaporizer body 210 and/or as being on a short side of the vaporizer body 210.
- Each of the referenced surfaces of the vaporizer body 210 can be a surface area on the exterior of the vaporizer body 210.
- the longer opposing faces can be regarded as being on the long/longer sides of the vaporizer body 210, offset along the vaporizer body 210 depth, and the smaller opposing faces can be regarded as being on the short/shorter sides of the vaporizer body 210, offset along the vaporizer body 210 width.
- this terminology can be applied to any implementation of a vaporizer body and its subcomponents described herein (e.g., holder assembly, frame, inductor, flux concentrator, shell, and/or the like), and this terminology is not redefined with respect to each implementation or subcomponent for the sake of brevity.
- elements described herein can have surfaces defined in Euclidean or non-Euclidean spaces.
- Dimensions of ends, sides, faces, and/or the like that exist in non- Euclidean spaces can be regarded as dimensions of the referenced ends, sides, faces and/or the like that exist in Euclidean spaces.
- the distance between any two ends, sides, faces, points, etc. can be equal to the shortest distance between two opposing points at the center of each identified structure, component, region, portion, etc. However, in the event a structure, component, region, portion, etc.
- the distance can be equal to the longest distance along a plane or volume that intersects the identified ends, sides, points, etc., orthogonal to the identified ends, sides, points, etc.
- the term “heater portion” as used herein can refer to a portion (e.g., region and/or subset of the components) of a cartridge that includes a heating element or is otherwise heated in use.
- the term “mouthpiece portion” as used herein can refer to a portion (e.g., region and/or subset of the components) of a cartridge that includes a mouthpiece or other component to which a user applies their mouth in use.
- cartridges are generally described herein with respect to a heater portion and a mouthpiece portion for simplicity, it will be appreciated that additional portions can be provided within the cartridge, which can be at least partially upstream, between, downstream, adjacent, within and/or exterior to the heater portion and/or mouthpiece portion.
- an external wrapper or shell can be exterior to both the heater portion and mouthpiece portion
- a space and/or component(s) can be disposed between the heater portion and mouthpiece portion such as a divider
- the heater portion can include an insert and/or end cap upstream or at least partially within the heater portion
- the mouthpiece portion can include an insert and/or end cap downstream or at least partially within the mouthpiece portion, and/or the like.
- the mouthpiece portion 230 and the heater portion 241 can be approximately the same size in length (e.g., 1:1) along the cartridge 220 length, other relative sizes are contemplated (e.g., approximately 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, 5:4, and/or the like). Furthermore, it will be appreciated that although described at times as separable, the mouthpiece portion 230 and the heater portion 241 can simply regarded as general regions of a unitary body that is the cartridge 220.
- the vaporizer device 200 can include one or more input devices 216a, 216b (collectively referred to as input devices 216), such as a pair of input devices 216a on opposing sides of the vaporizer body 210 and/or one or more input devices 216b on the ledge 221.
- the one or more input devices 216a, 216b can include a button (e.g., plastic, metal, elastomeric), a capacitive sensor, and/or the like.
- a controller (not illustrated) of the vaporizer device 200 similar to controller 104 of FIGs.
- a controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to activate the vaporizer device 200 only in response to detecting actuation of all of the input devices 216 (e.g., two input devices 216a located at opposing sides of the vaporizer body 210). It can be beneficial to provide multiple input devices 216 in different locations that are less likely to each be activated accidentally (e.g., in locations most likely to be touched all at the same time only during active use of the vaporizer device 200).
- the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to select predetermined operating temperatures and/or heating profiles from among N temperatures or profiles. In accordance with these implementations, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured (and thereby a user can be allowed) to select a temperature or profile based on detecting actuation of the one or more input devices 216.
- the input device(s) 216 can be used to increase and decrease the currently selected operating temperature (also referred to as target temperature) and/or profile between a range of zero (0) through N temperatures and/or profiles, where zero means the vaporizer device 200 is in an “off” state (e.g., not actively heating the receptacle 218 but otherwise configured to detect interactions with one or more components of the vaporizer device 200). Accordingly, an input device 216 can be actuated to increase the currently selected operating temperature and/or profile and the same or another input device 216 can be actuated to decrease the currently selected operating temperature and/or profile.
- the input device(s) 216 can be actuated to provide for switching between the “off” state and an “on” state (e.g., where the “on” state starts at the lowest pre-configured temperature and/or profile) when one or more input device 216 is actuated (e.g., held down or pressed) for a predetermined time.
- the controller 104 can be configured to heat different regions of the heating element 143, optionally at different temperatures and/or times.
- the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to operate (e.g., power the heating element 142 as described herein) at one or more predetermined operating temperatures, such as based on a default or user-selected heating profile.
- the controller of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to power the heating element 142 at a first operating temperature for a first period of time, power the heating element 142 at a second operating temperature for a second period of time, power the heating element 142 at a third operating temperature for a third period of time, and/or the like.
- the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to power the heating element 142 based on usage of the vaporizer device 200.
- an operating temperature of the heating element 142 can be initially set to an initial operating temperature and/or the operating temperature can be dynamically changed depending on detected airflow, temperatures, heating time, power applied, estimated vaporizable material 102 used, estimated vaporizable material 102 remaining, and/or the like.
- heating of the vaporizable material 102 is at times described with respect to a singular heating element 142, it will be appreciated that multiple heating elements 142 and/or multiple regions of a singular heating element 142 can be implemented and/or controlled in the same or similar manner to provide more control over vaporization of the vaporizable material 102.
- the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to detect when the heater portion 241 is present within the receptacle 218 and/or for a sufficient duration of time. In response to determining that the heater portion 241 is present within the receptacle 218 and/or for a sufficient duration of time, the controller of the vaporizer device 200 can switch the vaporizer device 200 between the “off” state and the “on” state, increase the temperature (e.g., to a range of zero (0) through N target temperatures), implement a predetermined (e.g., user-selected) profile (e.g., from a plurality of zero (0) through N different profiles), and/or the like.
- a predetermined profile e.g., from a plurality of zero (0) through N different profiles
- the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to determine whether a cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed. This can occur when all, most, or an estimated threshold amount of one or more compound present in the vaporizable material 102 contained within the cartridge 220 has been converted to the gas phase, when an insufficient amount or quality of the vaporizable material 102 is present to provide an inhalable aerosol that would be satisfying to a user, and/or the like.
- the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to determine that the cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed. Based on determining that the cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be figured to provide an indication that the cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed, switch the vaporizer device 200 into the “off” state, and/or the like.
- the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to provide indications of an estimated amount of vaporizable material 102 left in the cartridge 220 and/or an estimated amount of time remaining in a vaporizing session during which the vaporizable material 102 can be used (e.g., a period of time starting when the vaporizer device 200 is heated or when the receptacle 218 reaches a predetermined operating temperature and ending when the cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed).
- the controller 104 can be contained in and/or in communication with the vaporizer body 210 and/or the cartridge 220.
- the vaporizer device 200 can include a plurality of outputs 217 (e.g., LEDs) that can be similar to the output(s) 117 (e.g., vibration, sound, and/or the like), and the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to illuminate one or more of the LED outputs 217 in response to detecting actuation of one or more of the input devices 216a, 216b, in response to detecting a cartridge 220 has been inserted into the receptacle 218, to indicate the currently selected operating temperature and/or temperature profile; to indicate the current temperature of the receptacle 218; to indicate the current temperature of the receptacle 218 relative to the currently selected operating temperature and/or temperature profile; to indicate the current temperature of the receptacle 218 has reached the currently selected operating temperature; to indicate an estimated amount of useable vaporizable material remaining in a cartridge 220 (e.g., by selectively illuminating more or less of the LED outputs 217); to
- the one or more input devices 216a, 216b can include one or more of the LEDs described (additionally or alternatively to the LED outputs 217), be at least partially surrounded by the LEDs, and/or be positioned relative to the LEDs such that a perimeter (e.g., halo) of light at least partially surrounds a perimeter of the one or more input devices 216a, 216b.
- the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to illuminate the LEDs (e.g., the plurality of LED outputs 217 and/or LEDs proximate one or more of the input devices 216a, 216b) in one or more colors and/or according to one or more patterns.
- the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to illuminate the LEDs according to different colors to indicate a current temperature of the receptacle 218 (e.g., oven), blink one or more times to indicate the current temperature of the receptacle 218 has reached the currently selected operating temperature, and/or the like.
- a current temperature of the receptacle 218 e.g., oven
- blink one or more times to indicate the current temperature of the receptacle 218 has reached the currently selected operating temperature e.g., oven
- the controller 104 can be configured to provide haptic feedback (e.g., via one or more outputs 217, such as a motor, a linear resonant actuator, and/or the like) to indicate the one or more input devices 216a, 216b have been pressed, whether the vaporizer device 200 has switched between the “off” state and/or the “on” state (e.g., that the receptacle 218 is heating up), a current temperature of the receptacle 218 (e.g., in a periodic pattern with increasing frequency), whether the current temperature of the receptacle 218 has reached the currently selected operating temperature, when threshold amounts of the estimated amount of useable vaporizable material remaining in a cartridge 220 are reached, when threshold amounts of estimated amounts of time remaining in the vaporizing session are reached, that the cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed, and/or the like.
- haptic feedback e.g., via one or more outputs 217, such as a motor, a linear
- FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an implementation of a cartridge 320 in an exploded schematic form, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter.
- the cartridge 320 can be an implementation of one or more components of the cartridges 120 of FIGs.
- the cartridge 320 can extend from a cartridge proximal end 320a to a cartridge distal end 320b and contain two or more portions, such as a heater portion 341 and a mouthpiece portion 330.
- the total distance between the cartridge proximal end 320a and the cartridge distal end 320b can be regarded as the cartridge 320 length, and transverse to the cartridge 320 length are the width (longer dimension, x-axis) and the depth (shorter dimension, z-axis).
- cartridges 320 can have surfaces defined in Euclidean or non-Euclidean spaces.
- the heater portion 341 can include a heating element 342 and vaporizable material 302.
- the heating element 342 and/or the vaporizable material 302 can extend between a heater portion proximal end 341a and a heater portion distal end 341b, and the total distance (dimension) between these two ends can be referred to as the heater portion 341 length.
- the heater portion 341 length can be referred to with respect to the longitudinal axis (y-axis) along which the cartridge 320 is inserted into a receptacle (e.g., the receptacle 218 of FIG. 2).
- the heater portion 341 can also be regarded as having two additional dimensions that are transverse to the heater portion 341 length, which are the width (longer dimension, x-axis) and the depth (shorter dimension, z-axis).
- heat transfer can be more efficient.
- a heating element 342 and/or vaporizable material 302 that includes two wider, opposing surface areas (e.g., faces) with a shorter distance between the two opposing surfaces can allow for a vaporizer device that only needs to actively heat from one or two of the opposing sides, as opposed to on all surfaces of a cylindrical surface.
- the remaining portions of the heating element 342 that are not actively heated can be configured to absorb and redistribute heat from the nearby regions that are actively heated, thereby providing heat to a much larger surface area of the vaporizable material 302 compared to a cylindrical surface. While this non-cylindrical structure (e.g., elliptical or oval) is harder to manufacture than a cylindrical structure, it provides benefits to the user by making the system easier and more comfortable to use (e.g., more ergonomic structure that fits the natural shape of a user’s lips). Additionally, the use of less power due to increased efficiency allows for longer battery life and/or less spatial constraints on the vaporizer device (e.g., a smaller battery can be used).
- the manner in which the heating element 342 and/or vaporizable material 302 is heated can affect the temperature at which the vaporizable material 302 is heated and/or the rate at which one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 302 are converted to the gas phase and/or otherwise released from the vaporizable material 302.
- the heating element 342 can be configured to convert electrical energy into heat (e.g., through inductive heating, resistive heating, etc.).
- the heating element 342 of FIG.3 can instead be regarded as a container (e.g., similar to the container 123 of FIG. 1B) that receives heat from an external heat source and distributes it to the vaporizable material 302.
- inductive heating is used to heat the heating element 342
- providing a wider surface area also has further benefits. For example, it is easier to generate eddy currents in wider, flatter, and/or larger surfaces as compared to curved and/or smaller surfaces.
- larger surface areas of a heating element 342 allow for more surface area of the heating element 342 to be in direct and thermal contact with a larger area of the vaporizable material 302 and/or be in thermal contact with air passing through the cartridge 320.
- These eddy currents can be generated over a larger surface area using less energy and/or the larger surface area can provide multiple, smaller regions that can be selectively targeted using a plurality of smaller inductors.
- the inductive coil(s) can include or otherwise be formed of Litz wire.
- Litz wire can refer to a wire formed from a plurality of strands of metal (e.g., 5 strands, 10 strands, 20 strands, 40 strands, etc.) that are twisted or braided together, and can optionally include an outer insulation material, an internal core of material, and/or the like.
- a susceptor is provided that is non-ferritic and/or non- magnetically permeable.
- aluminum can be considered as non-ferritic and non- magnetically permeable, and thereby substantially unaffected by hysteresis.
- the temperature of non-ferritic and/or non-magnetically permeable susceptors can be derived based on the direct relationship of the temperature of the susceptor and eddy currents, as described herein.
- inductors and/or inductive coils may be referred to herein as “heating” susceptors and/or heating element, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that heating in this sense can be regarded as an inductor generating magnetic and/or electromagnetic energy that is radiated into and absorbed by one or more segments of a susceptor, which is in turn converted into heat via eddy currents and/or hysteresis.
- the heater portion 341 can be contained within a wrapper 322.
- the wrapper 322 can be similar to the outer layer (e.g., wrapper(s) 122) of FIGs.1A-1B.
- the wrapper 322 can be made of material such as one or more of a paper material such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature- resistant plastic (e.g., PET), non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like.
- the wrapper 322 can extend along all or at least some part of the heater portion 341 length, and define an interior volume between the heater portion 341 depth and width.
- the vaporizable material 302 can fill the majority of the volume, but other components can be present, such as an end cap and/or divider configured to at least partially enclose end(s) of the volume.
- the heating element 342 extends between all or at least some part of the heater portion 341 length, and defines an interior volume between the heater portion 341 depth and width within which the vaporizable material 302 can be contained.
- the vaporizable material 302 can be formed from tobacco leaves (e.g., dried, cut, shredded, and/or reconstituted), tobacco stems (dried, cut, shredded, and/or ground), a carrier, and/or an acid (e.g., an organic acid such as benzoic acid, citric acid, and/or the like).
- the ratio of tobacco leaves to tobacco stems can be based on the total desired amount of nicotine to be delivered, and can vary with the strain of tobacco used. Tobacco stems can provide a similar sensation to smoking when vaporized, but with a lower nicotine content.
- the carrier can be formed of vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, and/or the like.
- the carrier can form 30-50% of the total weight of the vaporizable material 302. Because tobacco naturally includes some moisture, the percentage by weight of the carrier can be measured with respect to the dried weight of the vaporizable material (e.g., substantially free of water). [0206] Including a carrier such as vegetable glycerin as at least 30% of the dried weight of the vaporizable material 302 can create a smoother inhalable aerosol and provide a unique experience to users that is more pleasant than smoking combustible cigarettes and other available heat-not-burn products.
- cartridges 320 containing vaporizable material 302 with a carrier forming at least 30% of the dried weight of the vaporizable material 302 can allow for a lower temperature of vaporization (e.g., by approximately 100 degrees Celsius), and therefore less odor, higher flavor extraction efficiency, net reduction in HPHCs (harmful and potentially harmful constituents) such as via less charring, a more tunable experience, a more uniform vaporization of nicotine from tobacco over time, a faster heat up time (e.g., 10- 15 seconds compared to 20-30 seconds, or more), and/or the like.
- a lower temperature of vaporization e.g., by approximately 100 degrees Celsius
- HPHCs harmful and potentially harmful constituents
- a faster heat up time e.g., 10- 15 seconds compared to 20-30 seconds, or more
- the tobacco leaves and tobacco stems are in an approximately 1:1, 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, or 4:5 ratio and vegetable glycerin forms at least 30% of the dried weight of the vaporizable material 302, such as approximately 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, or less than 50%.
- the vaporizable material 302 includes tobacco leaves and tobacco stems in an approximately 1:1 ratio, and approximately 35% by weight (dried) of vegetable glycerin. Having a carrier in higher quantities can result in degradation of components of the vaporizer body 110, 120, such as the receptacle 118, 218 if not properly compensated for.
- the heating element 342 can be formed of metal, such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, brass, zirconium, stainless steel (ferritic or non-ferritic), nickel, and/or the like.
- metal such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, brass, zirconium, stainless steel (ferritic or non-ferritic), nickel, and/or the like.
- aluminum is beneficial for spreading heat and stainless steel is better for localized heat.
- a non- magnetic material such as aluminum
- ferritic stainless steel is inductively heated by a hysteresis mechanism.
- Different inductor coil arrangements are generally needed for these two heating approaches, which can have different requirements such as an amount of power required to generate an electromagnetic field.
- the heating element 342 is non-ferritic and non-magnetically permeable, which can simplify the design of the vaporizer device 100, 200 and allow for tighter control in heating of the heating element 342.
- the heating element 342 can be formed of one or more pieces, and can define all, substantially all, or at least a portion of the walls that define the volume into which the vaporizable material 302 can be inserted.
- the heating element 342 can form at least a portion of a bottom wall of the heater portion 341 (proximate the heater portion distal end 341b), a top wall of the heater portion 341 (proximate the heater portion proximal end 341a), and/or a perimeter along a length of the heater portion 341 (extending between the heater portion distal end 341b and the heater portion proximal end 341a).
- this bottom wall can be the most distal portion of the heater portion 341 at the heater portion distal end 341b or can be offset from the heater portion distal end 341b such that it is not the most distal portion of the cartridge at the heater portion distal end 341b.
- this top wall can be the most proximal portion of the heater portion 341 at the heater portion proximal end 341a or can be offset from the heater portion proximal end 341a such that it is not the most proximal portion of the cartridge at the heater portion proximal end 341a.
- Such bottom walls and/or top walls can include one or more perforations or other openings to allow for passage of air and/or vaporized material.
- the heating element 342 forms at least a portion of a perimeter of the heater portion 341
- the heating element 342 can be disposed inside and/or on an interior surface of the wrapper 322 or outside and/or on an exterior surface of the wrapper 322.
- the heating element 342 can be formed from one or more sheets of metal that are configured to wrap (at least partially) around the perimeter of the heater portion 341. Where one or more sheets are used, the two ends of the heating element 342 sheet can meet or be in proximity to each other, at or near a joint location 345, as shown in FIG.
- a surface of the heating element 342 primarily facing towards and/or touching the vaporizable material 302 can be regarded as an interior face of the heating element 342 and a surface of the heating element 342 primarily facing away from and/or not touching the vaporizable material 302 can be regarded as an exterior face of the heating element 342.
- a joint location 345 can be regarded as a location or region, at or near an end of the heating element 342, such as where the end of the heating element 342 is at or near another end or another region of the heating element 342.
- the joint location 345 can optionally be regarded as the overlapping portion, bounded in part by the ends of the heating element 342. Additionally or alternatively, in some aspects a joint location 345 can be regarded as a location or region, at or near where a joint is formed (e.g., via direct physical contact, welding, gluing, and/or the like) between two portions of the heating element 342.
- Optional variants of the heating element 342 are illustrated in FIG. 6 as heating element 1542 and in FIG.7 as heating elements 1542a, 1542b (collectively, heating elements(s) 1542), disposed outside and/or on an exterior surface of a wrapper 1522 of a cartridge 1520.
- a portion of the heating element 342, 1542 proximate one end of the heating element 342, 1542 at least partially overlaps with a portion proximate another end of the heating element 1542, such as proximate the joint location 345, 1545.
- the overlapping portions can be welded, glued, crimped, interlocked, pressed, or otherwise connected together.
- the overlapping portions of the heating element 1542 can be crimped, knurled, folded, and/or hemmed together such as with the exterior face of the heating element 1542 proximate one end of the heating element 1542 connected to the interior face of the heating element 1542 proximate another end, with the exterior face of the heating element 1542 proximate one end of the heating element 1542 connected to the exterior face of the heating element 1542 proximate another end, or with the interior face of the heating element 1542 proximate one end of the heating element 1542 connected to the interior face of the heating element 1542 proximate another end.
- the overlapping or intersecting portions of the heating element 1542 can be large enough that they form a capacitive region 1549 (see e.g., FIG. 6), which can improve performance of the heating element 1542 by providing a path for electrical current to flow across or through the capacitive region 1549.
- the capacitive region 1549 can be regarded as the region between two adjacent joint locations 1545. Additionally or alternatively, the capacitive region 1549 can be regarded as (or at least including) a region of the heating element 1542 where a path for electrical current to flow is formed between overlapping, intersecting, or otherwise connected, adjacent portions of the heating element 1542.
- the heating element 1542 is formed as a single, continuous loop of material without a joint location 345, 1545 (see e.g., FIG.7).
- specific portions of the heating element 342, 1542 can be modified (e.g., during manufacture, during use, etc.) to provide particular electrical properties that allow for more control over the current flowing through heating element 342, 1542.
- a heating element 1542 can include a top region 1559a and a bottom region 1559b (e.g., first and second regions, respectively), with one or more regions 1559c removed (e.g., cut out) between the top region 1559a and the bottom region 1559b.
- FIG. 6 As shown in FIG.
- multiple separate heating elements 1542 can additionally or alternatively be implemented, such as a top heating element 1542a and a bottom heating element 1542b.
- current can be induced within the top region 1559a or top heating element 1542a and the bottom region 1559b or bottom heating element 1542b via induction.
- current can be induced within the top region 1559a or top heating element 1542a via an electromagnetic field generated from one or more inductors adjacent to the top region 1559a or top heating element 1542a and current can be inducted within the bottom region 1559b or bottom heating element 1542b via an electromagnetic field generated from one or more inductors adjacent to the bottom region 1559b or bottom heating element 1542b.
- the heating element(s) 1542 it can be beneficial to heat the top region 1559a or top heating element 1542a and the bottom region 1559b or bottom heating element 1542b at different times, temperatures, frequencies, and/or the like.
- the presence of the region 1559c (or absence of material within the region 1559c) or separation between two different heating elements 1542a, 1542b can reduce or otherwise alter the flow of electrical current and/or heat between or among conductive regions of the heating element(s) 1542.
- region 1559c e.g., absence of material
- the presence of region 1559c can keep the majority of the induced current and/or heat produced within the top region 1559a, and/or substantially reduce the amount of current induced and/or heat produced in the top region 1559a from flowing or passing to the bottom region 1559b.
- region 1559c e.g., absence of material
- the presence of region 1559c can keep the majority of the induced current and/or heat produced within the bottom region 1559b, and/or substantially reduce the amount of current induced and/or heat produced in the bottom region 1559b from flowing or passing to the top region 1559a.
- keeping the majority of induced current within a particular region 1559a, 1559b can be regarded as less than 50% of the induced current passing through another region (or collective set of all other regions present) 1559b, 1559a, less than 40%, less than 30%, less than 20%, less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 2%, less than 1%, or the like.
- keeping the majority of heat produced within a particular region 1559a, 1559b can be regarded as less than 50% of the heat produced passing to another region (or collective set of all other regions present) 1559b, 1559a, less than 40%, less than 30%, less than 20%, less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 2%, less than 1%, or the like.
- the relative sizes of the regions 1559a, 1559b or heating elements 1542a, 1542b can be different. Although illustrated as including two regions 1559a, 1559b separated by a singular cut-out region 1559c on each of the long sides of the heating element 1542 in FIG.6 and two different heating elements 1542a, 1542b in FIG.7, additional regions or heating elements can be present.
- a heating element 342, 1542 can include three regions 1559 separated by two cut-out regions 1559 on each of the long sides of the heating element 342, 1542, four regions 1559 separated by three cut-out regions 1559 on each of the long sides of the heating element 342, 1542, and/or the like.
- more than two different heating elements 1542a, 1542b can be present.
- the relative size e.g., length along the y-axis, width along the x-axis, and/or depth along the z-axis
- each region 1559 or heating element 1542 can correspond to one or more dimensions of an adjacent inductor.
- a cross-section formed by the width and depth of each region 1559a, 1559b or heating element 1542a, 1542b can be proportional to a cross-section formed by the width and depth of an adjacent inductor.
- the length of a region 1559 such as the top region 1559a or top heating element 1542a can be substantially the same as the length of an adjacent inductor, can be larger than the length of an adjacent inductor (e.g., greater than 100%, between 100% to 110%, between 110% to 120%, between 120% to 130%, etc.), or can be shorter than the length of an adjacent inductor (e.g., less than 100%, between 90% to 100%, between 80% to 90%, between 70% to 80%, etc.).
- the length of a region 1559 such as the bottom region 1559b or the bottom heating element 1542b can be substantially the same as the length of an adjacent inductor, can be larger than the length of an adjacent inductor or can be shorter the length of an adjacent inductor.
- the length of a region 1559 such as the bottom region 1559b or bottom heating element 1542b can be significantly larger than the length of an adjacent inductor (e.g., approximately or more than 150%, more than 200%, more than 250%, etc.).
- the regions 1559 can be flipped such that the top region 1559a can be closer to the distal end of the heating element 342, 1542 and/or cartridge 320, and the bottom region 1559b can be closer to the proximal end of the heating element 342, 1542 and/or cartridge 320.
- the terms “top” and “bottom” are used with respect to the heating element 1542 of FIG. 7, in some implementations the heating elements 1542 can be flipped such that the top heating element 1542a can be closer to the distal end of the cartridge 320, and the bottom heating element 1542b can be closer to the proximal end of the cartridge 320.
- the wrapper 6 can be disposed inside and/or on an interior surface of the wrapper of a cartridge or outside and/or on an exterior surface the wrapper of a cartridge (e.g., wrapper 322 of the cartridge 320 of FIG.3, wrapper 1522 of the cartridge 1520 of FIG.7, and/or the like).
- wrapper 322 of the cartridge 320 of FIG.3, wrapper 1522 of the cartridge 1520 of FIG.7, and/or the like e.g., wrapper 322 of the cartridge 320 of FIG.3, wrapper 1522 of the cartridge 1520 of FIG.7, and/or the like.
- the heating elements 1542a, 1542b of FIG.7 are illustrated and described at times as being outside and/or on an exterior surface the wrapper 1522 of the cartridge 1520, the heating elements 1542a, 1542b can be disposed inside and/or on an interior surface of the wrapper 1522 of the cartridge 1520.
- the heating element(s) 342, 1542 can be made to include metal which is in a range of 50-150 ⁇ m thick, such as 50-100 ⁇ m thick, 60-80 ⁇ m thick, 70-90 ⁇ m thick, 75-85 ⁇ m thick, and optionally approximately 80 ⁇ m thick. In some implementations, the heating element(s) 342, 1542 can be made to include metal which is in a range of 3-15 ⁇ m thick, such as 5-10 ⁇ m thick, 6-8 ⁇ m thick, and optionally approximately 6.5 ⁇ m thick.
- the heating element(s) 342, 1542 can be made to include metal which is in a range of 200-800 nm thick, such as 200-400 nm thick, 300-500 nm thick, 400-600 nm thick, 400-800 nm thick, and/or the like.
- the heating element(s) 342, 1542 can be made to include metal which is backed with material(s) to increase rigidity, such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature-resistant plastic, non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like.
- the total thickness of the heating element(s) 342, 1542 can be measured as an average thickness of the heating element(s) 342, 1542 when disassembled and/or flattened, and as either inclusive or exclusive of the thickness of any backing.
- the metal can include an aluminum alloy, such as aluminum foil. In other implementations, the metal can include another alloy, such as invar.
- the heating element 342, 1542 can be formed of a cladded metal, which can take advantage of benefits of different metals.
- the heating element 342, 1542 can comprise a cladding metal formed from an aluminum alloy and stainless steel, which could take advantage of the higher coupling efficiency of stainless steel and the higher heat transfer of aluminum.
- the mouthpiece portion 330 can include an insert 324 that is at least partially wrapped in a wrapper 322 or some other shell or layer of material.
- the insert 324 can be similar to the insert(s) 124 of FIGs.1A-1B.
- the insert 324 can be made of material such as one or more of paper material such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature-resistant plastic (e.g., PET), cellulose acetate, non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like.
- the insert 324 and/or layer of material e.g., wrapper 322 can extend between a mouthpiece portion proximal end 330a and a mouthpiece portion distal end 330b, and the total distance between these two ends can be referred to as the mouthpiece portion 330 length.
- the mouthpiece portion 330 can include a shorter mouthpiece portion 330 depth transverse to its length, and a longer mouthpiece portion 330 width that is transverse to both its length and depth. These dimensions can extend in the same axes as the heater portion 341.
- the insert 324 can include a plurality of airflow outlet channels 326 (or aerosol outlet channels) that extend from a plurality of corresponding vapor inlets 335 at the mouthpiece portion distal end 330b to a plurality of corresponding airflow outlets 328 at the mouthpiece portion proximal end 330a.
- the airflow outlet channels 326 thereby form a fluid connection between the heater portion 341 and the airflow outlets 328, such that vapor generated in the heater portion 341 can be drawn towards a user at the mouthpiece portion proximal end 330a, and ultimately out of the airflow outlets 328 as an inhalable aerosol.
- the insert 324 Proximate to the mouthpiece portion distal end 330b (at least more proximate than to the mouthpiece portion proximal end 330a), can further include a plurality of bypass channels 338 that each extend from a corresponding bypass air inlet to a corresponding bypass outlets, and thereby form a fluid connection between the airflow outlet channels 326 and ambient air.
- the airflow outlet channels 326 and/or the bypass channels 338 can be created via a laser-cutting operation through walls of the insert 324 during the manufacturing process. Although two airflow outlet channels 326 are illustrated, more or less airflow outlet channels 326 can be present. Although one insert 324 is illustrated as extending along a majority of the length of the mouthpiece portion 330, additional inserts 324 can be present and/or the insert(s) 324 can extend along less than half of the length of the mouthpiece portion 330.
- the heater portion 341 can include one or more cartridge inlets (e.g., though-holes) at the heater portion distal end 341b configured to allow external air (i.e., external to the cartridge 320, such as ambient air) to enter the cartridge 320.
- the volume defined at least in part by the heating element 342 or otherwise including the heating element 342 can be referred to as a heater chamber, as it is a physically bound location in which heating is occurring.
- the heater chamber can be in fluid communication with the heater portion proximal end 341a, which can include one or more outlets.
- the one or more outlets at the heater portion proximal end 341a can be in fluid communication with the one or more cartridge inlets at the heater portion distal end 341b, via the heater chamber.
- this can cause external air to enter one or more cartridge inlets (e.g., though- holes) at the heater portion distal end 341b and cause ambient air to enter and pass through the plurality of bypass channels 338 (when present) at approximately the same time.
- the external air that enters at the heater portion distal end 341b can subsequently pass through the vaporizable material 302 as it is heated to entrain the vaporized material (also referred to as “vapor”) generated within the heater chamber. Meanwhile, ambient air enters and passes through the plurality of bypass channels 338, entering an associated airflow outlet channel 326.
- the air that entrains the vaporized material 302 in the heater chamber (including the volume defined at least in part by the heating element 342) can subsequently pass through one or more outlets at the heater portion proximal end 341a and into the plurality of vapor inlets 335 at the mouthpiece portion distal end 330b, entering the plurality of airflow outlet channels 326.
- each of the plurality of airflow outlet channels 326 can include one or more condensation chambers configured to condense the entrained vapor with the ambient air to form at least a portion of the inhalable aerosol.
- at least a part of one or more airflow outlet channels 326 can include one or more condensation chambers.
- the inhalable aerosol ultimately travels out of the airflow outlet(s) 328 at the mouthpiece portion proximal end 330a and into the mouth of a user.
- the path of air, vapor, and inhalable aerosol within the cartridge 320 can be referred to as the airflow path of the cartridge 320.
- the overall airflow path of a vaporizer device that includes the cartridge 320 is further defined by the vaporizer body, which is described in greater detail below.
- the “air” can contain other matter, such as gas-phase and/or condensed-phase material suspended in a stationary or moving mass of air or some other gas carrier (e.g., an aerosol), a liquid or solid at least partially transitioned to the gas phase (e.g., a vaporizable material), and/or the like.
- gas-phase and/or condensed-phase material suspended in a stationary or moving mass of air or some other gas carrier (e.g., an aerosol), a liquid or solid at least partially transitioned to the gas phase (e.g., a vaporizable material), and/or the like.
- more or less components and/or features can exist in the heater portion 341 and/or the mouthpiece portion 330
- the components and/or features of the heater portion 341 and/or the mouthpiece portion 330 can be disposed in different locations and/or take different physical forms, and/or components of the heater portion 341 and the mouthpiece portion 330 can instead be present in the other portion 330, 341.
- a cross-section of the mouthpiece portion 330 and/or the heater portion 341 can be a different shape.
- a cross-section of the mouthpiece portion 330 and/or the heater portion 341 can be similar to one or more of the cross-sections of FIGs. 8A-8F.
- the cross-section can be anywhere between the respective distal and proximal ends of each of the mouthpiece portion 330 and/or the heater portion 341.
- FIGs. 4A-4B illustrate cross-sectional schematics of an example implementation of a vaporizer device 400 consistent with implementations of the current subject matter. For purposes of simplicity only, certain components of the vaporizer device 400 are not illustrated. Implementations of the vaporizer device 400 can include or more components of the vaporizer devices 100a-100c of FIGs.
- the vaporizer device 400 can include a vaporizer body 410 and a cartridge 420 containing a vaporizable material 402 and one or more heating elements 442.
- the cross-section of the vaporizer device 400 illustrated in FIG. 4A is taken along the length and width of the vaporizer device (y-axis and x-axis), whereas the cross- section of the vaporizer device 400 illustrated in FIG.
- the vaporizer body 410 can include a holder assembly 458 and one or more sensors 413 (which can be part of or separate from the holder assembly 458).
- the holder assembly 458 can include a frame 447 defining a receptacle 418.
- the receptacle can optionally include a plurality of ridges or other features for retaining the cartridge 420 within the receptacle, such as by applying force against a region of the heater portion 441 that does not include a heating element 442.
- the holder assembly 458 can include or otherwise be coupled to one or more inductors 443 and/or one or more flux concentrators 448.
- each of the one or more inductors 443 can include an inductive coil configured to generate an electromagnetic field.
- the one or more heating elements 442 receives the electromagnetic field, they can be configured to convert the current to heat, in order to heat the vaporizable material 402.
- each of the one or more flux concentrators 448 can include a magnetic material (e.g., ferritic material) configured to control and/or direct an electromagnetic field, generated by a respective inductor 443, such as by changing magnetic properties of the field.
- each of the one or more flux concentrators 448 can include a nanocrystal material, a nanometal material, and/or the like.
- the inductor(s) 443 and/or flux concentrator(s) 448 can be secured to or on the frame 447.
- the cartridge 420 can include a mouthpiece portion 430 and a heater portion 441 within one or more layers of material (illustrated as wrapper(s) 422).
- the cartridge 420 can extend between a cartridge proximal end 420a and a cartridge distal end 420b, with the dimension between the two being the cartridge 420 length. Transverse to the cartridge 420 length (along the y-axis) and illustrated in FIG.
- the heater portion 441 can include one or more heating element 442 configured to heat the vaporizable material 402 of the cartridge 420 to generate a vapor. As described herein, the heat can be generated through inductive means, and apply heat to the vaporizable material 402 by conductive and/or convective heating.
- eddy currents can be induced in the heating element(s) 442 via induction, which in turn causes the heating element(s) 442 to heat up.
- the vaporizable material 402 is in direct contact with the heating element(s) 442, then the vaporizable material 402 can be heated via conductive heating at the points of direct contact.
- the heat produced by the heating element(s) 442 can be picked up by air passing along or near the heating element(s) 442 and distribute the heat to portions of the vaporizable material 402 that are not in physical contact with the heating element(s) 442, thereby heating the vaporizable material 402 via convective heating.
- the volume within which the vaporizable material 402 is held can be regarded as a heater chamber.
- the heating element(s) 442 can define at least a portion of a perimeter of a heater chamber containing the vaporizable material 402, and in some implementations define substantially all of the perimeter.
- Arrows shown extending from the heating element(s) 442 can indicate a direction of heat flow and/or heat transfer from the heating element(s) 442, such as the opposing sets of horizontal arrows extending from the heating element(s) 442 and directed towards a center of the heating chamber and/or towards a center of the vaporizable material 402. As shown in FIGS.
- arrows that are not extending from the heating element(s) 442 can indicate a direction of fluid flow (e.g., airflow, inhalable aerosol, etc.) and/or a fluid pathway (e.g., airflow pathway, inhalable aerosol pathway, etc.).
- the heater portion 441 can include an end cap (e.g., the illustrated first insert(s) 424a) proximate the cartridge distal end 420b to hold the vaporizable material 402 therein and/or define a lower boundary of the volume (e.g., heater chamber).
- the vaporizable material 402 can be formed with sufficient rigidity (e.g., in the form of a puck or another pre-formed shape) that an end cap is not necessary.
- first insert(s) 424a they can include one or more cartridge inlets and/or an air- permeable material such that ambient air can enter the heater chamber through the material.
- the first insert(s) 424a be regarded as a filter end cap, and/or include material such as one or more of paper material such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature-resistant plastic (e.g., PET), cellulose acetate, non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like.
- the end cap can include corrugated paper material that is pressed or formed to fit within a region at the cartridge distal end 420b.
- the mouthpiece portion 430 can include one or more second inserts 424b.
- the one or more second inserts 424b can include airflow outlet(s) 428, which can take the form of a cutout or other aperture (e.g., formed via laser-cutting, molding, pre-formed holes, and/or the like, as described herein).
- the one or more second inserts 424b can be disposed proximate the proximal end 420a of the cartridge 420.
- the cartridge 420 can optionally include first and second bypass channels 438a, 438b forming a fluid connection between the second airflow outlet channel 426b (or second aerosol outlet channel) and ambient air. As illustrated, the first and second bypass channels 438a, 438b can be formed through opposing long sides of the wrapper 422.
- bypass channels 438 can be created via a laser-cutting operation through walls of the wrapper 422 during the manufacturing process. Instead of one bypass channel 438 on each of the opposing long sides of the wrapper 422, it will be appreciated that additional bypass channels 438 can be present, that the bypass channels 438 can be disposed in different locations (e.g., on one or both of the short sides of the cartridge 420), and/or different numbers of bypass channels 438 can be located on opposing sides of the cartridge 420, including only having one or more bypass channels 438 on one side of the cartridge 420.
- the cartridge 420 can optionally include a divider 454 that is configured to restrict movement of the vaporizable material 402.
- the divider 454 can include a proximal end (or upstream end), an opposing distal end (or downstream end), and a boundary that extends between the two ends (e.g., along a perimeter of the divider 454, where the perimeter can optionally be substantially the same dimensions at each end). At least a portion of the boundary of the divider 454 can be in contact with a layer of material (e.g., wrapper 422) such that the divider 454 is held in place within the cartridge 420. [0231]
- the divider 454 can be proximate the intersection of the mouthpiece portion 430 and the heater portion 441.
- the divider 454 can be disposed closer along the cartridge 420 length to the cartridge distal end 420b or the cartridge proximal end 420a.
- the divider 454 can extend out of the distal end of the mouthpiece portion 430 such that it can couple with and/or be inserted within the heater portion 441.
- the divider 454 can be regarded as part of the mouthpiece portion 430 only, as part of both the mouthpiece portion 430 and the heater portion 441, or as part of an intermediate divider portion disposed between the mouthpiece portion 430 and the heater portion 441.
- At least a portion of the divider 454 or divider portion can be disposed within the receptacle 418 when the cartridge 420 is inserted into the vaporizer body 410 and/or at least a portion of the divider portion can be disposed outside of the receptacle 418 when the cartridge 420 is inserted into the vaporizer body 410.
- the boundary (e.g., outer walls) of the divider 454, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 420, are illustrated as only extending partially within the mouthpiece portion 430 (e.g., spaced apart from the second filter 424b).
- the boundary of the divider 454 can extend along a majority of the mouthpiece portion 430 (e.g., with the second filter 424b disposed adjacent the proximal end of the divider 454 and the vaporizable material 402 disposed adjacent the distal end of the divider 454).
- This extended boundary of the divider 454 can increase the overall durability and rigidity of the cartridge 420, especially in the region proximate the divider 454, which can be partially inserted into the receptacle 418 and/or in contact with one or more ridges of the receptacle 418 in some implementations.
- a divider 454 that does not extend all the way from adjacent the second filter 424b to adjacent the vaporizable material 402 can provide sufficient durability and rigidity to the cartridge 420 while also saving on manufacturing costs and complexity. Accordingly, in some implementations, the divider 454 can extend less than 50% of the distance between the second filter 424b (or cartridge proximal end 420a) and the vaporizable material 402 along the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 420, less than 40% of the same distance, less than 30% of the same distance, and/or the like.
- the divider 454 can include at least one first airflow outlet channel 426a, through which vaporized vaporizable material 402 and air from the heater chamber can pass and at least partially condense into an inhalable aerosol.
- the at least one first airflow outlet channel 426a can form or be defined by an interior perimeter of the divider 454.
- the divider 454 can include a solid or partially solid volume at the upstream end of the divider 454.
- the divider 454 can include grates, a mesh material, filter, and/or the like at the upstream end of the divider 454. In such implementations, the grates, mesh, filter, etc.
- the vaporized vaporizable material 402 and air can further condense into an inhalable aerosol.
- vapor generated in the heater portion 441 can be drawn towards a user at the cartridge proximal end 420a, and ultimately out of the airflow outlet(s) 428 as an inhalable aerosol.
- the second airflow outlet channel 426b includes a larger volume of space compared to the first airflow outlet channel 426a, which can promote nucleation and aerosol formation in a manner.
- This interior volume of the mouthpiece portion 430 can be defined as a space between the second filter 424b (or cartridge proximal end 420a) and the proximal end of the divider 454, within the interior perimeter of the wrapper 422.
- the second airflow outlet channel 426b can include a larger, open volume (e.g., condensation chamber) downstream of the first airflow outlet channel 426b and upstream of the second airflow outlet(s) 428b (e.g., proximate the cartridge proximal end 420a), [0235]
- a user draws on the mouthpiece portion 430 at the cartridge proximal end 420a, this can cause ambient air to enter the receptacle 418 of the vaporizer body 410 at the airflow inlets 434, cause the air residing in the receptacle 418 to enter one or more inlets at the cartridge distal end 420b, and cause ambient air to pass through the bypass channel(s) 438 (when present) into the second airflow outlet channel(s) 426b at the same time.
- the bypass channel(s) 438 when present
- the air that enters the receptacle 418 from the airflow inlets 434 can travel along the airflow inlet path 432 to the cartridge distal end 420a, where it can flow into the one or more cartridge inlets located there. [0236]
- the air that enters at the cartridge distal end 420b can subsequently pass through the vaporizable material 402 as it is heated to entrain the vaporized material generated within the heater chamber.
- the air that entrains the vaporized material in the heater chamber can subsequently pass into the first airflow outlet channel(s) 426a. As the vapor and air from the heater portion 441 traverse the first airflow outlet channel(s) 426a, they continue to mix to form an inhalable aerosol.
- the vapor and air pass through the first airflow outlet channel(s) 426a and into the second airflow outlet channel(s) 426b, where they can mix with the air present in the second airflow outlet channel(s) 426b and/or ambient air that enters through the bypass channel(s) 438 to continue forming the inhalable aerosol.
- the inhalable aerosol passes through the airflow outlet(s) 428 and/or the cartridge proximal end 420a where it is inhaled by the user.
- the path of air, vapor, and inhalable aerosol through the vaporizer device 400 can be referred to as the airflow path of the vaporizer device 400.
- the cartridge 420 can be assembled by inserting at least a portion of the components of the cartridge 420 into a pre-formed wrapper 422 and/or by wrapping a wrapper 422 around at least a portion of the components of the cartridge 420.
- the components of the cartridge 420 can be inserted into the wrapper 422 starting from the first insert(s) 424a at the cartridge distal end 420b, the heating element(s) 442, the vaporizable material 402, then the divider 454, and ending with the second insert(s) 424b at the cartridge proximal end 420a.
- the heating element(s) 442 When the heating element(s) 442 are disposed on the outer surface of the wrapper 422, the heating element(s) 442 can be attached to and/or around the outer surface of the wrapper 422 before any component is inserted into the wrapper 422 or after the components are inserted into the wrapper 422.
- the bypass channel(s) 438 When the bypass channel(s) 438 are present, they can be formed in the wrapper 422 before any component is inserted into the wrapper 422 or after the components are inserted into the wrapper 422.
- the cartridge can include more than one wrapper 422, such as a primary wrapper that includes the first insert 424a, the heating element(s) 442, the vaporizable material 402, and/or the divider 454, as well as a secondary (e.g., tipping) wrapper 422 that includes the second insert 424b and/or divider 454.
- the primary wrapper 422 and secondary wrapper 422 can be combined to simplify the manufacture of the cartridge 420 such that the components can be inserted over shorter distances and/or in a more controlled manner.
- the heater portion 441 can instead include a container configured to hold the vaporizable material 402.
- the container can take the form (e.g., material and/or geometry) of the heater chambers described herein, but is instead configured to receive heat from one or more external heating element 442 (e.g., external to the cartridge 420, such as within the receptacle 418 or otherwise configured to heat the receptacle 418 itself) and redistribute the heat to the vaporizable material 402, rather than generate heat independently.
- the heating element(s) 442 can be inductively heated as described herein.
- the one or more sensors 413 can include one or more pressure sensors, airflow sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, measurement circuitry configured to measure properties of the various components of the vaporizer body 410 and/or cartridge 420, and/or the like.
- the pressure sensor can be configured to detect changes in pressure that occur along the airflow path of the vaporizer device 400, optionally including an absolute pressure within the airflow path and/or a differential pressure between the airflow path and ambient pressure.
- the airflow sensor can be configured to detect air flowing along the airflow path of the vaporizer device 400, optionally including a measurement of a rate of airflow along the airflow path.
- the temperature sensor(s) can be configured to detect an orientation of the vaporizer body 410, which can be referenced to determine whether or not the vaporizer body 410 is in an orientation indicative consistent with an intended use of the vaporizer device 400.
- the temperature sensor(s) can be configured to detect a temperature of the cartridge 420, heating element(s) 442, receptacle 418, frame 447, inductor(s) 443, flux concentrator(s) 448, and/or other components of the vaporizer body 410 and/or cartridge 420.
- the temperature sensor(s) can be physically touching and/or in thermal proximity to any component for which a temperature is desired.
- Detected pressure drops, increases in airflow, and/or other measurements can be used to determine when a user is inhaling, which can in turn be used to control the power applied to the inductor(s) and/or heating element(s) 442 to decrease, maintain, or increase the temperature of the heating element(s) 442 and/or vaporizable material 402. Additionally or alternatively, the detected pressure drops, increases in airflow, and/or other measurements can be used to count the number of puffs taken, which can in turn be used for other operations, such as stopping the application of power to the heating element(s) 442 (e.g., placing the vaporizer device 400 in a sleep or off state).
- the one or more sensors 413 can include measurement circuitry configured to derive one or more properties of the heating element(s) 442 and/or inductor(s) 443, such as inductance, resistance, impedance, and/or temperature.
- the measurement circuitry can include circuitry configured to directly measure the one or more properties and/or circuitry configured to estimate the one or more properties based on other data (e.g., obtained via direct measurement, obtained via processed and/or filtered measurement data or signals, obtained from memory, and/or the like).
- the resistance and/or inductance of the heating element(s) 442, for example, can be used to estimate the temperature of the heating element(s).
- the inductance, resistance, impedance, and/or temperature can be used to maintain and/or alter the application of power to the heating element(s) 442, such as to achieve a target temperature.
- altering the application of power can include increasing or decreasing the total power applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, increasing or decreasing the voltage applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, increasing or decreasing the frequency at which power is applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, increasing or decreasing the time during which power is applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, adjusting a duty cycle of power applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, and/or the like.
- a duty cycle of power applied to the heating element(s) 442 can include a defined (e.g., predetermined and/or dynamically determined) period of time during which power is applied and a defined (e.g., predetermined and/or dynamically determined) period of time during which power is not applied during a given cycle of time.
- a default duty cycle can include 48 milliseconds (ms) of applying power and 2 ms of not applying power, every 50 ms.
- the period of time during which power is applied can be decreased and/or the period of time during which power is not applied can be increased, in order to maintain a stable temperature at the heating element(s) 442 (e.g., target temperature). If the derived inductance, resistance, impedance, and/or temperature are below the same or a different respective threshold (e.g., target temperature), the period of time during which power is applied can be increased (up to a maximum value, which can be the same as the default value) and/or the period of time during which power is not applied can be decreased (down to a minimum value, which can be the same as the default value).
- a respective threshold e.g., target temperature
- the same period of time (e.g., the last 2 ms) in each duty cycle (50 ms) can always be dedicated to deriving the resistance and/or inductance of the heating element(s) 442, regardless of the inductance, resistance, impedance, and/or temperature, and even if power is not being applied for a longer period of time.
- the default duty cycle can be defined to apply power during the entire cycle of time (e.g., 50 ms out of each 50 ms), with measurements being taken at predetermined intervals (e.g., at the beginning or end of each duty cycle) regardless of whether power is being applied to the heating element(s) 442.
- the default duty cycle can be adjusted to include a period of time during which power is not applied during the duty cycle, based on the measured or derived value(s). This can be achieved, for example, by providing separate driving circuitry (e.g., including one or more inductors 443) and measurement circuitry as described herein (e.g., including a sensor 413 and/or an inductor 443 via which one or more properties of the heating element(s) 442 and/or inductor(s) 443 can be derived).
- separate driving circuitry e.g., including one or more inductors 443
- measurement circuitry e.g., including a sensor 413 and/or an inductor 443 via which one or more properties of the heating element(s) 442 and/or inductor(s) 443 can be derived.
- the measurement circuitry can include or be similar to the circuitry 973a-e illustrated in FIGs. 9A-9E. As illustrated in FIG. 9A, the circuitry 973a can include a power source AC (alternating current) (grounded) connected to a capacitor C, which is coupled with the inductor(s) 943 (LCOIL).
- AC alternating current
- LCOIL inductor(s) 943
- the inductor(s) 943 can include an inductive component L and a resistive component R, although not necessarily physically formed from an inductor and a resistor (see inductors 543 of FIGs. 5A-5D for examples of the physical construction of LCOIL).
- the inductor(s) 943 can be coupled in series or in parallel with the capacitor C, depending on whether the power source simulates an AC voltage or an AC current.
- the end of the inductor(s) 943 that is not coupled with the capacitor C and/or power source can be coupled to ground.
- Sense circuit 913 can be coupled to each end of the inductor(s) 943 to measure the inductance L and the resistance R of the inductor(s) 943, for use in the temperature control procedures described herein.
- temperature control can be implemented based on comparing derived (e.g., measured) inductive and/or resistive values at different points in time and/or at different frequencies.
- the sense circuit 913 can be configured to measure or derive a first inductance L A and/or a first resistance R A of the inductor(s) 943 when power is not applied to the inductor(s) 943 by the power source AC, which can be referred to as measuring the inductance and/or resistance of the inductor(s) 943 at DC (direct current) (e.g., 0 Hz).
- Measuring at DC can reduce or eliminate the impact that the heating element(s) 442 have on the inductor(s) 943.
- the heating element(s) 442 of FIGs. 4A-4B are referenced for simplicity, but the temperature control procedures described can be applied to the heating element(s) 342 of FIG.3 and/or the heating elements 1542 of FIGs.6-7.
- the sense circuit 913 can be further configured to measure a second inductance L B and a second resistance RB of the inductor(s) 943 at a time while power is being applied by the power source AC, such as when heating a heating element(s) 442 (not shown). These measurements can be taken to determine the effect that the heating element(s) 442 has on the inductor(s) 943.
- measurements can be taken at a specific frequency, such as within a range of 100 kHz to 1 MHz or within a range of 200 kHz to 600 KHz.
- measurements can be taken while operating one or more of the inductors 943 at approximately 50 kHz, 100 kHz, 150 kHz, 200 kHz, 250 kHz, 300 kHz, 350 kHz, 400 kHz, 500 kHz, 600 kHz, etc. (e.g., in ranges of ⁇ 5 kHz, ⁇ 10 kHz, ⁇ 15 kHz, etc.).
- the frequency at which the measurements are taken can be the same as or different from the frequency at which the inductor(s) 943 are driven when inducing heat in the heating element(s) 442.
- the inductor(s) 943 can be driven to induce heat in the heating element(s) 442 at a frequency that is 50-150 kHz less than the frequency at which the measurements are taken, 100-200 kHz less, 150-300 kHz less, 50-150 kHz less more, 100-200 kHz more, 150-300 kHz more and/or the like.
- the sense circuit 913 and/or other circuitry can be configured to derive (e.g., estimate) the temperature of the heating element(s) 442.
- the ratio of resistance over inductance (e.g., RC/LC) caused by the heating element(s) 442 can be estimated based on the equation (RA – RB) / (LA – LB).
- the result of this equation (R C /L C ) can be used with other information about the heating element(s) 442 and/or inductor(s) 943 to derive the temperature of the heating element(s) 442 at the time the measurements were taken.
- the derived temperature of the heating element(s) 442 can be used to regulate the temperature of the heating element(s) 442, such as by providing the same, more, or less power and/or for the same, longer, or shorter durations of time, which can be implemented to heat the heating element(s) 442 at or near a target temperature.
- the result of the equation (R C /L C ) and a thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the heating element(s) 442 can be combined to derive an estimated temperature of the heating element(s) 442.
- the heating element(s) 442 can be manufactured such that it has a specific TCR, optionally with some level of tolerance. This specific TCR value and/or the tolerance can be stored in the vaporizer device 420, such as in memory 108, in the sense circuit 913, and/or the like.
- the TCR of the heating element(s) 442 can be measured periodically and/or upon the occurrence of specific events, such as upon insertion of the heating element(s) 442 in the vaporizer body 410, based on predetermined criteria such as a change of inductance and/or resistance over time or rate of change of inductance and/or resistance over time, before and/or after heating the heating element(s) 442, at set intervals of time before and/or after heating the heating element(s) 442, and/or the like.
- a Curie temperature of the heating element(s) 442 can be utilized to maintain heat applied to the vaporizable material 402 in a particular range.
- a Curie temperature of an object can be regarded as a temperature at which particles of the object are substantially non-magnetic.
- the heating element(s) 442 can be configured such that it does not reach higher than a known temperature (e.g., 240oC). As such, the heating element(s) 442 can be regarded as self-regulating. Otherwise, the existence of metals with a known Curie temperature can be factored into the heater control methodologies described herein.
- a controller 104 and/or other circuitry can be configured to monitor the heating element(s) 442 magnetic properties as it is transitioning to its Curie temperature, and regulate the heating element(s) 442 such that it stays at or near its Curie temperature.
- the controller 104 can be configured to decrease the application of power and/or energy to the heating element(s) 442 when it is at or near its Curie temperature such that additional power and/or energy is not wasted.
- multiple inductors 943 can be used to heat the heating element(s) 442.
- one inductor 943 can be used to generate an electromagnetic field to heat each of two opposing long sides of the heating element(s) 442.
- sets of two, three, four, five, six, or more inductors 943 can be used to generate electromagnetic fields to each heat two opposing long sides of the heating element(s) 442 (see FIGs. 5A-5D for examples of the physical construction and/or locations of the inductors 943).
- each inductors 943 can be configured to operate at the same frequency and/or different frequencies.
- all of the inductors 943 can be configured, via their structure and/or corresponding circuitry such as a controller 104, to operate at substantially the same operating frequency, which can change over time. All of the inductors 943 can be configured to operate at a first frequency when power is not being applied to heat the heating element(s) 442 (which can be 0 Hz), at a second frequency when power is being applied to derive one or more properties of the heating element(s) 442 and/or inductor(s) 443 (e.g., during a measurement mode, a standby mode, a normal power mode, and/or the like), and/or at a third frequency when power is being applied to heat the heating element(s) 442 (e.g., in a normal power mode).
- one or more of the inductors 943 can be configured to operate at a different frequency or frequencies from the remaining inductors 943.
- the inductors 943 can be configured to operate at substantially the same frequency during certain times or modes while also being configured to operate at different frequencies during certain other times or modes. With each of the inductors 943 being positioned near different portions of the heating element(s) 442, information derived from the inductor 943 (or coils) operating at a different frequency can be used to derive additional information about the heating element(s) 442.
- measurement circuitry such as one or more of the sensing coils 513 discussed with respect to FIGs. 5A-5D and/or vaporizer circuitry 2000 discussed with respect to FIG 14, can optionally be provided and configured to additionally or alternatively measure the heating element(s) 442.
- the measurement circuitry can be configured to measure information about the heating element(s) 442.
- the measurement circuitry can be configured such that it measures the resistance, inductance, temperature, and/or other properties of the heating element(s) 442, such as at one or a plurality of different frequencies, does not generate an electromagnetic field for heating the heating element(s) 442, operates while the inductors 943 are heating the heating element(s) 442, operates while the inductors 943 are not heating the heating element(s) 442, and/or the like.
- information about the inductors 943 can be measured in one or more of the described modes and used to control the power or voltage applied, such as to heat the heating element(s) 442 at different temperatures (e.g., target temperatures), as described herein.
- temperatures e.g., target temperatures
- Other implementations exist where additional or alternative information about the inductor(s) 943 can be measured and/or used to estimate the temperature of the heating element(s) 442, such as via the circuitry 973b illustrated in FIG.9B.
- the temperature and/or other properties of the inductor(s) 943 can be measured by a temperature sensor 983 in close proximity to the inductor(s) 943.
- the temperature sensor can include a thermistor, a PTC circuit such as a PTC thermistor, an NTC circuit such as an NTC thermistor, a thermocouple, and/or the like.
- the sense circuitry 913 and/or other circuitry can be configured to regulate the application of power to the heating element(s) 442, based on a detected temperature of the inductor(s) 943, in addition to or alternatively from the measured inductance and resistance.
- a specific, detected rise in temperature of the inductor(s) 943 can be correlated to a rise in temperature of the heating element(s) 442, such that the power and/or energy applied to the heating element(s) 442 can be reduced and/or maintained.
- Other implementations exist where information about the inductor(s) 943 can be measured and/or used to estimate the temperature of the heating element(s) 442 in a different manner, such as via the circuitry 973c illustrated in FIG. 9C.
- the inductor(s) 943 can be part of the driving circuitry (for heating the heating element(s) 442)) and the sense circuit 913 is part of a different circuit.
- the sense circuit 913 is instead configured to measure properties of the inductor(s) 943 and/or heating element(s) 442 wirelessly (e.g., without direct, wired connection), such as through a connected sense coil. Additionally or alternatively, the implementations of FIG.9C can be configured to operate with the use of a temperature sensor 983 as described herein, such as via the circuitry 973d illustrated in FIG.9D. [0257] In some implementations, the sense circuit 913 can be configured to communicate wirelessly with the driving circuitry such that it does not impact performance of the inductor(s) 943, such as via the circuitry 973e illustrated in FIG. 9E.
- a resonant circuit formed of the capacitor C and connected inductor(s) 943 can operate in accordance with a known or measurable resonant frequency, and can be used to wirelessly power the heating element(s) 442 and/or measure information about the heating element(s) 442, such as inductance and/or resistance.
- the inductance and/or resistance of the heating element(s) 442 can be determined based on measuring the resonant frequency of the inductor(s) 943 and comparing the measurements against the known resonant frequency of the inductor(s) 943 (e.g., without the presence of the heating element(s) 442).
- the measurements can be implemented via monitoring and/or measuring the ringing of the inductor(s) 943.
- information about the heating element(s) 442 can be measured and/or determined based on the time and/or speed at which the oscillation of an alternating current (e.g., sine wave) used to power the heating element(s) 442 stops (e.g., returns to zero).
- an alternating current e.g., sine wave
- Such techniques can be beneficial by providing much faster measurements (e.g., in the order of microseconds) compared with determinations that require more direct measurements of the inductance and/or resistance of the heating element(s) 442.
- the inductors 943 can be configured to measure information from something other than the heating element(s) 442, such as for the purposes of calibration and/or estimation.
- an inductor 943 that is operating in a calibration mode can be configured to operate at a plurality of different frequencies and/or frequency ranges when a heating element(s) 442 is not present.
- Information sensed or measured through the inductors 943 in this mode can be used to determine an expected change in inductance, resistance, impedance, and/or temperature which can be stored in a look-up table and/or for creating a best fit line for use in monitoring the inductor(s) 943 when a heating element(s) 442 is present.
- one or more of the inductors 943 can be configured to heat up to a predetermined temperature (e.g., heat the inductor(s) 943 and/or heating element(s) 442 to a predetermined temperature) and/or for a predetermined amount of time, and the inductance and/or resistance can be measured and/or stored for each of the one or more inductors 943.
- the heating element(s) 442 can be removed after it is heated (if present) and the temperature, inductance, and/or resistance of each inductor(s) 943 can be recorded as the inductor(s) 943 cool down.
- FIGs. 5A-5D illustrate different schematics and views of various implementations of a holder assembly 558a-d (collectively referred to as holder assembly 558 or holder assemblies 558) consistent with implementations of the current subject matter.
- holder assembly 558 can be implementations of one or more components of the vaporizer body 110 of FIGs. 1A-1B, the vaporizer body 210 of FIG.
- the holder assembly 558, 558a can include a frame 547 defining a receptacle 518 for insertion of a cartridge (e.g., cartridge 220, 320, 420, not illustrated).
- the frame 547 can include two long sides and two short sides, similar to the cartridges and receptacles described herein.
- the long sides of the frame 547 can be configured to align with the long sides of the cartridge and the short sides of the frame 547 can be configured to align with the short sides of the cartridge when the cartridge is insertably received within the receptacle 518.
- a surface of the cartridge extending primarily along the cartridge width can be referred to as a long side of the cartridge and/or as being on a long side of the cartridge, which can align with the long side of the frame 547.
- a surface of the cartridge extending primarily along the cartridge depth can be referred to as a short side of the cartridge and/or as being on a short side of the cartridge, which can align with the short side of the frame 547.
- the frame 547 can include an inductor 543 formed as a spiral, flattened, and/or pancake coil on a long side of the frame 547.
- Inductor 543 coils depicted and/or described as spiral, flattened, and/or pancake coils herein can take the form of parallel or anti-parallel pancake or Helmholtz structures, although other structures are contemplated.
- the electrical leads 544a that power the inductor 543 can be disposed on a short side of the frame.
- the electrical leads 544a that power the inductor 543 can be electrically coupled with a controller and/or driving circuit for powering the inductor 543 as described herein.
- the inductor 543 can be configured to generate an electromagnetic field for generating heat in a heating element of the cartridge, which can take the form of a susceptor.
- a heating element of the cartridge which can take the form of a susceptor.
- it can be desirable to measure an inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element for use in determining and/or controlling a temperature of the heating element, such as based on a thermal coefficient of resistivity of the heating element.
- Various circuit can be provided for measuring the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element, such as the sensing coil 513.
- the sensing coil 513 can be disposed in an open center region 562 of the inductor 543 and/or on a long side of the frame 547, such as illustrated in FIG. 5A.
- the sensing coil 513 can be in the form of a spiral, flattened, and/or pancake coil.
- the electrical leads 544b the power the sensing coil 513 can be disposed proximate the distal end 561 of the frame 547.
- the illustrated and described sensing coils 513 can instead be implemented as inductors 543 configured to generate an electromagnetic field for generating heat in a heating element (e.g., susceptor) of the cartridge.
- one or more (e.g., all) of the inductors 543 can be configured to measure the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element as described herein.
- the illustrated and described sensing coils 513 can take the form of a temperature sensor, which can include a thermistor, a PTC circuit such as a PTC thermistor, an NTC circuit such as an NTC thermistor, a thermocouple, and/or the like.
- Such temperature sensors can be in physical and/or thermal contact with each inductor 543 or a subset of the inductors 543.
- the open center region 562 in the middle of the inductor 543 can be increased in size, which can lead to an increased efficiency in delivering energy to the heating element of the cartridge in the receptacle 518.
- the open center region 562 in which turns of the inductor 543 are not present can occupy 20-50% of the surface area of the circular region.
- the open center region 562 can take up 30-40% of the circular region.
- having a larger open center region 562 can result in increased efficiency in delivering energy from the inductor 543 into the heating element to be heated via the magnetic or electromagnetic field.
- the collective set of inductors 543 can be configured to heat separate regions of the heating element. For example, a first region of the heating element adjacent the illustrated sensing coils 513 can be heated independently from a second region of the heating element adjacent the illustrated inductors 543. In this manner, greater control over aerosol production over the life of a cartridge can be provided.
- the sensing coil 513 can be disposed within a region near a proximal end 560 of the frame 547.
- the sensing coil 513 can be wrapped around the frame 547 a plurality of times, so that the sensing coil 513 is capable of measuring inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element.
- the sensing coil 513 can still be disposed in sufficiently close proximity to the heating element of the cartridge, which can be configured to extend up to or proximate the opening of the receptacle 518 when the cartridge is inserted within the receptacle 518.
- the inductor 543 may not include an open center region 562.
- sensing coil 513 Other locations and/or configurations for the sensing coil 513 are contemplated, as described herein, including selectively powering one or more of the inductors 543 off to use the inductor 543 as a sensing coil, without the presence of a separate sensing coil 513.
- the illustrated and described sensing coils 513 can be inductors 543 configured to generate an electromagnetic field for generating heat in a heating element (e.g., susceptor) of the cartridge.
- a heating element e.g., susceptor
- one or more (e.g., all) of the inductors 543 can be configured to measure the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element as described herein.
- a long side of the frame 547 can include a plurality of inductors 543a-d, which can be in the form of spiral, flattened, and/or pancake coils, and each have their own, independent sets of electrical leads 544a-d that can be coupled to a controller and/or driving circuit.
- each of the plurality of inductors 543a-d can be powered off and on independently, such that different regions of a heating element can be selectively heated.
- all of the inductors 543a-d can be powered at the same time and with the same amount of power, all or some of the inductors 543a-d can be powered at the same time and but with differing amounts of power, and/or only a portion of the inductors 543a-d can be powered at the same time and with the same or different amounts of power.
- different amounts of power can include applying a higher or lower voltage, driving at a longer or shorter duty cycle, driving at a higher or lower frequency, and/or the like.
- sets of two inductors 543 on each of the opposing long sides are contemplated, which can be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal dimension (e.g., along the length) or transverse to the longitudinal dimension (e.g., along the width).
- sets of three, five, six, or more inductors 543 are contemplated, and it is not required that the same number of inductors 543 be implemented on each of the long sides.
- inductor(s) 543 do not take the shape of a spiral, flattened, and/or pancake coil, such as the inductor 543 of FIG.5D, wrapped around the short and long sides of the frame 547 multiple times (also referred to as a helical coil or helical inductor).
- a plurality of inductors 543 can be disposed in series along the frame 547 (e.g., between and/or along the proximal end 560 and the distal end 561 of the frame 547), such as two, three, or more inductors 543.
- the plurality of inductors 543 can be formed as solenoid coils, with a space along the frame 547 between each inductor 543.
- the long and short side of the frame 547 that are shown can be the same or similar to the long and/or short side of the frame 547 that are not shown.
- the long side of the frame 547 that is not shown in FIGs. 5A and 5B can also include an inductor 543, such that the receptacle 518 is between two opposing inductors 543.
- Such a configuration can provide benefits, such as by heating a wider surface area of the heating element, into which it is easier to generate eddy currents using less energy.
- the long side of the frame 547 that is not shown in FIG. 5C can similarly also include a plurality of inductors 543, such that more control can be provided over how and where heat is generated.
- the various configurations and positions of the illustrated and described inductors 543 and/or sensing coils 513 (additionally or alternatively configured as inductors) of FIGs. 5A-5D can be at least partially combined.
- the illustrated inductor 543 of FIG. 5B can be substituted with the illustrated inductor 543 and sensing coil 513 of FIG. 5A (on both opposing long sides of the frame 547). Additionally or alternatively, the illustrated sensing coil 513 in FIG.
- the proximal end and the distal end of the frame 547 can be implemented at one or both of the proximal end and the distal end of the frame 547 (and each be implemented as sensing coils and/or inductors). Accordingly, separate regions of the heating element adjacent the inductors 543 and/or sensing coils 513 can be heated independently to provide greater control over aerosol production, as described herein. It will be appreciated that the ability to heat the heating element in as many independent regions is desirable, but that the implementation of more inductors 543 and/or sensing coils 513 is more expensive and more complicated (e.g., in order to properly account for mutual inductance).
- the inductors 543 can include two or more layers of wire, with the layers disposed on top of one another from the perspective of the vaporizer device width or depth.
- the inductors 543 can include a first layer of turns that is closer to and/or on a holder assembly 558 of the vaporizer device, and a second layer of turns that is further from the holder assembly 558 and/or closer to the external shell of the vaporizer body that includes the holder assembly 558.
- the layers of wire can be regarded as being disposed on top of one another from the perspective a radius of the holder assembly 558 and/or vaporizer device.
- the shape and/or structure of the inductors 543 can be varied to increase and/or tune their efficiency, such as based on their coupling efficiency with a heating element of a cartridge in the receptacle 518.
- one or more of the inductors 543 can include varying numbers of cross-sections, shapes, strand counts, strand gauges, and/or the like of coils.
- the coils could also be bent to have the same general curvature as the heating element to improve performance, or could be straightened (e.g., along the cartridge width) to limit the coupling efficiency to a specific degree.
- a flex based coil can be used to decrease manufacturing costs of the device and the consumables, such as by only requiring relatively thin layers of material (e.g., smaller inductors 543 and/or thinner heating elements).
- a cartridge for use with a holder assembly 558 that includes multiple inductors 543 can include regions with different susceptibilities.
- a cartridge can be manufactured to include different materials and/or thicknesses in certain regions depending on each region’s intended proximity to an inductor 543.
- a cartridge can be manufactured to include a first material and/or material of a first thickness in a first region (or set of first regions) that is disposed at or near a first inductor 543 (or set of first inductors 543), and a second material and/or material of a second thickness in a second region (or set of second regions) that is disposed away from the first inductor 543 (or set of first inductors 543).
- the regions of the cartridge that are between the set of first regions can include the second region(s).
- a humectant e.g., vegetable glycerin
- an active ingredient e.g., nicotine
- different temperatures can be applied to different regions of the heating element (and thereby different regions of the vaporizable material) at different times during the course of a session.
- control algorithms can be implemented that selectively power a first inductor 543 (e.g., at or near the location of any of the sensing coil 513 of any of FIGs.5B-5D) and a second inductor 543 (e.g., at or near the location of any of the inductor(s) 543 of FIGs. 5A-5D).
- Such control algorithms can be configured to selectively power the first inductor 543 and the second inductor 543, and thereby the heating element, such as the heating element(s) 1542 of FIGs. 6-7 at different times, temperatures, frequencies, voltages, duty cycles, and/or the like.
- the first inductor 543 is powered according to a first set of parameters such that a first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 is heated at a first temperature and the second inductor 543 is not powered (e.g., a second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 remains at or closer to an ambient temperature).
- the first temperature can be sufficient to vaporize both the humectant and the active ingredient, such as at or above the boiling point of the humectant.
- both the humectant and the active ingredient can be vaporized within the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 while the humectant and the active ingredient within the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 are not vaporized.
- the proximity of the regions of the heating element are close enough that an incidental amount of vaporized material is produced within the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 at this time, but the incidental amount is relatively small compared to the vaporized material produced within the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 (e.g., less than 15% by weight of the total vapor produced).
- the first inductor 543 is powered according to a second set of parameters such that the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 is heated at a second temperature and the second inductor 543 is powered according to a third set of parameters such that the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 is heated at a third temperature.
- the second temperature can be the same as, lower than, or higher than the first temperature, but sufficient to vaporize the humectant.
- the third temperature can be lower than the first temperature, sufficient to vaporize the active ingredient but not sufficient to vaporize the humectant.
- the primary source of the active ingredient in the vapor can come from within the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 while the primary source of the humectant in the vapor can come from within the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542.
- the first inductor 543 is powered according to a fourth set of parameters such that the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 is heated at a fourth temperature and the second inductor 543 is powered according to a fifth set of parameters such that the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 is heated at a fifth temperature.
- the fourth temperature can be the same or lower than the first temperature and/or the second temperature, but can be sufficient to vaporize the humectant. Additionally or alternatively, the fourth temperature can be sufficient to heat the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 such that vapor generated within the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 is not inhibited from flowing through the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 (e.g., does not recondense).
- the first inductor 543 and/or the second inductor 543 can both be powered during an initial pre-heating mode to a pre-heating temperature, after which the first and subsequent time periods are implemented.
- the pre- heating temperature is higher than the first temperature, lower than the first temperature, lower than the second temperature, lower than the third temperature, lower than the fourth temperature, or lower than the fifth temperature.
- the second inductor 543 is powered according to a set of pre-heating parameters such that the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 is heated to the pre-heating temperature during the first time period, which can be different from the pre-heating temperature applied to the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542.
- the applied temperatures at each section of the heating element between each successive periods can include a transition period.
- each of the pre-heating temperature, the first temperature, the second temperature, the third temperature, the fourth temperature, and/or the fifth temperature can be implemented as maximum temperatures, and the control algorithm can be configured to begin gradually increasing or decreasing the temperature of the heating element at the start of each time period.
- the control algorithm can be configured to increase or decrease the current temperature of the heating element 1542 to the new temperature over the course of the transition period (e.g., 5 seconds, 10 seconds, and/or the like).
- any of the inductors 543 can instead be formed of two or more coils, which can each generally take the shape of half or less than half of the inductor 543 they replace.
- the general direction of current through one of the replacement inductors can be opposite the general direction of current through the other of the replacement inductors (e.g., counter-clockwise).
- first and second inductors 543 are illustrated and described at times, the first inductor 543 can instead be implemented as a first set of inductors 543 (e.g., configured to heat the first region 1559a) and/or the second inductor 543 can instead be implemented as a second set of inductors 543 (e.g., configured to heat the second region 1559b).
- additional inductors 543 and/or sets of inductors 543 can be present, and configured and/or disposed to heat a third portion of the heating element 1542.
- the first inductor 543 and second inductor 543 can instead be respectively configured to generate and apply a magnetic and/or electromagnetic field to the first (top) heating element 1542a and the second (bottom) heating element 1542a of FIG.7.
- an estimated temperature of the heating element and/or region can be beneficial.
- FIG. 14 schematically illustrates vaporizer circuitry 2000 of a vaporizer device, in accordance with some implementations.
- the vaporizer circuitry 2000 can be implemented in a vaporizer body 2010 and/or a cartridge 2020.
- the vaporizer circuitry 2000 can include a buck/boost circuit 2005, microcontroller 2015, power control circuit 2030, resonant circuit 2090, and/or at least a portion of the cartridge 2020.
- the vaporizer circuitry 2000 can be implemented within any of the vaporizer devices 100a-100c, 200, 400 of FIGs.
- the cartridge 2020 can be implemented in a similar manner to any of the cartridges 120, 220, 320, 420, 1520 of FIGs. 1A-C, 2, 3, 4A-B, 6 and 7 described herein.
- the at least a portion of the cartridge 2020 that forms part of the vaporizer circuitry 2000 includes one or more susceptors 2042.
- the susceptor(s) 2042 can be implemented in the same or similar manner to any of the heating elements 142, 342, 442, 1542 of FIGs.1A-C, 3, 4A-B, 6 and 7.
- the one or more susceptors 2042 can be in thermal contact with vaporizable material for the generation of an inhalable aerosol.
- the one or more susceptors 2042 can include a single susceptor with two regions, similar to the regions 1559a, 1559b of FIG. 6, or two susceptors, similar to the susceptors 1542a, 1542b of FIG. 7. Heating of the susceptors and/or susceptor regions can be independently controlled, as described herein.
- the buck/boost circuit 2005, microcontroller 2015, and/or power control circuit 2030 can be implemented as chips, microchips, integrated circuit, and/or the like, such as in flat pieces of semiconductor material containing various interconnected components.
- the buck/boost circuit 2005, microcontroller 2015, and/or power control circuit 2030 can form part of the same integrated circuit and/or can be collectively regarded as a controller (e.g., the microcontroller 2015 alone can instead be regarded as the controller described herein) which can perform the methods, steps, and/or functions described separately with respect to the buck/boost circuit 2005, microcontroller 2015, and/or power control circuit 2030.
- a controller can be implemented with a separate microcontroller 2015 and power control circuit 2030, where the power control circuit 2030 comprises a chip electrically coupled to the microcontroller 2015 and the resonant circuit 2090 (e.g., to one or more inductors 2080, 2085).
- a controller can be implemented with a combined microcontroller 2015 and power control circuit 2030 that is electrically coupled to the resonant circuit 2090 (e.g., to one or more inductors 2080, 2085). In some aspects, at least a portion of the resonant circuit 2090 can form part of the controller.
- the buck/boost circuit 2005 can facilitate providing appropriate levels of electrical power to various components of the vaporizer device.
- the buck/boost circuit 2005 can be configured to step up or step down an input voltage (e.g., V System ) to generate an output voltage (e.g., VBridge) for a particular component of the vaporizer circuitry 2000.
- the buck/boost circuit 2005 can be configured to step up or step down the voltage by varying the duty cycle of the input voltage. For example, a duty cycle that persists an ON position for a majority of a time period can cause the buck-boost circuit 2005 to step up a voltage level, while a duty cycle that persists an OFF position for a majority of a time period can cause the buck-boost circuit 2005 to step down a voltage level.
- Microcontroller 2015 can generate and/or provide instructions for operation of the vaporizer device (e.g., at least a portion of the vaporizer circuitry 2000). In some aspects, the microcontroller 2015 can be an implementation of any of the controllers 104 of FIGs.1A-1C.
- microcontroller 2015 can provide instructions to buck/boost circuit 2005 to step up or step down a voltage to provide to a component of the vaporizer device.
- Microcontroller 2015 can provide instructions for providing power to one or more inductors 2080, 2085 (illustrated as Coil 0 and Coil 1), such as by generating a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal to heat the susceptor(s) 2042.
- PWM pulse width modulation
- the microcontroller 2015 can be configured to control the power provided, including by controlling the amplitude, frequency, voltage, and/or duty cycle of the PWM signal. This control can be regarded as controlling and/or adjusting the power delivery to the one or more inductors 2080, 2085.
- the microcontroller 2015 can be configured to modify or adjust the PWM cycle of each inductor 2080, 2085, including the duty cycle of voltage applied to each inductor 2080, 2085 individually.
- the microcontroller 2015 can be configured to determine a difference between one or more properties of the susceptor(s) 2042 (e.g., estimated temperature) and a setpoint property (e.g., setpoint or target temperature for that susceptor 2024 or region), determine a target duty cycle based on the determined difference, such as by use of a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) loop or controller, and/or apply the voltage to the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 based on the target duty cycle.
- the vaporizer body 2010 can include a memory configured to store data related to operation of the vaporizer circuitry 2000. The memory can be similar to the memory 108 of FIGs. 1A-1C.
- the memory can store first electrical properties of the one or more inductors, such as in the form of a lookup table or best fit line, second electrical properties of the one or more inductors, any of the other electrical properties of the one or more inductors, offsets, thresholds, setpoints, and/or the like described herein.
- the electrical properties of the one or more inductors can be stored and/or updated in memory as they are determined.
- the memory can be further configured to store a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the one or more susceptors 2042.
- TCR temperature coefficient of resistance
- each inductor 2080, 2085 can be the same or different, and/or each inductor 2080, 2085 can be powered at the same time or controlled such that only one inductor is powered at a time.
- the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be implemented in the same or similar manner to any of the driving circuitry 143 of FIGs.1A-1B or inductors 443, 543, 943 of FIGs. 4, 5A-D, and 9A-E.
- the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be implemented as inductive heating coils.
- Microcontroller 2015 can be configured to calculate or estimate properties of one or more components of the vaporizer device, such as inductances, resistances, impedances, temperatures, and/or the like of the susceptor(s) 2042 and/or inductor(s) 2080, 2085.
- power control circuit 2030 and/or microcontroller 2015 can receive resonant signal information via resonant circuit 2090 and determine or estimate electrical properties (e.g., resistances or inductances) for any of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 electrically coupled to the power control circuit 2030.
- Microcontroller 2015 can modify the power applied to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 as described herein based at least in part on the determined electrical properties.
- microcontroller 2015 can be configured to provide a PWM signal (illustrated as PWM 0 and PWM 1 interfaces in each of the microcontroller 2015 and power control circuit 2030) to indicate the PWM to be applied to each inductors 2080, 2085 (respectively illustrated as Coil 0 and Coil 1) based on the measured electrical properties to adjust or maintain a temperature of the susceptor(s) 2042, when an inductor 2080, 2085 is inductively coupled in an assembly with the susceptor(s) 2042.
- PWM 0 and PWM 1 interfaces in each of the microcontroller 2015 and power control circuit 2030
- “Inductively coupled” can refer to an arrangement of an inductor (e.g., inductor(s) 2080 or 2085) with a susceptor (e.g., susceptor(s) 2042) where the inductor(s), when driven, can generate a magnetic field that induces a current (e.g., an eddy current) that can cause the susceptor to heat based on the susceptor’s temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR).
- Power control circuit 2030 can be configured to control the power provided to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 to heat the susceptor(s) 2042 according to a PWM signal generated based on instructions provided by microcontroller 2015.
- Resonant circuit 2090 can be used to measure a resistance and/or an inductance of each of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085, such as when the cartridge 2020 is present in an assembly with an inductor(s) 2080 or 2085 (e.g., inserted into a receptacle as described herein) and when the cartridge 2020 is not present (e.g., not inserted).
- the resonant circuit 2090 can be configured to generate a resonant signal, such as during a portion of a PWM duty cycle when heating power is not being provided to induce heating in the susceptor(s) 2042 (referred to herein at times as power delivery), as described herein.
- the resonant circuit 2090 can convey signals representative of the properties of the resonant signal to microcontroller 2015 for processing.
- the microcontroller 2015 and/or power control circuit 2030 can be configured to detect whether the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors 2042, such as based on detecting an impedance change, inductance change, and/or resistance change at the inductor(s) 2080, 2085, and/or apply a resonant signal to the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 based thereon.
- the vaporizer circuitry 2000 can provide bridge voltage Vbridge to power the resonant circuit 2090.
- the resonant circuit 2090 can be powered, for example, by one or more half bridge, full bridge, or other type of power converter using one or more field effect transistors (FETs).
- FETs field effect transistors
- a half bridge converter can include two FETs alternately switched ON or OFF to change voltage provided by a power supply.
- a full bridge converter can include four switching elements, of which a pair is switched on at a time, to change voltage provided by a power supply.
- the resonant circuit 2090 can include two half bridge circuits forming a full bridge circuit.
- the microcontroller 2015 can provide the PWM signal to gates of field effect transistors (FETs) incorporated within the half bridge power supply, via one or more gate drivers (e.g., gate drivers 2095), to instruct the resonant circuit 2090 when to deliver power to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 to generate an electromagnetic field and/or generate the resonant signal.
- the clock used to synchronize actions of the components of the vaporizer circuitry 2000, including the microcontroller 2015 and resonant circuit 2090, can be generated from the microcontroller 2015 or a separate clock, such as from a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO).
- TCXO temperature-compensated crystal oscillator
- the resonant circuit 2090 can comprise, for a first inductor(s) 2080, one or more switches 2040 and/or a second capacitor tank 2050. Additionally, the resonant circuit 2090 can comprise, for a second inductor(s) 2085, a separate set of one or more switches 2045 and/or a second capacitor tank 2055. Although two inductor(s) 2080, 2085 are illustrated and described, more or less inductor(s) 2080, 2085 and associated circuitry can be provided.
- measurement of electrical properties of a first inductor 2080 can comprise coupling capacitor tank 2050 and powering the resonant circuit 2090 by connecting (e.g., closing) at least a portion of the one or more switches 2040.
- measurement of electrical properties of a second inductor 2085 can comprise coupling capacitor tank 2055 and powering the resonant circuit 2090 by connecting (e.g., closing) at least a portion of the one or more switches 2045.
- the one or more switches 2040, 2045 corresponding to an inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be turned on or off using one or more high voltage floating output (HVFO) 2060.
- HVFO high voltage floating output
- Each inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be in physical and/or thermal contact with a respective temperature sensor 2065, 2067 configured to detect a temperature of the respective one of each of the one or more inductors 2080, 2085, such as a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) element (e.g., a thermistor).
- the power control circuit 2030 can measure the signal across the NTC.
- An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 2075 electrically coupled to each temperature sensor 2065, 2067 can digitize one or more properties of the signal measured by the temperature sensor(s) 2065, 2067.
- ADC analog-to-digital converter
- the power control circuit 2030 can provide the properties to microcontroller 2015, which can utilize an estimated temperature of each inductor(s) 2080, 2085 to estimate a temperature of the susceptor(s) 2042 respectively inductively coupled to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 as described herein.
- a ground side current sense amplifier (GCSA) 2070 can be used to determine an amount of current being driven through the power control circuit 2030 and resonant circuit 2090, given that the bridge voltage and PWM voltage are known.
- an amplifier 2070 can be coupled to a small resistor and can serve to amplify a small signal produced by this connection. When heating of the susceptor(s) 2042 is occurring, a small amount of amplification can occur.
- Power for the components of vaporizer circuitry 2000 can be sourced via a connection standard such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) (e.g., Type A, Type B, Type C, mini- Type A, mini-Type B, micro-Type A, or micro-Type B), FireWire, other serial-type connectors, or other power connectors (e.g., coaxial cables).
- USB Universal Serial Bus
- Power supplied by a power source can be provided, via the power connection, for energy storage (e.g., in a battery of a battery pack).
- Vaporizer circuitry 2000 components can communicate using protocols such as I2C.
- FIG.10 schematically illustrates a combined equivalent circuit 1650 used to derive properties of a susceptor (e.g., susceptor(s) 2042), in accordance with some implementations.
- the combined equivalent circuit 1650 represents a resistance 1660 (R(x)) and an inductance 1670 (L(x)) of an assembly including an inductive coupled inductor and susceptor (e.g., when susceptor(s) 2042 are in proximity to inductor(s) 2080, 2085, such as being inserted into or otherwise disposed within a receptacle of a vaporizer device).
- Susceptor equivalent circuit 1630 can be represented by a susceptor resistance 1640 (R2) and a susceptor inductance 1680 (L2).
- Inductor equivalent circuit 1610 can be represented by an inductor resistance 1620 (R1) and an inductor inductance 1690 (L1).
- Various systems and methods are provided herein to calculate the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the inductor and susceptor assembly.
- some implementations can use an auto-balancing bridge to use phase and magnitude determinations to derive the resistance and impedance.
- values of the impedance and resistance may be calculated using Ohm’s Law.
- the system determines the inductance and/or resistance of a susceptor 2042.
- the temperature of the susceptor(s) 2042 can be more important to determine, such as in the case of PID control based on a target temperature for the susceptor(s) 2042. Determining the temperature of the susceptor(s) 2042 can include a variety of steps. In some aspects, the system determines a baseline relationship between the inductance, resistance, and/or temperature of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085.
- This may be performed, for example, by providing a plurality of resonant signals to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 at different temperatures, without the susceptor(s) 2042 present (e.g., when not inductively coupled to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085), and then using the plurality of resonant signals to determine relationships between inductance and/or resistance of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 temperature of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085.
- a susceptor 2042 or other resistive load can be inductively coupled to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085, and the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be powered to heat up the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 to a specific temperature as determined by a corresponding temperature sensor 2065, 2067, for a specific duration of time, and/or based on a specified voltage. Thereafter, the susceptor 2042 or resistive load can be removed from its inductive coupling with the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 and properties of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be measured or estimated and/or recorded.
- the inductance, resistance, and/or temperature of the inductors(s) 2080, 2085 can be stored in a lookup table (e.g., as part of a set of first electrical properties).
- a linear or non-linear relationship between inductance and temperature and/or resistance and temperature can be determined and recorded (e.g., as a best fit line for calculating a set of first electrical properties).
- the temperature of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be raised to a specific temperature without the presence of the susceptor 2042 or resistive load.
- a susceptor 2042 can be coupled to the vaporizer device to form an assembly, and the resonant circuit 2090 can be used to determine a baseline relationship between the inductance, resistance, and temperature of the assembly at the current temperature of the inductor(s).
- the assembly relationship can be corrected using the baseline relationship determined without the susceptor present, to account for inductance, resistance, and temperature changes experienced when the susceptor is present/coupled.
- the baseline relationship can be regarded as an ambient temperature relationship (e.g., the electrical properties of the assembly at approximately 20 0 C).
- the baseline relationship can be determined using a series of data (e.g., look-up table) and/or functional representation (e.g., best fit line) based on the measurements taken at different temperatures of the inductor(s).
- the correction can include obtaining an expected inductance and/or resistance of the inductor(s) based on the current temperature of the inductor(s) (e.g., based on a measurement taken from a temperature sensor in thermal contact with the inductor(s)).
- the series of data and/or functional representation can be based on prior measured resistances and temperatures of the inductor(s) when not inductively coupled to a susceptor.
- a temperature measurement of a particular inductor(s) can be measured and used as an input to obtain an estimated baseline resistance of the inductor(s) (e.g., R1) at the current temperature.
- the baseline relationship can be updated based error check operation.
- the error check operations can include detecting whether the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors 2042 and applying a resonant signal to the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 when the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 are detected to not be inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors 2042 and at least one other condition is met.
- offset electrical properties of the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 e.g., inductance and resistance
- the at least one other condition can include a period of time passing since the power delivery to the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 (e.g., greater than 5 minutes, greater than 10 minutes, greater than 20 minutes, and/or the like) and/or a temperature of the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 being at or below a temperature threshold (e.g., ambient, approximately 30°C, approximately 25°C, approximately 22°C, approximately 20°C, and/or the like).
- a quality factor (Q factor) measurement function can enable accurate inductance and resistance measurements associated with the inductively coupled susceptor and inductor(s).
- the Q factor can be used, for example, to indicate a change in resistance and inductance when the susceptor is thermally contacted to the inductor(s).
- the resonant circuit e.g., resonant circuit 1700 of FIG. 11
- a resonant signal can be characterized by a decay (e.g., a “ring down”) or a rise (e.g., a “ring up”).
- At least one capacitor (e.g., of an inductor- capacitor (LC) bank) of the resonant circuit can be pre-charged to a configurable voltage.
- the at least one capacitor can then be discharged, creating an oscillation voltage waveform with a decaying amplitude signal from which the Q factor can be derived.
- the resonant circuit e.g., resonant circuit 1700
- LRC inductor- resistor-capacitor
- the resistance of the coil-inductor combination and the real part of the reflected impedance can be represented by the resistance R.
- the resonant capacitor e.g., of the LC tank
- the capacitor C can be pre-charged to a voltage and then discharged by the LRC circuit.
- the LC voltage waveform can be decomposed as two parts (a decay an exponential decay measure), and a resonance): 1) Natural decayed envelope which can be expressed as ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ 2 ) Resonance which can be expressed as sin ⁇ + ⁇ [0308]
- the LC voltage waveform can therefore include a plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal corresponding to a plurality of time points over a duration (e.g., voltage peaks).
- the duration can be a portion of a period of the resonant signal.
- An energy change value can be determined, based at least in part on the plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal.
- the energy change value can be a quality factor (e.g., a Q factor).
- the Q factor may be inversely proportional to the exponential decay measure.
- ⁇ $% ⁇ ⁇ [0309]
- the factor ⁇ is the slope of a linear function, which is the required information, and & ⁇ ⁇ is of the offset of the function, which is not needed and can be dumped.
- the frequency (f) can be a plurality of voltage zero-crossings of the resonant signal over time.
- the second part of the impulse waveform which is the resonance, provides the information of the resonance frequency.
- the inductor inductance and resistance parameters can be obtained by the natural decayed envelope waveform and the resonance waveform using the impulse measurement method. The initial phase is not used. Since the primary resonant capacitance is a known value, the inductance (including the reflected inductance) can be derived.
- the dampening of the assembly caused by the presence of the susceptor can have an adverse impact on the accuracy of the frequency measurements (f). Namely, this impact can manifest as an offset to the timing of the voltage zero-crossings. Accordingly, in some implementations, an additional offset can be calculated to more accurately determine the frequency measurements (f).
- a clock offset for the resonant signal can be determined via applying an unclamped resonant signal to the one or more inductors when the one or more inductors are not inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors and measuring a plurality of unclamped voltage peaks from the unclamped resonant signal.
- a plurality of clamped voltage peaks from the resonant signal can be measured, and the clock offset can be determined based on the difference between the plurality of unclamped voltage peaks and the plurality of clamped voltage peaks.
- the plurality of clamped voltage peaks and/or the plurality of clamped voltage peaks are each measured over a plurality of sequential resonant signals.
- the clock offset can then be applied to the measured frequency to determine an adjusted frequency for Q factor calculations.
- the measurement can need to be corrected to account for changes in temperature after the susceptor is present. While the susceptor is present, the system can take a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) measurement to get the resistance of the inductor(s). This can be obtained from a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor in intimate contact with the inductor(s).
- TCR temperature coefficient of resistance
- NTC negative temperature coefficient
- the inductance and resistance of the system may be determined from the functional representation (e.g., best fit line) as previously described, such as by referencing the measured temperature (/ % ) of the inductor and obtaining inductance values ( ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ / % ⁇ ) and/or resistance values ( ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇
- FIG.11 schematically illustrates a resonant circuit 1700 to produce a resonant signal for determining or estimating an inductance and resistance of a susceptor coupled to an inductor(s) (e.g., in a combination forming the combined equivalent circuit 1650 of FIG. 10), in accordance with some implementations.
- the resonant circuit 1700 comprises a pre-charging element 1750, a first switch 1760, a second switch 1770, a capacitor 1710, and an inductor 1720.
- the first switch 1760 can include an upper gate 1745 and a lower gate 1740, and/or the second switch 1770 can include an upper gate 1735 and a lower gate 1730.
- the pre- charging element 1750 can be a power source, such as a battery or a digital-to-analog (DAC) signal.
- the pre-charging element 1750 can be configured to charge the capacitor 1710. When the capacitor 1710 is charged, the pre-charging element 1750 can be disconnected. This can cause the capacitor 1710 to discharge, interacting with inductor 1720 to produce the resonant signal. In some aspects, the capacitor 1710 energy can be drained first, leaving both lower gate 1730, 1740 high.
- the pre-charging element 1750 can be connected to the circuit when upper gate 1745 and lower gate 1740 of the first switch 1750 are open, the upper gate 1735 of the second switch 1770 is open, and/or the lower gate 1730 of the second switch 1770 is closed.
- the upper gates 1735, 1745 of both switches 1760, 1770 can be open, and the lower gates 1730, 1740 of both switches 1760, 1770 can be closed, with the pre-charging element 1750 disconnected, causing the capacitor 1710 to discharge.
- more or fewer switches may be used to connect and disconnect pre-charging element 1750.
- connecting and discharging the pre- charging element may be implemented using one switch (e.g., a field effect transistor (FET)- based switch).
- FET field effect transistor
- the resonant circuit 1700 can be configured to charge the capacitor 1710 through an applied power voltage (VBridge).
- VBridge applied power voltage
- the applied power voltage can pass through the capacitor 1710 and charge the capacitor.
- power can be provided to the inductor 1720 and/or the capacitor can be charged based on operating the resonant circuit 1700 across two half steps.
- the upper gate 1745 of the first switch 1760 can be closed and the lower gate 1730 of the second switch 1770 can be closed, whereas the lower gate 1740 of the first switch 1760 can be open and the upper gate 1735 of the second switch 1770 can be open.
- the upper gate 1745 of the first switch 1760 can be open and the lower gate 1730 of the second switch 1770 can be open, whereas the lower gate 1740 of the first switch 1760 can be closed and the upper gate 1735 of the second switch 1770 can be closed.
- FIG.12 schematically illustrates an equivalent resonant circuit 1800 of an example resonant circuit 1700, 2090, in accordance with some implementations.
- the equivalent resonant circuit 1800 comprises a capacitor 1830, an inductor 1810, and a resistor 1820.
- the inductor 1810 and resistor 1820 represent an equivalent inductance and a resistance of an inductor, such as the inductors 2080, 2085 of FIG. 14 or the inductor 1720 of FIG. 11.
- the equivalent resonant circuit 1800 can represent the resonant circuit 1700 with the pre-charging element (e.g., the pre-charging element 1750) disconnected from the resonant circuit 1700 and the capacitor 1830 charged (either via the pre-charging element or the applied power voltage), causing the capacitor 1830 to discharge, generating a current.
- the inductor 1810 can resist this change in current, generating a resonant signal.
- the resistor 1820 can dampen this resonant signal, causing it to decay.
- FIG. 13 illustrates a resonant signal 1900 generated by a resonant circuit 1700, 1800, 2090 when the capacitor (e.g., capacitor 1710 of FIG. 11, capacitor 1830 of FIG. 12, capacitors tanks 2050, 2055 of FIG.14, and/or the like) is discharged, in accordance with some implementations.
- the signal 1910 oscillates sinusoidally with period 1920.
- the envelope 1940 is characterized by an exponential decay. Due to noise, a number of zero crossings associated with decay time 1930 are collected to determine the Q factor that is used to calculate the resistance R(x) 1660 and inductance L(x) 1670.
- a resonant circuit comprising a voltage source is consistently applied to generate the resonant signal.
- the applied voltage source may produce a signal that resonates and does not decay exponentially.
- the resonant signal may not decay at all, or may decay more slowly, or may even increase in amplitude (“ring up”).
- the input voltage and/or power required to maintain the signal e.g., keep the signal resonating at a particular amplitude
- FIG. 15 illustrates a process flow diagram 2100 showing a method of operating a vaporizer device, in accordance with some implementations.
- the method can determine a temperature of a susceptor incorporated into a cartridge connected to a vaporizer body.
- the temperature can be used to generate, modify, or update heating instructions provided by a controller of the vaporizer device.
- the vaporizer device can include the cartridge and the vaporizer body.
- a coupling of the cartridge and vaporizer body is referred to as an “assembly.”
- the controller can be part of the vaporizer body.
- a first operation 2110 comprises determining first electrical properties associated with an inductor(s).
- the inductor(s) can be part of the vaporizer body and/or configured to heat the susceptor.
- the first electrical properties can comprise an impedance of the inductor(s).
- the first electrical properties can comprise an inductance and/or a resistance of the inductor(s).
- a second operation 2120 comprises detecting an assembly comprising the inductor(s) inductively coupled to the susceptor.
- Detecting the assembly can comprise detecting whether the susceptor and inductor(s) are inductively coupled.
- the cartridge can be insertably coupled to the vaporizer body.
- the susceptor can comprise or consist of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, invar, and/or the like.
- An inductance of the susceptor can remain unchanged as temperature changes.
- a third operation 2130 comprises applying a resonant signal to the assembly. Applying the resonant signal to the assembly can comprise electrically coupling a resonant circuit to the assembly.
- the resonant circuit can comprise a capacitor. Applying the resonant signal can further comprise charging the capacitor and generating the resonant signal by discharging the capacitor.
- a fourth operation 2140 comprises determining second electrical properties associated with the assembly, based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal.
- the second electrical properties can comprise an inductance and a resistance of the assembly. Determining the second electrical properties can comprise determining, over a duration, a plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal corresponding to a plurality of time points of the duration, and/or determining a quality factor, based at least in part on the plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal.
- the duration can be a portion of the period of the resonant signal.
- An amplitude of the resonant signal can decay over time.
- the delay can be an exponential decay.
- Determining second electrical properties can further comprise determining an exponential decay measure of the decay from the plurality of amplitude measurements.
- the quality factor can be inversely proportional to the exponential decay measure.
- a fifth operation 2145 comprises determining one or more properties associated with the susceptor.
- the one or more properties can be based at least in part on the first electrical properties and the second electrical properties.
- the one or more properties can comprise a temperature of the susceptor.
- a sixth operation 2150 comprises generating heating instructions based at least in part on the one or more properties. Generating the heating instructions can comprise determining a difference between the determined temperature and a target temperature and a duty cycle for powering the inductor based on the determined difference.
- a seventh operation 2160 comprises modifying an inductive heating process configured to cause the susceptor to heat a vaporizable material to produce an inhalable aerosol.
- the modifying can include applying the determined duty cycle to power the inductor.
- the inductive heating process can comprise generating eddy currents in the susceptor of the cartridge.
- the inductive heating process can comprise pulse-width modulation (PWM) heating. Modifying the inductive heating process can include modifying a duty cycle of the PWM heating.
- the vaporizer device can comprise a plurality of inductors. The described sequence of operations can be applied for each of the plurality of inductors. The target temperatures for each susceptor or each portion of a susceptor can be different.
- proximal and distal are used herein to refer to relative locations of the referenced devices and/or components. Although “proximal” is generally used to refer to a location that is at or near a user when the device and/or component is in use, and “distal” is generally used to refer to a location that is away from a user when the device and/or component is in use, these terms are not intended to be absolute. For example, a “proximal” end and/or a “distal” end of a component need not be the absolute furthest points on the referenced ends, and can instead refer to a general region at or near the referenced end.
- opposing “proximal” ends and “distal” ends of a component need not be completely and/or perfectly opposite each other, as the shapes of each end can differ and/or the component may not be perfectly linear (e.g., one or more longitudinal dimensions of the component can be of different lengths).
- proximal ends and distal ends of a component need not be completely and/or perfectly opposite each other, as the shapes of each end can differ and/or the component may not be perfectly linear (e.g., one or more longitudinal dimensions of the component can be of different lengths).
- phrases such as “at least one of” or “one or more of” can occur followed by a conjunctive list of elements or features.
- the term “and/or” can also occur in a list of two or more elements or features. Unless otherwise implicitly or explicitly contradicted by the context in which it used, such a phrase is intended to mean any of the listed elements or features individually or any of the recited elements or features in combination with any of the other recited elements or features.
- the phrases “at least one of A and B;” “one or more of A and B;” and “A and/or B” are each intended to mean “A alone, B alone, or A and B together.”
- a similar interpretation is also intended for lists including three or more items.
- 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 each 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.”
- Use of the term “based on,” above and in the claims is intended to mean, “based at least in part on,” such that an unrecited feature or element is also permissible.
- spatially relative terms such as “forward”, “rearward”, “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper” and the like, can be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature’s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if a device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both an orientation of over and under.
- the device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
- the terms “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “vertical”, “horizontal” and the like are used herein for the purpose of explanation only unless specifically indicated otherwise.
- first and second can be used herein to describe various features/elements (including steps), these features/elements should not be limited by these terms, unless the context indicates otherwise. These terms can be used to distinguish one feature/element from another feature/element.
- a numeric value can 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), etc.
- Any numerical values given herein should also be understood to include about or approximately that value, unless the context indicates otherwise. For example, if the value “10” is disclosed, then “about 10” is also disclosed. Any numerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges subsumed therein.
- programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which can be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device.
- the programmable system or computing system can include clients and servers.
- a client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.
- machine-readable signal refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor.
- the machine-readable medium can store such machine instructions non-transitorily, such as for example as would a non- transient solid-state memory or a magnetic hard drive or any equivalent storage medium.
- the machine-readable medium can alternatively or additionally store such machine instructions in a transient manner, such as for example, as would a processor cache or other random access memory associated with one or more physical processor cores.
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Abstract
Vaporizer devices for generating an inhalable aerosol are provided, as well as methods of controlling vaporizer devices. Cartridge and device body assemblies are also provided. In some aspects, the vaporizer device can include inductor(s), circuitry for controlling the inductor(s), and/or susceptor(s) configured to be heated via the control of the inductor(s). The circuitry can be configured to determine electrical properties associated with the inductor(s) when the susceptor(s) is present and when the susceptor(s) is not present. The electrical properties of the inductor(s) can be determined via application of a resonant signal. Based on the determined electrical properties of the inductor(s), the circuitry can be further configured to determine characteristics of the susceptor(s), such as the temperature of the susceptor. Based upon the determined characteristics of the susceptor(s), the circuitry can be configured to control the application of power to the inductor(s) to control heating of the susceptor(s).
Description
INDUCTIVE HEATER CONTROL CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.63/645,100 filed May 9, 2024 and entitled “INDUCTIVE HEATER CONTROL,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [0002] This application is related to and can be used in connection with any of the vaporizer devices or components thereof as described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/422,899 filed November 4, 2022 and entitled “HEAT NOT BURN VAPORIZER DEVICES,” to Application No. 63/443,978 filed February 7, 2023 and entitled “HEAT NOT BURN VAPORIZER DEVICES,” Application No. 63/447,890 filed February 23, 2023 and entitled “HEAT NOT BURN VAPORIZER DEVICES,” U.S. Provisional Application No.63/534,346 filed August 23, 2023 and entitled “HEAT NOT BURN VAPORIZER DEVICES,” to PCT Application No. PCT/US2023/036822 filed November 4, 2023 and entitled “HEAT NOT BURN VAPORIZER DEVICES,” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/645,095 filed on May 9, 2024 and entitled “HEAT NOT BURN VAPORIZER DEVICES.” The disclosures of the foregoing applications are also incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD [0003] The subject matter described herein relates to vaporizer devices, including vaporizer devices comprising a vaporizer body configured to heat a cartridge containing vaporizable material. BACKGROUND [0004] Vaporizer devices, which can also be referred to as vaporizers, electronic vaporizer devices, or e-vaporizer devices, can be used for delivery of an aerosol (for example, a gas- phase and/or a condensed-phase material suspended in a stationary or moving mass of air or some other gas carrier) containing one or more active ingredients by inhalation of the aerosol by a user of the vaporizer device. For example, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) include a class of vaporizer devices that are battery powered and that can be used to simulate the experience of smoking, but without burning of tobacco or other substances. Vaporizer devices are gaining increasing popularity both for prescriptive medical use, in delivering medicaments, and for consumption of tobacco, nicotine, and other plant-based materials. Vaporizer devices can be portable, self-contained, and/or convenient for use.
[0005] In use of a vaporizer device, the user inhales an aerosol, colloquially referred to as “vapor,” which can be generated by a heating element that vaporizes (e.g., causes a liquid or solid to at least partially transition to the gas phase) a vaporizable material, which can be liquid, a solution, a solid, a paste, a wax, and/or any other form compatible for use with a specific vaporizer device. The vaporizable material used with a vaporizer device can be provided within a cartridge (e.g., a separable part of the vaporizer device that contains vaporizable material) that includes an aerosol outlet (e.g., a mouthpiece or an outlet in fluid communication with a mouthpiece) for inhalation of the aerosol by a user. [0006] To receive an inhalable aerosol generated by a vaporizer device, a user can, in certain examples, activate the vaporizer device by taking a puff, by pressing a button, and/or by some other approach. A puff as used herein can refer to inhalation by the user in a manner that causes a volume of air to be drawn into the vaporizer device such that the inhalable aerosol is generated by a combination of vaporized material (e.g., gas-phase material) with the volume of air. [0007] An approach by which a vaporizer device generates an inhalable aerosol from a vaporizable material involves heating the vaporizable material (e.g., within a cartridge, an insert, a vaporization chamber, a heater chamber, an oven, and/or a compartment associated with a heating element) to cause at least a portion of the vaporizable material to be converted to vaporized material (e.g., gas-phase material). A vaporization chamber, heater chamber, oven, or the like can refer to an area or volume in the vaporizer device within which a heat source (for example, a conductive, convective, and/or radiative heat source) causes heating of a vaporizable material to produce a vaporized material and allow the vaporized material to mix with air to form an aerosol for inhalation by a user of the vaporizer device. [0008] Vaporizer devices can be controlled by one or more controllers, electronic circuits (for example, sensors, heating elements, buttons, switches), and/or the like on or in the vaporizer device. Vaporizer devices can also wirelessly communicate with an external controller (e.g., a computing device such as a personal computer or smartphone). [0009] In some implementations, cartridges that contain solid vaporizable material (e.g., comprising plant material such as tobacco leaves and/or parts of tobacco leaves) must be heated to undesirably high temperatures in order to cause inner regions of the vaporizable material to be heated to a minimum temperature required for vaporization. As a result, portions of the solid vaporizable material contained within a cartridge can burn or char at these high temperatures and produce combustion or partial combustion byproducts (e.g., chemical elements or chemical compounds) that can have undesirable characteristics, such as unpleasant
smells or tastes, negative health impacts, etc. Furthermore, uniform heating of the vaporizable material in current conduction-based vaporizers may be difficult to achieve due to the low thermal conductivity of certain vaporizable materials (e.g., plant materials, such as tobacco). Accordingly, controlled and even distribution of heat is desirable in such devices. [0010] Some issues with current vaporizer devices include the inability to efficiently and effectively heat the vaporizable material without wasting a significant amount of energy. For example, some vaporizer devices include a heater body surrounding a tobacco consumable, requiring the entire heater body to be heated to create an oven. Such a configuration requires additional energy to maintain a sufficiently high temperature in an area that is exposed to the airstream, thereby losing at least a portion of thermal energy produced by the heater that could have been used to heat the tobacco material. As such, energy can be wasted as the generated heat is not effectively utilized. [0011] Vaporizer devices configured to embed some or part of a heater apparatus inside of the tobacco material can include airflow passing through the tobacco material thereby prohibiting tight tobacco compaction around the heater, thus diminishing heat transfer from the heater to the tobacco material. Furthermore, vaporizer devices with a heater element embedded within or at least partially surrounded by the tobacco can also experience cleaning and hygiene issues. For example, as the heater pierces the tobacco, residue can be left on the heater element after use, thereby requiring the user to clean the heater element before continued use. SUMMARY [0012] Aspects of the current subject matter relate to vaporizer devices including various implementation of a vaporizer body and/or cartridge of vaporizable material configured to generate an inhalable aerosol. For purposes of summarizing, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features have been described herein. It is to be understood that not all such advantages can be achieved in accordance with any one particular implementation. Thus, the disclosed subject matter can be implemented, embodied, or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages without achieving all advantages as taught or suggested herein. The various features and items described herein can be incorporated together or separable, except as would not be feasible based on the current disclosure and what a skilled artisan would understand from it. [0013] In various implementations, vaporizer device for generating an inhalable aerosol is provided. The vaporizer device includes one or more inductors configured to generate an electromagnetic field to heat one or more susceptors, memory configured to store first electrical
properties of the one or more inductors, and/or a controller. The controller is configured to control power delivery to the one or more inductors, apply a resonant signal to the one or more inductors, and/or determine second electrical properties of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the resonant signal. The controller can be further configured to estimate one or more properties of the one or more susceptors based at least in part on the first electrical properties and the second electrical properties. The controller can be further configured to adjust the power delivery to the one or more inductors based at least in part on the estimated one or more properties of the one or more susceptors. [0014] In optional variants of the implementations described, the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors includes a temperature of the one or more susceptor. [0015] In optional variants of the implementations described, the electromagnetic field is generated to induce eddy currents in the one or more susceptors, and/or the induced eddy currents generate heat in the one or more susceptors based at least in part on a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the one or more susceptors. [0016] In optional variants of the implementations described, the memory is further configured to store a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the one or more susceptors, and the estimation of the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors is further based at least in part on the temperature coefficient of resistance. [0017] In optional variants of the implementations described, control of the power delivery to the one or more inductors includes controlling a duty cycle of a voltage applied to the one or more inductors. [0018] In optional variants of the implementations described, adjusting the power delivery to the one or more inductors includes changing a duty cycle of a voltage applied to the one or more inductors. In optional related implementations, changing the duty cycle of the voltage applied to the one or more inductors includes determining a difference between the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors and a setpoint property, determining a target duty cycle based at least in part on the determined difference, and/or applying the voltage to the one or more inductors based at least in part on the target duty cycle. In other optional related implementations, the setpoint property includes a setpoint temperature for the one or more susceptors. [0019] In optional variants of the implementations described, the first electrical properties include a corresponding reference inductance and reference resistance of the one or more inductors at a reference temperature of the one or more inductors.
[0020] In optional variants of the implementations described, the first electrical properties include a plurality of corresponding reference inductances and reference resistances of the one or more inductors mapped to a plurality of reference temperatures of the one or more inductors. [0021] In optional variants of the implementations described, the first electrical properties include a linear or non-linear relationship of reference inductance of the one or more inductors to reference temperature of the one or more inductors, and/or a linear or non-linear relationship of reference resistance of the one or more inductors to reference temperature of the one or more inductors. [0022] In optional variants of the implementations described, the controller is further configured to apply a plurality of resonant signals to the one or more inductors, determine the first electrical properties of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the plurality of resonant signals, and/or store the first electrical properties of the one or more inductors in the memory. [0023] In optional variants of the implementations described, the first electrical properties of the one or more inductors are determined and stored during manufacture or calibration of the vaporizer device. [0024] In optional variants of the implementations described, the first electrical properties are indicative of reference properties of the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are not inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors. [0025] In optional variants of the implementations described, the controller is further configured to detect whether the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors, apply an error check resonant signal to the one or more inductors, the error check resonant signal applied to the one or more inductors when the one or more inductors are detected to not be inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors and at least one other condition is met, and/or determine offset electrical properties of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the error check resonant signal. [0026] In optional related implementations, the at least one other condition includes a period of time passing since the power delivery to the one or more inductors and/or a temperature of the one or more inductors being at or below a temperature threshold. In other optional related implementations, the period of time is greater than 5 minutes, greater than 10 minutes, or greater than 20 minutes. In other optional related implementations, the temperature threshold is approximately 30℃, approximately 25℃, approximately 22℃, or approximately 20℃.
[0027] In optional variants of the implementations described, the controller is further configured to determine one or more differences between the stored first electrical properties and the offset electrical properties, and/or update the first electrical properties stored in memory based at least in part on the one or more difference. [0028] In optional variants of the implementations described, the second electrical properties include a heated inductance and a heated resistance of the one or more inductors. In optional related implementations, the resonant signal is applied to the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors. [0029] In optional variants of the implementations described, the second electrical properties are indicative of heated assembly properties of the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are above an ambient temperature and inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors. [0030] In optional variants of the implementations described, the controller is further configured to apply a third resonant signal to the one or more inductors, determine third electrical properties of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the third resonant signal. In optional related implementations, the third resonant signal is applied to the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors. In other optional related implementations, the third electrical properties include an initial inductance and an initial resistance of the one or more inductors. In other optional related implementations, the third electrical properties are indicative of initial assembly properties of the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are approximately at an ambient temperature and inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors. [0031] In optional variants of the implementations described, the controller is further configured to detect whether the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors. In optional related implementations, the third resonant signal is applied to the one or more inductors when the one or more inductors are detected to be inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors and/or the one or more inductors are approximately at an ambient temperature. [0032] In optional variants of the implementations described, the resonant signal decays over time. In optional related implementations, the controller is further configured to determine a decay of the resonant signal over time. In other optional related implementations, the controller is further configured to determine the decay based at least in part on a plurality of voltage peak measurements of the resonant signal. In other optional related implementations,
determining the decay based at least in part on a plurality of voltage peak measurements includes determining a slope of a curve across the voltage peak measurements. [0033] In optional variants of the implementations described, the controller is further configured to determine a frequency of the resonant signal. In optional related implementations, the controller is further configured to determine the frequency of the resonant signal based at least in part on a number of voltage zero-crossings over a determined period of time. In other optional related implementations, the second electrical properties of the one or more inductors are determined based at least in part on the decay and the frequency. [0034] In other optional related implementations, determining the second electrical properties based at least in part on the decay and the frequency includes calculating a quality factor based at least in part on the frequency divided by the envelope, estimating an inductance of the one or more inductors based at least in part on an inverse relationship of the quality factor, and/or estimating a resistance of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the inductance divided by the quality factor. [0035] In other optional related implementations, the controller is further configured to determine a temperature of the one or more inductors, and estimating the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors includes calculating an inductive difference between the estimated inductance of the one or more inductors and an expected inductance of the one or more inductors at the determined temperature based at least in part on the first set of electrical properties, calculating a resistive difference between the estimated resistance of the one or more inductors and an expected resistance of the one or more inductors at the determined temperature based at least in part on the first set of electrical properties, calculating a proportion based at least in part on dividing the resistive difference by the inductive difference, calculating an offset based at least in part on subtracting a baseline ratio from the calculated proportion, calculating a temperature difference based dividing the offset by the baseline ratio and a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the one or more susceptors, and/or estimating a temperature of the one or more susceptors based at least in part on adding an ambient temperature value to the temperature difference. [0036] In optional variants of the implementations described, the controller is further configured to determine a clock offset for the resonant signal, the second electrical properties of the one or more inductors determined based at least in part on the clock offset. In optional related implementations, determining the second electrical properties based at least in part on the clock offset includes measuring a frequency of the resonant signal, applying the clock offset
to the measured frequency to determine an adjusted frequency, and/or determining the second electrical properties based at least in part on the adjusted frequency. [0037] In other optional related implementations, determining the clock offset includes applying an unclamped resonant signal to the one or more inductors when the one or more inductors are not inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors, measuring a plurality of unclamped voltage peaks from the unclamped resonant signal, measuring a plurality of clamped voltage peaks from the resonant signal, and/or calculating the clock offset based at least in part on the difference between the plurality of unclamped voltage peaks and the plurality of clamped voltage peaks. In optional related implementations, the plurality of clamped voltage peaks and/or the plurality of clamped voltage peaks are each measured over a plurality of sequential resonant signals. [0038] In optional variants of the implementations described, the vaporizer device further includes a device body including the one or more inductors, the memory, and the controller, and/or a cartridge including the one or more susceptors and a vaporizable material, where the one or more susceptors are in thermal contact with the vaporizable material. [0039] In optional variants of the implementations described, the susceptor includes aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or invar. In optional related implementations, the susceptor consists of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or invar. [0040] In optional variants of the implementations described, the controller includes power control circuit electrically coupled to the one or more inductors. In optional variants of the implementations described, the controller includes a separate microcontroller and power control circuit, and/or the power control circuit includes a chip electrically coupled to the processor and the one or more inductors. [0041] In optional related implementations, the power control circuit is electrically coupled to one or more temperature sensors in thermal and/or physical contact with a respective one of each of the one or more inductors. In other optional related implementations, each of the one or more temperature sensors are configured to detect a temperature of the respective one of each of the one or more inductors. [0042] In other optional related implementations, the vaporizer device further includes an electrical bridge electrically coupled to the one or more inductors, and the power control circuit includes at least one gate driver configured to control the electrical bridge. In other optional related implementations, the electrical bridge includes two half bridge circuits forming a full bridge circuit, and the at least one gate driver includes two separate gate drivers configured to independently control each of the two half bridge circuits.
[0043] In other optional related implementations, the vaporizer device further includes a plurality of electrical switches electrically coupled between the electrical bridge, the one or more inductors, and at least one ground. In other optional related implementations, the plurality of electrical switches are configured to selectively couple a voltage source across the electrical bridge to each of the one or more inductors. [0044] In optional variants of the implementations described, the vaporizer device further includes a plurality of electrical switches electrically coupled between a voltage source, the one or more inductors, and at least one ground. In optional related implementations, each of the one or more inductors is electrically coupled between two of the electrical switches. [0045] In other optional related implementations, the vaporizer device further includes one or more capacitors electrically coupled between the one or more inductors and a first of the two electrical switches. In other optional related implementations, the one or more capacitors are configured to be charged by the voltage source when the voltage source powers the one or more inductors. [0046] In other optional related implementations, the one or more capacitors are configured to be charged by a digital-to-analog converter when the voltage source is not powering (e.g., providing heating power to) the one or more inductors. [0047] In other optional related implementations, the capacitor is configured to provide a discharge voltage to the inductor when the voltage source is not powering (e.g., providing heating power to) the one or more inductors. In other optional related implementations, the discharge voltage provides the resonant signal. In other optional related implementations, the discharge voltage is provided when the voltage source is not powering (e.g., providing heating power to) the one or more inductors. [0048] In other optional related implementations, each of the two electrical switches includes an upper gate and a lower gate. In other optional related implementations, the upper gate of each of the two electrical switches is electrical coupled between the one or more inductors and the voltage source. In other optional related implementations, the lower gate of each of the two electrical switches is electrical coupled between the one or more inductors and the at least one ground. In other optional related implementations, applying the resonant signal to the one or more inductors includes opening the upper gate of each of the two electrical switches, closing the lower gate of each of the two electrical switches, and/or providing a discharge voltage to the one or more inductors. [0049] In optional variants of the implementations described, the one or more inductors includes a first inductor and a second inductor. In optional related implementations, the one or
more susceptors includes a single susceptor, the first inductor is configured to generate a first electromagnetic field to heat a first region of the single susceptor, and/or the second inductor is configured to generate a second electromagnetic field to heat a second region of the single susceptor. In other optional related implementations, the first region is downstream of the second region along an airflow path that extends though the single susceptor. In other optional related implementations, the first electromagnetic field is generated to heat the first region to a first temperature, the second electromagnetic field is generated to heat the second region to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature. [0050] In optional related implementations, the one or more susceptors includes a first susceptor and a second susceptor, the first inductor is configured to generate a first electromagnetic field to heat the first susceptor, and the second inductor is configured to generate a second electromagnetic field to heat the second susceptor. In other optional related implementations, the first susceptor is downstream of the second susceptor along an airflow path that extends though the one or more susceptors. In other optional related implementations, the first electromagnetic field is generated to heat the first susceptor to a first temperature, the second electromagnetic field is generated to heat the second susceptor to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature. [0051] In various implementations, a method of generating an inhalable aerosol is provided. The method includes controlling power delivery to one or more inductors configured to generate an electromagnetic field to heat one or more susceptors, applying a resonant signal to the one or more inductors, determining second electrical properties of the one or more inductors based at least in part on the resonant signal, estimating one or more properties of the one or more susceptors based at least in part on first electrical properties of the one or more inductors stored in memory and the second electrical properties, and/or adjusting the power delivery to the one or more inductors based at least in part on the estimated one or more properties of the one or more susceptors. Such implementations can further include the aspects provided above. [0052] In various implementations, a method includes determining first electrical properties associated with an inductor. A resonant signal is applied to an assembly comprising the inductor and an inductively coupled susceptor. Second electrical properties associated with the assembly are determined, based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal. One or more properties associated with the susceptor are determined, based at least in part on the first electrical properties and the second electrical properties. Power is applied to the inductor to heat the susceptor based on the one or more properties.
[0053] In optional variants of the implementations described, applying power to the inductor to heat the susceptor based on the one or more properties includes generating heating instructions based at least in part on the one or more properties; and modifying an inductive heating process configured to cause the susceptor to heat a vaporizable material to produce an inhalable aerosol. [0054] In optional variants of the implementations described, determining the first electrical properties associated with the inductor includes applying a resonant signal to the inductor. The first electrical properties are determined based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal. [0055] In optional variants of the implementations described, the first electrical properties include an inductance and a resistance of the inductor. [0056] In optional variants of the implementations described, the susceptor is incorporated into a cartridge and/or the inductor is incorporated into a vaporizer body. [0057] In optional variants of the implementations described, applying the resonant signal to the assembly includes electrically coupling a resonant circuit to the assembly. [0058] In optional variants of the implementations described, the resonant circuit includes a capacitor. [0059] In optional variants of the implementations described, applying the resonant signal to the assembly further includes charging the capacitor; and generating the resonant signal by discharging the capacitor. [0060] In optional variants of the implementations described, the second electrical properties include an inductance and a resistance of the assembly. [0061] In optional variants of the implementations described, determining the second electrical properties includes determining, over a duration, a plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal corresponding to a plurality of time points of the duration; determining an energy change value, based at least in part on the plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal. [0062] In optional variants of the implementations described, the energy change value is a quality factor. In optional variants of the implementations described, the duration is a portion of the period of the resonant signal. In optional variants of the implementations described, an amplitude of the resonant signal decays over time. In optional variants of the implementations described, the decay is an exponential decay. [0063] In optional variants of the implementations described, the method further includes determining an exponential decay measure of the decay from the plurality of amplitude
measurements. In optional variants of the implementations described, the energy change value is inversely proportional to the exponential decay measure. [0064] In optional variants of the implementations described, the one or more properties include a temperature of the susceptor. [0065] In optional variants of the implementations described, generating the heating instructions includes determining a temperature of the susceptor based on the first electrical properties and second electrical properties associated with the inductor. [0066] In optional variants of the implementations described, determining the temperature includes generating a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) measurement of the inductor. The temperature is determined at least in part from the generated temperature coefficient of resistance. [0067] In optional variants of the implementations described, the inductive heating process includes generating an eddy current in the heater chamber of the cartridge. [0068] In optional variants of the implementations described, applying power to the inductor includes using pulse-width modulation (PWM). [0069] In optional variants of the implementations described, applying power to the inductor includes using a buck-boost circuit. [0070] In optional variants of the implementations described, modifying an inductive heating process includes modifying a driving frequency of the inductor. [0071] In optional variants of the implementations described, the susceptor includes aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or invar. [0072] In optional variants of the implementations described, an inductance of the susceptor does not change with temperature. [0073] In optional variants of the implementations described, the inductor includes an inductive coil. [0074] In optional variants of the implementations described, the method further includes determining fourth electrical properties associated with a second inductor; applying a resonant signal to a second assembly including the second inductor and an inductively coupled susceptor; determining fifth electrical properties associated with the second assembly, based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal; determining sixth electrical properties associated with the susceptor, the sixth electrical properties based at least in part on the fourth electrical properties and the fifth electrical properties; and applying power to the second inductor to heat the susceptor based on the sixth electrical properties.
[0075] In optional variants of the implementations described, the second inductor includes a second inductive coil. [0076] In optional variants of the implementations described, the plurality of amplitude measurements corresponding to the plurality of time points and the energy change value are determined by a first integrated circuit. The first integrated circuit is configured to provide the plurality of amplitude measurements and the energy change value to a second integrated circuit. The second integrated circuit is configured to determine the second electrical properties. [0077] In various implementations, a vaporizer device for generating an inhalable aerosol includes an inductor, a measurement circuit, a susceptor, a resonant circuit, and a controller. The controller is configured to cause the measurement circuit to determine first electrical properties associated with the inductor, detect an assembly comprising the inductor in thermal contact with the susceptor, cause the resonant circuit to apply a resonant signal to the assembly, determine second electrical properties associated with the assembly, based at least in part on the resonant signal, determine one or more properties associated with the susceptor, the one or more properties based at least in part on the first electrical properties and the second electrical properties, generate heating instructions based at least in part on the one or more properties, and modify an inductive heating process configured to cause the susceptor to heat a vaporizable material to generate the inhalable aerosol. [0078] In optional variants of the implementations described, applying power to the inductor to heat the susceptor based on the one or more properties includes generating heating instructions based at least in part on the one or more properties; and modifying an inductive heating process configured to cause the susceptor to heat a vaporizable material to produce an inhalable aerosol. [0079] In optional variants of the implementations described, determining the first electrical properties associated with the inductor includes applying a resonant signal to the inductor. The first electrical properties are determined based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal. [0080] In optional variants of the implementations described, the first electrical properties include an inductance and a resistance of the inductor(s). [0081] In optional variants of the implementations described, the susceptor is incorporated into a cartridge. The inductor(s) is incorporated into a vaporizer body. [0082] In optional variants of the implementations described, applying the resonant signal to the assembly includes electrically coupling a resonant circuit to the assembly.
[0083] In optional variants of the implementations described, the resonant circuit includes a capacitor. [0084] In optional variants of the implementations described, applying the resonant signal to the assembly further includes charging the capacitor; and generating the resonant signal by discharging the capacitor. [0085] In optional variants of the implementations described, the second electrical properties include an inductance and a resistance of the assembly. [0086] In optional variants of the implementations described, determining the second electrical properties includes determining, over a duration, a plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal corresponding to a plurality of time points of the duration, and/or determining an energy change value, based at least in part on the plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal. [0087] In optional variants of the implementations described, the energy change value is a quality factor. In optional variants of the implementations described, the duration is a portion of the period of the resonant signal. In optional variants of the implementations described, an amplitude of the resonant signal decays over time. In optional variants of the implementations described, the decay is an exponential decay. [0088] In optional variants of the implementations described, the vaporizer device further includes determining an exponential decay measure of the decay from the plurality of amplitude measurements. In optional variants of the implementations described, the energy change value is inversely proportional to the exponential decay measure. [0089] In optional variants of the implementations described, the one or more properties include a temperature of the susceptor. [0090] In optional variants of the implementations described, generating the heating instructions includes determining a temperature of the susceptor based on the first electrical properties and second electrical properties associated with the inductor. [0091] In optional variants of the implementations described, determining the temperature includes generating a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) measurement of the inductor. The temperature is determined at least in part from the generated temperature coefficient of resistance. [0092] In optional variants of the implementations described, the inductive heating process includes generating an eddy current in the heater chamber of the cartridge. [0093] In optional variants of the implementations described, applying power to the inductor includes using pulse-width modulation (PWM).
[0094] In optional variants of the implementations described, applying power to the inductor includes using a buck-boost circuit. [0095] In optional variants of the implementations described, modifying an inductive heating process includes modifying a driving frequency of the inductor. [0096] In optional variants of the implementations described, the susceptor includes aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or invar. [0097] In optional variants of the implementations described, an inductance of the susceptor does not change with temperature. [0098] In optional variants of the implementations described, the inductor includes an inductive coil. [0099] In optional variants of the implementations described, the vaporizer device further includes determining fourth electrical properties associated with a second inductor; applying a resonant signal to a second assembly including the second inductor and an inductively coupled susceptor; determining fifth electrical properties associated with the second assembly, based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal; determining sixth electrical properties associated with the susceptor, the sixth electrical properties based at least in part on the fourth electrical properties and the fifth electrical properties; and applying power to the second inductor to heat the susceptor based on the sixth electrical properties. [0100] In optional variants of the implementations described, the second inductor includes a second inductive coil. [0101] In optional variants of the implementations described, the plurality of amplitude measurements corresponding to the plurality of time points and the energy change value are determined by a first integrated circuit. The first integrated circuit is configured to provide the plurality of amplitude measurements and the energy change value to a second integrated circuit. The second integrated circuit is configured to determine the second electrical properties. [0102] The details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. The claims that follow this disclosure are intended to define the scope of the protected subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0103] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, show certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the
description, help explain some of the principles associated with the disclosed implementations. The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee. In the drawings: [0104] FIG. 1A illustrates a block diagram of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0105] FIG. 1B illustrates a block diagram of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0106] FIG. 1C illustrates a block diagram of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0107] FIG. 2 illustrates a front perspective view of an implementation of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0108] FIG. 3 illustrates a front perspective exploded view of an implementation of a cartridge for use with a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0109] FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0110] FIG.4B illustrates a front cross-sectional view of the vaporizer device of FIG.4A, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0111] FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective view of a holder assembly for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0112] FIG. 5B illustrates a perspective view of a holder assembly for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0113] FIG. 5C illustrates a perspective view of a holder assembly for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0114] FIG. 5D illustrates a perspective view of a holder assembly for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0115] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a heating element for use in a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0116] FIG.7 illustrates a perspective view of a cartridge, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0117] FIG.8A illustrates an exemplary cross-section of a cartridge and/or receptacle of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter;
[0118] FIG.8B illustrates an exemplary cross-section of a cartridge and/or receptacle of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0119] FIG.8C illustrates an exemplary cross-section of a cartridge and/or receptacle of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0120] FIG.8D illustrates an exemplary cross-section of a cartridge and/or receptacle of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0121] FIG.8E illustrates an exemplary cross-section of a cartridge and/or receptacle of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0122] FIG.8F illustrates an exemplary cross-section of a cartridge and/or receptacle of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0123] FIG.9A illustrates circuitry of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0124] FIG.9B illustrates circuitry of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0125] FIG.9C illustrates circuitry of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0126] FIG.9D illustrates circuitry of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0127] FIG.9E illustrates circuitry of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0128] FIG.10 illustrates circuitry of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0129] FIG.11 illustrates circuitry of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0130] FIG.12 illustrates circuitry of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; [0131] FIG.13 illustrates a resonant signal generated by circuitry of a vaporizer device, in accordance with some implementations; [0132] FIG.14 illustrates circuitry of a vaporizer device, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter; and [0133] FIG. 15 illustrates a process flow diagram of vaporizer device operations, in accordance with some implementations. [0134] When practical, similar reference numbers denote similar structures, features, or elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0135] Implementations of the current subject matter include methods, apparatuses, articles of manufacture, and systems relating to vaporization of one or more materials for inhalation by a user. For example, various implementations of vaporizer devices are described herein that provide a number of benefits, including improved generation of controlled energy transfer to inductively heated cartridges. For example, by providing multiple inductors, a singular wrapped susceptor, and/or feedback loops with sensors, localized heat transfer can be controlled over the course of use (e.g., each complete use of a cartridge, from start to finish, referred to herein a vaporizing session). [0136] Implementations of the present disclosure may comprise systems and methods for determining the temperature of a heating element of a cartridge, such as a susceptor. The systems and methods described may determine the temperature by relating electrical properties (e.g., a determined inductance and a determined resistance) of the susceptor. [0137] The temperature, resistance, and inductance of the susceptor may be difficult to determine or may not be able to be determined by direct measurement. It may be impractical to implement circuitry that directly couples to the susceptor or the cartridge itself. Hence, described are methods and systems for determining (e.g., wirelessly) the properties of the susceptor by measuring the same properties of the vaporizer device. [0138] In some implementations, a resonant circuit is configured to couple to an inductor(s) of the vaporizer device. The resonant circuit can generate a resonant signal by discharging a capacitor coupled with the inductive coil. Due to the resistance in the circuit, the resonant signal experiences a decay. A control unit may determine a quality factor from this decay, which can be used to determine inductance and resistance associated with the inductive coil. Connecting a cartridge comprising a susceptor to the vaporizer device causes a change in these electrical properties, allowing the controller to derive the electrical properties of the susceptor. The controller can calculate the electrical properties of the inductive coil without the cartridge coupled to it, can calculate the electrical properties of the inductive coil with the cartridge coupled, and/or can derive the electrical properties of the susceptor from the change in electrical properties. [0139] The resonant circuit can be configured to operate during a portion of a heating cycle (e.g., during pulse-width modulation (PWM) heating). The controller can be configured to modify or update the heating cycle to raise, lower, or maintain the temperature of the cartridge based on the determined temperature of the susceptor.
[0140] An additional benefit that can be provided by various implementations of vaporizer devices described herein is improving contact between a heating element and/or heated surface of a heating system and a cartridge containing vaporizable material to ensure efficient and effective thermal transfer between the heating element and vaporizable material. For example, by maintaining intimate contact between the cartridge and the heating element and/or heated surface, thermal losses (e.g., to a surrounding housing of the vaporizer device) can be reduced, and heating efficiency (e.g., per amount of power consumption) can be increased. An additional benefit that can be provided by various implementations of vaporizer devices described herein is increased user satisfaction. For example, in some implementations, the proper mixing of relatively cool air (e.g., ambient temperature air) and heated air containing vaporized material can improve the formation of sub-micron sized aerosol particles, thereby reducing condensation of one or more compounds released during heating of the vaporized material onto internal surfaces (e.g., inhalation tubes and/or mouthpiece components) of the vaporizer device. Such condensates can ultimately be drawn into the mouth of a user in liquid form, thereby leading to unpleasant taste sensations, and are not available for inhalation, thereby reducing an amount of available inhalable product. Accordingly, by ensuring proper mixing and aerosol generation, implementations of the current subject matter can increase user satisfaction. [0141] In some implementations, the vaporizable material can be placed within a location that is in direct contact with and/or in close proximity to a heating element of a heating system to allow for efficient and effective heat transfer from the heating element to the vaporizable material. In some implementations, a cartridge comprising the heating element and the vaporizable material (e.g., vaporizable material contained within an appropriately configured structure) can be placed within a vaporizer body that is configured to transfer energy to the heating element, such as by one or more inductors and/or completion of an electrical circuit that includes the heating element. In other implementations, a cartridge comprising the vaporizable material (e.g., vaporizable material contained within an appropriately configured structure) can be placed within a vaporization chamber, heater chamber, oven, or the like, in which case the area or volume in the vaporizer body within which a heating element causes heating of at least a portion of a vaporizable material includes an internal area or volume of the cartridge. Characteristics of an appropriately configured structure include being formed at least partially of metal and/or some other material that is durable under heating and that has a sufficient thermal conductivity, one or more openings through which air can enter the cartridge to aid in heating the vaporizable material and/or transfer of the vaporizable material as it is
vaporized, one or more openings through which ambient air mixes with the vaporized material to form at least a portion of an inhalable aerosol, conveyance of the inhalable aerosol out of the cartridge, and/or the like. As such, the vaporizer devices, heating systems, cartridges, and vaporizable material described herein can provide more efficient heating of vaporizable material and formation of inhalable aerosol compared to some currently available vaporizer devices. Other benefits are described herein and are within the scope of this disclosure. It will be appreciated that aerosol formation can occur concurrently with (e.g., immediately after) vaporization of the vaporizable material, such as based on air that is present within or near the vaporizable material, and that the provision of ambient air can accelerate the formation of the inhalable aerosol. [0142] The term “vaporizer device” as used in the following description and claims refers to any of a self-contained apparatus, an apparatus that includes two or more separable parts (e.g., a vaporizer body that includes a battery and other hardware, a cartridge and/or insert that includes a vaporizable material, and/or a mouthpiece (including a mouthpiece portion of the cartridge) configured to deliver an inhalable aerosol to a user), and/or the like. A “vaporizer system,” as used herein, can include one or more components, such as a vaporizer device, a charger for charging the vaporizer device, a wired or wireless communication device in communication with the vaporizer device, a remote server in communication with the communication device, and/or the like. Examples of vaporizer devices consistent with implementations of the current subject matter include electronic vaporizers, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and/or the like. Such vaporizer devices can be hand-held devices that heat (such as by convection, conduction, radiation, induction, and/or some combination thereof) a vaporizable material to provide an inhalable dose of the material to a user. Vaporizer devices can be regarded as “generating” inhalable aerosols, as they provide the capabilities and/or functionality required to convert vaporizable material into inhalable aerosols (e.g., heat, airflow path(s), condensation chambers, etc.). [0143] The vaporizable material used with a vaporizer device can optionally be provided within a cartridge (e.g., an insertable and removable part of the vaporizer device that contains the vaporizable material) which can be refillable when empty, or disposable such that a new cartridge containing additional vaporizable material of a same or different type can be used. A vaporizer device can be a cartridge-using vaporizer device, a cartridge-less vaporizer device, or a multi-use vaporizer device capable of use with or without a cartridge. Some cartridge implementations can include a vaporizable material, which can be packed to an appropriate density, as described herein. In some implementations, a vaporizer device can include a
compartment (e.g., a receptacle, heater chamber, and/or the like) configured to receive a cartridge directly therein and heat the vaporizable material for forming an inhalable aerosol. [0144] In some implementations, a vaporizer device can be configured for use with a liquid vaporizable material (for example, a carrier solution in which an active and/or inactive ingredient(s) are suspended or held in solution, or a liquid form of the vaporizable material itself) and/or a non-liquid vaporizable material (e.g., a paste, a wax, a gel, a solid, a plant material, and/or the like). A non-liquid vaporizable material can include a plant material that emits some part of the plant material as the vaporizable material (for example, some part of the plant material remains as waste after the material is vaporized for inhalation by a user) or optionally can be a solid form of the vaporizable material itself, such that all of the solid material can eventually be vaporized for inhalation. A liquid vaporizable material can likewise be capable of being completely vaporized, or can include some portion of the liquid material that remains after all of the material suitable for inhalation has been vaporized. [0145] Implementations of vaporizable material can be partially made of a non-liquid vaporizable material, such as tobacco (e.g., leaves, stems, and/or the like), other plant substances, and/or other solids such as cotton. In such implementations, the vaporizable material further includes a humectant or other aerosol forming material or carrier, such as propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, an acid (e.g., organic acid such as benzoic acid, citric acid, etc.), and/or the like. As such, some implementations of the vaporizer device can be configured to use a vaporizable material that is at least partly made of one or more vaporizable materials (e.g., that includes one or more compounds that can be converted to the gas phase when the vaporizable material is heated to a sufficient temperature) for heating and forming an inhalable aerosol, as described in greater detail herein. [0146] FIGs. 1A-1C depict block diagrams illustrating example vaporizer devices 100a, 100b, 100c (collectively referred to as vaporizer device 100) consistent with implementations of the current subject matter. The vaporizer device 100 can include a power source 112 (for example, a battery, which can be a rechargeable battery), and a controller 104 (for example, a processor, circuitry, etc. capable of executing logic) for controlling delivery of heat from one or more heating elements 142 (collectively referred to as heating element 142) to cause at least a portion of the vaporizable material 102 (such as a solid, a liquid, a solution, a suspension, a part of an at least partially unprocessed plant material, etc.) of a cartridge 120 to be converted to the gas-phase. The controller 104 can be part of one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) consistent with certain implementations of the current subject matter.
[0147] After conversion of some amount of one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102 to the gas phase, at least some of those gas-phase compounds can condense to form particulate matter in at least a partial local equilibrium with the gas phase as part of an aerosol, which can form some or all of an inhalable dose provided by the vaporizer device 100 during a user’s puff or draw on the vaporizer device 100. It should be appreciated that the interplay between gas and condensed phases in an aerosol generated by a vaporizer device 100 can be complex and dynamic, due to factors such as temperature (e.g., ambient or local at various points within the vaporizer device and/or cartridge), relative humidity, chemistry, vapor pressure of one or more vaporizable compounds, flow conditions in airflow paths (both inside the vaporizer device 100 and in the airways of a human or other animal), and/or mixing of the one or more compounds in the gas phase or in the aerosol phase with other air streams, which can affect one or more physical parameters of an aerosol. In some vaporizer devices, and particularly for vaporizer devices configured for delivery of relatively volatile compounds, the inhalable dose can exist predominantly in the gas phase (for example, formation of condensed phase particles can be very limited). [0148] The heating element 142 can include one or more of a conductive heater, a radiative heater, inductive heater, and/or a convective heater. One type of heating element 142 is a resistive heating element, which can include a material (such as a metal or alloy, for example a nickel-chromium alloy, or a non-metallic resistor) configured to dissipate electrical power in the form of heat when electrical current is passed through one or more resistive segments of the resistive heating element. Another type of heating element 142 is a susceptor, which can include a material (such as a metal or alloy, for example an aluminum alloy and/or a ferritic material such as a stainless steel alloy) configured to absorb and convert energy into heat when magnetic and/or electromagnetic energy is radiated into one or more segments of the susceptor. In various implementations of the current subject matter, the heating element 142 (e.g., a resistive heating element, a susceptor, and/or the like) is configured to generate heat for converting, to the gas phase, one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102 to generate an inhalable dose of the one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102. As described herein, in some implementations, the vaporizable material 102 includes a non-liquid vaporizable material including, for example, a solid-phase material (such as a gel, a wax, or the like) or plant material (e.g., tobacco leaves and/or tobacco stems). [0149] In some implementations, the heating element 142 can be a part of the cartridge 120 (e.g., part of the disposable part of the vaporizer 100), as shown in the vaporizer device 100a of FIG.1A. As illustrated, the cartridge 120 can include a mouthpiece portion 130 that includes
one or more inserts 124 (e.g., one or more filters, such as illustrated by way of an example implementation of the insert 124 in FIGS. 1A and 1B) and a heater portion 141 that includes vaporizable material 102 and one or more heating elements 142. In some implementations, the mouthpiece portion 130 can be releasably coupled to a part of the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the mouthpiece portion 130 can be integrated with the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the mouthpiece portion 130 can include one or more elements of the cartridge 120 (e.g., airflow pathway, insert, end cap, vaporizable material, etc.), such as described herein. [0150] In some implementations, the cartridge 120 can include one or more inserts 124, and each insert 124 can include one or more filters and/or filter material. For example, the one or more inserts 124 can be made of material that is one or both of non-vapor permeable and moisture-resistant (e.g., resists damaging effects of water, at least to some extent). Such material can include one or more of metal, metal alloy, cotton, paper material such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature-resistant plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), cellulose acetate, non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like. In some implementations, at least a part of the insert 124 can be inserted into and/or surrounded by one or more elements, including one or more elements associated with the cartridge 120 and/or vaporizer body 110. For example, one or more inserts 124 can be positioned adjacent to, in contact with, and/or offset (e.g., along the length or longitudinal axis) from one or more of a divider (e.g., divider 454 in FIG. 4A-4B) a first end of the cartridge 120 (e.g., a distal or upstream end), a second end of the cartridge 120 (e.g., a proximal or downstream end), the vaporizable material 102, and/or the like, as described herein. In some implementations, at least a part of the insert 124 can be exposed (e.g., not inserted into or surrounded by one or more elements), including an entire length (as length is used and defined herein) of the insert 124 can be exposed. As used herein, an “end cap” can refer to at least one of a variety of materials and/or elements that are positioned adjacent an end of the cartridge 120, such as a first end or second end of the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the end cap can be positioned at an end of the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the end cap can be positioned offset (e.g., along the length of the cartridge 120) from an end of the cartridge 120, including not being a most distal or proximal element within an implementation of the cartridge 120. For example, the end cap can form a part of an outer surface of the cartridge 120 and/or the end cap can be fully contained within the outer surface of the cartridge 120. [0151] In some implementations, the heater portion 141 can optionally include one or more inserts 124, such as at the end of the vaporizable material 102 (e.g., distal end of the cartridge
120) to help retain the vaporizable material 102 within the cartridge 120. The one or more inserts 124 can contain a plurality of openings, such as inlets, channels, and/or outlets. In some implementations, at least a portion of the one or more inserts 124 can be permeable, such that vapor and/or aerosol can pass through the inserts 124. In some implementations, the heater portion 141 can be releasably coupled to a part of the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the heater portion 141 can be integrated with the cartridge 120. In some implementations, the heater portion 141 can include one or more elements of the cartridge 120 (e.g., airflow pathway, insert, vaporizable material, etc.), such as described herein. In some implementations, the heater portion 141 can include more than one separable and/or releasably coupleable parts. For example, one part of the heating portion 141 can be integrated with the cartridge 120 and a second part of the heating portion 141 can be integrated with an element apart from and/or outside of the cartridge 120, such as integrated with the vaporizer body 110. [0152] The mouthpiece portion 130 and the heater portion 141 can be joined together via an outer layer, such as one or more layers of material (e.g., wrappers 122, as shown by way of example in FIGS.1A and 1B, shells, or other comparable structural material or materials). In some aspects, the heater portion 141 can be regarded as including at least a portion of the cartridge 120 that is insertably received in the receptacle 118 and the mouthpiece portion 130 can be regarded as at least some of a portion of the cartridge 120 that remains outside of the receptacle 118 when the cartridge 120 is insertably received in the receptacle 118. In some implementations, the receptacle 118 can be configured to insertably receive and couple to the cartridge 120 via a snap-fit, press-fit, friction fit, magnetic attachment, and/or the like. In some implementations, the vaporizer body 110 can include a ledge 121 that at least partially defines an opening into the receptacle 118. The ledge 121 can include features, such as a chamfered edge, that facilitate placement of the cartridge 120 into the receptacle 118. As the term is used herein, it is not required that the entirety of the mouthpiece portion 130 be designed for insertion into a user’s mouth, only that the mouthpiece portion 130 is at or near the end of the cartridge 120 that is designed for the user to place into their mouth in use. [0153] The heating element 142 can be wrapped around (at least in part), pressed into thermal contact with, or otherwise arranged to deliver heat to the vaporizable material 102 to cause release of one or more compounds into the gas phase. Within the vaporizer body, driving circuitry 143 (as shown in FIG. 1C) is provided for driving the heating element 142. For example, the driving circuitry 143 can include two or more electrical contacts (e.g., positioned at least partially within the receptacle 118) for providing an electrically conductive pathway between the power source 112 of the vaporizer body 110 and the heating element 142 of the
cartridge 120, when the cartridge 120 is insertably received within the receptacle 118. In other implementations, the driving circuitry 143 can include one or more inductors, such as two or more inductive coils, configured to generate an electromagnetic field directed and positioned to affect the heating element 142, which can take the form of a susceptor, to cause the susceptor to generate heat. [0154] In other implementations, the heating element 142 can be a part of the vaporizer body 110 (e.g., part of the durable or reusable part of the vaporizer 100), as shown in the vaporizer device 100b of FIG.1B. As illustrated, the cartridge 120 can include a mouthpiece portion 130 that includes one or more inserts 124 and a container portion 123 that includes vaporizable material 102. The mouthpiece portion 130 and the container portion 123 can be joined together via an outer layer, such as one or more wrappers 122. The heating element 142 can be wrapped around (at least in part), pressed into thermal contact with, or otherwise arranged to deliver heat to the cartridge 120 containing the vaporizable material 102 to convert the one or more compounds from the vaporizable material 102 to the gas phase for subsequent inhalation by a user in a gas-phase and/or a condensed (for example, aerosol particles or droplets) phase. For example the heating element 142 can be positioned within the receptacle 118 and disposed to directly or indirectly heat the container portion 123 (e.g., by conductive, radiative, or convective heating), which in turn can heat the vaporizable material 102 contained therein. In related implementations, the heating element 142 can be positioned outside of the receptacle 118 and disposed to heat the receptacle 118 itself, so as to create an oven that provides convective and/or conductive heat. In either case, the heating element 142 can be at least partially or substantially wrapped around a perimeter of the receptacle 118. Such a heating element can be heated by one or more of a variety of mechanisms, such as for example electrical resistance, inductive heating, chemical or combustion-related heating (e.g., by burning or causing oxidation or other exothermic chemical conversion of a fuel material), thermal conduction from another heated element, radiative heating, convection, etc. [0155] In other implementations, the heating element 142 can be a part of a cartridge 120 containing a liquid vaporizable material 102 in a liquid reservoir 182, as shown in the vaporizer device 100c of FIG.1C. As illustrated, the cartridge 120 can include a mouthpiece portion 130 and a shell portion 192 containing a heater portion 141 and a reservoir 182 configured to hold a liquid vaporizable material 102. The mouthpiece portion 130 and the shell portion 192 can be integrally formed (e.g., manufactured as a single piece) or can be joined together via mechanical coupling means, such as snap fit, press fit, friction fit, adhesive, and/or the like. The heater portion 141 can include a heating element 142 and a wicking material (not shown)
configured to transfer the liquid vaporizable material 102 from the reservoir 182 to be in contact with the heating element 142 via capillary action. In some implementations, the heating element 142 can be in direct contact with the wicking material, such as by being pressed against one or more sides of the wicking material, wrapped at least partially around the wicking material, and/or the like. The heating element 142 can be configured to generate heat to convert the one or more compounds from the vaporizable material 102 to the gas phase for subsequent inhalation by a user in a gas-phase and/or a condensed (for example, aerosol particles or droplets) phase. For example, the heater portion 141 can include circuitry configured to receive and/or convert an applied electromagnetic field into an electrical current that is used to power, and thereby heat, the heating element 142. In some implementations, the heating element 142 itself can be configured to generate heat based on having a structure (e.g., material and shape) configured to receive and convert an applied electromagnetic field into an electrical current that is used to power, and thereby heat, the heating element 142. Accordingly, the heater portion 141 and/or heating element 142 can be powered via the driving circuitry 143, as described herein. [0156] Where the vaporizable material 102 includes a non-liquid vaporizable material, the heating element 142 can be part of, or otherwise incorporated into or in thermal contact with, the walls of a heating chamber or compartment (e.g., receptacle 118) into which the cartridge 120 and/or the vaporizable material 102 is placed. Additionally or alternatively, the heating element 142 can be used to heat air passing into, through, or past the cartridge 120, to cause convective heating of the vaporizable material 102 (e.g., within the cartridge 120). In still other examples, the heating element 142 can be disposed in intimate contact with the vaporizable material 102 such that direct conductive heating of the vaporizable material 102 of the cartridge 120 occurs from within a mass of the vaporizable material 102, as opposed to only by conduction inward from walls of the heating chamber (e.g., an oven and/or the like). Convective heating of air passing through or past the cartridge 120 can also occur in such configurations. Additionally, conductive heating can occur by means of inductively heating the heating element 142. That is, the heating element 142 can generate heat based on conversion of electromagnetic energy into heat, and this heat can be thermally transmitted (e.g., conducted) to other parts of the cartridge 120, such as for example other parts of the heating element 142 that are not as directly affected by the electromagnetic energy, the vaporizable material 102, other thermally conductive parts of the cartridge 120 or the vaporizer body 110, etc. The vaporizable material 102 can be vaporized by this heat based in part on being in contact
with one or more surfaces of the heating element 142 and/or other materials that are conductively heated by the heating element 142. [0157] In some implementations, the vaporizable material 102 can be heated via one or more heating elements 142 that is not in physical contact with the vaporizable material 102, such as by convective heating. In accordance with such implementations, a heating element 142 can be configured to heat air passing along, through, and/or near the heating element 142 such that a temperature of the air reaches a temperature sufficient to vaporize at least a portion of the vaporizable material 102. In some implementations, the vaporizable material 102 can be vaporized by both conductive heat from at least one heating element 142 and convective heat from at least one other heating element 142. [0158] The heating element 142 can provide heat to convert, to the gas phase, one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102 in association with a user puffing (e.g., drawing, inhaling, etc.) on a mouthpiece portion 130 and/or end of the vaporizer device 100 to cause air to flow from an air inlet, along an airflow path for assisting with forming an aerosol that can be delivered out through an air outlet (or aerosol outlet) in the mouthpiece portion 130 and inhaled by a user. Incoming air moving along the airflow path moves past (e.g., around, over, etc.) and/or through the cartridge 120 and/or vaporizable material 102 where compounds released from the vaporizable material 102 into the gas-phase are entrained into the air. The heating element 142 can be activated via the controller 104, which can optionally be a part of the vaporizer body 110 as discussed herein, causing current to pass from the power source 112 through a circuit including or otherwise electromagnetically coupled to (e.g., as part of an inductor-susceptor pairing) the heating element 142, which can be part of the vaporizer body 110. As noted herein, at least some of the entrained one or more gas-phase compounds can condense while passing through the remainder of the airflow path such that an inhalable dose of the one or more compounds in an aerosol form can be delivered from the air outlet (e.g., via the mouthpiece portion 130) for inhalation by a user. [0159] In some implementations, the heating element 142 can be activated in association with a user interacting with the vaporizer device 100. For example, activation of the heating element 142 can be caused by automatic detection of a puff or other user interaction based on one or more signals generated by one or more sensors 113. The one or more sensors 113 and/or the signals generated by the one or more sensors 113 can include one or more of: a pressure sensor or sensors disposed to detect pressure along the airflow path of the vaporizer device 100 relative to ambient pressure or optionally to measure changes in absolute pressure; a temperature sensor or sensors, such as a thermistor, a positive temperature coefficient (PTC)
circuit such as a PTC thermistor, a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) circuit such as an NTC thermistor, a thermocouple, and/or the like disposed to measure the temperature of the receptacle 118, the heating element 142, and/or some other component of the vaporizer body 110 or the cartridge 120; one or more circuits configured to determine a temperature of the heating element 142, for example based on measuring or determining a resistance and/or inductance of the heating element 142 via comparison to one or more resistors with a known resistance and/or one or more inductors with a known inductance; a motion sensor or sensors, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or the like, configured to detect movement, vibration, orientation, position, acceleration, etc. of the vaporizer device 100; an airflow sensor or sensors configured to detect a flow rate of air, gas, or liquid within the vaporizer device 100; a capacitive sensor configured to detect touch, such as of a user’s finger(s), palm(s), lip(s), etc. on some part of the vaporizer device 100; circuitry configured to detect interaction with the vaporizer device 100 via one or more input devices 116, such as buttons, other tactile control devices, or the like of the vaporizer device 100; circuitry configured to receive and process signals from a computing device in communication with the vaporizer device 100; and/or circuitry configured for determining that a puff is occurring or imminent. [0160] In some implementations, the vaporizer device 100 can be configured to start a heating cycle that can include a period of heating the heating element 142, receptacle 118, cartridge 120, and/or vaporizable material 102 to an operating (e.g., pre-determined) temperature or temperature range (e.g., a temperature or range sufficient to convert, to the gas phase, one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102). Once the heating element 142, receptacle 118, cartridge 120, and/or vaporizable material 102 reach the operating temperature or temperature range, the vaporizer device 100 can be configured to maintain or otherwise regulate the application of heat such that the vaporizable material 102 can be vaporized without burning. In some implementations, additional heat can be provided via the heating element 142 upon detection of an event, such as a user placing their lips on the vaporizer device 100, the user taking a puff on the vaporizer device 100, and/or any of the signals (e.g., generated by the one or more sensors 113) described herein. The heating cycle can terminate upon detection of an additional interaction with the vaporizer device 100 via the one or more input devices 116, upon determining that a certain amount of time has elapsed since the start of the heating cycle, upon determining the user is no longer puffing on the vaporizer device 100 (e.g., mouthpiece 130 of the cartridge 102), upon determining that a certain amount of time has elapsed since the last detection of a user puff, upon determining that a cartridge 120 is not present within the receptacle 118, as a result of other events, actions,
detected durations of the same, and/or the like, consistent with implementations described herein. [0161] As discussed herein, the vaporizer device 100 consistent with implementations of the current subject matter can be configured to connect (e.g., wirelessly or via a wired connection) to a computing device (or optionally two or more devices) in communication with the vaporizer device 100. To this end, the controller 104 can include communication hardware 105. The controller 104 can also include a memory 108. The communication hardware 105 can include firmware and/or can be controlled by software for executing one or more protocols for the communication. [0162] A computing device can be a component of a vaporizer system that also includes the vaporizer device 100, and can include its own hardware for communication, which can establish a wireless communication channel with the communication hardware 105 of the vaporizer device 100. For example, a computing device used as part of a vaporizer system can include a general-purpose computing device (such as a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, some other portable device such as a smartwatch, or the like) that executes software to produce a user interface for enabling a user to interact with the vaporizer device 100. In other implementations of the current subject matter, such computing device(s) used as part of a vaporizer system can be a dedicated piece of hardware such as a remote control or other wireless or wired device having one or more physical or soft (e.g., configurable on a screen or other display device and selectable via user interaction with a touch-sensitive screen or some other input device 116 like a mouse, pointer, trackball, cursor buttons, or the like) interface controls. The vaporizer device 100 can also include one or more outputs 117 or devices for providing information to the user. For example, the outputs 117 can include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to provide feedback to a user based on a status and/or mode of operation of the vaporizer device 100. The one or more LEDs can be single-color LEDs and/or multicolored LEDs (e.g., both can be separately used). [0163] In the example in which a computing device provides signals related to activation of the heating element 142, or in other examples of coupling of a computing device with the vaporizer device 100 for implementation of various control or other functions, the computing device executes one or more computer instruction sets to provide a user interface and underlying data handling. In one example, detection by the computing device of user interaction with one or more user interface elements can cause the computing device to signal the vaporizer device 100 to activate the heating element 142 to reach an operating temperature for creation of an inhalable dose of aerosol. Other functions of the vaporizer device 100 can
be controlled by interaction of a user with a user interface on a computing device in communication with the vaporizer device 100. [0164] The temperature of the heating element 142 of the vaporizer device 100 can depend on a number of factors, including an amount of power or energy delivered to the heating element 142, a voltage applied to the heating element 142 and/or driving circuitry 143, a duty cycle at which power or current is delivered, a frequency at which power is provided is applied to the heating element 142 and/or driving circuitry 143, a time during which the power or current is delivered, an efficiency of the heating element 142 converting current to heat, a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the heating element 142, the construction and geometry of the heating element 142 (e.g., thickness, number of layers, number of folds or bends, etc.), conductive and/or radiative heat transfer to other parts of the vaporizer device 100 (e.g., vaporizable material 102), and/or to the environment, latent heat losses due to vaporization of the vaporizable material 102, convective heat losses due to airflow (e.g., air moving across the heating element 142 and/or an area heated by the heating element 142 when a user puffs on the vaporizer device 100), and/or the like. [0165] As noted herein, to reliably activate the heating element 142 and/or heat the heating element 142 to a desired temperature, in some implementations of the current subject matter the vaporizer device 100 can make use of signals from the one or more sensors 113. For example, the one or more sensors 113 can include a pressure sensor and/or airflow sensors, to determine when a user is inhaling. The one or more sensors 113 can optionally be positioned in the airflow path and/or can be connected (for example, by a passageway or other path) to an airflow path containing an airflow inlet for air to enter the vaporizer device 100 and an airflow outlet via which the user inhales the resulting aerosol such that the one or more sensors 113 experiences changes (for example, pressure changes) concurrently with air passing through the vaporizer device 100 from the airflow inlet to the airflow outlet. In some implementations of the current subject matter, the heating element 142 can be activated in association with a user’s puff, for example by automatic detection of the puff, or by the one or more sensors 113 detecting a change (such as a pressure change or flow rate) in the airflow path. [0166] Additionally or alternatively, to maintain the heating element 142 at a desired temperature, in some implementations of the current subject matter the vaporizer device 100 can make use of other signals from one or more sensors 113. For example, the one or more sensors 113 can include a capacitive, conductive, and/or electromagnetic sensor, to determine the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element 142. The one or more sensors 113 can optionally be positioned in a location that is in physical contact with the heating
element 142 (for example, within the receptacle 118) or in a location that is sufficiently close to the heating element 142 to measure the variations in an electromagnetic field or components affecting the heating element 142 (e.g., within, touching, or proximate to at least some part of the receptacle 118). In some implementations, the one or more sensors 113 can be in electrical communication with an inductor configured to inductively heat the heating element 142 and/or configured to determine the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the inductor. Additionally or alternatively, the one or more sensors 113 can include a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the inductor and/or heating element 142. Based on information derived from the one or more sensors 113, the controller 104 can be configured to estimate a temperature of the heating element 142, as described herein. In some implementations, the heating element 142 can be activated and/or power provided to the heating element 142 can be adapted in association with an estimated temperature of the heating element 142, for example by comparison of the detected inductance and/or resistance of the heating element 142 via the one or more sensors 113 with a suitable sensing circuit. [0167] The one or more sensors 113 can be positioned on and/or coupled to (e.g., electrically or electronically connected, physically or via a wireless connection) the controller 104 (e.g., a printed circuit board assembly or other type of circuit board). To take measurements accurately and maintain durability of the vaporizer device 100, it can be beneficial to provide a seal that is sufficiently resilient to separate an airflow path from other parts of the vaporizer device 100. The seal, which can be a gasket, can be configured to at least partially surround the one or more sensors 113 such that connections of the one or more sensors 113 to the internal circuitry of the vaporizer device 100 are separated from a part of the one or more sensors 113 exposed to the airflow path. Such arrangements of the seal in the vaporizer device 100 can be helpful in mitigating against potentially disruptive impacts on vaporizer components resulting from interactions with environmental factors such as water in the vapor or liquid phases and/or to reduce the escape of air from the designated airflow path in the vaporizer device 100. Passage of air, liquid, or other fluid passing and/or contacting circuitry of the vaporizer device 100 can cause various unwanted effects, such as altered pressure and/or airflow readings, and/or can result in the buildup of material, such as moisture or residue, errant portions of the vaporizable material 102, etc., in parts of the vaporizer device 100 where they can result in poor pressure and/or airflow signal, degradation of the one or more sensors 113 or other components, and/or a shorter life of the vaporizer device 100. Leaks in the seal can also result in a user inhaling air that has passed over parts of the vaporizer device 100
containing, or constructed of, materials that may not be desirable to be inhaled, such as the controller 104, power source 112, and/or the like. [0168] When the one or more sensors 113 includes an electrically conductive surface for measuring the resistance of the heating element 142, the one or more sensors 113 can additionally or alternatively be positioned on a surface that is biased against some part of the heating element 142. For example, the one or more sensors 113 can be disposed on a surface of a spring or other resiliently deformable structure, or otherwise biased by a spring or other resiliently deformable structure, such that the one or more sensors 113 remains in physical contact with a surface of the heating element 142. Such arrangements of a spring or other resiliently deformable structure in the vaporizer device 100 can be helpful in mitigating against potentially disruptive impacts on vaporizer components resulting from interactions with environmental factors such as those described herein. [0169] In vaporizer devices in which the power source 112 is part of a vaporizer body 110 and the heating element 142 is disposed in the cartridge 120 configured to couple with the vaporizer body 110, the cartridge 120 and vaporizer device 100 can include electrical connection features (e.g., electrical contacts, conductors, and the like) for completing a physical circuit that includes the controller 104 (e.g., a printed circuit board, a microcontroller, or the like), the power source 112, and the heating element 142. The circuit completed by these electrical connections can allow delivery of electrical current to the heating element 142 (e.g., resistive heating element) and can further be used for additional functions, such as measuring a resistance of the heating element 142 for use in determining and/or controlling a temperature of the resistive heating element based on a thermal coefficient of resistivity of the resistive heating element. In some implementations, a different circuit can be provided for measuring a resistance of the heating element 142, compared to the circuit that allows for delivery of the electrical current to the heating element 142, such as a circuit that includes one or more sensors 113 and the heating element 142, as described herein. [0170] Alternatively, the power source 112 can be part of a vaporizer body 110 and the heating element 142 can be disposed in the cartridge 120 and configured as a susceptor to be electromagnetically coupled with one or more inductor coils that are part of the driving circuitry 143 in the vaporizer body 110. A physical circuit in the vaporizer body 110 includes the controller 104 (e.g., a printed circuit board, a microcontroller, or the like), the power source 112, and the one or more inductor coils, which can be or form part of the driving circuitry 143. The physical circuit delivers electrical current to the one or more inductor coils and can further be used for additional functions, such as measuring inductance, resistance, and/or impedance
of the heating element 142 for use in determining and/or controlling a temperature of the heating element 142 based on a thermal coefficient of resistivity of the heating element 142. In some implementations, a different circuit can be provided for measuring inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element 142, compared to the circuit that allows for delivery of the electrical current to the one or more inductor coils, such as a circuit that includes one or more sensors 113 as described herein. [0171] In some implementations, the receptacle 118 can include all or part of the heating element 142 (e.g., a heating coil, resistive heating element, etc.) that is configured to conductively, radiatively, convectively, etc. heat the cartridge 120 received in the receptacle 118, such as for forming an aerosol to be inhaled by a user of the vaporizer device 100. For example, the receptacle 118 can include various implementations of the heating element 142 that are configured to receive and/or be placed in contact with the cartridge 120. Various implementations of the heating element 142, the receptacle 118, and the cartridge 120 are described herein for integration within and/or use with a variety of vaporizer bodies 110 for forming inhalable aerosol. [0172] In some implementations, the cartridge 120 can be configured for insertion in the receptacle 118, such as for forming contact between an outer surface of the cartridge 120 and one or more inner walls of the receptacle 118. In some implementations, the cartridge 120 can have a same or a similar shape as the receptacle 118. In some implementations, the cartridge 120 can include a square or rectangular shape. In some implementations, the cartridge 120 can include a circular cross-section and/or a cylindrical shape. In some implementations, the cartridge 120 can have a non-circular cross-section transverse to the longitudinal axis along which the cartridge 120 is inserted into the receptacle 118. The non-circular cross-section(s) of the cartridge 120 and/or receptacle 118 can include two sets of parallel or approximately parallel opposing sides (e.g., having a parallelogram-like shape), or other shapes, including curved shapes, having rotational symmetry of at least order two. For example, FIGs. 8A-8F illustrate example cross-sections of the cartridge 120 and/or receptacle 118, including a rectangular shape (FIG.8A), a rounded rectangular shape (FIG.8B), an elliptical or oval shape (FIG.8C), or other shapes that include corners, bends, edges, protrusions, recesses, and/or the like (FIGs. 8D-8F). In this context, approximate shape indicates that a basic likeness to the described shape is apparent, but that sides of the shape in question need not be completely linear and vertices need not be completely sharp. Rounding of both or either of the edges or the vertices of the cross-sectional shape is contemplated in the description of any non-circular cross-section referred to herein.
[0173] In some implementations, at least one of the one or more inner walls forming the receptacle 118 can include the heating element 142 and/or include thermally conductive material. For example, cartridge 120 configurations in which the cartridge 120 forms a sliding fit and/or forms close contact with the receptacle 118 can allow for efficient heat transfer between the heating element 142, the receptacle 118, and the cartridge 120, thereby causing efficient and effective heating of the vaporizable material 102 within the cartridge 120. In other implementations, at least one of the one or more inner walls forming the receptacle 118 can include ridges that only contact the cartridge 120 in specific locations, in order to minimize conductive heat losses from the cartridge due to physical contact with surfaces of the vaporizer body 110 that are not actively heated. For example, cartridge 120 configurations in which the heater portion 141 (or other thermally conductive parts) of the cartridge 120 only contacts the receptacle 118 in certain regions, such as regions distal to the heating element(s) 142, can allow for maintaining a higher temperature at the heating element 142, thereby causing efficient and effective heating of the vaporizable material 102 within the cartridge 120. [0174] Furthermore, the cartridge 120 can include compressed and/or higher density configurations of non-liquid vaporizable material 102, which can further contribute to efficient and effective heating and converting, to the gas phase, one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 102. For example, vaporizable material 102 in a compressed and/or high- density configuration can include a minimal amount of air or pockets of air in the vaporizable material 102 thereby increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of transferring heat within the vaporizable material 102. Such a configuration can allow for reduced power consumption at least because less heating power is needed to effectively heat the vaporizable material 102 to a temperature sufficient to cause release of inhalable substances. Additionally, lower temperatures (e.g., at a contact surface of an oven or heating element) can be used to heat the vaporizable material 102 at least because of the improved heating efficiency of the vaporizable material 102, which can also reduce power consumption and formation of hazardous byproducts resulting from heating the vaporizable material at higher temperatures. Various implementations of the cartridge 120 are described herein that include the vaporizable material formed in compressed and/or high-density configurations for achieving at least some of the benefits described above. [0175] In some implementations, the vaporizer device 100 can include a heating system configured to receive and heat the vaporizable material 102 for generating an inhalable aerosol. For example, implementations of the heating system can include one or more heating elements 142 positioned at, against, near, within, outside, and/or along the walls of the receptacle 118
(e.g., extending along at least a portion of the wall(s) at the distal end (e.g., bottom) of the receptacle 118, extending along at least a portion of each of the distal wall(s) and/or side wall(s) of the receptacle 118, etc.). In some implementations, the one or more heating elements 142 can be configured to heat one or more of the walls of the receptacle 118 from the outside to the interior of the receptacle 118 (e.g., with the vaporizable material 102 being in the interior of the receptacle 118). In another example, implementations of the heating system can include one or more heating elements 142 positioned at, against, near, within, outside, and/or along the walls of the cartridge 120 (e.g., extending along at least a portion of the wall(s) at the distal end (e.g., bottom) of the cartridge 120, extending along at least a portion of each of the distal wall(s) and/or side wall(s) of the cartridge 120, etc.). In some implementations, the one or more heating elements 142 can form one or more of the walls of the cartridge 120 to heat from the outside to the interior of the cartridge 120 (e.g., with the vaporizable material 102 being in the interior of the cartridge 120 and optionally, in the interior of the heating element 142). [0176] The heating system can also include at least one airflow pathway, which can be configured to move heated air through the vaporizable material 102. As described herein, the heating system can be configured to receive the cartridge 120 and heat the cartridge 120 using at least one heating element 142 to provide an inhalable aerosol via one or more airflow pathways for inhalation by a user. [0177] Various implementations of such heating systems of vaporizer devices 100 are described herein that provide a number of benefits, including evenly distributing heat through the vaporizable material 102 of the cartridge 120. This can result in improved inhalable aerosol generation, less energy and/or lower average temperatures required to form inhalable aerosol, and increased user satisfaction with the device use and consumption of the vaporizable material 102. [0178] In some implementations, the heating system of the vaporizer device 100 is configured to heat a non-liquid vaporizable material, such as a tobacco-based material. For example, the vaporizer body 110 can include one or more heater portions 141 or containers 123 that each accept and heat vaporizable material 102 via one or more heating elements 142, thereby generating an inhalable aerosol. In some implementations, the vaporizer device 100 can include one or more airflow pathways that extend through the cartridge 120 positioned within a respective receptacle 118, and out through a mouthpiece portion 130 to a user. [0179] In some implementations, the cartridge 120 can include one or more barriers configured to contain vaporizable material 102 and/or hold the components of the cartridge 120 together. The one or more barriers can be provided by the heating element 142 itself, a
container 123, an insert 124, an outer layer, such as one or more wrappers 122, and/or the like. The one or more barriers can be made of material that is one or both of non-vapor permeable and moisture-resistant (e.g., resists damaging effects of water, at least to some extent). Such material can include one or more of metal, metal alloy, cotton, paper material such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature-resistant plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), cellulose acetate, non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like. [0180] In some implementations, use of a metal (such as aluminum) in the heating element 142 and/or a container 123 can be advantageous where efficient heat transfer (e.g., requiring less energy to spread across a larger region) is required, which can be the case where a singular heat source is provided. In other implementations, a metal such as stainless steel in the heating element 142 and/or a container 123 can be advantageous where efficient heat transfer is of less concern, such as where multiple heat sources are disposed to heat different regions of the cartridge 120. Containing the vaporizable material 102 within a non-vapor permeable and/or moisture-resistant barrier can protect the receptacle 118 and/or other portions of the vaporizer device 100 from vapor deposits and/or remains of the vaporizable material 102, such that cleaning of the heating element 142, receptacle 118, and/or other portions of the vaporizer device 100 after use may not be required. Stated another way, one or more of the heating element 142, the container 123, the insert 124, and/or the outer layer (e.g., one or more wrappers 122) can provide a barrier between the vaporizable material 102 and the components of the vaporizer body 110, with the barrier optionally being non-vapor permeable and/or moisture-resistant. [0181] The heater 141 of FIG. 1A and/or the container 123 of FIG. 1B cartridge 120 can be configured to hold the vaporizable material 102 with a lid, outer layer and/or inner layer(s) (e.g., wrapper(s) 122), insert 124, and/or other component configured to retain the vaporizable material 102 therein. Various implementations of a heating system and cartridge 120 are described in greater detail herein. [0182] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an implementation of a vaporizer device 200, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter. The vaporizer device 200 can be an implementation of one or more components of the vaporizer device 100 of FIGs.1A- 1B. Separately, any of the structure of functionality described with respect to the vaporizer device 200 of FIG.2 can be implemented in or by the vaporizer device 100 of FIGs.1A-1B. [0183] For example, as illustrated, the vaporizer device 200 can include a vaporizer body 210, a receptacle 218, and a ledge 221 outside of the receptacle 218. As described herein, a
cartridge 220 containing vaporizable material 102 (including any implementation of the vaporizer material 102 of FIGs. 1A-1C) can be inserted into the receptacle 218, and at least a portion of the cartridge 220 can remain outside of the receptacle 218, such as at least part of the mouthpiece portion 230 that includes an airflow outlet 228. At least part of the heater portion 241 of the cartridge 220 can be inserted into and/or at least partially enclosed within the receptacle 218. [0184] As illustrated, the cartridge 220 can extend from a cartridge proximal end 220a to a cartridge distal end 220b and contain two or more portions, such as a heater portion 241 and a mouthpiece portion 230. The total distance between the cartridge proximal end 220a and the cartridge distal end 220b can be regarded as the cartridge 220 length, for example, extending along the y-axis as illustrated in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIG. 3). Furthermore, any component of the cartridge 220 can be referred to as having a length as referenced by the y- axis in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIG.3). [0185] As also illustrated, the vaporizer body 210 can extend from a body proximal end 210a to a body distal end 210b. The total distance between the body proximal end 210a and the body distal end 210b can be regarded as the vaporizer body 210 length, for example, extending along the y-axis as illustrated in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIGs. 5A-5D). Furthermore, any component of the vaporizer body 210, as well as the vaporizer device 200, can be referred to as having a length as referenced by the y-axis in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIGs.5A-5D with respect to components of the vaporizer body 210). [0186] The cartridge 220 can be regarded as having two additional dimensions that are transverse to the cartridge 220 length, which are the depth and the width. As referred to herein, the cartridge 220 depth can be the distance between two points on opposing faces (e.g., surface areas, which can be substantially the same size and shape when rotated about a central longitudinal axis, which can be regarded as an axis along which the cartridge 220 length extends) of the exterior of the cartridge 220, in a dimension that is perpendicular to the cartridge 220 length, for example, extending along the z-axis as illustrated in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIG. 3). Furthermore, any component of the cartridge 220 can be referred to as having a depth as referenced by the z-axis in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIG.3). In some aspects, the cartridge 220 depth can be understood as the greatest distance of the cartridge 220 along the z-axis and/or the distance between two opposing points on the exterior of the cartridge 220 (e.g., with the opposing points being opposite each other along an axis that is perpendicular to the center of the cartridge 220 width). As referred to herein, the cartridge 220 width can be the distance between two points on opposing faces of the exterior of the cartridge 220, in a
dimension that is perpendicular to both the cartridge 220 length and the cartridge 220 depth, and is the longer of the two transverse dimensions, for example, extending along the x-axis as illustrated in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIG. 3). Furthermore, any component of the cartridge 220 can be referred to as having a width as referenced by the x-axis in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIG. 3). In some aspects, the cartridge 220 width can be understood as the greatest distance of the cartridge 220 along the x-axis and/or the distance between two opposing points on the exterior of the cartridge 220 (e.g., with the opposing points being opposite each other along an axis that is perpendicular to the center of the cartridge 220 depth). Accordingly, the axis along which the cartridge 220 width extends can be referred to as the first transverse axis and/or the cartridge long axis, and the axis along which the cartridge 220 depth extends can be referred to as the second transverse axis and/or the cartridge short axis. [0187] A surface of the cartridge 220 extending primarily along the cartridge 220 width can be referred to as a long side of the cartridge 220 and/or as being on a long side of the cartridge 220, and a surface of the cartridge 220 extending primarily along the cartridge 220 depth can be referred to as a short side of the cartridge 220 and/or as being on a short side of the cartridge 220. Each of the referenced surfaces of the cartridge 220 can be a surface area on the exterior of the cartridge 220. In some aspects, the longer opposing faces can be regarded as being on the long/longer sides of the cartridge 220, offset along the cartridge 220 depth, and the smaller opposing faces can be regarded as being on the short/shorter sides of the cartridge 220, offset along the cartridge 220 width. It will be appreciated that this terminology can be applied to any implementation of a cartridge and its subcomponents described herein (e.g., heater portion, mouthpiece portion, heating element, layer of material, wrapper, insert, and/or the like), and this terminology is not redefined with respect to each implementation or subcomponent for the sake of brevity. [0188] The vaporizer body 210 can also be regarded as having two additional dimensions that are transverse to the vaporizer body 210 length, which are the depth and the width. As referred to herein, the vaporizer body 210 depth can be the distance between two points on opposing faces of the exterior of the vaporizer body 210, in a dimension that is perpendicular to the vaporizer body 210 length, for example, extending along the z-axis as illustrated in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIG.5A). Furthermore, any component of the vaporizer body 210, as well as the vaporizer device 200, can be referred to as having a depth as referenced by the z-axis in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIG.5A with respect to components of the vaporizer body 210). In some aspects, the vaporizer body 210 depth can be understood as the greatest distance of the vaporizer body 210 along the z-axis and/or the distance between two opposing
points on the exterior of the vaporizer body 210 (e.g., with the opposing points being opposite each other along an axis that is perpendicular to the center of the vaporizer body 210 width). As referred to herein, the vaporizer body 210 width can be the distance between two points on opposing faces of the exterior of the vaporizer body 210, in a dimension that is perpendicular to both the vaporizer body 210 length and the vaporizer body 210 depth, and is the longer of the two transverse dimensions, for example, extending along the x-axis as illustrated in FIG.2 (and as also illustrated in FIGs. 5A-5D). Furthermore, any component of the vaporizer body 210, as well as the vaporizer device 200, can be referred to as having a width as referenced by the x-axis in FIG. 2 (and as also illustrated in FIGs.5A-5D with respect to components of the vaporizer body 210). In some aspects, the vaporizer body 210 width can be understood as the greatest distance of the vaporizer body 210 along the x-axis and/or the distance between two opposing points on the exterior of the vaporizer body 210 (e.g., with the opposing points being opposite each other along an axis that is perpendicular to the center of the vaporizer body 210 depth). Accordingly, the axis along which the vaporizer body 210 width extends can be referred to as the first transverse axis and/or the vaporizer body long axis, and the axis along which the vaporizer body 210 depth extends can be referred to as the second transverse axis and/or the vaporizer body short axis. [0189] A surface of the vaporizer body 210 extending primarily along the vaporizer body 210 width can be referred to as a long side of the vaporizer body 210 and/or as being on a long side of the vaporizer body 210, and a surface of the vaporizer body 210 extending primarily along the vaporizer body 210 depth can be referred to as a short side of the vaporizer body 210 and/or as being on a short side of the vaporizer body 210. Each of the referenced surfaces of the vaporizer body 210 can be a surface area on the exterior of the vaporizer body 210. In some aspects, the longer opposing faces can be regarded as being on the long/longer sides of the vaporizer body 210, offset along the vaporizer body 210 depth, and the smaller opposing faces can be regarded as being on the short/shorter sides of the vaporizer body 210, offset along the vaporizer body 210 width. It will be appreciated that this terminology can be applied to any implementation of a vaporizer body and its subcomponents described herein (e.g., holder assembly, frame, inductor, flux concentrator, shell, and/or the like), and this terminology is not redefined with respect to each implementation or subcomponent for the sake of brevity. [0190] It will be appreciated that elements described herein (e.g., vaporizer device, cartridge, vaporizer body, and component thereof) can have surfaces defined in Euclidean or non-Euclidean spaces. Dimensions of ends, sides, faces, and/or the like that exist in non- Euclidean spaces can be regarded as dimensions of the referenced ends, sides, faces and/or the
like that exist in Euclidean spaces. The distance between any two ends, sides, faces, points, etc. can be equal to the shortest distance between two opposing points at the center of each identified structure, component, region, portion, etc. However, in the event a structure, component, region, portion, etc. is not uniform in shape (e.g., convex or concave ends of a cartridge 220 and/or vaporizer body 210), the distance can be equal to the longest distance along a plane or volume that intersects the identified ends, sides, points, etc., orthogonal to the identified ends, sides, points, etc. [0191] The term “heater portion” as used herein can refer to a portion (e.g., region and/or subset of the components) of a cartridge that includes a heating element or is otherwise heated in use. The term “mouthpiece portion” as used herein can refer to a portion (e.g., region and/or subset of the components) of a cartridge that includes a mouthpiece or other component to which a user applies their mouth in use. Although the cartridges are generally described herein with respect to a heater portion and a mouthpiece portion for simplicity, it will be appreciated that additional portions can be provided within the cartridge, which can be at least partially upstream, between, downstream, adjacent, within and/or exterior to the heater portion and/or mouthpiece portion. For example, an external wrapper or shell can be exterior to both the heater portion and mouthpiece portion, a space and/or component(s) can be disposed between the heater portion and mouthpiece portion such as a divider, the heater portion can include an insert and/or end cap upstream or at least partially within the heater portion, the mouthpiece portion can include an insert and/or end cap downstream or at least partially within the mouthpiece portion, and/or the like. Although the mouthpiece portion 230 and the heater portion 241 can be approximately the same size in length (e.g., 1:1) along the cartridge 220 length, other relative sizes are contemplated (e.g., approximately 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, 5:4, and/or the like). Furthermore, it will be appreciated that although described at times as separable, the mouthpiece portion 230 and the heater portion 241 can simply regarded as general regions of a unitary body that is the cartridge 220. [0192] As illustrated, the vaporizer device 200 can include one or more input devices 216a, 216b (collectively referred to as input devices 216), such as a pair of input devices 216a on opposing sides of the vaporizer body 210 and/or one or more input devices 216b on the ledge 221. In some implementations, the one or more input devices 216a, 216b can include a button (e.g., plastic, metal, elastomeric), a capacitive sensor, and/or the like. A controller (not illustrated) of the vaporizer device 200, similar to controller 104 of FIGs. 1A-1C, can be configured to detect actuation (e.g., touch or force) of the one or more input devices 216a, 216b based on signals or data provided by the one or more input devices 216a, 216b. In
implementations where multiple input devices 216 are present, a controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to activate the vaporizer device 200 only in response to detecting actuation of all of the input devices 216 (e.g., two input devices 216a located at opposing sides of the vaporizer body 210). It can be beneficial to provide multiple input devices 216 in different locations that are less likely to each be activated accidentally (e.g., in locations most likely to be touched all at the same time only during active use of the vaporizer device 200). However, a simpler interface can be provided, such as by using an input device 216 in the form of a single push button or multiple push buttons. [0193] In some implementations, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to select predetermined operating temperatures and/or heating profiles from among N temperatures or profiles. In accordance with these implementations, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured (and thereby a user can be allowed) to select a temperature or profile based on detecting actuation of the one or more input devices 216. In some implementations, the input device(s) 216 (e.g., input devices 216a) can be used to increase and decrease the currently selected operating temperature (also referred to as target temperature) and/or profile between a range of zero (0) through N temperatures and/or profiles, where zero means the vaporizer device 200 is in an “off” state (e.g., not actively heating the receptacle 218 but otherwise configured to detect interactions with one or more components of the vaporizer device 200). Accordingly, an input device 216 can be actuated to increase the currently selected operating temperature and/or profile and the same or another input device 216 can be actuated to decrease the currently selected operating temperature and/or profile. The input device(s) 216 can be actuated to provide for switching between the “off” state and an “on” state (e.g., where the “on” state starts at the lowest pre-configured temperature and/or profile) when one or more input device 216 is actuated (e.g., held down or pressed) for a predetermined time. As described herein, the controller 104 can be configured to heat different regions of the heating element 143, optionally at different temperatures and/or times. [0194] In some implementations, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to operate (e.g., power the heating element 142 as described herein) at one or more predetermined operating temperatures, such as based on a default or user-selected heating profile. For example, in some heating profiles, the controller of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to power the heating element 142 at a first operating temperature for a first period of time, power the heating element 142 at a second operating temperature for a second period of time, power the heating element 142 at a third operating temperature for a third period of time, and/or the like. In some implementations, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200
can be configured to power the heating element 142 based on usage of the vaporizer device 200. For example, an operating temperature of the heating element 142 can be initially set to an initial operating temperature and/or the operating temperature can be dynamically changed depending on detected airflow, temperatures, heating time, power applied, estimated vaporizable material 102 used, estimated vaporizable material 102 remaining, and/or the like. Although heating of the vaporizable material 102 is at times described with respect to a singular heating element 142, it will be appreciated that multiple heating elements 142 and/or multiple regions of a singular heating element 142 can be implemented and/or controlled in the same or similar manner to provide more control over vaporization of the vaporizable material 102. [0195] In some implementations, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to detect when the heater portion 241 is present within the receptacle 218 and/or for a sufficient duration of time. In response to determining that the heater portion 241 is present within the receptacle 218 and/or for a sufficient duration of time, the controller of the vaporizer device 200 can switch the vaporizer device 200 between the “off” state and the “on” state, increase the temperature (e.g., to a range of zero (0) through N target temperatures), implement a predetermined (e.g., user-selected) profile (e.g., from a plurality of zero (0) through N different profiles), and/or the like. [0196] In some implementations, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to determine whether a cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed. This can occur when all, most, or an estimated threshold amount of one or more compound present in the vaporizable material 102 contained within the cartridge 220 has been converted to the gas phase, when an insufficient amount or quality of the vaporizable material 102 is present to provide an inhalable aerosol that would be satisfying to a user, and/or the like. For example, based on the length of time the cartridge 220 is heated, the temperatures at which the cartridge 220 is heated across the length of time or the temperatures at each of a plurality of time segments (which can be measured via the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 as described herein), and/or the like, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to determine that the cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed. Based on determining that the cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be figured to provide an indication that the cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed, switch the vaporizer device 200 into the “off” state, and/or the like. During operation, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to provide indications of an estimated amount of vaporizable material 102 left in the cartridge 220 and/or an estimated amount of time remaining in a vaporizing session during which the vaporizable
material 102 can be used (e.g., a period of time starting when the vaporizer device 200 is heated or when the receptacle 218 reaches a predetermined operating temperature and ending when the cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed). In some implementations, the controller 104 can be contained in and/or in communication with the vaporizer body 210 and/or the cartridge 220. [0197] The vaporizer device 200 can include a plurality of outputs 217 (e.g., LEDs) that can be similar to the output(s) 117 (e.g., vibration, sound, and/or the like), and the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to illuminate one or more of the LED outputs 217 in response to detecting actuation of one or more of the input devices 216a, 216b, in response to detecting a cartridge 220 has been inserted into the receptacle 218, to indicate the currently selected operating temperature and/or temperature profile; to indicate the current temperature of the receptacle 218; to indicate the current temperature of the receptacle 218 relative to the currently selected operating temperature and/or temperature profile; to indicate the current temperature of the receptacle 218 has reached the currently selected operating temperature; to indicate an estimated amount of useable vaporizable material remaining in a cartridge 220 (e.g., by selectively illuminating more or less of the LED outputs 217); to indicate an estimated amount of time remaining in a vaporizing session (e.g., by selectively illuminating more or less of the LED outputs 217); to indicate an indication that the cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed; to indicate an amount of battery power remaining (e.g., voltage remaining within a power source 112), and/or the like. In some implementations, the one or more input devices 216a, 216b can include one or more of the LEDs described (additionally or alternatively to the LED outputs 217), be at least partially surrounded by the LEDs, and/or be positioned relative to the LEDs such that a perimeter (e.g., halo) of light at least partially surrounds a perimeter of the one or more input devices 216a, 216b. [0198] The controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to illuminate the LEDs (e.g., the plurality of LED outputs 217 and/or LEDs proximate one or more of the input devices 216a, 216b) in one or more colors and/or according to one or more patterns. For example, the controller 104 of the vaporizer device 200 can be configured to illuminate the LEDs according to different colors to indicate a current temperature of the receptacle 218 (e.g., oven), blink one or more times to indicate the current temperature of the receptacle 218 has reached the currently selected operating temperature, and/or the like. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 104 can be configured to provide haptic feedback (e.g., via one or more outputs 217, such as a motor, a linear resonant actuator, and/or the like) to indicate the one or more input devices 216a, 216b have been pressed, whether the vaporizer device 200 has
switched between the “off” state and/or the “on” state (e.g., that the receptacle 218 is heating up), a current temperature of the receptacle 218 (e.g., in a periodic pattern with increasing frequency), whether the current temperature of the receptacle 218 has reached the currently selected operating temperature, when threshold amounts of the estimated amount of useable vaporizable material remaining in a cartridge 220 are reached, when threshold amounts of estimated amounts of time remaining in the vaporizing session are reached, that the cartridge 220 is spent and/or should be changed, and/or the like. Although illustrated as a generally flattened cylindrical shape, a cross-section of the cartridge 220 and/or vaporizer body 210 can be a different shape. For example, in some implementations, a cross-section of the cartridge 220 and/or vaporizer body 210 can be similar to one or more of the cross-sections of FIGs.8A- 8F. The cross-section can be anywhere between the respective distal and proximal ends of each of the cartridge 220 and/or vaporizer body 210. [0199] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an implementation of a cartridge 320 in an exploded schematic form, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter. The cartridge 320 can be an implementation of one or more components of the cartridges 120 of FIGs. 1A-1B and/or the cartridge 220 of FIG. 2, and/or can be configured for use within a vaporizer device such as the vaporizer devices 100a, 100b of FIGs.1A-1B and/or the vaporizer device 200 of FIG. 2. As illustrated, the cartridge 320 can extend from a cartridge proximal end 320a to a cartridge distal end 320b and contain two or more portions, such as a heater portion 341 and a mouthpiece portion 330. As described herein, the total distance between the cartridge proximal end 320a and the cartridge distal end 320b can be regarded as the cartridge 320 length, and transverse to the cartridge 320 length are the width (longer dimension, x-axis) and the depth (shorter dimension, z-axis). As further described herein, cartridges 320 can have surfaces defined in Euclidean or non-Euclidean spaces. [0200] As illustrated, the heater portion 341 can include a heating element 342 and vaporizable material 302. The heating element 342 and/or the vaporizable material 302 can extend between a heater portion proximal end 341a and a heater portion distal end 341b, and the total distance (dimension) between these two ends can be referred to as the heater portion 341 length. For convenience, the heater portion 341 length can be referred to with respect to the longitudinal axis (y-axis) along which the cartridge 320 is inserted into a receptacle (e.g., the receptacle 218 of FIG. 2). The heater portion 341 can also be regarded as having two additional dimensions that are transverse to the heater portion 341 length, which are the width (longer dimension, x-axis) and the depth (shorter dimension, z-axis).
[0201] In implementations where the heater portion 341 width is greater than the heater portion 341 depth and/or the vaporizable material 302 width is greater than the vaporizable material 302 depth (e.g., in a 3:2 ratio, 9:5 ratio, 2:1 ratio, 9:4 ratio, 5:2 ratio, or greater ratio), heat transfer can be more efficient. For example, relative to a cylindrical surface, a heating element 342 and/or vaporizable material 302 that includes two wider, opposing surface areas (e.g., faces) with a shorter distance between the two opposing surfaces can allow for a vaporizer device that only needs to actively heat from one or two of the opposing sides, as opposed to on all surfaces of a cylindrical surface. The remaining portions of the heating element 342 that are not actively heated can be configured to absorb and redistribute heat from the nearby regions that are actively heated, thereby providing heat to a much larger surface area of the vaporizable material 302 compared to a cylindrical surface. While this non-cylindrical structure (e.g., elliptical or oval) is harder to manufacture than a cylindrical structure, it provides benefits to the user by making the system easier and more comfortable to use (e.g., more ergonomic structure that fits the natural shape of a user’s lips). Additionally, the use of less power due to increased efficiency allows for longer battery life and/or less spatial constraints on the vaporizer device (e.g., a smaller battery can be used). Ultimately, the manner in which the heating element 342 and/or vaporizable material 302 is heated can affect the temperature at which the vaporizable material 302 is heated and/or the rate at which one or more compounds present in the vaporizable material 302 are converted to the gas phase and/or otherwise released from the vaporizable material 302. [0202] As discussed herein, the heating element 342 can be configured to convert electrical energy into heat (e.g., through inductive heating, resistive heating, etc.). However, in some implementations, the heating element 342 of FIG.3 can instead be regarded as a container (e.g., similar to the container 123 of FIG. 1B) that receives heat from an external heat source and distributes it to the vaporizable material 302. In implementations in which inductive heating is used to heat the heating element 342, providing a wider surface area also has further benefits. For example, it is easier to generate eddy currents in wider, flatter, and/or larger surfaces as compared to curved and/or smaller surfaces. Additionally, larger surface areas of a heating element 342 allow for more surface area of the heating element 342 to be in direct and thermal contact with a larger area of the vaporizable material 302 and/or be in thermal contact with air passing through the cartridge 320. These eddy currents can be generated over a larger surface area using less energy and/or the larger surface area can provide multiple, smaller regions that can be selectively targeted using a plurality of smaller inductors. In this regard, use of susceptors that are inductively heated, at least primarily, via formation of eddy currents rather
that via hysteresis (as is the case for susceptors comprising magnetic and/or ferritic materials) can be advantageous. In implementations where eddy currents are the primary (e.g., entire) form of heat generation, the inductive coil(s) can include or otherwise be formed of Litz wire. As used herein, Litz wire can refer to a wire formed from a plurality of strands of metal (e.g., 5 strands, 10 strands, 20 strands, 40 strands, etc.) that are twisted or braided together, and can optionally include an outer insulation material, an internal core of material, and/or the like. [0203] In some implementations, a susceptor is provided that is non-ferritic and/or non- magnetically permeable. For example, aluminum can be considered as non-ferritic and non- magnetically permeable, and thereby substantially unaffected by hysteresis. With no or substantially no influence on temperature created via hysteresis, the temperature of non-ferritic and/or non-magnetically permeable susceptors can be derived based on the direct relationship of the temperature of the susceptor and eddy currents, as described herein. Although inductors and/or inductive coils may be referred to herein as “heating” susceptors and/or heating element, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that heating in this sense can be regarded as an inductor generating magnetic and/or electromagnetic energy that is radiated into and absorbed by one or more segments of a susceptor, which is in turn converted into heat via eddy currents and/or hysteresis. [0204] At least a portion of the heater portion 341 can be contained within a wrapper 322. The wrapper 322 can be similar to the outer layer (e.g., wrapper(s) 122) of FIGs.1A-1B. For example, the wrapper 322 can be made of material such as one or more of a paper material such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature- resistant plastic (e.g., PET), non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like. The wrapper 322 can extend along all or at least some part of the heater portion 341 length, and define an interior volume between the heater portion 341 depth and width. The vaporizable material 302 can fill the majority of the volume, but other components can be present, such as an end cap and/or divider configured to at least partially enclose end(s) of the volume. In some implementations, the heating element 342 extends between all or at least some part of the heater portion 341 length, and defines an interior volume between the heater portion 341 depth and width within which the vaporizable material 302 can be contained. [0205] In some implementations, the vaporizable material 302 can be formed from tobacco leaves (e.g., dried, cut, shredded, and/or reconstituted), tobacco stems (dried, cut, shredded, and/or ground), a carrier, and/or an acid (e.g., an organic acid such as benzoic acid, citric acid, and/or the like). The ratio of tobacco leaves to tobacco stems can be based on the total desired
amount of nicotine to be delivered, and can vary with the strain of tobacco used. Tobacco stems can provide a similar sensation to smoking when vaporized, but with a lower nicotine content. The carrier can be formed of vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, and/or the like. In some implementations, the carrier can form 30-50% of the total weight of the vaporizable material 302. Because tobacco naturally includes some moisture, the percentage by weight of the carrier can be measured with respect to the dried weight of the vaporizable material (e.g., substantially free of water). [0206] Including a carrier such as vegetable glycerin as at least 30% of the dried weight of the vaporizable material 302 can create a smoother inhalable aerosol and provide a unique experience to users that is more pleasant than smoking combustible cigarettes and other available heat-not-burn products. For example, cartridges 320 containing vaporizable material 302 with a carrier forming at least 30% of the dried weight of the vaporizable material 302 can allow for a lower temperature of vaporization (e.g., by approximately 100 degrees Celsius), and therefore less odor, higher flavor extraction efficiency, net reduction in HPHCs (harmful and potentially harmful constituents) such as via less charring, a more tunable experience, a more uniform vaporization of nicotine from tobacco over time, a faster heat up time (e.g., 10- 15 seconds compared to 20-30 seconds, or more), and/or the like. In example implementations of the vaporizable material 302, the tobacco leaves and tobacco stems are in an approximately 1:1, 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, or 4:5 ratio and vegetable glycerin forms at least 30% of the dried weight of the vaporizable material 302, such as approximately 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, or less than 50%. For example, in some implementations, the vaporizable material 302 includes tobacco leaves and tobacco stems in an approximately 1:1 ratio, and approximately 35% by weight (dried) of vegetable glycerin. Having a carrier in higher quantities can result in degradation of components of the vaporizer body 110, 120, such as the receptacle 118, 218 if not properly compensated for. [0207] In some implementations, the heating element 342 can be formed of metal, such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, brass, zirconium, stainless steel (ferritic or non-ferritic), nickel, and/or the like. As described herein, aluminum is beneficial for spreading heat and stainless steel is better for localized heat. For an inductive heating approach, use of a non- magnetic material, such as aluminum, allows the creation of eddy currents in the susceptor heater, while a magnetic material, such as ferritic stainless steel, is inductively heated by a hysteresis mechanism. Different inductor coil arrangements are generally needed for these two heating approaches, which can have different requirements such as an amount of power required to generate an electromagnetic field. However, in some implementations, the heating
element 342 is non-ferritic and non-magnetically permeable, which can simplify the design of the vaporizer device 100, 200 and allow for tighter control in heating of the heating element 342. [0208] The heating element 342 can be formed of one or more pieces, and can define all, substantially all, or at least a portion of the walls that define the volume into which the vaporizable material 302 can be inserted. For example, the heating element 342 can form at least a portion of a bottom wall of the heater portion 341 (proximate the heater portion distal end 341b), a top wall of the heater portion 341 (proximate the heater portion proximal end 341a), and/or a perimeter along a length of the heater portion 341 (extending between the heater portion distal end 341b and the heater portion proximal end 341a). In implementations where the heating element 342 forms at least a portion of a bottom wall of the heater portion 341, this bottom wall can be the most distal portion of the heater portion 341 at the heater portion distal end 341b or can be offset from the heater portion distal end 341b such that it is not the most distal portion of the cartridge at the heater portion distal end 341b. In implementations where the heating element 342 forms at least a portion of a top wall of the heater portion 341, this top wall can be the most proximal portion of the heater portion 341 at the heater portion proximal end 341a or can be offset from the heater portion proximal end 341a such that it is not the most proximal portion of the cartridge at the heater portion proximal end 341a. Such bottom walls and/or top walls can include one or more perforations or other openings to allow for passage of air and/or vaporized material. In implementations where the heating element 342 forms at least a portion of a perimeter of the heater portion 341, the heating element 342 can be disposed inside and/or on an interior surface of the wrapper 322 or outside and/or on an exterior surface of the wrapper 322. [0209] In some implementations, the heating element 342 can be formed from one or more sheets of metal that are configured to wrap (at least partially) around the perimeter of the heater portion 341. Where one or more sheets are used, the two ends of the heating element 342 sheet can meet or be in proximity to each other, at or near a joint location 345, as shown in FIG. 3, and optionally form a continuous loop. In some aspects, when assembled within the cartridge 320, a surface of the heating element 342 primarily facing towards and/or touching the vaporizable material 302 can be regarded as an interior face of the heating element 342 and a surface of the heating element 342 primarily facing away from and/or not touching the vaporizable material 302 can be regarded as an exterior face of the heating element 342. In some aspects, a joint location 345 can be regarded as a location or region, at or near an end of the heating element 342, such as where the end of the heating element 342 is at or near another
end or another region of the heating element 342. When portions of the heating element 342 overlap, the joint location 345 can optionally be regarded as the overlapping portion, bounded in part by the ends of the heating element 342. Additionally or alternatively, in some aspects a joint location 345 can be regarded as a location or region, at or near where a joint is formed (e.g., via direct physical contact, welding, gluing, and/or the like) between two portions of the heating element 342. [0210] Optional variants of the heating element 342 are illustrated in FIG. 6 as heating element 1542 and in FIG.7 as heating elements 1542a, 1542b (collectively, heating elements(s) 1542), disposed outside and/or on an exterior surface of a wrapper 1522 of a cartridge 1520. In some implementations, a portion of the heating element 342, 1542 proximate one end of the heating element 342, 1542 (e.g., relative to a sheet of material that forms the heating element 342, 1542) at least partially overlaps with a portion proximate another end of the heating element 1542, such as proximate the joint location 345, 1545. The overlapping portions can be welded, glued, crimped, interlocked, pressed, or otherwise connected together. For example, the overlapping portions of the heating element 1542 can be crimped, knurled, folded, and/or hemmed together such as with the exterior face of the heating element 1542 proximate one end of the heating element 1542 connected to the interior face of the heating element 1542 proximate another end, with the exterior face of the heating element 1542 proximate one end of the heating element 1542 connected to the exterior face of the heating element 1542 proximate another end, or with the interior face of the heating element 1542 proximate one end of the heating element 1542 connected to the interior face of the heating element 1542 proximate another end. [0211] The overlapping or intersecting portions of the heating element 1542 can be large enough that they form a capacitive region 1549 (see e.g., FIG. 6), which can improve performance of the heating element 1542 by providing a path for electrical current to flow across or through the capacitive region 1549. In some aspects, the capacitive region 1549 can be regarded as the region between two adjacent joint locations 1545. Additionally or alternatively, the capacitive region 1549 can be regarded as (or at least including) a region of the heating element 1542 where a path for electrical current to flow is formed between overlapping, intersecting, or otherwise connected, adjacent portions of the heating element 1542. In other implementations, the heating element 1542 is formed as a single, continuous loop of material without a joint location 345, 1545 (see e.g., FIG.7). [0212] As described herein, specific portions of the heating element 342, 1542 can be modified (e.g., during manufacture, during use, etc.) to provide particular electrical properties
that allow for more control over the current flowing through heating element 342, 1542. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a heating element 1542 can include a top region 1559a and a bottom region 1559b (e.g., first and second regions, respectively), with one or more regions 1559c removed (e.g., cut out) between the top region 1559a and the bottom region 1559b. As shown in FIG. 7, multiple separate heating elements 1542 can additionally or alternatively be implemented, such as a top heating element 1542a and a bottom heating element 1542b. As described herein, current can be induced within the top region 1559a or top heating element 1542a and the bottom region 1559b or bottom heating element 1542b via induction. For example, current can be induced within the top region 1559a or top heating element 1542a via an electromagnetic field generated from one or more inductors adjacent to the top region 1559a or top heating element 1542a and current can be inducted within the bottom region 1559b or bottom heating element 1542b via an electromagnetic field generated from one or more inductors adjacent to the bottom region 1559b or bottom heating element 1542b. In certain implementations, it can be beneficial to heat the top region 1559a or top heating element 1542a and the bottom region 1559b or bottom heating element 1542b at different times, temperatures, frequencies, and/or the like. [0213] In certain implementations of the heating element(s) 1542, the presence of the region 1559c (or absence of material within the region 1559c) or separation between two different heating elements 1542a, 1542b can reduce or otherwise alter the flow of electrical current and/or heat between or among conductive regions of the heating element(s) 1542. For example, when current is induced in the top region 1559a of the heating element 1542, the presence of region 1559c (e.g., absence of material) can keep the majority of the induced current and/or heat produced within the top region 1559a, and/or substantially reduce the amount of current induced and/or heat produced in the top region 1559a from flowing or passing to the bottom region 1559b. Similarly, when current is induced in the bottom region 1559b of the heating element 1542, the presence of region 1559c (e.g., absence of material) can keep the majority of the induced current and/or heat produced within the bottom region 1559b, and/or substantially reduce the amount of current induced and/or heat produced in the bottom region 1559b from flowing or passing to the top region 1559a. In some aspects, keeping the majority of induced current within a particular region 1559a, 1559b can be regarded as less than 50% of the induced current passing through another region (or collective set of all other regions present) 1559b, 1559a, less than 40%, less than 30%, less than 20%, less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 2%, less than 1%, or the like. In some aspects, keeping the majority of heat produced within a particular region 1559a, 1559b can be regarded as less than 50% of the
heat produced passing to another region (or collective set of all other regions present) 1559b, 1559a, less than 40%, less than 30%, less than 20%, less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 2%, less than 1%, or the like. Similar effects can be achieved with the presence of two different heating elements 1542a, 1542b. [0214] As described herein, the relative sizes of the regions 1559a, 1559b or heating elements 1542a, 1542b can be different. Although illustrated as including two regions 1559a, 1559b separated by a singular cut-out region 1559c on each of the long sides of the heating element 1542 in FIG.6 and two different heating elements 1542a, 1542b in FIG.7, additional regions or heating elements can be present. For example, a heating element 342, 1542 can include three regions 1559 separated by two cut-out regions 1559 on each of the long sides of the heating element 342, 1542, four regions 1559 separated by three cut-out regions 1559 on each of the long sides of the heating element 342, 1542, and/or the like. Similarly, more than two different heating elements 1542a, 1542b can be present. As described herein, the relative size (e.g., length along the y-axis, width along the x-axis, and/or depth along the z-axis) of each region 1559 or heating element 1542 can correspond to one or more dimensions of an adjacent inductor. For example, a cross-section formed by the width and depth of each region 1559a, 1559b or heating element 1542a, 1542b can be proportional to a cross-section formed by the width and depth of an adjacent inductor. Additionally or alternatively, the length of a region 1559 such as the top region 1559a or top heating element 1542a can be substantially the same as the length of an adjacent inductor, can be larger than the length of an adjacent inductor (e.g., greater than 100%, between 100% to 110%, between 110% to 120%, between 120% to 130%, etc.), or can be shorter than the length of an adjacent inductor (e.g., less than 100%, between 90% to 100%, between 80% to 90%, between 70% to 80%, etc.). In a similar manner, the length of a region 1559 such as the bottom region 1559b or the bottom heating element 1542b can be substantially the same as the length of an adjacent inductor, can be larger than the length of an adjacent inductor or can be shorter the length of an adjacent inductor. However, in some implementations, the length of a region 1559 such as the bottom region 1559b or bottom heating element 1542b can be significantly larger than the length of an adjacent inductor (e.g., approximately or more than 150%, more than 200%, more than 250%, etc.). [0215] Although the terms “top” and “bottom” are used with respect to the regions 1559 of FIG. 6, in some implementations the regions 1559 can be flipped such that the top region 1559a can be closer to the distal end of the heating element 342, 1542 and/or cartridge 320, and the bottom region 1559b can be closer to the proximal end of the heating element 342, 1542 and/or cartridge 320. Similarly, although the terms “top” and “bottom” are used with
respect to the heating element 1542 of FIG. 7, in some implementations the heating elements 1542 can be flipped such that the top heating element 1542a can be closer to the distal end of the cartridge 320, and the bottom heating element 1542b can be closer to the proximal end of the cartridge 320. In some implementations, the heating element 1542 of FIG. 6 can be disposed inside and/or on an interior surface of the wrapper of a cartridge or outside and/or on an exterior surface the wrapper of a cartridge (e.g., wrapper 322 of the cartridge 320 of FIG.3, wrapper 1522 of the cartridge 1520 of FIG.7, and/or the like). Relatedly, although the heating elements 1542a, 1542b of FIG.7 are illustrated and described at times as being outside and/or on an exterior surface the wrapper 1522 of the cartridge 1520, the heating elements 1542a, 1542b can be disposed inside and/or on an interior surface of the wrapper 1522 of the cartridge 1520. [0216] In example implementations, the heating element(s) 342, 1542 can be made to include metal which is in a range of 50-150 µm thick, such as 50-100 µm thick, 60-80 µm thick, 70-90 µm thick, 75-85 µm thick, and optionally approximately 80 µm thick. In some implementations, the heating element(s) 342, 1542 can be made to include metal which is in a range of 3-15 µm thick, such as 5-10 µm thick, 6-8 µm thick, and optionally approximately 6.5 µm thick. In other implementations, the heating element(s) 342, 1542 can be made to include metal which is in a range of 200-800 nm thick, such as 200-400 nm thick, 300-500 nm thick, 400-600 nm thick, 400-800 nm thick, and/or the like. In some implementations, the heating element(s) 342, 1542 can be made to include metal which is backed with material(s) to increase rigidity, such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature-resistant plastic, non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like. The total thickness of the heating element(s) 342, 1542 can be measured as an average thickness of the heating element(s) 342, 1542 when disassembled and/or flattened, and as either inclusive or exclusive of the thickness of any backing. [0217] The metal can include an aluminum alloy, such as aluminum foil. In other implementations, the metal can include another alloy, such as invar. In some implementations, the heating element 342, 1542 can be formed of a cladded metal, which can take advantage of benefits of different metals. For example, the heating element 342, 1542 can comprise a cladding metal formed from an aluminum alloy and stainless steel, which could take advantage of the higher coupling efficiency of stainless steel and the higher heat transfer of aluminum. If a thinner metal is used, then increases in coupling efficiency and/or higher temperatures of the heating element 342 with lower total energy can be achieved. Additionally or alternatively, a thinner metal can be better suited for application of magnetic and/or electromagnetic energy at
a higher frequency, such as greater than 1 MHz, greater than 5 MHz, greater than 15 MHz, greater than 20 MHz, or greater than 25 MHz. [0218] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the mouthpiece portion 330 can include an insert 324 that is at least partially wrapped in a wrapper 322 or some other shell or layer of material. The insert 324 can be similar to the insert(s) 124 of FIGs.1A-1B. For example, the insert 324 can be made of material such as one or more of paper material such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature-resistant plastic (e.g., PET), cellulose acetate, non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like. The insert 324 and/or layer of material (e.g., wrapper 322) can extend between a mouthpiece portion proximal end 330a and a mouthpiece portion distal end 330b, and the total distance between these two ends can be referred to as the mouthpiece portion 330 length. Similar to the heater portion 341, the mouthpiece portion 330 can include a shorter mouthpiece portion 330 depth transverse to its length, and a longer mouthpiece portion 330 width that is transverse to both its length and depth. These dimensions can extend in the same axes as the heater portion 341. [0219] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the insert 324 can include a plurality of airflow outlet channels 326 (or aerosol outlet channels) that extend from a plurality of corresponding vapor inlets 335 at the mouthpiece portion distal end 330b to a plurality of corresponding airflow outlets 328 at the mouthpiece portion proximal end 330a. The airflow outlet channels 326 thereby form a fluid connection between the heater portion 341 and the airflow outlets 328, such that vapor generated in the heater portion 341 can be drawn towards a user at the mouthpiece portion proximal end 330a, and ultimately out of the airflow outlets 328 as an inhalable aerosol. Proximate to the mouthpiece portion distal end 330b (at least more proximate than to the mouthpiece portion proximal end 330a), the insert 324 can further include a plurality of bypass channels 338 that each extend from a corresponding bypass air inlet to a corresponding bypass outlets, and thereby form a fluid connection between the airflow outlet channels 326 and ambient air. In some implementations, the airflow outlet channels 326 and/or the bypass channels 338 can be created via a laser-cutting operation through walls of the insert 324 during the manufacturing process. Although two airflow outlet channels 326 are illustrated, more or less airflow outlet channels 326 can be present. Although one insert 324 is illustrated as extending along a majority of the length of the mouthpiece portion 330, additional inserts 324 can be present and/or the insert(s) 324 can extend along less than half of the length of the mouthpiece portion 330.
[0220] The heater portion 341 can include one or more cartridge inlets (e.g., though-holes) at the heater portion distal end 341b configured to allow external air (i.e., external to the cartridge 320, such as ambient air) to enter the cartridge 320. In some aspects, the volume defined at least in part by the heating element 342 or otherwise including the heating element 342 can be referred to as a heater chamber, as it is a physically bound location in which heating is occurring. The heater chamber can be in fluid communication with the heater portion proximal end 341a, which can include one or more outlets. Accordingly, the one or more outlets at the heater portion proximal end 341a can be in fluid communication with the one or more cartridge inlets at the heater portion distal end 341b, via the heater chamber. [0221] When a user draws on the mouthpiece portion 330 at the mouthpiece portion proximal end 330a, this can cause external air to enter one or more cartridge inlets (e.g., though- holes) at the heater portion distal end 341b and cause ambient air to enter and pass through the plurality of bypass channels 338 (when present) at approximately the same time. The external air that enters at the heater portion distal end 341b can subsequently pass through the vaporizable material 302 as it is heated to entrain the vaporized material (also referred to as “vapor”) generated within the heater chamber. Meanwhile, ambient air enters and passes through the plurality of bypass channels 338, entering an associated airflow outlet channel 326. The air that entrains the vaporized material 302 in the heater chamber (including the volume defined at least in part by the heating element 342) can subsequently pass through one or more outlets at the heater portion proximal end 341a and into the plurality of vapor inlets 335 at the mouthpiece portion distal end 330b, entering the plurality of airflow outlet channels 326. As the vapor and air from the heater portion 341 traverse the plurality of airflow outlet channels 326, they mix with the ambient air that entered through the plurality of bypass channels 338 (when present) to form an inhalable aerosol. The area in which the mixing and/or condensation occurs can be referred to as a condensation chamber. Accordingly, each of the plurality of airflow outlet channels 326 can include one or more condensation chambers configured to condense the entrained vapor with the ambient air to form at least a portion of the inhalable aerosol. For example, at least a part of one or more airflow outlet channels 326 can include one or more condensation chambers. The inhalable aerosol ultimately travels out of the airflow outlet(s) 328 at the mouthpiece portion proximal end 330a and into the mouth of a user. Collectively, the path of air, vapor, and inhalable aerosol within the cartridge 320 can be referred to as the airflow path of the cartridge 320. The overall airflow path of a vaporizer device that includes the cartridge 320 is further defined by the vaporizer body, which is described in greater detail below. Although the flow of “air” is described herein, depending
on the location within or even outside of the cartridge 320, the “air” can contain other matter, such as gas-phase and/or condensed-phase material suspended in a stationary or moving mass of air or some other gas carrier (e.g., an aerosol), a liquid or solid at least partially transitioned to the gas phase (e.g., a vaporizable material), and/or the like. [0222] In some implementations, more or less components and/or features can exist in the heater portion 341 and/or the mouthpiece portion 330, the components and/or features of the heater portion 341 and/or the mouthpiece portion 330 can be disposed in different locations and/or take different physical forms, and/or components of the heater portion 341 and the mouthpiece portion 330 can instead be present in the other portion 330, 341. Although illustrated as a generally flattened cylindrical shape, a cross-section of the mouthpiece portion 330 and/or the heater portion 341 can be a different shape. For example, in some implementations, a cross-section of the mouthpiece portion 330 and/or the heater portion 341 can be similar to one or more of the cross-sections of FIGs. 8A-8F. The cross-section can be anywhere between the respective distal and proximal ends of each of the mouthpiece portion 330 and/or the heater portion 341. [0223] Among other things, various implementations of the vaporizer devices 100a-100c, 200, vaporizer body 110, 210, cartridges 120, 220, 320, and heating elements 142, 342, 1542 are described in greater detail below. For example, FIGs. 4A-4B illustrate cross-sectional schematics of an example implementation of a vaporizer device 400 consistent with implementations of the current subject matter. For purposes of simplicity only, certain components of the vaporizer device 400 are not illustrated. Implementations of the vaporizer device 400 can include or more components of the vaporizer devices 100a-100c of FIGs. 1A- 1C, the vaporizer device 200 of FIG.2, the cartridge 320 of FIG.3, the heating elements 1542 of FIGs. 6-7, holder assemblies 558a-558d of FIGs. 5A-5D, and/or circuitry of FIGs. 9A-9E, 10-12, and 14. [0224] As illustrated in FIGs. 4A-4B, the vaporizer device 400 can include a vaporizer body 410 and a cartridge 420 containing a vaporizable material 402 and one or more heating elements 442. The cross-section of the vaporizer device 400 illustrated in FIG. 4A is taken along the length and width of the vaporizer device (y-axis and x-axis), whereas the cross- section of the vaporizer device 400 illustrated in FIG. 4B is taken along the length and depth of the vaporizer device (y-axis and z-axis). As illustrated, the vaporizer body 410 can include a holder assembly 458 and one or more sensors 413 (which can be part of or separate from the holder assembly 458). The holder assembly 458 can include a frame 447 defining a receptacle 418. The receptacle can optionally include a plurality of ridges or other features for retaining
the cartridge 420 within the receptacle, such as by applying force against a region of the heater portion 441 that does not include a heating element 442. As illustrated in FIG.4A, external to the frame 447 and the receptacle 418, the holder assembly 458 can include or otherwise be coupled to one or more inductors 443 and/or one or more flux concentrators 448. In some implementations, each of the one or more inductors 443 can include an inductive coil configured to generate an electromagnetic field. When the one or more heating elements 442 receives the electromagnetic field, they can be configured to convert the current to heat, in order to heat the vaporizable material 402. In some implementations, each of the one or more flux concentrators 448 can include a magnetic material (e.g., ferritic material) configured to control and/or direct an electromagnetic field, generated by a respective inductor 443, such as by changing magnetic properties of the field. In some implementations, each of the one or more flux concentrators 448 can include a nanocrystal material, a nanometal material, and/or the like. In some implementations the inductor(s) 443 and/or flux concentrator(s) 448 can be secured to or on the frame 447. [0225] As illustrated, the cartridge 420 can include a mouthpiece portion 430 and a heater portion 441 within one or more layers of material (illustrated as wrapper(s) 422). The cartridge 420 can extend between a cartridge proximal end 420a and a cartridge distal end 420b, with the dimension between the two being the cartridge 420 length. Transverse to the cartridge 420 length (along the y-axis) and illustrated in FIG. 4A (from the left to the right) is the cartridge 420 depth (along the z-axis). Transverse to both the cartridge 420 length and depth, and as illustrated in FIG.4B (from the left to the right) is the cartridge 420 width (along the x-axis). [0226] The heater portion 441 can include one or more heating element 442 configured to heat the vaporizable material 402 of the cartridge 420 to generate a vapor. As described herein, the heat can be generated through inductive means, and apply heat to the vaporizable material 402 by conductive and/or convective heating. For example, eddy currents can be induced in the heating element(s) 442 via induction, which in turn causes the heating element(s) 442 to heat up. If the vaporizable material 402 is in direct contact with the heating element(s) 442, then the vaporizable material 402 can be heated via conductive heating at the points of direct contact. Additionally and/or alternatively, the heat produced by the heating element(s) 442 can be picked up by air passing along or near the heating element(s) 442 and distribute the heat to portions of the vaporizable material 402 that are not in physical contact with the heating element(s) 442, thereby heating the vaporizable material 402 via convective heating. The volume within which the vaporizable material 402 is held can be regarded as a heater chamber. For example, the heating element(s) 442 can define at least a portion of a perimeter of a heater
chamber containing the vaporizable material 402, and in some implementations define substantially all of the perimeter. Arrows shown extending from the heating element(s) 442 can indicate a direction of heat flow and/or heat transfer from the heating element(s) 442, such as the opposing sets of horizontal arrows extending from the heating element(s) 442 and directed towards a center of the heating chamber and/or towards a center of the vaporizable material 402. As shown in FIGS. 4A-4B, arrows that are not extending from the heating element(s) 442 can indicate a direction of fluid flow (e.g., airflow, inhalable aerosol, etc.) and/or a fluid pathway (e.g., airflow pathway, inhalable aerosol pathway, etc.). [0227] The heater portion 441 can include an end cap (e.g., the illustrated first insert(s) 424a) proximate the cartridge distal end 420b to hold the vaporizable material 402 therein and/or define a lower boundary of the volume (e.g., heater chamber). However, in some implementations, the vaporizable material 402 can be formed with sufficient rigidity (e.g., in the form of a puck or another pre-formed shape) that an end cap is not necessary. In the event first insert(s) 424a are included, they can include one or more cartridge inlets and/or an air- permeable material such that ambient air can enter the heater chamber through the material. The first insert(s) 424a be regarded as a filter end cap, and/or include material such as one or more of paper material such as cardstock, corrugated material such as cardboard or paper, tobacco paper, temperature-resistant plastic (e.g., PET), cellulose acetate, non-wood plant fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto, and/or the like. For example, the end cap can include corrugated paper material that is pressed or formed to fit within a region at the cartridge distal end 420b. [0228] As illustrated between FIGs. 4A-4B, the mouthpiece portion 430 can include one or more second inserts 424b. The one or more second inserts 424b can include airflow outlet(s) 428, which can take the form of a cutout or other aperture (e.g., formed via laser-cutting, molding, pre-formed holes, and/or the like, as described herein). The one or more second inserts 424b can be disposed proximate the proximal end 420a of the cartridge 420. [0229] The cartridge 420 can optionally include first and second bypass channels 438a, 438b forming a fluid connection between the second airflow outlet channel 426b (or second aerosol outlet channel) and ambient air. As illustrated, the first and second bypass channels 438a, 438b can be formed through opposing long sides of the wrapper 422. In some implementations, the bypass channels 438 can be created via a laser-cutting operation through walls of the wrapper 422 during the manufacturing process. Instead of one bypass channel 438 on each of the opposing long sides of the wrapper 422, it will be appreciated that additional bypass channels 438 can be present, that the bypass channels 438 can be disposed in different
locations (e.g., on one or both of the short sides of the cartridge 420), and/or different numbers of bypass channels 438 can be located on opposing sides of the cartridge 420, including only having one or more bypass channels 438 on one side of the cartridge 420. [0230] As further illustrated, the cartridge 420 can optionally include a divider 454 that is configured to restrict movement of the vaporizable material 402. The divider 454 can include a proximal end (or upstream end), an opposing distal end (or downstream end), and a boundary that extends between the two ends (e.g., along a perimeter of the divider 454, where the perimeter can optionally be substantially the same dimensions at each end). At least a portion of the boundary of the divider 454 can be in contact with a layer of material (e.g., wrapper 422) such that the divider 454 is held in place within the cartridge 420. [0231] The divider 454 can be proximate the intersection of the mouthpiece portion 430 and the heater portion 441. The divider 454 can be disposed closer along the cartridge 420 length to the cartridge distal end 420b or the cartridge proximal end 420a. In some implementations, the divider 454 can extend out of the distal end of the mouthpiece portion 430 such that it can couple with and/or be inserted within the heater portion 441. The divider 454 can be regarded as part of the mouthpiece portion 430 only, as part of both the mouthpiece portion 430 and the heater portion 441, or as part of an intermediate divider portion disposed between the mouthpiece portion 430 and the heater portion 441. In some implementations, at least a portion of the divider 454 or divider portion can be disposed within the receptacle 418 when the cartridge 420 is inserted into the vaporizer body 410 and/or at least a portion of the divider portion can be disposed outside of the receptacle 418 when the cartridge 420 is inserted into the vaporizer body 410. [0232] The boundary (e.g., outer walls) of the divider 454, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 420, are illustrated as only extending partially within the mouthpiece portion 430 (e.g., spaced apart from the second filter 424b). However, in some implementations the boundary of the divider 454 can extend along a majority of the mouthpiece portion 430 (e.g., with the second filter 424b disposed adjacent the proximal end of the divider 454 and the vaporizable material 402 disposed adjacent the distal end of the divider 454). This extended boundary of the divider 454 can increase the overall durability and rigidity of the cartridge 420, especially in the region proximate the divider 454, which can be partially inserted into the receptacle 418 and/or in contact with one or more ridges of the receptacle 418 in some implementations. However, a divider 454 that does not extend all the way from adjacent the second filter 424b to adjacent the vaporizable material 402 can provide sufficient durability and rigidity to the cartridge 420 while also saving on manufacturing costs and complexity.
Accordingly, in some implementations, the divider 454 can extend less than 50% of the distance between the second filter 424b (or cartridge proximal end 420a) and the vaporizable material 402 along the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 420, less than 40% of the same distance, less than 30% of the same distance, and/or the like. [0233] The divider 454 can include at least one first airflow outlet channel 426a, through which vaporized vaporizable material 402 and air from the heater chamber can pass and at least partially condense into an inhalable aerosol. The at least one first airflow outlet channel 426a can form or be defined by an interior perimeter of the divider 454. In some implementations the divider 454 can include a solid or partially solid volume at the upstream end of the divider 454. For example, the divider 454 can include grates, a mesh material, filter, and/or the like at the upstream end of the divider 454. In such implementations, the grates, mesh, filter, etc. can be in fluid communication with the at least one first airflow outlet channel 426a and/or form a plurality of first airflow outlet channels 426a at least partially through the divider 454. The at least one first airflow outlet channel 426a can be in fluid communication with at least one second airflow outlet channel 426b. [0234] After exiting the least one first airflow outlet channel 426a and entering the at least one second airflow outlet channel 426b, the vaporized vaporizable material 402 and air can further condense into an inhalable aerosol. Thereby, vapor generated in the heater portion 441 can be drawn towards a user at the cartridge proximal end 420a, and ultimately out of the airflow outlet(s) 428 as an inhalable aerosol. When bypass channels 438 are present, ambient air can enter the second airflow outlet channel 426b through the bypass channels 438 to further promote nucleation. As illustrated, the second airflow outlet channel 426b includes a larger volume of space compared to the first airflow outlet channel 426a, which can promote nucleation and aerosol formation in a manner. This interior volume of the mouthpiece portion 430 can be defined as a space between the second filter 424b (or cartridge proximal end 420a) and the proximal end of the divider 454, within the interior perimeter of the wrapper 422. In some implementations, the second airflow outlet channel 426b can include a larger, open volume (e.g., condensation chamber) downstream of the first airflow outlet channel 426b and upstream of the second airflow outlet(s) 428b (e.g., proximate the cartridge proximal end 420a), [0235] When a user draws on the mouthpiece portion 430 at the cartridge proximal end 420a, this can cause ambient air to enter the receptacle 418 of the vaporizer body 410 at the airflow inlets 434, cause the air residing in the receptacle 418 to enter one or more inlets at the cartridge distal end 420b, and cause ambient air to pass through the bypass channel(s) 438 (when present) into the second airflow outlet channel(s) 426b at the same time. The air that
enters the receptacle 418 from the airflow inlets 434 can travel along the airflow inlet path 432 to the cartridge distal end 420a, where it can flow into the one or more cartridge inlets located there. [0236] The air that enters at the cartridge distal end 420b can subsequently pass through the vaporizable material 402 as it is heated to entrain the vaporized material generated within the heater chamber. The air that entrains the vaporized material in the heater chamber can subsequently pass into the first airflow outlet channel(s) 426a. As the vapor and air from the heater portion 441 traverse the first airflow outlet channel(s) 426a, they continue to mix to form an inhalable aerosol. The vapor and air pass through the first airflow outlet channel(s) 426a and into the second airflow outlet channel(s) 426b, where they can mix with the air present in the second airflow outlet channel(s) 426b and/or ambient air that enters through the bypass channel(s) 438 to continue forming the inhalable aerosol. Ultimately, the inhalable aerosol passes through the airflow outlet(s) 428 and/or the cartridge proximal end 420a where it is inhaled by the user. Collectively, the path of air, vapor, and inhalable aerosol through the vaporizer device 400 can be referred to as the airflow path of the vaporizer device 400. [0237] In some implementations, the cartridge 420 can be assembled by inserting at least a portion of the components of the cartridge 420 into a pre-formed wrapper 422 and/or by wrapping a wrapper 422 around at least a portion of the components of the cartridge 420. For example, the components of the cartridge 420 can be inserted into the wrapper 422 starting from the first insert(s) 424a at the cartridge distal end 420b, the heating element(s) 442, the vaporizable material 402, then the divider 454, and ending with the second insert(s) 424b at the cartridge proximal end 420a. When the heating element(s) 442 are disposed on the outer surface of the wrapper 422, the heating element(s) 442 can be attached to and/or around the outer surface of the wrapper 422 before any component is inserted into the wrapper 422 or after the components are inserted into the wrapper 422. When the bypass channel(s) 438 are present, they can be formed in the wrapper 422 before any component is inserted into the wrapper 422 or after the components are inserted into the wrapper 422. In some implementations, the cartridge can include more than one wrapper 422, such as a primary wrapper that includes the first insert 424a, the heating element(s) 442, the vaporizable material 402, and/or the divider 454, as well as a secondary (e.g., tipping) wrapper 422 that includes the second insert 424b and/or divider 454. The primary wrapper 422 and secondary wrapper 422 can be combined to simplify the manufacture of the cartridge 420 such that the components can be inserted over shorter distances and/or in a more controlled manner.
[0238] Other implementations exist where the cartridge 420 can be heated externally by conductive and/or convective heat. For example, rather than the heater portion 441 of the cartridge including the heating element(s) 442, the heater portion 441 can instead include a container configured to hold the vaporizable material 402. The container can take the form (e.g., material and/or geometry) of the heater chambers described herein, but is instead configured to receive heat from one or more external heating element 442 (e.g., external to the cartridge 420, such as within the receptacle 418 or otherwise configured to heat the receptacle 418 itself) and redistribute the heat to the vaporizable material 402, rather than generate heat independently. In such implementations, the heating element(s) 442 can be inductively heated as described herein. [0239] The one or more sensors 413 can include one or more pressure sensors, airflow sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, measurement circuitry configured to measure properties of the various components of the vaporizer body 410 and/or cartridge 420, and/or the like. When present, the pressure sensor can be configured to detect changes in pressure that occur along the airflow path of the vaporizer device 400, optionally including an absolute pressure within the airflow path and/or a differential pressure between the airflow path and ambient pressure. Additionally or alternatively, when present, the airflow sensor can be configured to detect air flowing along the airflow path of the vaporizer device 400, optionally including a measurement of a rate of airflow along the airflow path. When present, the temperature sensor(s) can be configured to detect an orientation of the vaporizer body 410, which can be referenced to determine whether or not the vaporizer body 410 is in an orientation indicative consistent with an intended use of the vaporizer device 400. When present, the temperature sensor(s) can be configured to detect a temperature of the cartridge 420, heating element(s) 442, receptacle 418, frame 447, inductor(s) 443, flux concentrator(s) 448, and/or other components of the vaporizer body 410 and/or cartridge 420. The temperature sensor(s) can be physically touching and/or in thermal proximity to any component for which a temperature is desired. [0240] Detected pressure drops, increases in airflow, and/or other measurements can be used to determine when a user is inhaling, which can in turn be used to control the power applied to the inductor(s) and/or heating element(s) 442 to decrease, maintain, or increase the temperature of the heating element(s) 442 and/or vaporizable material 402. Additionally or alternatively, the detected pressure drops, increases in airflow, and/or other measurements can be used to count the number of puffs taken, which can in turn be used for other operations, such
as stopping the application of power to the heating element(s) 442 (e.g., placing the vaporizer device 400 in a sleep or off state). [0241] In some implementations, the one or more sensors 413 can include measurement circuitry configured to derive one or more properties of the heating element(s) 442 and/or inductor(s) 443, such as inductance, resistance, impedance, and/or temperature. In some aspects, the measurement circuitry can include circuitry configured to directly measure the one or more properties and/or circuitry configured to estimate the one or more properties based on other data (e.g., obtained via direct measurement, obtained via processed and/or filtered measurement data or signals, obtained from memory, and/or the like). The resistance and/or inductance of the heating element(s) 442, for example, can be used to estimate the temperature of the heating element(s). The inductance, resistance, impedance, and/or temperature can be used to maintain and/or alter the application of power to the heating element(s) 442, such as to achieve a target temperature. For example, altering the application of power can include increasing or decreasing the total power applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, increasing or decreasing the voltage applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, increasing or decreasing the frequency at which power is applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, increasing or decreasing the time during which power is applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, adjusting a duty cycle of power applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, and/or the like. [0242] A duty cycle of power applied to the heating element(s) 442 can include a defined (e.g., predetermined and/or dynamically determined) period of time during which power is applied and a defined (e.g., predetermined and/or dynamically determined) period of time during which power is not applied during a given cycle of time. In some implementations, a default duty cycle can include 48 milliseconds (ms) of applying power and 2 ms of not applying power, every 50 ms. [0243] Within the period of time during which power is not applied, the resistance and/or inductance of the heating element(s) 442 can be derived. If the derived inductance, resistance, impedance, and/or temperature are above a respective threshold (e.g., target temperature), the period of time during which power is applied can be decreased and/or the period of time during which power is not applied can be increased, in order to maintain a stable temperature at the heating element(s) 442 (e.g., target temperature). If the derived inductance, resistance, impedance, and/or temperature are below the same or a different respective threshold (e.g., target temperature), the period of time during which power is applied can be increased (up to a maximum value, which can be the same as the default value) and/or the period of time during
which power is not applied can be decreased (down to a minimum value, which can be the same as the default value). For example, the same period of time (e.g., the last 2 ms) in each duty cycle (50 ms) can always be dedicated to deriving the resistance and/or inductance of the heating element(s) 442, regardless of the inductance, resistance, impedance, and/or temperature, and even if power is not being applied for a longer period of time. [0244] However, in some implementations, the default duty cycle can be defined to apply power during the entire cycle of time (e.g., 50 ms out of each 50 ms), with measurements being taken at predetermined intervals (e.g., at the beginning or end of each duty cycle) regardless of whether power is being applied to the heating element(s) 442. The default duty cycle can be adjusted to include a period of time during which power is not applied during the duty cycle, based on the measured or derived value(s). This can be achieved, for example, by providing separate driving circuitry (e.g., including one or more inductors 443) and measurement circuitry as described herein (e.g., including a sensor 413 and/or an inductor 443 via which one or more properties of the heating element(s) 442 and/or inductor(s) 443 can be derived). Although temperature control can be achieved based on controlling the application of power to the heating element(s) 442 according to duty cycles as described herein, additionally or alternatively temperature control can be achieved based on controlling the voltage applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, the frequency applied to the inductor(s) 443 and/or heating element(s) 442, and/or the like. [0245] In some implementations, the measurement circuitry can include or be similar to the circuitry 973a-e illustrated in FIGs. 9A-9E. As illustrated in FIG. 9A, the circuitry 973a can include a power source AC (alternating current) (grounded) connected to a capacitor C, which is coupled with the inductor(s) 943 (LCOIL). As illustrated, the inductor(s) 943 can include an inductive component L and a resistive component R, although not necessarily physically formed from an inductor and a resistor (see inductors 543 of FIGs. 5A-5D for examples of the physical construction of LCOIL). The inductor(s) 943 can be coupled in series or in parallel with the capacitor C, depending on whether the power source simulates an AC voltage or an AC current. The end of the inductor(s) 943 that is not coupled with the capacitor C and/or power source can be coupled to ground. Sense circuit 913 can be coupled to each end of the inductor(s) 943 to measure the inductance L and the resistance R of the inductor(s) 943, for use in the temperature control procedures described herein. [0246] In some implementations, temperature control can be implemented based on comparing derived (e.g., measured) inductive and/or resistive values at different points in time and/or at different frequencies. For example, in some implementations the sense circuit 913
can be configured to measure or derive a first inductance LA and/or a first resistance RA of the inductor(s) 943 when power is not applied to the inductor(s) 943 by the power source AC, which can be referred to as measuring the inductance and/or resistance of the inductor(s) 943 at DC (direct current) (e.g., 0 Hz). Measuring at DC can reduce or eliminate the impact that the heating element(s) 442 have on the inductor(s) 943. The heating element(s) 442 of FIGs. 4A-4B are referenced for simplicity, but the temperature control procedures described can be applied to the heating element(s) 342 of FIG.3 and/or the heating elements 1542 of FIGs.6-7. The sense circuit 913 can be further configured to measure a second inductance LB and a second resistance RB of the inductor(s) 943 at a time while power is being applied by the power source AC, such as when heating a heating element(s) 442 (not shown). These measurements can be taken to determine the effect that the heating element(s) 442 has on the inductor(s) 943. These measurements can be taken at a specific frequency, such as within a range of 100 kHz to 1 MHz or within a range of 200 kHz to 600 KHz. For example, measurements can be taken while operating one or more of the inductors 943 at approximately 50 kHz, 100 kHz, 150 kHz, 200 kHz, 250 kHz, 300 kHz, 350 kHz, 400 kHz, 500 kHz, 600 kHz, etc. (e.g., in ranges of ± 5 kHz, ± 10 kHz, ± 15 kHz, etc.). In some implementations, the frequency at which the measurements are taken can be the same as or different from the frequency at which the inductor(s) 943 are driven when inducing heat in the heating element(s) 442. For example, the inductor(s) 943 can be driven to induce heat in the heating element(s) 442 at a frequency that is 50-150 kHz less than the frequency at which the measurements are taken, 100-200 kHz less, 150-300 kHz less, 50-150 kHz less more, 100-200 kHz more, 150-300 kHz more and/or the like. [0247] Based on these measured values, the sense circuit 913 and/or other circuitry (e.g., a controller 104 in communication with the sense circuit 913) can be configured to derive (e.g., estimate) the temperature of the heating element(s) 442. For example, the ratio of resistance over inductance (e.g., RC/LC) caused by the heating element(s) 442 can be estimated based on the equation (RA – RB) / (LA – LB). Because the inductance of the heating element(s) 442 generally does not change with temperature, the result of this equation (RC/LC) can be used with other information about the heating element(s) 442 and/or inductor(s) 943 to derive the temperature of the heating element(s) 442 at the time the measurements were taken. As described herein, the derived temperature of the heating element(s) 442 can be used to regulate the temperature of the heating element(s) 442, such as by providing the same, more, or less power and/or for the same, longer, or shorter durations of time, which can be implemented to heat the heating element(s) 442 at or near a target temperature.
[0248] For example, in some implementations, the result of the equation (RC/LC) and a thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the heating element(s) 442 can be combined to derive an estimated temperature of the heating element(s) 442. The heating element(s) 442 can be manufactured such that it has a specific TCR, optionally with some level of tolerance. This specific TCR value and/or the tolerance can be stored in the vaporizer device 420, such as in memory 108, in the sense circuit 913, and/or the like. In other implementations, the TCR of the heating element(s) 442 can be measured periodically and/or upon the occurrence of specific events, such as upon insertion of the heating element(s) 442 in the vaporizer body 410, based on predetermined criteria such as a change of inductance and/or resistance over time or rate of change of inductance and/or resistance over time, before and/or after heating the heating element(s) 442, at set intervals of time before and/or after heating the heating element(s) 442, and/or the like. [0249] In some implementations, a Curie temperature of the heating element(s) 442 can be utilized to maintain heat applied to the vaporizable material 402 in a particular range. A Curie temperature of an object can be regarded as a temperature at which particles of the object are substantially non-magnetic. For example, in implementations where the heating element(s) 442 is made of a nickel and iron alloy (e.g., Invar), the heating element(s) 442 can be configured such that it does not reach higher than a known temperature (e.g., 240ºC). As such, the heating element(s) 442 can be regarded as self-regulating. Otherwise, the existence of metals with a known Curie temperature can be factored into the heater control methodologies described herein. For example, in some implementations, a controller 104 and/or other circuitry can be configured to monitor the heating element(s) 442 magnetic properties as it is transitioning to its Curie temperature, and regulate the heating element(s) 442 such that it stays at or near its Curie temperature. For example, the controller 104 can be configured to decrease the application of power and/or energy to the heating element(s) 442 when it is at or near its Curie temperature such that additional power and/or energy is not wasted. [0250] In various implementations, depending on the shape of the heating element(s) 442, multiple inductors 943 can be used to heat the heating element(s) 442. For example, one inductor 943 can be used to generate an electromagnetic field to heat each of two opposing long sides of the heating element(s) 442. In other implementations, sets of two, three, four, five, six, or more inductors 943 can be used to generate electromagnetic fields to each heat two opposing long sides of the heating element(s) 442 (see FIGs. 5A-5D for examples of the physical construction and/or locations of the inductors 943).
[0251] When multiple inductors 943 are implemented, each can be configured to operate at the same frequency and/or different frequencies. For example, in some implementations all of the inductors 943 can be configured, via their structure and/or corresponding circuitry such as a controller 104, to operate at substantially the same operating frequency, which can change over time. All of the inductors 943 can be configured to operate at a first frequency when power is not being applied to heat the heating element(s) 442 (which can be 0 Hz), at a second frequency when power is being applied to derive one or more properties of the heating element(s) 442 and/or inductor(s) 443 (e.g., during a measurement mode, a standby mode, a normal power mode, and/or the like), and/or at a third frequency when power is being applied to heat the heating element(s) 442 (e.g., in a normal power mode). [0252] In other implementations, one or more of the inductors 943 can be configured to operate at a different frequency or frequencies from the remaining inductors 943. In accordance with these implementations, the inductors 943 can be configured to operate at substantially the same frequency during certain times or modes while also being configured to operate at different frequencies during certain other times or modes. With each of the inductors 943 being positioned near different portions of the heating element(s) 442, information derived from the inductor 943 (or coils) operating at a different frequency can be used to derive additional information about the heating element(s) 442. [0253] Although various frequencies and modes are discussed with respect to the inductors 943 specifically, it is contemplated that other measurement circuitry, such as one or more of the sensing coils 513 discussed with respect to FIGs. 5A-5D and/or vaporizer circuitry 2000 discussed with respect to FIG 14, can optionally be provided and configured to additionally or alternatively measure the heating element(s) 442. For example, the measurement circuitry can be configured to measure information about the heating element(s) 442. In implementations where such measurement circuity is present (e.g., one or more sensing coils 513), the measurement circuitry can be configured such that it measures the resistance, inductance, temperature, and/or other properties of the heating element(s) 442, such as at one or a plurality of different frequencies, does not generate an electromagnetic field for heating the heating element(s) 442, operates while the inductors 943 are heating the heating element(s) 442, operates while the inductors 943 are not heating the heating element(s) 442, and/or the like. [0254] In some implementations, information about the inductors 943, such as their inductance, resistance, impedance, temperature, and/or the like can be measured in one or more of the described modes and used to control the power or voltage applied, such as to heat the heating element(s) 442 at different temperatures (e.g., target temperatures), as described herein.
Although reference is made to the long sides of the heating element(s) 442, other configurations are contemplated depending on the shape and/or position of the heating element(s) 442. [0255] Other implementations exist where additional or alternative information about the inductor(s) 943 can be measured and/or used to estimate the temperature of the heating element(s) 442, such as via the circuitry 973b illustrated in FIG.9B. In such implementations, the temperature and/or other properties of the inductor(s) 943 can be measured by a temperature sensor 983 in close proximity to the inductor(s) 943. In some implementations, the temperature sensor can include a thermistor, a PTC circuit such as a PTC thermistor, an NTC circuit such as an NTC thermistor, a thermocouple, and/or the like. In accordance with such implementations, the sense circuitry 913 and/or other circuitry can be configured to regulate the application of power to the heating element(s) 442, based on a detected temperature of the inductor(s) 943, in addition to or alternatively from the measured inductance and resistance. For example, a specific, detected rise in temperature of the inductor(s) 943 can be correlated to a rise in temperature of the heating element(s) 442, such that the power and/or energy applied to the heating element(s) 442 can be reduced and/or maintained. [0256] Other implementations exist where information about the inductor(s) 943 can be measured and/or used to estimate the temperature of the heating element(s) 442 in a different manner, such as via the circuitry 973c illustrated in FIG. 9C. In such implementations, the inductor(s) 943 can be part of the driving circuitry (for heating the heating element(s) 442)) and the sense circuit 913 is part of a different circuit. In operation, the sense circuit 913 is instead configured to measure properties of the inductor(s) 943 and/or heating element(s) 442 wirelessly (e.g., without direct, wired connection), such as through a connected sense coil. Additionally or alternatively, the implementations of FIG.9C can be configured to operate with the use of a temperature sensor 983 as described herein, such as via the circuitry 973d illustrated in FIG.9D. [0257] In some implementations, the sense circuit 913 can be configured to communicate wirelessly with the driving circuitry such that it does not impact performance of the inductor(s) 943, such as via the circuitry 973e illustrated in FIG. 9E. For example, a resonant circuit formed of the capacitor C and connected inductor(s) 943 can operate in accordance with a known or measurable resonant frequency, and can be used to wirelessly power the heating element(s) 442 and/or measure information about the heating element(s) 442, such as inductance and/or resistance. In some implementations, the inductance and/or resistance of the heating element(s) 442 can be determined based on measuring the resonant frequency of the inductor(s) 943 and comparing the measurements against the known resonant frequency of the
inductor(s) 943 (e.g., without the presence of the heating element(s) 442). For example, the measurements can be implemented via monitoring and/or measuring the ringing of the inductor(s) 943. In some implementations, information about the heating element(s) 442 can be measured and/or determined based on the time and/or speed at which the oscillation of an alternating current (e.g., sine wave) used to power the heating element(s) 442 stops (e.g., returns to zero). Such techniques can be beneficial by providing much faster measurements (e.g., in the order of microseconds) compared with determinations that require more direct measurements of the inductance and/or resistance of the heating element(s) 442. [0258] In some implementations, the inductors 943 can be configured to measure information from something other than the heating element(s) 442, such as for the purposes of calibration and/or estimation. For example, an inductor 943 that is operating in a calibration mode can be configured to operate at a plurality of different frequencies and/or frequency ranges when a heating element(s) 442 is not present. Information sensed or measured through the inductors 943 in this mode can be used to determine an expected change in inductance, resistance, impedance, and/or temperature which can be stored in a look-up table and/or for creating a best fit line for use in monitoring the inductor(s) 943 when a heating element(s) 442 is present. For example, in some implementations, one or more of the inductors 943 (e.g., all) can be configured to heat up to a predetermined temperature (e.g., heat the inductor(s) 943 and/or heating element(s) 442 to a predetermined temperature) and/or for a predetermined amount of time, and the inductance and/or resistance can be measured and/or stored for each of the one or more inductors 943. For example, the heating element(s) 442 can be removed after it is heated (if present) and the temperature, inductance, and/or resistance of each inductor(s) 943 can be recorded as the inductor(s) 943 cool down. The data derived from this monitoring can be used to define one or more parameters of each inductor(s) 943, which can be factored into the temperature control methodologies described herein. In some implementations, this calibration mode can be implemented as part of a manufacturing process and/or periodically after the device has been sold (e.g., be a recommended user-selectable mode). [0259] FIGs. 5A-5D illustrate different schematics and views of various implementations of a holder assembly 558a-d (collectively referred to as holder assembly 558 or holder assemblies 558) consistent with implementations of the current subject matter. These holder assemblies 558 can be implementations of one or more components of the vaporizer body 110 of FIGs. 1A-1B, the vaporizer body 210 of FIG. 2, and/or the vaporizer bodies 410 of FIGs. 4A-4B, such as the holder assembly 458.
[0260] As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the holder assembly 558, 558a can include a frame 547 defining a receptacle 518 for insertion of a cartridge (e.g., cartridge 220, 320, 420, not illustrated). The frame 547 can include two long sides and two short sides, similar to the cartridges and receptacles described herein. For example, the long sides of the frame 547 can be configured to align with the long sides of the cartridge and the short sides of the frame 547 can be configured to align with the short sides of the cartridge when the cartridge is insertably received within the receptacle 518. As described herein, a surface of the cartridge extending primarily along the cartridge width can be referred to as a long side of the cartridge and/or as being on a long side of the cartridge, which can align with the long side of the frame 547. Additionally, a surface of the cartridge extending primarily along the cartridge depth can be referred to as a short side of the cartridge and/or as being on a short side of the cartridge, which can align with the short side of the frame 547. It will be appreciated that this terminology can be applied to any implementation of a cartridge (including its subcomponents described herein) and frame 547, and this terminology is not redefined with respect to each implementation of each component for the sake of brevity. [0261] As illustrated, the frame 547 can include an inductor 543 formed as a spiral, flattened, and/or pancake coil on a long side of the frame 547. Inductor 543 coils depicted and/or described as spiral, flattened, and/or pancake coils herein can take the form of parallel or anti-parallel pancake or Helmholtz structures, although other structures are contemplated. The electrical leads 544a that power the inductor 543 can be disposed on a short side of the frame. The electrical leads 544a that power the inductor 543 can be electrically coupled with a controller and/or driving circuit for powering the inductor 543 as described herein. As described herein, the inductor 543 can be configured to generate an electromagnetic field for generating heat in a heating element of the cartridge, which can take the form of a susceptor. [0262] As described herein, it can be desirable to measure an inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element for use in determining and/or controlling a temperature of the heating element, such as based on a thermal coefficient of resistivity of the heating element. Various circuit can be provided for measuring the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element, such as the sensing coil 513. In some implementations, the sensing coil 513 can be disposed in an open center region 562 of the inductor 543 and/or on a long side of the frame 547, such as illustrated in FIG. 5A. In such implementations, the sensing coil 513 can be in the form of a spiral, flattened, and/or pancake coil. As illustrated, the electrical leads 544b the power the sensing coil 513 can be disposed proximate the distal end 561 of the frame 547. In some implementations, the illustrated and described sensing coils 513 can instead be
implemented as inductors 543 configured to generate an electromagnetic field for generating heat in a heating element (e.g., susceptor) of the cartridge. In accordance with these implementations, one or more (e.g., all) of the inductors 543 can be configured to measure the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element as described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the illustrated and described sensing coils 513 can take the form of a temperature sensor, which can include a thermistor, a PTC circuit such as a PTC thermistor, an NTC circuit such as an NTC thermistor, a thermocouple, and/or the like. Such temperature sensors can be in physical and/or thermal contact with each inductor 543 or a subset of the inductors 543. [0263] In some implementations, the open center region 562 in the middle of the inductor 543 can be increased in size, which can lead to an increased efficiency in delivering energy to the heating element of the cartridge in the receptacle 518. For example, in a circular region defined by a radius that extends from the center of the inductor 543 to the outer-most turn of the inductor 543, the open center region 562 in which turns of the inductor 543 are not present can occupy 20-50% of the surface area of the circular region. In some implementations, the open center region 562 can take up 30-40% of the circular region. In some aspects, having a larger open center region 562 can result in increased efficiency in delivering energy from the inductor 543 into the heating element to be heated via the magnetic or electromagnetic field. In implementations where the illustrated and described sensing coils 513 are additionally or alternatively configured as inductors 543, the collective set of inductors 543 can be configured to heat separate regions of the heating element. For example, a first region of the heating element adjacent the illustrated sensing coils 513 can be heated independently from a second region of the heating element adjacent the illustrated inductors 543. In this manner, greater control over aerosol production over the life of a cartridge can be provided. [0264] As illustrated in FIGs.5B-5D, the sensing coil 513 can be disposed within a region near a proximal end 560 of the frame 547. The sensing coil 513 can be wrapped around the frame 547 a plurality of times, so that the sensing coil 513 is capable of measuring inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element. Within this region, the sensing coil 513 can still be disposed in sufficiently close proximity to the heating element of the cartridge, which can be configured to extend up to or proximate the opening of the receptacle 518 when the cartridge is inserted within the receptacle 518. In accordance with these implementations, the inductor 543 may not include an open center region 562. Other locations and/or configurations for the sensing coil 513 are contemplated, as described herein, including selectively powering one or more of the inductors 543 off to use the inductor 543 as a sensing
coil, without the presence of a separate sensing coil 513. Alternatively, the illustrated and described sensing coils 513 can be inductors 543 configured to generate an electromagnetic field for generating heat in a heating element (e.g., susceptor) of the cartridge. In accordance with these implementations, one or more (e.g., all) of the inductors 543 can be configured to measure the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the heating element as described herein. [0265] As illustrated in FIG. 5C, a long side of the frame 547 can include a plurality of inductors 543a-d, which can be in the form of spiral, flattened, and/or pancake coils, and each have their own, independent sets of electrical leads 544a-d that can be coupled to a controller and/or driving circuit. As described herein, each of the plurality of inductors 543a-d can be powered off and on independently, such that different regions of a heating element can be selectively heated. For example, all of the inductors 543a-d can be powered at the same time and with the same amount of power, all or some of the inductors 543a-d can be powered at the same time and but with differing amounts of power, and/or only a portion of the inductors 543a-d can be powered at the same time and with the same or different amounts of power. As described herein, different amounts of power can include applying a higher or lower voltage, driving at a longer or shorter duty cycle, driving at a higher or lower frequency, and/or the like. [0266] Although one set of four inductors 543a-d are illustrated and an additional set of inductors on the opposing long side are described, other numbers of inductors 534 are contemplated. For example, sets of two inductors 543 on each of the opposing long sides are contemplated, which can be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal dimension (e.g., along the length) or transverse to the longitudinal dimension (e.g., along the width). Separately, sets of three, five, six, or more inductors 543 are contemplated, and it is not required that the same number of inductors 543 be implemented on each of the long sides. Other implementations exist in which the inductor(s) 543 do not take the shape of a spiral, flattened, and/or pancake coil, such as the inductor 543 of FIG.5D, wrapped around the short and long sides of the frame 547 multiple times (also referred to as a helical coil or helical inductor). In some implementations, a plurality of inductors 543 can be disposed in series along the frame 547 (e.g., between and/or along the proximal end 560 and the distal end 561 of the frame 547), such as two, three, or more inductors 543. For example, the plurality of inductors 543 can be formed as solenoid coils, with a space along the frame 547 between each inductor 543. [0267] In some implementations, the long and short side of the frame 547 that are shown can be the same or similar to the long and/or short side of the frame 547 that are not shown. For example, the long side of the frame 547 that is not shown in FIGs. 5A and 5B can also
include an inductor 543, such that the receptacle 518 is between two opposing inductors 543. Such a configuration can provide benefits, such as by heating a wider surface area of the heating element, into which it is easier to generate eddy currents using less energy. The long side of the frame 547 that is not shown in FIG. 5C can similarly also include a plurality of inductors 543, such that more control can be provided over how and where heat is generated. [0268] In some implementations, the various configurations and positions of the illustrated and described inductors 543 and/or sensing coils 513 (additionally or alternatively configured as inductors) of FIGs. 5A-5D can be at least partially combined. For example, in some implementations, the illustrated inductor 543 of FIG. 5B can be substituted with the illustrated inductor 543 and sensing coil 513 of FIG. 5A (on both opposing long sides of the frame 547). Additionally or alternatively, the illustrated sensing coil 513 in FIG. 5B can be implemented at one or both of the proximal end and the distal end of the frame 547 (and each be implemented as sensing coils and/or inductors). Accordingly, separate regions of the heating element adjacent the inductors 543 and/or sensing coils 513 can be heated independently to provide greater control over aerosol production, as described herein. It will be appreciated that the ability to heat the heating element in as many independent regions is desirable, but that the implementation of more inductors 543 and/or sensing coils 513 is more expensive and more complicated (e.g., in order to properly account for mutual inductance). [0269] In various implementations, the inductors 543 can include two or more layers of wire, with the layers disposed on top of one another from the perspective of the vaporizer device width or depth. For example, the inductors 543 can include a first layer of turns that is closer to and/or on a holder assembly 558 of the vaporizer device, and a second layer of turns that is further from the holder assembly 558 and/or closer to the external shell of the vaporizer body that includes the holder assembly 558. If the holder assembly 558 or the vaporizer device are defined in part by a circular cross-section, the layers of wire can be regarded as being disposed on top of one another from the perspective a radius of the holder assembly 558 and/or vaporizer device. [0270] In various implementations, the shape and/or structure of the inductors 543 can be varied to increase and/or tune their efficiency, such as based on their coupling efficiency with a heating element of a cartridge in the receptacle 518. For example, one or more of the inductors 543 can include varying numbers of cross-sections, shapes, strand counts, strand gauges, and/or the like of coils. The coils could also be bent to have the same general curvature as the heating element to improve performance, or could be straightened (e.g., along the cartridge width) to limit the coupling efficiency to a specific degree. In some implementations,
a flex based coil can be used to decrease manufacturing costs of the device and the consumables, such as by only requiring relatively thin layers of material (e.g., smaller inductors 543 and/or thinner heating elements). [0271] In some implementations, a cartridge for use with a holder assembly 558 that includes multiple inductors 543 can include regions with different susceptibilities. For example, a cartridge can be manufactured to include different materials and/or thicknesses in certain regions depending on each region’s intended proximity to an inductor 543. In some implementations, a cartridge can be manufactured to include a first material and/or material of a first thickness in a first region (or set of first regions) that is disposed at or near a first inductor 543 (or set of first inductors 543), and a second material and/or material of a second thickness in a second region (or set of second regions) that is disposed away from the first inductor 543 (or set of first inductors 543). In some aspects, if multiple inductors 543 are used, the regions of the cartridge that are between the set of first regions can include the second region(s). [0272] In some aspects, a humectant (e.g., vegetable glycerin) within the vaporizable material can have a higher boiling point than an active ingredient (e.g., nicotine) within the vaporizable material. In order to deliver a more uniform amount of active ingredient over the course of a session (e.g., 10 to 20 user puffs of a cartridge), different temperatures can be applied to different regions of the heating element (and thereby different regions of the vaporizable material) at different times during the course of a session. [0273] For example, control algorithms can be implemented that selectively power a first inductor 543 (e.g., at or near the location of any of the sensing coil 513 of any of FIGs.5B-5D) and a second inductor 543 (e.g., at or near the location of any of the inductor(s) 543 of FIGs. 5A-5D). Such control algorithms can be configured to selectively power the first inductor 543 and the second inductor 543, and thereby the heating element, such as the heating element(s) 1542 of FIGs. 6-7 at different times, temperatures, frequencies, voltages, duty cycles, and/or the like. In some implementations, during a first time period the first inductor 543 is powered according to a first set of parameters such that a first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 is heated at a first temperature and the second inductor 543 is not powered (e.g., a second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 remains at or closer to an ambient temperature). The first temperature can be sufficient to vaporize both the humectant and the active ingredient, such as at or above the boiling point of the humectant. During this first time period, both the humectant and the active ingredient can be vaporized within the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 while the humectant and the active ingredient within the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 are not vaporized. It will be appreciated that the proximity of the regions
of the heating element are close enough that an incidental amount of vaporized material is produced within the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 at this time, but the incidental amount is relatively small compared to the vaporized material produced within the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 (e.g., less than 15% by weight of the total vapor produced). [0274] At a subsequent, second time period the first inductor 543 is powered according to a second set of parameters such that the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 is heated at a second temperature and the second inductor 543 is powered according to a third set of parameters such that the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 is heated at a third temperature. The second temperature can be the same as, lower than, or higher than the first temperature, but sufficient to vaporize the humectant. The third temperature can be lower than the first temperature, sufficient to vaporize the active ingredient but not sufficient to vaporize the humectant. During this second time period, the primary source of the active ingredient in the vapor can come from within the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 while the primary source of the humectant in the vapor can come from within the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542. [0275] Optionally, at a subsequent, third time period the first inductor 543 is powered according to a fourth set of parameters such that the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 is heated at a fourth temperature and the second inductor 543 is powered according to a fifth set of parameters such that the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 is heated at a fifth temperature. The fourth temperature can be the same or lower than the first temperature and/or the second temperature, but can be sufficient to vaporize the humectant. Additionally or alternatively, the fourth temperature can be sufficient to heat the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 such that vapor generated within the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 is not inhibited from flowing through the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542 (e.g., does not recondense). [0276] In some implementations, the first inductor 543 and/or the second inductor 543 can both be powered during an initial pre-heating mode to a pre-heating temperature, after which the first and subsequent time periods are implemented. In some implementations, the pre- heating temperature is higher than the first temperature, lower than the first temperature, lower than the second temperature, lower than the third temperature, lower than the fourth temperature, or lower than the fifth temperature. In related implementations, the second inductor 543 is powered according to a set of pre-heating parameters such that the second region 1559b of the heating element 1542 is heated to the pre-heating temperature during the
first time period, which can be different from the pre-heating temperature applied to the first region 1559a of the heating element 1542. [0277] In some implementations, the applied temperatures at each section of the heating element between each successive periods can include a transition period. For example, each of the pre-heating temperature, the first temperature, the second temperature, the third temperature, the fourth temperature, and/or the fifth temperature can be implemented as maximum temperatures, and the control algorithm can be configured to begin gradually increasing or decreasing the temperature of the heating element at the start of each time period. For example, the control algorithm can be configured to increase or decrease the current temperature of the heating element 1542 to the new temperature over the course of the transition period (e.g., 5 seconds, 10 seconds, and/or the like). [0278] Although illustrated and described as singular coils, in some implementations any of the inductors 543 can instead be formed of two or more coils, which can each generally take the shape of half or less than half of the inductor 543 they replace. In accordance with these implementations, the general direction of current through one of the replacement inductors (e.g., clockwise) can be opposite the general direction of current through the other of the replacement inductors (e.g., counter-clockwise). Although first and second inductors 543 are illustrated and described at times, the first inductor 543 can instead be implemented as a first set of inductors 543 (e.g., configured to heat the first region 1559a) and/or the second inductor 543 can instead be implemented as a second set of inductors 543 (e.g., configured to heat the second region 1559b). Separately, additional inductors 543 and/or sets of inductors 543, such as a third inductor and/or third set of inductors 543 can be present, and configured and/or disposed to heat a third portion of the heating element 1542. Although described with respect to the first region 1559a and second region 1559b of FIG.6, the first inductor 543 and second inductor 543 can instead be respectively configured to generate and apply a magnetic and/or electromagnetic field to the first (top) heating element 1542a and the second (bottom) heating element 1542a of FIG.7. [0279] To control the application of power to heating elements and/or regions of heating elements, an estimated temperature of the heating element and/or region can be beneficial. However, it can be difficult to obtain information such as resistance of a heating element that is not electrically coupled to measurement circuitry, such as in the case of susceptors that are inductively heated. FIG. 14 schematically illustrates vaporizer circuitry 2000 of a vaporizer device, in accordance with some implementations. As illustrated, the vaporizer circuitry 2000 can be implemented in a vaporizer body 2010 and/or a cartridge 2020. The vaporizer circuitry
2000 can include a buck/boost circuit 2005, microcontroller 2015, power control circuit 2030, resonant circuit 2090, and/or at least a portion of the cartridge 2020. The vaporizer circuitry 2000 can be implemented within any of the vaporizer devices 100a-100c, 200, 400 of FIGs. 1A-C, 2, and 4A-B, such as within the vaporizer bodies 110, 210, 410. The cartridge 2020 can be implemented in a similar manner to any of the cartridges 120, 220, 320, 420, 1520 of FIGs. 1A-C, 2, 3, 4A-B, 6 and 7 described herein. In some implementations, the at least a portion of the cartridge 2020 that forms part of the vaporizer circuitry 2000 includes one or more susceptors 2042. The susceptor(s) 2042 can be implemented in the same or similar manner to any of the heating elements 142, 342, 442, 1542 of FIGs.1A-C, 3, 4A-B, 6 and 7. For example, the one or more susceptors 2042 can be in thermal contact with vaporizable material for the generation of an inhalable aerosol. The one or more susceptors 2042 can include a single susceptor with two regions, similar to the regions 1559a, 1559b of FIG. 6, or two susceptors, similar to the susceptors 1542a, 1542b of FIG. 7. Heating of the susceptors and/or susceptor regions can be independently controlled, as described herein. [0280] The buck/boost circuit 2005, microcontroller 2015, and/or power control circuit 2030 can be implemented as chips, microchips, integrated circuit, and/or the like, such as in flat pieces of semiconductor material containing various interconnected components. Although illustrated separately, the buck/boost circuit 2005, microcontroller 2015, and/or power control circuit 2030 can form part of the same integrated circuit and/or can be collectively regarded as a controller (e.g., the microcontroller 2015 alone can instead be regarded as the controller described herein) which can perform the methods, steps, and/or functions described separately with respect to the buck/boost circuit 2005, microcontroller 2015, and/or power control circuit 2030. For example, a controller can be implemented with a separate microcontroller 2015 and power control circuit 2030, where the power control circuit 2030 comprises a chip electrically coupled to the microcontroller 2015 and the resonant circuit 2090 (e.g., to one or more inductors 2080, 2085). Alternatively, a controller can be implemented with a combined microcontroller 2015 and power control circuit 2030 that is electrically coupled to the resonant circuit 2090 (e.g., to one or more inductors 2080, 2085). In some aspects, at least a portion of the resonant circuit 2090 can form part of the controller. [0281] The buck/boost circuit 2005 can facilitate providing appropriate levels of electrical power to various components of the vaporizer device. The buck/boost circuit 2005 can be configured to step up or step down an input voltage (e.g., VSystem) to generate an output voltage (e.g., VBridge) for a particular component of the vaporizer circuitry 2000. The buck/boost circuit 2005 can be configured to step up or step down the voltage by varying the duty cycle of the
input voltage. For example, a duty cycle that persists an ON position for a majority of a time period can cause the buck-boost circuit 2005 to step up a voltage level, while a duty cycle that persists an OFF position for a majority of a time period can cause the buck-boost circuit 2005 to step down a voltage level. [0282] Microcontroller 2015 can generate and/or provide instructions for operation of the vaporizer device (e.g., at least a portion of the vaporizer circuitry 2000). In some aspects, the microcontroller 2015 can be an implementation of any of the controllers 104 of FIGs.1A-1C. For example, microcontroller 2015 can provide instructions to buck/boost circuit 2005 to step up or step down a voltage to provide to a component of the vaporizer device. Microcontroller 2015 can provide instructions for providing power to one or more inductors 2080, 2085 (illustrated as Coil 0 and Coil 1), such as by generating a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal to heat the susceptor(s) 2042. The microcontroller 2015 can be configured to control the power provided, including by controlling the amplitude, frequency, voltage, and/or duty cycle of the PWM signal. This control can be regarded as controlling and/or adjusting the power delivery to the one or more inductors 2080, 2085. For example, based upon information obtained via the power control circuit 2030 described herein (e.g., a temperature of the susceptor(s) 2042), the microcontroller 2015 can be configured to modify or adjust the PWM cycle of each inductor 2080, 2085, including the duty cycle of voltage applied to each inductor 2080, 2085 individually. [0283] In some aspects, the microcontroller 2015 can be configured to determine a difference between one or more properties of the susceptor(s) 2042 (e.g., estimated temperature) and a setpoint property (e.g., setpoint or target temperature for that susceptor 2024 or region), determine a target duty cycle based on the determined difference, such as by use of a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) loop or controller, and/or apply the voltage to the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 based on the target duty cycle. [0284] In various implementations, the vaporizer body 2010 can include a memory configured to store data related to operation of the vaporizer circuitry 2000. The memory can be similar to the memory 108 of FIGs. 1A-1C. In some aspects, the memory can store first electrical properties of the one or more inductors, such as in the form of a lookup table or best fit line, second electrical properties of the one or more inductors, any of the other electrical properties of the one or more inductors, offsets, thresholds, setpoints, and/or the like described herein. The electrical properties of the one or more inductors can be stored and/or updated in memory as they are determined. The memory can be further configured to store a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the one or more susceptors 2042.
[0285] In implementations where more than one inductor 2080, 2085 is present, power applied (e.g., applied duty cycle) to each inductor 2080, 2085 can be the same or different, and/or each inductor 2080, 2085 can be powered at the same time or controlled such that only one inductor is powered at a time. [0286] The inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be implemented in the same or similar manner to any of the driving circuitry 143 of FIGs.1A-1B or inductors 443, 543, 943 of FIGs. 4, 5A-D, and 9A-E. In some aspects, the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be implemented as inductive heating coils. Although two inductors 2080, 2085 are illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that the systems and methods described herein can be implemented with only one inductor or more than two inductors. As described herein, the number of inductors implemented can impact the precision of control provided when heating vaporizable material. [0287] Microcontroller 2015 can be configured to calculate or estimate properties of one or more components of the vaporizer device, such as inductances, resistances, impedances, temperatures, and/or the like of the susceptor(s) 2042 and/or inductor(s) 2080, 2085. For example, power control circuit 2030 and/or microcontroller 2015 can receive resonant signal information via resonant circuit 2090 and determine or estimate electrical properties (e.g., resistances or inductances) for any of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 electrically coupled to the power control circuit 2030. Microcontroller 2015 can modify the power applied to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 as described herein based at least in part on the determined electrical properties. For example, microcontroller 2015 can be configured to provide a PWM signal (illustrated as PWM0 and PWM1 interfaces in each of the microcontroller 2015 and power control circuit 2030) to indicate the PWM to be applied to each inductors 2080, 2085 (respectively illustrated as Coil 0 and Coil 1) based on the measured electrical properties to adjust or maintain a temperature of the susceptor(s) 2042, when an inductor 2080, 2085 is inductively coupled in an assembly with the susceptor(s) 2042. “Inductively coupled” can refer to an arrangement of an inductor (e.g., inductor(s) 2080 or 2085) with a susceptor (e.g., susceptor(s) 2042) where the inductor(s), when driven, can generate a magnetic field that induces a current (e.g., an eddy current) that can cause the susceptor to heat based on the susceptor’s temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR). Power control circuit 2030 can be configured to control the power provided to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 to heat the susceptor(s) 2042 according to a PWM signal generated based on instructions provided by microcontroller 2015. [0288] Resonant circuit 2090 can be used to measure a resistance and/or an inductance of each of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085, such as when the cartridge 2020 is present in an assembly
with an inductor(s) 2080 or 2085 (e.g., inserted into a receptacle as described herein) and when the cartridge 2020 is not present (e.g., not inserted). The resonant circuit 2090 can be configured to generate a resonant signal, such as during a portion of a PWM duty cycle when heating power is not being provided to induce heating in the susceptor(s) 2042 (referred to herein at times as power delivery), as described herein. Using a communication protocol such as inter-integrated circuit (I2C), the resonant circuit 2090 can convey signals representative of the properties of the resonant signal to microcontroller 2015 for processing. [0289] In some aspects, the microcontroller 2015 and/or power control circuit 2030 can be configured to detect whether the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors 2042, such as based on detecting an impedance change, inductance change, and/or resistance change at the inductor(s) 2080, 2085, and/or apply a resonant signal to the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 based thereon. [0290] In some implementations, the vaporizer circuitry 2000 can provide bridge voltage Vbridge to power the resonant circuit 2090. The resonant circuit 2090 can be powered, for example, by one or more half bridge, full bridge, or other type of power converter using one or more field effect transistors (FETs). A half bridge converter can include two FETs alternately switched ON or OFF to change voltage provided by a power supply. A full bridge converter can include four switching elements, of which a pair is switched on at a time, to change voltage provided by a power supply. As illustrated, the resonant circuit 2090 can include two half bridge circuits forming a full bridge circuit. [0291] The microcontroller 2015 can provide the PWM signal to gates of field effect transistors (FETs) incorporated within the half bridge power supply, via one or more gate drivers (e.g., gate drivers 2095), to instruct the resonant circuit 2090 when to deliver power to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 to generate an electromagnetic field and/or generate the resonant signal. The clock used to synchronize actions of the components of the vaporizer circuitry 2000, including the microcontroller 2015 and resonant circuit 2090, can be generated from the microcontroller 2015 or a separate clock, such as from a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO). [0292] The resonant circuit 2090 can comprise, for a first inductor(s) 2080, one or more switches 2040 and/or a second capacitor tank 2050. Additionally, the resonant circuit 2090 can comprise, for a second inductor(s) 2085, a separate set of one or more switches 2045 and/or a second capacitor tank 2055. Although two inductor(s) 2080, 2085 are illustrated and described, more or less inductor(s) 2080, 2085 and associated circuitry can be provided. In some implementations, measurement of electrical properties of a first inductor 2080 can
comprise coupling capacitor tank 2050 and powering the resonant circuit 2090 by connecting (e.g., closing) at least a portion of the one or more switches 2040. When present, measurement of electrical properties of a second inductor 2085 can comprise coupling capacitor tank 2055 and powering the resonant circuit 2090 by connecting (e.g., closing) at least a portion of the one or more switches 2045. The one or more switches 2040, 2045 corresponding to an inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be turned on or off using one or more high voltage floating output (HVFO) 2060. Each inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be in physical and/or thermal contact with a respective temperature sensor 2065, 2067 configured to detect a temperature of the respective one of each of the one or more inductors 2080, 2085, such as a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) element (e.g., a thermistor). The power control circuit 2030 can measure the signal across the NTC. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 2075 electrically coupled to each temperature sensor 2065, 2067 can digitize one or more properties of the signal measured by the temperature sensor(s) 2065, 2067. In some aspects, the power control circuit 2030 can provide the properties to microcontroller 2015, which can utilize an estimated temperature of each inductor(s) 2080, 2085 to estimate a temperature of the susceptor(s) 2042 respectively inductively coupled to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 as described herein. [0293] A ground side current sense amplifier (GCSA) 2070 can be used to determine an amount of current being driven through the power control circuit 2030 and resonant circuit 2090, given that the bridge voltage and PWM voltage are known. In some implementations, an amplifier 2070 can be coupled to a small resistor and can serve to amplify a small signal produced by this connection. When heating of the susceptor(s) 2042 is occurring, a small amount of amplification can occur. However, when the system is in steady state, a large amount of amplification can occur. [0294] Power for the components of vaporizer circuitry 2000 can be sourced via a connection standard such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) (e.g., Type A, Type B, Type C, mini- Type A, mini-Type B, micro-Type A, or micro-Type B), FireWire, other serial-type connectors, or other power connectors (e.g., coaxial cables). Power supplied by a power source can be provided, via the power connection, for energy storage (e.g., in a battery of a battery pack). Vaporizer circuitry 2000 components can communicate using protocols such as I2C. [0295] FIG.10 schematically illustrates a combined equivalent circuit 1650 used to derive properties of a susceptor (e.g., susceptor(s) 2042), in accordance with some implementations. The combined equivalent circuit 1650 represents a resistance 1660 (R(x)) and an inductance 1670 (L(x)) of an assembly including an inductive coupled inductor and susceptor (e.g., when susceptor(s) 2042 are in proximity to inductor(s) 2080, 2085, such as being inserted into or
otherwise disposed within a receptacle of a vaporizer device). Susceptor equivalent circuit 1630 can be represented by a susceptor resistance 1640 (R2) and a susceptor inductance 1680 (L2). Inductor equivalent circuit 1610 can be represented by an inductor resistance 1620 (R1) and an inductor inductance 1690 (L1). The relationship of the resistance and inductance of the equivalent circuits can be expressed as: R^x^ − ^1 R2 L^x^ − ^1 = L2 [0296] Due to this defined relationship, the unknown properties of susceptor(s) can be resolved based on determining or estimating the more immediately measurable electrical properties of the inductor(s) and the assembly (inductor and susceptor inductively coupled). Various systems and methods are provided herein to calculate the inductance, resistance, and/or impedance of the inductor and susceptor assembly. For example, some implementations can use an auto-balancing bridge to use phase and magnitude determinations to derive the resistance and impedance. In some implementations, values of the impedance and resistance may be calculated using Ohm’s Law. [0297] When inductor(s) and susceptor(s) are inductively coupled, the inductor(s) (with L1, R1) can generate a magnetic field that induces a current in the susceptor(s) (with L2, R2). This induced current in the susceptor(s) (with L2, R2) can interact with the magnetic field generated from the inductor(s) (with L1, R1). This can reduce the net flux through the inductor(s), causing the inductor(s) to draw more power, reducing the impedance of the combined susceptor-coil system (with L, R). [0298] In some aspects, it may not be practical to determine the inductance and/or resistance of a susceptor 2042. However, the temperature of the susceptor(s) 2042 can be more important to determine, such as in the case of PID control based on a target temperature for the susceptor(s) 2042. Determining the temperature of the susceptor(s) 2042 can include a variety of steps. In some aspects, the system determines a baseline relationship between the inductance, resistance, and/or temperature of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085. This may be performed, for example, by providing a plurality of resonant signals to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 at different temperatures, without the susceptor(s) 2042 present (e.g., when not inductively coupled to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085), and then using the plurality of resonant signals to determine relationships between inductance and/or resistance of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 temperature of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085.
[0299] To raise the temperature of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085, a susceptor 2042 or other resistive load can be inductively coupled to the inductor(s) 2080, 2085, and the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be powered to heat up the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 to a specific temperature as determined by a corresponding temperature sensor 2065, 2067, for a specific duration of time, and/or based on a specified voltage. Thereafter, the susceptor 2042 or resistive load can be removed from its inductive coupling with the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 and properties of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be measured or estimated and/or recorded. For example, the resistance of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 across a range of decreasing temperatures and/or the inductance of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 across a range of decreasing temperatures than be estimated and/or recorded, such as in the form of reference inductances and/or reference resistances mapped to corresponding reference temperatures. In some aspects, the inductance, resistance, and/or temperature of the inductors(s) 2080, 2085 can be stored in a lookup table (e.g., as part of a set of first electrical properties). In some aspects, a linear or non-linear relationship between inductance and temperature and/or resistance and temperature can be determined and recorded (e.g., as a best fit line for calculating a set of first electrical properties). In some aspects, the temperature of the inductor(s) 2080, 2085 can be raised to a specific temperature without the presence of the susceptor 2042 or resistive load. [0300] In operation, a susceptor 2042 can be coupled to the vaporizer device to form an assembly, and the resonant circuit 2090 can be used to determine a baseline relationship between the inductance, resistance, and temperature of the assembly at the current temperature of the inductor(s). The assembly relationship can be corrected using the baseline relationship determined without the susceptor present, to account for inductance, resistance, and temperature changes experienced when the susceptor is present/coupled. The baseline relationship can be regarded as an ambient temperature relationship (e.g., the electrical properties of the assembly at approximately 200C). [0301] In some implementations, the baseline relationship can be determined using a series of data (e.g., look-up table) and/or functional representation (e.g., best fit line) based on the measurements taken at different temperatures of the inductor(s). Accordingly, the correction can include obtaining an expected inductance and/or resistance of the inductor(s) based on the current temperature of the inductor(s) (e.g., based on a measurement taken from a temperature sensor in thermal contact with the inductor(s)). Since inductance of the inductor(s) may not be changed in a meaningful manner when inductively coupled to a susceptor, the series of data and/or functional representation can be based on prior measured resistances and temperatures of the inductor(s) when not inductively coupled to a susceptor. During operation, when the
inductor(s) is inductively coupled to the susceptor, a temperature measurement of a particular inductor(s) can be measured and used as an input to obtain an estimated baseline resistance of the inductor(s) (e.g., R1) at the current temperature. [0302] In some implementations, the baseline relationship can be updated based error check operation. The error check operations can include detecting whether the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors 2042 and applying a resonant signal to the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 when the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 are detected to not be inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors 2042 and at least one other condition is met. Based on the error check resonant signal, offset electrical properties of the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 (e.g., inductance and resistance) can be determined and applied to update the baseline relationship. The at least one other condition can include a period of time passing since the power delivery to the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 (e.g., greater than 5 minutes, greater than 10 minutes, greater than 20 minutes, and/or the like) and/or a temperature of the one or more inductors 2080, 2085 being at or below a temperature threshold (e.g., ambient, approximately 30℃, approximately 25℃, approximately 22℃, approximately 20℃, and/or the like). [0303] A quality factor (Q factor) measurement function can enable accurate inductance and resistance measurements associated with the inductively coupled susceptor and inductor(s). The Q factor can be used, for example, to indicate a change in resistance and inductance when the susceptor is thermally contacted to the inductor(s). [0304] The resonant circuit (e.g., resonant circuit 1700 of FIG. 11) can comprise one or more capacitors (e.g., arranged in a capacitor tank such as capacitor tank 2050 or 2055) that generates a resonant signal when coupled to an inductor (e.g., based on inductance and/or resistance). A resonant signal can be characterized by a decay (e.g., a “ring down”) or a rise (e.g., a “ring up”). To operate the resonant circuit, at least one capacitor (e.g., of an inductor- capacitor (LC) bank) of the resonant circuit can be pre-charged to a configurable voltage. The at least one capacitor can then be discharged, creating an oscillation voltage waveform with a decaying amplitude signal from which the Q factor can be derived. [0305] The resonant circuit (e.g., resonant circuit 1700) can be modeled as an inductor- resistor-capacitor (LRC) circuit. The inductance of the inductor(s) and the imaginary part of the reflected impedance from the susceptor-coil combination can be represented by the inductance L in the network. The resistance of the coil-inductor combination and the real part of the reflected impedance can be represented by the resistance R. The resonant capacitor (e.g., of the LC tank) can be represented by the capacitance C.
[0306] The capacitor C can be pre-charged to a voltage and then discharged by the LRC circuit. The voltage between L and C (LC node) can be expressed as ^ ^^^ ^^ = ^^^ ^^^^ω^^ + ϕ^ ^ [0307] Where ^^ is the initial voltage; α is an attenuation factor which is equal to ^^; ω^ is the damped resonance angular frequency which is approximately equal to ω^ (the angular ^ resonance frequency equal to √^^; ϕ is the initial phase. The LC voltage waveform can be decomposed as two parts (a decay an exponential decay measure), and a resonance):
1) Natural decayed envelope which can be expressed as ^^^^^^ 2) Resonance which can be expressed as sin^ω^^ + ϕ^ [0308] The LC voltage waveform can therefore include a plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal corresponding to a plurality of time points over a duration (e.g., voltage peaks). The duration can be a portion of a period of the resonant signal. An energy change value can be determined, based at least in part on the plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal. The energy change value can be a quality factor (e.g., a Q factor). The Q factor may be inversely proportional to the exponential decay measure. ^$% = ^^^ ^^^ [0309] This exponential function can be rewritten as: &^ ^$% = &^ ^^ − α^ [0310] The factor α is the slope of a linear function, which is the required information, and &^ ^^ is of the offset of the function, which is not needed and can be dumped. [0311] The hardware can be used to sample two points and then calculate the slope: α = & ^ ^$%^ − & ^ ^$%^ where,
ln ^$%^ = &^ ^^ − α^^ and where, &^ ^$%^ = &^ ^^ − α^^ [0312] Due to the variation and noise during the sampling, some error can be introduced if only two points are used. To average out the sampling noise, multiple points can be sampled to calculate multiple α values and the final α value is based on the average value. For example, two, three, four, or more points are identified and/or stored. With the attenuation factor α, the Q factor can be calculated.
[0313] From the envelope of the waveform, the attenuation factor α can be calculated and the Q factor value can be equal to: ) = 2π+^ π+ = ^ α [0314] The frequency (f) can be a plurality of voltage zero-crossings
of the resonant signal over time. [0315] The second part of the impulse waveform, which is the resonance, provides the information of the resonance frequency. The inductor inductance and resistance parameters can be obtained by the natural decayed envelope waveform and the resonance waveform using the impulse measurement method. The initial phase is not used. Since the primary resonant capacitance is a known value, the inductance (including the reflected inductance) can be derived. ^ = 1 2πf ^ ∗ . [0316] With Q and L, the resistance
calculated: ^ = 2π+^ [0317] With the impulse Q factor
all three parameters (Q, L, and R) of the inductor(s) can be obtained. [0318] In some aspects, the dampening of the assembly caused by the presence of the susceptor can have an adverse impact on the accuracy of the frequency measurements (f). Namely, this impact can manifest as an offset to the timing of the voltage zero-crossings. Accordingly, in some implementations, an additional offset can be calculated to more accurately determine the frequency measurements (f). In some aspects, a clock offset for the resonant signal can be determined via applying an unclamped resonant signal to the one or more inductors when the one or more inductors are not inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors and measuring a plurality of unclamped voltage peaks from the unclamped resonant signal. In operation, a plurality of clamped voltage peaks from the resonant signal can be measured, and the clock offset can be determined based on the difference between the plurality of unclamped voltage peaks and the plurality of clamped voltage peaks. In some aspects, the plurality of clamped voltage peaks and/or the plurality of clamped voltage peaks are each measured over a plurality of sequential resonant signals. The clock offset can then be applied to the measured frequency to determine an adjusted frequency for Q factor calculations.
[0319] After the resonant signal is applied to determine the inductances and resistances of both the susceptor-coil assembly and the inductor(s) without the susceptor present, the measurement can need to be corrected to account for changes in temperature after the susceptor is present. While the susceptor is present, the system can take a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) measurement to get the resistance of the inductor(s). This can be obtained from a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor in intimate contact with the inductor(s). With the temperature at which the baseline measurement was taken (Ta) known, the temperature upon which the TCR relationship is based (/^, which can be 20℃, 25℃, 30℃, and/or the like), the corrected temperature of the system can be determined from: ^0^1^2^^ − ^^^/%^ = ^ − ^345$67%$ ^^/%^ − ^0^1^2^^ /^ where,
^2^^9 8:;7$%^ 345$67%$ = 1 + − ∗
and where, ^0^/4^ − ^^^/4^ ^2^^98:;7$%^ = −
[0320] The inductance and resistance of the system may be determined from the functional representation (e.g., best fit line) as previously described, such as by referencing the measured temperature (/%) of the inductor and obtaining inductance values (^^ ^/% ^) and/or resistance values (^^^/%^) from a memory. For a baseline temperature T0, an inductance and/or resistance may be interpolated using the best fit line, if a measurement of inductance and/or resistance at the baseline temperature is not available. [0321] FIG.11 schematically illustrates a resonant circuit 1700 to produce a resonant signal for determining or estimating an inductance and resistance of a susceptor coupled to an inductor(s) (e.g., in a combination forming the combined equivalent circuit 1650 of FIG. 10), in accordance with some implementations. As illustrated, the resonant circuit 1700 comprises a pre-charging element 1750, a first switch 1760, a second switch 1770, a capacitor 1710, and an inductor 1720. The first switch 1760 can include an upper gate 1745 and a lower gate 1740, and/or the second switch 1770 can include an upper gate 1735 and a lower gate 1730. The pre- charging element 1750 can be a power source, such as a battery or a digital-to-analog (DAC)
signal. The pre-charging element 1750 can be configured to charge the capacitor 1710. When the capacitor 1710 is charged, the pre-charging element 1750 can be disconnected. This can cause the capacitor 1710 to discharge, interacting with inductor 1720 to produce the resonant signal. In some aspects, the capacitor 1710 energy can be drained first, leaving both lower gate 1730, 1740 high. The pre-charging element 1750 can be connected to the circuit when upper gate 1745 and lower gate 1740 of the first switch 1750 are open, the upper gate 1735 of the second switch 1770 is open, and/or the lower gate 1730 of the second switch 1770 is closed. To generate the resonant signal within the resonant circuit 1700, the upper gates 1735, 1745 of both switches 1760, 1770 can be open, and the lower gates 1730, 1740 of both switches 1760, 1770 can be closed, with the pre-charging element 1750 disconnected, causing the capacitor 1710 to discharge. In other implementations, more or fewer switches may be used to connect and disconnect pre-charging element 1750. For example, connecting and discharging the pre- charging element may be implemented using one switch (e.g., a field effect transistor (FET)- based switch). [0322] Additionally or alternatively, the resonant circuit 1700 can be configured to charge the capacitor 1710 through an applied power voltage (VBridge). For example, while the inductor 1720 is being powered to heat a susceptor, the applied power voltage can pass through the capacitor 1710 and charge the capacitor. In various implementations, power can be provided to the inductor 1720 and/or the capacitor can be charged based on operating the resonant circuit 1700 across two half steps. When power is applied to the inductor 1720 in a first step of the two half steps, the upper gate 1745 of the first switch 1760 can be closed and the lower gate 1730 of the second switch 1770 can be closed, whereas the lower gate 1740 of the first switch 1760 can be open and the upper gate 1735 of the second switch 1770 can be open. When power is applied to the inductor 1720 in a second step of the two half steps, the upper gate 1745 of the first switch 1760 can be open and the lower gate 1730 of the second switch 1770 can be open, whereas the lower gate 1740 of the first switch 1760 can be closed and the upper gate 1735 of the second switch 1770 can be closed. [0323] When the capacitor 1710 is charged, the upper gates 1735, 1745 of each of the switch 1760, 1770 can be open and the lower gates 1730, 1740 of each switch 1760, 1770 can be closed to discharge the stored voltage from the capacitor 1710. In such implementations, the pre-charging element 1750 can be disconnected or not present. [0324] FIG.12 schematically illustrates an equivalent resonant circuit 1800 of an example resonant circuit 1700, 2090, in accordance with some implementations. The equivalent resonant circuit 1800 comprises a capacitor 1830, an inductor 1810, and a resistor 1820. The
inductor 1810 and resistor 1820 represent an equivalent inductance and a resistance of an inductor, such as the inductors 2080, 2085 of FIG. 14 or the inductor 1720 of FIG. 11. The equivalent resonant circuit 1800 can represent the resonant circuit 1700 with the pre-charging element (e.g., the pre-charging element 1750) disconnected from the resonant circuit 1700 and the capacitor 1830 charged (either via the pre-charging element or the applied power voltage), causing the capacitor 1830 to discharge, generating a current. The inductor 1810 can resist this change in current, generating a resonant signal. The resistor 1820 can dampen this resonant signal, causing it to decay. In some cases, the decay can be an exponential decay. [0325] FIG. 13 illustrates a resonant signal 1900 generated by a resonant circuit 1700, 1800, 2090 when the capacitor (e.g., capacitor 1710 of FIG. 11, capacitor 1830 of FIG. 12, capacitors tanks 2050, 2055 of FIG.14, and/or the like) is discharged, in accordance with some implementations. The signal 1910 oscillates sinusoidally with period 1920. The envelope 1940 is characterized by an exponential decay. Due to noise, a number of zero crossings associated with decay time 1930 are collected to determine the Q factor that is used to calculate the resistance R(x) 1660 and inductance L(x) 1670. [0326] In some implementations, a resonant circuit comprising a voltage source is consistently applied to generate the resonant signal. Instead of decaying as in the resonant circuit 1700, the applied voltage source may produce a signal that resonates and does not decay exponentially. For example, the resonant signal may not decay at all, or may decay more slowly, or may even increase in amplitude (“ring up”). The input voltage and/or power required to maintain the signal (e.g., keep the signal resonating at a particular amplitude) may be measured and used to determine a value used to calculate the inductance and resistance (e.g., the quality factor Q). Although individual resonant signals are described at times, a number of resonant signals can be provided, and their properties (e.g., decay and frequency) and/or derivatives (e.g., inductance and resistance) can be averaged. [0327] FIG. 15 illustrates a process flow diagram 2100 showing a method of operating a vaporizer device, in accordance with some implementations. The method can determine a temperature of a susceptor incorporated into a cartridge connected to a vaporizer body. The temperature can be used to generate, modify, or update heating instructions provided by a controller of the vaporizer device. The vaporizer device can include the cartridge and the vaporizer body. As described herein, a coupling of the cartridge and vaporizer body is referred to as an “assembly.” The controller can be part of the vaporizer body. [0328] A first operation 2110 comprises determining first electrical properties associated with an inductor(s). The inductor(s) can be part of the vaporizer body and/or configured to
heat the susceptor. The first electrical properties can comprise an impedance of the inductor(s). The first electrical properties can comprise an inductance and/or a resistance of the inductor(s). [0329] A second operation 2120 comprises detecting an assembly comprising the inductor(s) inductively coupled to the susceptor. Detecting the assembly can comprise detecting whether the susceptor and inductor(s) are inductively coupled. The cartridge can be insertably coupled to the vaporizer body. The susceptor can comprise or consist of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, invar, and/or the like. An inductance of the susceptor can remain unchanged as temperature changes. [0330] A third operation 2130 comprises applying a resonant signal to the assembly. Applying the resonant signal to the assembly can comprise electrically coupling a resonant circuit to the assembly. The resonant circuit can comprise a capacitor. Applying the resonant signal can further comprise charging the capacitor and generating the resonant signal by discharging the capacitor. [0331] A fourth operation 2140 comprises determining second electrical properties associated with the assembly, based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal. The second electrical properties can comprise an inductance and a resistance of the assembly. Determining the second electrical properties can comprise determining, over a duration, a plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal corresponding to a plurality of time points of the duration, and/or determining a quality factor, based at least in part on the plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal. The duration can be a portion of the period of the resonant signal. An amplitude of the resonant signal can decay over time. The delay can be an exponential decay. Determining second electrical properties can further comprise determining an exponential decay measure of the decay from the plurality of amplitude measurements. The quality factor can be inversely proportional to the exponential decay measure. [0332] A fifth operation 2145 comprises determining one or more properties associated with the susceptor. The one or more properties can be based at least in part on the first electrical properties and the second electrical properties. The one or more properties can comprise a temperature of the susceptor. [0333] A sixth operation 2150 comprises generating heating instructions based at least in part on the one or more properties. Generating the heating instructions can comprise determining a difference between the determined temperature and a target temperature and a duty cycle for powering the inductor based on the determined difference.
[0334] A seventh operation 2160 comprises modifying an inductive heating process configured to cause the susceptor to heat a vaporizable material to produce an inhalable aerosol. The modifying can include applying the determined duty cycle to power the inductor. The inductive heating process can comprise generating eddy currents in the susceptor of the cartridge. The inductive heating process can comprise pulse-width modulation (PWM) heating. Modifying the inductive heating process can include modifying a duty cycle of the PWM heating. [0335] In some implementations, the vaporizer device can comprise a plurality of inductors. The described sequence of operations can be applied for each of the plurality of inductors. The target temperatures for each susceptor or each portion of a susceptor can be different. Terminology [0336] It will be appreciated that the terms “proximal” and “distal” are used herein to refer to relative locations of the referenced devices and/or components. Although “proximal” is generally used to refer to a location that is at or near a user when the device and/or component is in use, and “distal” is generally used to refer to a location that is away from a user when the device and/or component is in use, these terms are not intended to be absolute. For example, a “proximal” end and/or a “distal” end of a component need not be the absolute furthest points on the referenced ends, and can instead refer to a general region at or near the referenced end. Further, opposing “proximal” ends and “distal” ends of a component need not be completely and/or perfectly opposite each other, as the shapes of each end can differ and/or the component may not be perfectly linear (e.g., one or more longitudinal dimensions of the component can be of different lengths). [0337] When a feature or element is herein referred to as being “on” another feature or element, it can be directly on the other feature or element or intervening features and/or elements can also be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being “directly on” another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements present. It will also be understood that, when a feature or element is referred to as being “connected”, “attached” or “coupled” to another feature or element, it can be directly connected, attached or coupled to the other feature or element or intervening features or elements can be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being “directly connected”, “directly attached” or “directly coupled” to another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements present.
[0338] Although described or shown with respect to one implementation, the features and elements so described or shown can apply to other implementations. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature can have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature. [0339] Terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations and implementations only and is not intended to be limiting. For example, as used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items and can be abbreviated as “/”. [0340] In the descriptions above and in the claims, phrases such as “at least one of” or “one or more of” can occur followed by a conjunctive list of elements or features. The term “and/or” can also occur in a list of two or more elements or features. Unless otherwise implicitly or explicitly contradicted by the context in which it used, such a phrase is intended to mean any of the listed elements or features individually or any of the recited elements or features in combination with any of the other recited elements or features. For example, the phrases “at least one of A and B;” “one or more of A and B;” and “A and/or B” are each intended to mean “A alone, B alone, or A and B together.” A similar interpretation is also intended for lists including 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 each 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.” Use of the term “based on,” above and in the claims is intended to mean, “based at least in part on,” such that an unrecited feature or element is also permissible. [0341] Spatially relative terms, such as “forward”, “rearward”, “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper” and the like, can be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature’s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if a device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both an orientation of over and under. The device can
be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Similarly, the terms “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “vertical”, “horizontal” and the like are used herein for the purpose of explanation only unless specifically indicated otherwise. [0342] Although the terms “first” and “second” can be used herein to describe various features/elements (including steps), these features/elements should not be limited by these terms, unless the context indicates otherwise. These terms can be used to distinguish one feature/element from another feature/element. Thus, a first feature/element discussed below could be termed a second feature/element, and similarly, a second feature/element discussed below could be termed a first feature/element without departing from the teachings provided herein. [0343] As used herein in the specification and claims, including as used in the examples and unless otherwise expressly specified, all numbers can be read as if prefaced by the word “about” or “approximately,” even if the term does not expressly appear. The phrase “about” or “approximately” can be used when describing magnitude and/or position to indicate that the value and/or position described is within a reasonable expected range of values and/or positions. For example, a numeric value can 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), etc. Any numerical values given herein should also be understood to include about or approximately that value, unless the context indicates otherwise. For example, if the value “10” is disclosed, then “about 10” is also disclosed. Any numerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges subsumed therein. It is also understood that when a value is disclosed that “less than or equal to” the value, “greater than or equal to the value” and possible ranges between values are also disclosed, as appropriately understood by the skilled artisan. For example, if the value “X” is disclosed the “less than or equal to X” as well as “greater than or equal to X” (e.g., where X is a numerical value) is also disclosed. It is also understood that throughout the application, data is provided in a number of different formats, and that this data, represents endpoints and starting points, and ranges for any combination of the data points. For example, if a particular data point “10” and a particular data point “15” are disclosed, it is understood that greater than, greater than or equal to, less than, less than or equal to, and equal to 10 and 15 are considered disclosed as well as between 10 and 15. It is also understood that each unit between two particular units are also disclosed. For example, if 10 and 15 are disclosed, then 11, 12, 13, and 14 are also disclosed.
[0344] Although various illustrative implementations are described above, any of a number of changes can be made to various implementations without departing from the teachings herein. For example, the order in which various described method steps are performed can often be changed in alternative implementations, and in other alternative implementations one or more method steps can be skipped altogether. Optional features of various device and system implementations can be included in some implementations and not in others. Therefore, the foregoing description is provided primarily for exemplary purposes and should not be interpreted to limit the scope of the claims. [0345] One or more aspects or features of the subject matter described herein can be realized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry, specially designed application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinations thereof. These various aspects or features can include implementation in one or more computer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which can be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. The programmable system or computing system can include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other. [0346] These computer programs, which can also be referred to programs, software, software applications, applications, components, or code, include machine instructions for a programmable processor, and can be implemented in a high-level procedural language, an object-oriented programming language, a functional programming language, a logical programming language, and/or in assembly/machine language. As used herein, the term “machine-readable medium” refers to any computer program product, apparatus and/or device, such as for example magnetic discs, optical disks, memory, and Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine- readable signal. The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor. The machine-readable medium can store such machine instructions non-transitorily, such as for example as would a non- transient solid-state memory or a magnetic hard drive or any equivalent storage medium. The
machine-readable medium can alternatively or additionally store such machine instructions in a transient manner, such as for example, as would a processor cache or other random access memory associated with one or more physical processor cores. [0347] The examples and illustrations included herein show, by way of illustration and not of limitation, specific implementations in which the subject matter can be practiced. As mentioned, other implementations can be utilized and derived there from, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Such implementations of the inventive subject matter can be referred to herein individually or collectively by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept, if more than one is, in fact, disclosed. Thus, although specific implementations have been illustrated and described herein, any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose can be substituted for the specific implementations shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various implementations. Combinations of the above implementations, and other implementations not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.
Claims
CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. A vaporizer device for generating an inhalable aerosol, the vaporizer device comprising: one or more inductors configured to generate an electromagnetic field to heat one or more susceptors; memory configured to store first electrical properties of the one or more inductors; and a controller configured to: control power delivery to the one or more inductors; apply a resonant signal to the one or more inductors; determine, based on the resonant signal, second electrical properties of the one or more inductors; estimate, based on the first electrical properties and the second electrical properties, one or more properties of the one or more susceptors; and adjust, based on the estimated one or more properties of the one or more susceptors, the power delivery to the one or more inductors.
2. The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors comprises a temperature of the one or more susceptor.
3. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the electromagnetic field is generated to induce eddy currents in the one or more susceptors, and wherein the induced eddy currents generate heat in the one or more susceptors based on a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the one or more susceptors.
4. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the memory is further configured to store a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the one or more susceptors, and wherein the estimation of the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors is further based on the temperature coefficient of resistance.
5. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein control of the power delivery to the one or more inductors comprises controlling a duty cycle of a voltage applied to the one or more inductors.
6. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein adjusting the power delivery to the one or more inductors comprises changing a duty cycle of a voltage applied to the one or more inductors.
7. The vaporizer device of claim 6, wherein changing the duty cycle of the voltage applied to the one or more inductors comprises: determining a difference between the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors and a setpoint property; determining a target duty cycle based on the determined difference; and applying the voltage to the one or more inductors based on the target duty cycle.
8. The vaporizer device of claim 7, wherein the setpoint property comprises a setpoint temperature for the one or more susceptors.
9. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first electrical properties comprise a corresponding reference inductance and reference resistance of the one or more inductors at a reference temperature of the one or more inductors.
10. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first electrical properties comprise a plurality of corresponding reference inductances and reference resistances of the one or more inductors mapped to a plurality of reference temperatures of the one or more inductors.
11. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first electrical properties comprise: a linear or non-linear relationship of reference inductance of the one or more inductors to reference temperature of the one or more inductors; and a linear or non-linear relationship of reference resistance of the one or more inductors to reference temperature of the one or more inductors.
12. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the controller is further configured to: apply a plurality of resonant signals to the one or more inductors; determine, based on the plurality of resonant signals, the first electrical properties of the one or more inductors; and store the first electrical properties of the one or more inductors in the memory.
13. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first electrical properties of the one or more inductors are determined and stored during manufacture or calibration of the vaporizer device.
14. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first electrical properties are indicative of reference properties of the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are not inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors.
15. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the controller is further configured to: detect whether the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors; apply an error check resonant signal to the one or more inductors, wherein the error check resonant signal is applied to the one or more inductors when the one or more inductors are detected to not be inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors and at least one other condition is met; and determine, based on the error check resonant signal, offset electrical properties of the one or more inductors.
16. The vaporizer device of claim 15, wherein the at least one other condition comprises a period of time passing since the power delivery to the one or more inductors and/or a temperature of the one or more inductors being at or below a temperature threshold.
17. The vaporizer device of claim 16, wherein the period of time is greater than 5 minutes, greater than 10 minutes, or greater than 20 minutes.
18. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 16 to 17, wherein the temperature threshold is approximately 30℃, approximately 25℃, approximately 22℃, or approximately 20℃.
19. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the controller is further configured to: determine one or more differences between the stored first electrical properties and the offset electrical properties; and update the first electrical properties stored in memory based on the one or more difference.
20. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the second electrical properties comprise a heated inductance and a heated resistance of the one or more inductors.
21. The vaporizer device of claim 20, wherein the resonant signal is applied to the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors.
22. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the second electrical properties are indicative of heated assembly properties of the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are above an ambient temperature and inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors.
23. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the controller is further configured to: apply a third resonant signal to the one or more inductors; and determine, based on the third resonant signal, third electrical properties of the one or more inductors, wherein the third resonant signal is applied to the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors.
24. The vaporizer device of claim 23, wherein the third electrical properties comprise an initial inductance and an initial resistance of the one or more inductors.
25. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 23 to 24, wherein the third electrical properties are indicative of initial assembly properties of the one or more inductors while the one or more inductors are approximately at an ambient temperature and inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors.
26. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the controller is further configured to: detect whether the one or more inductors are inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors, wherein the third resonant signal is applied to the one or more inductors when the one or more inductors are detected to be inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors and/or the one or more inductors are approximately at an ambient temperature.
27. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein the resonant signal decays over time.
28. The vaporizer device of claim 27, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a decay of the resonant signal over time.
29. The vaporizer device of claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the decay based on a plurality of voltage peak measurements of the resonant signal.
30. The vaporizer device of claim 29, wherein determining the decay based on a plurality of voltage peak measurements comprises determining a slope of a curve across the voltage peak measurements.
31. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 28 to 30, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a frequency of the resonant signal.
32. The vaporizer device of claim 31, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the frequency of the resonant signal based on a number of voltage zero-crossings over a determined period of time.
33. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 31 to 32, wherein the second electrical properties of the one or more inductors are determined based on the decay and the frequency.
34. The vaporizer device of claim 33, wherein determining the second electrical properties based on the decay and the frequency comprises: calculating a quality factor based on the frequency divided by the envelope; estimating an inductance of the one or more inductors based on an inverse relationship of the quality factor; and estimating a resistance of the one or more inductors based on the inductance divided by the quality factor.
35. The vaporizer device of claim 34, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a temperature of the one or more inductors, wherein estimating the one or more properties of the one or more susceptors comprises:
calculating an inductive difference between the estimated inductance of the one or more inductors and an expected inductance of the one or more inductors at the determined temperature based on the first set of electrical properties; calculating a resistive difference between the estimated resistance of the one or more inductors and an expected resistance of the one or more inductors at the determined temperature based on the first set of electrical properties; calculating a proportion based on dividing the resistive difference by the inductive difference; calculating an offset based on subtracting a baseline ratio from the calculated proportion; calculating a temperature difference based dividing the offset by the baseline ratio and a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the one or more susceptors; and/or estimating a temperature of the one or more susceptors based on adding an ambient temperature value to the temperature difference.
36. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 35, wherein the controller is further configured to: determine a clock offset for the resonant signal, wherein the second electrical properties of the one or more inductors are determined based on the clock offset.
37. The vaporizer device of any claim 36, wherein determining the second electrical properties based on the clock offset comprises: measuring a frequency of the resonant signal; applying the clock offset to the measured frequency to determine an adjusted frequency; and determining the second electrical properties based on the adjusted frequency.
38. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 36 to 37, wherein determining the clock offset comprises: applying an unclamped resonant signal to the one or more inductors when the one or more inductors are not inductively coupled to the one or more susceptors; measuring a plurality of unclamped voltage peaks from the unclamped resonant signal; measuring a plurality of clamped voltage peaks from the resonant signal; and
calculating the clock offset based on the difference between the plurality of unclamped voltage peaks and the plurality of clamped voltage peaks.
39. The vaporizer device of claim 38, wherein the plurality of clamped voltage peaks and/or the plurality of clamped voltage peaks are each measured over a plurality of sequential resonant signals.
40. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 39, wherein the vaporizer device further comprises: a device body comprising the one or more inductors, the memory, and the controller; and a cartridge comprising the one or more susceptors and a vaporizable material, wherein the one or more susceptors are in thermal contact with the vaporizable material.
41. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 40, wherein the susceptor comprises aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or invar.
42. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 41, wherein the controller comprises power control circuit electrically coupled to the one or more inductors.
43. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 41, wherein the controller comprises a separate microcontroller and power control circuit, wherein the power control circuit comprises a chip electrically coupled to the processor and the one or more inductors.
44. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 41 to 42, wherein the power control circuit is electrically coupled to one or more temperature sensors in thermal and/or physical contact with a respective one of each of the one or more inductors.
45. The vaporizer device of claim 44, wherein each of the one or more temperature sensors are configured to detect a temperature of the respective one of each of the one or more inductors.
46. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 42 to 45, further comprising an electrical bridge electrically coupled to the one or more inductors, and wherein the power control circuit comprises at least one gate driver configured to control the electrical bridge.
47. The vaporizer device of claim 46, wherein the electrical bridge comprises two half bridge circuits forming a full bridge circuit, and wherein the at least one gate driver comprises two separate gate drivers configured to independently control each of the two half bridge circuits.
48. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 46 to 47, further comprising a plurality of electrical switches electrically coupled between the electrical bridge, the one or more inductors, and at least one ground.
49. The vaporizer device of claim 48, wherein the plurality of electrical switches are configured to selectively couple a voltage source across the electrical bridge to each of the one or more inductors.
50. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 45, further comprising a plurality of electrical switches electrically coupled between a voltage source, the one or more inductors, and at least one ground.
51. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 48 to 50, wherein each of the one or more inductors is electrically coupled between two of the electrical switches.
52. The vaporizer device of claim 51, further comprising one or more capacitors electrically coupled between the one or more inductors and a first of the two electrical switches.
53. The vaporizer device of claim 52, wherein the one or more capacitors are configured to be charged by the voltage source when the voltage source powers the one or more inductors.
54. The vaporizer device of claim 52, wherein the one or more capacitors are configured to be charged by a digital-to-analog converter when the voltage source is not powering the one or more inductors.
55. The vaporizer device of claim 52 to 54, wherein the capacitor is configured to provide a discharge voltage to the inductor when the voltage source is not powering the one or more inductors.
56. The vaporizer device of claim 55, wherein the discharge voltage provides the resonant signal.
57. The vaporizer device of claim 56, wherein the discharge voltage is provided when the voltage source is not powering the one or more inductors.
58. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 50 to 57, wherein each of the two electrical switches comprise an upper gate and a lower gate.
59. The vaporizer device of claim 59, wherein the upper gate of each of the two electrical switches is electrical coupled between the one or more inductors and the voltage source.
60. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 58 to 59, wherein the lower gate of each of the two electrical switches is electrical coupled between the one or more inductors and the at least one ground.
61. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 58 to 60, wherein applying the resonant signal to the one or more inductors comprises: opening the upper gate of each of the two electrical switches; closing the lower gate of each of the two electrical switches; and providing a discharge voltage to the one or more inductors.
62. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 1 to 61, wherein the one or more inductors comprise a first inductor and a second inductor.
63. The vaporizer device of claim 62, wherein the one or more susceptors comprise a single susceptor, wherein the first inductor is configured to generate a first electromagnetic field to heat a first region of the single susceptor, and wherein the second inductor is configured to generate a second electromagnetic field to heat a second region of the single susceptor.
64. The vaporizer device of claim 63, wherein the first region is downstream of the second region along an airflow path that extends though the single susceptor.
65. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 63 to 64, wherein the first electromagnetic field is generated to heat the first region to a first temperature, wherein the second electromagnetic field is generated to heat the second region to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.
66. The vaporizer device of claim 62, wherein the one or more susceptors comprise a first susceptor and a second susceptor, wherein the first inductor is configured to generate a first electromagnetic field to heat the first susceptor, and wherein the second inductor is configured to generate a second electromagnetic field to heat the second susceptor.
67. The vaporizer device of claim 66, wherein the first susceptor is downstream of the second susceptor along an airflow path that extends though the one or more susceptors.
68. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 66 to 67, wherein the first electromagnetic field is generated to heat the first susceptor to a first temperature, wherein the second electromagnetic field is generated to heat the second susceptor to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.
69. A method of generating an inhalable aerosol, the method comprising: controlling power delivery to one or more inductors configured to generate an electromagnetic field to heat one or more susceptors; applying a resonant signal to the one or more inductors; determining, based on the resonant signal, second electrical properties of the one or more inductors; estimating, based on first electrical properties of the one or more inductors stored in memory and the second electrical properties, one or more properties of the one or more susceptors; and adjusting, based on the estimated one or more properties of the one or more susceptors, the power delivery to the one or more inductors.
70. A method, comprising: determining first electrical properties associated with an inductor; applying a resonant signal to an assembly comprising the inductor and an inductively coupled susceptor; determining second electrical properties associated with the assembly, based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal; determining one or more properties associated with the susceptor, the one or more properties based at least in part on the first electrical properties and the second electrical properties; and
applying power to the inductor to heat the susceptor based on the one or more properties.
71. The method of claim 70, wherein applying power to the inductor to heat the susceptor based on the one or more properties comprises generating heating instructions based at least in part on the one or more properties; and modifying an inductive heating process configured to cause the susceptor to heat a vaporizable material to produce an inhalable aerosol.
72. The method of any one of claims 70 to 71, wherein determining the first electrical properties associated with the inductor comprises applying a resonant signal to the inductor, wherein the first electrical properties are determined based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal.
73. The method of any one of claims 70 to 72, wherein the first electrical properties comprise an inductance and a resistance of the inductor.
74. The method of any one of claims 70 to 73, wherein the susceptor is incorporated into a cartridge, and wherein the inductor is incorporated into a vaporizer body.
75. The method of any one of claims 70 to 74, wherein applying the resonant signal to the assembly comprises electrically coupling a resonant circuit to the assembly.
76. The method of any one of claims 70 to 75, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a capacitor.
77. The method of any one of claims 70 to 76, wherein applying the resonant signal to the assembly further comprises charging the capacitor; and generating the resonant signal by discharging the capacitor.
78. The method of any one of claims 70 to 77, wherein the second electrical properties comprise an inductance and a resistance of the assembly.
79. The method of any one of claims 70 to 78, wherein determining the second electrical properties comprises: determining, over a duration, a plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal corresponding to a plurality of time points of the duration; and
determining an energy change value, based at least in part on the plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal.
80. The method of claim 79, wherein the energy change value is a quality factor.
81. The method of any one of claims 79 to 80, wherein the duration is a portion of the period of the resonant signal.
82. The method of any one of claims 79 to 81, wherein an amplitude of the resonant signal decays over time.
83. The method of claim 82, wherein the decay is an exponential decay.
84. The method of claim 83, further comprising determining an exponential decay measure of the decay from the plurality of amplitude measurements.
85. The method of any one of claims 79 to 84, wherein the energy change value is inversely proportional to the exponential decay measure.
86. The method of any one of claims 70 to 85, wherein the one or more properties comprise a temperature of the susceptor.
87. The method of claim 71, wherein generating the heating instructions comprises determining a temperature of the susceptor based on the first electrical properties and second electrical properties associated with the inductor.
88. The method of claim 87, wherein determining the temperature comprises: generating a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) measurement of the inductor, wherein the temperature is determined at least in part from the generated temperature coefficient of resistance.
89. The method of any one of claims 71 or 87 to 88, wherein the inductive heating process comprises generating an eddy current in the heater chamber of the cartridge.
90. The method of any one of claims 70 to 89, wherein applying power to the inductor comprises using pulse-width modulation (PWM).
91. The method of any one of claims 70 to 90, wherein applying power to the inductor comprises using a buck-boost circuit.
92. The method of any one of claims 71 or 87 to 89, wherein modifying an inductive heating process comprises modifying a driving frequency of the inductor.
93. The method of any one of claims 70 to 92, wherein the susceptor comprises aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or invar.
94. The method of any one of claims 70 to 93, wherein an inductance of the susceptor does not change with temperature.
95. The method of any one of claims 70 to 93, wherein the inductor comprises an inductive coil.
96. The method of any one of claims 70 to 93, further comprising: determining fourth electrical properties associated with a second inductor; applying a resonant signal to a second assembly comprising the second inductor and an inductively coupled susceptor; determining fifth electrical properties associated with the second assembly, based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal; determining sixth electrical properties associated with the susceptor, the sixth electrical properties based at least in part on the fourth electrical properties and the fifth electrical properties; and applying power to the second inductor to heat the susceptor based on the sixth electrical properties.
97. The method of claim 96, wherein the second inductor comprises a second inductive coil.
98. The method of any one of claims 79 to 85, wherein the plurality of amplitude measurements corresponding to the plurality of time points and the energy change value are determined by a first integrated circuit, wherein the first integrated circuit is configured to provide the plurality of amplitude measurements and the energy change value to a second integrated circuit, wherein the second integrated circuit is configured to determine the second electrical properties.
99. A vaporizer device for generating an inhalable aerosol, the vaporizer device comprising:
an inductor; a measurement circuit; a susceptor; a resonant circuit; and a controller; wherein the controller is configured to: cause the measurement circuit to determine first electrical properties associated with the inductor; detect an assembly comprising the inductor in inductive contact with the susceptor; cause the resonant circuit to apply a resonant signal to the assembly; determine second electrical properties associated with the assembly, based at least in part on the resonant signal; determine one or more properties associated with the susceptor, the one or more properties based at least in part on the first electrical properties and the second electrical properties; generate heating instructions based at least in part on the one or more properties; and modify an inductive heating process configured to cause the susceptor to heat a vaporizable material to generate the inhalable aerosol.
100. The vaporizer device of claim 99, wherein applying power to the inductor to heat the susceptor based on the one or more properties comprises generating heating instructions based at least in part on the one or more properties; and modifying an inductive heating process configured to cause the susceptor to heat a vaporizable material to produce an inhalable aerosol.
101. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 100, wherein determining the first electrical properties associated with the inductor comprises applying a resonant signal to the inductor, wherein the first electrical properties are determined based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal.
102. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 101, wherein the first electrical properties comprise an inductance and a resistance of the inductor.
103. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 102, wherein the susceptor is incorporated into a cartridge, and wherein the inductor is incorporated into a vaporizer body.
104. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 103, wherein applying the resonant signal to the assembly comprises electrically coupling a resonant circuit to the assembly.
105. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 104, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a capacitor.
106. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 105, wherein applying the resonant signal to the assembly further comprises charging the capacitor; and generating the resonant signal by discharging the capacitor.
107. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 106, wherein the second electrical properties comprise an inductance and a resistance of the assembly.
108. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 107, wherein determining the second electrical properties comprises: determining, over a duration, a plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal corresponding to a plurality of time points of the duration; and determining an energy change value, based at least in part on the plurality of amplitude measurements of the resonant signal.
109. The vaporizer device of claim 108, wherein the energy change value is a quality factor.
110. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 108 to 109, wherein the duration is a portion of the period of the resonant signal.
111. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 108 to 110, wherein an amplitude of the resonant signal decays over time.
112. The vaporizer device of claim 111, wherein the decay is an exponential decay.
113. The vaporizer device of claim 112, further comprising determining an exponential decay measure of the decay from the plurality of amplitude measurements.
114. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 108 to 113, wherein the energy change value is inversely proportional to the exponential decay measure.
115. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 114, wherein the one or more properties comprise a temperature of the susceptor.
116. The vaporizer device of claim 100, wherein generating the heating instructions comprises determining a temperature of the susceptor based on the first electrical properties and second electrical properties associated with the inductor.
117. The vaporizer device of claim 116, wherein determining the temperature comprises: generating a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) measurement of the inductor, wherein the temperature is determined at least in part from the generated temperature coefficient of resistance.
118. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 100 or 116 to 117, wherein the inductive heating process comprises generating an eddy current in the heater chamber of the cartridge.
119. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 118, wherein applying power to the inductor comprises using pulse-width modulation (PWM).
120. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 119, wherein applying power to the inductor comprises using a buck-boost circuit.
121. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 100 or 116 to 120, wherein modifying an inductive heating process comprises modifying a driving frequency of the inductor.
122. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 121, wherein the susceptor comprises aluminum, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or invar.
123. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 122, wherein an inductance of the susceptor does not change with temperature.
124. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 122, wherein the inductor comprises an inductive coil.
125. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 99 to 122, further comprising:
determining fourth electrical properties associated with a second inductor; applying a resonant signal to a second assembly comprising the second inductor and an inductively coupled susceptor; determining fifth electrical properties associated with the second assembly, based at least in part on a property of the resonant signal; determining sixth electrical properties associated with the susceptor, the sixth electrical properties based at least in part on the fourth electrical properties and the fifth electrical properties; and applying power to the second inductor to heat the susceptor based on the sixth electrical properties.
126. The vaporizer device of claim 125, wherein the second inductor comprises a second inductive coil.
127. The vaporizer device of any one of claims 108 to 114, wherein the plurality of amplitude measurements corresponding to the plurality of time points and the energy change value are determined by a first integrated circuit, wherein the first integrated circuit is configured to provide the plurality of amplitude measurements and the energy change value to a second integrated circuit, wherein the second integrated circuit is configured to determine the second electrical properties.
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| US202463645100P | 2024-05-09 | 2024-05-09 | |
| US63/645,100 | 2024-05-09 |
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| WO2025235974A1 true WO2025235974A1 (en) | 2025-11-13 |
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| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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| PCT/US2025/028785 Pending WO2025235974A1 (en) | 2024-05-09 | 2025-05-09 | Inductive heater control |
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| WO (1) | WO2025235974A1 (en) |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020043900A1 (en) * | 2018-08-31 | 2020-03-05 | Nicoventures Trading Limited | Apparatus for an aerosol generating device |
| WO2020260886A1 (en) * | 2019-06-28 | 2020-12-30 | Nicoventures Trading Limited | Apparatus for an aerosol generating device |
| EP4093152A1 (en) * | 2017-03-31 | 2022-11-23 | Nicoventures Trading Limited | Apparatus for a resonance circuit |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP4093152A1 (en) * | 2017-03-31 | 2022-11-23 | Nicoventures Trading Limited | Apparatus for a resonance circuit |
| WO2020043900A1 (en) * | 2018-08-31 | 2020-03-05 | Nicoventures Trading Limited | Apparatus for an aerosol generating device |
| WO2020260886A1 (en) * | 2019-06-28 | 2020-12-30 | Nicoventures Trading Limited | Apparatus for an aerosol generating device |
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