Portable vaporizer and method for temperature control

Abstract

A vaporizer and method of vaporizing a botanical material is described. Embodiments of the apparatus include a self-contained, fully enclosed, battery operated vaporizer having an air inlet and a mouthpiece. The vaporizer includes a window for viewing a botanical material contained therein and a heating element that is also visible through the window and through an air inlet. The vaporizer also includes a push-button switch that rapidly provides power to heat air, which is then drawn through the botanical material by inhaling. Embodiments of the method include utilizing a push-button switch for heating vaporizer air and viewing the glow of the heating element as a signal that the vaporizer is ready for use. In certain embodiments, electric power for heating the air is varied according to the temperature of the vaporizer. Certain other embodiments measure the battery voltage and adjust a heater duty cycle according to the measured voltage.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling electric power provided to a vaporizer, said method comprising:
 accepting a signal from a user-operable switch;   providing electric power to a heater of the vaporizer upon accepting the signal from the user-operable switch;   measuring a signal indicative a temperature of the vaporizer; and   decreasing the electric power to the heater if the measured temperature of the vaporizer increases.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing electric power is provided at one of a plurality of discrete power levels. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the decreasing decreases the electric power as the temperature increases above one of a plurality of predetermined temperatures. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said accepting a signal from a user-operable switch actuates a timer, and wherein the electric power is increased during an initial time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user-operable switch signal is a button on the vaporizer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , where providing electric power further provides electric power to a lighting element on the vaporizer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signal indicative a temperature of the vaporizer is a signal provided by a temperature sensor within said vaporizer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , where said method further includes flowing air through the vaporizer, and where said heater includes a heating element configured to the air. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , where said providing electric power to a heater resistively heats the flowing air. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , where said measuring a signal indicative a temperature of the vaporizer includes measuring a temperature that is not the temperature of the flowing air. 
     
     
         11 . A vaporizer to provide a user with vapor from a botanical material, said vaporizer comprising:
 a user-operable switch;   a temperature sensor adapted to provide a signal indicative of the temperature of the vaporizer;   an electric heater configured to heat the botanical material; and   electronics adapted to sense actuation of said user-operable switch and accept said signal indicative of the temperature of the vaporizer, and to provide electric power to said electric heater, where the provided electric power decreases with an increase in the temperature of the vaporizer.   
     
     
         12 . The vaporizer of  claim 11 , wherein the provided electric power is one of a plurality of discrete power levels. 
     
     
         13 . The vaporizer of  claim 11 , wherein the provided electric power decreases as the temperature increases above one of a plurality of predetermined temperatures. 
     
     
         14 . The vaporizer of  claim 11 , wherein said electronics includes a time actuated by said user-operable switch, and wherein the electric power is increased during an initial time. 
     
     
         15 . The vaporizer of  claim 11 , wherein said user-operable switch is a button on the vaporizer. 
     
     
         16 . The vaporizer of  claim 11 , wherein said electronics is further configured to light a lighting element on the vaporizer. 
     
     
         17 . The vaporizer of  claim 11 , where said vaporizer includes a passageway for the flow of air into the vaporizer, over the electric heater, and over said botanical material. 
     
     
         18 . The vaporizer of  claim 11 , where said electric heater resistively heats the flow of air. 
     
     
         19 . A method of controlling electric power provided to a vaporizer, said method comprising:
 measuring the voltage of a battery providing power to the heater; and   providing the battery voltage to a heater of the vaporizer according to a duty cycle, where said duty cycle is inversely proportional to the measured voltage of the battery.   
     
     
         20 . A vaporizer to provide a user with vapor from a botanical material, said vaporizer comprising:
 a battery having a voltage;   an electric heater that accepts the voltage and generates thermal energy to heat the botanical material; and   electronics to switch the accepted voltage on and off according to a duty cycle, where the duty cycle is inversely proportional to a measured voltage of the battery.   
     
     
         21 . The vaporizer of  claim 20 , where said vaporizer includes a passageway for the flow of air into the vaporizer, over the electric heater, and over said botanical material. 
     
     
         22 . The vaporizer of  claim 20 , where said electric heater resistively heats the flow of air.