Portable vaporizing device, cartridge and methods

Abstract

A portable vaporizing device and/or cartridge comprises a product chamber capable of holding a vaporizable product therein, and a porous valve element configured to be heated to flow the vaporizable product therethrough and generate vapor from the vaporizable product, and optionally including a heat transfer element to heat the vaporizable product as it flows through the product chamber towards the porous valve element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable vaporizing device comprising:
 a vaporizable product receiving chamber configured to receive a vaporizable product therein, the vaporizable product receiving chamber comprising one or more chamber walls defining an product flow path between upper and lower opposing ends of the vaporizable product receiving chamber;   a heat transfer element extending at least partly along the product flow path, and configured to transfer heat to vaporizable product received in the product receiving chamber to at least partially melt and/or reduce the viscosity of vaporizable product as it flows via gravitational pull from the upper end to the lower end along the product flow path; and   a porous valve element located towards the lower end of the vaporizable product receiving chamber, the porous valve element comprising:
 a porous valve body comprising porous material configured to allow heated vaporizable product having a predetermined viscosity to pass therethrough; 
 at least one first porous entry surface of the porous valve body configured to receive the heated vaporizable product from the product flow path into the porous valve body; and 
 at least one porous vaporizing surface of the porous valve body configured to flow the heated vaporizable product out of the porous valve body, 
   wherein the heat transfer element and porous valve element are configured to be placed in thermal contact with at least one heating element to provide heating of the heat transfer element and porous valve element during operation of the portable vaporizing device to heat the vaporizable product to the predetermined viscosity,   wherein the porous valve element is configured to be heated by the at least one heating element to cause the heated vaporizable product having the predetermined viscosity from the product receiving chamber to flow into and through the porous valve body, and to cause the heated vaporizable product to at least partially vaporize in the vicinity of the at least one porous vaporizing surface while exiting the porous valve body, and   wherein the porous valve body comprises a thermal conductivity of at least 0.5 W/m*K to retain and transfer heat to the vaporizable product.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer element is configured to be heated at a position along the product flow path to a predetermined temperature of at least 125° F., 135° F., a least 145° F., at least 150° F., at least 165° F., at least 170° F., at least 180° F., at least 195° F., at least 200° F., at least 215° F., at least 225° F., and/or at least 250° F. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer element is configured to be heated at the position along the product flow path to the predetermined temperature within a time period of no more than 10 seconds, no more than 25 seconds, no more than 50 seconds, no more than 75 seconds, no more than 100 seconds, and/or no more than 150 seconds. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer element is configured to be heated at the position along the product flow path to achieve a change in temperature at the predetermined position as compared to prior to heating onset of at least 50° F., at least 60° F., at least 75° F. and/or at least 100° F., in no more than 10 seconds, no more than 25 seconds, no more than 50 seconds, no more than 75 seconds, no more than 100 seconds, and/or no more than 150 seconds. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined viscosity of the vaporizable product in the vicinity of the at least one first porous entry surface, as heated by the heat transfer element and porous valve element is no more than 20 P, no more than 18 P, no more than 15 P, no more than 10 P, no more than 5 P, no more than 2 P, no more than 1.5 P, no more than 1.25 P, no more than 1 P, no more than 0.75 P, and/or no more than 0.5 P. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the at least one porous vaporizing surface of the porous valve body is a same surface that is configured to be placed in thermal contact with the at least one heating element. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein a net flow direction of the vaporizable product into the at least one first porous entry surface of the porous valve body is aligned with and/or no more than 45° offset from a major axis of flow of the vaporizable product through the product receiving chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the porous vaporizing surface that is configured to be placed in thermal communication with the at least one heating element comprises a substantially planar surface having one or more grooves and/or channels formed therein. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one at least one first porous entry surface of the porous valve body is configured to be exposed to the vaporizable product in the product receiving chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the porous valve element and the heat transfer element configured to be held in a compressive relationship with the at least one heating element. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer element extends along at least 25%, at least 35%, at least 50%, at least 65%, at least 75%, at least 85%, and/or at least 90% of the major flow axis through the product receiving chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous valve element comprises a porous body having a porous material comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of porous glass, porous ceramic, porous quartz, and porous sintered metal. 
     
     
         13 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the porous valve element comprise a porous body having a porous material comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of porous borosilicate glass, porous alumina, and porous silicon carbide. 
     
     
         14 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous valve element comprises a porous body having a thermal conductivity of at least 0.5 W/m*K, at least 0.8 W/m*K, at least 1 W/m*K, at least 1.15 W/m*K, and/or at least 1.2 W/m*K, and less than 300 W/m*K, less than 200 W/m*K, less than 100 W/m*K, less than 50 W/m*K, less than 25 W/m*K, less than 10 W/m*K, and/or less than 5 W/m*K. 
     
     
         15 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous valve element comprises a porous body having a porosity of at least 25%, at least 35%, and/or at least 50%, and less than 95%, less than 85% and/or less than 75%. 
     
     
         16 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous valve element comprises a porous body having an average pore size of at least 2 microns, at least 3 microns, at least 4 microns, at least 5 microns, at least 8 microns, and/or at least 10 microns, and less than 25 microns, less than 18 microns, less than 16 microns, less than 10 microns and/or less than 8 microns. 
     
     
         17 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer element comprises at least selected from the group consisting of alumina, silicon carbide, stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, graphite and aluminum nitride. 
     
     
         18 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer element comprises a body having a thermal conductivity of at least 0.5 W/m*K, at least 0.8 W/m*K, at least 1 W/m*K, at least 1.15 W/m*K, and/or at least 1.2 W/m*K, and less than 300 W/m*K, less than 200 W/m*K, less than 100 W/m*K, less than 50 W/m*K, less than 25 W/m*K, less than 10 W/m*K, and/or less than 5 W/m*K. 
     
     
         19 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is a refillable cartridge or a single use cartridge. 
     
     
         20 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to receive a refillable cartridge or single use cartridge comprising the vaporizable product receiving chamber, and wherein the device further comprises a mouthpiece configured to receive the vapor that exits the vaporizable product receiving chamber via the porous valve element. 
     
     
         21 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer element comprises:
 an elongate heat-conducting column comprises a plurality of fins extending radially outwardly from a central axis of the elongate heat-conducting column; or   an elongate heat-conducting column disposed externally to the vaporizable product chamber, and/or that comprises one or more sidewalls of the vaporizable product chamber.   
     
     
         22 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 21 , wherein the elongate heat-conducting column comprises 4 fins that are positioned substantially equidistant about the central axis of the elongate heat-conducting column, and that extend outwardly from the central axis of the elongate heat conducting column, and wherein the fins further extend longitudinally along a length of the product receiving chamber. 
     
     
         23 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer element comprises an elongate heat-conducting column comprises a first section comprising bulging portion along a central axis of the elongate heat-conducting column, the bulging portion comprising a greater radius from the central axis than one or more second sections along the central axis of the elongate heat conducting column. 
     
     
         24 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer element comprises an elongate column having a base configured to fit through an aperture in the porous valve body, to be placed in thermal contact with the at least one heating element. 
     
     
         25 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer element and porous valve element are configured to be heated by the same heating element or by different heating elements. 
     
     
         26 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous valve element is configured to be heated by a first heating element in thermal contact with the vaporizing surface of the porous valve element, and heat transfer element is heated by a second heating element in contact with a base surface of the heat transfer element that is at a same side of the device as the vaporizing surface of the porous valve element. 
     
     
         27 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second heating elements comprise one or more of a rod heater, a ring heater, a disc heater, a plate heater, a coil heater, a pancake coil, and/or wherein the first and second heating elements are external or internal to one or more of the porous valve element and/or heat transfer element. 
     
     
         28 . A method of using the portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 heating the porous valve element and flow path heat transfer element to flow the product through the product chamber and pass the vaporizable product through the porous valve element and generate a vapor therefrom; and   inhaling the generated vapor.   
     
     
         29 . A method of manufacturing a cartridge for a vaporizable product, the method comprising filling the portable vaporizing device of  claim 1  with the vaporizable product. 
     
     
         30 . The portable vaporizing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises:
 a gas flow chamber configured to receive vaporized product exiting the product chamber via the porous valve element, and direct the vaporized product towards a mouthpiece comprising an inhalation outlet that allows for inhalation of the vaporized product,   wherein the gas flow chamber is external to and at least partly laterally surrounds the product chamber.