Variable-viscosity carrier vaporizers with enhanced thermal and hydrodynamic properties

Abstract

In some embodiments, a system includes a cartridge assembly and a pen assembly. The cartridge assembly includes a mouthpiece assembly and a bracket cartridge assembly. The mouthpiece assembly includes a mouthpiece component defining a mouthpiece opening and an outer housing defining a vapor outlet and including a recessed sidewall portion. The pen assembly includes a pen housing and a bracket assembly configured to engage with the bracket cartridge assembly of the cartridge assembly such that a temperature of a coil of a wick assembly of the cartridge assembly may be increased such that a carrier material disposed near the coil may be vaporized by the coil. When the cartridge assembly is engaged with the pen housing, the recessed sidewall portion of the outer housing and an inner surface of the pen housing form a fluid path from the vapor outlet to the mouthpiece opening.

1 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a housing defining a reservoir;   a wick assembly including a wick component and a heating element, the wick component configured to transport fluid from the reservoir toward the heating element such that the fluid can be transitioned into vapor by the heating element; and   a mouthpiece defining an opening such that the vapor can be drawn from the wick assembly through the opening, a portion of a passageway between the wick assembly and the opening being U-shaped and partially defined by an outer surface of the housing.   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the housing is configured to be coupled to a vaporizer pen such that the portion of the passageway is partially defined by an inner surface of a vaporizer pen housing of the vaporizer pen. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the housing defines an aperture in fluid communication with the reservoir, the aperture configured to receive a needle such that the reservoir can receive the fluid via the needle, the apparatus further comprising an elastomeric plug configured to be disposed within the aperture. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the housing is configured to be coupled to a vaporizer pen such that, when suction is applied to the opening, air is drawn from an exterior of the vaporizer pen to the wick assembly via a space defined between an outer surface of the housing and an inner surface of a vaporizer pen housing of the vaporizer pen. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the portion of the passageway is a first portion of the passageway, and a second portion of the passageway is defined between the wick assembly and the vaporizer pen housing. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein the second portion of the passageway is defined between an outer surface of the housing and an inner surface of the vaporizer pen housing. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the wick component includes a cotton portion and the heating element includes a coil wrapped around the cotton portion. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the wick component is formed of ceramic. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the heating element is at least partially embedded within the wick component. 
     
     
         49 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a housing defining a reservoir;   a wick assembly including a wick component and a heating element, the wick component configured to transport fluid from the reservoir toward the heating element such that the fluid can be transitioned into vapor by the heating element; and   a mouthpiece defining an opening such that the vapor can be drawn from the wick assembly through the opening, the mouthpiece having an upper surface and a lower surface,   the housing and the lower surface of the mouthpiece defining a first portion of a passageway between the wick assembly and the opening, the first portion of the passageway being wider than a second portion of the passageway disposed between the wick assembly and the first portion of the passageway such that the vapor can expand as the vapor flows from the second portion of the passageway into the first portion of the passageway.   
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , further comprising a chimney component defining the second portion of the passageway. 
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein the second portion of the passageway has a central axis that is not coaxial with a central axis of the opening. 
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein the central axis of the second portion of the passageway is disposed parallel to the central axis of the opening. 
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein the first portion of the passageway increases in width from a portion closer to the second portion of the passageway toward the opening. 
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein the first portion of the passageway is an expansion chamber defined between an upper surface of the housing and the lower surface of the mouthpiece, the upper surface of the housing facing the lower surface of the mouthpiece. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein a first filter portion is coupled to an upper surface of the housing. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein a first filter portion is coupled to a lower surface of the mouthpiece. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 56 , wherein a second filter portion is coupled to an upper surface of the housing. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein the wick component includes a cotton portion and the heating element includes a coil wrapped around the cotton portion. 
     
     
         59 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein the wick component is formed of ceramic.