CERAMIC VAPORIZER
A vaporizer has a base with a neck extending between a top end and a bottom end of the base. A bowl is formed on the top end of the base, and an air intake tube extending upwardly from a bottom surface of the bowl. A conduit extends through the base and the neck to the air intake tube, and a heat sink may be formed on the neck for dissipating heat from the conduit.
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This application for a utility patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/924,220, filed Jan. 6, 2014.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to vaporizers, and more particularly to vaporizers used for the inhalation of vapors, typically in smoking activities.
2. Description of Related Art
Combustion of a substance is one method for production of gas/vapors for inhalation; however, atomization (aka vaporization) is another effective technique that utilizes non-combustion or limited combustion vaporization. Atomization/vaporization of substances is well known for aromatherapy, respiratory therapy, or for smoking activities. Vaporization is accomplished though the heating of a selected substance to a temperature at which it undergoes phase change into a gas with no chemical reaction or with different chemical reactions than the basic oxidation/decomposition of hydrocarbon substances into CO2 and water.
One known way to so vaporize a substance is to heat a tool until it is of the desired temperature, and then removing it from a heat source before introducing the material which is to be atomized/vaporized. This process allows the material to go through a phase change, called atomization/vaporization, instead of being combusted through ignition. Substantial research has established that the atomization/vaporization process is a much healthier, cleaner alternative to combustion.
One example of a prior art vaporizer tool is shown in Carney, U.S. 2013/0039639. Carney teaches a vaporizer assembly having a nail sub-assembly, an adaptor assembly, a bowl and a shaft, and is hereby incorporated by reference. These types of prior art vaporizers are made of metals such as titanium, and are typically referred to as “titanium nails.”
The problem with titanium nails is that they quickly become dirty, discolored, and unsanitary, and can develop a taste and smell that is undesirable.
The present invention provides a vaporizer that is similar to the titanium nail construction, but is made of a ceramic material, preferably a ceramic with certain physical characteristics that provide a cleaner burning experience for the user. Some prior art devices sometimes use ceramics, but only when used with electric heaters. These materials have never before been used in a “nail” type vaporizer, and even the electric heaters devices don't use the currently preferred ceramic materials. For example, Hon, U.S. 20120279512, describes an atomizing electronic cigarette has an atomizing core component and a liquid storage component. This type of device is not heated by a flame as in the titanium nail, but is heated with an electric heater. The electric heater may have a through hole aligned with a channel passing through the liquid storage component. The cigarette can heat and uniformly vaporize liquid from the liquid storage component, with the user inhaling the vaporized liquid.
Other similar devices are shown in Benassayag, U.S. 20130152922, Tucker, U.S. 20130192623, Conley, U.S. 20130220315, Amirpour, U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,164, and many others.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention provides a vaporizer having a base with a neck extending between a top end and a bottom end of the base. A bowl is formed on the top end of the base, and an air intake tube extending upwardly from a bottom surface of the bowl. A conduit extends through the base and the neck to the air intake tube, and a heat sink may be formed on the neck for dissipating heat from the conduit.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a ceramic vaporizer having advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide a ceramic vaporizer of the “nail” type of construction, which are made of a ceramic material, particularly of a preferred formulation.
Another objective is to provide a ceramic vaporizer whose ceramic construction provides a superior smell, taste, and overall user experience.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:
The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a vaporizer 10 for vaporizing materials to provide vapors suitable for inhalation. It is the particular construction of the vaporizer 10, combined with the ceramic materials described herein, that allow improved vaporization of the materials, as compared to other metallic vaporizers.
As shown in
In the present embodiment, the base 20 is an elongate tubular structure shaped to be mounted on the water pipe 12. As shown in
The ceramic construction of the entire vaporizer 10, or of just the bowl 50, is preferably 95% or more aluminum oxide, most preferably at least 98%. The ceramic preferably has a density of 3.9 g/cm3 or more, a grain size of 1.8 um or less. In some embodiments, the ceramic may include a zirconia blend. In other embodiments, it may include clay, quartz, feldspar, other stones, porcelains, or kaolinsa. They may also made from berylia, ceria, carbide, boride, nitride, and/or silicide. The ceramics may also be composites, having particulate reinforcements, fiber reinforcements, or combinations of oxides of non-oxides. While
As illustrated in
The heat sink 30 may have any number of the outwardly extending annular ribs 36, connected in series coaxially, for increasing the surface area of the heat sink 30. The increase in surface area is helpful when radiating heat, and also the shape of the outwardly extending annular ribs 36 provides a longer and less direct path for heat to travel from the hot bowl 50 area to the base 20 and water pipe 12, allowing time for the heat to radiate. The heat sink 30 may have walls of varying thickness, for further retarding the diffusion of heat throughout the vaporizer 10. In the present embodiment, the outwardly extending annular ribs 36 are generally annular in shape, in other embodiments they may be square, hexagonal, or irregularly shaped, according to one skilled in the art. While
The bowl 50 may be used to contain the resins or other materials to be vaporized by the vaporizer 10. In the present embodiment, the bowl 50 has a generally hollow cylindrical shape suitable for holding resins, connected to the end of the neck 40 opposite the base 20. As shown in
As illustrated in
As used in this application, the words “a,” “an,” and “one” are defined to include one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. Also, the terms “have,” “include,” “contain,” and similar terms are defined to mean “comprising” unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terminology used in the specification provided above is hereby defined to include similar and/or equivalent terms, and/or alternative embodiments that would be considered obvious to one skilled in the art given the teachings of the present patent application.
Claims
1. A vaporizer comprising:
- a base having a top end and a bottom end;
- a neck of the base formed between the top end and the bottom end of the base;
- a bowl formed on the top end of the base, the bowl having an outwardly extending bottom surface and an annular bowl wall extending upwardly from the bottom surface to form an inner volume of the bowl;
- wherein the bowl is formed of a ceramic formed of 95% or more aluminum oxide;
- an air intake tube extending upwardly from the bottom surface of the bowl;
- a conduit extending through the base and the neck to the air intake tube; and
- a heat sink formed on the neck for dissipating heat from the conduit.
2. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the air intake tube extends upwardly from the bottom surface of the bowl a greater distance than the annular bowl wall.
3. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the conduit is axially aligned with the air intake tube.
4. The vaporizer of claim 1, the base comprising a smaller diameter wall having a first inner diameter, and a larger diameter wall having a second inner diameter, wherein there is an inward step formed between the smaller diameter wall and the larger diameter wall.
5. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the smaller diameter wall, the larger diameter wall, or both, have varying inner diameters, forming a taper.
6. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is formed over the entire length of the neck, from the top end of the base to the bottom surface of the bowl.
7. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the vaporizer is entirely made of a ceramic formed of 95% or more aluminum oxide.
8. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the vaporizer is entirely made of a ceramic formed of 98% or more aluminum oxide.
9. The vaporizer of claim 7, wherein the density of the ceramic vaporizer is 3.9 g/cm3 or more.
10. The vaporizer of claim 7, wherein the ceramic of the vaporizer has a grain size of 1.8 um or less.
11. A method for vaporizing a material, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a water pipe for transmitting vapors;
- providing a ceramic vaporizer having a base, a neck, a heat sink, a bowl, an air intake tube, and a conduit, wherein the vaporizer is formed of 95% or more aluminum oxide;
- providing a material to be vaporized;
- placing the base of the vaporizer on the water pipe such that a substantially air-tight seal is formed;
- placing the material in the bowl such that the air intake tube is not obstructed;
- heating the bowl until the desired vapors are emitted from the material; and
- creating a low pressure region in the water pipe such that the vapors are drawn through the air intake tube, through the conduit, and into the water pipe.
Type: Application
Filed: May 20, 2014
Publication Date: Sep 11, 2014
Applicant: VAPE HOLDINGS, INC. (Woodland Hills, CA)
Inventor: Kyle Tracey (Woodland Hills, CA)
Application Number: 14/282,601
International Classification: A24F 47/00 (20060101); A24F 1/30 (20060101);