Patent Publication Number: US-2013251354-A1

Title: Removable heater assembly for a vaporizer

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/883,740 filed Sep. 16, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to vaporizers, and more particularly, to the heater assembly used in such vaporizers. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Vaporizers have been in use for some time for purposes of aromatherapy or to vaporize herb medicaments. The vaporizers typically include a housing supporting a heater assembly. The heater assembly is typically mechanically affixed to the housing and hard-wired into the circuitry of the housing (such as an on/off switch and potentiometer for setting the temperature) so as to be effectively permanently mounted in the housing. Mounted over the heater assembly is a glass tubular member having one or more ports along its side and an opening at its front end to which to couple a negative source of pressure, such as a wand, air hose, or the like. As air is pulled or sucked through the wand, negative pressure is created at the front end of the glass tubular member causing air to enter into the tubular member through the port(s) and to become heated as it passes over the heater assembly therewithin. The heated air exits the glass tubular member to vaporize essential oils or herbal materials associated with the wand. In some uses, an aroma cup may be coupled to the front end of the glass tubular member, and convection current can carry heating air up through the glass tubular member along the heater assembly and into the aroma cup to vaporize essential oils, for example, that may be situated therein. 
     One problem that adversely affects vaporizers is that the heater assembly can fail or otherwise become damaged such that the vaporizer no longer works effectively, if at all. The vaporizer might be able to be serviced, which involves opening up the vaporizer to gain access to the heater assembly, removing the glass tubular member, and undertaking the work using the proper tool to disconnect the heater assembly, mechanically and electrically, from the housing. A new heater assembly must then be installed and secured in the housing with the proper tools so as to be effectively permanently mounted thereto, and the housing closed up and the glass tubular member reinstalled. That type of repair is time consuming and costly, and is often best left to qualified technicians. Rather than deal with the time, cost, and frustration of seeking service for the vaporizer unit, many users may simply dispose of the vaporizer, perhaps buying a new one. That approach is wasteful and can be costly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an easily removable heater assembly and a base for the vaporizer to facilitate the easy removal of the heater assembly without requiring tools thus minimizing or eliminating the need to service, or dispose of, the vaporizer in the event of failure of the heater assembly. To that end, and in accordance with the principles of the present invention, a removable heater assembly is provided which has a generally cylindrical mounting support having an electrical contact tab at one end, and an annular electrical contact band mounted about the support with a generally cylindrical ceramic heater element supported by and extending from the mounting support and electrically coupled to the contact tab and the contact band. The heater assembly can be axially slid into and out of a base associated with the vaporizer to mechanically and electrically connect the heater assembly to the vaporizer and disconnect the heater assembly from the vaporizer, respectively. As a result, the heater assembly is mechanically and electrically connectable and disconnectable without being hardwired, or otherwise being generally permanently mounted, to the vaporizer. Consequently, it is no longer necessary to open up the vaporizer and use tools or require specialized skills to undo or redo what was otherwise considered an effectively permanent mounting in order to remove the heater assembly and replace it with a replacement heater assembly. 
     In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the vaporizer is provided with a base having a receiver portion sized to receive the mounting support of the heater assembly and having an electrical plate contact located along the axis thereof and an electrical clip with an arm astride the axis such that as the mounting support is slid axially into the receiver portion, the annular band makes electrical contact with the arm of the clip, and the tab contact comes into electrical engagement with the plate contact. Thus, the mechanical and electrical connection is made by axially sliding the heater assembly into the receiver portion of the base without using tools or requiring specialized skills. Similarly, the heater assembly is mechanically and electrically disconnected from the vaporizer by axially sliding it out of the receiver portion of the base such as to disconnect the electrical coupling between the annular band and tab contact of the heater assembly with the arm and plate contact of the base, respectively, again without using tools or requiring specialized skills. 
     In order to better facilitate the easy removal of the heater assembly, the glass tubular member may be removably received to the base, such as by a cooperating threading relationship thereof. To that end, and in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, removal of the heater assembly is accomplished by unthreading the glass tubular member from the base, pulling the glass tubular member axially out of the vaporizer to expose the heater assembly, axially slidably removing the heater assembly from the base and out of the vaporizer. Replacement is accomplished by axially slidably inserting a replacement heater assembly into the receiver portion of the base for mechanical and electrical connection therewith. Thereafter, either the same glass tubular member or a replacement glass tubular member is axially inserted into the vaporizer over the replacement heater assembly and threadably engaged into the base. The back end of the glass tubular member may be positioned snuggly over the mounting support of the heater assembly to firm up the connection between the heater assembly and the base. The heater assembly is thus easily removed and/or replaced, without the need for qualified service technicians, without the cost or time normally involved in servicing vaporizers to replace a hard-wired heater assembly, without requiring tools, and with less risk that the vaporizer will simply be discarded. 
     By virtue of the foregoing, there is thus provided an easily removable heater assembly and a base for the vaporizer to facilitate the easy removal of the heater assembly without requiring tools to thus minimize or eliminate the need to service, or dispose of, the vaporizer in the event of failure of the heater assembly. These and other objectives and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the embodiment below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a vaporizer having an embodiment of a removable heater assembly and an embodiment of a base for use therewith in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the vaporizer of  FIG. 1  taken along lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  for purposes of explaining the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the heater assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective, cross-sectional view, of the base of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIGS. 5A through 5F  are views similar to  FIG. 2  showing a method of replacing the heater assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2  there is shown a vaporizer  10  having a housing  12 , comprised of wood, plastic, glass, and/or metal and defining a front wall  14  to which is mounted an on/off switch  15  and a potentiometer  16  defining at least in part electric circuitry of vaporizer  10 . A heater cavity  18  is defined in housing  12  and is exposed to ambient through front or upper opening  19  adjacent front wall  14 . An embodiment of a replaceable heater assembly  20  is mechanically and electrically removably connected to a base  22  secured to a floor or back wall  24  of cavity  18  such that heater assembly  20  extends from floor or back wall  24  towards and adjacent to front or upper opening  19 . A glass tubular member  26  is threadably removably connected to base  22  and over heater assembly  20  within cavity  18 , with the front end  27  of glass tubular member  26  being accessible at front or upper opening  19 . 
     With further reference to  FIG. 3 , heater assembly  20  is elongated along an axis  29  and has an elongated ceramic heating element or rod  30  secured to and supported by a mounting support  32 . Ceramic heating element  30  is tubular or cylindrical in cross-section and has a cross-dimension D 1 , although other shapes may be used. Mounting support  32  is also an elongated member. Mounting support  32  has a front portion  33  and a back portion  34 , each having a cross-dimension D 2  and D 3 , respectively, advantageously larger than the cross-dimension D 1  of ceramic heating element  30 . Ceramic heating element  30  extends into the front end  35  of front portion  33  of mounting support  32  to be secured within a recess  36  thereat. Affixed to the back end  38  of back portion  34  of mounting support  32  is a metal, electrically conductive contact tab  40  that intersects axis  29 . Tab  40  may have a planar or slightly outwardly arcuate contact surface  41 . Mounted about back portion  34  of mounting support  32  is a metal, electrically conductive annular contact band  42  with a generally smooth contact surface  43  thereabout, spaced from contact surface  41 . Tab  40  and band  42  are electrically coupled to ceramic heating element  30  by wires  44  extending into recess  36  (one shown in phantom, the other of which also extends along a grooved recess  45  of mounting support  42  before extending into recess  36 ). The material of mounting support  32 , at least in the area of back portion  34  if not the entire component, is advantageously selected to provide electrical isolation between tab  40  and band  42 . To that end, mounting support  32  may advantageously also be comprised of ceramic. 
     With further reference to  FIG. 4 , base  22  is formed of translucent plastic, and may have an LED (not shown) mounted into the plastic to illuminate same and/or the glass tubular member  26  mounted thereto. Base  22  has a central aperture  50  with a longitudinal axis  51  extending from a front end opening  52  to a back end  53 . Central aperture  50  has a threaded upper portion  54  and a lower tubular or cylindrical receiver portion  56 . Receiver portion  56  has an interior cross-dimension D 4  closely approximating that of cross-dimension D 3  of mounting support  32  such insertion of second portion  34  of mounting support  32  through opening  52  and into receiver portion  56  brings them in snug, receiving relationship to provide mechanical support for heater assembly  20 . Secured adjacent back end  53  is a metal, electrically conductive plate contact  57  along or intersected by longitudinal axis  51 , and which may include a metal spring  58 , by which to make sliding electrical engagement with surface  41  of tab  40  with heater assembly  20  mechanically removably connected to base  22 . Base  22  also includes a metal, electrically conductive clip  60  having a contact wiper arm  62  extending into receiver portion  56  astride axis  51  by which to bear against and be flexed radially outwardly by mounting support second portion  34  as it is inserted into receiver portion  56 , and to slidingly engage into contact with annular contact  42  when or as the second portion  34  is seated in receiver portion  56 . Plate contact  57  and clip  60  are electrically hard-wired to on/off switch  15  and/or potentiometer  16  via wires  64  ( FIG. 2 ) secured thereto by screws and/or soldering, by which to selectively control the power level to heater assembly  20  when vaporizer  10  is plugged in, such as through plug  66 . As can thus be seen, base  22  also serves as a power connector for ceramic heating element or rod  30 , with surfaces  41  and  43  making sliding electrical engagement with plate contact  57  (such as via spring  58 ) and clip  60  (such as via arm  62 ). 
     With reference again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , glass tubular member  26  is advantageously removably coupled to base  22  so as to extend over heater assembly  20 , or at least ceramic heating element  30  thereof, if not also front portion  33  of the mounting support  32 . To that end, glass tubular member  26  has a tubular sidewall  70  defining an interior airway path  72  therethrough and which is sized larger than the cross-dimension D 1  of ceramic heating element  30 , but adjacent the back end  74  of member  26  is sized to closely match to the cross-dimension D 2  of front portion  33  of mounting support  32 . The back end  74  of member  26  is provided with exterior threads  75  sized to threadably engage threaded upper portion  54  of base  22  by which to mechanically mount glass tubular member  26  to vaporizer  10  with the heater assembly  20  extending into airway path  72 , but stopping short of the opening  75  at the front end  27  of member  26 . The size of the back end  74  provides a snug fit between the back end  74  and the mounting support  32  so as to firm up the connection between the mounting support  32  of the heater assembly  20  and the base  22  when member  26  is threadably engaged into upper portion  54  of base  22 . Member  26  also has one or more ports  78  extending through sidewall  70  to communicate with airway path  72 . Advantageously, a spring steel washer  80  is provided at the intersection  81  of portions  33 ,  34  of mounting support  32  to fit between back end  74  of member  26  and the intersection  81 . 
     In use, negative pressure may be applied at opening  75 , such as by sucking air through a wand  100  ( FIG. 2 , only a portion is shown, in phantom) or other similar device coupled to front end  27 , air (as exemplified by arrows  79 ) is pulled into cavity  18  through at least front or upper opening  19 , and into airway path  72  via port(s)  78  to be heated as it passes along ceramic heating element  30  to thus provide heated, vaporizing air at opening  75 . 
     During use, heater assembly  20  can fail or otherwise become damaged. Rather than undertaking the time and expense of a full-blown service of vaporizer  10 , or simply discarding same, the present invention provides a method of simple heater assembly removal and replacement. To that end, and with reference to  FIGS. 5A through 5F , should it be necessary to remove heater assembly  20 , a user (not shown) can easily do so by (a) threadably disconnecting glass tubular member  26  from base  22  such as by unscrewing member  26  from threaded upper portion  54  of base  22  as exemplified by arrow  101  in  FIG. 5A , (b) pulling member  26  out of cavity  18  of vaporizer  10  as along arrow  102  to expose heater assembly  20  as exemplified in  FIG. 5B , (c) mechanically and electrically disconnecting heater assembly  20  from vaporizer  10  such as by slidably withdrawing heater assembly  20  axially from cavity  18  along arrow  104  as exemplified in  FIG. 5C . The foregoing can be done without tools and without requiring a specialized or skilled technician. The user can then easily replace the heater assembly  20  by inserting a replacement heater assembly  20 ′ into the vaporizer  10  (along with the washer  80  or a new washer  80  mounted thereover), such as by axially slidably inserting same along arrow  106  sufficient to bring its rear portion  34  into a mechanically snug fit with receiver portion  56 , such that plate contact  57  (such as via spring  58  if present) and clip  60  (such as via arm  62 ) are slidingly engaged into electrical contact with tab  40  and annular contact  42  (and their respective surfaces  41 ,  43 ) as exemplified by  FIG. 5D . Finally, glass tubular member  26  (or a replacement) may be remounted to vaporizer  10  by inserting same axially into cavity  18  as along arrow  108  over replacement heater assembly  20 ′ ( FIG. 5E ) and connecting same to base  22  ( FIG. 5F ) such as by threading them together by rotating member  26  as along arrow  110 . Advantageously, plug  66  was first disconnected from its outlet (not shown), or at least on/off switch  15  was placed in the “off” position during the removal and/or replacement process, and plug  66  is reconnected and/or the unit switched on for use only after the process is completed. Further, it may not be necessary to first remove glass tubular member  26  if it has previously been removed thus exposing heater assembly  20  for other reasons. 
     While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of an embodiment thereof, and while the embodiment has been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. For example, while vaporizer  10  is shown with axes  29  and  51  being on the horizontal, they could be on the vertical or at an angle therebetween. Also, a screen (not shown) may be inserted at opening  75  of glass tubular member  26 . Additionally, other known electrical connections may be utilized to couple heater assembly  20  and base  22 , such as plug and socket arrangements known in the electrical arts to provide slidingly engagable electrical surfaces and/or contacts. Other heater assembly and base designs may also be utilized as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. It will also be appreciated that while tools are not required to remove and/or replace the heater assembly, tools can be used if desired. Advantageously, member  26  and/or heater assembly  20  are not removed while they are still hot. In any event, a rag or the like may advantageously be used to grip member  26  and/or heater assembly  20  during removal, for example, but such rag or the like is not considered a tool as that term is used herein. Further, while on/off switch  15  and potentiometer  16  are shown as separate elements, they could be combined into a single unit. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope or spirit of applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.