Patent Publication Number: US-2019174825-A1

Title: Botanic Solid Vapor Generation Apparatus

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to apparatus for selectively generating a vapor or smoke from a botanic solid, and more particularly, to a modular apparatus limiting heat used to generate the vapor or smoke, and usable in as a self-contained or stand-alone device, or alternatively, with a conventional smoking pipe. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     People enjoy generating smoke from botanic solids, and inhaling this smoke. Pipes and hookahs for smoking have been developed for this purpose. However, pipes and hookahs can combust the latter, thereby altering smoke characteristics and rapidly and unnecessarily depleting the botanic solid. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention contemplates improved apparatus for generating vapors and smoke from herbiferous solids. Notably, the apparatus can be utilized selectively with smoking pipes and also with its own separable or detachable vapor generating module. The apparatus includes a vapor generating module and a detachable heating module. The heating module may include an electrical heating element. The vapor generating module may include a fuel body including a fuel chamber for containing a solid fuel and a socket for connections. The heating source may be used with its specific detachable vapor generating module to vaporize fuel, or alternatively, with a conventional smoking pipe to both vaporize or combust fuel. The vapor generating module may comprise an interface member having capacity to store sufficient heat to vaporize the fuel. The interface member of the heating module may be configured substantially as a sphere that can be used to sealingly engage a traditional smoking pipe, or alternatively, to allow for the ball and socket engagement of the vapor generating module. The vapor generating apparatus may include a mouthpiece attachable to and detachable from the vapor generating module. 
     The present disclosure describes a vapor generator for generating vapors from a solid fuel under controllable temperature conditions, the vapor generator comprising: a fuel body including a fuel chamber for containing the fuel and subjecting the fuel to heat; a heating module comprising an enclosure, an electrical heating element, a battery, and an electrical circuit configured to conduct electrical power from the battery to the electrical heating element; and an airflow path enabling ambient air to be drawn first past the electrical heating element, then to the fuel chamber passage to generate a vapor from the fuel. 
     The present disclosure further describes a vapor generator for generating vapors from a solid fuel under controllable temperature conditions, the vapor generator comprising: a heating module comprising an enclosure, an electrical heating element, a battery, and an electrical circuit configured to conduct electrical power from the battery to the electrical heating element; a vapor generating module manually detachable from the heating module, the vapor generating module including a fuel chamber for containing the fuel and subjecting the fuel to heat; and a connector manually connecting the heating module to and manually disconnecting the heating module from the vapor generating module. 
     The present invention provides improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  is a side environmental view of a vapor generator according to at least one aspect of the invention, illustrating use as a stand-alone device; 
         FIG. 1B  is a side environmental view of a vapor generator according to at least one aspect of the invention, illustrating use in conjunction with a smoking pipe; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded side cross sectional detail view of an element shown at the left of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side cross sectional detail view similar to  FIG. 2 , but showing the element assembled; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view showing the vapor generator of  FIG. 1  in an assembled condition, including a mouthpiece shown in  FIG. 1A ; and 
         FIG. 5  is an electrical schematic of a heating element of the vapor generator of  FIG. 1 , and associated support elements. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1A  shows a vapor generator  100  according to at least one aspect of the invention. Vapor generator  100  may include a heating module  102  for supplying heat to a botanic solid (not shown), and a vapor generating module  104  for holding and generating vapors from the botanic solid. Hereinafter, the botanic solid will be referred to as a fuel because the latter can combust, even though in many cases, vaporization is by pyrolysis with minimal actual combustion if any. The fuel may be tobacco, marijuana, or other botanic solids used for smoking. It will be seen from  FIG. 1A  that a vapor generating module  104  may be utilized with heating module  102  when it is desired to operate vapor generator as a self-contained unit. In  FIG. 1B , optionally, heating module  102  is utilized with a conventional smoking pipe  106 . Vapor generator  100  is considered to be in self-contained form when utilized as shown in  FIG. 1A . In the self-contained form, vapor generator  100  is utilized with dedicated fuel holding apparatus (i.e., vapor generating module  104 ) not required when utilized with pipe  106 , and preferably with a mouthpiece  138 . 
     Referring also to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , vapor generator  100  may comprise heating module  102  including an electric heating element  108  ( FIG. 1 ), an interface member  118  including a first internal passage  120  in fluid communication with electric heating element  108  and with ambient air at ambient air temperatures, and a tapered engagement surface  122  sealingly compatible with a bowl  124  of a smoking pipe  106 . 
     Vapor generator  100  also comprises vapor generating module  104  manually attachable to and detachable from heating module  102 . Vapor generating module  104  may include a fuel body  112  including a fuel chamber  114  for containing the solid fuel, a second internal passage  136  in fluid communication with fuel chamber  114  and with first internal passage  120  of interface member  118 , and a socket  116  for engaging tapered engagement surface  122  of heating module  102 . It must be borne in mind that interface member  118 , although modularly removable from heating module  102 , operates as part of the heating module  102 , serving as a connector manually connecting heating module  102  to and manually disconnecting heating module  102  from vapor generating module  104 . 
     As seen particularly in  FIG. 2 , interface member  118  includes a stem  126  bearing a flange  128 . Stem  126  penetrates interface member  118  such that flange  128  engages a corresponding groove or connector  110  formed in an enclosure  174  of heating module  102  by resilient or snap fit. As seen in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , electrical heating element  108  projects from heating module  102 , occupies internal passage  120  of interface member  118  when interface member  118  is assembled to heating module, and extends into the spherical portion of interface member  118 . 
     Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “first”, “second”, etc., are used herein merely as labels, and are not intended to impose ordinal, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the items to which these terms refer. Moreover, reference to, e.g., a “second” item does not either require or preclude the existence of, e.g., a “first” or lower-numbered item, and/or, e.g., a “third” or higher-numbered item. 
     First internal passage  120  may be utilized to ignite a cigarette (not shown) or like device. The cigarette is inserted into first internal passage  120  after interface member  118  is heated sufficiently for ignition. 
     Ambient air passing into fuel chamber  114  is drawn through an opening  170  ( FIGS. 1B, 2, 3, and 4 ) in stem  126 . An airflow path enabling ambient air to be drawn first past electrical heating element  108 , then to fuel chamber  114  to generate a vapor from the fuel is thus established. This is a significant feature of vapor generator  100 , since it enables close control over temperatures acting on the fuel. Firstly, because heat may be applied in incremental steps, it is important to route air past heating element  108  prior to impinging on the fuel. Secondly, the user can draw more or less air into opening  170  and through interface member  118  and into fuel chamber  114 . Varying volume of air flow will influence temperatures of that air. 
     Varying temperatures can result firstly, in selectively vaporizing or combusting the fuel. Also, it can be utilized to compensate for variations in fuel, such as moisture content, density with which fuel was packed into fuel chamber  114 , type of fuel, and other factors. Hence it is significant to introduce air first past heating element  108  and subsequently into fuel chamber  114 , and to separate heating element  108  from fuel chamber  114 . 
     Socket  116  is defined within cooperatingly configured individual fingers  130  of fuel body  112 . Socket  116  of vapor generating module  104  may comprise at least two fingers  130  resiliently cooperating with and capable of gripping and retaining interface member  118 . Thus socket  116  can releasably close over interface member  118  of vapor generating module  102 . 
     Three fingers  130  of five fingers provided in the illustrated embodiment are seen in  FIG. 2 , although any desired number of fingers  130  may be provided. Tapered engagement surface  122  corresponds to surrounding and close fitting surfaces of fingers  130 , thereby establishing cooperation between socket  116  and fuel body  112 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2 , an interface surface  132  of socket  116  of vapor generating module  104  comprises a generally spherical surface, thereby cooperating with generally spherical tapered engagement surface  122  of fuel body  112 . As employed herein, tapered engagement surface  122  is generally spherical in that an otherwise entirely spherical shape is necessarily altered by opening  134  ( FIG. 2 ) and stem  126  of interface member  118 . Alternatively stated, interface member  118  may have a generally spherical outer surface cooperating and engageable with a generally spherical surface of interface surface  132  ( FIG. 2 ) of socket  116 . 
     Spherical nature of socket  116  and interface member  118  provides one convenient way of securing vapor generating module  104  to heating module  102 . Specifically, it enables a convenient snap fit which also holds vapor generating module  104  in a fixed orientation relative heating module  102 . Therefore, detachable vapor generating module is readily attached and detached, and when attached, vapor generator  100  can be held by one hand by the user while smoking or vaping. 
     Interface surface  122  is tapered along an axis  146  ( FIG. 2 ) of air flow. This provides a tapered surface formed in and facing away from heating module  102 , whereby interface member  118  serves as a connector and also may be placed over and sealingly engage bowl  124  of pipe  106 , as shown in  FIG. 1B . This affords another mode of use, wherein a fuel is acted on by heat, but is not constrained to use only with vapor generating module  104 . 
     In  FIG. 1B , vapor generating module  102  encompasses interface member  118 , the latter including an internal passage  120  in fluid communication with fuel chamber  114  and tapered engagement surface  122  sealingly compatible with bowl  124  of smoking pipe  106  and configured to cooperate with socket  116  of fuel body  112 . Internal passage  120  is in fluid communication with ambient air and also with electric heating element  108  of heating module  102  when vapor generating module  104  is attached to heating module  102 . 
     The connector provided by a partially spherical member may be in either one of heating module  102  and vapor generating module  104 , as long as there is provided a socket  116  dimensioned and configured to receive and retain the partially spherical member in the other one of heating module  102  and vapor generating module  104 . However, location of the partially spherical member as part of heating module  102  enables the use of the latter as an igniter for pipe  106 . 
     Referring particularly to  FIG. 2 , vapor generator  100  may further comprise mouthpiece  138  attachable to and detachable from vapor generating module  104 . Mouthpiece  138  may have a third internal passage  140  in fluid communication with fuel chamber  114  when vapor generating module  104  is assembled as seen in  FIG. 3 , and therefore, with second internal passage  136 . Mouthpiece  138  may include threads  142 . Vapor generating module  104  may include threads  144  compatible with threads  142  of mouthpiece  138 . Thereby, mouthpiece  138  is removably attached to and detached from vapor generating module  104  by a threaded connection between mouthpiece  138  and fuel body  112 . 
     Interface member  118  of vapor generating module  104  may be fabricated from a material impervious to temperatures high enough to induce vapor formation from fuel contained within fuel chamber  114 . For example, interface member  118  of vapor generating module  104  may be fabricated from a ceramic material. 
     Vapor generator  100  may further comprise a fuel holder  148  ( FIG. 2 ) dimensioned and configured to be received within fuel chamber  114 . Fuel holder  148  is separate and removable from fuel body  112 . Fuel holder  148  may comprise a lateral wall  150 , a perforate end wall  152 , and an open end  154  opposite perforate end wall  152 . Perforate end wall  152  enables fuel to be exposed to heat by air heated by electrical heating element  108 , and prevented direct contact of the fuel with heating element  108 . 
     Vapor generator  100  may further comprise a screen  156  ( FIG. 2 ) closing open end  154  of fuel holder  148 . Screen  156  may be separate and removable from fuel holder  148 . Screen  156  passes air and vapors from fuel chamber  114  to mouthpiece  138 , but retains fuel within fuel holder  148 . 
     Referring also now to  FIG. 5 , heating module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) may include a battery  158  and an electrical circuit  160  controlling current between battery  158  and electric heating element  108 . Electrical circuit  160  may include controls  162  shown generically in  FIG. 5 . More specifically, electrical circuit  160  may include a first on-off control  164  ( FIG. 4 ) accessible from an exterior  166  of heating module  102 . Electrical circuit  160  may include manual controls  168  enabling increase and decrease in electrical power supplied to the heating element. Power may be increased and decreased in discrete steps (e.g., an additional increment of heat is applied or removed by repeated pressing of one of the manual controls  168 ). These steps may be annunciated by LED indicator lights (not shown) on enclosure  174  of heating module  102 . A second on-off control  176  ( FIGS. 1A and 1B ) may be provided. Redundancy of first and second on-off controls  164  and  176  helps prevent unintended operation of heating element  108 . 
     Thus there has been presented a versatile vapor generator  100  usable in three ways. First, vapor generator  100  may be utilized as a smoking or vaping pipe in its self-contained form. Secondly, heating module  102  may be utilized with a separate smoking pipe  106 , where the user prefers to use his or her own pipe. Finally, under full or high heat output, the heating module  102  of vapor generator  100  may be utilized to ignite a cigarette or the like. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible.