Patent Publication Number: US-2020281272-A1

Title: Permeable element based vaporization process and device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/860,641 filed Jan. 2, 2018 entitled “Permeable Element Based Vaporization Process and Device,” which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/543,316 filed Aug. 9, 2017 entitled “Vaporization Device and Process,” and U.S. Provisional Application 62/593,141 filed Nov. 30, 2017 also entitled “Vaporization Device and Process,”, which are both incorporated herein by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The overall field of invention is devices and methods for vaporization of liquids and solids. 
     BACKGROUND 
       Cannabis  and tobacco have long been used recreationally and medicinally, with smoking being the traditional and prevalent means for consumption of both. A variety of other means for consumption currently exist, while new consumption means are continually being developed. 
     Vaporization has gained prevalence as a means for consumption. Vaporization differs from smoking in that the  cannabis  or tobacco, extracts thereof, or synthesized nicotine or cannabinoid concentrates are merely heated to the point of vaporization, rather than combusted. Vaporization ideally produces an inhalable vapor without producing smoke. Vaporization is a highly controllable process, wherein the amount of heating applied to either the plant or concentrate can be controlled precisely, and the size of the resulting dose of medicament is much more predictable than the size of a dose taken through smoking. Vaporization differs from smoking in that the raw plant or concentrate is heated to a temperature high enough to volatilize the medicament into vapor but low enough to avoid combustion. Combustion products and byproducts, such as smoke and NO x , may be undesirable for consumption for a variety of reasons, including health effects and flavor preference. Vaporization optimally produces no smoke and the vapor will exhibit a complete absence of any associated burnt flavor. 
     Vaporizers adapted for use with concentrate typically rely on an ohmic resistive heating element that is either proximal to or in direct contact with the concentrate to be vaporized. Although the temperature and heat output of the heating element is controllable to some degree and is generally calibrated for a desired vapor production, the design inherently produces uneven heating of concentrate. This uneven heating creates some degree of micro localized concentrate burning with resulting smoke and associated burnt flavor. The presence of a burnt flavor can be exacerbated through improper vaporizer operation. Because smoke and burnt flavors are dominant and difficult to mask, even very small degrees of localized burning can produce a persistent burnt flavor. 
     A need exists for a vaporizer that is substantially resistant to producing smoke or any accompanying burnt flavor. 
     SUMMARY 
     The object of the present invention is to provide an improved concentrate vaporization method that is resistant to localized concentrate burning and an associated vaporizer device adapted for performing said method. 
     The present invention is a method for vaporizing concentrate that will substantially eliminate general or localized burning of concentrate during the vaporization process and a device adapted for carrying out said method. The vaporization method is based on heating concentrate that has been absorbed into a frit, preferably a fritted glass. Fritted glass is characterized by open-pore interstices that allow free passage of fluid through the frit. It is commonly used as a filtering element, particularly in high-temperature applications. It was discovered that concentrate placed in contact with fritted glass is absorbed through capillary action. Although room temperature concentrate may not readily seep fully into fritted glass, as concentrate is heated its viscosity is reduced such that it is readily absorbed by the fritted glass. While glass frits are preferred, other non-porous, heat resistance materials, such as stainless steel, may be substituted for glass. Intrinsically porous materials, such as ceramic are undesirable in this application, as it introduces uncontrolled pore sizes and geometrics, which result in microscopic localized burning. 
     Frits have unusual thermal properties stemming from a combination of extremely high surface area relative to volume, permeability, porosity, high internal thermal resistivity due to relatively low conductive area between the individual sintered components that together comprise the frit. Frits differ from other porous solid filters in that they are formed by sintering process in which a plurality of discrete particles is fused through application of heat and pressure. Unexpectedly, when a frit has absorbed concentrate, the frit may be directly exposed to heat sources, including flame or radiant heat, and concentrate contained within the frit will be heated sufficiently to vaporize, but insufficiently to cause any substantial localized burning. Additionally, frits are themselves filters, and micron filter frits, when used in this application, provide the particulate filtration that further improves the quality of produced vapor over traditional vaporization methods. 
     The invented method of vaporization is therefore to cause a frit to absorb concentrate, to heat said frit and contained concentrate sufficiently to produce vapor while producing extremely limited localized burning to the extent that any associated burnt flavor would be essentially undetectable by the human palate, and to evacuate said vapor. 
     The invented device is a vaporizer specially adapted to carry out the invented method. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a flow diagram of the method, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows an isometric view of the vaporizer, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows front and section views of the atomizer, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows front and section views of the atomizer and a detail view of the frit and proximal components, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows front and section views of an alternative embodiment of the atomizer and a detail view of the frit and proximal components. 
         FIG. 6  shows perspective, front and section views of an alternative embodiment of the frit having an embedded heating element. 
     
    
    
     DEFINITIONS 
     Vapor: Gaseous or suspended liquid condensate suitable for inhalation. 
     Vaporize: to produce vapor from a liquid or solid. 
     Vaporizer: Device used to vaporize. 
     Sinter: To fuse constituent solid components into a single solid component through application of heat and pressure. 
     Glass: any solid comprised mostly of vitreous silica. 
     Quartz glass: glass comprised of chemically pure vitreous silica. 
     Frit: Permeable vaporization element such as sintered glass or filter of any intrinsically non-porous and heat resistant composition (for example, stainless steel) that is substituted where a frit of glass may otherwise have been used. 
     Concentrate: Formulation of extracted active ingredients from  Cannabis  or Tobacco, including cannabinoids such as THC or CBD, alkaloids such as nicotine, or other medicinal or psychoactive compounds, or synthetic versions thereof. Generically, this includes cannabinoid extracts such as oil, wax, budder, shatter, and similar products, as well as nicotine products such as e-juice and similar products. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the Summary above, Detailed Description, claims below, and accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used—to the extent possible—in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally. 
     The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, steps, etc. are optionally present. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B, and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but also contain one or more other components. 
     Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility). 
     The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range including that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range, including that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number),” this means a range whose limits include both numbers. For example, “25 to 100” means a range whose lower limit is 25 and upper limit is 100, and includes both 25 and 100. Further, in the context of the present disclosure, the terms “frit”, “frit filter”, etc are interchangeably used but should be considered to indentify the similar items. Likewise, the terms such as “heat source”, “heating element”, etc are interchangeably used to and should be considered to identify similar items. 
       FIG. 1  shows a flow diagram of the invented method, comprised of four steps. 
     Step 1: Apply concentrate to a frit. In the preferred method, said frit is a fritted glass. 
     Step 2: Allow concentrate to absorb into interstices of said frit, preferably through application of heat to said concentrate and frit. In the preferred method, heat is applied via radiant heating from a proximal ohmic resistive heating element. In alternative methods, other heat sources may be used including flame or high-temperature air or other gas. 
     Step 3: Continue heat application to induce vaporization of said concentrate to produce a vapor. 
     Step 4: Evacuate said vapor. 
       FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the vaporizer, which is adapted for performing the invented method. The vaporizer  100  is comprised of an atomizer  102  that engages to a battery  110  adapted to supply electrical current to the atomizer  102 . 
       FIG. 3  is a front view and section view of the atomizer  102 . The atomizer is comprised of a concentrate reservoir volume  210  capable of containing some volume of concentrate, a concentrate vaporization assembly consisting of a frit filter  220  and a heat source or heating element  240  configured proximal to the frit  220 , a supply port  230  through which concentrate may flow from the reservoir volume  210  to the frit  220 , and a vapor collection and discharge assembly consisting of a vapor accumulation chamber  245  and a vapor evacuation channel  250 . 
       FIG. 4  shows front and section views of the atomizer and a detail view of the frit  220  and proximal components. In the preferred embodiment, the supply ports  230  are positioned such that concentrate freely flows to a concentrate preheating chamber  270 . In the preferred embodiment, the preheating chamber  270  is a cylindrical reservoir volume formed by the frit  220  on its lower face, and the heating element  240  at its upper face. When the heat source  240  is operated, concentrate contained within the preheating chamber  270  will increase in temperature with a resulting reduction in viscosity. The reduced viscosity allows the concentrate to be readily absorbed into the interstices of the frit  220 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an alternative embodiment of the atomizer. In this embodiment, the heating element  240  is a helical resistive element that is positioned proximally and coaxially with the frit  220 . In the embodiment, the supply port  230  is in direct fluid communication with the frit  220 . As concentrate is vaporized, it vaporized concentrate accumulates at the vapor accumulation chamber  245  (volume below the frit&#39;s lower surface  280 ) and evacuated through the evacuation channel  250 , concentrate will flow from the reservoir volume  210  into the frit  220  until the frit  220  is resaturated with concentrate. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the heating source  240  is an ohmic heating element, which produces heat when electrical current is supplied by the battery  110 . In the preferred embodiment, the heating element  240  is a coil, captured by a glass plate  260 . In alternative embodiments, the heating element  240  may be potted, freely exposed within the preheating chamber  270 , embedded within the preheating chamber  270  walls, embedded within the frit  220 , or otherwise positioned proximal to or in contact with the frit  220  such that heat output from the heating element  240  is transferred to the frit  220 . In an embodiment, the frit  220  is in the form of a hollow cylinder (as shown in  FIG. 6 ) or other prismatic toroid. Fritted glass bodies are less susceptible to microscopic and macroscopic damage when a minimum feature radius is observed. In an embodiment, the fritted glass has a minimum feature radius of 1 mm. In alternative embodiments, the heat source  240  may be a flame or other heat source. The heating element  240  in the preferred embodiment is operable by a user through user control of the electrical current. In the preferred embodiment, the attached battery  110  will control current to the heat source  240 , typically through a switch, in order to supply electrical current to the heating element  240 . The heating element  240  will produce heat, which is transferred to the frit  220  and any absorbed concentrate. The heated concentrate will vaporize. Vaporized concentrate will freely flow through the frit  220  and exit through the frit&#39;s lower surface  280  and accumulate into the vapor accumulation chamber  245  and then get evacuated through the the evacuation channel  250  which is in fluid communication with the vapor accumulation chamber  245 . The resulting vapor may be evacuated from the device  100  through the evacuation channel  250  by means of application of a pressure differential, said pressure differential typically produced by a user inhaling through the evacuation channel  250  at the egress port  290 . 
     As concentrate contained within the frit  220  is vaporized, gravity and capillary action will cause concentrate to flow from the concentrate reservoir  210  through the supply port  230  to resaturate the frit  220 . Resaturation is aided by preheating concentrate contained in the preheating chamber  270 . Resaturation of the frit  220  is further aided by the arrangement of the heating element  240 , the preheating chamber  270 , and the frit  210 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a perspective, front and section views of an alternative embodiment of the frit having an embedded heating element. In the embodiment, the frit  220  is generally cylindrical in shape and is hollow inside. The heating element  240  has leads  242  that, when connected to the cathode and anode of a battery (such as the battery  110 ) form an electrical circuit. The heating element  240  is embedded within the volume of the frit  220 . 
     Preferred Method of Use 
     In the preferred method of use, the concentrate is of sufficiently low viscosity that it will readily flow toward gravity. The heating element  240  is activated by user control of a switch on the battery  110 , which will cause concentrate contained within the frit  220  to vaporize, and the user will inhale resulting vapor by inhaling at the egress port  290  of the evacuation channel  250 . 
     While preferred and alternate embodiments have been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope is not limited by the disclosure of these preferred and alternate embodiments. Instead, the scope of the present disclosure is to be determined entirely by reference to the claims. Insofar as the description above and the accompanying drawings (if any) disclose any additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the claims below, the inventions are not dedicated to the public and Applicant hereby reserves the right to file one or more applications to claim such additional inventions. 
     The reader&#39;s attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference. 
     All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
     Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35. U.S.C. § 112 ¶6. In particular, the use of “step of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of U.S.C. § 112 ¶916.