CN113194769A

CN113194769A - Evaporator device

Info

Publication number: CN113194769A
Application number: CN201980083630.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·阿特金斯; M·P·贝尔特; B·张; S·克里斯滕森; D·E·恩特利斯; K·洛梅利; M·J·马洛尼; C·欧玛丽; Z·T·斯科特; N·B·沙阿
Original assignee: Ur Laboratory Co ltd
Current assignee: Ur Laboratory Co ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-18
Filing date: 2019-12-18
Publication date: 2021-07-30
Also published as: JP2022515121A; CA3121640A1; EP3897254A1; KR20210102972A; WO2020132127A1

Abstract

An evaporator can include an evaporator body configured for coupling with an evaporator cartridge containing a vaporizable material. The vaporizer body can include a first power source configured to discharge current to the heating element to cause vaporization of at least a portion of the vaporizable material contained in the vaporizer cartridge by at least increasing the temperature of the heating element. The evaporator is configured to be charged in reverse with a device, wherein a first power source of the evaporator charges or is charged by a second power source at the device. Various embodiments of an evaporator cartridge are provided.

Description

Evaporator device

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/781587, filed 2018, 12, month 18, entitled "evaporator unit," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The subject matter described herein relates to an evaporator device comprising a disposable evaporator cartridge.

Background

Vaporizer devices, which may also be referred to as vaporizers, electronic vaporizer devices, or e-vaporizer devices, may be used to deliver an aerosol (or "vapor") containing one or more active ingredients by inhalation of the aerosol by a user of the vaporizer device. For example, an electronic cigarette, also known as an e-cigarette, is a type of vaporizer device, typically battery powered, that can be used to simulate the smoking experience, but does not burn tobacco or other substances.

In use of the vaporizer apparatus, a user inhales an aerosol, colloquially referred to as a "vapor," which may be generated by a heating element that vaporizes (generally referring to at least partially converting a liquid or solid to a vapor phase) a vaporizable material, which may be a liquid, a solution, a solid, a wax, or any other form that is compatible with use of the particular vaporizer apparatus. The vaporizable material used with the vaporizer can be provided in a cartridge (e.g., a portion of the vaporizer containing the vaporizable material in a hopper) that includes a mouthpiece (for inhalation by a user).

To receive the inhalable aerosol generated by the vaporizer device, in some examples, the user may activate the vaporizer device by inhaling, pressing a button, and/or by some other method. As that term is commonly used and also used herein, inhalation refers to the inhalation of a user drawing a volume of air into the vaporizer apparatus in a manner such that an inhalable aerosol is produced from the vaporized vaporizable material in combination with the air.

A typical method of a vaporizer device to generate an inhalable aerosol from a vaporizable material involves heating the vaporizable material in a vaporization chamber (or heater chamber) to convert the vaporizable material into a gas (or vapor) phase. A vaporization chamber refers to a region or volume within a vaporizer device in which a heat source (e.g., a conductive heat source, a convective heat source, and/or a radiant heat source) heats a vaporizable material to produce a mixture of air and vaporized material to form a vapor for inhalation by a user of the vaporizer device.

In some vaporizer device embodiments, the vaporizable material can be withdrawn from the reservoir and into the vaporization chamber by a wicking element (wick). This drawing of the vaporizable material into the vaporization chamber is due, at least in part, to the capillary action provided by the wick, which pulls the vaporizable material in a direction along the wick toward the vaporization chamber. However, as the vaporizable material is withdrawn from the reservoir, the pressure within the reservoir decreases, thereby creating a vacuum that acts against capillary action. This can reduce the effectiveness of the wick in drawing the vaporizable material into the vaporization chamber, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the vaporizer device in vaporizing the desired amount of vaporizable material, such as when a user inhales on the vaporizer device. Furthermore, the vacuum created in the hopper eventually results in the inability to draw all of the vaporizable material into the vaporization chamber, thereby wasting the vaporizable material. Accordingly, there is a need for improved evaporation devices and/or evaporation cartridges that ameliorate or overcome these problems.

The term vaporizer device as used herein in accordance with the present subject matter generally refers to a portable, self-contained device that is convenient for personal use. Typically, such devices are controlled by one or more switches, buttons, touch-sensitive devices or other user input functions or the like (which may be generally referred to as controls) on the vaporizer, although it has recently emerged that many devices can wirelessly communicate with external controllers (e.g., smartphones, smartwatches, other wearable electronic devices, etc.). In this context, control generally refers to the ability to affect one or more of various operating parameters, which may include, but is not limited to, turning a heater on and/or off, adjusting the minimum and/or maximum temperature to which the heater is heated during operation, various gaming or other interactive functions that a user may access on the device, and/or any of a variety of other operating conditions.

Various vaporizable materials having multiple contents and multiple proportions of such contents can be included in the cartridge. For example, certain vaporizable materials can have a small percentage of active ingredient based on the total volume of the vaporizable material, e.g., due to regulations requiring a certain percentage of active ingredient. Thus, a user may need to vaporize a large amount of vaporizable material (e.g., as compared to the total volume of vaporizable material stored in the cartridge) to achieve a desired effect.

Disclosure of Invention

In certain aspects of the present subject matter, challenges associated with charging an electronic vaporiser arrangement without a charging arrangement may be addressed by including one or more features described herein or comparable/equivalent methods as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Aspects of the present subject matter relate to devices, methods, and systems for reverse charging an evaporator device.

In one aspect, an evaporator is provided. The vaporizer can include a vaporizer body configured to couple with a vaporizer cartridge containing a vaporizable material. The vaporizer body can include a first power source configured to discharge current to the heating element to cause vaporization of at least a portion of the vaporizable material contained in the vaporizer cartridge by at least increasing the temperature of the heating element. The evaporator may be configured to be oppositely charged from a device, wherein the first power source of the evaporator charges or is charged by a second power source at the device.

In some variations, one or more of the features disclosed herein, including the following features, may optionally be included in any feasible combination. The device may be another evaporator or a mobile device.

In some variations, the evaporator may be configured to reverse charge in response to a pairing established between the evaporator and the device. The pairing can be established based on at least one of a first identification of the vaporizer, a second identification of the device, or a third identification of a user associated with the vaporizer and/or the device. The pairing may be established by another device connected to the evaporator and/or the device.

In some variations, the evaporator may be configured to reverse charge in response to the evaporator being less than a threshold distance from the device.

In some variations, the evaporator may be configured to reverse charge in response to the evaporator being designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging. In response to the evaporator being in the first orientation, the evaporator may be designated as a provider in reverse charging. Responsive to the evaporator being in the second orientation, the evaporator may be designated as a recipient in reverse charging. The evaporator body can also include one or more sensors for detecting when the evaporator is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

In some variations, the evaporator may be further configured to be coupled with another device. In response to one or more inputs received at another device, the evaporator may be designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

In some variations, the vaporizer body may further comprise an output device configured to generate at least one of a visual output, an audio output, or a tactile output corresponding to the vaporizer being designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

In some variations, a threshold amount of charge may be delivered between the evaporator and the device undergoing reverse charging. The threshold amount of charge may be determined based at least on a first amount of charge available or required at the evaporator. The threshold amount of charge may be determined based at least on a second amount of charge available or required at the device.

In some variations, the evaporator and the device may be reverse charged through one or more electrical contacts coupling the evaporator and the device.

In some variations, the evaporator and device may be reverse charged by wireless inductive charging.

In some variations, the evaporator and the device may be charged in reverse with the other device. Reverse charging may include the other device receiving charge from one of the evaporator and the device. The reverse charging may further include another device to deliver the first portion of the charge to the other of the evaporator and the device. The reverse charging may also include the other device storing a second portion of the charge on the other device.

In some variations, the evaporator body can further include a converter circuit configured to adjust an output voltage of the first power source at the evaporator based at least on an input voltage of the second power source at the device.

In another aspect, a reverse charging method is provided. The method can include a reverse charge evaporator including an evaporator body configured to couple with an evaporator cartridge containing an evaporable material. The vaporizer body can include a first power source configured to discharge current to the heating element to cause vaporization of at least a portion of the vaporizable material contained in the vaporizer cartridge by at least increasing the temperature of the heating element. The reverse charging of the evaporator may include the first power source of the evaporator charging or being charged by a second power source at the device.

In some variations, the method may further include reverse charging in response to establishing a pairing between the evaporator and the device. The pairing can be established based on at least one of a first identification of the vaporizer, a second identification of the device, or a third identification of a user associated with the vaporizer and/or the device. The pairing may be established by another device connected to the evaporator and/or the device.

In some variations, the method may further include performing a reverse charge in response to a distance between the evaporator and the device being less than a threshold distance.

In some variations, the method may further include reverse charging in response to the evaporator being designated as a provider or recipient in the reverse charging. In response to the evaporator being in the first orientation, the evaporator may be designated as a provider in reverse charging. Responsive to the evaporator being in the second orientation, the evaporator may be designated as a recipient in reverse charging. The evaporator body can also include one or more sensors for detecting when the evaporator is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

In some variations, the method may further include receiving one or more inputs from another device coupled with the evaporator. In response to one or more inputs received at another device, the evaporator may be designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

In some variations, the method may further include generating, by an output device at the vaporizer, at least one of a visual output, an audio output, or a tactile output corresponding to the designation of the vaporizer as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

In some variations, the method may further include delivering a threshold amount of charge between the evaporator and the device undergoing reverse charging. The threshold amount of charge may be determined based at least on a first amount of charge available or required at the evaporator. The threshold amount of charge may be determined based at least on a second amount of charge available or required at the device.

In some variations, the evaporator and the device may be charged in reverse with the other device. Reverse charging may include the other device receiving charge from one of the evaporator and the device. The reverse charging may further comprise another device to deliver the first portion of the charge to the other of the other evaporator and the device. The reverse charging may also include the other device storing a second portion of the charge at the other device.

In some variations, the method may further include adjusting, by a converter circuit at the evaporator, an output voltage of the first power source at the evaporator based at least on an input voltage of the second power source at the device.

In another aspect, a system for reverse charging is provided. The system may include a device and an evaporator. The vaporizer includes a vaporizer body configured to couple with a vaporizer cartridge containing a vaporizable material. The vaporizer body can include a first power source configured to discharge current to the heating element to cause vaporization of at least a portion of the vaporizable material contained in the vaporizer cartridge by at least increasing the temperature of the heating element. The evaporator may be configured to be oppositely charged from a device, wherein a first power source of the evaporator charges or is charged by a second power source at the device.

In some variations, the method may further include reverse charging in response to establishing a pairing between the evaporator and the device. The pairing can be established based on at least one of a first identification of the vaporizer, a second identification of the device, or a third identification of a user associated with the vaporizer and/or the device. The pairing may be established by another device coupled with the evaporator and/or the device.

In some variations, the evaporator and the device may be charged in reverse with the other device. Reverse charging may include the other device receiving charge from one of the evaporator and the device. The reverse charging may further include another device to deliver a first portion of the charge to the other of the evaporator and the device. The reverse charging may also include the other device storing a second portion of the charge at the other device.

The details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, serve to explain some principles associated with the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings:

FIG. 1A depicts a block diagram showing an example of an evaporator consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 1B depicts a top view of an example evaporator consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter;

FIG. 2A depicts a perspective view of an example evaporator consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter;

FIG. 2B depicts another perspective view of an evaporator consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter;

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram showing another example of an evaporator consistent with an alternative embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 4A depicts a cross-section of a mouthpiece that includes an example of an air channel, consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 4B depicts a cross-section of a mouthpiece that includes another example of an air channel, consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 4C depicts a cross-section of a mouthpiece that includes another example of an air channel, consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 4D depicts a cross-section of a nozzle consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter, the nozzle including another example of an air channel;

FIG. 5 depicts a block diagram illustrating one example of an evaporator having an electrical and mechanical connection between an evaporator body and an evaporator cartridge consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter;

FIG. 6A depicts an example of power sharing among multiple evaporators consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 6B depicts another example of power sharing among multiple evaporators consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 7A depicts another example of power sharing among multiple evaporators consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 7B depicts another example of power sharing among multiple evaporators consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter; and

fig. 8 depicts a perspective view of an example of a charge delivery hub consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

In practice, like reference numerals refer to like structures, features or elements.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present subject matter include devices associated with vaporizing one or more materials for inhalation by a user. The term "evaporator" is used in the following description to refer generally to an evaporator device. Examples of vaporizers consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter include electronic vaporizers, electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and the like. Such vaporizers are typically portable, hand-held devices that heat a vaporizable material to provide an inhalable dose of the material.

The vaporizable material used with the vaporizer can optionally be provided in a cartridge (e.g., a portion of the vaporizer that contains the vaporizable material in its hopper or other receptacle, can be refilled when empty, or is disposable to favor a new cartridge containing additional vaporizable material of the same or a different type). The evaporator may be a cartridge-using evaporator, a non-cartridge evaporator, or a multi-purpose evaporator that can be used with or without a cartridge. For example, the multi-purpose vaporizer may include a heating chamber (e.g., an oven) configured to receive vaporizable material directly in the heating chamber, and also to receive a cartridge or other alternative device having a hopper, volume, or the like that at least partially contains a useable amount of vaporizable material.

In various embodiments of the present subject matter, the vaporizer can be configured for use with vaporizable materials (e.g., a carrier solution in which active and/or inactive ingredients are suspended or held in solution or a pure liquid form of the vaporizable material itself) or solid vaporizable materials. The solid vaporizable material can include plant material that discharges a portion of the plant material as vaporizable material (e.g., such that a portion of the plant material remains as waste after the vaporizable material is discharged for inhalation by a user) or alternatively the vaporizable material itself can be in solid form (e.g., "wax"), such that all of the solid material can eventually be vaporized for inhalation. The vaporizable material can also be completely vaporized or can include a portion of the liquid material that remains after all of the material suitable for inhalation is consumed.

Referring to the block diagram of fig. 1A and the side view of fig. 1B, the vaporizer 100 generally includes a power source 112 (e.g., a battery, which may be a rechargeable battery) and a controller 104 (e.g., a processor, circuitry, etc., which may execute logic), the controller 104 for controlling the delivery of heat to the atomizer 141 to convert the vaporizable material from a condensed form (e.g., a solid, a liquid, a solution, a suspension, a portion of at least a portion of raw plant material, etc.) to a vapor phase. Controller 104 may be part of one or more Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) consistent with certain implementations of the present subject matter.

After the vaporizable material is converted to the vapor phase, and depending on the type of vaporizer, the physical and chemical properties of the vaporizable material, and/or other factors, at least some of the vapor phase vaporizable material may condense into particulate matter that is at least partially in equilibrium with the vapor phase as part of an aerosol, which may form part or all of the inhalable dose provided by vaporizer 100 for a given inhalation or draw performed on the vaporizer. It will be appreciated that the interaction between the gas phase and the condensed phase in the aerosol produced by the vaporizer can be complex and dynamic, as for example ambient temperature, relative humidity, chemistry, flow conditions in the airflow path (whether inside the vaporizer or in the airways of a human or other animal), mixing of the gas or aerosol phase vaporizable material with other airflow, and the like can affect one or more physical parameters of the aerosol. In some vaporizers, particularly those used to deliver more volatile vaporizable materials, the inhalable dose may exist primarily in the gas phase (i.e., formation of condensed phase particles may be very limited).

Vaporizers for vaporizable materials (e.g., pure liquids, suspensions, solutions, mixtures, etc.) typically include a vaporizer 141 in which a wicking element (also referred to herein as a wick (not shown in fig. 1A or 1B), which may include any material capable of causing fluid movement by capillary pressure) delivers a quantity of vaporizable material into a portion of the vaporizer 141 that includes a heating element (also not shown in fig. 1A or 1B). The wicking element is typically configured to draw the vaporizable material from a reservoir configured to contain (and possibly contain in use) the vaporizable material so that the vaporizable material can be vaporized by heat delivered from the heating element. The wicking element may also optionally allow air into the reservoir to replace the volume of liquid removed. In other words, capillary action pulls the vaporizable material into the wick for vaporization by the heating element (as described below), and in certain embodiments of the present subject matter, air can be returned to the reservoir through the wick to at least partially equalize the pressure in the reservoir. Other methods of allowing air to return to the hopper to equalize the pressure are also within the scope of the present subject matter.

The heating element may be or include one or more of a conduction heater, a radiant heater, and a convection heater. One type of heating element is a resistive heating element, which may be constructed of or at least include a material (e.g., a metal or alloy, such as nichrome or non-metallic resistor) configured to dissipate electrical energy in the form of heat when current is passed through one or more resistive segments of the heating element. In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the atomizer may include a heating element comprising a resistive coil or other heating element wound around the wicking element, positioned within the wicking element, integrated in the body shape of the wicking element, pressed into thermal contact with the wicking element, or otherwise arranged to transfer heat to the wicking element such that vaporizable material drawn by the wicking element from the reservoir is vaporized for subsequent inhalation by a user in a gas phase and/or a condensed phase (e.g., aerosol particles or droplets). Other configurations of the wicking element, heating element, and/or atomizer assembly are possible, as discussed further below.

Certain vaporizers can also or alternatively be configured to generate an inhalable dose of a vapor phase and/or aerosol phase vaporizable material by heating a non-vaporizable material, such as a solid phase vaporizable material (e.g., wax, etc.) or plant material containing a vaporizable material (e.g., tobacco leaf and/or a portion of tobacco leaf). In such evaporators, the resistive heating element can be part of, or otherwise associated with, or in thermal contact with the wall of an oven or other heating chamber in which the non-vaporizable material is placed. Alternatively, one or more resistive heating elements may be used to heat air passing through or over the non-vaporizable material, causing convective heating of the non-vaporizable material. In other examples, one or more resistive heating elements may be arranged in intimate contact with the plant material such that direct conductive heating of the plant material occurs inside the block of plant material (e.g., as opposed to solely conduction inwardly through the oven walls).

As a user inhales (e.g., sucks, etc.) on the mouthpiece 130 of the vaporizer, causing air to flow from the air inlet along an air flow path through the atomizer (e.g., wicking element and heating element), optionally through one or more condensation regions or chambers, to an air outlet in the mouthpiece, the heating element may be activated (e.g., a controller, which optionally is part of the vaporizer body as described below, may cause an electrical current to flow from a power source through an electrical circuit including a resistive heating element, which optionally is part of the vaporizer cartridge as described below). The incoming air passing along the airflow path passes over or through the atomizer where the vapor phase vaporizable material is entrained into the air. As described above, entrained vapor phase vaporizable material may condense as it passes through the remaining airflow path, such that a respirable dose of vaporizable material in aerosol form may be delivered from the air outlet (e.g., in the mouthpiece 130 for inhalation by a user).

In response to detecting a user interaction with one or more input devices 116 (e.g., buttons or other tactile control devices of the vaporizer 100), receiving a signal from a computing device in communication with the vaporizer, and/or determining via other methods that an inhalation is occurring or is about to occur, the heating element may be caused to be activated by automatically detecting an inhalation based on one or more signals generated by one or more sensors 113 (e.g., one or more pressure sensors arranged to detect pressure (or, optionally, measure changes in absolute pressure) relative to ambient pressure along an airflow path, one or more motion sensors of the vaporizer, one or more flow sensors of the vaporizer, a capacitive lip sensor of the vaporizer).

As implied by the preceding paragraph, a vaporizer consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter may be configured to connect (e.g., wirelessly or via a wired connection) to a computing device (or optionally two or more devices) in communication with the vaporizer. To this end, the controller 104 may include communication hardware 105. The controller 104 may also include a memory 108. The computing device may be a component of the evaporator system that also includes the evaporator 100 and may include its own communication hardware that can establish a wireless communication channel with the communication hardware 105 of the evaporator 100. For example, a computing device used as part of the vaporizer system may comprise a general purpose computing device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, some other portable device such as a smartwatch, etc.) that executes software to generate a user interface that enables a user to interact with the vaporizer. In other embodiments of the present subject matter, such devices used as part of the vaporizer system may be dedicated hardware, such as a remote control or a wireless or wired device with one or more physical or soft (i.e., configurable on a screen or other display device and selectable by user interaction with a touch screen or some other input device such as a mouse, pointer, trackball, cursor buttons, etc.) interactive controls. Vaporizer 100 may also include one or more output 117 features and/or devices for providing information to a user. For example, one or more output 117 features and/or devices may provide visual output (e.g., various colored Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)), audio output, tactile output (e.g., vibration), and/or the like.

In some implementations of the present subject matter, one or more of the output 117 features and/or devices can include a Light Emitting Diode (LED) and/or a haptic. For example, the vaporizer 100 may provide tactile feedback in addition to or in lieu of visual feedback, such as various colored Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Haptics may be included with or in place of light emitting diodes.

Where one or more output 117 features and/or devices include haptics, haptic feedback may be used to convey various information. For example, the vaporizer 100 can provide tactile feedback in response to signals received from one or more components of the vaporizer 100 and/or devices connected to the vaporizer 100, including, for example, pressure sensors, voltage sensors, motion sensors, accelerometers, geo-location devices, capacitive lip sensors, and the like. Accordingly, the vaporizer 100 may provide one or more tactile feedbacks in response to the vaporizer 100 being placed in the user's mouth and/or in the user's hand. The vaporizer 100 may also provide one or more tactile feedbacks in response to detecting an inhalation and/or a threshold amount of inhalation (e.g., within a set period of time). Alternatively and/or additionally, vaporizer 100 may provide one or more tactile feedback in response to insertion of a cartridge (e.g., cartridge 120) and/or one or more characteristics of a cartridge corresponding to insertion of vaporizer 100 (e.g., flavor, volume of vaporizable material remaining in a cartridge, etc.). The one or more tactile feedbacks may be used to communicate battery power, session data, status of the vaporizer 100 (e.g., locked, unlocked, etc.), pairing status with other devices (e.g., bluetooth pairing), and the like. The one or more output 117 features and/or devices may be configured to provide any form of tactile feedback of user interaction with the vaporizer 100 by application of one or more forces, vibrations, motions, or the like.

The computing device that is part of the vaporizer system described above may be used for any of one or more functions, such as controlling dosage (e.g., dose monitoring, dose setting, dose limiting, user tracking, etc.), controlling sessions (e.g., session monitoring, session setting, session limiting, user tracking, etc.), controlling nicotine delivery (e.g., switching between nicotine and non-nicotine vaporizable material, adjusting the amount of nicotine delivered, etc.), obtaining location information (e.g., location of other users, location of retailer/business, vaporization location, relative or absolute location of vaporizer itself, etc.), vaporizer personalization (e.g., naming vaporizer, locking/password protecting vaporizer, adjusting one or more parental controls, associating vaporizer with user group, registering vaporizer with manufacturer or warranty maintenance organization, etc.), etc.) Participate in social activities with other users (e.g., games, social media communications, interacting with one or more groups, etc.), and so forth. The terms "in session", "vaporizer session" or "vapor session" are generally used to refer to a dedicated period of time for a vaporizer. The period may include a period of time, a number of doses, an amount of vaporizable material, and the like.

In examples where the computing device provides signals related to activation of the resistive heating element, or in other examples where the computing device is coupled with a vaporizer to implement various controls or other functions, the computing device executes one or more sets of computer instructions to provide a user interface and underlying data processing. In one example, detection by the computing device of user interaction with one or more user interface elements may cause the computing device to send a signal to vaporizer 100 to activate a heating element, or to reach a full operating temperature to generate an inhalable dose of vapor/aerosol. Other functions of the vaporizer may be controlled by user interaction with a user interface on a computing device that is in communication with the vaporizer.

The temperature of the resistive heating element of the evaporator can depend on a number of factors, including the amount of electrical power delivered to the resistive heating element and/or the duty cycle of the delivered electrical power, the conductive heat transferred to other components of the electronic evaporator and/or the environment, the latent heat loss due to evaporation of the vaporizable material as a whole from the wicking element and/or the atomizer, and the convective heat loss due to airflow (e.g., air passing through the heating element or the atomizer as a whole when a user inhales on the electronic evaporator). As described above, to reliably activate or heat the heating element to a desired temperature, in some embodiments of the present subject matter, the vaporizer may utilize a signal from a pressure sensor to determine when a user is inhaling. The pressure sensor may be positioned in the airflow channel and/or connected (e.g., by a channel or other path) to an airflow path connecting an inlet for air to the device and an outlet through which a user inhales the generated vapor and/or aerosol such that the pressure sensor experiences a pressure change simultaneously with the passage of air through the evaporator device from the air inlet to the air outlet. In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the heating element may be activated in association with a user inhalation, for example by automatically detecting an inhalation, for example by detecting a pressure change in the airflow path by a pressure sensor.

In general, the pressure sensor (as well as any other sensors 113) may be located on the controller 104 (e.g., a printed circuit board assembly or other type of circuit board) or connected (e.g., electrically or electronically, physically or via a wireless connection) to the controller 104. In order to accurately measure and maintain the durability of the evaporator, it is beneficial to provide a resilient seal 150 to separate the airflow path from the rest of the evaporator. The seal 150 may be a gasket configured to at least partially surround the pressure sensor such that the connection of the pressure sensor to the evaporator internal circuitry is separate from a portion of the pressure sensor exposed to the airflow path. In the case of a cartridge evaporator, for example, seal 150 may also separate portions of one or more electrical connections between evaporator body 110 and evaporator cartridge 120. This arrangement of the seal 150 in the evaporator 100 helps to mitigate potentially damaging effects on evaporator components due to interaction with environmental factors (e.g., moisture in the vapor or liquid phase, other fluids such as vaporizable materials, etc.) and/or to reduce air escape from designed airflow paths in the evaporator. Unwanted air, liquid, or other fluid passing through and/or contacting the evaporator circuit may have various adverse consequences such as changing pressure readings, and/or may cause unwanted material (e.g., moisture, vaporizable material, etc.) to accumulate in the evaporator components, where it may cause poor pressure signals, degradation of the pressure sensor or other components, and/or reduced evaporator life. Leaks in the seal 150 may also cause a user to inhale air through components of the evaporator apparatus that contain or are constructed of materials that may not be desirable to inhale.

One common type of vaporizer that has become popular recently includes a vaporizer body 110 that includes a controller 104, a power source 112 (e.g., a battery), one or more sensors 113, charging contacts, a seal 150, and a cartridge receptacle 118 configured to receive a vaporizer cartridge 120 for coupling with the vaporizer body by one or more of a variety of attachment structures. In some examples, vaporizer cartridge 120 includes a reservoir 140 for containing a vaporizable material and a mouthpiece 130 for delivering a respirable dose to a user. The evaporator cartridge can include an atomizer 141 having a wicking element and a heating element, or alternatively, one or both of the wicking element and the heating element can be part of the evaporator body. In embodiments where any portion of the atomizer 141 (e.g., the heating element and/or the wicking element) is part of the evaporator body, the evaporator can be configured to supply liquid evaporator material from a reservoir in the evaporator cartridge to one or more atomizer components included in the evaporator body.

A cartridge-structured vaporizer for generating an inhalable dose of a non-vaporizable material by heating the non-vaporizable material is also within the scope of the present subject matter. For example, the vaporizer cartridge may comprise a piece of plant material that is processed and formed to be in direct contact with one or more resistive heating element components, and the vaporizer cartridge may be configured to be mechanically and electrically connected to a vaporizer body that includes a processor, a power source, and electrical contacts for connecting to corresponding cartridge contacts to complete an electrical circuit with the one or more resistive heating elements.

In vaporizer 100 in which power source 112 is part of vaporizer body 110 and the heating element is disposed in vaporizer cartridge 120 (which is configured to be coupled with vaporizer body 110), vaporizer 100 may include electrical connection features (e.g., means for completing an electrical circuit) for completing an electrical circuit including controller 104 (e.g., a printed circuit board, microcontroller, etc.), power source 112, and the heating element. These features may include at least two contacts on the bottom surface of evaporator cartridge 120 (referred to herein as cartridge contacts 124) and at least two contacts disposed near the base of the cartridge receptacle of evaporator 100 (referred to herein as receptacle contacts 125) such that when evaporator cartridge 120 is inserted into and coupled with cartridge receptacle 118, cartridge contacts 124 and receptacle contacts 125 form an electrical connection. These electrically completed circuits may allow for the delivery of current to the resistive heating element and may further be used for additional functions, such as for measuring the resistance of the resistive heating element based on the thermal resistivity of the resistive heating element, for determining and/or controlling the temperature of the resistive heating element, for identifying the cartridge based on one or more electrical characteristics of the resistive heating element or another circuit of the evaporator cartridge, and the like.

In some examples of the present subject matter, the at least two cartridge contacts and the at least two receptacle contacts may be configured to electrically connect in any one of at least two orientations. In other words, one or more circuits required for operation of the vaporizer may be completed by inserting vaporizer cartridge 120 into cartridge receptacle 118 in a first rotational orientation (the rotational orientation being about an axis along which an end of the vaporizer cartridge having the cartridge is inserted into cartridge receptacle 118 of vaporizer body 110) such that a first cartridge contact 124 of the at least two cartridge contacts 124 is electrically connected to a first receptacle contact of the at least two receptacle contacts 125 and a second cartridge contact of the at least two cartridge contacts 124 is electrically connected to a second receptacle contact of the at least two receptacle contacts 125. Further, one or more circuits required for operation of the vaporizer may be completed by inserting vaporizer cartridge 120 into cartridge receptacle 118 in the second rotational orientation such that a first cartridge contact 124 of the at least two cartridge contacts 124 is electrically connected to a second receptacle contact of the at least two receptacle contacts, and a second cartridge contact of the at least two cartridge contacts 124 is electrically connected to a first receptacle contact of the at least two receptacle contacts 125. Features of cartridge receptacle 118 into which vaporizer cartridge 120 is reversibly insertable into vaporizer body 110 are described further below.

In one example of an attachment structure that couples evaporator cartridge 120 to an evaporator body, evaporator body 110 includes a detent (e.g., a depression, a protrusion, etc.) that protrudes inward from an inner surface of cartridge receptacle 118. One or more of the exterior surfaces of evaporator cartridge 120 may include corresponding recesses (not shown in fig. 1) that may mate and/or otherwise snap over the detent when one end of evaporator cartridge 120 is inserted into cartridge receptacle 118 on evaporator body 110. When evaporator cartridge 120 and evaporator body 110 are coupled (e.g., by inserting one end of evaporator cartridge 120 into cartridge receptacle 118 of evaporator body 110), a detent recessed into evaporator body 110 can be fitted and/or otherwise retained within a recess of evaporator cartridge 120 to hold evaporator cartridge 120 in place during assembly. Such a stop recess assembly may provide sufficient support to hold evaporator cartridge 120 in place to ensure good contact between at least two cartridge contacts 124 and at least two receptacle contacts 125, while allowing evaporator cartridge 120 to be released from evaporator body 110 when a user pulls evaporator cartridge 120 with an appropriate force to separate evaporator cartridge 120 from cartridge receptacle 118.

In addition to the discussion above regarding the electrical connection between the vaporizer cartridge and the vaporizer body being reversible such that at least two rotational orientations of the vaporizer cartridge in the cartridge receptacle are possible, in some vaporizers the shape of the vaporizer cartridge, or at least the shape of the end of the vaporizer cartridge configured to be inserted into the cartridge receptacle, may have at least two-order rotational symmetry. In other words, the evaporator cartridge, or at least the insertable end of the evaporator cartridge, is rotated 180 ° symmetrically about an axis along which the evaporator cartridge is inserted into the cartridge receptacle. In such a configuration, the circuitry of the evaporator can support the same operation regardless of which symmetric orientation of the evaporator cartridge occurs.

In some examples, the evaporator cartridge, or at least the end of the evaporator cartridge configured to be inserted into the cartridge receptacle, may have a non-circular cross-section transverse to the axis along which the evaporator cartridge is inserted into the cartridge receptacle. For example, the non-circular cross-section may be approximately rectangular, approximately elliptical (e.g., having an approximately oval shape), non-rectangular but have two sets of parallel or approximately parallel opposing sides (e.g., having a shape that is a parallelogram shape), or other shapes that have at least a second order rotational symmetry. In this context, approximate shapes mean that substantial similarity to the described shape is apparent, but the edges of the shape in question need not be perfectly linear and the vertices need not be perfectly sharp. In the description of any non-circular cross-section referred to herein, it is contemplated that two or either sides or vertices of the cross-sectional shape are rounded.

The at least two cartridge contacts and the at least two receptacle contacts may take various forms. For example, one or both sets of contacts may include conductive pins, tabs, posts, receiving holes for pins or posts, and the like. Some types of contacts may include springs or other features to promote better physical and electrical contact between the contacts on the evaporator cartridge and the evaporator body. The electrical contacts may optionally be gold plated and/or comprise other materials.

As shown in fig. 1B, evaporator cartridge 120 can include a hopper 140 for containing vaporizable material. Hopper 140 may include a level window 142 that displays the level or volume of vaporizable material depending on the orientation of vaporizer 100 and/or vaporizer cartridge 120. The liquid level window 142 may be formed by at least a portion of one side of the hopper 140 or may be formed by at least a portion of the hopper 140 extending from the suction nozzle 130 and may thus surround the hopper 140 such that the level or volume of vaporizable material can be viewed from almost any angle or orientation.

In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the interior and/or exterior surfaces of the hopper 140 forming the liquid level window 142 may include graphical lines, etchings, protrusions, recesses, and the like to visually indicate the measured amount or volume of vaporizable material. The interior walls of the hopper 140 that form the liquid level window 142 can be textured, which enhances the visual distinction between liquid bearing walls or surfaces and walls or surfaces that do not contact such liquids. The vaporizable material can be provided with an illuminating layer formed of a dense liquid such as a lipid or other natural or synthetic oil, wax, gel, or the like. The illuminated layer is more dense than the vaporizable material and will form a meniscus or a floating top layer. The illumination layer can provide an illumination level indication when illuminated by an illumination source to the interior space of the stocker 140. The illumination source may be disposed within the stocker 140 or may be disposed outside the stocker 140 to illuminate the interior of the stocker 140.

Fig. 2A-2B depict perspective views of an example of an evaporator 100 consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter. As shown in fig. 2A-2B, evaporator 100 can include an evaporator body 110, evaporator body 110 configured to receive and connect to an evaporator cartridge 120. Vaporizer body 110 may include a cartridge receptacle 118 defined by one or more sidewalls and an opening that forms a receiving space for at least a portion of a vaporizer cartridge 120. Evaporator cartridge 120 may include a projection at least partially defined by hopper 140 insertable into cartridge receptacle 118. Evaporator body 110 and/or evaporator cartridge 120 can include a mating mechanism, such as a latch, friction fit, gasket, one or more interlocking ridges, etc., that secures at least a portion of evaporator cartridge 120 within cartridge receptacle 118 of evaporator body 110.

The evaporator body 110 can include one or more sidewalls that define any number of shapes, which can be circular, rectangular, oval, square, or any other polygonal cross-sectional shape in cross-section. One or more of the sidewalls of the evaporator body 110 can be formed of a rigid material, such as metal, ceramic, plastic, nylon, or other rigid or semi-rigid material. The base 202 of the vaporizer body 110 (opposite the cartridge receptacle 118) may include a charging port. The charging port may include one or more electrical contacts for mating with corresponding electrical contacts of the charging platform, or the charging port may include a planar surface with an inductive charger for mating with a corresponding inductive charging platform.

In some implementations of the present subject matter, the vaporizer body 110 may include and/or contain communication hardware, such as the communication hardware 105 described above, and at least one of the one or more sidewalls of the vaporizer body 110, or portions thereof, may be made of ceramic or other non-metallic crystalline or semi-crystalline organic material (e.g., glass, etc.) for communication through the communication hardware included or contained therein.

For example, the communication hardware may include

The transceiver may be mounted anywhere within the vaporizer body 110 where at least one of the one or more sidewalls of the vaporizer body 110 is non-metallic, such as ceramic, plastic, etc., and in some cases, the vaporizer body 110 may include a band 242 proximate to the cartridge receptacle 118. The band 242 may encircle or enclose the distal end of the vaporizer body 110 near the cartridge receptacle 118. In other embodiments of the present subject matter, band 242 may be attached to, encircle, or enclose at least a portion of evaporator cartridge 120, i.e., around hopper 140 and between hopper 140 and suction nozzle 130. If made of a non-metallic material, vaporizer 100 can include communication hardware mounted near band 242, regardless of whether band 242 is coupled to vaporizer body 110 or vaporizer cartridge 120.

In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the band 242 may be made of metal, such as polished metal, and may include one or more signaling elements, such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for user interface and interaction, etc., for example, displaying light to indicate the status and/or operation of the vaporizer 100. In other embodiments of the present subject matter, one or more signal elements can be placed anywhere along the evaporator body 110, such as being integral with one or more sidewalls of the evaporator body 110. Furthermore, one or more signaling elements may be located anywhere along or within evaporator cartridge 120 and may be powered by power source 112 of the evaporator when evaporator cartridge 120 is connected to evaporator body 110.

Fig. 3 depicts a block diagram illustrating another example of an evaporator 100 consistent with an alternative embodiment of the present subject matter. Referring to fig. 3, evaporator 100 can include an evaporator body 110 that can be configured to receive and/or mate with an evaporator cartridge 120. The evaporator body 110 can include, but is not limited to, one or more of the components and features shown and/or described above with reference to fig. 1A-1B and 2A-2B. However, instead of having a cartridge receptacle, the evaporator body 110 of the example of the evaporator 100 shown in fig. 3 may include a housing 312, the housing 312 defining a proximal end face 314 with a protrusion 316 protruding or extending from the proximal end face 314. The male portion 316 may include one or more body electrical contacts 325, preferably located on a front surface of the male portion 316, but which may be located anywhere on the male portion 316. The example of evaporator cartridge 120 shown in fig. 3 can include a body receptacle 318 for receiving boss 316 and for mating or connecting with evaporator body 110 via one or more mating and/or connecting mechanisms (e.g., including those described herein).

One or more body electrical contacts 325 are sized, positioned, and configured to connect with one or more corresponding cartridge electrical contacts 324 located within body receptacle 318 of evaporator cartridge 120 for providing electrical power to atomizer 141 to evaporate vaporizable material contained in reservoir 140 of evaporator cartridge 120. Evaporator cartridge 120 may also include other electrical components, such as a communication module or transceiver, one or more sensors such as a pressure sensor, a voltage sensor, a motion sensor or accelerometer, a geolocation device, etc., any of which may be powered from within evaporator cartridge 120 or from a power source of evaporator body 110 via

electrical contacts

326, 325. Evaporator cartridge 120 may also include a mouthpiece 130 having an air channel 332 through which a user may inhale the vaporized vaporizable material.

Protrusion 316 of vaporizer body 110 and/or body receptacle 318 of vaporizer cartridge 120, and/or hopper 140 may include one or more illumination sources, such as LEDs, to provide an operational indication, such as battery level, the amount of vaporizable material in hopper 140, the status of use of vaporizer 100, and/or a characteristic of vaporizable material in hopper 140, such as flavor, chemical composition, quality, etc., as described in further detail below.

As shown in fig. 3, evaporator cartridge 120 can include a housing 321. The housing 321 may be formed of any rigid or semi-rigid material, such as plastic, ceramic, metal, and the like. The housing 321 may be opaque or translucent. The housing 321 proximate the hopper 140 or the housing 321 forming a portion of the hopper 340 can be translucent to provide a visual indication of the amount of vaporizable material remaining in the hopper 140 and/or to allow light from a light source to pass. The housing 321 may include one or more light guides, such as reflective microchannels, which may provide an illuminated graphic or graphical indicator, such as a logo, a liquid level indicator, or an operational indicator. In some embodiments of the present subject matter, housing 321 can include a polymer dispersed liquid crystal that can change opacity when the device is used by a user, when vaporizer cartridge 120 is connected to vaporizer body 110, or upon sensing by one of the one or more sensors.

In some embodiments of the present subject matter, mouthpiece 130 of evaporator cartridge 120 may include a flavor indicator 334, such as one or more Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) or light guides, or the like. The flavor indicator 334 can provide a unique color for each flavor of the vaporizable material provided in the hopper 140. For example, the flavor indicator 334 can include one or more of a red LED, a green LED, and a blue LED, or other color combinations to provide a unique color indication. When evaporator cartridge 120 is coupled with evaporator body 110, logic in evaporator cartridge 120 and/or evaporator body 110 can read cartridge information encoded into or with evaporator cartridge 120 and control the operation of flavor indicator 334 based on at least a portion of the cartridge information. As described above, flavor indicator 334 can also be located anywhere along evaporator cartridge 120 and/or evaporator body 110, but is preferably located within or near mouthpiece 130.

Fig. 4A-4D depict cross-sections of a suction nozzle 130 including various examples of air channels 332. In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the air channel 332 may include one or more apertures. In addition, the shape and/or size of the air passage 332, including the shape and/or size of each of the one or more apertures, may be configured to allow a very specific volume of airflow from a user inhaling on the mouthpiece 130. For example, the air channel 332 may include a hole 402 having a rectangular (e.g., square) cross-section (e.g., as shown in fig. 4A), a hole 404 having an elliptical (e.g., circular) cross-section (e.g., as shown in fig. 4B), a hole 406 having a polyhedral cross-section (e.g., as shown in fig. 4C), or a plurality of holes 408 of any shape (e.g., as shown in fig. 4D). The size and/or shape of the apertures forming air channels 332 of mouthpiece 130 may also provide a familiar design, form, or logo, for example, to indicate the source of evaporator cartridge 120. As mentioned above, such size and/or shape may also accommodate a light source.

Fig. 5 shows a block diagram illustrating an example of a vaporizer 100 consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter, the vaporizer 100 having electrical and mechanical connections between vaporizer body 110 and vaporizer cartridge 120. As shown in fig. 5, in some embodiments of the present subject matter, neither evaporator body 110 nor evaporator cartridge 120 utilizes a receptacle to receive at least a portion of another device. Rather, vaporizer body 110, which is substantially similar to the vaporizer body described above, includes one or more body electrical contacts 506, which body electrical contacts 506 are configured to mate with one or more cartridge electrical contacts 508 in cartridge 120, e.g., in a face-to-face or interlocking manner. As shown in fig. 5, the one or more body electrical contacts 506 may include two symmetrical angled surfaces to enable mating with the one or more cartridge electrical contacts 508 in either of two reversible orientations. The coupling of one or more body electrical contacts 506 and one or more cartridge electrical contacts 508 may form an electrical connection between vaporizer body 110 and cartridge 120. For example, the coupling of one or more body electrical contacts 506 and one or more cartridge electrical contacts 508 may form an electrical circuit including controller 104 and power source 112 (which is included in vaporizer body 110) and a heating element included in vaporizer 141 of cartridge 120. The circuitry may allow the controller 104 to control the discharge from the power source 112 to the heating element included in the atomizer 141.

To facilitate a stable electrical and physical connection, mechanical connection mechanism 509 may include a body connector 510 in vaporizer body 110 that is configured to mate with and connect to a cartridge connector 512 in cartridge 120. In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the body connector 510 may be a male portion, such as a protrusion, flange, latch, pin, boss, ridge, etc., and the cartridge connector 512 may be a female portion, such as a groove, channel, hole, inward latch, pin hole, etc. In addition, evaporator body 110 and/or evaporator cartridge 120 may each include one or more magnets, preferably positioned to align with each other when connected, so as to maintain a physical connection and resulting electrical connection between evaporator body 110 and evaporator cartridge 120.

In some cases, the vaporizer 100 (as in any of the variations of the vaporizer 100 described herein) may run out of charge, i.e., a low or depleted battery, such that the vaporizer 100 has a low charge and cannot heat and vaporize the vaporizable material included in the hopper 140. In some of these situations, the user of the vaporizer 100 may not have or be able to use a charging device or cradle that charges the battery of the vaporizer 100.

Thus, in some implementations of the present subject matter, the vaporizer 100 may be charged by power sharing, shared charging, or reverse charging (where another device, e.g., another vaporizer, a smartphone, a tablet, etc., serves as a power source to charge the vaporizer 100 through a wired or wireless connection). For further explanation, fig. 6A-6B depict examples of power sharing among multiple evaporators consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter. As shown in fig. 6A-6B, the first evaporator 602 can be paired with a second evaporator 604 to receive an electrical charge from the second evaporator device 604. The mating may include a physical mating of one or more body electrical contacts of the first evaporator apparatus 602 with a corresponding one or more body electrical contacts of the second evaporator apparatus, and the mating of the electrical contacts allows charge to flow from the second evaporator 604 to the first evaporator 602 via the mated electrical contacts. The mating may also be aided by one or more physical mating or connecting elements, such as magnets, ridges, grooves, slots, protrusions, pins, tabs, flanges, etc., which may be integral with, extend from, embed in, extend into, or be flush with the

evaporator bodies

603, 604 of the

evaporators

602, 604, respectively.

As shown in fig. 6A and 6B, mating between the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 can occur between electrical contacts located at the distal ends of the evaporators, as shown. Thus, the vaporizers can be connected together in such a way that the charge of the second vaporizer 604 can be shared with the first vaporizer 602, provided that proper alignment and connection (through electrical contacts and/or a connection mechanism such as a magnet) is provided.

In some exemplary embodiments of the present subject matter as shown in fig. 6B, each

evaporator

602, 604 includes an

evaporator body

603, 605, respectively, that includes body

electrical contacts

606, 608, respectively. The body

electrical contacts

606, 608 are generally configured to mate with a charging unit, such as a charging pad, charging cradle, or other charging element, that is connected to a power source for charging the evaporator when not in use. In the event that one of the vaporizers (i.e., first vaporizer 602) is depleted of charge and intended for use, first vaporizer 602 can cooperate with second vaporizer 604 to receive a limited charge from second vaporizer 604 via body

electrical contacts

606, 608. In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the body charge contacts may be formed according to an electrical standard, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard or the like.

In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the charge delivered from second evaporator 604 to first evaporator 602 may be limited to a threshold amount of charge, and the limit may be measured in milliamp-hours or other capacity measurement. For example, in some instances, a threshold amount may be calculated or calibrated to allow a user of the first evaporator 602 to perform a predetermined number of inspirations on the first evaporator 602, and the inspiration may be calculated based on the user's historical inspirations amount or duration or other measured data. In other embodiments of the present subject matter, the first and

second evaporators

602, 604 can be configured to exchange an amount of charge through a logic or controller circuit such that each of the first and

second evaporators

602, 604 has a substantially equal amount of charge. Further, the second evaporator 604 can be configured to provide only a percentage of the charge to the first evaporator 602, and the percentage can be measured from the total capacity charge, the remaining charge on the second evaporator 604, or other measurements.

To achieve charge delivery, each of the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator can include a charge controller, which can be implemented in logic circuits on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), software executed by a microprocessor, firmware, or any combination thereof. A charge controller may be coupled between the battery and its body electrical contacts of each vaporizer to control and meter the amount of charge exchanged therebetween. In some embodiments of the present subject matter and by way of example, the charge controller of the first evaporator 602 may be configured to determine when the first evaporator 602 requires electrical charge, thereby in turn configuring the first evaporator 602 as a receiving device for charge exchange. Likewise, the charge controller of the second evaporator 604 can be configured to determine that it has sufficient charge to, in turn, configure the second evaporator 604 as a provider of charge.

In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the evaporators may be pre-designated as either providers or recipients based on the coupling of the first evaporator 602 to the second evaporator 604 and/or based on the respective configurations of the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604. Each of the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 can be configured to generate one or more outputs (e.g., visual outputs, audio outputs, tactile outputs, and/or the like) corresponding to the designations described above. For example, the first evaporator 602 may produce a first output in response to being designated as a provider, while the second evaporator 604 may produce a second output in response to being designated as a recipient.

The pairing between the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 may be formed or established by a logical configuration formed via any one of a number of communication protocols, such as bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), or even via the same or additional body electrical contacts. For example, each evaporator may include two or more body electrical contacts, e.g., four, and each electrical contact may be designated as a charge contact or a data contact. In an exemplary embodiment, each vaporizer may include four body electrical contacts, two of which are used for negative and positive charge transport and the other two are reserved for digital data transport between vaporizers.

In some implementations of the present subject matter, each of the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 can be designated as a provider or a recipient by one or more devices coupled with the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604. For example, the first evaporator 602 can be communicatively coupled with a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, etc.). The first vaporizer 602 may be designated as a provider (or recipient) via a user interface presented on a mobile device by, for example, a mobile application associated with the first vaporizer 602. For example, by activating at least a reverse charging function at first evaporator 602, a user of first evaporator 602 can designate first evaporator 602 as a provider through one or more selections made via a user interface. Alternatively and/or additionally, by at least deactivating the reverse charging function at the first evaporator 602, a user of the first evaporator 602 may designate the first evaporator 602 as a recipient through one or more selections made via the user interface. It should be appreciated that although the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 may be designated as a provider and a recipient, reverse charging between the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 may not begin until the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 are sufficiently close to each other (e.g., less than a threshold separation distance).

In some implementations of the present subject matter, each of the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 can be designated as a provider or a recipient based on an orientation of at least one of the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604. For example, the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 may each include one or more sensors (e.g., motion sensors, accelerometers, etc.) capable of determining the corresponding orientation of the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604. Thus, for example, the first evaporator 602 may be designated as a provider by being placed in a first orientation associated with activation of a reverse charge function at the first evaporator 602, while the second evaporator 604 may be designated as a recipient by being placed in a second orientation associated with deactivation of the reverse charge function at the second evaporator 604.

The first orientation and the second orientation may be different and/or complementary. For example, the reverse charging function at the first evaporator 602 can be activated in response to one surface on the first evaporator 602 being placed up (or down), while the reverse charging function at the second evaporator apparatus 604 can be deactivated in response to an opposite surface on the second evaporator apparatus 604 being placed up (or down). Further, the reverse charging between the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 may not begin until the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 are sufficiently close to each other. To further illustrate, in the example shown in fig. 6B, first evaporator 602 and second evaporator 604 may be oppositely charged in response to first evaporator 602 being placed face down (e.g., the front surface of first evaporator 602 facing downward) and second evaporator 604 being placed face up (e.g., the front surface of second evaporator 604 facing downward) on top of first evaporator 602 (e.g., the rear surface of first evaporator 602 is sufficiently close to and/or at least partially in contact with the rear surface of second evaporator 604).

Alternatively and/or additionally, the designation of each of the first and

second vaporizers

602 and 604 as a provider and a recipient can be determined based at least on one or more tactile inputs (including, for example, tapping, shaking, etc.). For example, the reverse charging function at the first evaporator 602 can be activated in response to a first tactile input received at the first evaporator 602, while the reverse charging function at the second evaporator apparatus 604 can be deactivated in response to a second tactile input received at the second evaporator 604. However, as described above, the reverse charging between the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 does not start until the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 are sufficiently close to each other.

In some embodiments of the present subject matter, each of the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 can further include a converter circuit for adjusting the charge for proper delivery. For example, the charging circuit may include a charge boost circuit to boost the charge from the battery from 3.7 volts (the voltage required to charge the heating element of the cartridge during inhalation) to 5 volts (the standard voltage required to charge or recharge the battery). Although these voltages are provided as examples, one skilled in the art will recognize that other voltages may be used. For example, each of the first and

second vaporizers

602, 604 can include inductive charging in addition to or in place of the body electrical contacts, and such sensing can require different charging parameters, such as voltage, inductive level, connection type (i.e., properly aligning the inductive circuit between the vaporizers 602, 604), or other parameters.

The pairing of the first evaporator 602 and the second evaporator 604 can be performed based on a device Identification (ID), a user ID, and/or can also be established using an intermediary device, such as a user's mobile device, e.g., a mobile computing device, a phone, etc. The mobile device may execute a dedicated application program ("app") to perform the functions described herein. For example, in some cases, a user of a vaporizer as described herein must pair his vaporizer with a mobile device, such as his mobile phone. Pairing may include communication between the vaporizer and the mobile device, such as through a bluetooth channel, WIFI channel, or even through a cellular transceiver. Once so paired with a mobile device, the vaporizer may be paired with another vaporizer by action taken by the respective user on the respective paired mobile device, such that the mobile device may communicate some pairing information, including but not limited to designation or configuration of recipients and providers, charge limits or thresholds, and control signals for controlling the charging circuits of the respective vaporizers.

In some embodiments of the present subject matter, as shown in fig. 7A-7C, more than two evaporators can be connected together to share a charge. For example, as shown in fig. 7A, three

vaporizers

702, 704, and 706 can be mated or connected together by their body electrical contacts 710 and 712 (or wirelessly) and share charge between them by the electrical contacts 710 and 712 (or wirelessly inductively charged). Alternatively, one of the three evaporators, the third evaporator 706, may be designated as a pass-through device by being configured to receive charge from the second evaporator 704 and deliver the charge to the first evaporator 702. This charge-through may occur with or without storing at least a portion of the charge on the battery of the third evaporator.

As shown in fig. 7B, multiple vaporizers (in the illustrated example, four

vaporizers

702, 704, 706 and 708) can be connected together, and to achieve proper connection and electrical polarity, the vaporizers can be connected to one or more other vaporizers in 180 degree opposed orientations (linear or transverse) so that the electrical contacts (e.g., electrical contacts 714) of each connected vaporizer can fit in a string of vaporizers for efficient shared charging.

Still further, as shown in fig. 7C, multiple evaporators (e.g., four

evaporators

702, 704, 706, and 708) can be coupled together in a side-by-side arrangement, wherein each of the multiple evaporators is aligned in the same orientation. One or more of the vaporizers can also be designated as pass-through devices to transfer charge from a provider vaporizer (e.g., first vaporizer 702) to a recipient vaporizer (e.g.,

vaporizers

704, 706, and 708) through a body electrical contact (e.g., electrical contact 714), while allowing other signals to possibly be transferred between vaporizers.

In some embodiments of the present subject matter as shown in fig. 8, a charge delivery hub 802 may be provided, which may connect two or more vaporizers, such as

vaporizers

804 and 806. The charge delivery hub 802 may be a simple electrical conductor between two evaporators, or a switchable conduit between three or more evaporators. Accordingly, the charge delivery hub 802 may include logic and/or control software that can turn on or off various electrical contacts based on being designated to mate with a provider or recipient vaporizer. Such designation may be communicated from the vaporizer (or from a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet computer, etc.) to the charge delivery hub 802 via bluetooth, WIFI, or cellular transceivers, etc. In further embodiments of the present subject matter, the charge delivery hub 802 may have its own battery source. The electrical contacts of the charge delivery hub 802 may include data contacts for receiving data (e.g., vaporizer ID) to allow connection and charge delivery with a certified and approved vaporizer.

The speed of charging and thus the time required for the fit can be controlled. In some embodiments of the present subject matter, it may be desirable for charge transport to occur quickly, i.e., under 10 seconds, and more preferably within 1 or 2 seconds. However, longer delivery times may be configured. During charge delivery, the vaporizer or its proxy mobile device may exchange other information, such as user ID, vaporizer operation and usage data, such as cartridge flavor, vaporization amount, and the like.

When the first evaporator is mated with the second evaporator and charge is transferred therebetween, the first evaporator and/or the second evaporator may record the charge transfer as an event, e.g., stored in memory, or transmit event data to a mobile device associated with either evaporator. Thus, interactions between pairs of vaporizers can be recorded and tracked, and data regarding such interactions can be processed, shared, or otherwise communicated to any of a number of designated parties. In this way, charge sharing may be used as a social or social network activity.

When a feature or element is referred to herein as being "on" another feature or element, it can be directly on the other feature or element or intervening features and/or elements may also be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being "directly on" another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements present. It will also be understood that when a feature or element is referred to as being "connected," "attached," or "coupled" to another feature or element, it can be directly connected, attached, or coupled to the other feature or element or intervening features or elements may be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being "directly connected," "directly attached" or "directly coupled" to another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements present.

Although described or illustrated with respect to one embodiment, features and elements so described or illustrated may be applied to other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that references to a structure or feature that is disposed "adjacent" another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and implementations only and is not intended to be limiting. For example, as used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items and may be abbreviated as "/".

In the foregoing description and in the claims, phrases such as "at least one of" or "one or more of" may appear after a conjunctive list of elements or features. The term "and/or" may also be present in a list of two or more elements or features. Unless otherwise implicitly or explicitly contradicted by context of usage, the phrase means any of the enumerated elements or features alone, or any combination of any of the enumerated elements or features with any of the other enumerated elements or features. For example, the phrases "at least one of a and B", "one or more of a and B", "a and/or B" mean "a alone", "B alone", or "a and B together", respectively. A similar interpretation is also made for lists containing three or more items. For example, the phrases "at least one of A, B and C", "one or more of A, B and C", "A, B and/or C" each mean "a alone", "B alone", "C alone", "a and B together", "a and C together", "B and C together", or "a and B and C together". The term "based on" as used above and in the claims means "based at least in part on" such that unrecited features or elements are also permitted.

Spatially relative terms, such as "forward", "rearward", "below … …", "below … …", "below", "over … …", "over", and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as below or beneath other elements or features would then be oriented above the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "below … …" may include orientations of "above … …" and "below … …". The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Similarly, the terms "upward," "downward," "vertical," "horizontal," and the like are used herein for explanatory purposes only, unless specifically indicated otherwise.

Although the terms "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various features/elements (including steps), these features/elements should not be limited by these terms unless the context indicates otherwise. These terms may be used to distinguish one feature/element from another feature/element. Thus, a first feature/element discussed below could be termed a second feature/element, and similarly, a second feature/element discussed below could be termed a first feature/element, without departing from the teachings provided herein.

As used in this specification and the claims, including as used in the examples, and unless otherwise expressly specified, all numbers may be read as if prefaced by the word "about" or "approximately", even if the term does not expressly appear. When values and/or locations are described, the phrase "about" or "approximately" may be used to indicate that the described values and/or locations are within a reasonably expected range of values and/or locations. For example, a numerical value may have a value (or range of values) that is +/-0.1% of the stated value, a value (or range of values) that is +/-1% of the stated value, a value (or range of values) that is +/-2% of the stated value, a value (or range of values) that is +/-5% of the stated value, a value (or range of values) that is +/-10% of the stated value, and the like. Any numerical value given herein is also to be understood as including about that value or about that value unless the context indicates otherwise. For example, if the value "10" is disclosed, then "about 10" is also disclosed. Any numerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges subsumed therein. It is also understood that when values are disclosed that "less than or equal to" the recited value, "greater than or equal to" the recited value, and possible ranges between values are also disclosed, as is well understood by those of skill in the art. For example, if the value "X" is disclosed, "less than or equal to X" and "greater than or equal to X" (e.g., where X is a numerical value) are also disclosed. It is also understood that throughout this application, data is provided in a number of different forms, and that the data represents endpoints and starting points and ranges for any combination of data points. For example, if a particular data point "10" and a particular data point "15" are disclosed, it is understood that greater than, greater than or equal to, less than or equal to, and equal to 10 and 15 are also considered disclosed, along with between 10 and 15. It is also understood that each unit between two particular units is also disclosed. For example, if 10 and 15 are disclosed, 11, 12, 13 and 14 are also disclosed.

Although various illustrative embodiments have been described above, any number of variations may be made in the various embodiments without departing from the teachings herein. For example, the order in which the various described method steps are performed may often be varied in alternative embodiments, and in other alternative embodiments one or more method steps may be skipped entirely. Optional features in different device and system embodiments may be included in some embodiments and not in others. Accordingly, the foregoing description is provided primarily for the purpose of illustration and should not be construed to limit the scope of the claims.

One or more aspects or features of the subject matter described herein may be implemented as follows: digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry, specially designed Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinations thereof. These various aspects or features may include embodiments employing one or more computer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. A programmable or computing system may include clients and servers. A client and server are conventionally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The association of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

These computer programs, which may also be referred to as "programs," "software applications," "components," or "code," include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in a high-level programming language, an object-oriented programming language, a functional programming language, a logical programming language, and/or an assembly/machine language. As used herein, the term "machine-readable medium" refers to any computer program product, apparatus and/or device for providing machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor, such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, memory, and Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor. A machine-readable medium may store such machine instructions non-transitory, such as, for example, non-transitory solid state memory or a magnetic hard drive or any equivalent storage medium. The machine-readable medium may alternatively or additionally store such machine instructions in a transitory manner, such as, for example, a processor cache or other random access memory associated with one or more physical processor cores.

The examples and illustrations included herein show by way of illustration, and not limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. As mentioned, other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the specific embodiments, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individually or collectively, by the term "invention" merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept if more than one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.

Further features, characteristics and advantages of various embodiments of the present subject matter will be described hereinafter by means of items.

Item 1. an evaporator, comprising: a vaporizer body configured for coupling with a vaporizer cartridge containing a vaporizable material, the vaporizer body comprising a first power source configured for discharging current to a heating element to cause vaporization of at least a portion of the vaporizable material contained in the vaporizer cartridge by at least increasing the temperature of the heating element, and the vaporizer configured for reverse charging with a device, wherein the first power source of the vaporizer charges a second power source at the device or is charged by the second power source.

Item 2. the vaporizer of item 1, wherein the device comprises another vaporizer or a mobile device.

Item 3. the evaporator of any of items 1-2, wherein the evaporator is configured for reverse charging in response to establishing a pairing between the evaporator and the device.

Item 4. the vaporizer of item 3, wherein the pairing is established based on at least one of a first identification of the vaporizer, a second identification of the device, or a third identification of a user associated with the vaporizer and/or the device.

Item 5. the evaporator of any of items 3-4, wherein the pairing is established by another device coupled with the evaporator and/or the device.

Item 6. the evaporator of any of items 1-5, wherein the evaporator is configured for reverse charging in response to the evaporator being separated from the device by less than a threshold distance.

Item 7. the evaporator of any of items 1-6, wherein the evaporator is configured for reverse charging in response to the evaporator being designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

Item 8. the evaporator of item 7, wherein the evaporator is designated as a provider in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a first orientation, and wherein the evaporator is designated as a recipient in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a second orientation.

Item 9. the vaporizer of item 8, wherein the vaporizer body further comprises one or more sensors for detecting when the vaporizer is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

Item 10. the vaporizer of any of items 7-9, wherein the vaporizer is further configured for coupling with another device, and wherein the vaporizer is designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging in response to one or more inputs received at the other device.

Item 11 the vaporizer of any of items 7-10, wherein the vaporizer body further comprises an output device configured to generate at least one of a visual output, an audio output, or a tactile output corresponding to designation of the vaporizer as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

Item 12. the evaporator of any of items 1-11, wherein a threshold amount of charge is delivered between the evaporator and the device that are oppositely charged.

Item 13. the evaporator of item 12, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a first amount of charge available or required at the evaporator.

Item 14. the evaporator of any of items 12-13, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a second amount of charge available or required at the device.

Item 15. the evaporator of any of items 1-14, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged via one or more electrical contacts coupling the evaporator and the device.

Item 16. the vaporizer of any of items 1-15, wherein the vaporizer and the device are reverse charged via wireless inductive charging.

Item 17. the evaporator of any of items 1-16, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged with another device, and wherein reverse charging comprises the other device receiving a charge from one of the evaporator and the device.

Item 18. the evaporator of item 17, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device transferring a first portion of the charge to the other of the evaporator and the device.

Item 19. the evaporator of any of items 17-18, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device storing a second portion of charge at the other device.

Item 20. the evaporator of any of items 1-19, wherein the evaporator body further comprises a converter circuit configured to adjust an output voltage of the first power source at the evaporator based at least on an input voltage of the second power source at the device.

Item 21. a method, comprising: reverse charging a vaporizer, the vaporizer comprising a vaporizer body configured for coupling with a vaporizer cartridge containing a vaporizable material, the vaporizer body comprising a first power source configured for discharging current to a heating element to cause vaporization of at least a portion of the vaporizable material contained in the vaporizer cartridge by at least increasing the temperature of the heating element, and the reverse charging of the vaporizer comprising the first power source of the vaporizer charging or being charged by a second power source at the device.

Item 22 the method of item 21, wherein the device comprises another vaporizer or a mobile device.

Item 23. the method of any of items 21-22, further comprising reverse charging in response to establishing a pairing between the evaporator and the device.

Item 24. the method of item 23, wherein the pairing is established based on at least one of a first identification of the vaporizer, a second identification of the device, or a third identification of a user associated with the vaporizer and/or the device.

Item 25. the method of any of items 23-24, wherein the pairing is established by another device coupled with the evaporator and/or the device.

Item 26. the method of any of items 21-24, further comprising reverse charging in response to the evaporator being separated from the device by less than a threshold distance.

Item 27. the method of any of items 21-25, further comprising reverse charging in response to the evaporator being designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

Item 28. the method of item 27, wherein the evaporator is designated as a provider in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a first orientation, and wherein the evaporator is designated as a recipient in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a second orientation.

Item 29. the method of item 28, wherein the vaporizer body further comprises one or more sensors for detecting when the vaporizer is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

Item 30. the method of any of items 27-29, further comprising: the method includes receiving one or more inputs from another device coupled with the vaporizer, and designating the vaporizer as a provider or receiver in reverse charging in response to the one or more inputs received at the other device.

Item 31. the method of any of items 27-30, further comprising generating, by an output device at the vaporizer, at least one of a visual output, an audio output, or a tactile output corresponding to the designation of the vaporizer as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

Item 32. the method of any of items 21-31, further comprising delivering a threshold amount of charge between the reversely charged evaporator and the device.

Item 33. the method of item 32, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a first amount of charge available or required at the evaporator.

Item 34. the method of any of items 32-33, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a second amount of charge available or required at the device.

Item 35. the method of any of items 21-34, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged via one or more electrical contacts coupling the evaporator and the device.

Item 36. the method of any of items 21-35, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged via wireless inductive charging.

Item 37. the method of any of items 21-36, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged with another device, and wherein reverse charging comprises the other device receiving a charge from one of the evaporator and the device.

Item 38. the method of item 37, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device delivering a first portion of the charge to the other of the evaporator and the device.

Item 39. the method of any of items 37-38, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device storing a second portion of charge at the other device.

Item 40. the method of any of items 21-39, further comprising adjusting, by a converter circuit at the evaporator, an output voltage of the first power source at the evaporator based at least on an input voltage of the second power source at the device.

Item 41. a system, comprising: a device; and a vaporizer comprising a vaporizer body configured for coupling with a vaporizer cartridge containing a vaporizable material, the vaporizer body comprising a first power source configured for discharging current to a heating element to cause vaporization of at least a portion of the vaporizable material contained in the vaporizer cartridge by at least increasing the temperature of the heating element, and the vaporizer configured for reverse charging with the device, wherein the first power source of the vaporizer charges a second power source at or by the device.

Item 42. the system of item 41, wherein the device comprises another vaporizer or a mobile device.

Item 43. the system of any of items 41-42, wherein the evaporator is configured for reverse charging in response to establishing a pairing between the evaporator and the device.

Item 44. the system of item 43, wherein the pairing is established based on at least one of the first identification of the vaporizer, the second identification of the device, or a third identification of a user associated with the vaporizer and/or the device.

Item 45. the system of any of items 43-44, wherein the pairing is established by another device coupled with the evaporator and/or the device.

Item 46. the system of any of items 41-45, wherein the evaporator is configured for reverse charging in response to the evaporator being separated from the device by less than a threshold distance.

Item 47. the system of any of items 41-46, wherein the vaporizer is configured for reverse charging in response to the vaporizer being designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

Item 48 the system of item 47, wherein the evaporator is designated as a provider in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a first orientation, and wherein the evaporator is designated as a recipient in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a second orientation.

Item 49 the system of item 48, wherein the vaporizer body further comprises one or more sensors for detecting when the vaporizer is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

Item 50. the system of any of items 47-49, wherein the evaporator is further configured for coupling with another device, and wherein the evaporator is designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging in response to one or more inputs received at the other device.

Item 51. the system of any of items 47-50, wherein the vaporizer body further comprises an output device configured to generate at least one of a visual output, an audio output, or a tactile output corresponding to the designation of the vaporizer as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

Item 52. the system of any of items 41-51, wherein a threshold amount of charge is delivered between the reversely charged evaporator and the device.

Item 53. the system of item 52, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a first amount of charge available or required at the evaporator.

Item 54. the system of any of items 52-53, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a second amount of charge available or required at the device.

Item 55. the system of any of items 41-54, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged via one or more electrical contacts coupling the evaporator and the device.

Item 56. the system of any of items 41-55, wherein the evaporator and the device are back-charged via wireless inductive charging.

Item 57. the system of any of items 41-56, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged with another device, and wherein reverse charging comprises the other device receiving a charge from one of the evaporator and the device.

Item 58. the system of item 57, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device delivering a first portion of the charge to the other of the evaporator and the device.

Item 59. the system of any of items 57-59, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device storing a second portion of charge at the other device.

Item 60. the system of any of items 41-59, wherein the vaporizer body further comprises a converter circuit configured to adjust an output voltage of the first power source at the vaporizer based at least on an input voltage of the second power source at the device.

Claims

1. An evaporator, comprising:

a vaporizer body configured for coupling with a vaporizer cartridge containing a vaporizable material, the vaporizer body comprising a first power source configured for discharging current to a heating element to cause vaporization of at least a portion of the vaporizable material contained in the vaporizer cartridge by at least increasing the temperature of the heating element, and the vaporizer configured for reverse charging with a device, wherein the first power source of the vaporizer charges a second power source at the device or is charged by the second power source.

2. The evaporator of claim 1, wherein the device comprises another evaporator or a mobile device.

3. The evaporator of any of claims 1-2, wherein the evaporator is configured for reverse charging in response to establishing a pairing between the evaporator and the device.

4. The vaporizer of claim 3, wherein the pairing is established based on at least one of a first identification of the vaporizer, a second identification of the device, or a third identification of a user associated with the vaporizer and/or the device.

5. An evaporator according to any of claims 3 to 4 wherein the pairing is established by another device coupled with the evaporator and/or the device.

6. The evaporator of any of claims 1-5, wherein the evaporator is configured for reverse charging in response to the evaporator being separated from the device by less than a threshold distance.

7. The evaporator of any of claims 1-6, wherein the evaporator is configured for reverse charging in response to the evaporator being designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

8. The evaporator of claim 7, wherein the evaporator is designated as a provider in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a first orientation, and wherein the evaporator is designated as a recipient in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a second orientation.

9. The evaporator of claim 8, wherein the evaporator body further comprises one or more sensors for detecting when the evaporator is in a first orientation or a second orientation.

10. The evaporator of any of claims 7-9, wherein the evaporator is further configured for coupling with another device, and wherein the evaporator is designated as a provider or a recipient in reverse charging in response to one or more inputs received at the other device.

11. The vaporizer of any of claims 7-10, wherein the vaporizer body further comprises an output device configured to produce at least one of a visual output, an audio output, or a tactile output corresponding to designation of the vaporizer as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

12. The evaporator of any of claims 1-11, wherein a threshold amount of charge is delivered between the reversely charged evaporator and the device.

13. The evaporator of claim 12, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a first amount of charge available or required at the evaporator.

14. The evaporator of any of claims 12-13, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a second amount of charge available or required at the device.

15. The evaporator of any of claims 1-14, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged via one or more electrical contacts coupling the evaporator and the device.

16. The evaporator of any of claims 1-15, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged via wireless inductive charging.

17. The evaporator of any of claims 1-16, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged with another device, and wherein reverse charging comprises the other device receiving a charge from one of the evaporator and the device.

18. The evaporator of claim 17, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device transferring a first portion of the charge to the other of the evaporator and the device.

19. The evaporator of any of claims 17-18, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device storing a second portion of charge at the other device.

20. The evaporator of any of claims 1-19, wherein the evaporator body further comprises a converter circuit configured to adjust an output voltage of the first power source at the evaporator based at least on an input voltage of the second power source at the device.

21. A method, comprising:

reverse charging a vaporizer, the vaporizer comprising a vaporizer body configured for coupling with a vaporizer cartridge containing a vaporizable material, the vaporizer body comprising a first power source configured for discharging current to a heating element to cause vaporization of at least a portion of the vaporizable material contained in the vaporizer cartridge by at least increasing the temperature of the heating element, and the reverse charging of the vaporizer comprising the first power source of the vaporizer charging or being charged by a second power source at the device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the device comprises another evaporator or a mobile device.

23. The method of any of claims 21-22, further comprising reverse charging in response to establishing a pairing between the evaporator and the device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the pairing is established based on at least one of a first identification of the vaporizer, a second identification of the device, or a third identification of a user associated with the vaporizer and/or the device.

25. The method of any one of claims 23-24, wherein the pairing is established by another device coupled with the evaporator and/or the device.

26. The method of any of claims 21-24, further comprising reverse charging in response to the evaporator being separated from the device by less than a threshold distance.

27. The method of any of claims 21-25, further comprising reverse charging in response to the evaporator being designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the evaporator is designated as a provider in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a first orientation, and wherein the evaporator is designated as a recipient in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a second orientation.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the vaporizer body further comprises one or more sensors for detecting when the vaporizer is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

30. The method according to any one of claims 27-29, further comprising:

receive one or more inputs from another device coupled with the evaporator, an

Designating the evaporator as a provider or a recipient in reverse charging in response to one or more inputs received at the other device.

31. The method of any of claims 27-30, further comprising generating, by an output device at the vaporizer, at least one of a visual output, an audio output, or a tactile output corresponding to designation of the vaporizer as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

32. The method of any of claims 21-31, further comprising delivering a threshold amount of charge between the reversely charged evaporator and the device.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a first amount of charge available or required at the evaporator.

34. The method of any of claims 32-33, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a second amount of charge available or required at the device.

35. The method of any one of claims 21-34, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged via one or more electrical contacts coupling the evaporator and the device.

36. The method of any one of claims 21-35, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged via wireless inductive charging.

37. The method of any one of claims 21-36, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged with another device, and wherein reverse charging comprises the other device receiving a charge from one of the evaporator and the device.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device delivering a first portion of the charge to the other of the evaporator and the device.

39. The method of any of claims 37-38, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device storing a second portion of charge at the other device.

40. The method of any of claims 21-39, further comprising adjusting, by a converter circuit at the evaporator, an output voltage of the first power supply at the evaporator based at least on an input voltage of the second power supply at the device.

41. A system, comprising:

a device; and

a vaporizer comprising a vaporizer body configured for coupling with a vaporizer cartridge containing a vaporizable material, the vaporizer body comprising a first power source configured for discharging current to a heating element to cause vaporization of at least a portion of the vaporizable material contained in the vaporizer cartridge by at least increasing the temperature of the heating element, and the vaporizer configured for reverse charging with the device, wherein the first power source of the vaporizer charges a second power source at or by the device.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the device comprises another evaporator or a mobile device.

43. The system of any one of claims 41-42, wherein the evaporator is configured for reverse charging in response to establishing a pairing between the evaporator and the device.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the pairing is established based on at least one of a first identification of the vaporizer, a second identification of the device, or a third identification of a user associated with the vaporizer and/or the device.

45. The system of any one of claims 43-44, wherein the pairing is established by another device coupled with the evaporator and/or the device.

46. The system of any one of claims 41-45, wherein the evaporator is configured for reverse charging in response to the evaporator being separated from the device by less than a threshold distance.

47. The system of any one of claims 41-46, wherein the vaporizer is configured for reverse charging in response to the vaporizer being designated as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the evaporator is designated as a provider in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a first orientation, and wherein the evaporator is designated as a recipient in reverse charging in response to the evaporator being in a second orientation.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the vaporizer body further comprises one or more sensors for detecting when the vaporizer is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

50. The system of any one of claims 47-49, wherein the evaporator is further configured for coupling with another device, and wherein the evaporator is designated as a provider or a recipient in reverse charging in response to one or more inputs received at the other device.

51. The system of any one of claims 47-50, wherein the vaporizer body further comprises an output device configured to generate at least one of a visual output, an audio output, or a tactile output corresponding to designation of the vaporizer as a provider or recipient in reverse charging.

52. The system of any one of claims 41-51, wherein a threshold amount of charge is delivered between the reversely charged evaporator and the device.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a first amount of charge available or required at the evaporator.

54. The system of any of claims 52-53, wherein the threshold amount of charge is determined based at least on a second amount of charge available or required at the device.

55. The system of any one of claims 41-54, wherein the vaporizer and the device are reverse charged via one or more electrical contacts coupling the vaporizer and the device.

56. The system of any one of claims 41-55, wherein the vaporizer and the device are reverse charged via wireless inductive charging.

57. The system of any one of claims 41-56, wherein the evaporator and the device are reverse charged with another device, and wherein reverse charging comprises the other device receiving a charge from one of the evaporator and the device.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device delivering a first portion of the charge to the other of the evaporator and the device.

59. The system of any one of claims 57-59, wherein reverse charging further comprises the other device storing a second portion of charge at the other device.

60. The system of any one of claims 41-59, wherein the vaporizer body further comprises a converter circuit configured to adjust an output voltage of the first power source at the vaporizer based at least on an input voltage of the second power source at the device.