GB2576712A

GB2576712A - A pod

Info

Publication number: GB2576712A
Application number: GB1813768.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Marchant Daniel; Igorevich Vassiliev Vladislav
Original assignee: All Vape Ltd
Current assignee: All Vape Ltd
Priority date: 2018-08-23
Filing date: 2018-08-23
Publication date: 2020-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 2038-08-23
Also published as: GB2576712B; WO2020039179A1; GB201813768D0

Abstract

A replaceable pod 3 for use in two or more vaporisers (1, figs. 1&11), each vaporizer having a main body (2,44) arranged to receive the pod. The pod comprises: a housing 14; a reservoir (41 Fig.9) for a liquid (42) for vaporising; a chimney (40) extending within the housing; a wick (36) for receiving the liquid; and a heating element (37) for vaporising liquid in the wick. The pod housing can slide and/or clip into either of a main body (2) of a first e-cigarette along a first axis of the pod, or a main body (44) of a second vaporiser along a second, different axis of the pod. The common or universal pod is usable with both vaporisers having either an edge recess or a side face recess for receiving the pod. The first and second axis may be orthogonal to each other, and to a vertical axis of the pod. The pod or cartridge may comprise first and second pairs of parallel guides 24A,24B that engage co-operating features (7, Fig.10; 47, Fig.11B) on the main body. Said guides may comprise protrusions (17, Fig.4). Also claimed a vaporizer comprising the pod.

Description

A Pod

The present invention relates to a replaceable pod for use in a vaporiser, for inhaling (vaping) vapours of a liquid, which liquid may, for example, contain nicotine or nicotine derivatives.

Vaporisers, for vaping, now predominantly fall into one of two categories. The first category comprises vaporisers which are generally intended to be completely reusable and are commonly referred to as vape kits. These are normally relatively large in size and have both a relatively large battery and refillable reservoir for a liquid to be vaporised. They also have a heating element and a wick which may fail and need to be periodically replaced. Thus vape kits tend to be used more by enthusiasts and they are relatively expensive.

The second category of vaporisers comprises simpler, less expensive devices. These usually have a reusable main body, comprising of a casing holding a smaller battery, which casing is arranged to receive a separate disposable pod at an upper end. The pod has a prefilled liquid reservoir and chimney through which air can be drawn via a mouthpiece at one end of the pod. The pod also has a wick in the chimney and an electrical heating element wound around the wick, for vaporising the liquid. The pod is arranged to be pushed into the top of the casing, so that electrical contacts on the pod, for energising the heating element, make contact with the electrical contacts in the casing. These contacts are switchably connected to the battery within the casing.

With this second category of vaporisers, the pod, initially filled with a liquid to be vaporised, is normally intended to be disposed of when the liquid is depleted, together with the wick and heating element, which form part of the pod. A replacement pod may then be purchased, the pod being selected from one of a number of pods containing liquids of different strengths or flavours. Vaporisers in this second category are popular due to their ease of use and compactness.

A first aspect of the present invention relates to pods similar to the pods of the above general type, with a second aspect of the invention relating to vaporisers comprising a pod of the above general type.

According to the present invention there is provided a replaceable pod for use in two or more vaporisers, each vaporiser having a main body arranged to receive the pod, the pod having a top and a bottom and comprising: a housing; a reservoir for a liquid to be vaporised; a chimney extending within the housing through which air may be drawn through the pod from an upstream opening of the pod to a downstream opening of the pod; a wick for receiving liquid from the reservoir; and a heating element for heating liquid in the wick to vaporise it and create vapour in the chimney, the housing of the pod being arranged to engage with both a main body of a first vaporiser and a main body of a second vaporiser, wherein the housing of the pod is arranged such that the pod may slide and I or clip into the main body of a first vaporiser along a first axis of the pod and may slide and I or clip into the main body of a second vaporiser along a second axis of the pod, different to the first axis.

An advantage of a replaceable pod in accordance with the present invention, is that it may be inserted in different ways in the main bodies of different vaporisers. This permits a manufacturer to produce a number of replaceable pods which are all identical in shape, but which can be used with different types of main bodies, where the pod is required to be inserted into the main bodies in different ways.

A range of pods (of different flavours strengths and the like) may then all have a standardised housing suitable for use with a wide variety of vaporisers having different main bodies, possibly produced by different manufactures. Such a pod housing may then become so widely available that it may become a standard that designers of vaporisers will want their vaporisers to use.

The first and second axes may be orthogonal to each other, permitting the pod to be received either vertically or horizontally, for example, in the main bodies of different vaporisers.

The first and second axes may be transverse axes orthogonal to a vertical axis of the pod. This is of particular advantage where the cross-section of the pod in a horizontal plane is generally oval or generally rectangular, (but excluding the special case of a square), for this may enable the pod to slide or clip in sideways or endways into the main bodies of different vaporisers. If the pod is then relatively slim, a vaporiser main body may be equally slim and still accommodate the pod in a particular orientation. The main body of one vaporiser may then be arranged to accept the pod in one orientation, so that it sits correctly in that particular main body, while the main body of a different vaporiser may be arranged to accept that same pod in a different orientation, so that the same pod also sits correctly in that main body.

The pod may have a first pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the first transverse axis and a second pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the second transverse axis, both pairs of transverse guides being in, or on, one of either a top or a bottom face of the housing. In this manner the top or bottom face of the pod may be used to retain the pod in place in a main body of a vaporiser, leaving all the side faces of the pod unobstructed, so that they may have an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

A pod having unobstructed sides, which have an aesthetically pleasing appearance, will in turn present a designer of a main body of a vapouhser, with a wide range of design possibilities for the main body, in which the pod may be accommodated in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

There are a number of alternative ways in which the pod can be configured to slide or clip into a main bodies of different vaporisers, along different transvers axes of the pod. For example, the pod may have four protrusions defining the four corners of an imaginary rectangle on a top or a bottom face of the housing, or both top and bottom faces, where respective sides of the imaginary rectangle are parallel with one or other of the first and second axes. These protrusions may then be received in corresponding guides in different main bodies, with the pod being received endways in one main body and sideways in another, for example.

As another example, the pod may have a first pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the first transverse axis in the top face of the housing, a second pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the second transverse axis in the top face of the housing, a third pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the first transverse axis in the bottom face of the housing and a fourth pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the second transverse axis in the bottom face of the housing. Respective pairs of these guides may then engage with corresponding protrusions, or guides, of different main bodies.

In yet a further example, the pod may have a first pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the first transverse axis and a second pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the second transverse axis, both pairs of transverse guides being in either a top face or in a bottom face of the housing, with the housing, on the other of either the top face or the bottom face of the housing, having four protrusions defining the four comers of an imaginary rectangle, where respective sides of the imaginary rectangle are parallel with respective ones of the first and second transverse axes.

Preferably the chimney of the pod exits the housing through a downstream opening in the housing, which downstream opening is located centrally in the top face of the housing. This may enable the pod to be symmetrical about a vertical centre line and thus enable a pod to be inserted into a main body, either endways from either end, or sideways from either side, for example.

The pod may further comprising two electrical contacts on its bottom or top face, which electrical contacts are equally spaced from a central vertical axis of the pod and which contacts lie on either a central vertical plane extending in a width direction or a central vertical plane extending in a length direction of the pod. This also permits the pod to be symmetrical about the vertical centre line and again enable a pod to be inserted into a main body either endways, from either end, or sideways, from either side, for example, whilst still making electrical contact with corresponding electrical contacts on a main body, (the polarity doesn’t matter).

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vaporiser comprising a pod in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, the vaporiser having a main body with a top portion and a bottom portion between which the pod is arranged to be received and removably held in place. This arrangement enables a pod to be inserted into the main body, either sideways or endways, for example, where the pod may be retained in place in a fairly secure manner by both the top and bottom faces of the pod engaging with the main body. Additionally, the main body will then effectively encase the periphery of the pod on at least three sides, providing protection against the pod being knocked and accidentally dislodged from the main body of the vaporiser. Additionally, one or more ends of the main body, or one or more sides of the main body, for example, may be open to permit the pod to be simply slid or clipped in place, without the need to open any compartments, or operate any fastening, in or on the main body. The main body may thus be arranged to enable the pod to be replaced using a single hand to both hold the main body and to either remove or insert a pod.

A lower face of the top portion of the main body and an upper face of the bottom potion of the main body may have pairs of guides arranged to engage with corresponding guides or protrusions on the pod or, alternatively the lower face of the top portion of the main body and/or an upper face of the bottom potion of the main body may have protrusions arranged to engage with corresponding guides on the pod, to permit the main body of the vaporiser to engage with the pod and permit the pod to slide into position in the main body of the vaporiser.

The main body of the vaporiser may be substantially C - shaped, with the main body having a side portion joining the top and bottom portions together and wherein the main body and the pod are arranged to permit the pod to slide into the main body through the opening of the mouth of the C-shaped main body, in an end on manner and in the direction of a first transverse axis of the pod.

A main body of a different vaporiser may have two side portions joining the top and bottom portions together and defining an aperture in the main body, wherein the main body and the pod are arranged to permit the pod to slide sideways into the aperture in main body, in the direction of a second transverse axis of the pod perpendicular to the first transverse axis of the pod.

Where the main body of a vaporiser has a top portion, it preferably also has a mouthpiece on the top portion and a passage through the top portion arranged to connect the mouthpiece to the chimney of the pod. An advantage of this is that the mouthpiece is part of the reusable main body and may be made of higher quality materials than would be cost effective if the mouthpiece were to be part of the pod, which pod is likely to be intended to be disposable. Furthermore, the mouthpiece may be arranged to be replaceable, so that a user may select a desired mouthpiece from a range of mouthpieces, permitting the user to tailor a pod type of vaporiser to their requirements, whilst still retaining the advantages of having a disposable pod.

Advantageously the pod housing is clear or translucent, whereby liquid in the reservoir is visible through the housing. Thus when the pod is received in the main body of either an end loading or side loading main body, the level of liquid in the pod can be seen from both sides of the vaporiser.

Several embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, of which:

Figure 1A is an elevation of a front edge of a vaporiser with a pod in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 1B is a side elevation of the vaporiser of Figure 1 A;

Figure 2 is a first perspective view of the vaporiser of Figures 1A and 1B with the pod removed;

Figure 3 is a second perspective view of the vaporiser of Figures 1A and 1B with the pod removed;

Figure 4 is a top perspective view of a pod of the vaporiser of Figures 1A and 1B;

Figure 5 is a bottom perspective view of the pod of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is the bottom perspective view corresponding to Figure 5, but with the base portion of the pod removed;

Figure 7 is a top perspective view of the base portion removed from the pod shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an exploded view showing the components of the pod of Figure 4;

Figure 9 is a cross-section through the pod of Figure 4;

Figure 10 is a side elevation through the main body of the vaporiser of

Figure 2, but with the position of an inner chimney passage shown; and

Figures 11A and 11B are a front edge elevation and a side elevation respectively of an alternative embodiment of a vaporiser, with a pod in accordance with the present invention and a side loading main body.

Referring now to Figures 1A and 1B, here there is illustrated a vaporiser, indicated generally as 1. This comprises a main body 2 for receiving a pod 3, the main body 2 having a mouthpiece 4 screwed into it, by which a user may inhale vapours generated in the vaporiser 1.

Figures 2 and 3 show the main body 2 with the pod 3 removed. In Figure 2 there can be seen a switch 5 for activating the vaporiser and a port 6 for receiving a connector to charge a battery in the vaporiser 1. Also seen from Figure 2, in the region where the pod 3 is received in the main body 1, there is a pair of rails 7 for engaging with a bottom face of the pod 3 pod and a pair of sprung loaded electrical contact pins 8, for contacting a corresponding pair of electrical contacts on the bottom face of the pod 3.

Referring now to Figure 3, in the region where the pod 3 is received in the main body 2, there is seen: a pair of slots 9 for engaging with a top face of the pod 3, an optional seal 10 for sealing an upstream opening (described below) on the pod 3; a sprung loaded pin 11 for retaining the pod 3 in place in the main body 2; and a chimney extension portion 12, with a peripheral seal 13, for engaging with a chimney (described below) in the pod 3.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, these respectively show top and bottom views of the pod 3 of Figures 1A and 1B. The pod 3 comprises a one piece homogeneous moulded clear top portion 14 (seen in Figure 6) of a housing of the pod 3, with a base portion 15 (shown in Figure 7) of the housing extending across a bottom edge of the top portion 14. The top portion 14 and the base portion 15 house a number of further components, as described below with reference to Figures 8 and 9.

Returning to Figure 4, an upper face 16 of the top portion 14 is shaped so as to define four protrusions 17, for slideably engaging with respective ones of the slots 9 in the main body 2, shown in Figure 3. Also formed in the upper face 16 of the pod 3 is an opening 18, which is a downstream opening for air exiting a chimney 40 in the pod 3, which chimney 40 is described below with reference to Figure 9.

The upper face 16 of the top portion 14 has two recesses 19 and 20, a respective one of which (depending on the orientation of the pod 3) will engage with the spring loaded pin 11 of Figure 3, to retain the pod 3 in position within the main body 2, depending on the orientation of the pod 3 in the main body 2.

Extending through the upper face 16 of the top portion 14 of the pod 3 is a small opening 21 and a slightly larger opening 22. Through either of these openings 21 or 22, air may be drawn into the pod 3, by air being drawn out of the pod 3 through the downstream opening 18. The seal 10, shown in Figure 3, is arranged to seal one of these opening 21 or 22, depending on which way round the pod 3 is received in the main body 2. As will be described below, this will cause the resistance to air being drawn through the pod 3 being dependent on the orientation with which the pod 3 is inserted in the main body 2. This is a feature that enables a user to select the flow rate experienced on inhaling. However if this feature should not be required, then only one of the openings 21 or 22 would be provided in the upper face 16 of the pod 3 and the seal 10 would be omitted from the main body 2. The pod could then be inserted either way round. However, for the rest of this description a pod with two openings 21 and 22 will be described.

Referring now to Figure 5, this shows a bottom view of the pod 3 and particularly a lower face 23 of the base portion 15 of the pod 3. This has a first pair of slots 24A and a second pair of slots 24B arranged transversely to the first pair of slots 24A. The pair of slots 24A are arranged to slideably engage with the rails 7 of the main body 2, shown in Figure 2, to permit the pod 3 to slide endways into the main body 2. The slots 24B likewise permit the pod 3 to slide sideways in to a different main body, for example that described below with reference to Figures 11Aand 11B.

Also in the lower face 23 are positioned two electrical contacts 25. These are for connecting with the corresponding electrical contacts 8 in the main body 2, which are shown in Figure 2.

Referring now to Figure 6, this perspective view from below the top portion 14 of the pod 3, with the base portion 15 removed, reveals one of two partition walls 26 and 27 (26 can be seen in Figure 9) which extend from the position seen in Figure 6 to the top of the top portion 14. (The other partition wall 26, not seen in Figure 6, is identical but is opposed to the partition wall 27).

Referring now to Figure 7, this shows a top perspective view of base portion 15 of the pod 3, with the top portion 14 removed. This is a one piece moulding and seals with a bottom edge of the top portion 14. As represented by set of arrows 28 and 29, air may pass through respective passages 30 and 31 formed in the base portion 15, from peripheral outer regions of the base portion 15 to an inner region 32. The purpose of these passages 30 and 31 will become apparent from the description below of Figures 9 and 10.

Referring first to Figure 8, this shows the top portion 14 and base portion 15, previously described with reference to Figures 6 and 7 respectively. The additional components shown comprise the contacts 25, seen in Figure 5, a seal 33 for sealing the base portion 15 with a lower edge of the top portion 14, seals 34 for sealing respective ones of the contacts 25 in the base portion 15, a further seal 35 for extending across the top of and sealing with the top of the base portion 15, a ceramic wick 36, a coiled heating element 37 wound on the wick 36, a holder 38 for the wick 36 and a further seal 39 for sealing the top of the holder 38 with the bottom of the chimney 40, as shown in the Figure 9 cross-section of the assembled components.

When the pod 3 is assembled, as shown in Figure 9, the chimney 40 and partition walls 26 and 27, together with the seal 35, form an annular reservoir 41 about the chimney 40, which reservoir 41 is filled with a liquid 42 to be vaporised. The partition walls 26 and 27 also define respective passages 26a and 27a which connect respective openings 21 and 22 in the upper face 16 with respective passages 30 and 31 in the base portion 15 of the pod 3.

The liquid 42 is in contact with the wick 36, which extends into the reservoir 41. This liquid 42 in the wick 36 is heated by the heating element 37, in order to vaporise it. The heating element 37 is operated by the switch 5 shown in Figure 2 which provides electrical energy from a battery within the main body 2 to the contacts 8 of Figure 2, which are in electrical contact with the contacts 25 in the base portion 15, to which respective ends of the heating element 37 are connected.

With reference to Figure 10, there is shown in broken line the position of the chimney extension portion 12 running through an upper portion of the main body 2. When the pod 3 (not shown) is inserted in the main body 3, the seal 13 about the chimney extension portion 12, engages and seals with the upper face 16 of the pod 3 about the downstream opening 18, to seal with the chimney 40 in the pod 3. The inclined chimney extension portion 12 thus connects the chimney 40, within the pod 3, with the mouthpiece 4, so that drawing air by inhaling at the mouthpiece 4 draws air and vapour generated in the chimney 40, up the chimney to the mouthpiece. This air is replenished by air being drawn into one of the openings 21 or 22 formed in the upper face 16 of the top portion 14 of the pod 3, and through respective passages 26a, 30 and 27a, 31 respectively, as represented by the respective arrows 43 of Figure 9. However, only one of the openings 21 or 22 will be open, for the other will be closed by the seal 10, of Figure 3. Thus, the flow of air will be restricted by the size of the one of the openings, either 21 or 22, depending the orientation of the pod 3, when it is inserted into the main body 2. Thus, a user may select, by inserting the pod in a particular orientation, the amount of vapour that will be drawn through the pod for a given inhaling force.

A significant advantage of the openings 21 and 22 being in the upper face 16 of the pod 3 and connected to the base of the chimney 40 via passages 26a, 30 and 27a, 31 respectively, is that any liquid that leaks from the wick 36 will be collected at the bottom of the chimney 40 and in the passages 30 and 31. This is preferable to it leaking directly out of the bottom of the chimney 40, as would be the case with a conventional pod design, where the liquid may then leak over the main body of the vaporiser and over the battery contacts.

Referring now to Figures 11A and 11B, here there is disclosed a main body 44 of a second embodiment of a vaporiser in accordance with the present invention. This is essentially the same as the vaporiser 1 previously described, except that here the main body 44 is arranged to receive the pod 3 sideways and from the side.

To permit the pod 3 to slide sideways into the main body 44, transverse slots 46 are provided in an upper edge of a central aperture in the main body 44, which engage with respective ones of the four protrusions 17 on the upper surface of the pod 3, shown in Figure 4. Transverse rails 47 are also provided on a lower edge of the aperture, which transverse rails 47 engage with the second pair of slots 24B on the base portion 15 of the pod 3, shown in Figure 5.

The pod 3 may be inserted from either side of the main body 44 and it is retained in a central position of the main body 44 by pins (not shown) engaging with recesses 19 and 20 in the upper face 16 of the pod 3, shown in Figure 4 , and with recesses 47 and 48 on a lower surface of the base portion 15 of the pod 3, shown in Figure 5.

It will be apparent that many modifications are possible to the embodiments described above with reference to the figures, in particular there is no requirement that the upstream openings be in any particular face of the pod, or that they restrict the flow. Thus the present invention has been described above by way of example only with reference to the accompanying figures and various modifications may be made which fall within the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A replaceable pod for use in two or more vaporisers, each vaporiser having a main body arranged to receive the pod, the pod having a top and a bottom and comprising: a housing; a reservoir for a liquid to be vaporised; a chimney extending within the housing through which air may be drawn through the pod from an upstream opening of the pod to a downstream opening of the pod; a wick for receiving liquid from the reservoir; and a heating element for heating liquid in the wick to vaporise it and create vapour in the chimney, the housing of the pod being arranged to engage with both a main body of a first vaporiser and a main body of a second vaporiser, characterised in that the housing of the pod is arranged such that the pod may slide and I or clip into the main body of the first vaporiser along a first axis of the pod and may slide and I or clip into the main body of the second vaporiser along a second axis of the pod, different to the first axis.

2. A pod as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the first and second axes are orthogonal to each other.

3. A pod as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the first and second axes are transverse axes orthogonal to a vertical axis of the pod.

4. A pod as claimed in claim 3 having a first pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the first transverse axis and a second pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the second transverse axis, both pairs of transverse guides being in, or on, one of either a top or a bottom face of the housing.

5. A pod as claimed in any preceding claim having four protrusions defining the four corners of an imaginary rectangle on a top or a bottom face of the housing, where respective sides of the imaginary rectangle are parallel with one or other of the first and second axes.

6. A pod as claimed in Claim 4 having a first pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the first transverse axis in the top face of the housing, a second pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the second transverse axis in the top face of the housing, a third pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the first transverse axis in the bottom face of the housing and a fourth pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the second transverse axis in the bottom face of the housing.

7. A pod as claimed in Claim 4 having a first pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the first transverse axis and a second pair of transverse guides extending parallel to the second transverse axis, both pairs of transverse guides being in either a top face or in a bottom face of the housing, with the housing, on the other of either the top face or the bottom face of the housing, having four protrusions defining the four comers of an imaginary rectangle, where respective sides of the imaginary rectangle are parallel with respective ones of the first and second axes.

8. A pod as claimed in Claim 5 having a first set of four protrusions on a top face of the housing defining the four comers of a first imaginary rectangle and having a second set of four protrusions defining the four comers of a second imaginary rectangle on a bottom face of the housing, where respective sides of the first and second imaginary rectangles are parallel with respective ones of the first and second axes.

9. A pod as claimed in any preceding claim where the chimney exits the housing through a downstream opening in the housing, which downstream opening is located centrally in the top face of the housing.

10. A pod as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first and second transverse axes are orthogonal to each other and wherein the footprint of the pod in a horizontal plane has a minimum dimension, defining a width direction of the pod and defining a length direction of the pod orthogonal to the width direction, the housing of the pod being substantially symmetrical about a central vertical plane extending in the width direction and about a central vertical plane extending in the length direction, the housing of the pod having two substantially identical opposed ends in the length direction and two substantially identical opposed sides in the width direction, wherein the length direction is parallel to the first axis and the width direction is parallel to the second axis, wherein the pod is arranged to slide and I or clip into the main body of the first vaporiser along a first axis of the pod endways from either of its two ends and is arranged to slide and I or clip sideways into the main body of the second vaporiser along a second axis of the pod, from either of its two sides.

11. A pod as claimed in claim 10 further comprising two electrical contacts on its bottom or top face, which electrical contacts are equally spaced from a central vertical axis of the pod and which lie on either the central vertical plane extending in the width direction or the central vertical plane extending in the length direction.

12. A pod as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the cross-section of the pod in a horizontal plane is generally oval or generally rectangular, but not generally square.

13. A vaporiser comprising a pod as claimed in any preceding claim, the vaporiser having a main body with a top portion and a bottom portion between which the pod is arranged to be received and removably held in place.

14. A vaporiser as claimed in claim 13 wherein a lower face of the top portion of the main body and an upper face of the bottom potion have pairs of guides arranged to engage with corresponding guides or protrusions on the pod and / or wherein the lower face of the top portion of the main body and an upper face of the bottom potion of the main body have protrusions arranged to engage with corresponding guides on the pod, to permit the main body of the vaporiser to engage with the pod and permit the pod to slide into position in the main body of the vaporiser.

15. A vaporiser as claimed in Claim 13 or Claim 14 wherein the main body of the vaporiser is substantially C - shaped with the main body having a side portion joining the top and bottom portions together and wherein the main body and the pod are arranged to permit the pod to slide into the main body through the opening of the mouth of the C-shaped main body in an end on manner and, in the direction of a first transverse axis of the pod.

16. A vaporiser as claimed in Claim 13 or Claim 14 wherein the main body of a vaporiser has two side portions joining the top and bottom portions together and defining an aperture in the main body, wherein the main body and the pod are arranged to permit the pod to slide sideways into the aperture in main body, in the direction of a second transverse axis of the pod perpendicular to the or a first transverse axis of the pod.

17. A vaporiser as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 16 comprising a mouthpiece on the top portion and a passage through the top portion arranged to connect the mouthpiece to the chimney of the pod.

18. A pod as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 for use in both the vaporiser of Claim 15 and the vaporiser of Claim 16.

19. A pod as claimed in Claim 17 wherein the pod housing is clear or translucent and the whereby liquid in the reservoir is visible through the housing and when the pod is received in the main body of either vaporiser the liquid level can be seen from both sides of the vaporiser.