RU2802650C2 - Evaporation device and cartridge for it - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: evaporators.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to a cartridge for an evaporator and an evaporator. An evaporator cartridge comprises a tank body having at least one inner container that is configured to hold a vaporized substance, a vaporization chamber in communication with the reservoir body and including at least one absorbent element configured to draw in the vaporized substance from at least one said inner container to the evaporation chamber for evaporation by means of a heating element, and at least one vent hole passing through the tank body wall, wherein at least one said vent hole allows ambient air to pass through it into the inside of the tank body so that the reservoir body is substantially maintained in pressure equilibrium when the volatilized substance is released from at least one said inner container. At least one said inner container is substantially sealed with respect to said at least one absorbent element, wherein said at least one inner container is capable of collapsing when the volatile substance is released from it.

EFFECT: it is possible to apply a constant pressure to the vaporized substance stored in the inner container, and as a result, to supply the vaporized substance to the heating element at a constant rate, which does not depend on the filling level of the vaporized substance in the inner container.

17 cl, 8 dwg

Description

Cross references to related applications

[0001] The application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/745,745, filed October 15, 2018, entitled "Cartridges For Vaporizer Devices", the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, to the extent permitted.

Field of technology to which the invention relates

[0002] The subject matter of the invention described herein relates to vaporizer devices including vaporizer cartridges.

State of the art

[0003] Evaporative devices, which may also be referred to as vaporizers, electronic vaporizers, or electroevaporative devices, can be used to deliver an aerosol (e.g., a vapor-phase and/or condensed-phase substance suspended in a stationary or moving body of air or some other gaseous carrier ), containing one or more active ingredients, through inhalation of the aerosol by the user of the vaporization device. For example, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) include a class of vaporizer devices that are battery-powered and that can be used to simulate the sensation of smoking but without burning tobacco or other substances. Vaporizer devices are becoming increasingly popular for both prescriptive medical use, drug delivery, and the consumption of tobacco, nicotine, and other herbal substances. Evaporative devices may be portable, self-contained, and/or user-friendly.

[0004] When using a vaporizer device, the user inhales an aerosol, colloquially referred to as “vapor,” which may be generated by a heating element that vaporizes (e.g., causes a liquid or solid to at least partially enter a gaseous phase) the vaporized substance , which may be a liquid, solution, solid, paste, wax, and/or any other form compatible for use with the particular vaporizer device. The vaporizable substance used with the vaporizer device may be provided in a cartridge, for example, a detachable portion of the vaporizer device that contains the vaporizable substance, which includes an outlet (eg, a mouthpiece) for inhalation of the aerosol by the user.

[0005] To receive the inhalable aerosol generated by the vaporizer device, the user may, in some examples, activate the vaporizer device by taking a puff, pressing a button, and/or some other approach. A puff, as used herein, may refer to the user inhaling in a manner that forces a volume of air to be drawn into the vaporizer device such that an inhaled aerosol is formed by the combination of the vaporized vaporized substance with the volume of air.

[0006] The approach by which a vaporizer device generates a respirable aerosol from a vaporized substance involves heating the vaporized substance in a vaporization chamber (eg, a heater chamber) to cause the vaporized substance to convert into a gaseous (or vapor) phase. A vapor chamber may refer to an area or volume in a vaporizer device in which a heat source (e.g., a conductive, convective, and/or radiant heat source) causes the vaporizer to be heated to create a mixture of air and vaporizer to form vapor for inhalation of the vaporizer by a user evaporation device.

[0007] Vaporizer devices may be controlled by one or more controllers, electronic circuits (eg, sensors, heating elements), and/or the like. on the evaporation device. Evaporative devices can also communicate wirelessly with an external controller, such as a computing device such as a smartphone).

[0008] In some implementations, vaporizable material may be drawn from the reservoir and into the vaporization chamber through an absorbent element (eg, a wick). Drawing of the vaporized substance into the flash chamber may be at least partially due to capillary action provided by the wick, where the wick pulls the vaporized substance along the wick towards the flash chamber. However, when the evaporated substance is drawn from the reservoir, the pressure inside the reservoir is reduced, thereby creating a vacuum and acting against capillary action. This may reduce the effectiveness of the wick to draw vaporizer into the vapor chamber, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the vaporizer device to vaporize a desired volume of vaporizer, such as when a user takes a puff on the vaporizer device. In addition, the vacuum created in the reservoir may ultimately result in an inability to draw all of the vaporized substance into the flash chamber, thereby wasting the vaporized substance. As such, improved vaporizer devices and/or vaporizer cartridges that improve or overcome these problems are desirable.

The essence of the invention

[0009] In some aspects of the current subject matter, problems associated with creating headspace can be overcome by incorporating one or more of the features described herein or comparable/equivalent approaches as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Aspects of the current subject matter relate to vaporizer devices and cartridges for use in a vaporizer device.

[0010] In some variations, one or more of the following features may optionally be included in any possible combination.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, a cartridge for a vaporizer device is provided and includes a reservoir body having at least one inner container that is configured to hold a vaporizable substance, and a vaporization chamber in communication with the reservoir body. The evaporation chamber includes at least one absorbent element that is configured to draw a vaporizable substance from the at least one inner container into the evaporation chamber for evaporation by means of the heating element; wherein the at least one inner container is substantially sealed against the at least one absorbent element, and the at least one inner container is collapsible when the vaporized substance is released therefrom.

[0012] In some embodiments, collapsing the at least one inner container can substantially prevent a vacuum from forming in the space above the volatile substance when the volatile substance is released from the at least one inner container.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cartridge may include at least one vent extending through a wall of the reservoir body, the at least one vent allowing ambient air to pass through it and into the reservoir body such that pressure equilibrium may be substantially supported in the reservoir body as the vaporized substance is discharged from the at least one inner container.

[0014] The vapor chamber can have a variety of configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the vapor chamber may be defined by at least one side wall of the reservoir body. In other embodiments, the vapor chamber may be defined by at least one wall that is coated or formed from a water-repellent material. In still other embodiments, the vapor chamber may be defined by at least one wall, which may be configured to allow at least a portion of the air flow to pass through it and into the vapor chamber.

[0015] The absorbent element can have a variety of configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the absorbent element may be formed from one or more porous materials.

[0016] The reservoir body can have a variety of configurations. In some embodiments, the reservoir body may include a first reservoir chamber and a second reservoir chamber, wherein each chamber may have at least one of at least one internal container disposed therein. In such embodiments, the vapor chamber may be located between the first reservoir chamber and the second reservoir chamber.

[0017] In another exemplary embodiment, a vaporizer device is provided and includes a vaporizer body and a cartridge that is selectively attached to and removable from the vaporizer body. The cartridge includes a reservoir body having at least one inner container that is configured to hold a substance to be evaporated, and an evaporation chamber in communication with the evaporator body. The evaporation chamber includes at least one absorbent element configured to draw a vaporizable substance from the at least one inner container into the evaporation chamber for evaporation by means of a heating element, wherein the at least one inner container is substantially sealed with respect to at least one absorbent element, and the at least one inner container is configured to collapse when the evaporated substance is released from it.

[0018] The evaporator body can have a variety of configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the main body of the evaporator may include a power source.

[0019] In some embodiments, collapsing the at least one inner container can substantially prevent a vacuum from forming in the space above the volatile substance when the volatile substance is released from the at least one inner container.

[0020] In some embodiments, the cartridge may include at least one vent extending through a wall of the reservoir body, the at least one vent allowing ambient air to pass through it and into the reservoir body such that pressure equilibrium may be substantially supported in the reservoir body as the vaporized substance is discharged from the at least one inner container.

[0021] The vapor chamber can have a variety of configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the vapor chamber may be defined by at least one side wall of the reservoir body. In other embodiments, the vapor chamber may be defined by at least one wall that is coated or formed from a water-repellent material. In still other embodiments, the vapor chamber may be defined by at least one wall, which may be configured to allow at least a portion of the air flow to pass through it and into the vapor chamber.

[0022] The absorbent element can have a variety of configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the absorbent element may be formed from one or more porous materials.

[0023] The reservoir body can have a variety of configurations. In some embodiments, the reservoir body may include a first reservoir chamber and a second reservoir chamber, each having at least one internal container disposed therein. In such embodiments, the vapor chamber may be located between the first reservoir chamber and the second reservoir chamber.

[0024] Details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and in the description that follows. Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the description and drawings and from the claims. The claims that appear after this disclosure are intended to define the scope of the protected subject matter.

Brief description of drawings

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are included in and form a part of this specification, show specific aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, help to explain certain principles associated with the disclosed implementations. On the drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an evaporation device;

[0027] FIG. 1B is a top view of an embodiment of the vaporizer device showing the vaporizer cartridge separated from the main body of the vaporizer device;

[0028] FIG. 1C is a top view of the evaporation device of FIG. 1B showing a vaporizer cartridge attached to a main body of the vaporization device;

[0029] FIG. 1D is a perspective view of the evaporation device in FIG. 1C;

[0030] FIG. 1E is a perspective view of the vaporizer cartridge of FIG. 1B;

[0031] FIG. 1F is another perspective view of the vaporizer cartridge of FIG. 1E;

[0032] FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram of another embodiment of a vaporizer cartridge; And

[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram of another embodiment of a vaporizer cartridge.

[0034] Where appropriate, like reference numbers designate like structures, features, or elements.

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0035] Implementations of the current subject matter include methods, devices, articles of manufacture, and systems related to vaporizing one or more substances for inhalation by a user. Exemplary implementations include evaporative devices and systems including evaporative devices. The term "vaporizer device," when used in the following description and claims, refers to any of a stand-alone device, a device that includes two or more separable parts (for example, a vaporizer body that includes a battery and other hardware, and a cartridge that includes a vaporizable substance), and/or the like. "Evaporation system" as used herein may include one or more components, such as an evaporation device. Examples of vaporizer devices consistent with implementations of the current subject matter include electronic vaporizers, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and/or the like. In general, such vaporizer devices are pocket-sized devices that heat (eg, by convection, current, radiation, and/or some combination thereof) the vaporized substance to provide an inhalable dose of the substance.

[0036] The vaporizable substance used in conjunction with the vaporizer device may be provided in a cartridge (e.g., the part of the vaporizer device that contains the vaporizable substance in a reservoir or other container), which may be refillable when empty, or disposable so that a new a cartridge containing additional vaporizer of the same or a different type may be used). The vaporizer device may be a cartridge-based vaporizer device, a cartridge-less vaporizer device, or a reusable vaporizer device adapted for use with or without a cartridge. For example, the vaporizer device may include a heating chamber (e.g., a heat chamber or other area in which a substance is heated by a heating element) configured to receive vaporizable substance directly within the heating chamber, and/or a reservoir or the like. to contain the evaporated substance.

[0037] In some implementations, the vaporizer device may be configured for use with a liquid vaporizable substance (e.g., a solution of a carrier in which the active and/or inactive ingredient(s) are suspended or held in solution, or a liquid form of the vaporizable substance itself) . The liquid vaporizable substance can be adjusted to completely vaporize. Alternatively, at least a portion of the liquid vaporized material may remain after all of the respirable material has been vaporized.

[0038] Referring to the block diagram in FIG. 1A, vaporizer device 100 may include a power source 112 (e.g., a battery, which may be a rechargeable battery), and a controller 104 (e.g., a processor, circuitry, etc. configured to perform logic) for controlling the delivery of heat to the atomizer 141 to cause the vaporized substance 102 to be converted from a condensed form (such as a liquid, solution, suspension, a portion of at least partially unprocessed plant matter, etc.) into a gaseous phase. The controller 104 may be part of one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) consistent with some implementations of the current subject matter.

[0039] After vaporizer 102 is converted to the gaseous phase, at least some of the vaporizer 102 in the gaseous phase may condense into particulate form in at least partial local equilibrium with the gaseous phase as part of an aerosol, which may form some the portion or all of the inhalable dose delivered by the vaporizer device 100 during a user puff or draw on the vaporizer device 100. It should be understood that the interaction between the gaseous and condensed phases in the aerosol generated by the vaporizer device 100 can be complex and dynamic due to such factors such as ambient temperature, relative humidity, chemical composition, flow conditions in air flow paths (both within the evaporative device and in the respiratory tract of a person or other mammal), and/or mixing of the vaporized substance 102 in the gaseous phase or aerosol phase with other air flows that may influence one or more physical parameters of the aerosol. In some vaporizer devices, and in particular for vaporizer devices configured to deliver volatile vaporizers, the inhaled dose may exist predominantly in the gaseous phase (eg, condensed phase particle formation may be very limited).

[0040] The atomizer 141 in the vaporizer device 100 may be configured to vaporize the vaporizable substance 102. The vaporizable substance 102 may be liquid. Examples of vaporizable substance 102 include pure liquids, suspensions, solutions, mixtures and/or the like. The atomizer 141 may include an absorbent element (ie, a wick) configured to transfer a volume of vaporized substance 102 to a portion of the atomizer 141 that includes a heating element (not shown in FIG. 1A).

[0041] For example, the absorbent element may be configured to draw vaporizable substance 102 from a reservoir 140 configured to contain vaporizable substance 102, so that vaporizable substance 102 can be vaporized by heat supplied from the heating element. The wicking element may also optionally allow air to enter the reservoir 140 and replace the volume of vaporizer 102 removed. In some implementations of the current subject matter, capillary action may draw the vaporizer 102 into the wick for vaporization via the heating element, and air may be returned to the reservoir 140 through the wick to at least partially equalize the pressure in the reservoir 140. Other methods of allowing air to return back to the reservoir 140 to equalize the pressure are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0042] When used herein, the terms “wick” or “absorbent element” include any material adapted to cause fluid movement through capillary pressure.

[0043] The heating element may include one or more of a conductive heater, a radiant heater, and/or a convection heater. One type of heating element is a resistive heating element, which may include a material (such as a metal or alloy, such as a nickel-chromium alloy, or a non-metallic resistor) configured to dissipate electrical power in the form of heat when electric current is passed through one or more resistive heating element segments. In some implementations of the current subject matter, the atomizer 141 may include a heating element that includes a resistive coil or other heating element wrapped around, positioned within, embedded in a 3D mold, pressed into thermal contact with, or otherwise configured to deliver heat to the absorbent member to cause the vaporizable substance 102 to be drawn from the reservoir 140 by the absorbent member to be vaporized for subsequent inhalation by the user in a gaseous and/or condensed (eg, aerosol particles or droplets) phase. Other absorbent elements, heating elements, and/or atomizer assembly configurations are also possible.

[0044] Some vaporizer devices may additionally or alternatively be configured to create an inhalable dose of vaporizable substance 102 in the gaseous phase and/or aerosol phase by heating the vaporizable substance 102. Vaporizable substance 102 may be a solid phase substance (such as a wax or .p.) or plant matter (for example, tobacco leaves and/or parts of tobacco leaves). In such vaporizer devices, the resistive heating element may be part of, or otherwise embedded within, or in thermal contact with, the walls of the heat chamber or other heating chamber into which the vaporizable substance 102 is placed. Alternatively, a resistive heating element or elements may be used to heat air passing through or past the vaporizable substance 102 to cause convection heating of the vaporizable substance 102. In yet other examples, the resistive heating element or elements may be positioned in close contact with the plant matter, such that that direct electrical conductive heating of plant matter occurs inside the mass of plant matter, as opposed to only thermal conduction inward from the walls of the heat chamber.

[0045] The heating element may be activated in association with a user's puff (i.e., drawing, inhaling, etc.) on the mouthpiece 130 of the vaporizer device 100 to cause air to flow from the air inlet, along an air flow path that passes through the atomizer 141 (ie, the absorbent element and the heating element). Optionally, air may flow from the air inlet through one or more condensation areas or chambers, to the air outlet in the mouthpiece 130. The incoming air moving along the air flow path moves over or through the atomizer 141, where the vaporized substance 102 is in gaseous form is carried into the air. The heating element may be activated through a controller 104, which may optionally be part of the vaporizer body 110 as discussed herein, causing current to flow from the power supply 112 through circuitry including a resistive heating element, which is optionally part of the vaporizer cartridge 120. as discussed in this document. As noted herein, entrained vaporizer 102 in gaseous form may condense as it passes through the remainder of the airflow path such that an inhaled dose of vaporizer 102 in aerosol form can be delivered from an air outlet (e.g., mouthpiece 130). for inhalation by the user.

[0046] Activation of the heating element may be caused by automatic puff detection based on one or more signals generated by one or more sensors 113. Sensor 113 and signals generated by sensor 113 may include one or more of the following: a pressure sensor or sensors, located to detect pressure along the air flow path relative to ambient pressure (or optionally to measure changes in absolute pressure), a motion sensor or sensors (e.g., an accelerometer) of the vaporizer device 100, a flow sensor or sensors of the vaporizer device 100, a capacitive lip sensor of the vaporizer device 100, detecting user interaction with vaporizer device 100 through one or more input devices 116 (e.g., buttons or other tactile control devices of vaporizer device 100), receiving signals from a computing device in communication with vaporizer device 100, and/or through other approaches to determine that tightening is happening or is about to happen.

[0047] As discussed herein, vaporizer device 100, consistent with implementations of the current subject matter, may be configured to communicate (such as, for example, wirelessly or via a wired connection) with a computing device (or optionally two or more devices) in communication with the evaporative device 100. To do this, the controller 104 may include communication hardware 105. The controller 104 may also include a memory 108. The communications hardware 105 may include firmware and/or may be controlled by software to implement one or more cryptographic protocols for communications.

[0048] The computing device may be a component of a vaporizer system that also includes vaporizer device 100, and may include its own communications hardware that can establish a wireless communication channel with communication hardware 105 of vaporizer device 100. For example, the computing device the device used as part of the evaporative system may include a general purpose computing device (such as a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, some other wearable device such as a smart watch, or the like) that runs software to create a user interface for allowing a user to interact with the vaporizer device 100. In other implementations of the current subject matter, such a device used as part of the vaporizer system may be a specialized piece of hardware, such as a remote control or other wireless or wired device having one or more physical or software (i.e., configured on a screen or other display device and selected through user interaction with a touch-sensitive screen or some other input device such as a mouse, pointer, trackball, cursor buttons, or the like) interface controls. The evaporative device 100 may also include one or more output devices 117 or devices for providing information to the user. For example, output devices 117 may include one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to provide feedback to a user based on the status and/or operating mode of vaporizer device 100.

[0049] In an example in which a computing device provides signals related to activating a resistive heating element, or in other examples for connecting the computing device to vaporizer device 100 to implement various controls or other functions, the computing device executes one or more sets of computer instructions, to provide the user interface and underlying data processing. In one example, the computing device's detection of user interaction with one or more user interface elements may cause the computing device to signal the vaporizer device 100 to activate the heating element to reach an operating temperature to create an inhalable dose of vapor/aerosol. Other functions of the vaporizer device 100 may be controlled through user interaction with a user interface on a computing device in communication with the vaporizer device 100.

[0050] The temperature of the resistive heating element of the electronic vaporizer device 100 may depend on a variety of factors, including the amount of electrical power delivered to the resistive heating element and/or the duty cycle at which electrical power is applied, conductive heat transfer to other parts of the electronic vaporizer device 100, and /or to the environment, latent heat losses due to evaporation of vaporized substance 102 from the absorbent element and/or atomizer 141 as a whole, and convection heat losses due to air flow (i.e., air moving through the heating element or atomizer 141 as a whole, when the user takes a puff on the vaporizer device 100). As noted herein, in order to reliably activate the heating element or heat the heating element to a desired temperature, vaporizer device 100 may, in some implementations of the current subject matter, use signals from sensor 113 (e.g., a pressure sensor) to determine when the user inhales. Sensor 113 may be placed in the airflow path and/or may be connected (for example, through a passage or other path) to the airflow path comprising an inlet for air to enter the vaporizer device 100 and an outlet through which the user inhales the resulting airflow. resulting in vapor and/or aerosol such that sensor 113 senses changes (eg, pressure changes) simultaneously with air passing through evaporator device 100 from the air inlet to the air outlet. In some implementations of the current subject matter, the heating element may be activated in association with a user's puff, for example, through automatic puff detection, or through sensor 113 detecting a change (such as a change in pressure) in the air flow path.

[0051] Sensor 113 may be located on or coupled to (ie, electrically or electronically connected, either physically or via a wireless connection) to controller 104 (eg, a printed circuit board assembly or other type of circuit board). To perform measurements accurately and maintain the durability of the evaporator device 100, it may be useful to provide a seal 127 that is resilient enough to separate the air flow path from other parts of the evaporator device 100. The seal 127, which may be a gasket, may be configured to at least , partially surround the sensor 113 so that the connections of the sensor 113 to the internal circuitry of the evaporator device 100 are separated from the portion of the sensor 113 exposed to the air flow path. In an example of a cartridge-based vaporizer device, seal 127 may also separate portions of one or more electrical connections between vaporizer housing 110 and vaporizer cartridge 120. Such seal arrangements 127 in evaporator device 100 may be useful in mitigating potentially damaging effects on evaporator components resulting from interactions with environmental factors such as vapor or liquid water, other fluids such as evaporator material 102, etc. .d., and/or reduce the loss of air from the designed air flow path in the evaporator device 100. Unwanted air, liquid or other fluid passing through and/or contacting the circuits of the evaporator device 100 may cause various undesirable effects, such as changed pressure readings, and/or may result in the formation of undesirable matter, such as moisture, excess vaporizer 102, etc., in parts of the vaporizer device 100, where they may result in a poor pressure signal, degradation of the sensor 113 or other components and/or shorter life of the vaporizer device 100. Leaks in the seal 127 may also result in the user inhaling air that has passed through parts of the vaporizer device 100 containing, or constructed from, materials that may be undesirable for inhalation.

[0052] In some implementations, the vaporizer body 110 includes a controller 104, a power source 112 (such as a battery), one or more sensors 113, charging contacts (such as contacts for charging the power supply 112), a seal 127, and a cartridge holder 118 , is configured to receive an evaporator cartridge 120 for connection to the evaporator main body 110 through one or more of a plurality of connection structures. In some examples, the vaporizer cartridge 120 includes a reservoir 140 for containing the vaporizable substance 102 and the mouthpiece 130 has an aerosol outlet for delivering an inhaled dose to the user. The vaporizer cartridge 120 may include an atomizer 141 having a wicking element and a heating element. Alternatively, one or both of the absorbent element and the heating element may be part of the evaporator body 110. In an implementation in which any portion of the atomizer 141 (i.e., the heating element and/or wicking element) is part of the main vaporizer body 110, the vaporizer device 100 may be configured to supply vaporizable substance 102 from the reservoir 140 in the vaporizer cartridge 120 to the portion( pits) of the atomizer 141 included in the main part 110 of the evaporator.

[0053] In an embodiment of the vaporizer device 100 in which the power supply 112 is part of the vaporizer body 110 and the heating element is housed in the vaporizer cartridge 120 and configured to be coupled to the vaporizer body 110, the vaporizer device 100 may include electrical components connections (eg, circuit termination means) to complete a circuit that includes a controller 104 (eg, a printed circuit board, microcontroller, or the like), a power supply 112, and a heating element (eg, a heating element in atomizer 141). These parts may include one or more contacts (referred to herein as cartridge contacts 124a and 124b) on the bottom surface of the vaporizer cartridge 120 and at least two contacts (referred to herein as holder contacts 125a and 125b) located adjacent base of the cartridge holder 118 of the vaporizer device 100 such that the cartridge contacts 124a and 124b and the holder contacts 125a and 125b make electrical connections when the vaporizer cartridge 120 is inserted into and connected to the cartridge holder 118. The circuit completed by these electrical connections may provide the ability to supply electrical current to the heating element and may further be used for additional functions such as measuring the resistance of the heating element for use in determining and/or controlling the temperature of the heating element based on the thermal coefficient of resistivity of the heating element. element.

[0054] In some implementations of the current subject matter, cartridge contacts 124a and 124b and holder contacts 125a and 125b may be configured to be electrically connected in one or another of at least two orientations. In other words, one or more circuits required to operate the vaporizer device 100 may be completed by inserting the vaporizer cartridge 120 into the cartridge holder 118 in a first rotational orientation (about the axis along which the vaporizer cartridge 120 is inserted into the cartridge holder 118 of the vaporizer body 110) , so that the cartridge contact 124a is electrically connected to the holder contact 125a, and the cartridge contact 124b is electrically connected to the holder contact 125b. In addition, one or more circuits required to operate the vaporizer device 100 may be completed by inserting the vaporizer cartridge 120 into the cartridge holder 118 in a second rotation orientation such that cartridge contact 124a is electrically coupled to holder contact 125b and cartridge contact 124b is electrically coupled to contact 125a of the holder.

[0055] For example, the vaporizer cartridge 120, or at least the insertion end 122 of the vaporizer cartridge 120, may be symmetrical when rotating 180° about the axis along which the vaporizer cartridge 120 is inserted into the cartridge holder 118. In such a configuration, the circuitry of the vaporizer device 100 can maintain identical operation no matter what symmetrical orientation of the vaporizer cartridge 120 occurs.

[0056] In one example of an attachment structure for attaching a vaporizer cartridge 120 to a vaporizer body 110, the vaporizer body 110 includes one or more fasteners (e.g., pits, projections, etc.) projecting inwardly from an interior surface of the cartridge holder 118 , an additional material (such as metal, plastic, etc.) formed to include a portion projecting into the interior of the cartridge holder 118, and/or the like. One or more outer surfaces of the vaporizer cartridge 120 may include corresponding recesses (not shown in FIG. 1A) that may fit and/or otherwise snap over such latches or projections when the vaporizer cartridge 120 is inserted into the cartridge holder 118 of the main body 110 evaporator. When the vaporizer cartridge 120 and the vaporizer body 110 are connected (e.g., by inserting the vaporizer cartridge 120 into the vaporizer holder 118 of the vaporizer body 110), the latches or projections of the vaporizer body 110 may be mounted within and/or otherwise held within the recesses of the vaporizer cartridge 120 to hold the vaporizer cartridge 120 in place when assembled. Such an assembly may provide sufficient support to hold the vaporizer cartridge 120 in place to ensure good contact between the cartridge contacts 124a and 124b and the holder contacts 125a and 125b, while allowing the vaporizer cartridge 120 to be removed from the vaporizer body 110 when the user pulls with reasonable force on the vaporizer cartridge 120 to disengage the vaporizer cartridge 120 from the cartridge holder 118 .

[0057] In some implementations, the vaporizer cartridge 120, or at least the insertion end 122 of the vaporizer cartridge 120 configured for insertion into the cartridge holder 118, may have a non-circular cross-section transverse to the axis along which the vaporizer cartridge 120 is inserted into the cartridge holder 118 . For example, the non-circular cross-section may be approximately rectangular, approximately elliptical (i.e., approximately oval in shape), non-rectangular but with two sets of parallel or approximately parallel opposite sides (i.e., having a parallelogram-like shape), or others shapes having rotational symmetry of at least second order. In this context, an approximate shape indicates that the basic similarity to the described shape is obvious, but that the sides of the shape in question need not be entirely linear and the vertices need not be entirely sharp. The rounding of both or one of the edges or vertices of a cross-sectional shape is contemplated in the description of any non-circular cross-section referred to herein.

[0058] The cartridge contacts 124a and 124b and the holder contacts 125a and 125b may take various forms. For example, one or both sets of contacts may include conductive pins, printed contacts, contact posts, receiving holes for pins or contact posts, or the like. Some types of contacts may include springs or other components to provide better physical and electrical contact between contacts on the vaporizer cartridge 120 and the vaporizer body 110 . The electrical contacts may optionally be gold plated and/or include other materials.

[0059] FIG. 1B-1D illustrate an embodiment of the vaporizer main body 110 having a cartridge holder 118 into which the vaporizer cartridge 120 can be removably inserted. Fig. 1B and 1C show top views of the vaporizer device 100, illustrating the vaporizer cartridge 120 positioned for insertion and inserted, respectively, into the vaporizer main body 110. Fig. 1D illustrates a reservoir 140 of a vaporizer cartridge 120 formed in whole or in part from a translucent material such that a level of vaporizer 102 is visible from a window 132 (eg, translucent material) on the vaporizer cartridge 120. The vaporizer cartridge 120 may be configured such that the window 132 remains visible when inserted into the vaporizer cartridge holder 118 of the vaporizer body 110. For example, in one exemplary configuration, window 132 may be located between the lower edge of the mouthpiece 130 and the upper edge of the vaporizer body 110 when the vaporizer cartridge 120 is coupled to the cartridge holder 118.

[0060] FIG. 1E illustrates an exemplary air flow path 134 created during a user's puff on vaporizer device 100. Air flow path 134 may direct air into a vaporization chamber 150 (see FIG. 1F) contained within the wick body, where the air combines with a respirable aerosol for delivery to the user via a mouthpiece 130, which may also be part of a vaporizer cartridge 120. For example, when a user takes a puff on the vaporizer device 100 of the device 100, air may flow between the outer surface of the vaporizer cartridge 120 (e.g., window 132 shown in FIG. 1D) and the inner surface of the cartridge holder 118 on the vaporizer body 110. Air may then be drawn into the insertion end 122 of the vaporizer cartridge 120, through the vapor chamber 150 that includes or contains a heating element and wick, and out through the outlet 136 of the mouthpiece 130 to deliver an inhalable aerosol to the user.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 1E, this configuration causes air to flow around the insertion end 122 of the vaporizer cartridge 120 into the cartridge holder 118 and then flow back in the opposite direction after passing around the insertion end 122 (e.g., the end opposite the end including the mouthpiece 130) of the vaporizer cartridge 120 when it enters the main body of the cartridge toward the vaporization chamber 150. The air flow path 134 then moves through the interior of the vaporizer cartridge 120, for example, through one or more tubes or internal channels (such as cannula 128 shown in FIG. 1F) and through one or more outlet openings (such as outlet 136) formed in the mouthpiece 130. The mouthpiece 130 may be a separable component of the vaporizer cartridge 120 or may be integrally formed with other component(s) of the vaporizer cartridge 120 (e.g., formed as an integral structure with the reservoir 140 and/or etc.).

[0062] FIG. 1F shows additional features that may be included in the vaporizer cartridge 120 consistent with implementations of the current subject matter. For example, vaporizer cartridge 120 may include a plurality of cartridge contacts (such as cartridge contacts 124a, 124b) disposed at the insertion end 122. Each of the cartridge contacts 124a, 124b may optionally be part of a single piece of metal that forms a conductive structure (such as conductive structure 126) connected to one of the two ends of the resistive heating element. The conductive structure may optionally form opposite sides of the heating chamber and may also act as thermal shields and/or heat sinks to reduce heat transfer to the outer walls of the evaporator cartridge 120. Fig. 1F also shows a cannula 128 in the vaporizer cartridge 120 that defines a portion of the air flow path 134 between the heating chamber formed between the conductive structure 126 and the mouthpiece 130.

[0063] As mentioned above, a vacuum may be created in the reservoir 140 when the vaporized substance 102 is drawn from the reservoir. The presence of a vacuum in reservoir 140 may reduce or prevent capillary action provided by the wick. This may reduce the effectiveness of the wick to draw vaporizer 102 into vaporizer chamber 150, thereby reducing the effectiveness of vaporizer 100 to vaporize a desired volume of vaporizer 102, such as when a user takes a puff on vaporizer 100. Additionally, the vacuum created in the reservoir 140 may ultimately result in an inability to draw all of the vaporizable material 102 into the flash chamber 150, thereby wasting the vaporizable material. Various features and devices are described below that improve or overcome these problems. For example, various features are described herein to prevent the creation of a vacuum in the reservoir body when the vaporized substance is released therefrom and into the vapor chamber in the vaporization device. Eliminating vacuum generation can provide advantages and improvements over existing approaches, while also providing additional benefits as described herein. When used herein, the term "tank body" is used synonymously with "reservoir".

[0064] Vaporizer cartridges described herein provide the ability to draw vaporizable substance from the reservoir body of the vaporizer device using at least one absorbent element (e.g., a wick), while reducing the headspace above the vaporizable substance that acts against the capillary action of the absorbent element. Vaporizer cartridges typically include a reservoir body having at least one internal container that is configured to hold a vaporized substance. As discussed in more detail below, the at least one inner container is configured to collapse or deform as vaporizable material is drawn into the at least one absorbent material such that the pressure in the at least one inner container remains substantially constant . That is, when the at least one absorbent element draws evaporated material from at least one inner container, the volume of the at least one inner container is reduced, thereby substantially preventing the creation of a vacuum in the space above the evaporated material. substance. As such, the at least one absorbent element can more effectively draw vaporizable material from the reservoir body, resulting in greater impregnation. The more impregnated the at least one absorbent element, the more efficient the evaporation device can be in evaporating the desired volume of evaporable material. Additionally, the at least one inner container is substantially sealed against the at least one absorbent element to prevent unwanted leakage of vaporized material. This seal facilitates the distribution of the evaporated substance essentially only through at least one absorbent element.

[0065] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary vaporizer cartridge 200 that can be selectively attached to and removed from a vaporizer body, such as the vaporizer body 110 shown in FIG. 1A-1D). More specifically, vaporizer cartridge 200 includes an inner container 202 that is configured to collapse, and therefore shrink in volume, when vaporizer 206 is drawn from it, for example, simultaneously with and/or after the user takes a puff on a mouthpiece 230 connected to a vaporizer cartridge 200.

[0066] As shown, vaporizer cartridge 200 includes a reservoir body 204 and a vaporization chamber 208 with a wicking member 210 extending therebetween. The tank body 204 has an internal volume defined by the tank walls 204a, 204b, 204c and 204d. The reservoir body 204 includes an inner container 202 that holds the vaporized substance 206.

[0067] The reservoir body 204 may be formed from a material and/or structural configuration that has greater rigidity than the inner container 202. As such, the reservoir body 204 may also protect the inner container 202 from damage. For example, the reservoir body 204 and the inner container 202 may serve as two lines of defense against unwanted leakage of vaporizer 206 into the environment and/or into other portions of the vaporizer cartridge 200, such as the portion of the mouthpiece 230 where the user applies their lips.

[0068] While the reservoir body 204 and inner container 202 can take a variety of shapes and configurations, the reservoir body 204 and inner container 202, as shown in FIG. 2 may each have a substantially rectangular shape. In other embodiments, the inner container 202 may have a different shape than the reservoir body 204. Additionally, the initial volume of the inner container 202 may be substantially equal to the internal volume of the reservoir body 204. As such, the size and shape of the inner container 202, and thus the volume of vaporizable material 206 housed therein, depends at least in part on the size and shape of the reservoir body 204.

[0069] In general, as discussed above, the inner container 202 is configured to collapse as the vaporizer 206 is drawn from the inner container 202 and into the absorbent member 210. As a result, the volume of the inner container 202 decreases as the volume of the vaporizer 206 decreases. This reduction in the volume of the inner container 202 may substantially prevent a vacuum from forming in the space above the vaporizer in the inner container 202. This allows the capillary action of the wicking element 210 to effectively draw the vaporizer 206 out of the reservoir body 204 and into the vapor chamber 208 after each puff on the mouthpiece. 230 by user.

[0070] As shown, the inner container 202 is substantially sealed with respect to the absorbent element 210 on the surface 212. As a result, removal of vaporizable material 206 from the inner container 202 occurs primarily, if not completely, through the absorbent element 210, thereby thereby increasing the tightness between them. That is, essentially sealing the inner container 202 with respect to the absorbent member 210 may help prevent vaporized material from leaking into the environment and/or into other portions of the vaporizer cartridge, such as the portion of the mouthpiece 230 where the user applies his or her lips. Any suitable method may be used to seal the inner container 202 to the absorbent member 210, such as by heat sealing or the like.

[0071] The inner container 202 can have a variety of configurations. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the inner container 202 has a bag-like configuration. The inner container 202 may be formed from a flexible material. Any flexible material that can shrink in size (shrink in volume in the reservoir body 204) when the vaporizable substance 206 is released from the inner container 202 can be used. For example, the flexible material may be an elastic material that expands to a stretched state when the volume of vaporizable substance 206 is placed within it, and returns to a collapsed state when the volume of vaporizable substance 206 is drawn out. Non-limiting examples of suitable flexible materials include elastomers and the like. The flexible material can be a single or multi-layer structure. The flexible material may also be impermeable to air, thereby preventing air in the reservoir body 204 from entering the inner container 202 and displacing the volume of drawn vaporizable material 206. Alternatively, or in addition, the flexible material may be coated with an impermeable coating. Other suitable structural configurations of the inner container 202 are also discussed herein.

[0072] In use, when the volume of the inner container 202 is reduced, negative pressure can be created in the reservoir body 204. This negative pressure may exert a pulling force on the inner container 202 that pulls the inner container 202 in an outward direction relative to the absorbent member 210, which may therefore interfere with the ability of the inner container 202 to wrinkle. To eliminate or reduce this negative pressure, the pressure in the reservoir body 204 may be increased when the inner container 202 collapses. For example, the vaporizer cartridge 200 may include at least one vent 214 that is configured to selectively allow air to pass into the tank body 204 from the environment to thereby substantially maintain internal pressure (e.g., internal pressure that is substantially equal to the ambient pressure) of the reservoir body 204. The at least one vent 214 may be a passive valve or an active valve.

[0073] The at least one vent 214 may have a variety of configurations. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, at least one vent 214 may include one or more openings that extend through the side wall of the reservoir body 204 and selectively allow air to pass into (or out of) the reservoir body 204. For example, one or more openings may allow air to pass into the reservoir body 204 to increase pressure therein. This increase in pressure effectively counterbalances any vacuum (negative pressure) that is created within the reservoir body 204 itself as the volume of the inner container 202 decreases. Those. when the vaporized substance 206 is discharged from the inner container 202, during use, an influx of air may enter the reservoir body 204 through one or more openings to equalize the pressure within the reservoir body 204 itself. Additionally, this air flow may also assist in collapsing the inner container 202.

[0074] The one or more openings may be of any suitable size that allows an effective volume of air to enter the reservoir body 204. That is, the one or more openings are sized such that they are not substantially restrictive to air flow. For example, in some embodiments, the size of one or more holes may influence the rate of air flow, which corresponds to the wicking rate of absorbent element 210. Additionally, in some embodiments, the size of one or more holes may be the same, while in other embodiments the size one or more holes may vary.

[0075] At least one vent 214 may be located proximate to locations along the reservoir body 204 such as to achieve pressure equalization. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, at least one vent 214 is positioned adjacent the upper end 203 of the reservoir body 204. As such, the effective positioning of at least one vent 214 may therefore depend at least in part on the location of the absorbent element 210 relative to it and the direction of the gravitational flow of vaporized material in the inner container 202.

[0076] While the vapor chamber 208 can have a variety of configurations, the vapor chamber 208 as shown in FIG. 2 is defined by two opposing side walls 208a, 208b, one of which is the side wall 204b of the tank body 204, and a bottom wall 208c extending between them. Essentially, in this illustrated embodiment, the vapor chamber 208 extends in the same plane as the reservoir body 204. As shown, the air flow passage 216 extends through the vapor chamber 208. The air flow passage 216 is configured to direct the air flow 218 and the aerosol through the vapor chamber 208 and into the mouthpiece 230 for inhalation by a user.

[0077] The air flow 218 enters the vapor chamber 208 through the bottom wall 208c when the user takes a puff on the mouthpiece 230. As such, the bottom wall 208c is configured to allow the air flow 218 to easily pass through it and into the vapor chamber 208. While While the bottom wall 208c can have a variety of configurations, the bottom wall 208c is perforated, as shown in FIG. 2. The perforated holes can be of any suitable size that allows air to pass through the bottom wall 208c. In some embodiments, the size of the perforated holes may prevent vaporizable substance 206 or aerosol from passing through bottom wall 208c and therefore prevent unwanted leakage into other portions of the device. The bottom wall 208c may include any suitable number of perforations, and therefore the number of perforations is not limited to the number that is illustrated in FIG. 2. Alternatively or in addition, the bottom wall 208c may be formed from a breathable material. Thus, the bottom wall 208c functions as an air inlet for the evaporation chamber 208.

[0078] The bottom wall 208c may also be configured to prevent air flow 218 and/or aerosol in the flash chamber 208 from passing through it. That is, the bottom wall 208c may be configured as a one-way valve and therefore allow air flow 218 to pass only through it and into the vapor chamber 208. In some embodiments, any of the remaining walls of the vapor chamber 208 may be perforated and/or formed from a breathable material to allow air to pass into (or out of) the vapor chamber 208 as desired.

[0079] In some embodiments, at least one wall of the vapor chamber 208, such as a side wall 208b, which is also a side wall 204b of the reservoir body 204, may be formed from or coated with a water-repellent material so as to prevent any condensation from accumulation in flash chamber 208. Essentially, any water that may be present in the aerosol and air stream 218 may be transferred through and out of flash chamber 208 when the user takes a puff on mouthpiece 230.

[0080] A heating element or heater may be contained in the vapor chamber 208 and coupled to the absorbent element 210. The absorbent element 210 is configured to provide a capillary action that draws the vaporizable substance 206 from the inner container 202 of the reservoir body 204 into the vapor chamber 208 for vaporization in aerosol through the heat generated by the heating element. The aerosol is then combined with the air stream 218 moving through the air flow passage 216 for inhalation by the user.

[0081] While the absorbent element 210 may be located anywhere in the airflow passageway 216, the absorbent element 210, as shown in FIG. 2 is located adjacent the bottom wall 208c of the vaporization chamber 208. The absorbent element 210 may be any suitable porous element that allows the vaporizable substance 206 to flow through it under the action of capillary pressure. For example, the absorbent element 210 may be formed from one or more ceramic materials, such as silica. Alternatively or in addition, the absorbent element 210 may be a composite of two or more materials, such as an inner material (eg, graphite) surrounded by an outer material (eg, ceramic material).

[0082] In some embodiments, the absorbent element 210 may be formed from a porous material that includes a conductive material. For example, the ceramic material of the absorbent body 210 may be supplemented with additives to include resistive properties. Such addition of additives to the absorbent material (e.g., ceramic) may increase the rate of heating of the absorbent element 210 and thus the rate of evaporation of the evaporable substance 206.

[0083] Some embodiments may include an absorbent element 210 having a cross-section that varies along the length of the absorbent element 210. For example, a portion of the absorbent element 210 that includes a smaller cross-section than another portion of the absorbent element 210 may , for example, result in greater resistance to the flow of energy, thereby allowing the vaporizable substance 206 to vaporize and evaporate more quickly, such as to form an aerosol for inhalation by the user. In some implementations, at least one of the cross-sectional dimensions and the density of the conductive material may vary along the length of the absorbent element 210, for example, to achieve variable results (eg, evaporation rate, heating rate, etc.).

[0084] In some embodiments, the vaporizer cartridge 200 includes two or more cartridge contacts, such as, for example, two cartridge contacts 232a, 232b. Two or more cartridge contacts may be configured to connect, for example, to receiving contacts 125a and 125b to form one or more electrical connections to vaporizer device 100. A circuit completed by such electrical connections may be capable of delivering electrical current to a heating element. element or heater in the flash chamber 208 and connected to the absorbent element 210. As noted, the absorbent element 210 provides capillary action to draw vaporizable substance 206 from the internal container 202 of the reservoir body 204 into the flash chamber 208, where the vaporizable substance 206 is vaporized into an aerosol by heat, formed by the heating element. The aerosol is then combined with the air stream 218 moving through the air flow passage 216 for inhalation by the user. The circuit may also serve additional functions, such as, for example, measuring the resistance of the heating element for use in determining and/or controlling the temperature of the heating element based on the thermal coefficient of resistivity of the heating element.

[0085] While vaporizer cartridge embodiments have been discussed in the context of a single inner container and a single wick, alternative vaporizer cartridge embodiments may employ multiple inner containers and/or multiple wicks. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the vaporizer cartridge 300 may include an absorbent member 310, such as an absorbent member 210 (FIG. 2), extending between two chambers 304a, 304b of a reservoir body 304, such as a reservoir body 204 (FIG. 2). Each chamber 304a and 304b includes an inner container 302a, 302b, such as the inner container 202 (FIG. 2). As further shown in FIG. 3, the vaporizer cartridge 300 includes a vapor chamber 308, similar to the vapor chamber 208 of FIG. 2, which extends between two chambers 304a, 304b of the reservoir body 304, thereby forming a central air passageway 316. In addition, FIG. 3 shows the vaporizer cartridge 300 as including a mouthpiece 312 and one or more cartridge contacts, such as, for example, a first cartridge contact 314a and a second cartridge contact 314b.

Terminology

[0086] For purposes of describing and defining these teachings, it is noted that, unless otherwise noted, the term “substantially” is used herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be inherent in any quantitative comparison, value, measurement or other representation. The terms “substantially” are also used herein to represent the extent to which a quantitative presentation may vary from an established standard without resulting in a change in the essential function of the subject matter.

[0087] When a feature or element is referred to herein as being "in" another feature or element, it may be directly contained in the other feature or element, or intermediate features and/or elements may also be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being "directly contained" in another feature or element, no intermediate features or elements are present. It should also be understood that when a feature or element is referred to as being "connected" or "attached" to another feature or element, it may be directly connected, attached or coupled to the other feature or element, or intermediate features or elements may be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as “directly connected,” “directly attached,” or “directly connected” to another feature or element, no intermediate features or elements are present.

[0088] Although described or shown in relation to one embodiment, the features and elements described or shown in this manner may apply to other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that references to a structure or feature that is located “next to” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.

[0089] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and implementations only and is not intended to be limiting. For example, as used herein, singular forms are intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0090] In the above descriptions and in the claims, phrases such as “at least one of” or “one or more of” may appear followed by a conjunctive list of elements or features. The term "and/or" may also appear in a list of two or more elements or features. Unless otherwise implicitly or explicitly inconsistent with the context in which it is used, such phrase is not intended to mean any of the enumerated elements or features alone or any of the enumerated elements or features in combination 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"; and "A and/or B" are intended to mean "A only, B only, or A and B together." A similar interpretation also applies to lists containing three or more elements. For example, the phrases "at least one of A, B and C"; "one or more of A, B and C"; and "A, B and/or C" are intended to mean "A only, B only, C only, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A and B and C together." The use of the term "based on" above and in the claims is intended to mean "at least in part based on" so that an unstated feature or element is also acceptable.

[0091] Spatially relative terms such as “front”, “back”, “under”, “below”, “lower”, “above”, “top”, etc. may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or relationship of a feature in relation to another element(s) or feature(s), as illustrated in the drawings. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to cover various orientations of the device being used or operated, in addition to the orientation illustrated in the drawings. For example, if the device in the drawings is inverted, elements described as "under" or "below" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "under" can cover both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly. Likewise, the terms “up”, “down”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, etc. are used herein for explanatory purposes only unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0092] 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 can be used to distinguish one characteristic/element from another characteristic/element. Thus, the first feature/element explained below may be referred to as the second feature/element, and likewise, the second feature/element explained below may be referred to as the first feature/element, without departing from the ideas provided herein.

[0093] When used herein in the detailed description and claims, including when used in examples, and unless otherwise expressly indicated, all numbers may be read as if preceded by the word "about" or "approximately" even if the term is not shown explicitly. The phrase "about" or "approximately" may be used when describing an absolute value and/or position to indicate that the value and/or position described is within a reasonable expected range of values and/or positions. For example, a numeric value may have a value that is +/-0.1% of a set value (or range of values), +/-1% of a set value (or range of values), +/-2% of a set value (or value range), +/-5% of the set value (or range of values), +/-10% of the set value (or range of values), etc. Any numerical values given herein should also be understood to include about or approximately that value unless the context otherwise indicates. For example, if the value "10" is disclosed, then "about 10" is also disclosed. Any range of numerical values set forth herein is intended to be inclusive of all subranges included therein. It should also be understood that when a value that is “less than or equal to” a value is disclosed, a “greater than or equal to a value” and possible ranges between the values are also disclosed, as those skilled in the art would appreciate. For example, if the value "X" is disclosed, "less than or equal to X" is also disclosed, as is "greater than or equal to X" (eg, where X is a numeric value). It should also be understood that in this application, data is provided in a number of different formats, and that this data represents end points 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 should be understood that greater than, greater than or equal to, less than, less than or equal to, and equal to 10 and 15 are considered disclosed, as are between 10 and 15. It should also be understand that each unit between two specific units is also disclosed. For example, if 10 and 15 are revealed, then 11, 12, 13 and 14 are also revealed.

[0094] Although various illustrative embodiments are described above, any of a number of changes may be made to the various embodiments without departing from the teachings herein. For example, the order in which the various described method steps are performed may often vary in alternative embodiments, and in other alternative embodiments, one or more method steps may be skipped altogether. Optional features of various embodiments of the device and system may be included in some embodiments and not in others. Accordingly, the foregoing description is provided primarily for exemplary purposes and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0095] One or more aspects or features of the subject matter described herein may be implemented in a digital electronic circuit, integrated circuit, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), computer hardware, firmware , software and/or a combination of the above. These various aspects or features may include implementation in one or more computer programs that can be executed and/or interpreted for a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be special purpose or general purpose, coupled with the ability to receive data and instructions from and transmit data and instructions to the data storage system, the at least one input device and the at least one output device. A programmable system or computing system may include clients and servers. The client and server are typically remote from each other and typically communicate through a communications network. The relationship between the client and the server is carried out on the basis of computer programs running on the corresponding computers and having a client-server relationship with each other.

[0096] These computer programs, which may also be referred to as "programs", "software", "software applications", "applications", "components" or "code", include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented at a high level procedural language, object-oriented programming language, functional programming language, logic programming language and/or assembly/machine language. As used herein, the term "machine-readable medium" means any computer program product, hardware and/or device, such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, memory and programmable logic devices (PLDs) used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor including a computer-readable medium that receives the machine instructions as a computer-readable signal. The expression "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor. A computer-readable medium may non-volatilely store such machine instructions, for example, similar to a non-volatile semiconductor memory or magnetic hard disk, or any equivalent storage medium. A computer-readable medium may alternatively or additionally store such machine instructions in a volatile manner, for example, similar to a processor cache or other random access memory associated with one or more physical processor cores.

[0097] The examples and illustrations included herein show, by way of illustration and not limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter of the invention may be practiced. As mentioned above, other embodiments may be used and learned from such that structural and logical substitutions and changes can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein separately or collectively by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without the intention of intentionally limiting the scope of this application to any one invention or inventive concept if more than one is actually disclosed. Thus, while specific embodiments are illustrated and described herein, any arrangement calculated to achieve an identical purpose can be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of the various embodiments. Combinations of the above-described embodiments and other embodiments not specifically described herein should become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the foregoing description. The use of the term "based on" above and in the claims is intended to mean "at least in part based on" so that an unstated feature or element is also acceptable.

[0098] The subject matter described herein may be implemented in systems, equipment, methods and/or products depending on the desired configuration. The implementations set forth in the above description do not represent all implementations in accordance with the subject matter described herein. Instead, they are simply some examples in accordance with aspects related to the described subject matter. Although several variations are detailed above, other modifications or additions are possible. In particular, additional features and/or variations may be provided in addition to the features and/or variations set forth herein. For example, the implementations described above may be directed to various combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features and/or combinations and subcombinations of several additional features disclosed above. In addition, the logical sequences of operations illustrated in the accompanying drawings and/or described herein do not necessarily require the particular order shown or sequential order in order to achieve the desired results. Other implementations may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (27)

1. A cartridge for an evaporation device, containing: a reservoir body having at least one inner container that is configured to hold the substance to be evaporated; an evaporation chamber in communication with the reservoir body and including at least one absorbent element configured to draw evaporable substance from the at least one inner container into the evaporation chamber for evaporation by means of the heating element; And at least one vent opening extending through a wall of the reservoir body, wherein said at least one vent opening allows ambient air to pass therethrough into the reservoir body so that pressure equilibrium is substantially maintained within the reservoir body when vaporized substance is released from said at least one inner container; wherein said at least one inner container is substantially compacted with respect to said at least one absorbent element, wherein said at least one inner container is collapsible when the vaporized substance is released therefrom. 2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein collapse of said at least one inner container substantially prevents the formation of a vacuum in the space above the vaporized substance when the vaporized substance is discharged from said at least one inner container. 3. The cartridge according to claim 1, in which the evaporation chamber is defined by at least one side wall of the reservoir body. 4. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the evaporation chamber is defined by at least one wall that is coated with or formed from a water-repellent material. 5. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the vaporization chamber is defined by at least one wall that is configured to allow at least a portion of the air flow to pass through it into the vaporization chamber. 6. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent element is formed from one or more porous materials. 7. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the reservoir body includes a first reservoir chamber and a second reservoir chamber, wherein each of the first reservoir chamber and the second reservoir chamber has at least one of said at least one inner container located in her. 8. The cartridge according to claim 7, in which the evaporation chamber is located between the first chamber of the reservoir and the second chamber of the reservoir. 9. Evaporation device containing: main part of the evaporator; And a cartridge that is selectively attached to and removable from the main body of the evaporator, the cartridge including: - a reservoir body having at least one internal container, which is configured to hold the evaporated substance; - an evaporation chamber in communication with the reservoir body, wherein the evaporation chamber includes at least one absorbent element configured to draw evaporable substance from the at least one inner container into the evaporation chamber for evaporation by means of the heating element; And - at least one vent hole that extends through the wall of the tank body to allow ambient air to pass through it into the tank body so that pressure equilibrium is substantially maintained in the tank body when the vaporized substance is released from the at least one inner container ; wherein said at least one inner container is substantially compacted with respect to said at least one absorbent element, wherein said at least one inner container is collapsible when the vaporized substance is released therefrom. 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the main part of the evaporator includes a power source. 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the collapse of said at least one inner container substantially prevents a vacuum from forming in the space above the vaporized substance when the vaporized substance is discharged from said at least one inner container. 12. The device according to claim 9, in which the evaporation chamber is defined by at least one side wall of the tank body. 13. The device of claim 9, wherein the evaporation chamber is defined by at least one wall that is coated with or formed from a water-repellent material. 14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the evaporation chamber is defined by at least one wall that is configured to allow at least a portion of the air flow to pass through it into the evaporation chamber. 15. The device of claim 9, wherein the absorbent element is formed from one or more porous materials. 16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the reservoir body includes a first reservoir chamber and a second reservoir chamber, wherein each of the first reservoir chamber and the second reservoir chamber has at least one of said at least one inner container located in her. 17. The device according to claim 16, in which the evaporation chamber is located between the first chamber of the tank and the second chamber of the tank.