US2358349A - Electric vaporizer - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 19, 1944. J. ROBINSON ELECTRIC VAPORIZER Original Filed July 20, 1935 2 A xmwmw w INVENTOR. JOSEPH ROEfMiO/Y WWW/4 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 19, 1 944 UNITED STATES I PATENT "o ,"1 c1:i-

2,358,349 7 e 1 ELECTRIC VAPORIZER Joseph Robinson, New York, 'l I. Y., assignor to V William R. Warne'r.& Co. 1110., New York, N. Y.,. a corporation of Delaware Original application July. 20,1935, Serial iNor,

Divided and this application March 4,

1942, Serial No. 433,380. In the Unionof South Africa May 16, 1936 6 Claims: 01428- 192) This application is a division of my application Serial No. 32,438, filed July 20, 1935 (now .patent number 2,151,? 19 granted March 28, 1939), land a. division in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 246,528, filed December 19, 1938 l which application is'itself a division in part of my said application Serial .No. 32,438. The subject matter herein disclosed is shown in Figures 13', 15 and 16 of the above application Serial No. 32,438 and in Figures 21 to 23 inclusive of said application Serial No. 246,528.

My invention relates to electric Vaporizers of the hand type for generating hot medicated vapors for inhalation in the treatment of head colds, sinus infection, catarrh etc. is to provide a heater, container and applicator unit supported by a suitable base which is provided with or associated with a switch, the heater, container and applicator unit being ,normally mounted on said base in engagement with the. switch and being adapted to be removed therefrom for use. The applicator (sometimes referred to herein as'the cover) forming .a part of the above unit embraces thecontainer and heater and insulates against the heat therefrom. This permits the user to carry the heater, container and applicator unit about in his hand while inhaling the hot medicated vapors, and eliminates the necessity now existing for the user to remain at the electric socket from which:

currentis drawn in generating the vapors. The .heater, container and applicator unit is so con.- structed that it may be set vertically upright on a table, desk or the like.

In the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure l is a vertical section through my improved vaporizer,

Figure 2 is a-bottom view of the heater and container shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a bottom view of my improvement.

Any suitable materials may be used in constructing my improvement. I preferably make .;the insulating applicator or cover A of a plastic ,material having insulating properties, the lower portion of the applicator or cover being" relatively thick to increase its insulating capacity. The cover or applicator is provided with a nasal part or nozzle II] for directing the vapors to the nasal passages. The applicator is perforated at the top as shown, and may be formed integral with the applicator or cover A or separately thereof. The container C for containing the substance to be vaporized is arranged inside the lower portion of the applicator or cover A and Among the objects normally is carriedithereby, a split retaining or snap, ring 10 is mounted in a circumferential groove in the applicator member and, grippingly retains the container therein. The container can, however, be removed from thefapplicator A as will later be explained. A'disc shaped heater H, having a resistance coil arranged i'n'its upper face m conventional manner, under the mica plate 39, is locked in the skirt portion Hit} of the'container C by a lock washer 98 which grips the inner walls thereof. This arrangement providesa heater, container and insulator unit comprising the. heater H, the container C and the applicator cover A with its nozzle or nasal part"), that is adapted to be removed from the base-or stand J for use when the de sired vapors are generated. The heat from the heater, while adequate to ,readily vaporize th medication in the container, does not penetrate the relatively thick lower portion of the applicator cover A, and hence the unit, consisting of the parts above mentioned, namely, the heater the container C and-the; cover or applicator A, may be carried in the hand of the user while inhaling the vapors. 3 Thus the user is not required to remain at the electric socket from'whi ch current is drawn. Around the bottom of thecon tainer C, and between it and the mica plate 39, I provide a heatabsorbing storage member 99 which, in addition to. the heater H, retains heat and therefore serves to prolong'the presence of heat .in the vaporized substance when .the

fheater, container and applicator unit isjremoved fromlthe base J. As stated, the prolongation of heatin the vaporized substance is ma:

terially increased by the heat with which theheaterits-elf becomes charged in'th'e "processof heating the container 0 and vaporizing its contents, having in mind that-the heater is secured to the container and remains with it when the unit described abovefis removed from the base. i

The base or stand J may be of any conformation suitable for use with the" heater, container and applicator unit. That is to say it may be an elongated hollow handle'or it may be formed as shown wherein a neck 92 extends upwardly from thehollow base 93. Lugs 94 are provided on the inner Walls of the base J and neck 92,

is turned inwardly at its upper end 96-91 to facilitate circuit communication between the heater H and the cord K. This is accomplished by pressingthe heater, container and applicator unit down, un til the lockwasher 98 engages the top; H)! or the base J. This brings the contact washer I03 of the heater I-Iinto engagement with the top 96 of the switch blade 42,,

and since the centrally arranged screw or contact member I06 of the heater normally restsJon. the top 9! of the switch blade 43, and c -operates ,hot.

with the blade to support the heater, container" 7 and applicator unit vertically on the base J,

an electric circuit through the heater is formed when the contact washer I03 meets the bladev applicator cover A, flows from the slip fit of this unit over the upper end of the base J. Lateral shifting of the unit and tilting thereof on the base is in this manner prevented, whilst extending the bottom of the cover A past the lowest part of the heater and container protects the user against contact with these parts when they are What I claim is:

- 1. An electric vaporizer comprising in combination, a, base, a switch terminal and electric cord assembly in said base, and a heater-container applicator unit seated on said base with the heater in circuit with said assembly, said unit 42. By holding the heater, container and 'ap-- l plicator unit, consisting ofparts A, C and H, at the bottom of its downward movement a few comprising a container for the substance to be vaporized, a heater in contacting relation to said containerand portable therewith for heating said seconds the medicament to be vaporized, is heated to the desired temperature, and substantial heat is stored in the heater H and storage member 99 entrapped in the chamber I04. The heater,

container and applicator unit/may then be lifted jofigthe'base J and carried in'the hand of the user whilehe walks about his home or ofiice and inhales the hot, soothing vapors. During this inhalation currents of air are lifted up through the volutes I05 of the cover Ainto the container (land are heated as they travel upwardly against the hot sides of the container. Removal of the downward pressure on the ,heater, container and applicator unit permits the switch blade 43 to, return the unit to the normal position shown in Figure 1 thereby breaking the electric circuit,

and extinguishing the heater.

While, as aforesaid, the snap ring 'I-O grips the container. with sufficient pressure to cause the container and the heater to travel with meat)- plicator cover A, and to hold said coverfheater andcontainer assembled as a unit, the pressure is not such as to prevent removal of the applicator cover A from the container C -for'the purpose of inserting the substance to be'vap'orized or emptying the container after vaporization of the substance. To facilitate this removal the'contrainer is provided at its bottom with a slight flange I00 and the insulating applicator cover A is provided withaplurality of openings IOI. .R'einovalis done by inserting the thumb and forefinger in two of the openings IIH and pulling down on the'flange I00 or up on the cover A.-

' While any suitable form of heater H may be used with my improvement, perhaps it should benoted thatlboth ends of the heretofore mentioned resistance coil, one end of which is shown Qat'Z'S in Figure 2, are anchored under the centrally located screw lot; and thatthe lock ring I08 is provided with lugs I01 which fit in corn- ,plementary openings in the bottom of the heater to prevent undesired rotation ofthe heaterin thesleeve or skirt I08 of the container C. Inasmuch as the heater engages the bottom of the containerC and is held in that position iby the .lock ring 98', it is proper to say that this ring acts also to retain the resistance coil of; theheater, and the mica disc 39, in place. Proper positioning of the assembled unit comprising the heater H, the container C and the insulating container and said substance and for prolonging the retention of heat therein, an applicator surrounding and insulating said container and heater and including-a nozzle for directing the vapors," and connecting means for connecting the heater, container and applicator parts of theunit being adapted to be heated by said heater and being depressible to bring'th heater into contact withthe other switch terminal to effect closing of the electric circuit, and'a cover for insulating said'container and for directing the vapors.

3. A vaporizer according to claim 2 wherein the 'first mentioned switch terminal operates to break the electric circuit when pressure upon the heater is removed. I

" 4. An electric-vaporizer as set forth in-claim 1, in' which the base is provided with a switch blade and in whichsaid applicator slips over the upper end of said base and extends .below said heater to surround the upper part of said base and position the heater-container-applicator unit thereon with a part of said heater engaging said switch blade, said heater being provided with a verticallyarrange'd contact member adapted to engage with said switch blade, saidapplicat'or serving also to insulate said container and said heater so as to enable-handling of the heatercontainer-applicator unit when heated by the applicator after removal from the base.

5. A vaporize-r as set forth in claim 1, wherein the connecting means is disposed in' approximately a horizontal plane and engages the inner wall of the applicator to assure removal of the heater withthe applicator and thus provide the removable unit. a

6. A vaporizer as set forth in claim- 1, wherein the applicator is provided with vertical grooves forming. air spaces to increase the effectiveness of the insulation afforded by said applicator.

JOSEPH ROBINSON.

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