IP Verse

Vaporizer

Patent No. US11134722 (titled "Vaporizer") was filed by Envenio Inc on Aug 31, 2018.

What is this patent about?

’722 is related to the field of vaporizers, also known as electronic cigarettes, which provide nicotine or other substances through a smokeless inhalation process. Traditional electronic cigarettes consist of a power supply, typically a battery, and an atomizing device, often separated into a battery and a replaceable cartomizer. These devices vaporize a liquid solution containing propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, or polyethylene glycol, along with flavorings and nicotine, offering an alternative to traditional smoking.

The underlying idea behind ’722 is to improve the design and functionality of electronic cigarettes by integrating a protected heating element within a replaceable cartomizer and positioning the charging contacts for the battery at the opposite end of the device. This allows for a more compact and user-friendly design, where the heating element is shielded by the outer shell of the device, and charging can occur without removing the cartomizer.

The claims of ’722 focus on a vaporizer comprising a battery portion and a cartomizer. The battery portion includes a battery housing segment and a cartomizer receiving segment, forming a chamber. Crucially, the charger electrical contacts are located at the opposite end of the battery portion from the cartomizer insertion point. The cartomizer itself contains a structure to hold vaporizable liquid, a wicking element, and a heating element, with the entire heating element positioned within the protected chamber when inserted.

In practice, the vaporizer works by inserting the cartomizer into the chamber of the battery portion. The wicking element draws the vaporizable liquid to the heating element, which, upon activation, heats the liquid to create vapor for inhalation. The placement of the charging contacts at the opposite end allows for convenient charging without disturbing the cartomizer. Magnets may be used to secure the cartomizer within the chamber, ensuring proper alignment and electrical contact.

This design differentiates itself from prior approaches by providing a more integrated and user-friendly experience. By positioning the charging contacts away from the cartomizer insertion point, the device can be charged without removing or disturbing the cartomizer. The protected heating element enhances safety and durability, while the magnetic connection simplifies cartomizer replacement. The optional fan further improves airflow and vapor delivery, addressing common issues in earlier electronic cigarette designs.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the early 2010s when ’722 was filed, electronic cigarettes typically consisted of a battery and an atomizing device. At a time when reusable electronic cigarettes were typically implemented using a battery and a replaceable cartomizer, disposable electronic cigarettes combined these components into a single, disposable unit. The vaporizable liquid commonly used a solution of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, or polyethylene glycol, often with added flavors and nicotine.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner approved the application because the prior art, specifically Worm (US 2013/0037041), did not teach or suggest a vaporizer with a cartomizer insertable into a chamber at the insertion end. This cartomizer includes a body configured to hold vaporizable liquid, a wicking element in contact with the liquid, and a heating element in contact with the wicking element. The entire heating element is positioned between the insertion end and the base end of the chamber, protected by the outer shell when the cartomizer is inserted. Claims depending from this claim were also deemed novel and non-obvious for the same reasons.

Claims

This patent contains 23 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 10, and 15. The independent claims generally focus on a vaporizer comprising a battery portion and a cartomizer, with specific features related to the arrangement of components like the battery, heating element, and electrical contacts. The dependent claims generally elaborate on or add details to the features described in the independent claims, such as the wicking element's position, retention mechanisms, contact arrangements, and additional components like windows or magnets.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Battery housing segment
(Claim 1, Claim 10, Claim 15)		“Embodiments of a vaporizer, in accordance with the disclosure, may include a shell having a battery segment and a cartomizer receiving segment, the cartomizer receiving segment defining a chamber having an insertion end distal from the battery segment and a base end proximate to the battery segment”A portion of the battery portion that houses the battery.
Cartomizer receiving segment
(Claim 1, Claim 10, Claim 15)		“Embodiments of a vaporizer, in accordance with the disclosure, may include a shell having a battery segment and a cartomizer receiving segment, the cartomizer receiving segment defining a chamber having an insertion end distal from the battery segment and a base end proximate to the battery segment; a cartomizer insertable into the chamber at the insertion end”A portion of the battery portion that defines a chamber for receiving a cartomizer.
Charger electrical contacts
(Claim 1, Claim 10, Claim 15)		“In reusable electronic cigarettes the two items are separated into a battery and a cartomizer, to allow the disposal and replacement of a nicotine containing fluid cartomizer while preserving the more costly battery and associated circuitry (microcontroller, switch, indicating LED, etc.) for additional use.”A plurality of electrical contacts to provide electrical charge to a battery housed in the battery housing segment.
Outer shell
(Claim 1, Claim 10, Claim 15)		“Embodiments of a vaporizer, in accordance with the disclosure, may include a shell having a battery segment and a cartomizer receiving segment”A shell commonly shared by the battery housing segment and the cartomizer receiving segment.
Wicking element
(Claim 1, Claim 10, Claim 15)		“The electronic cigarette liquid used to vaporize ingredients such as nicotine is generally a solution of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), or polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400), as well as their mixtures to which a flavor and/or nicotine has been added.”A component within the cartomizer body that is at least partially in contact with the vaporizable liquid and delivers it to the heating element.

Litigation Cases New

US Latest litigation cases involving this patent.

Case NumberFiling DateTitle
2:25-cv-09331Sep 30, 2025JUUL Labs, Inc. v. Glas, Inc.
2:23-cv-01204Jun 30, 2023Juul Labs Incorporated V. Njoy Llc

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US11134722

ENVENIO INC
Application Number
US16119359
Filing Date
Aug 31, 2018
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Nov 12, 2034
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents