Vaporizer Cartridge

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/655,868, entitled “VAPORIZER CARTRIDGE” and filed on Jun. 4, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The current subject matter described herein relates generally to vaporizer devices, such as portable, personal vaporizer devices for generating and delivering an inhalable aerosol from one or more vaporizable materials.

Vaporizing devices, including electronic vaporizers or e-vaporizer devices, allow the delivery of vapor containing one or more active ingredients by inhalation of the vapor. Electronic vaporizer devices are gaining increasing popularity both for prescriptive medical use, in delivering medicaments, and for consumption of nicotine, tobacco, other liquid-based substances, and other plant-based smokeable materials, such as, including solid (e.g., loose-leaf) materials, solid/liquid (e.g., suspensions, liquid-coated) materials, wax extracts, and prefilled pods (cartridges, wrapped containers, etc.) of such materials. Electronic vaporizer devices in particular may be portable, self-contained, and convenient for use.

Aspects of the current subject matter relate to a vaporizer cartridge for use with a vaporizer body to provide a vaporizable aerosol for consumption by a user.

According to some aspects, there is provided a cartridge configured to operatively couple with a vaporizer, the cartridge comprising a mouthpiece at a proximal end of the cartridge, the mouthpiece configured to deliver an inhalable vapor; a reservoir configured to store a vaporizable material, the mouthpiece slidably attached to an exterior surface of a proximal end of the reservoir; a cannula extending from a distal member of the cartridge to a proximal portion of the cartridge; and an atomizer assembly comprising an atomizer and an atomizer wrapper; wherein the atomizer wrapper is configured to wick vaporizable material from at least one reservoir opening to the atomizer to enable the atomizer to heat and vaporize the vaporizable material; wherein the atomizer wrapper and the atomizer both have cylindrical shapes, the atomizer wrapper having an internal cavity with an internal diameter sized to fit an exterior diameter of the atomizer, wherein the atomizer is positioned within the internal cavity of the atomizer wrapper; wherein the atomizer wrapper has an external diameter sized to fit an interior diameter of an interior cavity of the cannula, wherein the atomizer wrapper, including the atomizer positioned therein, is positioned within an interior cavity of the cannula; and wherein the atomizer assembly forms an axis that is coaxially aligned with a central axis running through the cartridge and the cannula.

In some implementations, the current subject matter may include one or more of the features disclosed herein including the following optional features. The distal member comprises a first air inlet receiving a first air flow and a second air inlet receiving a second air flow, wherein the distal member combines the first air flow and the second air flow in an airflow and provides the airflow to a distal opening of the cannula, wherein the atomizer heats the vaporizable material to generate vapor which is carried in the airflow towards a proximal end of the cannula, the airflow exiting the cannula split within the mouthpiece into two flows before exiting at least two openings in the mouthpiece. The cannula comprises a cylindrical shape having at a proximal end of the cannula a first diameter and having at a distal end of the cannula a second diameter, wherein a mid-portion of cannula is tapered in diameter from the first diameter to the second diameter. The cartridge further comprises a seal including an opening, wherein the seal plugs the reservoir to prevent leakage of the vaporizable material in the reservoir and the opening is sized for the first diameter of the proximal end of the cannula. The seal is sized to have a first size or a second size, such that when the cartridge is assembled the first size is inserted into the reservoir to provide 0.5 grams of vaporizable material and the second size is inserted into the reservoir to provide 1.0 gram of vaporizable material. The atomizer comprises at least a first lead and a second lead, wherein the first lead and the second lead respectively make contact with a first receptacle in the distal member and a second receptacle in the distal member, wherein the first receptacle and the second receptacle are configured to receive power from a source of power. The cartridge further comprises at least one absorbent pad positioned within an interior volume of the mouthpiece and within a proximal end of the mouthpiece. The cartridge further comprises at least one absorbent pad positioned in the distal member. The atomizer comprises a nichrome wire heating element embedded in a ceramic element. The at least one reservoir opening comprises two reservoir openings on opposing sides of the cannula. The mouthpiece includes at least one notch that is configured to engage with at least one recess on the exterior surface of the reservoir to fixedly attach the mouthpiece and reservoir. The atomizer assembly is positioned at a base portion of the reservoir and extends into a central region of the cartridge.

According to some aspects, there is provided a method of manufacturing a cartridge, the method comprising in response to manufacturing a cartridge configured to contain a first amount of vaporizable material, inserting a first sized silicon seal into a proximal end of a reservoir of a vaporizer cartridge; and in response to manufacturing the cartridge configured to contain a second amount of vaporizable material, inserting a second sized silicon seal into the proximal end of the reservoir of the vaporizer cartridge.

In some implementations, the current subject matter may include one or more of the features disclosed herein including the following optional features. The method may further comprise continuing with manufacturing the cartridge. The first amount is 1.0 gram of vaporizable material. The first sized silicon seal comprises an insertion depth of 2.2 millimeters into the reservoir. The first amount is 0.5 grams of vaporizable material. The first sized silicon seal comprises an insertion depth of between 7.2 and 9.2 millimeters into the reservoir. The reservoir is filled with vaporizable material before the first sized silicon seal or the second sized silicon seal is inserted into the proximal end of the reservoir of the vaporizer cartridge.

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

When practical, similar reference numbers denote similar structures, features, or elements.

According to aspects of the current subject matter, a cartridge (in which vaporizable material is contained for producing a vaporizable aerosol and which couples to a vaporizer body) includes various seals, internal structures, and absorbent padding to contain the vaporizable material, to prevent leakage of the vaporizable material, and to provide an enhanced air flow. According to aspects of the current subject matter, a cartridge may have a reservoir (also referred to herein as a tank) in which approximately 0.5 grams or 1.0 grams of vaporizable material may be contained. According to aspects of the current subject matter, a silicon seal (also referred to as a plug or a bung) may be sized to have a first size such that when the silicon seal is inserted into the reservoir, the reservoir can hold up to about 0.5 grams of vaporizable material. And, the silicon seal may be sized to have a second size such that when the silicon seal is inserted into the reservoir, the reservoir can hold up to about 1.0 grams of vaporizable material. According to aspects of the current subject matter, the atomizer and atomizer wrapper are configured in a longitudinal axis with respect to the air flow and cannula.

Implementations of the current subject matter include devices relating to vaporizing of one or more materials for inhalation by a user. The term “vaporizer” may be used generically in the following description and refers to a vaporizer device, such as, for example, an electronic vaporizer. Examples of vaporizers consistent with implementations of the current subject matter include electronic vaporizers, electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or the like. In general, such vaporizers are often portable, hand-held devices that heat a vaporizable material to provide an inhalable dose of the material.

Vaporizer devices consistent with the current subject matter may be referred to by various terms such as, for example, inhalable aerosol devices, aerosolizers, vaporization devices, electronic vaping devices, electronic vaporizers, vape pens, etc.

An apparatus and/or method consistent with implementations of the current subject matter involves heating of a vaporizable material to result in production of one or more gas-phase components of the vaporizable material. A vaporizable material may include liquid and/or oil-type plant materials. The gas-phase components of the vaporizable material may condense after being vaporized such that an aerosol is formed in a flowing air stream that is deliverable for inhalation by a user. Such vaporizer devices may in some implementations of the current subject matter be particularly adapted for use with an oil-based vaporizable material, such as, for example,oils.

One or more features of the current subject matter, including one or more of a cartridge (also referred to as vaporizer cartridges and pods) and a vaporizer device body (also referred to as a vaporizer device base, a body, a base, etc.), may be employed with a suitable vaporizable material (where suitable refers in this context to being usable with a device whose properties, settings, etc. are configured or configurable to be compatible for use with the vaporizable material). The vaporizable material can include one or more liquids, such as, for example, oils, extracts, aqueous or other solutions, etc., of one or more substances that may be desirably provided in the form of an inhalable aerosol.

In some implementations, the vaporizable material isoil.oils may present challenges when vaporized using a cartridge and a vaporizer device. For example,oil is relatively sticky and viscous, particularly once it dries out. Thus, leakage may be a more serious consideration and challenge compared to other aqueous vaporizable materials. In particular, leakage ofoil may result in clogging of the device and disturbing the electrical components, particularly the electrical contacts. The dried oil may also disrupt the electrical control of the vaporizer device due to its electrically insulating properties. The cartridges described herein may provide robust leak-resistant designs and may be configured to be used with viscous oil-based vaporizable materials, such asoil that may have a viscosity at room temperature of between about 40 cP and 113 KcP.

Before providing additional details regarding the cartridge (also referred to as a “pod”), the following provides a description of some example of vaporizer devices.

-illustrate features of a vaporizer deviceincluding a vaporizer bodyand a cartridgeconsistent with implementations of the current subject matter. Althoughdepict various features, some implementations may omit one or more features depicted in.is a bottom perspective view, andis a top perspective view of the vaporizer devicewith the cartridgeseparated from a cartridge receptacleon the vaporizer body. Both views ofandare shown looking towards a mouthpieceof the cartridge.is a bottom perspective view, andis a top perspective view of the vaporizer device with the cartridgeseparated from the cartridge receptacleof the vaporizer body.are shown looking toward the distal end of the vaporizer body.is a top perspective view, andis a bottom perspective view of the vaporizer devicewith the cartridgeengaged for use with the vaporizer body.

As shown in, the cartridgeincludes, at a proximal end, a mouthpiecethat is attached over a cartridge bodythat forms a reservoir (or tank), which contains a vaporizable material. The cartridge bodymay be transparent, translucent, opaque, or a combination thereof. The mouthpiecemay include one or more openings(see) at the proximal end out of which vapor may be inhaled, by drawing breath through the vaporizer device. The distal end of the cartridge bodymay couple to and be secured to the vaporizer bodywithin the cartridge receptacleof the vaporizer body. Power pin receptacles(see) of the cartridgemate with respective power pins (or contacts)(see) of the vaporizer bodythat extend into the cartridge receptacle. The cartridgealso includes air flow inlets (or air flow openings)on the distal end of the cartridge body.

Alternatively, or additionally, the cartridgemay include a tag, such as a data tag, a near-field communication (NFC) tag, or other type of wireless transceiver or communication tag, although some implementations may omit the tag. The tagmay be positioned on at least a portion of the distal end of the cartridge body. As shown in, the tagmay substantially surround the power pin receptaclesand the air flow inlets, although other configurations of the tagmay be implemented as well. For example, the tagmay be positioned between the power pin receptacleand the power pin receptacle, or the tagmay be shaped as a circle, partial circle, oval, partial oval, or any polygonal shape encircling or partially encircling the power pin receptaclesand the air flow inletsor a portion thereof.

In the example of, the vaporizer bodyhas an outer shell (or cover)that may be made of various types of materials, including for example aluminum (e.g., AL6063), stainless steel, glass, ceramic, titanium, plastic (e.g., Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Nylon, Polycarbonate (PC), Polyethersulfone (PESU), and the like), and any hard, durable material. The proximal end of the vaporizer bodyincludes an opening forming the cartridge receptacle, and the distal end of the vaporizer bodyincludes a connection, such as, for example, a universal serial bus Type C (USB-C) connection and/or the like. The cartridge receptacleportion of the vaporizer bodyincludes one or more air inlets (or openings)that extend through the outer shellto allow airflow therein. The vaporizer bodyas shown has an elongated, flattened tubular shape that is curvature-continuous, although the vaporizer bodyis not limited to such a shape. The vaporizer bodymay take the form of other shapes, such as, for example, a rectangular box, a cylinder, and the like.

The cartridgemay fit within the cartridge receptacleby a friction fit, snap fit, and/or other types of secure connection. The cartridgemay have a rim, ridge, protrusion, and/or the like for engaging a complimentary portion of the vaporizer body. While fitted within the cartridge receptacle, the cartridgemay be held securely within but still allow for being easily withdrawn to remove the cartridge.

depicts a perspective view of another example of the vapor deviceincluding a vaporizer bodyand a cartridgeconsistent with implementations of the current subject matter.

is a schematic block diagram illustrating components of a vaporizer devicehaving the cartridgeand a vaporizer bodyconsistent with implementations of the current subject matter. Althoughdepict various components, some implementations may omit one or more of the components depicted inand described below. Included in the vaporizer bodyis a controllerthat includes at least one processor and/or at least one memory configured to control and manage various operations among the components of the vaporizer devicedescribed herein.

Heater control circuitryof the vaporizer bodycontrols a heaterof the cartridge. The heatermay generate heat to provide vaporization of the vaporizable material. For example, the heatermay include a heating coil (e.g., a resistive heater) in thermal contact with a wick, as described in further detail below. In some embodiments, the heatercomprises an atomizer, such as atomizerdescribed further below, and the wick comprises atomizer wrapperdescribed further below. The atomizer assembly may compromise the atomizerand the wrapper.

A batterymay be included in the vaporizer body, and the controllermay control and/or communicate with a voltage monitorcircuitry configured to monitor the battery voltage, a reset circuitconfigured to reset (e.g., shut down the vaporizer deviceand/or restart the vaporizer devicein a certain state), a battery charger, and a battery regulator(which may regulate the battery output, regulate charging/discharging of the battery, and provide alerts to indicate when the battery charge is low, etc.).

The power pinsof the vaporizer bodyengage complementary power pin receptaclesof the cartridgewhen the cartridgeis engaged with the vaporizer body. Alternatively, the power pins may be part of the cartridgefor engaging complementary power pin receptacles of the vaporizer body. The engagement allows for the transfer of energy from an internal power source (e.g., the battery) to the heaterin the cartridge. The controllermay regulate the power flow (e.g., an amount or current and/or a voltage amount) to control a temperature at which the heaterheats a vaporizable material contained in the reservoir. According to implementations of the current subject matter, a variety of electrical connectors other than a pogo-pin and complementary pin receptacle configuration may be used to electrically connect the vaporizer bodyand the cartridge, such as for example, a plug and socket connector.

The controllermay control and/or communicate with optics circuitry(which controls and/or communicates with one or more displays such as LEDs), a pressure sensor, an ambient pressure sensor, an accelerometer, and/or a speakerconfigured to generate sound or other feedback to a user.

The pressure sensormay be configured to sense a user drawing (i.e., inhaling) on the mouthpieceand activate the heater control circuitryof the vaporizer bodyto accordingly control the heaterof the cartridge. In this way, the amount of current supplied to the heatermay be varied according to the user's draw (e.g., additional current may be supplied during a draw, but reduced when there is not a draw taking place). The ambient pressure sensormay be included for atmospheric reference to reduce sensitivity to ambient pressure changes and may be utilized to reduce false positives potentially detected by the pressure sensorwhen measuring draws from the mouthpiece. Draw detection may be done in other ways as well (e.g., using other types of sensors, such as capacitive touch sensor that detects lip or hand contact with the vaporizer device).

The accelerometer(and/or other motion sensors, capacitive sensors, flow sensors, strain gauge(s), or the like) may be used to detect user handling and interaction, for example, to detect movement of the vaporizer body(such as, for example, tapping, rolling, and/or any other deliberate movement associated with the vaporizer body). The detected movements may be interpreted by the controlleras one or more predefined user commands. For example, one particular movement may be a user command to gradually increase the temperature of the heateras the user intends to begin using the vaporizer device. Alternatively, or additionally, the cartridge may be inserted and/or removed in a predetermined pattern (e.g., remove the cartridge from the receptable and wait 5 seconds before re-inserting), and this predetermined pattern may be mapped to a user command, such as increase or decrease temperature of the heater.

Alternatively, or additionally, the vaporizer body, as shown in, may include wireless communication circuitrythat is connected to and/or controlled by the controller, although some implementations may not include wireless circuitry. The wireless communication circuitrymay include a near-field communication (NFC) antenna that is configured to read from and/or write to the tagof the cartridgeand also automatically detect a cartridge. The wireless communication circuitrymay include additional components/circuitry for other communication modes, such as, for example, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, and/or Wi-Fi chips and associated circuitry (e.g., control circuitry), for communication with other devices. For example, the vaporizer bodymay be configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote processor (e.g., smartphone, tablet, wearable electronics, cloud server, and/or the like) through the wireless communication circuitry, and through this communication may receive control information and/or configuration parameters (e.g., information or parameters for setting temperature (i.e., a predetermined temperature), setting a dose (i.e., a predetermined dose), resetting a dose counter, etc.) from and/or transmit output information (e.g., dose information, operational information, error information, temperature setting information, charge/battery information, etc.) to one or more of the remote processors. The tag, as previously described, may be a type of wireless transceiver and may include a microcontroller unit (MCU), a memory, and an antenna(e.g., an NFC antenna) to perform the various functionalities described below with further reference to. The tagmay be, for example, a 1 Kbit or a 2 Kbit NFC tag that is of type ISO/IEC 15693. NFC tags with other specifications may also be used.

The vaporizer bodymay include a haptics system, such as, for example, an actuator, a linear resonant actuator (LRA), an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) motor, or the like that provide haptic feedback such as, for example, a vibration as a “find my device” feature or as a control or other type of user feedback signal.

The vaporizer bodymay also include a connection(e.g., USB-C connection, micro-USB connection, and/or other types of connectors) for coupling the vaporizer body to a charger to enable charging the battery. Alternatively or additionally, electrical inductive charging (also referred to as wireless charging) may be used, in which case the vaporizer bodywould include inductive charging circuitry to enable charging. The connectionatmay also be used for a data connection between a computing device and the controller, which may facilitate development activities such as, for example, programming and debugging, for example.

The vaporizer bodymay also include a memorythat is part of the controlleror is in communication with the controller. The memorymay include volatile and/or non-volatile memory or provide data storage. In some implementations, the memorymay include 8 Mbit of flash memory, although the memory is not limited to this and other types of memory may be implemented as well.

As mentioned above, the vaporizer devicemay include the cartridgeconfigured to operatively couple with the vaporizer body. In some implementations, the cartridgeis disposable whereas the vaporizer bodyis durable and/or re-usable. The cartridgemay also be configured to be reused as described elsewhere herein.

depict various views of a cartridge, in accordance with some embodiments.depicts a top perspective view of the cartridge;depicts a bottom perspective view of the cartridge;depicts a front view of the cartridge;depicts a side view of the cartridge;depicts a bottom view of the cartridge; anddepicts a top view of the cartridge.depict cross sectional views of the cartridge, whereshows a front cross section,depicts a cross-section view of the cartridgefrom a bottom perspective,depicts a cross-section view of the cartridgefrom a top perspective, andD depicts a see through perspective view of the cartridge.

The cartridgemay inserted into a vaporizer body cartridge receptacle, such as cartridge receptacle(). The cartridgemay include a cartridge bodydefining, at least in part, a reservoir which is also referred to as a tankthat is configured to contain a vaporizable material. The tank or reservoiris configured to store a vaporizable material. The cartridge may also include a mouthpieceand a vaporizing assembly that includes vapor-generating components positioned within the cartridge bodyand configured to vaporize the vaporizable material. Each will be described in more detail below.

The cartridge bodycan be divided, generally, into a proximal end regionA, a central regionB, and a distal end regionC (see also). The proximal end regionA of the cartridge bodycan be coupled to the mouthpiececonfigured to deliver the vapor to the user. A tank (also referred to as a reservoir)is defined, at least in part by, the proximal end regionA and the central regionB of the cartridge bodyand is configured to contain an amount of the vaporizable material. The central regionB and the distal end regionC may house one or more components configured to vaporize the material from the tankinto a vaporization chamber(see, e.g.,and). The mouthpieceis configured to interface with the user to release the vapor from the vaporization chamberto the user through one or more openingsin the mouthpiece, for example, upon the user drawing a breath through a vaporizer device, such as vaporizer device.

depicts an exploded view of the cartridge, whileshow cut away views of cartridge. The mouthpiecemay include at least one absorbent padA positioned within the mouthpiece.

The at least one absorbent padA is positioned in the mouthpieceto absorb fluid such as condensation or other fluid that that may be present within the mouthpiece. For example, an internal volumeof the mouthpiecemay include a region (for example, near the proximal endof the cartridgeadjacent to the openingof the mouthpiece), such that the region is configured to contain at least one absorbent padA within the internal volume. The at least one absorbent padA may be positioned within the internal volumeof the mouthpiecenear or proximate to the mouthpiece openingthrough which vapor may be inhaled by drawing breath through the vaporizer device, such that it may capture moisture just prior to inhalation by the user. The at least one padA may be pushed against the interior surface of the mouthpieceor may be pulled away from interior walls to maximize the surface area available for moisture absorption. The at least one pad may have any of a variety of shapes including rectangular, circular, ovoid, triangular, square, ring, or other shape. The size and shape of the at least one padA may be selected to minimize interference with the vapor path through the openingswhile maximizing moisture and particle collection. Thus, the at least one padA may capture deposited and/or condensed liquid from the vapor flowing through the cartridgewithout requiring the vapor to pass through the at least one padA. For example, the at least one padA may be positioned within the mouthpiecesuch that the padA is generally off-axis relative to the openingallowing unobstructed vapor flow through the opening. In the example of, the at least one padA is depicted as a flattened disk defining a central openingA and thus, has a ring-like shape. It should be appreciated the padA may have a ring shape but need not be a circular ring-shaped object. Rather, the absorbent padA may be a flat, non-circular ring having a perimeter in the shape of an oval, ellipse, or rectangle. In the example of, an external surface of the mouthpiecemay define the openinginto the internal volume as a narrow, elongate slit. The central openingA of the at least one padA may have a shape that corresponds or substantially corresponds to a shape of the openingsuch that it may surround the openingas also shown at.

Referring again to the exploded view of, the cartridgemay include a silicon seal. The silicon sealis used to cap a proximal endof the tankto prevent vaporizable material from leaking out of the proximal endof the tank. Although the silicon sealis described as being composed of silicon, other materials may be used as well in the silicon seal. Referring toandA-C for example, the silicon sealis configured such that the silicon seal inserts into the proximal endof the tank. Moreover, the silicon seal includes an openingthrough which a proximal endA of the cannulais inserted. The silicon sealthus serves as a bung to close the proximal openingof the tank, while providing an openingfor the cannula.

In some embodiments, there are two sizes for the silicon seal. For example, the silicon sealmay be sized to have a first size that when inserted into the proximal endA of the cannulaallows a first volume, such as 0.5 grams of vaporizable material in the tank. In the example offor example, the sealincludes the opening, the seal plugs the tank/reservoir to prevent leakage of the vaporizable material in the reservoir. Moreover, the openinghas a diameter that is sized for the first diameter of the proximal endA of the cannula. Alternatively, the silicon sealmay be sized to have a second size that when inserted into the proximal endA of the cannulaallows a second volume, such as 1.0 gram of vaporizable material in the tank. In this way, the same sized tankmay accommodate two different capacities by simply using a different silicon seal.depicts the silicon sealincludes an openingsized for a first volume of 1.0 grams of vaporizable material in the tank.depicts the silicon sealincludes an openingsized for a first volume of 0.5 grams of vaporizable material in the tank. Referring to the example of, the insertion depth of the silicon seal into the tank is about 2.2 millimeters (mm) with a length of about 14.5 and a width of about 6.8 mm as shown, although other sizes may be realized as well. Referring to the example of, the insertion depth of the silicon seal into the tank is about 7.2 to 9.2 mm with a length of about 14.5 and a width of about 6.8 mm as shown, although other sizes may be realized as well. By using two different sized silicon seals, the capacity of the tankmay be varied to accommodate 1.0 gram or 0.5 gram of vaporizable material in the same cartridge. Moreover, the use of two different sized silicon seals(as shown in the example of) reduces the head space (which is the air gap in the reservoir). Reducing the head space in the reservoir can also reduce leakage in the reservoir. And, the use of two different sized silicon seals(as shown in the example of) improves manufacturing flexibility.

The cannulacomprises a cylindrical shape having at a proximal endA of the cannula a first diameter and having at the distal endof the cannula a second diameter. The second diameter is sized to accommodate the insertion of the atomizerand atomizer wrapper, such that the atomizer wrapper makes contact with the interior surface of the cannula (while the atomizer wrapper makes contact with the exterior surface of the atomizer). A mid-portionof cannula is tapered in diameter from the first diameter to the second diameter. The vaporization chamberis defined in part by the interior of the cannula at the mid-portion. This tapered shape configuration of the cannula can advantageously assist in securing the vaporizer and/or provide a Bernoulli effect with respect to the airflow. Alternatively, or additionally, the cannula may not have this tapered configuration (in which case the first, second, and mid-portion all have the same inner (and outer) diameter).

In the example offor example, the atomizer wrapper and the atomizer both have cylindrical shapes with a longitudinal axis along the longitudinal axis (A) of the cartridge. The atomizer wrapper has an internal diameter sized to fit the exterior diameter of the atomizer and has an external diameter sized to fit the interior diameter of the cannula.

illustrates views of the cannula, in accordance with an implementation example. The following depicts an example of the dimensions of the cannula, although other dimensions may be realized as well. AtA and D, a side view is depicted of the cannula, and atB, a cross-sectional view along A-AC is shown. The cannulain this example has a cylindrical shape having at a proximal endA a first inner diameter of 0.10 mm (with a wall thickness of 0.011 mm). At the distal end, the cannulahas a second inner diameter of 0.19 mm (with a wall thickness of 0.011 mm). For example, the second inner diameter is sized to accommodate the insertion of the atomizerand atomizer wrapper, such that the atomizer wrapper makes contact with the interior surface of the cannula (while the atomizer wrapper makes contact with the exterior surface of the atomizer). As noted, the cannulaincludes a tapered regionX. This tapered region tapers from a first outer diameter of 0.21 mm (of the distal portion or regionY of the cannula) to a second outer diameter of 0.13 (of the proximal portion or regionZ of the cannula). In the example, the tapered regionX has a length of 7 mm, the distal portionY has a length of 0.43 mm, and the proximal regionZ has a length of 0.44. AtD, the at least one reservoir openingA is located a distance of 0.22 mm from the distal endof the cannula. Another reservoir openingB (occluded by the perspective ofD) may be located opposite the reservoir openingB a distance of 0.22 mm from the distal endof the cannula.

depicts an example of an atomizer comprising ceramic with co-molded or embedded wire mesh, in accordance with some embodiments. At, a wire (e.g., nichrome wire) forms a circular meshA, such that when power is applied to leadsA-B, the wire meshA generates heat. In the example of, the atomizerB comprises the wire meshA embedded in ceramic (e.g., by co-molding the ceramic and wire meshA), such that when power is applied to leadsA-B, the wire meshA generates heat which in turn heats the ceramic (as well as vaporizable material when present in the vessel). In the example of, the atomizer has an outer diameter of 4 mm and an inner diameter of 2 mm (as shown by the top view at) and a length of 6 mm.

depicts an example of a wrapperfor the atomizer, in accordance with some embodiments. In the example of, the wrapperis in an unrolled state (i.e., before wrapping the atomizer) to show the wrapper's dimensions. In the example of, the wrapper has a length of 32 mm, a width of 6.5 mm, and a thickness of 0.32 mm. The wrapper may be composed of a non-woven viscose fiber, although other absorbent materials may be used as well.

The vaporization chamberis defined in part by the interior of the cannula at the mid-portion. In the example offor example, the atomizer wrapper and the atomizer both have cylindrical shapes with a longitudinal axis along the longitudinal axis (A) of the cartridge. The atomizer wrapper has an internal diameter sized to fit the exterior diameter of the atomizer and has an external diameter sized to fit the interior diameter of the cannula.

Continuing to refer to exploded view of, the cartridgemay include an outer gasket. The outer gasketis positioned around the external surface of the tank. The outer gaskethelps to restrict some of the cold air intake pressure (when the cartridge is coupled to the vaporizer body via the cartridge receptacle), and the outer gasket mitigates movement of the cartridge when installed in the cartridge receptable. For example, when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge receptacleof the vaporizer body, the outer gasketserves to restrict airflow and reduce movement of the cartridge within the cartridge receptable.

Referring again to the exploded view of, the cartridgemay include a cannula(also referred to as a chimney or “air path and atomizer housing”). Referring additionally to, the cannulamay extend from the distal end regionA of the cartridgethrough the tankto the proximal end regionA of the cartridge body. As best shown inand, the proximal end regionA of the cartridge bodydefines a central channelthat extends to an opening that may be coaxially aligned with the openingthrough the proximal end surface of the mouthpiece. A proximal topA of the cannulais encircled by the silicon gasket. As noted, the silicon gasketmay seal with the surface of the cannulaand the upper end of the tank to thus provide an air path (as depicted by the dashed arrows).