Container comprising vaporisable matter for use in a vaporising device for vaporising a vaporisable constituent thereof

Abstract

A disposable sachet of tobacco for use with a gas powered vaporizing device for vaporizing vaporizable constituents of the tobacco comprises a side wall of an impermeable paper based material and an upstream end cap and a downstream end cap which together define a hollow interior region for the tobacco. The sachet is shaped and sized to releasably and snugly engage a vaporizing chamber of the vaporizing device with a heat transfer member therein extending into the hollow interior region of the sachet. The upstream end cap and the downstream end cap are of a paper based permeable material which are permeable to air and an aerosol of vaporized constituents from the tobacco, respectively, to accommodate air into the hollow interior region of the sachet and the aerosol therefrom.

1 . A container defining a hollow interior region and having vaporizable matter in the hollow interior region, the container being adapted for locating in a vaporizing chamber of a vaporizing device, and being adapted for facilitating heat transfer from the vaporizing device to the vaporizable matter for producing an aerosol of a vaporizable constituent of the vaporizable matter, the container comprising a first accommodating means for accommodating the carrier fluid into the hollow interior region, and a second accommodating means for accommodating the aerosol of the carrier fluid and vapour of the vaporizable constituent from the hollow interior region. 
     
     
         2 . A container as claimed in  claim 2  in which the container substantially defines the vaporizing chamber, and preferably, the container is adapted to be a relatively tight fit in the vaporizing chamber for facilitating heat transfer from the vaporizing chamber to the container, and preferably, the container is adapted to releasably engage the vaporizing chamber, and advantageously, the first
 accommodating means comprises an upstream inlet, and preferably, the upstream inlet is formed by an upstream opening, and advantageously, the first accommodating means comprises a first permeable means located in the upstream inlet, and preferably, the second accommodating means comprises a downstream outlet, and preferably, the downstream outlet is formed by a downstream opening, and advantageously, the second accommodating means comprises a second permeable means located in the downstream outlet. 
 
     
     
         3 . A container as claimed in  claim 1  in which the container extends between an upstream end and a downstream end, the first accommodating means being located adjacent the upstream end and the second accommodating means being located adjacent the downstream end, and preferably, the outer transverse cross-sectional area of the container intermediate the upstream and downstream ends thereof is substantially similar to the inner transverse cross-sectional area of the vaporizing chamber, and advantageously, the outer transverse cross-sectional area of the container intermediate the upstream and downstream ends thereof is just less than the inner transverse cross-sectional area of the vaporizing chamber, and preferably, the container comprises a side wall which defines the hollow interior region, the side wall extending between the upstream end and the downstream end, and preferably, the side wall defines the upstream opening adjacent the upstream end, and the downstream opening adjacent the downstream end, and advantageously, the upstream opening is closed by an upstream end cap, and preferably, the upstream end cap comprises the first accommodating means, and advantageously, the upstream end cap is formed by the first permeable means, and preferably, the downstream opening is closed by a downstream end cap, and preferably, the downstream end cap comprises the second accommodating means, and advantageously, the downstream end cap is formed by the second permeable means. 
     
     
         4 . A container as claimed in  claim 3  in which the side wall is of a heat conducting material, and preferably, the side wall is of a paper based material, and advantageously, the side wall is of cardboard material, and preferably, the side wall is of a foil material, and advantageously, the side wall is of a metal foil, and
 preferably, a portion of the container is impermeable to the aerosol, and preferably, the portion of the container which is impermeable to the aerosol is also impermeable to the carrier fluid, and advantageously, the impermeable portion of the container is located intermediate the first accommodating means and the second accommodating means, and preferably, the side wall forms the impermeable portion of the container, and advantageously, the side wall is of a gauze material, and preferably, the side wall is of a gauze of metal material, and advantageously, the side wall of the container is adapted for engaging the vaporizing chamber, and preferably, the side wall of the container is adapted for engaging a corresponding side wall of the vaporizing chamber, and advantageously, the side wall of the container is adapted for engaging the corresponding side wall of the vaporizing chamber with a heat transfer fit, and preferably, the side wall of the container is adapted for slideably engaging the corresponding side wall of the vaporizing chamber, and advantageously, the side wall is of cylindrical construction. 
 
     
     
         5 . A container as claimed in  claim 3  in which the second accommodating means comprises an outlet tube extending from the container, and preferably, the second permeable means is located adjacent the outlet tube, and preferably, the second permeable means is located in the outlet tube, and advantageously, the second permeable means is in the form of a plug. 
     
     
         6 . A container as claimed in  claim 5  in which the outlet tube terminates in a mouthpiece. 
     
     
         7 . A container as claimed in  claim 5  in which a heat sink means is located in the outlet tube. 
     
     
         8 . A container as claimed in  claim 7  in which the heat sink means is located in the outlet tube intermediate the second permeable means and the mouthpiece, and advantageously, the outlet tube is of transverse cross-section which is substantially similar to the transverse cross-section of the container, and preferably, the outlet tube is of circular transverse cross-section, and
 advantageously, the outlet tube is of diameter which is similar to the diameter of the side wall of the container, and preferably, the container is adapted for engaging the vaporizing chamber with the outlet tube extending therefrom to provide access to the mouthpiece, and advantageously, the downstream end cap is of an impermeable material, and defines an outlet opening, and preferably, the outlet tube extends from the downstream end cap and communicates with the hollow interior region of the container through the outlet opening in the downstream end cap, and advantageously, the second permeable means is located adjacent the outlet opening in the downstream end cap. 
 
     
     
         9 . A container as claimed in  claim 1  in which the container is adapted for accommodating a heat transfer member of the vaporizing chamber into the hollow interior region of the container for transferring heat to the vaporizable matter contained therein. 
     
     
         10 . A container as claimed in  claim 9  in which the upstream end of the container is adapted for accommodating the heat transfer member into the hollow interior region thereof, and advantageously, the upstream end cap is adapted for accommodating the heat transfer member into the hollow interior region, and preferably, a heat transfer member accommodating slit is formed in the container for accommodating the heat transfer member therethrough to the hollow interior region thereof, and advantageously, the heat transfer accommodating slit is formed in the upstream end cap, and preferably, the heat transfer member accommodating slit is formed in the first permeable means. 
     
     
         11 . A container as claimed in  claim 1  in which the first permeable means comprises a first permeable material which is permeable to the carrier fluid, and preferably, the first permeable material is a paper based material, and advantageously, the first permeable material is a gauze, and preferably, the first permeable material is a gauze of a metal material, and advantageously, the first permeable material is perforated, and preferably, the second permeable means comprises a second permeable material which is permeable to the aerosol of the carrier fluid and the vapour of the vaporizable constituent, and preferably, the second permeable material is a paper based material, and advantageously, the second permeable material is a gauze, and preferably, the second permeable material is a gauze of a metal material, and advantageously, the second permeable material is perforated. 
     
     
         12 . A container as claimed in  claim 1  in which the second permeable means comprises a filter medium, and preferably, the filter medium of the second permeable means is adapted for substantially inhibiting the passage of undesirable vapours from the aerosol passing therethrough, and preferably, the filter medium of the second permeable means is adapted for substantially inhibiting the passage of tar and other undesirable fluids passing therethrough. 
     
     
         13 . A container as claimed in  claim 1  in which the vaporizable matter contained in the hollow interior region of the container is in particulate form, and preferably, the vaporizable matter contained in the hollow interior region is of particle size of maximum dimensions in the range of 50 microns to 5 mm, and advantageously, the vaporizable matter is in strip form, and preferably, the strips of the vaporizable matter are of maximum transverse dimensions in the range of 50 microns to 5 mm, and advantageously, the strips of the vaporizable matter are of length in the range of 5 mm to 40 mm. 
     
     
         14 . A container as claimed in  claim 13  in which the vaporizable matter contained in the hollow interior region comprises a blend of vaporizable matter of different strip sizes, and the strip sizes of the blend of the vaporizable matter are selected for maintaining the level of vapour of the vaporizable constituent in the aerosol substantially constant over the time period during which the vaporizable matter is being heated from the time the vaporizable matter is raised to a temperature suitable for vaporizing the constituent until substantially all of the vapour has been evaporated from the vaporizable constituent. 
     
     
         15 . A container as claimed in  claim 13  in which the vaporizable matter contained in the hollow interior region comprises a blend of vaporizable matter of different particle sizes and different strip sizes, and the particle sizes and the strip sizes of the blend of the vaporizable matter are selected for maintaining the level of vapour of the vaporizable constituent in the aerosol substantially constant over the time period during which the vaporizable matter is being heated from the time the vaporizable matter is raised to a temperature suitable for vaporizing the constituent until substantially all of the vapour has been evaporated from the vaporizable constituent. 
     
     
         16 . A container as claimed in  claim 13  in which the vaporizable matter contained in the hollow interior region comprises a blend of vaporizable matter of different particle sizes, and the particle sizes of the blend of the vaporizable matter are selected for maintaining the level of vapour of the vaporizable constituent in the aerosol substantially constant over the time period during which the vaporizable matter is being heated from the time the vaporizable matter is raised to a temperature suitable for vaporizing the constituent until substantially all of the vapour has been evaporated from the vaporizable constituent. 
     
     
         17 . A container as claimed in  claim 1  in which the vaporizable matter contained in the hollow interior region of the container is selected from one or more of the following: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   plant matter 
                   herbs 
                   tobacco 
                 
                     
                   mullein 
                   passion flower 
                   cloves 
                 
                     
                   yohimbe 
                   mint 
                   tea 
                 
                     
                   eucalyptus 
                   camomile. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         18 . A container as claimed in  claim 1  in which the vaporizable matter contained in the hollow interior region of the container is tobacco, and preferably, the container is in the form of a sachet adapted for engagement in a plug portion of the vaporizing chamber with the plug portion of the vaporizing chamber in engagement with the vaporizing chamber. 
     
     
         19 . A method for vaporizing a vaporizable constituent of vaporizable matter to form an aerosol, the method comprising placing the vaporizable matter in a hollow interior region of a container comprising a first accommodating means for accommodating a carrier fluid into the hollow interior region and a second accommodating means for accommodating the aerosol from the hollow interior region, placing the container in a vaporizing chamber of a vaporizing device, heating the container and the vaporizable matter therein to a temperature at which the vaporizable constituent vaporizes, and drawing a carrier fluid into the hollow interior region of the container through the first accommodating means and through the hollow interior region for entraining vapour of the vaporized constituent in the carrier fluid to form the aerosol and drawing the aerosol through the second accommodating means. 
     
     
         20 . A vaporizing device comprising a vaporizing chamber and a heat source for heating the vaporizing chamber, and a container as claimed in  claim 1  located in the vaporizing chamber, the vaporizing chamber having a carrier fluid inlet for facilitating drawing of a carrier fluid into the hollow interior region of the container through the first permeable means for entraining vapour of a vaporizable constituent of the vaporizable matter in the carrier fluid to form an aerosol of the carrier fluid and the vapour of the vaporizable constituent, so that the aerosol can be drawn from the hollow interior region of the container through the second permeable means.