Removable heater assembly for a vaporizer

Abstract

A removable heater assembly 20 is provided for a vaporizer 10 by which to easily mechanically and electrically connect and disconnect the heater assembly 20 from a base 22 for removal and/or replacement thereof without requiring tools or specialized skills.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A removable heater assembly for a vaporizer comprising:
 a generally cylindrical mounting support extending between first and second ends, an electrical contact tab associated with the first end, and an annular electrical contact band mounted about the support between the first and second ends, and   a generally cylindrical ceramic heating element supported to extend from the mounting support second end, and electrically coupled to the contact tab and the contact band, whereby the heater assembly can be axially slid into and out of a base associated with said vaporizer to mechanically and electrically connect the heater assembly to said vaporizer and disconnect the heater assembly from said vaporizer, respectively.   
     
     
         2 . The removable heater assembly of  claim 1 , the mounting support having a cross-dimension larger than a cross-dimension of the ceramic heating element. 
     
     
         3 . The removable heater assembly of  claim 2 , the mounting support having first and second portions each having a respective cross-dimension larger than the cross-dimension of the ceramic heating element and extending, respectively, from the first and second ends, the cross-dimension of the first portion being larger than the cross-dimension of the second portion, the annular contact being mounted on the first portion. 
     
     
         4 . The removable heater assembly of  claim 1 , the mounting support having first and second portions each having a respective cross-dimension and extending, respectively, from the first and second ends, the cross-dimension of the first portion being larger than the cross-dimension of the second portion, the annular contact being mounted on the first portion. 
     
     
         5 . A removable heater assembly for a vaporizer comprising an elongated heater assembly having an elongated ceramic rod and a power connector electrically and mechanically coupled to an end of the ceramic rod to support and couple power to the ceramic rod, the ceramic rod heating up on application of power to the power connector, the power connector having exposed, spaced electrical contact surfaces adapted to slidingly engage with electrical contacts of said vaporizer, such that the elongated heater assembly may be slidably attached to vaporizer electrical contacts through which to apply power to the power connector and such that the elongated heater assembly may be slidably removed from said vaporizer for replacement, whereby the elongated heater assembly is not hard-wired to the vaporizer to facilitate ready replacement in the field. 
     
     
         6 . In combination a vaporizer and a removable heater assembly for the vaporizer, the vaporizer including a housing, an electric circuit, and a base being mechanically supported in the housing and hard-wired to the electric circuit; the heater assembly including a mounting support and heating element mechanically supported by the mounting support, the base having a receiver portion with an electrical plate contact located along the axis thereof, and an electrical clip with an arm astride the axis thereof, the mounting support having an electrical contact tab located along the axis thereof and an annular electrical contact band mounted thereabout, the receiver portion sized to axially slidably receive the mounting support therein to bring the annular contact into electrical engagement with the arm of the clip and the contact tab into electrical engagement with the plate contact. 
     
     
         7 . The combination of  claim 6  further comprising an elongated glass tubular member removably coupled to the base and extending over the heating element. 
     
     
         8 . The combination of  claim 7 , the tubular member having a threaded end and the base having a threaded portion adapted to threadably removably receive the threaded end of the tubular member. 
     
     
         9 . The combination of  claim 8  further comprising a washer on the mounting support adjacent the threaded end of the tubular member.