Ceramic vaporizer

Abstract

A vaporizer has a base with a neck extending between a top end and a bottom end of the base. A bowl is formed on the top end of the base, and an air intake tube extending upwardly from a bottom surface of the bowl. A conduit extends through the base and the neck to the air intake tube, and a heat sink may be formed on the neck for dissipating heat from the conduit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vaporizer comprising:
 a base having a top end and a bottom end;   a neck of the base formed between the top end and the bottom end of the base;   a bowl formed on the top end of the base, the bowl having an outwardly extending bottom surface and an annular bowl wall extending upwardly from the bottom surface to form an inner volume of the bowl;   wherein the bowl is formed of a ceramic formed of 95% or more aluminum oxide;   an air intake tube extending upwardly from the bottom surface of the bowl;   a conduit extending through the base and the neck to the air intake tube; and   a heat sink formed on the neck for dissipating heat from the conduit.   
     
     
         2 . The vaporizer of  claim 1 , wherein the air intake tube extends upwardly from the bottom surface of the bowl a greater distance than the annular bowl wall. 
     
     
         3 . The vaporizer of  claim 1 , wherein the conduit is axially aligned with the air intake tube. 
     
     
         4 . The vaporizer of  claim 1 , the base comprising a smaller diameter wall having a first inner diameter, and a larger diameter wall having a second inner diameter, wherein there is an inward step formed between the smaller diameter wall and the larger diameter wall. 
     
     
         5 . The vaporizer of  claim 1 , wherein the smaller diameter wall, the larger diameter wall, or both, have varying inner diameters, forming a taper. 
     
     
         6 . The vaporizer of  claim 1 , wherein the heat sink is formed over the entire length of the neck, from the top end of the base to the bottom surface of the bowl. 
     
     
         7 . The vaporizer of  claim 1 , wherein the vaporizer is entirely made of a ceramic formed of 95% or more aluminum oxide. 
     
     
         8 . The vaporizer of  claim 1 , wherein the vaporizer is entirely made of a ceramic formed of 98% or more aluminum oxide. 
     
     
         9 . The vaporizer of  claim 7 , wherein the density of the ceramic vaporizer is 3.9 g/cm 3  or more. 
     
     
         10 . The vaporizer of  claim 7 , wherein the ceramic of the vaporizer has a grain size of 1.8 um or less. 
     
     
         11 . A method for vaporizing a material, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a water pipe for transmitting vapors;   providing a ceramic vaporizer having a base, a neck, a heat sink, a bowl, an air intake tube, and a conduit, wherein the vaporizer is formed of 95% or more aluminum oxide;   providing a material to be vaporized;   placing the base of the vaporizer on the water pipe such that a substantially air-tight seal is formed;   placing the material in the bowl such that the air intake tube is not obstructed;   heating the bowl until the desired vapors are emitted from the material; and   creating a low pressure region in the water pipe such that the vapors are drawn through the air intake tube, through the conduit, and into the water pipe.