Portable hand-held vaporizer heating assembly

Abstract

A portable hand-held vaporizer assembly having a body shaped to fit substantially within a standard-sized clothing pocket, the body including an airflow chamber, the airflow chamber having a distal end and a proximal end; and a spiral body coupling the distal end to the proximal end. The spiral body defines a spiral airflow passage in fluid communication with an outside environment, winding about an area, and being at least partially encapsulated within the body. The distal end defines a distal opening that places the spiral airflow passage in fluid communication with the outside environment. The assembly further includes a heating element thermally coupled to the spiral glass body and disposed within the area about which the spiral body winds. A substance placement zone is downstream from the spiral airflow passage and in fluid communication with the spiral airflow passage.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vaporizer heating assembly comprising:
 a spiral glass body defining a spiral airflow passage;   a heating element thermally coupled to the spiral glass body without contacting an airflow in the spiral airflow passage; and   a substance placement zone downstream from the spiral airflow passage.   
     
     
         2 . The vaporizer heating assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the spiral glass body winds around the heating element.   
     
     
         3 . The vaporizer heating assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a glass container defining the substance placement zone.   
     
     
         4 . The vaporizer heating assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a conduit that places the spiral airflow passage in fluid communication with an outside environment. 
     
     
         5 . The vaporizer heating assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 an airflow passage from a distal opening of the spiral airflow passage to the substance placement zone only contacts material substantially comprised of glass; and   the distal opening places the spiral airflow passage in fluid communication with an outside environment.   
     
     
         6 . The vaporizer heating assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a glass conduit that places the spiral airflow passage in fluid communication with an outside environment. 
     
     
         7 . The vaporizer heating assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 an airflow passage from a distal opening of the spiral airflow passage to the substance placement zone does not contact at least one of a metal material and a plastic material; and   the distal opening places the spiral airflow passage in fluid communication with an outside environment.   
     
     
         8 . The vaporizer heating assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 an airflow passage from a distal opening of the spiral airflow passage to the substance placement zone does not contact the heating element; and   the distal opening places the spiral airflow passage in fluid communication with an outside environment.   
     
     
         9 . The vaporizer heating assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the heating element is:
 spiral-shaped; and   substantially concentric with the spiral glass body.   
     
     
         10 . The vaporizer heating assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a body:
 encapsulating:
 the spiral glass body, 
 the heating element, 
 the substance placement zone; and 
 
 including walls defining a cavity within the body; and 
   wherein the spiral glass body and the heating element are disposed within the cavity a distance away from the walls, the distance defining an air gap between the spiral glass body and the walls, the air gap operably configured to thermally shield the body from heat radiating from heated air flowing through the spiral airflow passage.   
     
     
         11 . The vaporizer heating assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a temperature control feature including:
 a user-input interface operably configured to receive a user input for controlling a temperature of the heating element; 
 a digital display operably configured to display information associated with a temperature within the vaporizer heating assembly; and 
 a temperature controller communicatively coupled to the user-input interface and the digital display, the temperature controller operable to control a temperature output of the heating element according to information received from the user-input interface. 
   
     
     
         12 . A portable hand-held vaporizer assembly comprising:
 a body shaped to fit substantially within a standard-sized clothing pocket, the body including:
 a spiral body defining a spiral airflow passage, 
 a heating element thermally coupled to the spiral body without contacting an airflow in the spiral airflow passage; and 
 a substance placement zone downstream from the spiral airflow passage. 
   
     
     
         13 . The portable hand-held vaporizer assembly in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein:
 the spiral body winds around the heating element.   
     
     
         14 . The portable hand-held vaporizer assembly in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein:
 the body includes walls defining a cavity within the body; and   the spiral body and the heating element are disposed within the cavity a distance away from the walls, the distance defining an air gap between the spiral body and the walls, the air gap operably configured to thermally shield the body from heat radiating from the heating element.   
     
     
         15 . The portable hand-held vaporizer assembly in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein:
 an airflow passage from a distal opening of the spiral airflow passage to the substance placement zone only contacts material substantially comprised of glass; and   the distal opening places the spiral airflow passage in fluid communication with an outside environment.   
     
     
         16 . The portable hand-held vaporizer assembly in accordance with  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a temperature control feature including:
 a user-input interface operably configured to receive a user input for controlling a temperature of the heating element; 
 a digital display operably configured to display information associated with a temperature within the portable hand-held vaporizer assembly; and 
 a temperature controller communicatively coupled to the user-input interface and the digital display, the temperature controller operable to control a temperature output of the heating element according to information received from the user-input interface. 
   
     
     
         17 . The portable hand-held vaporizer assembly in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the spiral body is comprised of glass. 
     
     
         18 . A portable hand-held vaporizer assembly comprising:
 a body shaped to fit substantially within a standard-sized clothing pocket, the body including:
 a spiral glass body defining a spiral airflow passage; 
 a heating element thermally coupled to the spiral glass body without contacting an airflow in the spiral airflow passage; and 
 a substance placement zone downstream from the spiral airflow passage. 
   
     
     
         19 . The portable hand-held vaporizer assembly in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein:
 the spiral glass body winds around the heating element.   
     
     
         20 . The portable hand-held vaporizer assembly in accordance with  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a temperature control feature including:
 a user-input interface operably configured to receive a user input for controlling a temperature of the heating element; 
 a digital display operably configured to display information associated with a temperature within the portable hand-held vaporizer assembly; and 
 a temperature controller communicatively coupled to the user-input interface and the digital display, the temperature controller operable to control a temperature output of the heating element according to information received from the user-input interface.