Vaping vaporizer

Abstract

A vaporizer for use with a vaping device is provided. A vaporizer includes a tank base portion, an enclosure portion supported by the base portion, and a heating cup contained within the tank base portion and the enclosure portion. The heating cup including a first portion received in an interior cavity of the tank base portion, and a second portion received in an interior of the enclosure portion. The heating cup being configured to receive and facilitate vaporization of a vaping medium received therein.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A vaporizer for vaporizing a vaping medium for use with a vaping device, the vaporizer comprising:
 a first end, an opposite second end, and a mid-longitudinal axis extending through the first and second ends;   a tank base portion being provided at or adjacent the first end, the tank base portion including at least one sidewall portion;   an enclosure portion supported by the tank base portion, the enclosure portion including a wall portion, an inhaler portion, and an interior defined at least in part by the wall portion; and   a heating cup for vaporizing the vaping medium, a first portion of the heating cup being received in a portion of the tank base portion, and a second portion being received in the interior of the wall portion of the enclosure portion, the heating cup including a cup base portion and a cup portion, the cup base portion including a bottom wall portion, at least one sidewall portion extending upwardly from the bottom wall portion of the cup base portion, a first interior cavity defined at least in part by the bottom wall portion and the at least one sidewall portion of the cup base portion, and at least one aperture through the bottom wall portion of the cup base portion, the cup portion including a bottom wall portion, a sidewall portion extending upwardly from the bottom wall portion of the cup portion, a second interior cavity defined at least in part by the bottom wall portion and the sidewall portion of the cup portion, a heating source provided in and/or adjacent the bottom wall portion of the cup portion, and at least one aperture through the bottom wall portion of the cup portion passing through and/or adjacent to the heating source; the cup portion being configured to receive the vaping medium in the second interior cavity thereof;   wherein the heating source is configured to heat portions of the tank base portion to form a first stage heating chamber defined in part by portions of the first interior cavity, and heating portions of the cup portion to form a second stage heating chamber defined in part by portions of the second interior cavity,   wherein, during use of the vaporizer, air is drawn from the tank base through the at least one aperture in the bottom wall portion of the cup base portion into the first stage heating chamber, the air is drawn from the first stage heating chamber through the at least one aperture in the bottom wall portion of cup portion into the second stage heating chamber, and the air entering the second stage heating chamber is used to vaporize the vaping medium.   
     
     
         2 . The vaporizer of  claim 1 , wherein the tank base portion includes an interior cavity defined at least in part by the at least one sidewall portion thereof, and at least one aperture in the at least one sidewall portion thereof that communicates with the interior cavity of the tank portion. 
     
     
         3 . The vaporizer of  claim 2 , wherein an initial stage heating chamber is defined in part by portions of the interior cavity of the tank base portion. 
     
     
         4 . The vaporizer of  claim 3 , wherein, during use of the vaporizer, the air is initially drawn from outside of the vaporizer into the initial stage heating chamber through the at least one aperture in the at least one sidewall portion of the tank base portion, and then the air is drawn into the first stage heating chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The vaporizer of  claim 4 , wherein the size of the at least one aperture in the at least one sidewall portion of the tank base portion can be adjusted to correspondingly adjust a volume of the air admitted into the vaporizer. 
     
     
         6 . The vaporizer of  claim 1 , wherein the interior cavity of the tank base portion includes first threads provided therein, and the first portion heating cup includes second threads provided therein, the first threads and the second threads being capable of cooperatively engaging one another to facilitate attachment of the heating cup to the tank base portion. 
     
     
         7 . The vaporizer of  claim 1 , wherein the wall portion of the enclosure portion extends from the base portion toward the second end, and the inhaler portion is attached to the wall portion of the enclosure portion and provided at or adjacent the first end. 
     
     
         8 . The vaporizer of  claim 7 , wherein the inhaler portion includes an opening therethrough allowing fluid communication between the interior of the wall portion of the enclosure portion and the exterior of the vaporizer. 
     
     
         9 . The vaporizer of  claim 1 , wherein the vaping medium is vaporized via convection by applying the air heated in the first stage heating chamber and the second stage heating chamber thereto, and via conduction applied directly to the vaping medium received in the second interior cavity. 
     
     
         10 . The vaporizer of  claim 9 , wherein the heating cup further comprises a second heating source positioned in the side wall portion of the cup portion. 
     
     
         11 . The vaporizer of  claim 10 , wherein the second heating source is used to vaporize the vaping medium via conduction applied directly to the vaping medium received in the second interior cavity. 
     
     
         12 . A method of preheating air drawn through a vaporizer used with a vaping device, the method comprising;
 providing a vaporizer having at least a tank base portion and a first heating cup, the tank base portion including at least one sidewall portion, the heating cup including a cup base portion and a cup portion, the cup base portion including a bottom wall portion, at least one side wall portion, and a first interior cavity defined at least in part by the bottom wall portion and the at least one sidewall portion of the cup base portion, the cup portion including a bottom wall portion, at least one side wall portion, and a vaping medium receiving cavity defined at least in part by the bottom wall portion and the at least one side wall portion of the cup portion;   heating portions of the cup base portion with a first heating source to form a first stage heating chamber defined in part by portions of the first interior cavity;   heating portions of the cup portion with the first heating source to form a second stage heating chamber defined in part by portions of the vaping medium receiving cavity;   preheating air passing through the first stage heating chamber and apertures formed in the bottom wall portion of the cup portion prior to entry thereof into the second stage heating chamber; and   vaporizing a vaping medium provided in the vaping medium receiving cavity by simultaneously using convection via the preheated air and using conduction via contact with the heated portions of the cup portion heated by the first heating source.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the tank base portion includes an interior cavity defined at least in part by the at least one sidewall portion thereof, and at least one aperture in the at least one sidewall portion thereof that communicates with the interior cavity of the tank portion. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising heating portions of the tank base portion with the first heating source to form an initial stage heating chamber defined in part by portions of the interior cavity of the tank base portion. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising drawing air from outside of the vaporizer into the initial stage heating chamber through the at least one aperture in the at least one sidewall of the tank base portion. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising initially preheating air passing through the initial stage heating chamber, and passing the initially preheated air into the first stage heating chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the heating cup further comprises a second heating source positioned in the side wall portion of the cup portion. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising vaporizing the vaping medium using conduction via contact with the sidewall portion of the cup portion heated by the second heating source. 
     
     
         19 . A vaporizer for vaporizing a vaping medium for use with a vaping device, the vaporizer comprising:
 a first end, an opposite second end, and a mid-longitudinal axis extending through the first and second ends;   a tank base portion being provided at or adjacent the first end, the tank base portion including at least one sidewall portion, a first interior cavity defined at least in part by the at least one sidewall portion of the tank base portion, and at least one aperture through the at least one sidewall portion of the tank base portion that communicates with the first interior cavity;   an enclosure portion supported by the base portion, the enclosure portion including a wall portion, an inhaler portion, an interior defined at least in part by the wall portion, the wall portion extending from the base portion toward the second end, and the inhaler portion being attached to the wall portion and provided at or adjacent the first end, the inhaler portion including an opening therethrough allowing fluid communication between the interior of the wall portion and the exterior of the vaporizer; and   a heating cup for vaporizing the vaping medium, a first portion of the heating cup being received in the first interior cavity of the tank base portion, and a second portion being received in the interior of the wall portion of the enclosure portion, the heating cup including a cup base portion and a cup portion, the cup base portion including a bottom wall portion, at least one sidewall portion extending upwardly from the bottom wall portion of the cup base portion, a second interior cavity defined at least in part by the bottom wall portion and the at least one sidewall portion of the cup base portion and at least one aperture through the bottom wall portion of the cup base portion, the cup portion including a bottom wall portion, a sidewall portion extending upwardly from the bottom wall portion of the cup portion, a third interior cavity defined at least in part by the bottom wall portion and the sidewall portion of the cup portion, a heating source provided in and/or adjacent the bottom wall portion of the cup portion, and at least one aperture through the bottom wall portion of the cup portion passing through and/or adjacent to the heating source, the cup portion being configured to receive the vaping medium therein;   wherein the heating source is configured to heat portions of the tank base portion to form a first stage heating chamber defined in part by portions of the first interior cavity of the tank base portion, portions of the cup base portion to form a second stage heating chamber defined in part by portions of the second interior cavity of the cup base portion, and portions of the cup portion to form a third stage heating chamber defined in part by portions of the third interior cavity of the cup portion,   wherein during use of the vaporizer air is drawn through the at least one aperture in the at least one sidewall of the tank base into the first stage heating chamber, the air is drawn from the first stage heating chamber through the at least one aperture in the bottom wall portion of the cup base portion into the second stage heating chamber, the air is drawn from the second stage heating chamber through the at least one aperture in the bottom wall portion of cup portion into the third stage heating chamber, and the air entering the third stage heating chamber is used to vaporize the vaping medium.   
     
     
         20 . The vaporizer of  claim 19 , wherein the first interior cavity includes first threads provided therein, and the first portion heating cup includes second threads provided therein, the first threads and the second threads being capable of cooperatively engaging one another to facilitate attachment of the heating cup to the tank base portion.